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The Prince and Princess of Wales’ first overseas trip since the Queen’s death has been overshadowed by controversy at home.

William and Kate arrived in Boston yesterday for a three-day visit before the Earthshot Prize, the prince’s environmental awards ceremony, on Friday.

Hours earlier, the prince’s godmother resigned from her duties at Buckingham Palace after repeatedly asking a black visitor “where she really came from”.

Ngozi Fulani, CEO of Sistah Space
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Ngozi Fulani
Lady Susan Hussey
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Lady Susan Hussey

A Kensington Palace spokesman who spoke to William before he boarded his flight said Lady Susan Hussey’s comments were “unacceptable” and that “racism has no place in our society”.

He added that Lady Hussey, 83, was right to have stepped aside from her honorary role as Lady of the Household with immediate effect.

The monarchy has faced allegations of institutional racism since Ngozi Fulani, a British-born charity boss, revealed what had happened at an event in Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

Lady Hussey, who served as the Queen’s lady in waiting for more than 60 years, has offered her “profound apologies for the hurt caused”.

William focused on the Earthshot Prize as he greeted crowds in Boston, saying: “We are both looking forward to spending the next few days learning about the innovative ways the people of Massachusetts are tackling climate change.”

The White House has confirmed that the royal couple are set to meet Joe Biden, the president, later this week.

William and Kate sat courtside to watch an NBA game and were booed by small pockets of the crowd around the stadium when they were introduced by an announcer and shown on the big screen.

At one point, some fans in the crowd could be heard loudly cheering “USA, USA” when the couple appeared on the screens in the centre above the court.

File photo dated 29/11/2022 of Ngozi Fulani (centre left) at a reception at Buckingham Palace, London. The prominent black advocate for survivors of domestic abuse has revealed how she was repeatedly asked by a member of the Buckingham Palace household at the Queen Consort's reception where she "really came from". Issue date: Wednesday November 30, 2022.
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Ngozi Fulani, left, and the Queen Consort at the palace on Tuesday

Analysis: William and Kate will work hard to win back America

Laura Bundock

Royal correspondent

@laurabundock

The timing could not be worse.

William and Kate haven’t been to the US for eight years, a time period that has seen monumental change for the monarchy.

It’s also their first time in America since Prince Harry and Meghan left Britain for California.

“What’s been unfolding in Britain over the past 24 hours provides a really prime opportunity for William and Kate,” said Arianne Chernock, Professor of British History at Boston University. “If they were to come out with their own public statement in Boston that would really resonate with the American public.”

This is a chance for them to rebuild royal relations in America.

The fallout from Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah, watched by millions around the world, damaged the image of the Royal Family.

This latest racism row will do little to repair that, especially in the US.

“This was not the sort of thing they wanted happening right at the start of their trip,” said Washington Post royal columnist Autumn Brewington. “This will be seen by many people as substantiating things that Meghan and Harry have said both in terms of perhaps the comments that were made to them, and the palace’s hesitation to act on things that were said to them.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make more headlines soon with their impending Netflix series, and the release of Harry’s much-hyped memoir.

The Prince and Princess of Wales’ visit was supposed to help put the Royal Family back on the front foot in the US.

It also gives them a world stage to champion causes they care about.

Their engagements in Boston are based around climate change, vulnerable young people, sport and the early years.

“This is a really important moment for the couple to reset basically and indicate where the royal family is going to be in the years to come,” said Prof Chernock.

Boston has a deep history with the Royal Family, it was the birthplace of the American revolution, and there remains a fascination with the British monarchy.

Expect to see the Prince and Princess of Wales working hard to win back America.

Charity boss reacts to resignation

Buckingham Palace said yesterday that it was taking the incident “extremely seriously” and described Lady Hussey’s comments as “unacceptable and deeply regrettable”.

Ms Fulani works as an advocate for survivors of domestic abuse and described the exchange as a “violation”.

Speaking to LBC, the chief executive of Sistah Space said “nobody from the palace has spoken to me”, but she would be “happy to have a conversation to bring about a positive solution”.

Reflecting further, she said: “To be honest I wish that the lady could be spoken to and know the damage she has caused and preferably not be front-facing.

“But for her to resign, that has nothing to do with me. I don’t feel good about that. She’s an elder and in my culture we respect elders.

