Journalist rekindles controversy about Royal family member allegedly naming black pets after Venus & Serena Williams: “Not aware how offensive it is”

Venus Williams (left) and Serena Williams (right) at the 2022 US Open, Source: Getty

A British journalist has rekindled a controversial claim suggesting Venus and Serena Williams’ legendary names were used by a member of the British royal family to name two pet black sheep. The royal family member in question is 80-year-old Princess Michael of Kent, who was also involved in a racism controversy dating back to 2017, which featured Meghan Markle, who is particularly close to the younger Williams sister.

It was in April 2018 when the allegations of Princess Michael of Kent naming two black sheep after the legendary sisters first surfaced. The allegations were made by British-American writer and journalist Aatish Taseer, who formerly dated the Princess’ daughter, Lady Gabriella of Windsor. Taseer brought up the controversial allegations recently while being interviewed on the Tell Me About Your Father podcast.

“I think the (story about) Venus and Serena was part of that weird air of abstraction that exists around these people and how they’re not even aware of how shocking or offensive that might be,” Taseer said.

Back in late 2017, Princess Michael of Kent stirred controversy after she wore a blackamoor brooch featuring an African man’s stylized figure to a Christmas banquet held at the Buckingham Palace. Meghan Markle, who was Prince Harry’s fiancée at the time, was in attendance as well. Markle, who happens to be a close friend of former No. 1 and 23-time singles Major champion Serena Williams, is a mixed-race American woman with African and European ancestry.

Meghan Markle once wrote in detail about the beginning of her friendship with Serena Williams

Meghan Markle (left) with Serena Williams (right) at the 2024 ESPY Awards (Source: Getty)

Meghan Markle, more prominently known as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex these days, once maintained a lifestyle blog she named ‘The Tig’. In August 2014, she gave readers a detailed insight into the events that led to her becoming close friends with Williams. Markle wrote:

“When Serena Williams barrelled in my direction this past February at an event, nails done, hair done, everything did, I’ll be honest and say I looked behind me to see who she was running to. It was Serena Williams, after all . Serena-numberonetennisplayerintheworld-Williams. Whose match I had watched with bated breath at the previous Open, giggling with delight to be that close to her legendary serve.”

She subsequently added:

“Turns out this fancylady was coming to me. We hit it off immediately, taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girly stuff. So began our friendship.”

While Williams retired from tennis at the 2022 US Open, her elder sister Venus continues to make waves on the WTA Tour despite being 45. The former No. 1 and seven-time singles Slam winner is currently participating at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open, where she has won both her first-round women’s singles and doubles matches.