Lady Susan Hussey, the godmother of Prince William, is formally apologizing for the racist remarks she made towards one of the guests at an event held at Buckingham Palace last month. She described her comments as “unacceptable and deeply regrettable” during a meeting at the Palace on December 16th.
The Palace released a statement following the meeting, in which they said Hussey “offered her sincere apologies for the comments that were made and the distress they caused” and vowed to “deepen her awareness of the sensitivities involved” in an effort to right her wrongs. Hussey turns 84 years old in May.
The statement went on to confirm they’ve reached out to Fulani and she has accepted their sincerest apology. “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 Palace said.
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On November 30th, Lady Susan Hussey was attending an event when she approached a woman by the name of Ngozi Fulani – a guest and founder of Sistah Space, a charity that bridges the gap ‘in domestic abuse services for African heritage women and girls.’ The altercation quickly took a turn for the worse.
Hussey asked Fulani where she was from several times – to which Fulani thought she was asking what organization she represented. “No, what part of Africa are you from?” Hussey asked, later rephrasing the question to ask where her ‘people’ come from. Fulani was understandably taken back by the questions.
With each question Lady Susan Hussey asked, Ngozi Fulani tried to explain that she was a British national born in Britain. At one point, Hussey even moved Fulani’s hair to see the badge on her shirt. It was an unpleasant experience for Fulani, who has spent her entire life as a British citizen and national.
As explained in the statement released by the Palace, Hussey and Fulani “hope that their example shows a path to resolution can be found with kindness, co-operation and the condemnation of discrimination wherever it takes root.” Unfortunately, it’s becoming a common occurrence within the Royal Family.
Prince William Comments on the Lady Susan Hussey Debacle
Not long after the altercation went public, a spokesperson for Prince William – the godson of Lady Susan Hussey – released a statement that explained how ‘disappointed’ William was to hear of the incident. “Obviously, I wasn’t there, but racism has no place in our society,” the spokesperson said of Hussey.
Following the incident, Hussey announced her resignation as an honorary member of the Royal Family – something William’s spokesperson alluded to in their statement. “The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect,” continued the spokesperson.
The news came just a week before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle debuted their new docuseries on Netflix – titled Harry & Meghan. The series talks about their relationship together and their highly-public split from the Royal Family. It follows their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
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To complicate things for the Palace, Prince Harry is set to release his newest memoir titled Spare, which is expected to dive deeper into his childhood and growing up within the Royal Family. As usual, the Palace will likely face a bit of heat and criticism once readers have a chance to soak it all in.
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