Adjoa Andoh has cleared up her remarks about the lack of diversity visible on the balcony at King Charles III’s coronation.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were officially crowned on Saturday (6 May) in front of an audience of 18.8 million online, on television and in person at Westminster Abbey.
Andoh, who is most recently known for her portrayal of Lady Danbury in Bridgerton, was a guest pundit during ITV’s coverage of the ceremony.
The actor remarked on the moment that Charles and Camilla appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to wave at the public with their family.
“We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony,” she said in a conversation with presenters Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham.
“I am very struck by that,” she continued. “I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking: ‘What are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?’”
Some viewers were unimpressed with her comment, asking why she chose to highlight the lack of racial diversity within the royal family’s closest quarters. Meanwhile, others argued that Andoh was simply making a factual observation.
During an appearance on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday morning (7 May), Andoh, 60, acknowledged the debate that her comments stirred online.
“I think I may have upset a few people yesterday,” she told host Paddy O’Connell.
“I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: ‘Oh it’s so white!’ because the day had been so mixed and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”
To The Guardian, Andoh also stated that she would “continue to celebrate the King” during “an exciting moment in our history”.
In an interview with The Independent, Andoh shared the trials that came with growing up as a family of colour in the Cotswolds in the Sixties and Seventies.
