Ngozi Fulani denies Buckingham Palace reached out to her after racism
Domestic abuse campaigner Ngozi Fulani claims Buckingham Palace has yet to contact her after she was the subject of racist comments by royal courtier Lady Susan Hussey at a charity reception.
“I don’t know where this is coming from but I’m telling you categorically we have not heard from the Palace,” Fulani, founder of the London non-profit Sistah Space, told ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” Thursday.
Fulani’s claim is the latest twist in the royal scandal, which exploded Wednesday morning when the charity boss, 61, tweeted a cringe-worthy transcript of comments made by Hussey, 83, at a Tuesday event to raise awareness about violence against women.
In a post that since been shared over 18,000 times, Fulani said that Hussey– identified as “Lady SH”– berated her about her origins. Frustrated by Fulani’s assertions that she was born in Great Britain, the octogenarian repeatedly asked her “Where do your people come from?”
Hours after Fulani shared her experience, Buckingham Palace released a statement denouncing the “unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments.” In addition to confirming Hussey’s resignation, the Palace said they had invited Fulani to “discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes.”
“That surprised me,” Fulani told the morning show of the statement. “Nobody’s reached out to me.
“What we’re about is positive results,” she continued. “So I obviously think discussions should be held.”
Fulani also brought the conversation back to the United Nation’s annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which runs through Dec. 10.
“This is about violence against women and girls and although I didn’t experience physical violence, what I feel I experienced was a form of abuse.”
Hussey, also known as Baroness Hussey of North Bradley, first joined the royal household in 1960. As Woman of the Bedchamber to the late Queen Elizabeth II, she accompanied the elderly monarch to Prince Philip’s COVID-restricted funeral in 2021.
Hussey is also a godmother to Prince William, now Prince of Wales. A spokesperson from Kensington Palace condemned Hussey’s comments on the prince’s behalf Wednesday, while the latter was still en route to Boston for a fanfare-filled three-day visit.
“I was really disappointed to hear about the guest’s experience at Buckingham Palace last night,” the spokesperson said at a briefing. “Obviously, I wasn’t there, but racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”
