(London) A former assistant to Queen Elizabeth II resigned on Wednesday after asking insistent questions about her origins to a black feminist activist during a reception at Buckingham Palace, a new racist incident shaking the institution.
This happened just as Prince William and his wife Kate were embarking on a three-day trip to the United States, their first in eight years, which is particularly important for the British monarchy.
“Racism has no place in our society,” the spokesman for the heir to the crown said from Boston. “These comments were unacceptable.”
Ngozi Fulani, the director of the Sistah Space association which supports victims of domestic violence, claimed on Twitter that someone working at the Palace asked her insistently “where she really came from” during a reception on Tuesday.
Buckingham Palace said it took the case “extremely seriously” and denounced in a press release “unacceptable and truly regrettable comments”.
“The person concerned would like to express his deepest apologies for the harm caused and has stepped down from his honorary role with immediate effect,” the palace added. “A reminder is made to all members of the royal household of the policy in terms of diversity and inclusion which they must follow at all times”.
The British press identified her as Sarah Hussey, 83, a former lady-in-waiting and close friend of Queen Elizabeth II for more than 60 years, also godmother to Prince William.
“People Like You”
The reception organized in Buckingham by Queen Consort Camilla had as its theme the fight against violence against women.
In a tweet, Ngozi Fulani recounts being arrested ten minutes after her arrival by “Lady SH”, who “moved her hair to see the name on my badge”.
She adds that after explaining that she was there as a representative of her association sitting in London. His interlocutor asked him: “No, but where are you from in Africa? and continued to insist when Mme Fulani replied that she was British.
“No, but where are you really from? Where do people like you come from? she reportedly said.
Mme Fulani explains that he did not know what to answer or what to do. “I couldn’t tell the queen consort and it was a shock for me as for the other two women (by my side), we remained dumbfounded and silent”.
The incident comes on the first day of Prince William and his wife Kate’s visit to Boston (northeastern United States) which will culminate on Friday evening with the second edition of the “Earthshot” prize created by the prince in 2020 to support innovative solutions in terms of ecology.
The royal family is “certainly not racist,” the prince assured last year after the shock interview of his brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, a mixed-race American on American television.
The couple, who now live in the United States, had assured that a member of the royal family had questioned the skin color of their unborn son, Archie.
Only 8.5% of royal family employees are from ethnic minorities, compared to 13% of the British population, the royal family revealed last year when setting a target of 10% for 2022.