Prince William was left furious over his godmother Lady Susan Hussey getting embroiled in a race row at Buckingham Palace that he had to issue a swift response from his office, much to King Charles III's disappointment.
Royal author Omid Scobie wrote in his book "Endgame," which arrived on November 28, that the Prince of Wales "needed to distance himself" from the incident immediately. He told his team to issue a statement right away, condemning the alleged racist encounter.
A representative for Kensington Palace said of the incident at the time: "This is a matter for Buckingham Palace but as the Prince of Wales spokesperson I appreciate you're all here and understand you'll want to ask about it. So let me address it head on."
"I was really disappointed to hear about the guests' experience at Buckingham Palace last night. Obviously, I wasn't there, but racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that individual has stepped aside with immediate effect."
Scobie cited a royal source who said that the issue with Lady Hussey could have easily been avoided. The insider added that Prince William also allegedly demanded to know how it had happened.
"Why was she there in the first place?" the royal had asked, according to excerpts from the book obtained by Daily Mail.
Scobie then described Prince William's statement as a "swift rebuke" that showed he can make "decisive action" independent of Buckingham Palace. But King Charles III allegedly did not take his son's decision well and that the prince was criticised for not thinking as a "team". A palace source likewise called the statement a "rash" and "knee-jerk response".
The incident happened this month last year during a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Camilla in which she invited charity leaders and founders. One of the guests, Sistah Space founder Ngozi Fulani, was approached by Lady Hussey who repeatedly asked her were she was "really" from even after being told that she is British.
Fulani took to X to share her conversation with the 83-year-old royal aide. She wrote: "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."
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 support🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/OUbQKlabyq
At the time of the alleged "racist" incident, Prince William and Kate Middleton were in the U.S.A. for the Earthshot Prize Awards. Lady Hussey has also since apologised to Fulani and has also resigned from her post as royal aide.
