And ugh, my ovaries hurt (which I'm sure is just PMS), but talk about the sweetest moment in life! There is almost nothing that compares to the joy of that moment. Of course, there are other moments, but every time parents get to introduce a new baby it is a reminder of the marvel of life in its purest form.
So what could possibly spoil it, you ask, because why else would the Busy Black Woman feel the need to break royal protocol by saying anything before we have officially heard from the Queen? Because some of y'all are out here in these streets starting nonsense, asking if Baby Sussex will be raised Black...
Now it is not my place to address what that question actually means across the pond because I only know what it means to be Black here in America. I know that as Black mothers give birth to sons here in this country, we have that same expression of joy on our faces, but in our hearts we also ache with the full awareness of the issues our sons might face in the years ahead. I can't speak directly to that from experience as I have a daughter, but I do have a month-old nephew, a two month-old baby cousin, and a few other young Black boys recently born into my family. The joy I have felt at their births is always tempered by the worries I carry for their lives. (And trust, as the Black mother of a daughter, I have a different set of concerns that keep me up at night and turn my hair gray.)
Baby Sussex has been born into one of the world's oldest monarchies, and the privileges that will bring him over the course of his life do not compare to what most of us will ever experience. This child will never go hungry. This child will attend the best schools. This child will live in homes that have clean running water, no lead paint, and no vermin infestation. This child will have the freedom to choose his path in the world. This child will never have to work a real job. This child will never get harassed by the police. This child will never have to worry about taking care of his mamma in her old age.
Yet, as a Black man-child who one day will have to leave the safety of the castles and country estates, he will endure the scrutiny of being the Black royal. His mother has already had to deal with tabloid rumors of being difficult, which is the polite way of calling her the black sheep of the family. The audacity of a Duchess having her own style and wanting to have things done her own way! So just imagine what life might be like for Baby Sussex in a few years.
And yes, I will see him as Black even as the world suggests that with three white grandparents his racial identity isn't as fixed or as tethered to American ideas such as the one-drop rule. But I know a little something that the world won't acknowledge, which is the influence his maternal grandmother, Doria Ragland, will have in his life. You see, I've observed the British monarchs from afar for years, and these are not the most affectionate people. I have yet to see a picture of Prince Charles looking anything other than uncomfortable around children, even his own. Sure, there will be a perfect family photo with the future King and I'm sure that Camilla will try her best, but let's be real. Baby Sussex will never have to make an appointment to see Nana Dee (my nickname). And Lord knows if there will ever be a meaningful reconciliation with Granddad Markle.
Now if Princess Diana were still alive, I am sure that she would have wanted to be a more hands-on grandmother, but her kids had nannies, so I just don't believe she would have been down with changing nappies. But Nana Dee? She's going to be ALL up in there: changing nappies, feeding him, reading to him, buying his first Easter suit, and doting all over him like every other proud Black grandma. (As I was writing this, it was announced that Baby Sussex has been formally named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. And look who is also in that picture...)
Thus, to answer the original question, little Archie will indeed be a little Black Prince (even without the formal title). He will be raised as a child of privilege, but something tells me that he will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of his uniqueness within the British Royal Family. At the same time, he won't be all that unique in a world where the concept of being biracial isn't nearly as scandalous as it once was. Congratulations!
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