Lady Susan Hussey and activist Ngozi Fulani reconcile after dispute at Buckingham Palace

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A prominent British royal aide who resigned from Buckingham Palace after asking a director of a black British charity where he was “really” from met the activist to apologize and vowed to learn from the incident, according to a joint announcement published on Friday. .

Lady Susan Hussey, 83, a long-time bridesmaid to Queen Elizabeth II and godmother to royal heir Prince William, met Ngozi Fulani, a British activist and chief executive of the domestic violence charity Sistah Space, on Friday at Buckingham Palace, where she apologized.

Hussey “committed to deepening her awareness of the sensitivities involved and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the issues in this area,” according to the statement, which noted that Fulani had “unfairly received the most egregious torrent of abuse online.” social”. and in other places.” Fulani accepted the apology, saying “there was no malicious intent.”

The controversy arose after an event at Buckingham Palace last month designed to raise awareness about violence against women and girls. Fulani, one of the 300 guests at the event, later wrote on Twitter that she had “mixed feelings” about the event, describing an interaction with a woman she called “Lady SH” shortly after her arrival.

The woman had asked a series of questions, the Fulani said, including: “What part of Africa are you from?” and “Where do you really come from?”

I stood at the edge of the room, smiled [and] I briefly engaged whoever spoke to me until I was able to leave,” the activist wrote on Twitter.

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party and witness to the interaction, later told The Washington Post it felt like “an interrogation.”

“It was one question after another… it was not fleeting, it was several minutes,” he said.

Buckingham Palace announced the following day that a member of the royal house had “he stepped down from his honorary position with immediate effect” after an investigation concluded that “unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments” had been made.

Although she was not named, it soon became apparent who the member of the royal house was.

Hussey was a well-known royal figure, having played an unpaid role since the 1960s. She appeared in the new season of “The Crown” on Netflix as a close friend and advisor to the queen, a role she also played in royal life. her, earning her the nickname “Number One Awardee” and the official title “Bedroom Woman”, which meant that she was the queen’s right-hand woman.

His comments sparked a wave of criticism of the royal house, which has struggled with reports of racism in the past. But some people targeted Fulani for posting the incident.

Sistah Space, which supports women of African and Caribbean descent affected by domestic abuse and sexual assault, posted a statement on Instagram last week announcing that it had to “temporarily cease many of our operations to ensure the safety of users of our service and our team. ”

Fulani’s team and family received “horrible abuse via social media,” he said in a statement quoted by British media.

After their meeting on Friday, Fulani and Hussey said they would seek “peace to rebuild their lives after an immensely distressing period for both of them.”

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