Photo: Dan Kitwood - WPA Pool /Getty Images
A new report published by The Guardian claims coloured immigrants or foreigners were banned from serving in clerical roles in the royal household until at least the late 1960s.
Buckingham Palace has responded in a statement saying: Claims based on a second-hand account of conversations from over 50 years ago should not be used to draw or infer conclusions about modern-day events or operations.
The report, from unearthed documents from the government s National Archives, comes three months after accusations made by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry against the institution.
In a report published by
The papers uncovered at the National Archives showed that any laws regarding racial or gender based discrimination in the workplace did not apply to Buckingham Palace.
In a statement from the palace, this claim was not disputed, rather explaining that they had a separate process to deal with any complaints of this nature.
They added in the statement: This is reflected in the diversity, inclusion and dignity at work policies, procedures and practises within the Royal Household. Any complaints that might be raised under the Act follow a formal process that provides a means of hearing and remedying any complaint.
Palace Must Address Institutional Racism Past and Present, U.K. Lawmaker Says
On 6/3/21 at 7:32 AM EDT
Lawmaker Bell Ribeiro-Addy called for action after
The Guardianunearthed a 1968 government memo outlining a Royal Household policy that confined people of color to servant and domestic roles.
The declassified papers detailed discussions that led to the palace being given an exemption keeping some race and sex discrimination allegations out of the courts.
Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Streatham, in South London, wrote on Twitter: The monarchy is a public institution funded by public money.
Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to The Royal Australian Air Force Memorial on March 31, 2021 near Egham, England. The queen s Royal Household had a policy of confining colored immigrants to domestic roles in the 1960s, declassified papers suggest.
Dan KitwoodGetty Images
According to a new report published by
, Buckingham Palace allegedly banned ethnic minorities and foreigners from holding certain positions within Queen Elizabeth II s royal household until at least the 1960s. The outlet also reported that even today, the queen s household remains exempt from U.K. laws that prevent race and sex discrimination. Based on unearthed documents obtained by
The Guardian, Buckingham Palace reportedly negotiated with government officials to ensure royal documentation included specific clauses that would exempt the palace from such legislation and prevent employees from being able to sue over discrimination. Claims based on a secondhand account of conversations from over 50 years ago should not be used to draw or infer conclusions about modern-day events or operations, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson tells