Prince William's godmother quits palace over racism row
Lady Susan Hussey, the longest-serving Lady-in-Waiting has resigned from her post after interrogating a black female charity representative about where she is "really" from.
Lady Susan Hussey, the longest-serving Lady-in-Waiting has resigned from her post after interrogating a black female charity representative about where she is "really" from.
One of the longest-serving members of the Royal Household has been given the chop from her role after making “unacceptable and deeply regrettable” comments towards a black female guest at Buckingham Palace.
Lady Susan Hussey, who was portrayed briefly in the current season of The Crown, resigned from the Household on Wednesday after it emerged that she repeatedly questioned a British domestic abuse campaigner about where she “really” came from.
Ngozi Fulani, the founder of the charity Sistah Space, was at the palace reception with 300 other women on Tuesday for a violence against women and girls charity event.
On Wednesday, Fulani tweeted that she had “mixed feelings about yesterday’s visit to Buckingham Palace.” She went on to detail an exchange where Hussey moved her hair to reveal her name badge, and persistently questioned her over where her “people” came from, despite Fulani telling her that she was a British national.
Mixed feelings about yesterday's visit to Buckingham Palace. 10 mins after arriving, a member of staff, Lady SH, approached me, moved my hair to see my name badge. The conversation below took place. The rest of the event is a blur.
— Sistah Space (@Sistah_Space) November 30, 2022
Thanks @ManduReid & @SuzanneEJacob for supportðŸ™ðŸ¾ pic.twitter.com/OUbQKlabyq
“Where are you really from?” Hussey allegedly asked Fulani, after she said she was from the London suburb Hackney. “No but where do you really come from? Where do your people come from? When did you first come here?” Hussey allegedly persisted.
Fulani said that she responded: “Lady! I am a British national, my parents came here in the 50s,” to which Hussey allegedly said: “I knew we’d get there in the end. You’re Caribbean”’.
“No lady, I am of African heritage, Caribbean descent and British nationality.”
Prince William, who is godson to Hussey, was quick to distance himself and the Royal Family from the remarks. “I was really disappointed to hear about the guest’s experience at Buckingham Palace last night. Obviously I wasn’t there, but racism has no place in our society,” he said through his spokesperson.
“The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”
Buckingham Palace said the comments were “unacceptable and deeply regrettable.”
"We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full facts," the Palace said in a statement. "We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter, and we are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person."
The Palace added that Hussey "would like to express her profound apologies for the hurt caused" and has stepped down from her post. Hussey was the longest-serving lady-in-waiting — with the title Woman of the Bedchamber — and was first recruited in 1960.
She was a close confidante of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and accompanied her at the funeral of Prince Philip last year. She was reportedly known affectionately as 'Number One Head Girl'. Her late husband, Marmaduke Hussey, was hand-picked by then prime minister Margaret Thatcher to head up the BBC.
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