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Some of the Royal Family have decided not to take part in ‘diversity and inclusivity’ training programmes – despite the Lady Hussey scandal and the Sussexes pointing the finger
- Courses were called ‘unconscious bias training’ and ‘diversity in the workplace’
- The courses had been well received by staff within the Royal household
Some members of the Royal Family have decided not to take part in ‘diversity and inclusivity’ training programmes, The Mail on Sunday has been told.
The voluntary schemes, consisting of both online and in-person lessons, were provided by outside companies and offered to both household staff and members of the Royal Family.
But an insider told this newspaper: ‘I don’t know of any members of the Royal Family who have taken part in the training.’
One course was called ‘unconscious bias training’ and another ‘diversity in the workplace’.
‘I know that some Royals kicked the unconscious bias one into touch and have yet to take part,’ the source added. Buckingham Palace last night refused to confirm which members of the Royal Family – if any – had completed the diversity courses.
An inclusion and diversity ‘strategy and action plan’ was initiated after Lady Susan Hussey, a former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen, asked a black guest at Buckingham Palace: ‘Where do you really come from?’
In the aftermath of Harry and Meghan’s claims in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince William told a reporter: ‘We are very much not a racist family’
But they added that, while not compulsory, they had been well received by staff within the Royal household.
A Buckingham Palace official said: ‘I wouldn’t comment on individual members of the Royal Family but what is important is that the inclusivity and diversity training is available to all members of the Royal Family and all senior leaders within the household.’
An inclusion and diversity ‘strategy and action plan’ was initiated after Lady Susan Hussey, a former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen, asked a black guest at Buckingham Palace: ‘Where do you really come from?’
Lady Susan subsequently stepped down from her role at the Palace over the ‘deeply regrettable’ comments.
In 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also pointed the finger at an unnamed member of the Royal Family who questioned the colour of their unborn child’s skin.
In the aftermath of Harry and Meghan’s claims in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Prince William told a reporter: ‘We are very much not a racist family.’
The Palace’s programmes aim to teach staff how to behave appropriately with colleagues from different ethnic backgrounds and how they may be prejudiced on decisions based on race, gender and sexuality.
Next year, the Palace’s human resources team plans to ‘measure the progress on cultural change in relation to inclusion and diversity through a household-wide survey’.
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