The Prince and Princess of Wales remained “unwavering” in their commitment to make their three-day US trip a success despite a number of “distractions”, a spokesperson has said.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s visit to Boston last week for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony was marked by a racism scandal involving the royal family and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s unveiling of the trailer for their Netflix documentary.
A spokesperson for the Waleses, however, has insisted that the royal couple “did what we set out to do” in Boston.
It comes after William’s godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, resigned from her role as lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II following remarks she made to Black domestic abuse activist Ngozi Fulani.
Fulani took to Twitter last week to reveal that Lady Hussey had repeatedly asked her where she was from and where her “people” were from during a royal reception held by Queen Consort Camilla at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday (29 November).
Then, on Thursday (1 December), Netflix released the trailer for its forthcoming docuseries on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, titled Harry & Meghan.
The Sussexes will “share the other side” of their story through the documentary. The timing of the trailer’s release has been viewed as pertinent, as it comes amid the racism row involving Lady Hussey, and in the middle of William and Kate’s trip.
The Waleses’ spokesperson told The Times: “We came to Boston and did what we set out to do, which was to shine a light on some great work being done across communities.
“The prince has successfully continued to shape his role as a global leader on climate change, sitting down with the president to talk about what Earthshot is trying to achieve.”
They continued: “Regardless of other distractions, the prince and princess’s commitment to duty and service is unwavering. They got out there, did the job, and enjoyed themselves.”
Following Fulani’s revelation, William’s spokesperson said racism “has no place in our society”.
In a statement that was released almost immediately after Buckingham Palace confirmed Lady Hussey had resigned, they said: “I was really disappointed to hear about the guest’s experience at Buckingham Palace last night.
“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.”
The royal couple have made no official comment on the timing of Harry and Meghan’s documentary, which is reportedly set to be released on Thursday 8 December.
The Sussexes have spoken out frequently about the racism that Meghan is said to have encountered during her time as a working member of the royal family.
In an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the duchess claimed that there had been conversations around “how dark” her son Archie’s “skin might be when he is born” while she was still pregnant with him.
The Waleses did not see the Sussexes during their recent trip to the US. Harry and Meghan are expected to travel to the East Coast on 6 December to receive the Robert F Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award in New York City.
They were given the prestigious human rights award because of their “heroic stand” against “structural racism within the institution” of the monarchy, according to Kerry Kennedy.
