Susan Hussey was a prominent and dependable member of the British royal family for many years before she decided to leave her position as a senior palace adviser.
After repeatedly asking a black British charity executive where she was from at a palace event for activists against sexual assault against women, she was forced to quit that position and provide an apology.
The 83-year-old was a close companion of Queen Elizabeth II and is the godmother of Prince William, the Prince of Wales.
Who is Susan Hussey?
She was hired in 1960 and was her longest-serving lady in waiting, holding the title Woman of the Bedchamber. Additionally, Lady Hussey had a brief appearance in the most recent season of the well-known Netflix series The Crown.
Born in 1939, Susan Katharine Hussey, Baroness Hussey of North Bradley, is the youngest and fifth child of Mary Hermione, Countess Waldegrave, and the 12th Earl Waldegrave.
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She was married to Marmaduke Hussey, a former BBC chairman, and is the sister of William Waldegrave, a former Conservative cabinet member.
She has two children, one of whom, Katharine, followed her mother into the royal service and currently works as Camilla, the Queen Consort’s official companion.
The Queen gave birth to her third child, Prince Andrew, the same year Hussey began working for the Royal Family.
She began by assisting with letter responses, later joining a close-knit group of ladies-in-waiting who had an unmatched understanding of the palace’s operations.
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She frequently had the responsibility of assisting recent arrivals, like as Meghan Markle, in becoming accustomed to the royal household’s customs. In his book The Windsor Knot, author Christopher Wilson claims that Diana had developed a “personal dislike” for Hussey.
Being a Woman of the Bedchamber was a very important position, however, it was typically granted to affluent aristocrats who were paid no pay for the position of lady-in-waiting.
In the 2013 Birthday Honours, Hussey was elevated to the rank of Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), and she also earned various long service awards for her devoted service to the Queen.
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She travelled in the royal Bentley with the Queen to Prince Phillip’s funeral, the Duke of Edinburgh’s, in 2022, and she led members of the royal family during her funeral at Westminster Abbey the following September.
It was revealed in November 2022 by Buckingham Palace that Hussey and the other former ladies-in-waiting who support the Queen will organise parties for King Charles III and will be referred to as “ladies of the household.”
