While giving an interview to channel 5 talk show The Wright Stuff, British comedian Stephen Amos said that on meeting Prince Harry after a performance for Prince Charles' 60th birthday the prince had said to him, "Hello, tell me, amusing, but you don't sound like a black chap." The comedian didn't reveal his reply but joked, "I wanted to say, 'How is I supposed to sound?'"
Prince Harry may well have been turning the comics own jokes around on him. The British born comedian often uses a fake Caribbean accent in his acts and bases many of his jokes on race and stereotyping. However, with January's Paki-row still fresh on people's minds the comment is being touted by the media as Harry's "latest racism row".
Luckily for Harry the allegations of racism are not one the majority of people believe. During the Paki-row the majority of commenters, polls and even a few brave journalists stood up for the Prince against what was viewed as Political Correctness gone mad. Those who knew the Prince—indeed the very Pakistani soldier he called Paki—stood up for Harry saying he is not a racist. Thus far it seems as though he is getting the same support for the comment he made to Mr Amos.
Asked for comment Clarence House said, "We do not comment on allegations about private conversations involving the Royals."
Others of course will have plenty to say.
Naomi Byron, national secretary of Youth Against Racism in Europe, said, "Many young people will be disgusted by his remark. But it is not just Prince Harry that is at fault. The aristocratic, rich circles he moves in obviously don't have a problem with this kind of racist stereotyping."
Said Former Commission for Racial Equality chairman Lord Herman Ouseley, "It is very sad that Prince Harry thinks black people all talk in the same way. It just goes to show how ill-educated members of the upper classes can be."
It seems YARE and the CRE are not against classist stereotyping.
See how easy it is?
I hope they read this and get my point.