Who Is Prince William's Godmother, Lady Susan Hussey?

Lady Susan Hussey's name was unexpectedly tossed into the spotlight at the end of November 2022 after she was accused of racism by British charity owner Ngozi Fulani, following a conversation the two had while attending an event in support of ending violence against women and girls in the United Kingdom. Fulani explained that Hussey interrogated her about her ancestry, refusing to believe that she was British-born. Fulani, who first tweeted about her experience on November 30, later told The Guardian, that it felt "like an interrogation. I guess the only way I can explain it, she's determined: 'Where are you from? Where are your people from?'"

Hussey subsequently resigned from her decades-long service to the monarchy and her comments were denounced by Buckingham Palace. William, Prince of Wales, also issued a statement about the exchange that affirmed his agreement with Hussey's resignation. His statement read, in part, "The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect" (via the BBC).

If you weren't familiar with Lady Susan Hussey prior to this incident, you may be wondering who exactly she is, and what her role in the British monarchy was. Here's what you should know.

Lady Susan Hussey was close not only with Queen Elizabeth II but also King Charles III. The fact that he named her one of Prince William's godparents after his birth in June 1982 demonstrated that closeness. Hussey joined five other godparents at the request of the king then known as Prince Charles (via Daily Mail).

While it might seem a little surprising that William has six godparents, it makes a lot of sense in the context of his position in the royal family. As Robert Jobson, the royal editor of the Evening Standard, explained to ABC News, there's a good reason for the future king to have so many people in his corner. Jobson said, "There's a feeling that because of their role as members of the royal family that they need as many confidants as they can get apart from their parents." In other words, because William has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, having numerous adults with whom he can truly confide will only be an asset for him.

Lady Susan Hussey's time as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elizabeth II was a successful one in terms of promotion. While the position was unpaid and Hussey was a close friend of the late queen and other members of the royal family, she still earned various titles and ranks throughout her decades serving the monarch. According to The Guardian, she earned multiple service awards for her time.

In 2013, Hussey was promoted to Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO). The ranking is incredibly personal, as many learned in June 2019 when Catherine, Princess of Wales, received the same title from Queen Elizabeth. The designation is the highest form of chivalry awarded to those who have demonstrated services to the ruling monarch (via Harper's Bazaar). As royal reporter and author Omid Scobie explained in a tweet, "The RVO was invented by Queen Victoria in 1896 to allow her to personally thank and honour people who had helped her directly, or represented her across the Empire."

Lady Susan Hussey was so integral to Queen Elizabeth II's monarchy that she was even briefly featured in Season 4 of the Netflix series "The Crown." Fans of the show can spot Hussey in the episode about Princess Diana's notorious "Panorama" interview with Martin Bashir. Hussey, who is portrayed by Haydn Gwynne, and her husband are depicted on the show as stalwart champions of Elizabeth's monarchy and reputation.

In the episode, Elizabeth and her ladies-in-waiting celebrate Hussey's birthday over glasses of champagne and slices of cake. The group begins chatting about a horse race that will take place at Cheltenham. The queen expresses disappointment that it wouldn't be broadcast on the BBC since she won't be able to see the race in person, and Hussey informs her that the national network couldn't afford to pay the price requested to keep the race on its airwaves. Hussey later gets an idea to air a birthday special for the queen and proposes the idea to her husband, who works for the BBC. However, Diana's bombshell interview airs instead. Both Lady Susan Hussey and her husband, Lord Hussey, are seen apologizing to the queen, and Lord Hussey offers his resignation.

In truth, Susan's husband did retire from the Board of Governors of the BBC due, in part, to the director general of the BBC failing to share with him what was in the interview.