Lady Susan Hussey Met with Ngozi Fulani at Buckingham Palace

Earlier this month, just hours before Prince William and Kate Middleton touched down in Boston for their highly anticipated visit to the U.S. for the Earthshot Prize, news broke that "unacceptable" racist comments were made to a guest at a Buckingham Palace reception hosted by Queen Camilla.

Ngozi Fulani, the founder of domestic abuse charity Sistah Space, shared her experience of at Buckingham Palace in a social media post:

The Palace was quick to respond to Fulani's account of what happened at the reception.

A spokesperson said, "We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details. In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made. We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter, and are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes. In the meantime, the individual concerned would like to express her profound apologies for the hurt caused and has stepped aside from her honorary role with immediate effect. All members of the Household are being reminded of the diversity and inclusivity policies which they are required to uphold at all times."

The individual was soon revealed to be Lady Susan Hussey, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth and a Lady of the Household under King Charles. Lady Susan resigned from her role, but Fulani said earlier this month that the Palace had yet to reach out to her.

Today, Buckingham Palace shared, Lady Susan met with Fulani at the Palace "to address the incident that took place at a Palace reception last month."

According to the Palace, "At this meeting, filled with warmth and understanding, Lady Susan offered her sincere apologies for the comments that were made and the distress they caused to Ms Fulani. Lady Susan has pledged to deepen her awareness of the sensitivities involved and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the issues in this area. Ms Fulani, who has unfairly received the most appalling torrent of abuse on social media and elsewhere, has accepted this apology and appreciates that no malice was intended."

The Palace continues, "The Royal Households will continue their focus on inclusion and diversity, with an enhanced programme of work which will extend knowledge and training programmes, examining what can be learnt from Sistah Space, and ensuring these reach all members of their communities."

Fulani, who has been the subject of intense online harassment, had to pause the work of Sistah Space to ensure the safety of their users and their team. "We are overwhelmed by the amount of support and encouragement and look forward to fully reinstating our services as soon as safely possible," the organization posted on Instagram.

Now, Buckingham Palace shared, Fulani and Lady Susan ask "that they be left in peace to rebuild their lives in the wake of an immensely distressing period for them both. They hope that their example shows a path to resolution can be found with kindness, co-operation and the condemnation of discrimination wherever it takes root."

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