Buckingham Palace banned minorities from office work in the 1960s: The Guardian

Buckingham Palace banned minorities from office work in the 1960s: The Guardian

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The Guardian on Thursday quoted documents from the British National Archives as saying that Buckingham Palace prohibited minorities from engaging in office work in the 1960s.

The news was published in Newspaper front pageAccording to documents, Queen Elizabeth’s chief financial manager told civil servants in 1968 that hiring “immigrants or foreigners of color” for clerical positions and other office work is not a royal practice.

The royal family responded strongly to the historical allegations, emphasizing that the Queen and her family “in principle and in practice” abide by the anti-discrimination legislation.

“Statements based on second-hand records of conversations more than 50 years ago should not be used to draw or infer conclusions about modern events or actions,” a palace spokesperson said of the customary conditions of anonymity.

The Guardian’s allegations stemmed from its investigation into the palace’s use of a mechanism called “crown consent” under which the monarch allowed parliament to debate laws affecting her.

In the 1970s, Parliament approved laws prohibiting discrimination based on race and gender. The newspaper stated that documents in the National Archives showed how the Queen’s advisers influenced the wording of the legislation.

After Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Meghan made a statement in an interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey in March, race has become a core issue of the monarchy. Megan claimed that before their son Archie was born, a member of the royal family had commented on how dark the baby’s skin might be.

In the ensuing storm, Harry’s brother, Prince William, defended the royal family, saying bluntly that “we are not a racist family.”

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