The British royal family have once again found themselves at the centre of racism accusations.
Attending a Buckingham Palace reception, black British-born charity boss Ngozi Fulani was asked a series of probing questions by a member of staff, Lady Susan Hussey, as to where she was "really from".
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Fulani said: "It was like an interrogation. I guess the only way I can explain it, she's determined, 'Where are you from? Where are your people from?'"
She described the incident as "abuse", and said she felt she was being asked to "denounce my citizenship".
Once the incident came to light, 83-year-old Lady Hussey resigned from her role, and both the palace and William, Prince of Wales, condemned her actions.
It wasn't long ago the family found themselves accused of racism, after disclosures that a senior royal allegedly asked what colour skin the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's unborn child might have.
So who exactly is Lady Hussey and how has the palace's response changed in comparison to previous incidents?
What was Lady Hussey's role and how close was she to the royal family?
Lady Hussey was one of Queen Consort Camilla's Ladies of the Household, a new role for her after years spent as Woman of the Bedchamber to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
These roles are unpaid, and involve helping the royal family with day-to-day tasks, however they come with a lot of status and social influence.
Lady Hussey has been a part of the royal household since 1960, following Prince Andrew's birth.
She was known to be close with the late Queen, and was the only person to accompany the monarch to Prince Philip's funeral in 2021, which was limited in capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Her role largely consisted of helping the Queen as a lady-in-waiting, and she was often seen in the background of important royal engagements.
Lady Hussey was also godmother to King Charles's son and heir to the throne William, Prince of Wales.
How did the royal family handle the accusation?
Shortly after the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in Boston for a three-day visit, a royal spokesman said racism has "no place in our society".
After Ms Fulani went public with her allegations, Lady Hussey stepped down from her role immediately and "apologised for the hurt caused".
"We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement.
"In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made."
Just over a year earlier, the royal family came under scrutiny when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex alleged that racist remarks had been made towards their son Archie.
In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle disclosed that when she was first pregnant here were "concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born".
Following the revelations, Queen Elizabeth II said the royal family were "saddened" to learn the extent of the challenges the couple had faced.
In a statement Buckingham Palace said: "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."
Have the royals learned from this?
Royal family expert Giselle Bastin from Flinders University said the speed of the response to the latest allegations showed they were being pro-active.
"Unlike the palace's response to the Sussexes' claim that they encountered racist questions ... the Windsor PR machine knew it had to change tack with this latest incident," Dr Bastin said.
"Ngozi Fulani's account of the exchange between her and Lady Susan Hussey has not been refuted, and the palace has realised that, this time, an explanation of 'recollections may vary' would not wash."
Royal expert Cindy McCreery from the University of Sydney agreed the speed in the response showed the new monarch was trying to change public perception of the royals.
"To be fair to Charles and Camilla, they would be deeply embarrassed by this," Dr McCreery said.
"There [were] indications they wanted their reign to be seen as modern and progressive and inclusive.
"[Charles] did make a lot of effort to meet people with diverse backgrounds
"He's done a lot to move beyond outdated, racist views."
Dr Bastin said the response showed the court of King Charles III intended to deal with allegations and complaints of any kind with a degree of seriousness and urgency not seen in the time of Elizabeth II.
"Some very difficult decisions have been made in recent times, such as the removal of Prince Andrew as a working royal," Dr Bastin said.
"A picture is forming that it is King Charles III who is behind these initiatives and who is keen to bring the monarchy into line with modern sensibilities."
Dr McCreery added that given the closeness Lady Hussey had with the royal family — and being condemned by her own godson — showed the monarchy was taking the matter seriously.
"It suggests they are really aware, now, for the need to step up and move on from this, to separate themselves from those views," she said.
Who else has responded?
The British prime minister spoke about his experience with racism following the revelations.
Speaking to Sky News, Rishi Sunak declined to comment on the incident directly.
"The racism I experienced as a kid and a young person I don't think would happen today, because our country's made incredible progress in tackling racism," Mr Sunak said.
"But the job is never done and that's why, whenever we see it, we must confront it and it's right that we continually learn the lessons and move to a better future."
What was so bad about the questions?
Tinashe Dune, an associate professor in social psychology and the director of research at African Women Australia Incorporated, told ABC Radio that being asked, 'where are you really from?' was a loaded question that people with different skin colours often get asked.
"It makes me feel was though I'm being told to go back to where I came from or you don't really belong here," Dr Dune said.
"Of course I do, my passport says so.
"When you give the answer, 'I'm from Adelaide or Melbourne', people want to displace you and say, 'well, no, you're obviously not from here. So where are you really from?'"
She said the question in reverse can often leave Anglo-Australians confused.
"I know a lot of African women, including my mother, who will say: 'Well, you're a white person. Where are you from?'" she said.
"When the question is turned around, then they feel the shock, but they feel [it's] OK to ask it to people who are non white."
She said the question of heritage can be approached respectfully in the context of an ongoing conversation.
"If it's the first question you're asking someone, it's very insulting to that individual," she said.
"Surely there are other things we can talk about, except for why I look the way that I do, because that's what you're asking me. You're asking me because I have darker skin than you do, or my eyes aren't the same shape as yours.
"When someone says I'm from Australia, let it go."
ABC/Wires
