The Duchess of Sussex spoke to The 19th co-founder Emily Ramshaw about her experience returning to the United States after 10 years living in Canada and the UK. She said it was “so sad” to see America in the state that it is but saw hope in how the country can improve.
The Duchess said: “I haven’t lived in the States for almost 10 years. I lived in Canada for seven for work so it’s a really long lapse in time from being here.
“And to come back and to just see the state of affairs I think at the onset of, if I’m being honest, was just devastating.
“It was so sad to see where our country was in that moment and if there is any silver lining in that I would say that in the weeks that were happening after the murder of George Floyd.
“In the peaceful protests we were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their roles and acknowledging their role that they played either actively or passively in the discrimination of other people specifically of the black community.
“It shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration because I could see that the tide is turning.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their plans to step down as senior members of the Royal Family in January.
The Sussexes continued to undertake royal duties up until the end of March.
The couple originally planned to split their time between the UK and North American.
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“And being part of using my voice in a way that I haven’t been able to of late.”
The Duchess also highlighted the importance of voting as the US presidential election is fast approaching.
She stressed that voting is “incredibly important”.
She added: “People are craving a change.
“In the place we’re all in right now, there’s such a moment where people are starting to question the systems we’ve always believed in.”
During the interview the Duchess discussed the role of gender in media.
The Duchess highlighted how the word “suffragette” was intended as a derogatory term when it was first invented.
She continued: “This term, coined by one man in 1906, has stuck as part of a movement.
“When you look at that, and look through that lens of the power of one person’s influence in the media to be able to shape an entire movement or way of thinking.”
The Duchess added: “If women had their voice heard as equally, how different that would have been.”
