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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Sam Elliott-Gibbs

Rishi Sunak breaks Buckingham Palace scandal silence insisting racism fight 'is never done'

Rishi Sunak says it would not be right for him to comment on the racism scandal engulfing Buckingham Palace.

The Prime Minister was asked his view on the “interrogation” by Lady Susan Hussey, who has resigned from her role within the royal household.

The Queen's former lady-in-waiting, who is also Prince William's godmother, repeatedly questioned Ngozi Fulani, a prominent black British-born domestic abuse charity boss, about where she "really came from".

She was visiting Buckingham Palace when she was quizzed about her ethnicity by the 83-year-old, who has since apologised and quit.

Lady Susan with the Queen on an engagement in London in 2016, has resigned (Getty Images)
Charity boss Ngozi Fulani says the Buckingham Palace experience felt like 'violence' (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Mr Sunak told broadcasters: "It wouldn't be right for me to comment on matters to do with the royal palace. As we've all seen, they've acknowledged what's happened and made an apology for it."

"As I've talked about in the past, I have experienced racism in my life.

"But what I am pleased to say is some of the things that I experienced when I was a kid and a young person I don't think would happen today because our country has made incredible progress in tackling racism.

"But the job is never done and that's why when whenever we see it we must confront it."

Rishi Sunak wouldn't be drawn on the racism scandal (Leon Neal/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

During an interview on Radio 4's Today programme, Ngozi said that she had heard people highlighting the Queen's confidante Lady Hussey’s age as an excuse for her behaviour and felt that it was ‘ageist.’

Ngozi said: “I’ve heard suggestions about her age and stuff like that and I think that’s kind of a disrespect, an ageism kind of thing.

“Once I established that she appeared to be of sound kind, and that this is what it appears to be, then I have to really question how this can happen in a space meant to protect women from all kinds of violence.

“Although it’s not physical violence, this is abuse.”

Ngozi says she felt 'very unwelcome' after the woman touched her hair (PA)

Speaking to the Mirror, Ngozi said that 10 minutes after arriving at the royal residence, Lady Hussey 'put her hand in her hair', which left her and colleagues at the event “stunned to silence”.

She claims Hussey asked her: "Where do you come from?", "what nationality are you?", "where do your people come from?" and "what part of Africa are you from?"

Prince William has said in response that "racism has no place in our society" and that the comments were "unacceptable."

After the exchange, Ngozi said she wanted to flee the function but had to stay because was representing her charity which helps black domestic violence victims.

She said: "I just wanted to leave, I felt very unwelcome. I've never lived anywhere else, I've only lived in Britain," she said.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson issued a strong 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".

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