Prince Harry Says He Didn't Know "Unconscious Bias Existed" Until Meeting Meghan Markle

Prince Harry is speaking out about how his wife, Duchess Meghan, has opened his eyes to the bleak reality of bias and racism.

During a new conversation with activist Patrick Hutchinson for British GQ, the Duke of Sussex revealed that he wasn't aware of the all-encompassing effects of racial bias until he met Meghan years ago. During her time as a working member of the royal family and even since stepping away from the monarchy, Meghan has prioritized highlighting racism and the fight for gender equality through her work.

"You can't really point fingers, especially when it comes to unconscious bias. But once you realize or you feel a little bit uncomfortable, then the onus is on you to go out and educate yourself, because ignorance is no longer an excuse," said the duke during the conversation, speaking on where racism stems from. "And unconscious bias, from my understanding, having the upbringing and the education that I had, I had no idea what it was. I had no idea it existed. And then, sad as it is to say, it took me many, many years to realize it, especially then living a day or a week in my wife's shoes."

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Harry continued, acknowledging that his recent relocation to the United States along with Meghan and their young son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, in the midst of a racial reckoning within the country has helped him better understand the plight for a fairer society.

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"I think one of the most dangerous things is people within positions of power, whether it's politics or whether it's the media, where if you're not aware of your own bias and you're not aware of the culture within your system, then how are we ever going to progress? How are we ever going to get to that point where there is more fairness? Because it's not a zero-sum game, right? Everyone benefits if the Black community gets treated the way they should be treated," continued Harry. "Every day is a learning process. And it's not actually up for debate. These are the facts. This is what's happening. And it's been very interesting for me to sit through or live through this in America."

The duke and Hutchinson—who are both fathers—also related to each other in that they want to build a better future for their children.

"It's going to take every single one of us to really change things and anyone that's pushing against it really needs to take a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror. Because as I said, this isn't Black versus white. As you quite rightly pointed out, now in 2020 we have protesters of every color, every background, every religion, every age. This is a global movement," said the duke. "The train has left the station. If you're not on it now, then get on it because there's so much that we can do. And being a dad myself, the whole point in life, I guess, for me, is to try to leave the world in a better place than when you found it."

This article first appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US.

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