In defence of Lady Susan Hussey
Spectator (UK)Dec 01, 2022
Lady Susan Hussey, a long-serving royal aide and former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II, has resigned and apologized after a social media post surfaced reporting that she repeatedly asked a Black British charity boss where she was "really" from. Lady Hussey also allegedly moved the guest's hair out of the way of her name badge.
A spokesperson said on Wednesday that Lady Hussey had left after making the "unacceptable and deeply regrettable" remarks to Ngoni Fulani at a reception in Buckingham Palace. According to Fulani's Twitter post, the royal aide repeatedly questioned "what part of Africa" the guest — who works for a domestic abuse group — was from.
Buckingham Palace has acted with exceptional cruelty in dismissing a loyal octogenarian over an innocently intended comment. Most pensioners are unfamiliar with woke etiquette or the standards of 21st century sensitivity to diversity — Susan Hussey is not a racist and has never knowingly offended anyone in her long life.
Although Lady Hussey's questions were not necessarily racist, they were certainly loaded. Being elderly is not an excuse for insensitivity — the Queen would have recognized how alarming the statements made were. Too often in modern Britain the phrase, "Where are you from?" is asked in the wrong way for the wrong reasons. Lady Hussey's resignation was justified.