The reputation of Lady Hussey has been damned with undue haste

After a lifetime of dedicated service to the royal family, Lady Susan Hussey has quit for alleged racism.

Her departure follows an exchange with Ngozi Fulani, chief executive of Sistah Space, a charity for women affected by domestic abuse.

Ms Fulani has issued what she implies is a verbatim account of the conversation with Lady Hussey, who is alleged to have repeatedly asked where Ms Fulani was "really from".

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, was part of the gathering and said she “witnessed racist remarks from a member of the royal household”.

It is alarming what has happened to Ms Hussey, who is said to be popular in the royal household for her kindness and gentle manner.

Ms Fulani was already scathing about the royals, writing previously that Meghan Markle "is a survivor of DV [domestic violence] from her in-laws".

Ms Reid is scathing too. She claimed not to want to hound Lady Hussey but to focus on "the depth ... of racism ... enshrined in an institution that carries the heritage of empire, slavery and inequality".

Ms Fulani's transcript of the conversation suggests she has remarkable powers of recall. Few people would remember the precise wording of a single sentence in a fast moving verbal exchange, let alone several sentences. So it must be possible that parts of the transcript are wrong.

Many friendly folk do ask people where they are from, out of genuine warmth and enthusiasm to chat about their background. Perhaps Lady Hussey was being warm but gauche.

At the least, she should have had the chance to outline her side of the story. But the royals are terrified of being accused of racism and have acted with cruel haste in discarding the services of a much loved former lady-in-waiting to the Queen.