The courtier who resigned from the royal household after engaging a U.K. charity boss in a racist conversation during an official reception in November has met with her accuser for a talk "filled with warmth and understanding," Buckingham Palace said.
Lady Susan Hussey, a lady in waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II and godmother to Prince William, met with Ngozi Fulani, a co-founder of the women's domestic abuse charity Sistah Space, in a private meeting at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
On November 29, Fulani took to social media to recount how, at a palace event to raise awareness for violence against women, Hussey instigated a racist exchange during which she asked "which part of Africa" she was from.
"This event remains a blur after the violation," she wrote. "Today, I attended the event at Buckingham Palace, having received an invitation from Queen Consort, Camilla, courtesy of @safelives_.
"There were many guests from various organisations. I was standing with two women, including @mandureid from the @wep_uk when an elder women (SH) approached us. She put her hand in my hair to move my locs so that she could see my name badge."
After being asked what part of Africa she was from, Fulani alleged that the courtier continued to ask what her nationality was and "where do your people come from?"
The palace released a swift statement announcing that the party in question, who Fulani had identified as "Lady SH," had quit her honorary position in King Charles' household.
"We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details," it read. "In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made."
The public fallout of the allegations raged just as Prince William and Kate Middleton touched down in Boston to begin their three-day visit to the United States to attend the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
A spokesperson for William and Kate said at the time: "racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect."
On Friday, Buckingham Palace said that in their meeting Hussey had offered Fulani her "sincere apologies" for the incident and would work to "deepen her awareness of the sensitivities involved."
It added that Fulani had accepted the apology and condemned the social media abuse that she has faced since going public with her story.
Full statement from Buckingham Palace:
A meeting took place this morning, 16th December, at Buckingham Palace between Ms Ngozi Fulani, founder of Sistah Space, and Lady Susan Hussey to address the incident that took place at a Palace reception last month.
At this meeting, filled with warmth and understanding, Lady Susan offered her sincere apologies for the comments that were made and the distress they caused to Ms Fulani.
Lady Susan has pledged to deepen her awareness of the sensitivities involved and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the issues in this area.
Ms Fulani, who has unfairly received the most appalling torrent of abuse on social media and elsewhere, has accepted this apology and appreciates that no malice was intended.
The Royal Households will continue their focus on inclusion and diversity, with an enhanced programme of work which will extend knowledge and training programmes, examining what can be learnt from Sistah Space, and ensuring these reach all members of their communities.
Both Ms Fulani and Lady Susan ask now that they be left in peace to rebuild their lives in the wake of an immensely distressing period for them both.
They hope that their example shows a path to resolution can be found with kindness, co-operation and the condemnation of discrimination wherever it takes root.
It is the wish of both parties that, at the end of the UN's 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, attention can now return to the important work of Sistah Space in supporting women affected by domestic abuse.
Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort and other members of the Royal Family have been kept fully informed and are pleased that both parties have reached this welcome outcome.
The monarchy and its interactions and relationships with people of color has become closely watched in recent years, increasingly since Meghan Markle discussed her own experiences with racism while a working member of the royal family in Britain.
William and Kate, as well as King Charles and Queen Camilla, have all faced scrutiny over incidents on royal engagements over the past year, including poorly chosen photo opportunities on a royal tour of the Caribbean.
In their statement on Friday, Buckingham Palace committed itself to "focus on inclusion and diversity, with an enhanced programme of work."
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's Royal Reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Update 12/16/22, 11:44 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks from social media by Ngozi Fulani.
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James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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