Buckingham Palace Reaches Resolution With Queen Elizabeth's Longtime Lady In Waiting
Lady Susan Hussey, who served as one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting from 1960-2022, made headlines at the end of November after her controversial remarks at a Buckingham Palace event. Like his mother, King Charles III had a close bond with Lady Hussey, and he chose her as Prince William's godmother, per Tatler. In recognition of her longtime service and friendship to his mother, The Times reported that the king named Lady Hussey one of the "ladies of the household" after Elizabeth died.
Lady Hussey resigned from this new role after Ngozi Fulani, one of the guests at the palace event, recounted an uncomfortable conversation on Twitter. Fulani attended to represent her charity, Sistah Space, an organization focused on assisting victims of domestic and sexual abuse who are of African and Caribbean descent. During the conversation, Lady Hussey repeatedly asked Fulani to divulge her family's heritage rather than accepting her answer of being British.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's "Today," Fulani reflected, "Although it's not physical violence — it is an abuse." She added, "You're trying to make me unwelcome in my own space."
As reported by The Guardian, the palace acted quickly, announcing Lady Hussey's resignation and "profound apologies for the hurt caused." The palace also stated, "We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter, and we are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes." To that end, it has now been reported that a resolution has been reached.
Lady Hussey met with Ngozi Fulani and apologized in person
Ngozi Fulani, a leader of the charity Sistah Space, previously told The Guardian that she was dismayed by the news of Lady Susan Hussey's resignation, saying, "I would have preferred that she had been spoken to or re-educated." Now, Fulani has had the opportunity to talk to Lady Hussey in person and resolve the matter.
On December 16, Fulani and Lady Hussey got together at Buckingham Palace for a second time. The royal family's website detailed the meeting in a joint statement by the Palace and Fulani. Lady Hussey apologized to the charity leader for her remarks during their previous conversation, and in turn, Fulani accepted the apology. In addition, the palace noted that "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."
Speaking to The Times, a royal source described the exchange, saying, "It was wonderfully warm." They also observed, "It was an opportunity for Lady Susan to apologize in person, for Ngozi to accept that no malice was intended by her remarks, and for an outbreak of peace and understanding across the board."
Now that the situation has been resolved, the joint statement requested both women "be left in peace to rebuild their lives." After Fulani went public about the incident, The Telegraph reported that Sistah Space was unable to perform some of its services due to safety concerns.