Prince William faces 'colonialism' backlash for his Ukraine comments

Prince William is facing backlash after his visit to the Ukrainian Cultural Center in London to support relief efforts, where he stated it was “very alien” to see war in Europe, supposedly unlike some other regions of the world.

The prince was quoted as saying, "It's very alien to see this in Europe. We are all behind you,” with media reports implying that his comments suggested Britons were more used to seeing conflict in regions like Africa and Asia.

The remark sparked a wave of backlash against the Duke of Cambridge, as many critics slammed the prince’s comment as racist and linked it to colonialism.

Bernice King, chief executive of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and daughter of late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., wrote on twitter: “Horrific comment. European people ran roughshod over the continent of Africa, pillaging communities, raping women, enslaving human beings, colonizing for profit and power, stealing resources, causing generational devastation. And European nations continue to harm Africa."

Others were perplexed by the ignorance of William’s statement, with human rights advocate Qasim Rashid writing: "How do you have a 1,000 year history of colonialism, a literal 100 year war, launch 2 World Wars, allow multiple genocides, & bomb a dozen nations since 9/11 alone—yet make this type of a statement."

The latest wave of backlash against Prince WIlliam follows another controversy he stirred up in November, when he suggested that the human population was putting pressure on wildlife in Africa, stating: "The increasing pressure on Africa's wildlife and wild spaces as a result of human population presents a huge challenge for conservationists, as it does the world over."

A photo of William being carried on a throne by Africans also went viral in the wake of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s  notorious interview with Oprah in 2021 where they insisted that the royal family was “not racist” but suggested one unnamed royal had made disparaging comments on the skin color of their son Archie before he was born.

The recent controversy comes ahead of Prince William’s and Kate Middleton’s expected tour of the Caribbean in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.