Ngozi Fulani, the charity’s CEO who was repeatedly asked where she “really came from” by a senior lady-in-waiting at a reception at Buckingham Palace, said she has not received a personal apology from the palace following the incident and has been taken advantage of aimed at her since she made the claims public. She said the palace did not act to try to stop the abuse, but could have.
Fulani added that the pressure had forced her to step down as CEO of the Sistah Space charity, which supports women and girls of African descent facing violence. She said dealing with the fallout from the incident had cost the charity a ‘fortune’.
Her claims, made on Britain’s top morning show on Wednesday, Good morning Great Britainreceived unusually harsh backlash from Buckingham Palace, which said that both public and private apologies had been made to Fulani by the palace and by the lady-in-waiting herself, Susan Hussey, in a face-to-face meeting.
Hussey resigned from her official role in the aftermath of the affair, but has since been quietly rehabilitated by the palace and recently officially attended a memorial service on behalf of Princess Anne.
Speaking on International Women’s Day, Fulani criticized the official apology issued after the incident, saying, “Who are they apologizing to? If you’re apologizing to everyone, I don’t know who you’re apologizing to. If you’re sorry, tell me you’re sorry. If you’re not, that goes without saying.
“I am only making the point so that everyone understands. I don’t see how hard it is to say “I’m sorry.”
“You sent me the invitation so you know where to find me. You know how to say sorry.”
Last November, Fulani had accompanied a friend to a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Camilla to highlight violence against women and girls.
She later shared details of a shocking exchange with Hussey, Prince William’s godmother and close friend of the Queen.
“Where do you come from?” she asked Fulani.
When Fulani said she was from Sistah Space, the staff member replied, “No, where are you from?”
Fulani says she replied that the organization is based in Hackney in northeast London. “No,” Hussey reportedly replied, “What part of Africa are you from?” Fulani said she explained she was born in the UK and is British, but Hussey reportedly kept insisting: “No, but where are you really from, where are your people from?”
Fulani says she explained again that she is a British national and that her parents came to the UK in the 1950s.
“Oh I knew we’d get there eventually, you’re Caribbean!” Hussey would have replied.
“No lady, I am of African descent, Caribbean descent and British nationality,” Fulani replied.
Fulani says she felt “violated” by the exchange, of which she subsequently published her account on social media.
Fulani met with Hussey at Buckingham Palace in mid-December, and King Charles’s office went on to say: “In this meeting, filled with warmth and understanding, Lady Susan offered her sincere apologies for the comments made and the distress she caused to Mrs. Fulani.”
The palace appeared appalled by Fulani’s “new allegations” on Wednesday, saying the palace had “made it clear that Lady Susan’s comments were deeply regrettable”, adding: “Lady Susan immediately expressed her sincerest apologies and stepped down from her role of honor. apologies were personally repeated at a gathering in December, filled with warmth and understanding.”
The palace emphatically noted that following the December meeting, both sides had “agreed that no further media comment would be made.”
The palace added: “For the avoidance of doubt, we are sorry for the incident that took place and apologize for the distress and difficulties it caused to Ms. Fulani.”