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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zara Woodcock

Sophie and Prince Edward arrive at Royal Variety in first outing since royal race row

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Prince Edward were pictured arriving at the Royal Variety Show in their first outing since the royal family were hit with racism accusations.

Allegations of racism within the monarchy have hit the headlines yet again after a royal aide allegedly asking a black British visitor at Buckingham Palace: "What part of Africa are you from?"

Ngozi Fulani, who runs a black women's domestic abuse charity, recently claimed she was questioned about her ethnicity by Lady Susan Hussey.

Since the claims were released, an investigation has been launched and Lady Hussey resigned from her role as Lady of the Household.

As the accusations of racism rages on, members of the Royal Family made a public appearance for this year's Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Prince Edward and Sophie arrived for the Royal Variety (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
The duo dressed up to the nines (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Sophie and her husband Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, were pictured looking glamourous as they arrived on the red carpet.

Prince Edward looked dapper in a simple black suit with a white button-up shirt as well as a bowtie.

Sophie shone as she walked down the carpet in a glittery iridescent white floor-length down with sheer sleeves.

The couple smiled for the cameras as they entered the venue.

Sophie wore a floor-length gown (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
She kept her make-up simple (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Lady Susan Hussey, 83, was one of the late Queen's most trusted aides and is Prince William's godmother.

Fulani was questioned about her ethnicity while attending the Queen Consort 's reception on violence against women earlier this week.

She said that within 10 minutes of arriving at the royal residence, she was approached by a woman who 'put her hand in her hair' in front of colleagues.

Hussey then allegedly asked her: "Where do you come from?"

In the conversation that followed, Hussey allegedly continued to ask "what nationality are you?", "where do your people come from?" and "what part of Africa are you from?"

Ngozi Fulani advocates for survivors of domestic abuse (PA)
Lady Susan Hussey has since stepped down (Getty Images)

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Fulani had responded to Hussey that she is a 'British national' and her 'parents came here in the 1950s'.

Hussey reportedly responded with: "Oh, I knew we'd get there in the end, you're Caribbean."

Fulani says she then corrected the aristocrat by responding with: "No, I am of African heritage, Caribbean descent and British nationality."

Following the accusations of racism, the palace confirmed they launched an investigation into the 'unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments'.

They also said they 'reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter', but Fulani says it hasn't been the case.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain today, Ngozi denied claims by the Palace that someone had reached out to her.

"I don't know where this is coming from but I'm telling you categorically we have not heard from the Palace," she told the show's hosts Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway

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