Queen of England exempt from discrimination laws, papers reveal

By Alyssa Wilson Published: June 4, 2021

Queen of England exempt from discrimination laws, papers reveal

FILE - In this Thursday Oct. 15, 2020 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II visits the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down, England, to view the Energetics Enclosure and display of weaponry and tactics used in counter intelligence. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is encouraging people to be vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the shot is quick, harmless and will help protect others against the disease. In a video call with the officials responsible for rolling out the vaccine broadcast on Friday Feb. 26, 2021, the 94-year-old monarch compared the effort that’s gone into Britain’s national vaccination campaign to the way people worked together during World War II. (Ben Stansall/Pool via AP, File)

By: Alyssa Wilson

According to newly discovered documents, advisors to the Queen of England banned “coloured immigrants or foreigners” from serving in clerical roles until the 1960s. The papers show how Buckingham Palace negotiated controversial clauses exempting the Queen and her household from laws preventing race and sex discrimination, The Guardian reported.

The National Archives discovered the papers as part of an ongoing investigation into the royal family’s use of a parliamentary procedure known as the Queen’s consent.

In the 1960s, government ministers tried to introduce laws that would make it illegal to deny employment to a person based on their race or ethnicity. The Queen has been exempt from the equality laws for more than 40 years. Buckingham Palace did not deny the Queen’s exemption from the laws. Instead, they said the Palace follows a different process for hearing and resolving discrimination complaints.

The Royal Family has come under fire for their handling of race after Meghan Markle, the former Duchess of Sussex, revealed the Royal Family’s concern over her son’s skin color.

In a March interview with Oprah, Meghan and Harry revealed they felt trapped by the Royal Family. Megan, who is biracial, said the pressure, scrutiny and questions about her son’s color made her contemplate suicide.

After the interview aired, the Palace considered hiring a diversity czar. A source told CNN, “We have the policies, the procedures, and programs in place, but we haven’t seen the progress we would like and accept more needs to be done. The work to do this has been underway for some time now and comes with the full support of the family.”

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