Reading Time: 6 minutes

The late Queen Elizabeth II often spoke about seeking shelter from German bombs during the Second World War.

Nearly 80 years later, the Royal Family is still having to contend with explosives, this time bombs of racism which literally can have one cancelled.

Last week, everyone seem to be aghast at Lady Susan Hussey asking CEO of Sistah Space, Ngozi Fulani where is she really from. Sistah Space is a shelter for female victims of domestic violence.

It was said that this was a case of blatant racism and that the Royal Family must be made accountable. Racism has no place in modern Britain, we were all told.

But, was it a blatant case of racism on Lady Hussey’s part? Or was it a case of racing to tar her with that brush before considering the entire circumstance?

These days, all sorts seem quick to draw the racism card and use it as a punitive club.

Lady Hussey is 83 years old. She comes from a different generation of which allowances must be made. We all have elderly relatives who, in these PC times, make gaffes which they are totally unaware of.

Let’s be frank here, she saw a middle-aged black woman in African regalia and dress and enquired from her, where is she from.

Fulani ,in turn, said “London” and that she is British.

Lady Hussey pressed on, trying to put together what she was seeing and what Fulani was saying.

“Where are you really from?”

Most people would get it and say, “I’m from London, but my parents are from the Caribbean” or Africa, or wherever – all with a benign smile and then move.

It seems obvious that Lady Hussey couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing with what was being said, so set her straight, rather than immediately assume she is sending a racist message your way.

If I go to Beijing for a business meeting and a member of the party I am negotiating with is blond, blue-eyed with a London accent, it would be safe to assume he is English.

I would be intrigued if he turned around and told me he is Chinese, born and raised there.

“Really? Do tell me more.” That doesn’t make me a racist.

If I am in Miami with my wife and people come up to her speaking Spanish, it doesn’t make them racists – they are making predictable and understandable assumptions.

Responding to the incident between Lady Susan Hussey and Ngozi Fulani, a Kensington Palace spokesman said: “I was really disappointed to hear about the guest’s experience at Buckingham Palace last night. Obviously, I wasn’t there but racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”

He is right about racism not having a place in society, but the Royal Family were wrong to dismiss Lady Susan Hussey so readily. It probably feared backlash and further accusations that it is a racist institution and chose to prevent this bomb from detonating. The easiest thing to do was to throw it out of the window and hope it doesn’t cause too much damage if it goes off.

LONG-STANDING MEMBER OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD

Lady Hussey is a long-standing member of the Royal household, serving the Queen as a lady-in-waiting for some 60 years. She is the godmother of Prince William and a trusted friend of the Royal Family.

A quiet word could have been had and her apology sufficed. She didn’t have to be discarded and marked with disgrace.

When one thinks about it, the question was a fair one – “Where are you from?”

Everyone rushed to judgement with the inference.

Ngozi Fulani has been all over the media with this and still maintains that Lady Hussey’s racism made her feel uncomfortable – she just didn’t feel right in her own skin.

“It was a guarded feeling, this lady came from nowhere. She demanded to know where I was from. No matter how many times I answered her it wasn’t the answer she wanted.

“It was prolonged racism. The fact that it was just done in the open in front of people, on a day when we should be working towards violence against women. I just wanted to leave, I felt very unwelcome. I’ve never lived anywhere else, I’ve only lived in Britain. So someone to come and tell me, someone who has been in the Royal Household… for her to kind of just insist that I’m not British. Those were not her words, but that’s the implication. I don’t know how to process that,” Fulani exclaimed.

Well, here’s how you process it. A little old lady is curious. She is asking questions as to your provenance. Your visage has piqued her curiosity and something to her does not compute.

Do you really have to inflame the situation? Should this really be a national crisis? Isn’t this more fodder for the race hucksters who will gleefully make capital out of it?

Today everyone is so paranoid about race and being labelled a racist that some confounding decisions are being made.

‘Racist’ is the new Scarlett Letter. It’s created a febrile environment and woe be onto you if  the finger is pointed in your direction. Everyone fears being cancelled and now everyone has to tip-toe through the minefield and hope that the bomb doesn’t go off.

Then there are the pseudo intellectuals and academics eager to condemn one and all, without weighing the facts before pronouncing judgement.

Fulani couldn’t be expected to be munificent on this matter, not after what she said earlier about Meghan Markle and her in-laws.

“Meghan is a survivor of domestic violence from her in-laws and I admire her for speaking out.”

Perhaps Meghan Markle could seek refuge at Sistah Space where Fulani could put a comforting arm around her.

Markle has said nothing to refute this statement from Fulani. I guess it plays to her narrative which will be given a wide audience on Netflix this week.

Markle has continuously lobbed bombs at the Royal Family. Last week, both she and  husband, Prince Harry, were given an award for their “work” on anti-racism.

The Lady Hussey drama will only give succour to Markle and her acolytes. They will be rubbing their hands at the timing of all this.

PULLING THE PIN ON A GRENADE

You know you are on a rocky road if you bad-mouth the in-laws – in public- again and again.

It can all end in tears.

Rather than endear yourself to the British people, you are opting to incur their wrath by continuing to label its core institution racist and uncaring. You do not appear to be a willing participant in its activities and the course it has set for the future.

Pulling the pin on the race grenade will only serve to make not only the Royal Family but the entire country weary and distrustful of you. It’s unlikely you will be topping any popularity polls any time soon.

How refreshing it would  be if you were the one to bring everyone together, be a symbol of diversity within the Royal Family, be a link between the past and the future.

Sigh while brushing your hair elegantly out of your eyes, then ask: “Can’t we all just get along?”