Prince William, Catherine in US amid race row
The United Kingdom’s Prince William and wife Catherine began their first visit to the United States in eight years Wednesday under the cloud of a fresh racism row after his godmother quit the royal household for repeatedly asking a Black British woman where she was “really” from.
The new Prince and Princess of Wales met Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor-elect Maura Healey at the city hall and then sat courtside at a basketball match between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat as they kickstarted their threeday trip focused on climate change.
The beginning of the visit — which comes after racism claims from William’s brother Harry and mixed-race sister-inlaw Meghan — was however overshadowed by the resignation and apology of 83-year-old Susan Hussey, one of William’s six godmothers.
“Racism has no place in our society,” a spokesman for the royal couple told reporters in Boston. “These comments were unacceptable, and it’s right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”
William was not involved in the decision, but “believes it’s the right course of action to be taken,” the spokesman added.
The trip is the royal couple’s first one overseas since the 40-year-old William became heir to the throne in September, when his father succeeded Queen Elizabeth 2nd to become King Charles 3rd.
They last visited the US in 2014, when they went to New York and Washington, in a trip that included a reception at the White House with then-president Barack Obama and his deputy Joe Biden.
The White House said Biden would meet the royal couple on Friday.
It is also the couple’s first trip stateside since Harry and Meghan sensationally quit the royal family in early 2020. No meeting has been announced between the estranged brothers.
The visit will culminate on Friday night with a star-studded ceremony for William’s Earthshot Prize initiative to tackle climate change.
The awards ceremony — described by royal insiders as William’s “Superbowl moment” — is now in its second year, and rewards five innovators with £1 million each ($1.2 million).
“We are both looking forward to spending the next few days learning about the innovative ways the people of Massachusetts are tackling climate change,” William told cheering crowds outside city hall.
Hussey is a longstanding former ladyin-waiting to the late monarch and was a courtier to Queen Consort Camilla.
She was portrayed in the fifth season of the hit Netflix series “The Crown,” the recent release of which has driven US interest in the House of Windsor up even further.
Ngozi Fulani, chief executive officer of the London-based Sistah Space group, which campaigns for survivors of domestic abuse, said the comments came as she attended a palace reception on Tuesday.
Asked where she was from, Fulani said Hackney, northeast London, prompting the woman whom she identified only as “Lady SH” to ask: “No, what part of Africa are you from?”
Fulani said she was born and raised in the UK and was British, but the woman persisted.
“Where do you really come from, where do your people come from? ... When did you first come here?” she was asked.
Fulani repeated that she was a British citizen born in the UK and was forced to say she was “of African heritage, Caribbean descent.”
Women’s Equality Party leader Mandu Reid, who witnessed the exchange, called it “grim” and like an “interrogation.”
Buckingham Palace said it took the incident “extremely seriously” and called the comments “unacceptable and deeply regrettable.”
“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,” it added.
British media outlets all quoted palace sources as confirming it was Hussey who made the remarks.