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Kate and William’s US tour is in danger of being overshadowed by the latest racism spat that has engulfed the royal family, with the couple left with little choice but to “carry on as normal” as the palace tries to do damage control, a royal commentator has said. said. said.
Jonathan Sacerdoti spoke after the adjutant’s resignation, widely believed to be Lady Susan Hussey, the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting. Lady Hussey, who is also one of William’s godparents, stepped down from her role and apologized after making “unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments” by asking a prominent black advocate for domestic violence survivors where she “really came from”.
William himself was quick to respond, saying: “I was really disappointed to hear about last night’s guest experience at Buckingham Palace. Of course I was not there, but racism has no place in our society.
“The comments were unacceptable and it is right that the individual resigned with immediate effect.”
Mr Sacerdoti, whose credits include the BBC, Sky News and Fox News, told Express.co.uk: “From the reports so far it appears that the palace is moving quickly to deal with an incident they unequivocally condemned.
“That is clearly the right thing for them to do if the details reported are correct and there is a racist event.”
He added: “The problem for the Palace is that this comes against the background of Meghan Markle’s recent accusations of racism, and so people might assume that this one incident helps to prove that there is a wider systemic problem.
Prince William was quick to condemn the comments attributed to Lady Sarah Hussey (Image: GETTY)
William and Kate in Boston (Image: Getty)
“We cannot know if that is true, but in any case, responding quickly and decisively to such issues is essential, even if it could jeopardize the wider reputation of the palace and the royal family. Those concerns should take second place to righting a wrong.
“They can only really dispel any rumors and concerns about racism, whether intentional or unintentional, by demonstrating through their actions that they respect support and promote diversity.”
With Kate and William on their first US tour since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales, Sacerdoti admitted the timing of the incident was far from ideal.
He said: “I think all members of the royal family, including William and Katherine, will probably just continue their work, especially when their actions show that they are allies in the fight against racism.
“This case concerns a non-royal person in an honorary position, but of course that reflects poorly on the wider setting.”
Ngozi Fulani pictured at the reception at Buckingham Palace (Image: PA)
Lady Susan Hussey stood behind the Queen at Ascot last year (Image: Getty)
He warned: “We shouldn’t assume it reflects the views of the whole institution or individual royals just because one person said something. Their reaction to it is more indicative of their attitude.
“It’s really not looking good for them, so their quick reaction is important.”
Regarding William’s comments, he added: “The response from the Palace has been swift and unequivocal: this is not something they expect or defend.
“Obviously they wanted to make that clear, and William and Katherine repeated that as soon as they were able to.
William was the one who responded after Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview saying the royal family is not a racist family, and he now backs that up by clearly condemning the incident that understandably caused such an affront.
“The fact that Meghan and Harry have made these accusations of racism means that the Royal Family is always acutely aware of how important it is for them to ensure they are not guilty of racism, to even the appearance of racism. and to condemn any racism as soon as it can happen.”
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Lady Susan Hussey pictured with King Charles and Camilla at Ascot this year (Image: Getty)
Buckingham Palace said it took the incident at the Queen Consort’s reception on violence against women on Tuesday “extremely seriously” and had immediately investigated.
Internal sources have confirmed that Lady Hussey, who was Queen Elizabeth II’s lady-in-waiting for over 60 years, was the help in question.
Sistah Space CEO Ngozi Fulani described the conversation on Twitter as a “violation” and said the experience “will never leave me”.
She only called the palace household member Lady SH, but the palace refused to confirm who it was.
“All household members are reminded of the diversity and inclusion policies they must uphold at all times.”
William will present Friday in Boston the Earthshot Prize Awards, founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation and heralded as the world’s most prestigious environmental award.
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Lady Susan Hussey pictured with the Princess of Wales on Remembrance Sunday (Image: Getty)
Lady Hussey has now stepped down from her honorary role as one of three ladies of the household, to which she had recently been appointed to assist the king on formal occasions.
Charles, who ascended the throne less than three months ago, and Camilla have been apprised of the situation, the palace said.
Ms Fulani said she was challenged when she said her charity was based in Hackney, with “Lady SH” saying “No, what part of Africa are YOU from?”
The palace said in a statement: “Unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made in this case. We have contacted Ngozi Fulani regarding this matter and invite her to personally discuss all elements of her experience if she wishes.
“In the meantime, the person concerned would like to deeply apologize for the pain caused and has resigned from her honorary position with immediate effect.