LONDON (AFP) - Buckingham Palace apologized Wednesday and a former aide to Queen Elizabeth II resigned after a black British philanthropist repeatedly asked about her origins at a reception.

Ngozi Fulani, chief executive of the London-based Sistah Spice Group, recounted the details of her conversation with the unidentified woman on Twitter.

Fulani, a prominent advocate for domestic violence survivors, was attending a palace reception with other activists on Tuesday.

And she wrote in her post that after she said that she was born and raised in the United Kingdom and that she was British, “Lady S.H” asked her, “Where are you really from, and where are your people from?”

She was forced to say that she was "of African-Caribbean descent" but reiterated that she was a British citizen.

Fulani said the conversation left her with "mixed feelings" about the reception hosted by King Charles III's wife Camilla to highlight violence against women and girls.

For its part, Buckingham Palace said in a statement that it took the incident "very seriously" and described the comments as "unacceptable and very unfortunate".

"We have been in contact with Ngozi Fulani about this matter, and we invite her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she so desires," the statement said.

"In the meantime, the woman concerned would like to express her deepest apologies for the hurt she has caused and has stepped down from her honorary role with immediate effect," he added.

"All members of the Royal Family are reminded of the diversity and inclusion policies they must abide by at all times," the statement continued.