When Ngozi Fulani was invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday hosted by Camilla, the queen consort, she did not expect to find herself being repeatedly questioned by a member of the household staff about where she was from.

Fulani, who is black and was born in Britain, documented the exchange with the staff member, whom she identified as “Lady SH”, on Twitter. The encounter, she said, left her with “mixed feelings” about the gathering, which was dedicated to raising awareness about violence against women and girls.

“The rest of the event is a blur,” wrote Fulani, who runs a group, Sistah Space, that helps women who are victims of domestic violence.

Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday that the staff member had resigned and offered her “profound apologies for the hurt caused”. Several London newspapers identified her as Susan Hussey, a close friend of Queen Elizabeth II who served her for decades as a lady-in-waiting and Prince William’s godmother. The palace did not confirm the staff member’s identity.

“We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details,” the palace said in a statement. “In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made.”

The swiftness and strong language of the palace’s statement suggested that King Charles III, who took the throne three months ago, was intent on showing he would not tolerate any perception of racist behaviour in the royal household. It was the first significant such tempest to erupt since the death of the queen in September.

The incident also carried a distinct echo of accusations levelled by Meghan, a biracial American-born actress and the wife of Prince Harry, that a member of the royal family had spoken in racist terms about her unborn child. In a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Meghan said the family member, whom she did not name, expressed concern about the child’s skin colour.

At the time, the palace said in a more delayed and muted statement that the allegations of racism were “concerning,” and “while some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately”.