Hackney charity founder Ngozi Fulani has said her interaction with the late Queen’s lady in waiting was “like an interrogation” and that she felt she was being forced to “denounce my British citizenship”.
Asked how the conversation at the royal reception unfolded, the domestic abuse campaigner told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Like an interrogation.
“I guess the only way I can explain it, she’s determined: ‘Where are you from? Where are your people from?'”
Lady Susan Hussey, who served as Elizabeth II’s lady in waiting for more than 60 years and is a godmother to the Prince of Wales made the alleged comments at the Queen Consort’s reception on violence against women on Tuesday (Nov 29).
Ms Fulani, chief executive of charity Sistah Space, said she tried to give Lady Hussey the benefit of the doubt when the 83-year-old started questioning her.
“At that time, I’m thinking to myself, is it that she – because she keeps asking me the same question – could it be that she can’t hear me well? Because you have to consider so many things when you’re talking to someone who may be older than you…
“But it soon dawned on me very quickly that this was nothing to do with her capacity to understand, but this is her trying to make me really denounce my British citizenship.”
Lady Hussey, 83, resigned from the Buckingham Palace household and has apologised for her comments.
Ms Fulani has told the the Today programme: “Let us be clear what this is.
“I’ve heard so many suggestions it’s about her age and stuff like that. And I think that’s a kind of a disrespect about ageism.
"Are we saying that because of your age you can’t be racist or you can’t be inappropriate?
“If you invite people to an event, as I said, against domestic abuse, and there are people there from different demographics, I don’t see the relevance of whether I’m British or not British. You’re trying to make me unwelcome in my own space.”
She added: “Although it’s not physical violence, it is an abuse.”
Ms Fulani said the focus should remain on domestic abuse survivors rather than the growing race row following Lady Hussey's resignation.
“I want the focus to remain where it should be, which is on the women and girls who are affected by domestic abuse.
“Having said that, she’s influenced by Buckingham Palace, and it’s their decision and her decision to make, one that I had no part in.”
Asked whether she would have preferred to accept Lady Susan’s apology instead of seeing her quit the household, Ms Fulani said: “I would have preferred it did not happen.
“I would have preferred that I could go to a space where I’m invited and be treated as every other guest was treated.
“I would prefer that we kept the focus on the abuse against women and girls.”
Asked whether Buckingham Palace had reached out to her, she told Good Morning Britain on ITV that "we have not heard from the palace".
The Prince and Princess of Wales' three-day trip to Boston to promote the Earthshot Prize Award ceremony has been overshadowed by the growing race row resulting from the remarks.
William backed the decision of his godmother to resign as a Lady of the Household.
A Kensington Palace spokesman issued a statement, saying: “Racism has no place in our society.
“The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”
The Palace moved swiftly to respond to Ms Fulani’s tweets on Wednesday morning, saying it took the incident at Tuesday’s reception “extremely seriously” and had investigated immediately.
It added, not naming Lady Susan, that the individual concerned had resigned and apologised and that the comments were “unacceptable and deeply regrettable”.
The King, who acceded to the throne less than three months ago, and Camilla have been made aware of the situation, the Palace said.
But former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt told the PA news agency: “Charles and William’s problem is that the focus is already shifting from the actions of one woman to broader questions about whether Buckingham Palace is institutionally racist.”
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