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The royal household has publicly revealed its numbers of staff from ethnic minorities for the first time (Picture: PA \/ Getty Images)Buckingham Palace has said it \u2018must do more\u2019 after publicly revealing its numbers of staff from ethnic minorities for the first time.
\nSome 8.5% of the royal household\u2019s employees are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, according to its annual financial accounts for 2020 to 2021. It has a target to reach 10% in 2022.
\nThe percentage in the UK as a whole is around 14%, according to an audit commissioned by the Government in 2018.
\nA senior palace source said the figures had been published so there could be \u2018no place to hide\u2019 and to hold the palace accountable.
\n\u2018We are not where we would like to be despite our efforts,\u2019 they said. \u2018It 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.
\n\u2018We have continuous engagement with external advisers, organisations that are at the grassroots level who sit on our steering committee, people who are able to give us a different voice, a different perspective. And we recognise that we must do more.
\n\u2018One of the key points about the publishing of our statistics, which is actually on a voluntary basis, is that there\u2019s no place to hide.
\n\u2018We fully expect you to come back and hold us accountable for the progress that we made. And if we don\u2019t make the progress, we\u2019ll have to explain why.\u2019
\nThey added releasing the figures publicly was a \u2018significant step\u2019.<\/p>\n
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have previously accused the Royal Family of racism (Picture: Reuters)The news comes after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle accused the Royal Family of racism in their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey back in March.
\nThey claimed questions were asked about how dark their\u00a0son Archie\u2019s skin tone\u00a0might be before he was born.
\nAfter the interview, the Queen issued a statement saying the issues raised were being taken seriously, but \u2018some recollections may vary\u2019.
\nWhen asked about the comments, the Duke of Cambridge said publicly: \u2018We\u2019re very much not a racist family.\u2019
\nThe royal household\u2019s report added how the diversity strategy at Buckingham Palace has changed to \u2019emphasise the importance of inclusion\u2019.
\nMore: Prince Harry<\/p>\n
It was previously suggested a \u2018diversity tsar\u2019 was being appointed, but this was denied.
\nAn annual report for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall showed 60% of the senior management team at Clarence House are female, with 8% of staff from ethnic minority groups.
\nA Clarence House spokesperson agreed more work is needed, adding: \u2018On that question of ethnic minority diversity we are not where we need to be.
\n\u2018This is not withstanding a great deal of work that we\u2019ve been doing to target our recruitment, to work with an ever increasing number of partners who will help us to improve those figures, to train our managers to make sure that we work together to build a more inclusive workplace\u2026 we are determined to do better.\u2019
\nGet in touch with our news team by emailing us at\u00a0webnews@metro.co.uk.
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