Lady Susan Husseylady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II, has resigned as royal assistant following a racist controversy, after asking “unacceptable and deeply regrettable” questions about the background of a black activist who deals with domestic abuse during a reevent organized by the Queen Consort.
Ngozi Fulani, founder and director of London-based domestic abuse charity Sistah Space, said she was “stunned” after Lady Susan repeatedly asked her where she was “really” from at Tuesday’s event.
Lady Susan, 83, is godmother to the Prince of Wales and is appointed assistant by King Charles III. A spokesman for Prince William said: “Racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable and it is right that the person in question stepped down with immediate effect.”
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the assistant expressed his “profound apologies for the pain this has caused”. She added that the comments were “unacceptable and deeply regrettable” and that she took the incident “extremely seriously” »
The news comes as the Prince and Princess of Wales I’m in the US for a three day visit culminating in the glittering Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
The incident was revealed on Twitter by Fulani, who wrote: “Mixed feelings about yesterday’s visit to Buckingham Palace. 10 minutes after arriving a member of staff approached me, brushed my hair back to see my badge. The following conversation took place. The rest of the event is confusing. Thanks to @ManduReid and @SuzanneEJacob for the support.”
Fulani, whose London-based charity supports women of African and Caribbean descent across the UK who have experienced domestic and sexual abuse, later shared a transcript of the alleged incident, writing that Lady Susan “approached me, moved my hair to see my badge’ and then asked her ‘Which part of Africa are you from?’
Although Fulani clearly replied that she was British, the assistant replied: “I see it will be difficult for you to tell where you are from.”
Fulani was among 300 invited to the reception at the Palace, during which the Queen consort warned of a “global pandemic of violence against women”. Also among the guests were the Countess of Wessex, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Queen Rania of Jordan, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, First Lady of Sierra Leone Fatima Maada Bio and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
The Queen consort said in a speech: “Today an extraordinary group of women and men gathered at Buckingham Palace, with one goal: to end violence against women and girls. Their stories have deeply moved and inspired me. With determination and courage, we will see an end to these heinous crimes, forever.”
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, First Lady of Sierra Leone Fatima Maada Bio and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska also attended the Buckingham Palace event.
Recounting the exchange, Fulani explained that when asked “where she came from,” she replied “Sistah Space” before adding “Hackney.” But the assistant replied: “No, which part of Africa are you from?”
Fulani said, “I don’t know, they left no papers,” and the Palace member replied, “Well, you need to know where you’re from. Where do you come from?”.
The head of the charity continued: Here, United Kingdom ». The assistant asked, “No, but what nationality are you?” Fulani replied: “I was born here and I’m British.”
The activist then continued on Twitter: There was no one to report it to. I couldn’t tell the Queen Consort, plus it was such a shock to me and the other two women, that we were stunned and speechless. I stood at the edge of the room, smiled and chatted briefly with whoever spoke to me until I could leave.”
The conversation was also attended by Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, who told a BBC: the questions were «offensive, racist and unwelcoming».
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “We take this incident extremely seriously and have been investigating immediately to establish all the details. Unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made in this case. We have contacted Ngozi Fulani and invite you to discuss all elements of your experience in person, if you wish.
In the meantime, the person in question would like to express his deepest apologies for the pain this has caused and has stepped down from his honorary role effective immediately. All House members are reminded of the diversity and inclusion policies they are expected to abide by at all times.”
Lady Susan, aged 83, whose husband, Marmaduke Husseyis portrayed in the fifth season of The Crown, joined the Royal Household following the birth of Prince Andrew, in 1960, and was initially hired to help answer a flow of letters on His Majesty’s behalf. You were part of the Queen’s inner circle until Her Majesty’s death in September.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales are in the United States after almost ten years. The couple will visit local organizations dealing with issues such as the environment and mental health support for young people.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
