On Sunday evening in the U.S., an Oprah Winfrey interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was aired for the first time. For us in the UK the full interview will be broadcast on ITV at 9pm on Monday but many of the highlights have already made the headlines.

Perhaps one of the most sad and shocking things that we discovered was that Meghan Markle had suicidal thoughts but was refused any sort of help because “it wouldn’t be good for the institution”. The only hope is that this will prove a watershed moment where the underlying vitriol and racism in the media and the royal family itself is exposed for what it is.

Unfortunately for many these revelations will not be surprising because of an institutional racism suffered by non-white people in this country. For the purposes of our legal slant on things this was recently highlighted by a Parliamentary report by the Women and Equalities Committee on the effect of coronavirus on the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) population.

In that report a range of factors were identified that demonstrated how BAME people faced greater exposure to coronavirus:

• Difficulties applying for Universal Credit
• Overcrowded housing
• A reliance on jobs with zero-hour contracts and therefore no access to furlough payments
• Common comorbidities that exacerbate the illness
• Trouble accessing and understanding government guidance

Of course the first thing to note about these points is that they are not easy fixes for the government. There is no magic wand that solves the housing crisis overnight. They are systemic problems that overwhelmingly affect the non-white population.

As we approach the one year anniversary of lockdown in the UK, the past 12 months have highlighted underlying disparities. From Meghan Markle to COVID deaths these are root and branch problems that require significant reform across society.