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The British monarchy has failed to meet its own target of diversifying its workforce to have 10 percent of its employees be ethnic minorities in 2023, new data has revealed.
On Thursday, the monarchy published its annual Sovereign Grant Report, detailing the expenditure of public funds allocated to the institution by the government, which in the financial year 2022 to 2023, amounted to £86.3 million ($109m).
As part of the report, the institution publishes a breakdown of its workforce, as well as its targets and policies. Currently, the royal household employs 517 full-time equivalent staff members, with 9.7 percent of them coming from ethnic minorities.
This number is unchanged from the previous financial year and misses the 10 percent target set by the institution for 2023. An increased target of 14 percent is set to be achieved by 2025.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said upon the publication of the report, per the Daily Telegraph: "I would recognise we are not where we would like to be and we are committed to making progress in this area."
"There are things we need to do. We've worked hard on developing our recruitment practices to ensure they're fair and transparent...working to ensure that our culture is inclusive."
Inclusivity and race relations at the palace were pulled into increased focus in 2022 when a racially insensitive conversation between a senior royal household member and a Black British charity boss sparked backlash.
The incident occurred when Ngozi Fulani, founder of the charity Sistah Space which offers support to women and girls of African heritage who have experienced domestic abuse, attended a Buckingham Palace reception hosted by Queen Camilla in November.
During the event raising awareness for violence against women, Fulani was questioned about her background by Lady Susan Hussey, the former lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth II and newly named "Lady of the Household" to King Charles III.
Posting to social media after the event, Fulani recounted the conversation, which included Hussey (identified as "SH") asking "what part of Africa" she was from.
"This event remains a blur after the violation," Fulani wrote.
The post saw an immediate reaction online, being widely shared as the monarchy's interactions with people of ethnic minorities have taken on increased focus after the revelation by Meghan Markle in 2021, that an unnamed member of the royal family had questioned what color skin her first child with Prince Harry would have.
Within hours of Fulani's post, a statement was issued from Buckingham Palace revealing that Hussey had stepped down from her royal household position, adding that they "take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details."
"In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made," they said, continuing to add that the individual in question extended a "profound" apology and that "all members of the Household are being reminded of the diversity and inclusivity policies which they are required to uphold at all times."
Fulani shared her experiences on national TV stations in the days following the incident and revealed that she had been the target of racist and hateful attacks on social media for coming forward with her story.
In December 2022, Buckingham Palace revealed that it had facilitated a meeting between Fulani and Hussey, that was "filled with warmth and understanding."
"Lady Susan has pledged to deepen her awareness of the sensitivities involved and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the issues in this area," the joint statement said.
"Ms Fulani, who has unfairly received the most appalling torrent of abuse on social media and elsewhere, has accepted this apology and appreciates that no malice was intended.
"The Royal Households will continue their focus on inclusion and diversity, with an enhanced programme of work which will extend knowledge and training programmes, examining what can be learnt from Sistah Space, and ensuring these reach all members of their communities.
"Both Ms Fulani and Lady Susan ask now that they be left in peace to rebuild their lives in the wake of an immensely distressing period for them both."
Since this statement was made, Fulani temporarily stepped down as CEO of her charity following online harassment and has expressed displeasure with the apology statement put out by Buckingham Palace.
Following the incident, Hussey, who worked with the royal household for over five decades and who is a godmother to Prince William, was seen among the 2,000 invited guests to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in May 2023.
In June, the courtier was photographed for the first time with Charles since the incident with Fulani, during the Royal Ascot horseracing event.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more