French Magazine Slammed For Portraying Meghan Markle As George Floyd With Queen Kneeling On Her Neck
French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is receiving major backlash for its latest cover, which shows Queen Elizabeth kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck, mocking the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The cover headline translates into: "Why Meghan Markle left Buckingham Palace...Because 'I couldn't breathe.'" The cartoon also shows the Queen sporting a large grin as she presses her knee into the Duchess of Sussex’s neck.
Floyd, whose family was just awarded $27 million for his death at the hands of police, died after being trapped under former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee for more than eight minutes in May 2020.
The cover is receiving widespread condemnation on social media. British activist group and Asian Lawyers For Justice described the publication as "outrageous, disgusting, fascist racism" and said it was "pimping George Floyd trauma for profit."
The racist cartoon comes just days after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the prime time sit-down, Markle described feeling trapped in the Royal Family and instances of racism she and her infant son Archie experienced while living at Kensington Palace.
The Royal Family has since issued a statement over Markle’s comments, saying in part, "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."
See reaction to the Charlie Hebdo cover cartoon below:
