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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Racism in the Royal Family

593 replies

StoneofDestiny · 30/11/2022 19:06

Susan Hussey has resigned. Philip was coming out with similar comments in public all his life, yet there was no move to get rid of him. AIBU to think this is more royal hypocrisy?

OP posts:
XingMing · 01/12/2022 20:23

@Livingtothefull , Lady Susan Hussey might have had a lifelong interest in domestic abuse and violence, but is clearly still inexperienced in race politics. Queen Camilla appears to be taking it seriously, as one would hope. I think this is the time to put the older courtiers out to grass. Can the RF not find some with more contemporary understanding?

Notaflippinclue · 01/12/2022 20:23

Crikey - kangaroo courts and such well behaved grandparents and God mothers you all have

Livingtothefull · 01/12/2022 20:46

I didn't say he couldn't cut her off @Theunamedcat and yes we are all entitled to cut off or distance ourselves from friends and family members whose behaviour we deem unacceptable. But most of us don't have public roles or get to make public statements denouncing the offender's conduct.

Most of us are not part of the Establishment associated with the Head of State whose conduct (and that of those who work with and support them) should be exemplary. Targeting this woman just looks mean and vengeful, and also insincere; as if the token gesture of sacrificing her gets them off the hook and avoids any further scrutiny of them and how they select their hangers on. How exactly do they run things in that Palace, including their PR which we pay for?

It really is late in the day for the RF to start distancing themselves from her. She has been their close associate for decades, I just don't believe they didn't have any inkling until now as to what she was like. I am not convinced they are open to change in any meaningful way.

Sodonewiththisshit · 01/12/2022 21:21

I think I might be a republican

Movingsoon21 · 01/12/2022 21:34

@Livingtothefull I think they have probably not been so harsh to her in person. I’m sure they would have explained to her that this had to happen to save the RF and I think someone in her position, the queen’s best friend, would be willing to sacrifice herself to save them.

Personally I don’t think she meant to offend but like a PP said, she’s so high class that she’s not used to being questioned by anyone or challenged so probably thought NF was being impertinent by not responding to the question she was asking! (Which is obviously a huge issue in itself - I hate the class system!)

I blame the RF for having such poor judgment in asking her to attend the event. I don’t understand why all the queen’s ladies in waiting weren’t retired when she died, I mean they are in their 80s FGS! That’s not being ageist, just it’s time to move on with a new programme and fresh new faces who understand the new direction Charles and Camilla want/need to take now.

TooBigForMyBoots · 01/12/2022 21:39

I think Lady SH did it and did it on purpose. It would explain the speed and strength of the Palace statement.🫤

Notaflippinclue · 01/12/2022 21:46

On purpose !!! I suppose Mrs Hussey just wanted a bit of media attention, after all she's been in the background for the last 60 years so she thought she would embarrass the Royal as a kind of fanfare at the end of her loyal service. I'm living in a parallel universe.

TooBigForMyBoots · 01/12/2022 21:51

Yes, on purpose. I find it hard hard to believe that a woman with Lady SH's extensive experience and knowledge would make so many racist gaffes by accident. I don't think she expected Ngozi Fulani's response.

Lightowl · 01/12/2022 22:40

So according to various reports:

The name she uses is Marlene Headley (not NF)
Her charity is set up to support women of carribean and African heritage (so her heritage clearly matters to her identity)
She wasn’t invited to the reception, she came as the guest of another organisation
She said MM had been a victim of DV by the RF in a SM post
Her photographer is also MM’s photographer

Oh, and W&K are on tour in the US and miraculously it happens to be the time that H&M “drop” the trailers to their Netflix documentary, which also includes “commentary from friends, family, and historians discussing the state of the British Commonwealth today (and the Royal Family’s relationship with the press)”.

You couldn’t make it up really. I don’t think the RF would be wrong to think they’d been trapped into this.

Lightowl · 01/12/2022 22:43

Oh and before anyone disagrees with me and calls me an apologist - you can have both scenarios. SH said something inappropriate AND was trapped.

Notaflippinclue · 01/12/2022 22:44

It's a set up - you've all been hoodwinked.

Lunar270 · 01/12/2022 22:54

Lightowl · 01/12/2022 22:43

Oh and before anyone disagrees with me and calls me an apologist - you can have both scenarios. SH said something inappropriate AND was trapped.

Do you think this will be enough for you?

Racism in the Royal Family
antelopevalley · 01/12/2022 23:17

I can't believe the conspiracy theorists. It just makes zero sense.

LadyKenya · 02/12/2022 08:14

Oh dear, this place is crazy sometimes!

thehorsehasnowbolted · 02/12/2022 08:17

You couldn’t make it up really. I don’t think the RF would be wrong to think they’d been trapped into this

They need to be much more careful as to who gets into the Palace

Lunar270 · 02/12/2022 08:20

Definitely. They could start by kicking Andrew out.

LadyKenya · 02/12/2022 08:20

No one needs to worry about the security surrounding the palace. Not just anybody can walk in there, anybody who is of sound mind would know that.

Anonymouseposter · 02/12/2022 08:55

Lady Susan Hussey was certainly very rude and persistent. She seems to think it’s okay to talk down to people, particularly people of a different heritage It is a complicated situation though as NF seems to have engineered the situation.

twelly · 02/12/2022 13:27

Lightowl · 01/12/2022 22:40

So according to various reports:

The name she uses is Marlene Headley (not NF)
Her charity is set up to support women of carribean and African heritage (so her heritage clearly matters to her identity)
She wasn’t invited to the reception, she came as the guest of another organisation
She said MM had been a victim of DV by the RF in a SM post
Her photographer is also MM’s photographer

Oh, and W&K are on tour in the US and miraculously it happens to be the time that H&M “drop” the trailers to their Netflix documentary, which also includes “commentary from friends, family, and historians discussing the state of the British Commonwealth today (and the Royal Family’s relationship with the press)”.

You couldn’t make it up really. I don’t think the RF would be wrong to think they’d been trapped into this.

I don't know how accurate the different reports are but some seem genuine which really does suggest that the media circus that has been invoked around this was maybe planned - I am not sure it was orchestrated deliberately but I must admit I do wonder. I think the claims that the account of what was said is a transcript is bizarre as it is not transcript (unless of course it was recorded - which would beg other questions.) It is a recollection by one of the parties as to what has happened - that is a fact.

TooBigForMyBoots · 02/12/2022 13:28

How did NF engineer the situation @Anonymouseposter?Confused

SerendipityJane · 02/12/2022 13:32

TooBigForMyBoots · 02/12/2022 13:28

How did NF engineer the situation @Anonymouseposter?Confused

Being black in a built up area
Being in possession of thick lips and black curly hair

TooBigForMyBoots · 02/12/2022 13:34

@twelly, why do you think NF, the witnesses and the Palace are lying to you? As for the RF falling into a trap.🙄 All they would need to not have been trapped was for their staff to not be racist to invited guests.🤷‍♀️

twelly · 02/12/2022 13:36

@TooBigForMyBoots
I am not saying that anyone is lying I am saying that the account is not a transcript it is an account by one of the parties.

antelopevalley · 02/12/2022 13:36

Racism is always a black person's fault. Either by imaging the racism or somehow inviting or planning it.
Racism according to racists is never the fault of the racists.

TooBigForMyBoots · 02/12/2022 13:37

twelly · 02/12/2022 13:36

@TooBigForMyBoots
I am not saying that anyone is lying I am saying that the account is not a transcript it is an account by one of the parties.

So you agree that Ngozi Fulani was on the receiving end of racism from Lady SH?