Prince Harry backs move to ban Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: Duke of Sussex signals his support for review of England rugby anthem linked to slavery despite huge backlash from fans
- Prince Harry signalled support for Rugby Football Union’s review into the song
- He is a patron of the Rugby Football Union and a fan of the sport
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot was written by a black slave in the American South in the nineteenth century
Prince Harry has backed the moves to ban Swing Low, Sweet Chariot from rugby games due to its association with slavery.
He has sung the rugby anthem many times since childhood and he is a fan and patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
Prince Harry has signalled support for the RFU’s review into the song, written by Wallace Willis, a freed Oklahoma slave, in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, The Sunday Times reported.
Prince Harry has backed the moves to ban Swing Low, Sweet Chariot from rugby games due to its association with slavery. Pictured at the Six Nations match between England and France in 2019
The anthem rings around the stands at Twickenham and is being reviewed by the RFU which has launched a wide-ranging probe into racism.
Written by a black slave in the American South during the nineteenth century, the song was first belted out by supporters when two black wingers – Martin Offiah and Chris Oti – became sporting heroes on the pitch at the end of the 1980s.
Prince Harry follows Meghan Markle’s lead as a close friend said that her instinct to leave the UK and move to California makes sense to her now.
The anthem rings around the stands at Twickenham and is being reviewed by the RFU which has launched a wide-ranging probe into racism
She believes she was ‘destined’ to help fight against racism and feels her ‘gnawing urgency to uproot from England’ was fate so she could be at the ‘forefront’ of the movement.
The close friend added: ‘Meghan said her work as a leader is more important than ever right now and that she’s been speaking with Oprah and other community leaders on how she can be part of the solution.
Prince Harry follows Meghan Markle’s lead as a close friend said that her instinct to leave the UK and move to California makes sense to her now
‘Meghan feels like her mission goes far beyond acting. She said she wants to use her voice for change and hasn’t ruled out a career in politics.’
Former head of the Commission for Racial Equality Trevor Phillips, 66, condemned the RFU for reviewing the popular sporting song.
He slammed plans to ban Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and described it as ‘Black people’s own culture being cancelled’.
He pointed out the last people to try and ban it were Hitler and the Nazis back in 1939.