British royal family embroiled in another racism scandal
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Buckingham Palace in London. Photo: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The British royal family is facing backlash this week over another racism controversy after a longtime royal aide was accused earlier this week of repeatedly questioning a Black charity head about their origins.
Why it matters: This is not the first time the royal family has faced accusations of racism.
- During a sit-down interview with Oprah last year, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, alleged that an unnamed member of the family had speculated about the skin tone of their child.
Driving the news: Lady Susan Hussey — a longtime aide to the late Queen Elizabeth II and William's godmother — resigned from her role Wednesday after she reportedly questioned a Black charity head at a Buckingham Palace reception about where she was "really from," Reuters reported.
- Ngozi Fulani, the head of a domestic abuse charity called Sistah Space, met Hussey at a reception hosted by Camilla, the queen consort, on Tuesday.
- Fulani said Hussey, 83, repeatedly asked her questions such as: "What part of Africa are you from?" and "What nationality are you?"
- Fulani told the BBC that the conversation felt "like an interrogation."
What they're saying: "Racism has no place in our society," Kensington Palace said in a statement, AP reported.
- "These comments were unacceptable, and it’s right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect," the statement added.
- "We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details. In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made," Buckingham Palace said in a statement, per Reuters.
The big picture: The controversy is threatening to eclipse William and Princess Kate's trip to America this week.
- President Biden intends to meet the royals during a visit to Boston on Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing Wednesday.