“Conversations need to be had with the relevant people so this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.”

Last year, the Duchess of Sussex claimed that a member of the royal household raised concerns about what colour skin her son Archie would have before he was born.

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Hussey ‘interrogated’ Fulani – witness

Royals must ‘step up’

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, who was standing next to Ms Fulani and witnessed the exchange, said she was “stunned”.

“It was really uncomfortable. If Ngozi was a white woman there is no way that line of questioning would have taken place. It’s not what you expect,” she told Sky News.

“We weren’t gate crashers, but we were made to feel almost like trespassers.”

Asked if she was reassured by Lady Hussey stepping down and apologising, she said no – and that the royals need to “step up” and acknowledge that “institutional racism is part of the culture”.

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Tyler Robinson charged with murder of Charlie Kirk – and prosecutors seek death penalty

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Tyler Robinson charged with murder of Charlie Kirk - and prosecutors seek death penalty

Tyler Robinson has been charged with the murder of right-wing US influencer Charlie Kirk.

The 22-year-old, from Washington, Utah, was charged with aggravated murder, weapon, and obstruction of justice offences ahead of a court appearance later on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty and that Robinson’s DNA was found on the trigger of the alleged murder weapon.

A note was also found under his keyboard which said: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to a charging document from prosecutors.

It is also alleged that the suspect ordered his roommate to delete “incriminating texts” about the killing and to stay silent if questioned by police.

When his roommate texted to ask if he was the “one who did it”, Robinson replied: “I am, I’m sorry,” prosecutors allege.

Robinson is said to have written in another text: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

He also allegedly wrote he had been planning the shooting for just over a week.

Tyler Robinson. Pic: Utah Governor's Office
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Tyler Robinson. Pic: Utah Governor’s Office

Kirk, 31, was killed at one of his rallies at Utah Valley University last Wednesday.

The political activist, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, died after being shot in the neck with a bullet.

County attorney Jeff Gray said “aggravating factors” in the killing included that the “defendant is believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk based on his political expression and did so knowing children were present and would witness the homicide”.

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The obstruction of justice charges relate to allegations that Robinson disposed of the weapon used in the killing, along with clothing he is said to have worn at the time.

Robinson has been held without bail since his arrest.

Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and have carried out a search at his family home, 240 miles (385km) southwest of where the shooting took place.

Charlie Kirk moments before he was shot. Pic: Reuters/Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune
Image:
Charlie Kirk moments before he was shot. Pic: Reuters/Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune

Mr Gray said Robinson had accused Kirk of “spreading hate” during a conversation with his father. He also allegedly described the university as a “stupid venue” for the influencer to hold an event.

After the shooting, the county attorney said the suspect confessed to his parents after they confronted him, telling them he shot Kirk because “there is too much evil in the guy”.

Robinson’s mother told police that her son had become more political and had “started to lean more to the left” in the past year or so, Mr Gray said.

He added that the 22-year-old had become more “pro-gay and trans-rights oriented”, according to his parents.

His mother said he had started to date his roommate, who was “transitioning genders”, prompting “discussions” with his father who had very different political views.

Robinson allegedly wrote in another message to his roommate that “since Trump got into office [my father] has been pretty diehard Maga”.

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FBI director Kash Patel shouts at Democrat senators over Charlie Kirk and Jeffrey Epstein during oversight hearing

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FBI director Kash Patel shouts at Democrat senators over Charlie Kirk and Jeffrey Epstein during oversight hearing

The FBI director has shouted at Democratic senators during a hearing, taking questions on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Jeffrey Epstein and the firing of agents.

Kash Patel was testifying before a Senate Judiciary Committee for the first oversight hearing of his tenure as director of the US federal law enforcement bureau.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Mr Patel defended the FBI’s handling of the investigation into the killing of Mr Kirk, as well as his social media post saying that a suspect had been arrested, before that person was ultimately released.

Follow the latest on Trump’s state visit

“Could I have been more careful in my verbiage and included ‘a’ subject instead of ‘the’ subject? Sure,” he said of the post.

Democratic senator Cory Booker opened his questioning by accusing Patel of lying about firing FBI agents out of retribution for political investigations.

Five FBI agents and top-level executives were known to have been summarily fired last month, according to the Associated Press.

