Queen Elizabeth’s friend Lady Susan Hussey has apologised to a charity boss for her race-row comments.
Queen Elizabeth’s friend Lady Susan Hussey has apologised to a charity boss for her race-row comments
The 83-year-old, who served the late monarch for more than six decades, stepped down from her role as a royal aide after she asked Ngozi Fulani at a reception in November: “Where are you really from?”
It caused uproar after Ngozi, 57, who was born in Britain, tweeted about being repeatedly quizzed about her “real” nationality, with Buckingham Palace and the Prince of Wales issuing statements amid growing public outrage.
The Palace said in a statement on Friday (16.12.22) about how the pair have met for the first time since the controversy: “At this meeting, filled with warmth and understanding, Lady Susan offered her sincere apologies for the comments that were made and the distress they caused to Ms Fulani.
“Lady Susan has pledged to deepen her awareness of the sensitivities involved and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the issues in this area.”
Ngozi, was asked about her origins an even late last month on behalf of domestic abuse charity Sistah Space, which mark the United Nation’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
She said she felt “violated” after Lady Susan, who is Prince William’s godmother and served as the late Queen’s right-hand woman for 62 years, “interrogated” her about where she was from, despite her making clear she was British.
She accused Lady Susan of moving her dreadlocks in order to look at her name badge before she asked: “What part of Africa are you from?”
When the domestic violence campaigner said she was of Caribbean descent and African origin, Lady Susan said: “I knew we’d get there in the end.”
Ngozi’s posting of a transcript of the exchange on social media led Lady Susan to quit her role amid public outcry.
She added the experience, 10 minutes after arriving for the November reception, left her “insulted” with “mixed feelings” about the royal visit and made her feel “very unwelcome”.
Ngozi told the Daily Mirror: “(What she did) was racism. Through and through. It was prolonged racism.
“The fact that it was just done in the open in front of people, on a day when we should be working towards violence against women.”
The Palace said in its statement on the incident it took it “extremely seriously”.
Prince William’s Kensington Palace issued a statement branding it “really disappointing”, saying it was “right” Lady Susan had resigned from her post.
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