Ex-Basingstoke mayor 'ignored by Royals' at Buckingham Palace

Cllr Dan Putty has spoken out following racism allegations made by Meghan Markle in her in-depth interview with Oprah, which aired in the UK last night.

The long-serving public representative, who moved to Basingstoke from Mauritius in 1970, is a ward councillor for Hatch Warren and Beggarwood, and also served as the town's mayor in 2014-15.

During that period, he attended an event at Buckingham Palace, and describes being “ignored” due to the colour of his skin.

He told the Gazette: “Royalty don’t want to know people like me. They see us, but they don’t see us, if that makes sense. Mainly because of the complexion of my skin.

“I have been to Buckingham Palace, and I would have liked to have spoken to and said hello to them, but more or less they would not come to me to speak, they would go to people with whom they feel comfortable.”

He said “one of Prince Andrew’s daughters” just “swept by” him, adding: “She came in the crowds to speak to people, but not people like me.

• Read more: 'I'm ashamed after reading about Cllr Putty's racism experiences'

Cllr Dan Putty was previously the Mayor of Basingstoke

Referencing the claim from Meghan Markle that a member of the family questioned the colour of her child’s skin while she pregnant, Cllr Putty added: “Something people do not understand is how [racism] really hurts people. It’s really endemic within society here. People who call themselves white do not realise how much harm they do when they throw things at people who aren’t of the same complexion.

“When you are asking what colour someone is going to be, come on! We are talking about an unborn child! It is beyond the pale as to what some people can do.”

Cllr Putty said he supports calls for an investigation into the claims, but thinks that some progress has been made since his experiences.

He said: “It will be a decision that Buckingham Palace will make, but it should be investigated. Education is lacking in some people. We are a multi-racial country and in a position of royalty people have to make an effort to educate themselves.

“There are changes to be made in the monarchy, but I do think the monarchy has been changing, since Meghan joined the firm and the family. In recent years, they are approaching more and more.”

• Read more: Ex-Mayor speaks out about racism in Basingstoke 

Cllr Putty has previously spoken out about the racism he has faced in the UK. Coming from Mauritius, a Commonwealth Country, he said he and his friends and family have always been supporters of the royal family.

He continued: “We have always supported the monarchy, especially the Queen. The family itself, I love them. But it’s the institution, and the people who make it. There are lots of those people who have got this innate superiority complex. They need to modernise, without people who have innate hatred of people with another complexion.”

However, he admits it will be challenging and there’s still a long way to go.

“A human being is a human being. When I was mayor I didn’t notice the person in front of me as white, or of colour. I went out of my way to talk to everybody. It’s not the same in the Royal Family. You are trapped and you don’t get out of their mould. It doesn’t make it easy to learn and better yourself. But they need to learn, when they interact with people, they need to interact as human beings, not on their position.

“I can’t change them, but I hope they will modernise. People like me can’t tell them what to do, they need to realise themselves that things need to change.”