Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are first royals to celebrate Pride Month
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave after attending a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on March 11, 2019. (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have become the first members of the royal family to publicly celebrate Pride Month, with a moving tribute to LGBT+ campaigners and Princess Diana.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted a message to their official Instagram account on Saturday (June 1), at the start of celebrations for LGBT+ Pride month around the world.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share moving Pride Month tribute
The message states: “For the month of June we ‘proudly’ shine a light on PRIDE.
“This month we pay tribute to the accounts supporting the LGBTQ+ community – those young and old, their families and friends, accounts that reflect on the past and are hopeful for a deservedly more inclusive future.”
It adds: “We stand with you and support you Because it’s very simple: love is love.”
The couple shared a moving tribute on their official joint Instagram account
The royal couple’s official Instagram account followed 11 organisations that advocate for LGBT+ equality, including Stonewall, the Human Rights Campaign, the Albert Kennedy Trust the Trevor Project, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
The collage of pro-LGBT images shared alongside the message includes a photo of Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, visiting a patient in hospital at the height of the AIDS crisis.
Duke and Duchess of Sussex praised for pro-LGBT message
The message was warmly received by the LGBT+ groups.
The Albert Kennedy Trust, which works to combat homelessness among LGBT+ young people, wrote: “Thank you so much for including us in this, and for the lovey words.
“Today we held our national Youth Conference where 123 young people came together to think about how to look toward the more inclusive future you mention in this post.
“Supportive allies are essential to securing this, so thank you so much for the support. Happy Pride season. ”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend a reception at Buckingham Palace (DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty)
The US-based Matthew Shepard Foundation, which was set up in memory of a teen murdered for being gay, added: “Thank you so much for your support in raising awareness! ❤️ ”
The Trevor Project added: “Thank you so much for supporting our lifesaving work. ❤️ ”
The message also earned praise from Olympic diver Tom Daley, who commented: “This is just AWESOME. ❤️”
The post also attracted some anti-LGBT comments.
One complained: “Really no point to having a royal family anymore if they can’t uphold any sense of tradition. They are just phasing themselves out. Succession will eventually become irrelevant in a modern society with these attitudes.”
Another added: “Read the Bible more. I’m sad to see this.”
One angry respondent called for the couple to be stripped of “your titles, free houses and taxpayer funded lifestyle” as a punishment for the “political” message.
Prince Harry has been one of the most vocal members of the royal family about LGBT+ issues, as well as continuing the legacy left by his mother on HIV/AIDS.
