Buckingham Palace pledges to 'do more' as data shows low minority ethnic staff

BUCKINGHAM PALACE has admitted that it “must do more” as it came to light for the first time on Thursday (24) that Britain's royal family employs a very low proportion of ethnic minority staff, amounting to just 8.5 per cent.

"It is not that we have not been progressing diversity and inclusion initiatives during this period, it is that simply the results have not been what we would like," a palace source said, adding that the target for 2022 is 10 per cent.

The source added that Her Majesty and other members of the royal family have actively promoted and embraced the diversity and the household had published the figures so there could be "no place to hide".

"We recognise we must do more. One of the key points about publishing statistics is that there's no place to hide."

The Royal Household's annual financial accounts for 2020-21 show that 8.5 per cent of its staff are from an ethnic minority background as compared to UK population share where 13 per cent is from ethnic minority while London has 40 per cent population from BAME background.

The royal statistic, the source of much speculation, had previously only been kept internally and has been made public for the first time.

Reacting to the palace’s revelation, co-founder of Race Equality Matters Raj Tulsiani said that the Palace did not "deserve a pat on the back" for saying it hopes to improve.

Pointing out that there was no breakdown of the 8.5 per cent figure, he suggested there can be a "vastly higher percentage of people in lower paid jobs than there are in positions of power and influence".

It was reported earlier this month that the royal household negotiated exemptions from 1970s-era laws against racial and gender discrimination to bar "coloured immigrants or foreigners" and only consider them for subaltern roles and not for senior position.

Buckingham Palace has denied the claims, saying it complies with modern equality legislation.

The revelation comes three months after explosive claims of racism against the monarchy from Queen Elizabeth II's grandson Prince Harry and his mixed-race wife Meghan.

Meghan and Harry, who stepped down from frontline royal duties in March last year, claimed an unnamed senior royal asked what colour skin their son, Archie, would have.

Disputing the claim, the palace said that "recollections may vary", while Harry's elder brother, Prince William, insisted that “we are very much not a racist family."