BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell has caused anger after calling the racism allegations at Buckingham Palace an “ill-judged blunder”.
Long-time journalist Witchell was on BBC News discussing the situation during a segment tonight (Wednesday, November 30).
Earlier today it was claimed that Ngozi Fulani, chief executive of charity Sistah Space, was repeatedly asked by Buckingham Palace household staff member Lady Susan Hussey where she “really came from” at Queen Consort Camilla’s Violence Against Women and Girls reception yesterday.
Despite Ms Fulani saying she was born in Britain, Lady Hussey quizzed Ms Fulani SIX times asking the stunned charity boss on where she ‘really come from’.
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Buckingham Palace said in a statement that “unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments” were made to the prominent charity boss.
Ms Fulani, claimed the household member challenged her when she said her charity was based in Hackney, saying: “No, what part of Africa are YOU from?”
The late Queen’s lady-in-waiting Lady Hussey, 83, later apologised and resigned.
(Image: Getty Images)
She detailed the full conversation, which she said happened 10 minutes after she arrived, on Twitter, which included the exchange: “Where are you from?’
“Me: ‘Here, UK’. ‘No, but what nationality are you?’ Me: ‘I am born here and am British.’ ‘No, but where do you really come from, where do your people come from?’ Me: ”My people’, lady, what is this?’
“Oh, I can see I am going to have a challenge getting you to say where you’re from.”
It later emerged that the comments came from Lady Susan Hussey, the godmother of King Charles’s son Prince William.
But comments from Witchell, which appeared to downplay the incident caused anger online.
During the segment, he said: “I think that we can safely assume that she will be mortified at what will be a very ill-judged blunder.”
(Image: PA)
Writer Adil Ray OBE, said: “The racism of ‘where are you really from’ is not a BLUNDER as referred to by Nicholas Witchell.
“A conversation going on for many minutes is not a silly, careless mistake.
“When racism slaps us in the face we need to wake up, be woke and call it what it is.
“As has William today.”
And another person wrote: “As if the blatant racism wasn’t bad enough, Nicholas Witchell seeks to diminish it by highlighting the perpetrator’s age, years of devoted service to the crown and assumes it was an ill-judged blunder.
“It’s not a blunder, the comments are indicative of attitude.”
The Daily Star has contacted the BBC for comment.
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