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Booker accused Patel of making the US 'weaker and less safe'. Pic: AP
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Booker accused Patel of making the US ‘weaker and less safe’. Pic: AP

Mr Booker said that the director “pushed out senior FBI agents with decades of knowledge and experience”, and added: “You’ve shifted the agency’s priorities primarily to pursuing Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda.

“I believe you have made our country weaker and less safe.”

Mr Patel responded that “you don’t get to say that America is not safer under this leadership”, and said that Mr Booker’s “rant of false information does not bring this country together”, prompting the Democrat to raise his voice.

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New details emerge about suspect in Kirk killing

The two then shouted at each other before committee chair and Republican senator Chuck Grassley banged his gavel to interrupt them.

“I’ve watched him talk over us, and you’ve never once criticised him for us,” Mr Booker said to the chair as he got up to leave the room. “He has been really disrespectful to senator after senator.”

Mr Patel also clashed with Adam Schiff over Jeffrey Epstein. Pic: AP
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Mr Patel also clashed with Adam Schiff over Jeffrey Epstein. Pic: AP

Mr Patel also clashed with Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who questioned the FBI and Trump administration’s handling of questions relating to the deceased paedophile financier Epstein.

The director accused him of “the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate” as they shouted at each other, and said “you are a political buffoon, at best”.

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Mr Patel, a former lawyer who has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories, was controversially nominated to be the FBI director by US President Donald Trump last year.

He was narrowly confirmed by the Senate in a 51-49 vote in February. Two Republicans voted against his nomination.

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In pictures: Memorable moments between the royals and US presidents

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In pictures: Memorable moments between the royals and US presidents

American presidents have travelled to Britain to meet the Royal Family for more than 100 years.

Donald Trump will meet King Charles for the second time when he arrives in Windsor on Wednesday, having been hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II on his previous state visit during his first term.

For the King, it will be the first time he welcomes a US president as monarch.

Some presidents’ visits have run more smoothly than others. Here, we look back at some of the most memorable.

Woodrow Wilson was the first US president to visit the Royal Family while in office, making the long journey on SS Washington in December 1918 – weeks after the First World War came to an end.

President Woodrow Wilson and King George V outside Buckingham Palace. Pic: PA
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President Woodrow Wilson and King George V outside Buckingham Palace. Pic: PA

Arriving in London on Boxing Day, thousands of people lined the route to Buckingham Palace, where he appeared on the balcony alongside King George V and Queen Mary after chants of “we want Wilson” from the crowd.

King George VI also made history when he met Franklin D Roosevelt, after becoming the first reigning British monarch to travel to the US in June 1939.

King George VI and Franklin Roosevelt in Washington DC. Pic: AP
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King George VI and Franklin Roosevelt in Washington DC. Pic: AP

King George VI with Sara D. Roosevelt and New York governor Herbert Lehman eating hot dogs in Hyde Park. Pic: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
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King George VI with Sara D. Roosevelt and New York governor Herbert Lehman eating hot dogs in Hyde Park. Pic: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library

People flocked to greet him and the Queen Mother as they rode through the streets of Washington DC. After state dinner formalities at the White House, they travelled to New York, where they enjoyed a more relaxed hot dog picnic in Hyde Park.

Harry Truman was the first US president to meet Queen Elizabeth – while she was still a princess in 1951.

Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh are greeted by Harry Truman in Washington DC in 1951. Pic: PA
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Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh are greeted by Harry Truman in Washington DC in 1951. Pic: PA

Seven years after she took the throne, Dwight D Eisenhower met her at Balmoral, where a young Princess Anne and Prince Charles were pictured alongside him, wearing kilts.

Dwight Eisenhower with the Queen, Prince Philip, a young Prince Charles, and Princess Anne at Balmoral in August 1959. Pic: AP
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Dwight Eisenhower with the Queen, Prince Philip, a young Prince Charles, and Princess Anne at Balmoral in August 1959. Pic: AP

John F Kennedy met the then-35-year-old Queen Elizabeth in June 1961, just six months into his presidency.

The Queen poses with John and Jackie Kennedy in June 1961. Pic: AP
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The Queen poses with John and Jackie Kennedy in June 1961. Pic: AP

A state banquet was held at Buckingham Palace, with the glamorous visit dramatised in the Netflix series The Crown.

