Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding cellist has been hit by “barrage of racism” after his Rule Britannia plea was met with backlash.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason has called for the anthem Rule, Britannia! to be scrapped from the Last Night of The Proms. The 24-year-old cellist recently told Desert Island Discs that when he performed at 2023’s Last Night, he left early to avoid hearing the song being played.
Following his plea, Mr Kanneh-Mason has been hit by a wave of racist comments – with his mother even taking to X, formerly Twitter, to call out those who have sent her son a “barrage of racism”.
Taking to X – alongside a picture of herself with her son – Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason wrote: “Replying to the barrage of racism against my son this week.
“So many feel it’s ok to call for deportation, flogging, sending him ‘back to Africa’ and to use ‘Ni**er’ against someone trying to engage in a conversation about music and inclusion. Horror, rage, heartbreak.”
Speaking about the anthem, Mr Kanneh-Mason previously said that the patriotic song, which is ttraditionally played at the end of the classical festival, makes some people “uncomfortable”.
He said: “I don’t think it should be included. I think maybe some people don’t realise how uncomfortable a song like that can make a lot of people feel, even if it makes them feel good. There is so much wonderful British music that would be a wonderful thing to take its place.”
The 24-year-old also said that he and his family – which consists of six brothers and sisters – would often be the only black people at classical music events.
He said: “There were certainly occasions where being black meant I was not necessarily taken seriously in some situations.”
Speaking to Desert Island Discs, the young cellist reminisced on his time performing at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in May 2018 – claiming that he did not feel nervous.
He said: “It felt very much like playing to the people in the room. I would be more nervous for my cello lessons because I know my teacher listens at a certain level of detail.”
Meghan and Harry are set to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary later this year.
The couple wed in Windsor and now share two children together – Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
