What did Adjoa Andoh say about the Royal family? Ethnicity explored as Bridgerton star's comments spark backlash

British actress Adjoa Andoh was slammed online after she stated that the Buckingham Palace balcony was "terribly white" during King Charles III's coronation ceremony.

During the live ITV coverage of the new King's coronation, the 60-year-old personality appeared alongside Julie Etchingham and Tom Bradby. She shook the fans by pointing out the diverse demographic present in the audience versus the Buckingham Palace balcony.

"We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony. I am very struck by that."

She went on to add how this lack of diversity on the balcony might impact future generations.

"I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking: 'What are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?'"

However, Adjoa Andoh's comments were not taken in good taste and netizens slammed her for being racist. Users also pointed out that her mother was white.

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Adjoa Andoh is of Ghanaian ethnicity

Born on January 14, 1963, Adjoa Andoh is a native of Clifton, Bristol, United Kingdom. As per the news website Genius Celebs, the actress is of Ghanaian ethnicity. Her father was a musician and journalist from Ghana who worked for British Aerospace, while her mother was a teacher of English descent.

Andoh's family relocated to Wickwar, Gloucestershire after her father accepted a job with British Aerospace, and she grew up there.

Adjoa went to Katharine Lady Berkeley's School before going to Bristol Polytechnic to study law. After two years, she left to try to make a living as an actress.

While speaking to The Mirror in March 2022, Andoh said she was brought up on a Midlands farm, and she felt ostracized being the "only black girl for miles around."

“I sometimes felt as though I wasn’t seen for myself, although that also meant I was more resilient. To be mixed race with a strong Leeds accent meant I was already a different order of gravy."

She added:

“There were levels of familiarity, and people getting to know us. Having a strong Yorkshire accent was as much a part of that as my race. Some people were like, ‘We can’t have that coloured girl in here – what would the neighbours think!"

In 2001, she tied the knot to lecturer Howard Cunnell. As per news website GH Gossip, in 1994, Adjoa Andoh met Howard Cunnell, who was working as the store manager at the Battersea Arts Centre, where her theater group, Wild Iris, had an office. Their relationship grew stronger, and they have been together since the end of 1995.

Together, they welcomed three children - two girls, and one boy.

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Twitter reactions to Adjoa Andoh's comments

After Adjoa Andoh's comments on the Buckingham Palace balcony being "terribly white" went viral, Twitterati was furious. Several users slammed the actress' ideology of having an all-white family and pointed out that the King of Ghana, from where her father belongs, also has an all-black family but they don't get criticized for it.

Others called her a "racist," and criticized her for propagating racism, with one of them even pointing out that she is married to a white man.

Screenshot of a Twitter user remarking on Andoh's comments.

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Adjoa Andoh issued an apology for her comments

On May 7, The Bridgerton actress appeared on BBC Radio 4 and clarified that her comments "upset quite a few people" but she had no intention of doing so.

"I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was, and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: ‘Oh, it’s so white!’ because the day had been so mixed, and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”

The actress last appeared as Lady Agatha Danbury in Netflix's mini-series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.