She never previously paid much attention to the British monarchy, but Eniola Ladapo remembers vividly how she felt watching American actress Meghan Markle become royalty.
The image of a biracial, foreign woman welcomed into the bosom of white, traditionalist Britain carried colossal symbolism for her — and even a hope that it signaled greater inclusivity and tolerance, NBC News reported.
"The history of the royal family is built around the British Empire, so it was almost like it was coming full circle," said Ladapo, 19, who grew up in Nigeria and is now an undergraduate student at the London School of Economics.
Less than two years after their May 19, 2018, wedding, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have quit as full-time royals, and the collateral damage extends far beyond the palace walls. For Ladapo and others, Meghan's treatment has sent a damaging message to young British people of color, who perhaps saw her as a sign that racial prejudice might be finally ebbing away.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com
