Royal Family Isn’t Racist … BUT

In a superb example of “There’s always a column”, the Daily Mail’s appallingly selfish pundit Sarah “Vain” Vine told readers only a week and a half ago that “If anyone deserves an anti-racism award it's King Charles, not Harry and Meghan”. Their award was about “the couple’s accusation of racism against senior members of the Royal Family”. But Ms Vine knew better.

“Vehemently denied by the Prince of Wales and repudiated in characteristically diplomatic manner by the late Queen - ‘recollections may vary’ - it’s never been entirely obvious what form this so-called racism was supposed to have taken … insulting the work of Harry’s grandmother, it leads to the Royal Family suffering the vilest of accusations and abuse”.

The Royals didn’t do racism, right? And that, in the narrowest sense, may be true. But we now know that someone who, while not being Royal herself, was, as the late John Arlott might have put it, “very adjacent” to them, has been caught being not merely racist, but aggressive and patronising with it.

At a charity event last Tuesday hosted by Queen Consort Camilla, Lady Susan Hussey, formerly a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, met Ngozi Fulami, who founded charity Sistah Space, which supports women and families affected by domestic abuse. Lady Hussey had been helping to host events at Buckingham Palace. Ms Fulami recalled her exchange with Milady.

“Lady SH: Where are you from?
Me: Sistah Space.
SH: No, where do you come from?
Me: We're based in Hackney.
SH: No, what part of Africa are you from?
Me: I don't know, they didn't leave any records.
SH: Well, you must know where you're from, I spent time in France. Where are you from?
Me: Here, the UK.
SH: No, but what nationality are you?
Me: I am born here and am British.
SH: No, but where do you really come from, where do your people come from?
Me: 'My people', lady, what is this?
SH: Oh I can see I am going to have a challenge getting you to say where you're from. When did you first come here?
Me: Lady! I am a British national, my parents came here in the 50s when...
SH: Oh, I knew we'd get there in the end, you're Caribbean!
Me: No lady, I am of African heritage, Caribbean descent and British nationality”.

What could make it worse? Lady Hussey was not only Godmother to the Prince of Wales, but she also “was reportedly directed by Buckingham Palace to help the Duchess of Sussex settle into royal life prior to and after her wedding to Prince Harry”. She had apparently claimed that Haz and Meg’s marriage would “all end in tears”. It was bad for the BBC, too.

What did we tell you?

Lady Hussey was married to the late Duke Hussey, former chair of the Corporation’s Governors. Duke Hussey was a Tory. He had effectively been inserted into the role at the behest of Margaret Thatcher, and his first act as chair was to inform then Director General Alasdair Milne that he required the latter to resign his post. Mrs T’s vindictive streak once again.

Lady Hussey has now been thrown under the bus; she has resigned. But the damage has not only been done, our free and fearless press knows it’s been done. Hence the Mail going in to bat for someone who was aggressive, patronising and, just in case anyone had forgotten, appallingly racist.

The headline on arch-creep Richard Kay’s apologia says it all: “Lady Susan Hussey will be mortified at causing offence with her remarks. But friends are accusing the Palace - which is extremely sensitive ahead of Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary - of acting with indecent haste”

Causing offence? CAUSING OFFENCE? It gets worse: “however unfortunate her comments, her sudden resignation yesterday for repeatedly asking a black British charity boss where she originally came from has stunned her closest friends and reopened the toxic debate about alleged racism within the Royal Household”. Don’t worry, it was only a “black British charity boss”.

After all, she was “Unflappable, loyal and discreet … among the handful of the late monarch's most trusted staff invited to serve the new Queen Consort Camilla … 'unjust' treatment of an 83-year-old widow who devoted her life to the royals … exemplary life of service and dedication to the monarchy”.

The Sussexes were right to call out racism in the Royal household. The right-wing press is plain flat wrong to defend it. This incident has shown just how out of touch the establishment class has become, whether it’s the courtier or media part of it. And it’s no good trying to excuse what happened: the press backed the wrong side. Now we all know: for them, racism is fine.

Except it’s not fine. It’s bang out of order. Did someone mention Leveson 2?

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