//Especially not considering that they've made allegations of bullying and racism.//
//It's difficult to avoid the conclusion that Meghan Markle has been subject to bullying and to racially-charged abuse.//
Really? Is that all it takes to convince you, Jim? Just “make allegations” - that's good enough for you. As I commented yesterday, these allegations are unsubstantiated, untested and will remain that way because the accuser has not named the alleged perpetrator(s) and seems unlikely to do so. The allegations cannot be checked out and the accused is unable to put forward his or her version of events. Sounds in line with two philosophies which seem to have grabbed credibility:
First, the preposterous recommendation #12 from the Macpherson report into the death of Stephen Lawrence:
“That the definition should be: ‘A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.’ "
Second, the philosophy that the Metropolitan police adopted during the disastrous “Operation Midland” fiasco which decreed that “the victim must always be believed.” This led them to believe the word of a fantasist and paedophile when they were told by him that a ring of VIPs was involved in child sexual abuse and murder. It also prompted one of their senior officers to mislead the country’s Chief Magistrate when applying for a search warrant.
There is a case going through the Court of Appeal which challenges the College of Policing’s guidance which followed from the Macpherson report and I think we all know how Operation Midland turned out. Seems those lessons need to trickle down elsewhere.
//If the Royal Family wants to survive this with their reputations intact then the correct response is to treat the allegations with respect, not indifference.//
The racism allegation cannot be treated with respect. It is unsubstantiated and cannot be investigated (short of interrogating all members of the Royal Family bar the one or two the Duchess has said were not involved). If she wants them taken seriously she should make them seriously and properly rather than reveal them for the first time to the host of a trashy US chat show.