Bilderberg.org

[TonyGosling]

Royal staff accused of racism
by CLARE KITCHEN, Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-88454/Royal-staff-accused-racism.html
A black woman who worked as Prince Charles's personal secretary at Highgrove claimed yesterday that she was forced to quit after suffering years of racist abuse in the Royal Household.
Elizabeth Burgess broke down in tears as she told an employment tribunal 'there were always black jokes and names going round because it is the Royal Family and it is still very protected.'
She said the Prince's valet Michael Fawcett once called her 'a f****** nigger typist'.
Mrs Burgess, 39, who is claiming racial and sexual discrimination, constructive dismissal and breach of contract, said she had no complaints about Charles. In fact, she believed he liked her.
But she said she routinely suffered taunts from members of his household who were 'very much the old school' and had not 'really accepted black people.'
She said Prince Charles's private secretary Mark Bolland and personnel manager Mimi Watts had conspired to push her out of her job at the country estate in Gloucestershire by changing her hours after a period of maternity leave.
'I do believe that this was racially motivated,' she told the Bristol hearing. 'They wanted a white face at Highgrove and I was not that face. That's what I believe.'
Mother-of-two Mrs Burgess, of Sefton Park, Bristol, said she was one of only two non-white employees at Highgrove.
She resigned from her £12,000-a-year part-time job in March - shortly before her scheduled return from maternity leave - after working for Charles for ten years. She claims she was squeezed out because her face did not fit.
'I never felt really part of the team,' she told the tribunal. 'The Royal Family has its own rules and regulations, it doesn't really live in the outside world.
'They haven't got on with race or being politically correct with race or disability issues.'
She said staff at Highgrove were servants and not employees. 'To be a servant's servant is bad enough, but to be a black servant's servant is worse,' she added.
'I would never have the old school tie, I would never be one of them, even though I did a good job and I think the Prince genuinely liked me.'
Mrs Burgess said that in 1996 she was discussing estate business with Mr Fawcett, one Charles's most trusted aides, when he said: 'What the hell would you know, you're just a f****** nigger typist.'
Before the conversation could go any further, Charles came in and called Mr Fawcett away.
Mrs Burgess said she complained to personnel officer Amanda Yaxley, but was told that nothing would be done because of Mr Fawcett's standing with the Prince.
Mrs Burgess said: 'We all know that the Prince adored Michael and wouldn't listen to anyone else and there was no point making a complaint about Michael because nothing would be done about it.'
She said the final straw was a confrontation with Mr Bolland and Mrs Watts over her hours.
Mrs Burgess believed she should work only when Charles was in residence.
But Mr Bolland and Mrs Watts were concerned that this meant she was doing less than the 20 hours a week she was paid for, and that other estate work needed to be done. Shortly before her planned return from maternity leave, she was summoned to a meeting where she claimed they 'humiliated' her.
Feeling trapped because of the Prince's close relationship with Mr Bolland, she later resigned.
Her job was taken by the temporary secretary who had been covering during her maternity leave.
Mrs Burgess said there was no reason for Mr Bolland and Mrs Watts to want her out of her job other than because of the colour of her skin.
'When you look at what happened and try to piece together afterwards - I did a good job for so long and the only reason that they prefer somebody else, the only reason they can prefer someone with less experience who didn't know as many of the Prince's friends or the systems, can only be because I was black.'
Mr Bolland and Prince Charles's treasurer Sir Stephen Lamport both appeared before the tribunal to deny Mrs Burgess's claims. Sir Stephen said: 'Lizzy was a valued member of the Prince of Wales's household.
'She's been with us a long time, she did a good job there and there was no question that anybody didn't want her to continue that job.'
He added that he had written to Mrs Burgess after her resignation to ask her to reconsider.
Mr Bolland said he had not raised the issue about Mrs Burgess's working hours before her maternity leave because he felt it had been 'not appropriate' at that time.
He said personnel issues at the estate were handled with a 'light touch on the tiller' and he had hoped to resolve the issue without confrontation.
He said Mrs Burgess's claims that he had wanted someone white in her job were 'wholly incorrect'.
Adam Tolley, the solicitor representing Prince Charles, said there was 'not the slightest shred of material' to back her claims of racism.
The hearing continues today.
_________________
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/contributor/2149
Secret Rulers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0p-e2ng0SI
http://www.thisweek.org.uk
http://www.dialectradio.co.uk
http://www.911forum.org.uk