Lady Susan Hussey meets Ngozi Fulani, founder of the charity Sistah Space in the Regency room in Buckingham Palace, London, Britain Friday December 16, 2022. Royal Communications/PA Wire/Handout via REUTERS
LONDON — Prince William’s godmother has met to offer her sincere apologies to a woman over “unacceptable” comments she had made about her race and nationality at an official royal reception last month, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
Susan Hussey, 83, quit her role in the British royal family’s household after Ngozi Fulani, who was born in Britain and works for a domestic abuse support group, revealed she had repeatedly asked her “what part of Africa are you from?” at an event hosted by King Charles’s wife Camilla.
Buckingham Palace had called the remarks “unacceptable and deeply regrettable”, but said the two women had enjoyed a meeting on Friday “filled with warmth and understanding”.
“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,” the palace said in a statement.
“Ms Fulani, who has unfairly received the most appalling torrent of abuse on social media and elsewhere, has accepted this apology and appreciates that no malice was intended.”
The incident followed accusations of racism against the royal household made by Charles’s younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, and repeated in their Netflix documentary series released this month.
William, Charles’s eldest son and heir to the throne, responded to the claims in the Winfrey interview, saying “we’re very much not a racist family”, while the Palace has pledged to do more on diversity and increase its number of staff from ethnic minorities.
The resolution of the incident involving Hussey will be welcomed by the royals who have been on the receiving end of a swathe of new accusations from Harry about his relatives in the Netflix series.
“Their majesties the king and the queen consort and other members of the royal family have been kept fully informed and are pleased that both parties have reached this welcome outcome,” the Palace said of Friday’s meeting.
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