“We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony,” she said.
Adjoa Andoh, who is best known for her portrayal of Lady Agatha Danbury in Bridgerton and its brand-new prequel series, Queen Charlotte, joined ITV for their coverage of the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
While on air, the British actress commented on the visuals of the Buckingham Palace balcony post-coronation service. “We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony,” Andoh said. She continued, “I am very struck by that. I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking: ‘What are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?’”
Her comments caused some drama in the British press, and she soon became a target of online trolls. In addition, UK media regulator Ofcom received upwards of 8,000 complaints about Andoh’s comments. In June, Deadline reported “Ofcom has decided, however, that no further action is necessary as the regulator continues to emphasize the importance of freedom of expression on UK television.”
A day after the coronation, Andoh appeared on BBC to acknowledge the brouhaha. “I think I may have upset a few people yesterday,” the Queen Charlotte star told BBC Radio 4’s Paddy O’Connell. “I was talking about the day and how marvelous 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.”
She also gave a statement to the Guardian, where she once again shared what spurred her comment. Andoh, who is a lay reader in the Church of England, said, “King Charles prayed out loud ‘grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and belief. be led into the paths of peace.’ Such a loving prayer, reflecting his wide embrace of the rich diverse peoples celebrating his coronation—and I was one of them—brilliantly included throughout the service.”
Andoh continued, “Sitting in the warmth of that intentional wide embrace, I was simply caught by the visual shift on the balcony—not a particularly original observation. There was no intention to upset anyone. I continue to celebrate the king who created the Prince’s Trust, loves the arts, cares for all faiths and for the future of our environment, as he has done for many decades. It’s an exciting moment in our history.”
Notably, the only non-white members of King Charles’s family—daughter-in-law Meghan Markle, and grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet—were not in attendance at his coronation.
