If Meghan Markle’s race doesn’t matter, why are people being asked to comment on it?

Under the glare of public scrutiny, Markle will find her “non-white” parts continually rejected or held under the microscope or fetishized more than ever, until one day, she’ll be forced to take sides, Shree Paradkar writes.

Oyez. Oyez. Oyez. The proclamation is done and dusted. It’s time to have a seat. Fan ourselves back to cool and calm after going all aflutter with the news of a royal marriage.

Monday morning delivered a spot of brightness that spread cheer in defiance of the bleak times: a blue-blooded prince is turning a biracial commoner into a princess. Miscegenation in the age of the Alt-Right, or a resurgent white supremacy — it’s practically an act of subversion, and from the British royals, no less.

With her engagement pushing Meghan Markle to stratospheric celebrity status, it’s safe to say the new poster girl of “unconventional” is here, who by her existence will challenge the fallacy of post-racialism.

A headline on The Guardian’s liveblog read: “Joy or disdain? Follow the reactions to the royal engagement.”

Former U.K. foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind told the media Markle’s mixed-race background (her mother is Black, her father white) is not news anymore. “It’s the least interesting aspect of the day’s news,” he said. “It’s not an issue. There is no controversy. The world has moved on.”

The woman in question feels differently.