Lady Susan Hussey joined members of the royal family for church service on Sunday, January 29, following her resignation as a palace aide amid a racist incident last year.
The former lady-in-waiting, 83, for the late Queen Elizabeth II was seen walking to and from St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham. King Charles III and Princess Anne were both in attendance at their church, which was beloved by the late queen.
Despite no longer working for the royal family, she remains close with them as she is the godmother of Prince William.
In November 2022, domestic abuse activist Ngozi Fulani took to social media and claimed she was asked racially loaded questions by “a member of staff” while attending an event at Buckingham Palace.
“Mixed feelings about yesterday’s visit to Buckingham Palace. 10 mins after arriving, Lady SH approached me [and] moved my hair to see my name badge,” the Sistah Space founder wrote via the charitable organization’s Twitter account at the time.
Fulani claimed that Hussey asked her, “Where do you really come from?” and “What part of Africa are you from?” despite the activist repeatedly stating that she was born in the United Kingdom.
Us Weekly confirmed that the team member for the king, 74, resigned from her position amid allegations of racism.
“We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details,” a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said in a statement to Us. “In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made.”
The spokesperson continued: “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.”
Shortly after, William, 40, and Princess Kate also released a statement condemning the incident and supporting Hussey’s decision to resign.
“I was really disappointed to hear about the guest’s experience. Racism has no place in our society. These comments were unacceptable and it’s right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect,” a representative for the Prince and Princess of Wales said at the time.
Hussey began working for the royal family in 1960 and was promoted to Woman of the Bedchamber in that same year. Throughout her time with the royals, she was close to Elizabeth. She even assisted Princess Diana and, later, Meghan Markle as they adjusted to life after becoming royals. Following Elizabeth’s death in September 2022, Hussey was promoted to Lady of the Household and was tasked with assisting in events at the palace until her resignation.
