Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Accept Kennedy Award For ‘Moral Courage’ For Standing Up To ‘Structural Racism’ In Royal Family

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a glamorous appearance in New York City to accept the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award. Meghan showed up to the blue carpet in a white, off-the-shoulder gown with a sleek updo and gold earrings. Prince Harry looked timeless in a pristine suit and black tie.

The Ripple of Hope Award is presented to people who demonstrate an “unwavering commitment” to “protect and advance equity, justice and human rights.” This year’s laureates also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and, posthumously, NBA legend Bill Russell.

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The royal couple was honored at the Gala for their exemplary work in social justice through their nonprofit, the Archewell Foundation. In a sweet moment at the event, Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert Kennedy, presented Prince Harry with a framed photograph of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Kennedy has said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex exemplified “moral courage” for standing up to “structural racism” in the British monarchy.

“[Meghan and Prince Harry] went to the oldest institution in U.K. history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn’t have structural racism within the institution,” Kennedy told Spanish news outlet Vanitatis. “They knew that if they did this there would be consequences, that they would be ostracized… They have done it anyway because they couldn’t live with themselves if they didn’t question this authority.”

Their feelings about racism in Buckingham palace were revealed in 2021 when the pair sat down for a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan revealed during the special that there were “concerns and conversations about how dark [her son’s] skin might be when he’s born.”

Earlier in the year, the Duke and Duchess announced that they’d relinquish their roles as senior working royals, citing the racism of British media as one of their reasons. Since then, they’ve started their first business venture, Archewell, named for their son Archie, in order to “uplift and unite” local and global communities.