Prince William’s godmother under fire after asking Black woman where she ‘really came from’

Lady Susan Hussey, the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting and Prince William’s godmother, has resigned from her palace post after repeatedly asking a Black woman where she “really came from”.

Lady Susan Hussey (Image credits;: Twitter)

By India Today Web Desk: A top aide to the British royal family has apologised and resigned from her post after she repeatedly asked a Black guest at a palace event where she “really came from”.

Ngozi Fulani, a British national of African heritage and Caribbean descent, wrote on Twitter that the royal aide had repeatedly asked her: “What part of Africa are you from?” when she attended an event hosted by King Charles’s wife Camilla, the queen consort, on Tuesday.

Fulani, who works for charity group Sistah Space, did not identify the royal aide but said she was left traumatised by her persistent inquiries. In the end, she told her: “I am born here and am British.”

The aide in question was later revealed to be Lady Susan Hussey, who happens to be godmother to Prince William and served as lady-in-waiting to late Queen Elizabeth II for nearly six decades.

Lady Hussey, 83, began working for the royal family in 1960. Besides being the late Queen’s lonest serving lady-in-waiting, she is also good friends with King Charles.

Buckingham Palace later issued a statement that Lady Hussey has apologised and stepped aside from her honorary role with immediate effect.

“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,” a palace spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Prince William, who is King Charles’ heir, said Lady Hussey’s comments were unacceptable and that “racism has no place in our society”.

The incident is the latest to embroil the royal family in allegations of racism, after King Charles’s younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle made accusations in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

In the interview, Meghan said one unnamed member of the family had asked, before their son Archie was born, how dark his skin might be.

The allegation clearly stung the monarchy, which promised any such issues would be treated very seriously, and prompted William, Harry’s older brother to remark days later: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

(With Reuters inputs)