King Charles Playlist Celebrates Black Artists but Clashes with the UK Colonial Past

King Charles III has launched a personal playlist, The King’s Music Room, in partnership with Apple Music. This playlist, released in honor of Commonwealth Day, features a mix of artists from across the Commonwealth, including Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Davido, and Raye. The King has spoken about the power of music to bring comfort, joy, and nostalgia.

But this sudden embrace of cultural diversity raises a deeper question: Is this a sincere appreciation of global music, or is it a carefully crafted PR move to soften the monarchy’s reputation with the Commonwealth?

Related | King Charles Refuses to Speak to Harry While Protecting Royal Racism

The Playlist and Its Symbolism

King Charles has chosen songs that represent different genres and backgrounds. Reggae icon Bob Marley, Nigerian superstar Davido, and British pop sensation Raye all feature in the selection. By highlighting artists from across the Commonwealth, Charles seems to be sending a message about unity and shared cultural heritage.

King Charles is swapping the crown for headphones, launching an Apple Music radio show to remind us that even monarchs have eclectic taste.pic.twitter.com/hm8ECpVUUW

— Feminegra (@feminegra) March 7, 2025

On the surface, this sounds progressive. But it’s hard to ignore the contradictions. The British monarchy has long benefited from colonial rule and systemic racism, yet here is King Charles presenting himself as a champion of multiculturalism. His love for music from African and Caribbean artists does not erase the monarchy’s refusal to properly address its role in slavery and exploitation.

The Double Standards of Royal Branding

This isn’t the first time Charles has tried to blend modern influence with royal tradition. He built the Duchy brand into a business empire, selling organic groceries and luxury products under his royal title. But when Meghan and Harry attempted to create their own brand, Sussex Royal, they were shut down immediately.

Royal expert Clive Irving called this an act of hypocrisy. Charles was the first royal to seriously monetize his status, yet Meghan and Harry were accused of trying to profit off the monarchy.

”[I]t’s been an atrocious act of hypocrisy … to [take the view] that it wasn’t right for them to use a brand, Sussex Royal, to monetise the royal name, because [Prince] Charles was the first person ever to do that in a serious way, with the Duchy brand of grocery items. … It never seemed to strike him or anybody else in the Royal Family that it was hypocritical to attack Meghan and Harry for wanting to do their own brand, and in their case not to sell groceries but to do good work.” – Clive Irving

The difference? Charles’ royal branding was accepted because he was part of the establishment. Prince Harry through his marriage to Meghan Markle was seen as outsiders.

The treatment of Meghan and Harry proves that royal rules are applied selectively. When Charles cashes in on his name, it’s business. When Meghan tries to use her platform for good, she’s punished and publicly pilloried by the media.

King Charles and Britain’s Role in Slavery

In 2018, Charles described Britain’s role in the slave trade as an “atrocity”. He acknowledged the horrors of slavery but stopped short of an apology. Words are easy. What about action?

Britain has never paid reparations to the African nations and descendants of enslaved people who suffered under its rule. In 1993, Black British MP Bernie Grant demanded an official apology from the Queen. He never got one. In 2015, during a visit to Jamaica, then-Prime Minister David Cameron dismissed calls for reparations, telling the country to “move on” from its painful past.

King Charles’ refusal to take responsibility makes his love for Black music feel like a performance. He can enjoy Bob Marley’s One Love, but what about the real struggles of the people Marley sang for? Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer refuses to discuss reparations, saying the UK should focus on today’s challenges. Yet, those challenges exist because of Britain’s past actions.

Racism and the Royal Family

The royal family has long been accused of racism, and King Charles himself has been at the center of some troubling moments.

In 2018, during a Commonwealth event, Charles told British-Guyanese writer Anita Sethi that she “did not look like she was from Manchester”. The implication was clear—because she was a brown woman, he didn’t see her as truly British. Sethi later wrote that she was there “because Britain was there first”, referencing the UK’s colonial past.

There are also accusations of institutional racism within Charles’ own household. His Black personal secretary resigned after years of enduring racist and sexist mistreatment. She spoke about the racially hostile environment in the palace, where derogatory jokes and exclusion were common. The monarchy wants to present itself as modern and inclusive, but the reality inside the institution tells a different story.

Is King Charles A Feel-Good Playlist or a PR Move?

King Charles’ playlist might make headlines, but it doesn’t change history. His love for multicultural music does not erase the racism, colonialism, and inequality that the British monarchy has upheld for centuries.

If Charles truly wants to embrace diversity and inclusion, it will take more than a playlist. It will take accountability. That means acknowledging the monarchy’s role in slavery, supporting reparations, and challenging the double standards that still exist within the institution.

Until then, this playlist is just another carefully crafted PR stunt, designed to distract from the deeper issues the monarchy refuses to confront.