Palace apologizes: lady-in-waiting Camillas hassled black activist

At a reception given by the king’s wife Camilla, a black activist feels left out by a lady-in-waiting. Again and again the invited person has to answer the question of where she “really” comes from. Buckingham Palace is distancing itself.

Buckingham Palace has apologized for comments made by a member of the Royal Household after she repeatedly asked a black charity activist where she “really” came from. The comments were “unacceptable and deeply regrettable,” the palace said. The person concerned apologized for the damage caused and had resigned from their voluntary work.

Activist Ngozi Fulani, a prominent advocate for victims of domestic violence, attended a reception organized by King Consort Camilla to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. She later shared on Twitter how she was approached by a woman after revealing that she was born and raised in the UK and was British.

She would have asked: “Where do you really come from, where do your people come from?” She then felt compelled to explain that she had “African roots” and “Caribbean descent”. At the same time, however, she once again emphasized that she was a British citizen. The exchange left her with “mixed feelings” about the reception, said the executive director of the London-based movement Sistah Space.

The Buckingham Palace statement said the incident was being taken “extremely seriously”. He got in touch with Ngozi Fulani and invited her to personally report on her experience “if she so wishes”. The palace reminded all members of the royal household to abide by the “diversity and inclusion policy” at all times.

It is not the first time that the British royal family has faced such allegations: Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, who have retired from their official duties as royals, also accused the palace of racism in a sensational interview last year. For example, a member of the Royal Family thought about the presumed skin color of Meghan and Harry’s first-born son. The palace announced at the time that the allegations would be processed internally.