The godmother to the Prince of Wales has resigned from her royal role after allegedly asking a black visitor at Buckingham Palace: "Where do you really come from?" In a Twitter post Ngozi Fulani, who runs a black women's domestic abuse charity, claimed that Lady Susan Hussey asked a series of questions about her ethnicity and "what part of Africa" she was from. The 83-year-old aide was one of Queen Elizabeth II's most trusted friends and is Prince William's godmother.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said it had "investigated immediately" and condemned the "unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments", the Times reports. Lady Susan has "stepped aside" from her role as King’s Lady of the Household, according to the newspaper.
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Ms Fulani, who runs the London-based Sistah Space charity, visited the palace on Tuesday and claims that Lady Susan asked her: "Where do you come from?" As the conversation progressed the aide allegedly asked: "What nationality are you?", "Where do your people come from?" and "What part of Africa are you from?"
Lady Susan also allegedly said: "I can see I am going to have a challenge getting you to say where you're from. When did you first come here?" The charity boss says she replied: "I am a British national, my parents came here in the 1950s." The aristocrat allegedly responded: "Oh, I knew we'd get there in the end, you're Caribbean." Ms Fulani says she then replied: "No, I am of African heritage, Caribbean descent, and British nationality."
Mandu Reid, leader of the Women's Equality Party, was next to Ms Fulani at the time. Ms Reid said: "We really felt: 'Oh OK, we're being treated almost like trespassers in this place.' We're not being treated as if we belong, we're not being embraced as if we are British."
She described the exchange as "grim" and like an "interrogation", adding: "I have no idea what she was seeking but the effects of that exchange was that we felt unwelcome. We all felt people that people like us are not really on a par with other people in the room. It made us want to stay on the periphery of the event. It took us all by surprise there is no question. I still can't believe I witnessed this first hand to one of my friends.
"Lady Susan just exited the conversation when she was done and went to speak to other people leaving us all utterly shocked. Ngozi wanted to go home. She felt in that moment that she was not welcome and said 'it would be better for me to just head out and leave now' but we explained what we had just witnessed to the person who had accompanied us to the palace and she agreed it was totally inappropriate and unacceptable and it was racist but there wasn't a way in the moment to get any redress or recompense or complain.
"We felt totally exposed and isolated and out of place in those moments. It is not right to just brush this under the carpet and shrug it off and it needed to be addressed."
Lady Susan was known as the “head girl” and the most senior of seven ladies in waiting who dedicated decades of their lives to serve the Queen. She was one of only three kept on by King Charles at the Palace.
Ms Fulani was at the palace for a meeting focussed on violence against women. The event was attended by the Queen Consort and other royals. A palace spokesman said: "We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details. In this instance unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made. We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter and are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes.
"In the meantime the individual concerned would like to express her profound apologies for the hurt caused and has stepped aside from her honorary role with immediate effect. All members of the household are being reminded of the diversity and inclusivity policies which they are required to uphold at all times." You can read more of the latest royal news here.
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