CNN
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An honorary member of Buckingham Palace has resigned and apologized after the founder of the black charity said she was questioned at a royal reception on Tuesday as to whether she was indeed British.
Guest Ngozi Fulani is the CEO of Sistah_Space. Sistah_Space is an organization that provides professional services to abuse-affected African and Caribbean women.
Fulani was attending a royal event on domestic violence hosted by the Queen on Tuesday night.
Sistah_Space shared a rough transcript of the conversation on Twitter on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace confirmed the incident and said the palace was taking the situation “very seriously”.
We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani regarding this matter and have invited her, if she so desires, to discuss all elements of her experience directly. We are,” said a spokesperson.
“In the meantime, those involved wish to express their deepest apologies for the hurt caused and have promptly resigned from her honorable role.”
The incident is likely to revive concerns that the palace is elitist and indifferent when it comes to issues of race and identity.
The palace has faced allegations of racist behavior in recent years, including its decades-old hiring practices and its treatment of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan claimed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey last year that an unnamed member of her family made a statement about her unborn baby’s skin color while pregnant with Archie.
Prince William later said the royal family was “not a racist family.”
News of the encounter came to light when the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the United States ahead of the second annual Earthshot Awards later this week.
