In an official statement, Prince William says he is “sickened by racist abuse” that Black English players faced following their loss on Sunday.
In a highly anticipated game, Team England played against Italy in the Euro Final on Sunday, Jul. 11. Immediately after Team England’s loss, Black players Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho found themselves on the other end of racist attacks online and in-person after missing penalty kicks.
The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William (who also happens to be the President of the Football Association), shared an official statement denouncing the attacks on Monday.
The official statement from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s social media accounts reads: “I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W.”
Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, and their son Prince George were all in attendance at the game and were heavily photographed. The Duke and Duchess also released a statement on the team’s devastating loss, writing, “Heartbreaking. Congratulations @Azzurri on a great victory. @England, you’ve all come so far, but sadly this time it wasn’t our day. You can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves — I know there’s more to come. W.”
Many fans and followers on social media recognized that while Prince William’s statement was important, it comes at a peculiar time after the fallout of Meghan Markle‘s claims in her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year. Erin Kotecki Vest wrote underneath their response to the racist attacks, “Now one for your sister-in-law. We’ll wait…”
Clearly, Vest was not the only one confused at the statement, with Markle trending worldwide on Twitter only hours after the statement was released.
As theGrio previously reported, the Duchess of Sussex detailed her experience marrying into the Royal Family in the interview for CBS. Alongside Prince Harry, they explained the racism they felt they faced from “the firm,” including remarks about the color of their son Archie‘s skin, indulging in the media narrative that put her against her sister-in-law Kate Middleton and more.
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