Prince William says war normal in Africa and Asia, ‘alien’ in Europe; invites backlash

The 39-year-old prince said Britons were more used to seeing conflict in Africa and Asia, The Independent said adding, feeling “useless” for not being able to help more.

#ICYMI: Prince William said it’s rather normal to see war and bloodshed in Africa and Asia but not Europe, during a visit to the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London today. “It’s very alien to see this in Europe. We are all behind you,” he told the volunteers there. pic.twitter.com/YfWtJuCgNs

— Nadine White (@Nadine_Writes) March 9, 2022

Prince William very moved by war on “European soil”

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Conflict in Africa and Asia v normalised, apparently. pic.twitter.com/R0KmVFx4Hi

— Ava-Santina (@AvaSantina) March 9, 2022

His remarks invited backlash as people termed the comments “ignorant” and “racist”. While some reminded him about the scores of wars that happened in Europe over the years, many shared images of his own mother, Princess Diana, visiting Bosnia after the war.

The remark comes almost a year after the royal figure claimed his family is “very much not a racist family,” in the wake of Meghan Markle’s shocking revelations on Oprah Winfrey’s show. People used the moment to discuss his “racist overview of things” in his remarks, which were dubbed as tone-deaf by a few online.

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. https://t.co/KRzfnVGQmN

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 10, 2022

This is typical white supremacist colonizer ideology. This is such a wildly ahistorical take & they just keep saying it for no reason except to signal some false civilizational superiority of the majority-white nations https://t.co/KF9l68e3Jn

— We Can Build A Better World 🕊 (@BreeNewsome) March 9, 2022

Prince William’s comments are deeply offensive. He must apologise

This future King of England parrots racist rhetoric shamelessly

His caucacity after public backlash at Western media humanising White pain while dehumanising Black/Brown pain in #UkraineWar is a slap to our faces https://t.co/2oR1weXASr

— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) March 9, 2022

Wtf???!!! You know what that Oprah interview w/ Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is only more illuminating now. Prince William is letting his racism speak loudly and proudly #Ukraine https://t.co/aSSDvXKdVn

— Ameshia Cross (@AmeshiaCross) March 9, 2022

Unsurprised to see backlash against Prince William’s ignorant remark (reported by @PA). Europe has seen some of the bloodiest conflict in the past two centuries—Balkans, Yugoslavia, Germany and Kosovo to name a few. But sure, let’s normalise war and death in Africa and Asia. pic.twitter.com/49xYzFOyBK

— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 9, 2022

Prince William: Africans & Asians are used to all that war. Europeans don’t do that.

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History teachers across the world: pic.twitter.com/2U06jtMZ83

— Veronica McDonald🗣 (@Purify_toast17) March 9, 2022

The IRA set off bombs in London during Prince William’s lifetime.

The Good Friday Agreement happened when William was 17.

The British military had troops deployed in Northern Ireland when William started his military carer at Sandhurst! https://t.co/pCkCm9pN2K

— Andrew Visnovsky (@AndrewVisnovsky) March 9, 2022

Prince William’s own mother visited Bosnia in 1997, shortly before her death. Are you telling me he wasn’t aware of the war and genocide that was raging on at that time? pic.twitter.com/ZLIJlP9cxm

— MD (@MarkleDuchess) March 9, 2022

“It’s very alien to see this in Europe”

After googling conflicts in Europe for about five seconds, I found this list. Prince William is a disgusting racist & should be ashamed of himself! Conflicts don’t just happen in Asia & Africa only. pic.twitter.com/ljsffYXfSA

— Nasty Woman (@Jmarie0407) March 10, 2022

Prince William says the quiet part out loud. Given his country’s colonial legacy, this is especially tone deaf. https://t.co/hECHe4A5sZ

— Eric_A_Anderson (@Eric_A_Anderson) March 9, 2022

Prince William literally normalising war in countries where people with brown skin live, whilst proclaiming it beneath white-skinned Europe. Breathtaking ignorance, lack of awareness & racism from someone who should have had the best education money can buy.#AbolishTheMonarchy https://t.co/WoDk3Md0KQ

— ⚫️ ElleQat (@BaroqueChic) March 10, 2022

Wearing pins in blue-and-yellow colours, the royal couple handed out trays of homemade chocolate brownies and granola bars from the Kensington Palace. The father-of-three also added that their children, 8-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, 6, too had been asking them about the unfolding tragedy.

He suggested he had found it difficult discussing some of it with his children, adding he had to “choose my words carefully to explain what is going on,” Metro added.

“The irony is it brings Europe closer together. Europe is closer together than it’s ever been before because of Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future.

Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future 🇺🇦 W & C

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 26, 2022

Earlier, the royals had used their official Twitter account to express their support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Ukrainian people, after Russia launched an invasion of the country on February 24.