Buckingham Palace banned "colored immigrants or foreigners" from undertaking office roles for the United Kingdom's royal family until at least the late 1960s, according to a report by The Guardian newspaper.
This information came few months after Prince Harry, sixth in line to the British throne, and his wife Meghan Markle, accused the royal family of racism during an interview in the US.
The newspaper has been investigating the use of the Royal Assent– under which the British monarch must give the green light to any law affecting its powers or interests before it is discussed by MPs – and discovered that Buckingham Palace had negotiated clauses exempting the Queen and her family from a 1968 anti-discrimination law.
In a note from the National Archives, a Home Office official reveals how one of the Queen's top advisers, Lord Tryon, confirmed the palace did not employ members of ethnic minorities in office posts.
Tryon indicated that Buckingham Palace was prepared to comply with the proposed law, but only if it enjoyed similar exemptions to those provided to the diplomatic service, which could reject job applicants who had been resident in the UK for less than five years.
On the other hand, hiring "people of color in modest household jobs" was permitted. The Queen and her family are still officially exempted from this anti-discrimination law.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told AFP on Thursday, however, that they adhere to it "in principles and actions," stressing that this adherence is reflected in the diversity, inclusion, and dignity" of the royal family's practices.
In their famous interview with Oprah, Harry and Meghan revealed that a monarch they didn't name, expressed concerns related to their baby Archie's skin color while the duchess was pregnant. However, Harry's brother, William defended the Royal Family and said "We are very much not a racist family."