Just two years later, on 22 November 1963, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Gerald Ford didn’t visit the UK during his two-and-a-half years in office, but the Queen met him on a visit to the US in July 1976.

Gerald Ford dancing with the Queen in Washington. Pic: Rex
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Gerald Ford dancing with the Queen in Washington. Pic: Rex

The pair danced together at a White House state dinner, but with unfortunate timing, the band played The Lady Is A Tramp just as the Queen took to the floor – a now infamous faux pas.

Jimmy Carter met the late Queen at Buckingham Palace in May 1977.

Jimmy Carter and the Queen in London in May 1977. Pic: AP
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Jimmy Carter and the Queen in London in May 1977. Pic: AP

His more memorable interaction was with the Queen Mother, however, when he abandoned protocol and greeted her with a kiss on the lips.

According to biographer William Shawcross, she later wrote: “I took a sharp step backwards – not quite far enough.”

Among the most memorable meetings of a British monarch and a US president was that of Ronald Reagan and the late Queen.

When he came to Windsor Castle in 1982, the pair were famously pictured riding horses together in the grounds.

He met her a further three times in London throughout the 1980s and she gave him an honorary knighthood when he left the White House in 1989.

George HW Bush, wasted no time in making the Queen’s acquaintance, travelling to the UK in May 1989, just five months after he was sworn in.

The Queen and Prince Philip with George HW Bush and his wife Barbara in May 1991. Pic: AP
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The Queen and Prince Philip with George HW Bush and his wife Barbara in May 1991. Pic: AP

There were a few red faces when Her Majesty travelled to the US to visit him a year later.

As she stood up to give a speech on the White House lawn, she was partially obscured behind a cluster of microphones that had been arranged for the much taller Mr Bush. He later reassured reporters that the Queen laughed off the incident.

George W Bush‘s state visit in November 2003 was met with huge protests over the Iraq War. Tens of thousands of people crowded into Trafalgar Square, where an effigy of the president was toppled by demonstrators.

The Queen and George W Bush at the White House in May 2007. Pic: AP
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The Queen and George W Bush at the White House in May 2007. Pic: AP

The protests did not appear to affect the ‘special relationship’, however, with the Queen visiting the US to meet Mr Bush in 2007, and him returning to the UK to see her a year later.

Barack Obama first met the Queen on a visit to the UK in 2009 when his wife, First Lady Michelle, made headlines for breaking royal protocol and giving Her Majesty a hug.

The Queen and Prince Philip alongside the Obamas at a state banquet in London in May 2011. Pic: AP
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The Queen and Prince Philip alongside the Obamas at a state banquet in London in May 2011. Pic: AP

The Queen greets Barack Obama during his final UK visit in November 2016. Pic: AP
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The Queen greets Barack Obama during his final UK visit in November 2016. Pic: AP

The Obamas received the full pomp of an official state visit in May 2011.

They visited a final time during the president’s second term in April 2016, when Marine One landed in the grounds of Windsor Castle and the royal couple walked to greet them.

Donald Trump first met the King while he was still Prince of Wales in December 2019, when his mother hosted a state visit to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Donald Trump and the Queen in July 2018. Pic: AP
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Donald Trump and the Queen in July 2018. Pic: AP

Donald Trump and the Queen during 75th D-Day anniversary commemorations in June 2019. Pic: AP
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Donald Trump and the Queen during 75th D-Day anniversary commemorations in June 2019. Pic: AP

His trip was met with huge protests in London, which memorably featured a giant ‘blimp’ that depicted him as a baby.

Despite being accused of breaching royal protocol on several occasions, he described the Queen as an “incredible woman” in one of his speeches.

When Joe Biden visited Windsor Castle in June 2021 it was the first time the Queen had met a head of state alone – following the death of her husband Prince Philip.

The Queen with Joe and Dr Jill Biden at Windsor Castle in 2021. Pic: PA
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The Queen with Joe and Dr Jill Biden at Windsor Castle in 2021. Pic: PA

It was also the first state visit of any foreign leader after the coronavirus pandemic saw Her Majesty halt royal duties and quarantine at Windsor as part of ‘HMS Bubble’.

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