The Lady Hussey racism thing

[Tiiiiiiiiiiired]

I am really conflicted about this.

If went to live in Japan (I did live there for 3 years several years ago) I would be expected to be asked about where I'm from because I don't look Japanese (and in fact I was asked many times! I didn't mind at all, it was my choice to be in Japan and I knew I didn't look japanese). If I chose to stay in that country and have children, I'd expect my children would be asked the same, and their children and that although they would be Japanese by birth, I would hope they would be happy to talk about their heritage and where they are from and not mind being asked why they don't look Japanese and what the history is. I wouldnt think it racist and wouldn't want such questions to be stopped because we only learn from others, and about others, by talking and feeling safe to ask questions.

So why in the UK does everyone have to be sooo careful with what they say? This woman has a non English name, was wearing some non western clothing, as was asked about her heritage. Why is this abuse?

We need to stop being so sensitive and allow dialogue.

Again, if a women was an active spokeperson about male violence it would not then be her fault if she became the victim of male violence.

All the RF and their representatives had to do to avoid this apparent 'political agenda' was not be racist.

Out of interest why is the black woman on the radios opinion more believable, worth more weight than the black woman who was the victim of the racism.

I was pulled up once by a friend for asking a black mutual friend where she was from and then when she said London immediately asking about where her family originated.

When I asked I was genuinely just interested - I have worked with ppl from all over the world and thought her name sounded like it was from a particular country where an old colleague was from.

Anyway I took the point, did some reading, and absolutely avoid doing this now. I can understand how this must feel to be on the other end of esp if it happens a lot, and while my intention was certainly not racist, I get how it could be viewed as that.

In this case in the news though... I have read the transcript. It's the touching her hair and then straight in with the repeated questioning, without having even got to know anything else about her, that is particularly off. The most generous interpretation would be that it was extremely insensitive, but it definitely seems to go beyond that, I think defo right to say racist.

Are you accusing me of Racism just because I have a difference of opinion and was not Privy to that conversation. Is that what Racism is now. OMG

More useful background:

www.spectator.co.uk/article/in-defence-of-lady-susan-hussey/

Name change fail?

"Useful information" or one of Charles' close mates using her position to command space in a nation publication excusing her friend Hussey's behaviour? Wyatt was not at the event.

Petronella Wyatt is one of the regular "sources close to the Palace" wheeled out to say stuff which the royals want in the press without attribution. I don't think anyone is disputing that the royals are happy with Hussey, after all they have kept renewing her and awarding her medals for 60 years.

@TooBigForMyBoots

It is an opinion that this was necessarily racism - as I said earlier we aren't judge and jury. There are different opinions. The actions in my view were not necessarily racist. Some of the comments accusing anyone on this forum who fails to believe it is racism as racist stifle debate. There may be people who are racist who think this but not everyone is. Racism is sadly present in the UK but it is not in every action. As I said before the wording of the questions were clumsy and ill-advised. I think that that in future people will merely not engage in conversation for fear of causing offence - that is far more damaging to society.

There is no useful background in that, that’s one of Camilla’s Ladies in Waiting coming to the defence of her chum Hussey, and of course minimises the entire interrogation as ‘asked her which part of Africa she was from’. Ignoring the fact that Hussey harangued Ms Fulani SEVEN TIMES with no let up.

I’m shocked, SHOCKED, that The Spectator should be on the side of racism and the establishment. Honestly, you could knock me down with a feather.

The insistence that her answer was wrong or incomplete was down solely to her race. And that is part of a wider underlying feature of racism that there is a way British people should look - and if you don’t look that way you are not fully British.

Thank you for getting it when some are choosing not too. This was the primary issue and what OP has chosen to ignore.

I’m an immigrant poc in the UK so expect people to ask me where I’m from due to my accent and I have answered and have had to clarify things due to misconceptions and stereotypes but I have never had anyone have the audacity to tell me my answer was wrong or that can’t be right as if they know better than me about my own background. Saying that though I have dealt with many covert xenophobic and racist comments including people who I have known for years that have made me see them in a different light that I cannot unsee especially knowing if I said something on the same level they would be down my throat but it is somehow not bad when they say it to me nor does it click how offensive they’re being unless it is pointed out but some will still refuse to see it.

The above post applies to you @Sitdowncupoftea as well as @twelly and the rest of the apologists on this thread. Given the details above, what other evidence do you need? What evidence would be acceptable to you? What are you basing your opinion that this was not racism on?

Background? It's an opinion piece. It has no more validity than any of the posts on here.

This witness corroborates the account

The witness seems to be a worker from what appears to be a similarly reactionary organisation.

This is not a transcript, and people should stop calling it that

Of course there is a political agenda at play. The docu-series is being released shortly. Fulani has expressed previous negative views of the royal family and I am sure was primed to get a public story in support of Meghan.

That doesn't mean there wasn't a racist undertone to the comments.

There were several witnesses, some of them white.

Which "reactionary" organisation are you talking about?

Another opinion piece.

Still, there is a sense in which political correctness can make us mad. The fear of being offensive, and of being perceived as such, can make people lose all sense of context and proportion.

It’s funny how I can go through life without this worry, just by treating people with respect and not making any assumptions about them.

What’s reactionary about them?

Another opinion piece.

Ok, let's take racism out of the equation. You don't think the way she asked was rude and patronising? She touched a black woman's hair fgs. Would she go around moving a white woman's hair out of the way? I doubt it.

If there was a political agenda at play, Ms Fulani wouldn’t have given Hussey opportunities to get their discussion back to discussing her charity, rather than her ‘where her people are from’.

Would she go around moving a white woman's hair out of the way?

Is there any footage of this?

Ah but its written by a white Englishman living in Poland - obviously makes him an expert on royal racism at London charity events.

Great minds Squeezita. I honestly didn't see your post before writing mine.

I think the palace have done the right thing to apologise and say they take the allegations very seriously - just as they have other allegations. As I have said the comments were clumsy and ill-advised. Were they racist? in my view not necessarily. I think we weren't there and we haven't heard all angles - I don't think we know. As I have said I think in future people will be styling question along the line of "have you travelled far?" not where do you come from or where you live or where you grew up. Perhaps by keeping conversation rather anodyne we will ensure that no-one offends - the downside of this is that we live in a diverse society and acknowledging that diversity enables us to celebrate this.

My opinion that this was a racist encounter is based on the facts as we have them. NF's account. The eyewitness accounts. The palace's statement on the outcome of their immediate and detailed investigation.

What is your opinion based on @twelly , @Sitdowncupoftea?

There were witnesses. And if you think Hussey wouldn’t have strenuously objected to the objection if she hadn’t touched her hair, then you’re mistaken.