Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith claims Prince Andrew’s ‘racism’ was widely known

Former Labour MP Jacqui Smith has today made more sensational revelations about Prince Andrew ‘making racist jokes.’

Appearing on Good Morning Britain this morning, the ex-Home Secretary and cabinet member said the Duke of York was known to make inappropriate remarks. 

This comes after she told Iain Dale on the LBC Election podcast that Prince Andrew made racist jokes about Arabs during a state banquet for the Saudi Royal family.

In the wake of that interview, Mrs Smith said a number of people had since told her the prince had something of a penchant for ‘racist comments.’ 

She said: ‘I just thought it said something about the way he thinks about the world and the people that he is supposed to be, or was at that point, supposed to be representing us as a country to, which was pretty gobsmacking.’

Appearing on Good Morning Britain this morning, the ex-Home Secretary and cabinet member said the Duke of York was known to make inappropriate remarks

The Duke of York (centre) and the Lord Mayor John Stuttard (left) meet King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (right) at the State Banquet at the Guildhall in October 2007

The Duke of York (centre) and the Lord Mayor John Stuttard (left) meet King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (right) at the State Banquet at the Guildhall in October 2007

On Tuesday, Mrs Smith told Iain Dale that the Duke of York made ‘unbelievable’ comments while mingling with British politicians at Buckingham Palace. 

She refused to repeat the words uttered by the prince, but confirmed that one joke included ‘a comment about camels’ that was ‘as worse as you can imagine’, and left the group with ‘slack-jawed’ expressions.

Mrs Smith did not reveal when the interaction took place, but the only state visit by the Saudi royal family to occur during her time as Home Secretary was in 2007, with a banquet taking place at the palace on October 30. 

She told GMB today: ‘He didn’t come across well. The interesting thing about what I said on the podcast was subsequently quite a lot of people who I knew from government or other places also said to me – oh yeah, he said something a bit similar to that to me as well.

‘I don’t think unfortunately what I experienced was an isolated event.’ 

She added: ‘It was just small talk after dinner. I just thought it said something about the way he thinks about the world and the people that he is supposed to be, or was at that point, supposed to be representing us as a country to, which was pretty gobsmacking. 

‘I think if anybody in a party I would have been in had said anything like that, I would have been pretty amazed, in a bad way.’   

Iain Dale, appearing alongside her on ITV, pointed out a number of people had come forward with claims about alleged comments made by Prince Andrew – but no one had ever called him out.

He said: ‘No one has every said – actually, you can’t say that.’  

Mrs Smith said a number of people had since told her the prince had something of a penchant for 'racist comments'

Mrs Smith said a number of people had since told her the prince had something of a penchant for ‘racist comments’

The Queen with King Abdullah in 2007

Prince Andrew

The comments were allegedly made during a drinks reception following the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in late 2007 (shown left, the Queen with King Abdullah that night)

The accusation piles yet more pressure on the prince, who is already reeling after his disastrous BBC interview on Saturday and amid claims he once used the N-word during meetings with Downing Street. 

On Tuesday, Mrs Smith claimed the prince was ‘at the worst end’ of the royal family.

She said: ‘I met him several times, including once at a state banquet, where after dinner my husband and I and another Labour cabinet minister had a drink with him.

‘I have to say the conversation left us slack-jawed with the things he felt it appropriate to say.

‘I almost feel I can’t say it; it was the state banquet for the Saudi royal family and he made racist comments about Arabs that were unbelievable.

‘That he thought we might find these amusing was a terrible situation to be in.’

Prince Andrew is pictured with King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud during the Saudi royal family's state visit to the UK in 2007

Prince Andrew is pictured with King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud during the Saudi royal family’s state visit to the UK in 2007

Prince Andrew is pictured with Epstein during a walk in Central Park in New York in February 2011

Prince Andrew is pictured with Epstein during a walk in Central Park in New York in February 2011

It came as Andrew's reputation took a major battering over his disastrous interview with the BBC on Saturday over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein

It came as Andrew’s reputation took a major battering over his disastrous interview with the BBC on Saturday over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 

Mrs Smith said she felt ashamed for not challenging the prince on the comments, adding: ‘It was a state banquet, we were in Buckingham Palace, we were cabinet ministers, I feel ashamed that we didn’t but we didn’t.’

She also claimed in Saturday’s podcast that the prince was ‘not very bright’, having met him several times in her role as a senior Labour minister.

She added: ‘I don’t think he really understands the way in which you behave and in some ways that’s not surprising, because you’re pretty insulated in the royal family.

‘But he’s at the worst end of the royal family, I think.’  

In a statement to MailOnline, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said: ‘HRH has undertaken a considerable amount of work in the Middle East over a period of years and has many friends from the region. 

‘He does not tolerate racism in any form.’ 

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