Outrage Erupts over 'Charlie Hebdo' Cartoon of Queen Kneeling on Meghan's Neck
- Captioned “Why Meghan Left Buckingham,” a Charlie Hebdo image shows the Duchess of Sussex uttering the words “Because I couldn’t breathe any more!”
- The online community viewed the depiction in bad taste as it invoked memories of George Floyd's murder case
- The cartoon comes in the wake of an interview by Oprah Winfrey in which Meghan and her husband Harry accused the royal family of having an issue with their child Archie on the basis of skin colour
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French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has been the recipient of outrage after publishing a controversial cartoon that shows Queen Elizabeth II kneeling on Meghan Markle's neck.
The online community viewed the depiction in bad taste as it invoked memories of George Floyd's murder case.
Floyd, who was an African American, met his death after being choked by a white police officer in Minnesota as he screamed the words ”I can’t breathe.”
Source: UGC
His death prompted riots in America, with Floyd's last words being used as the maxim for the BlackLivesMatter (BLM) movement.
The cartoon comes in the wake of an interview by Oprah Winfrey in which Meghan and her husband Harry accused the royal family of having an issue with their child Archie on the basis of skin colour.
After the interview, there were widespread discussions around the accusations against the royal family both online and offline, with Prince William claiming that they are “very much not a racist family”.
A statement from Buckingham Palace responded to the allegations and informed the public that the issue was being “taken very seriously”.
Captioned, “Why Meghan left Buckingham,” the image shows the Duchess of Sussex uttering the words “Because I couldn’t breathe any more!” This was received with public outrage who believe the magazine went overboard in trying to depict such an emotive issue.
"This doesn’t push boundaries, make anyone laugh or challenge racism. It demeans the issues & causes offence, across the board,” wrote a Twitter user.
“The racism I saw living in France on my year abroad was a whole new level so I’m rarely shocked by Charlie Hebdo any more. But to make light of George Floyd’s murder like this is absolutely disgusting and can’t be ignored. I feel sick,” wrote another.
“People shocked that a Charlie Hebdo cover is 'offensive'. In other news, the sky is still blue,” quipped another one.
As at the time of going to press, both Buckingham Palace as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were yet to comment on the cartoon.
Charlie Hebdo was founded in 1970 and is famed for controversial cartoons targeted at public figures, politicians and religious figures.
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Source: Briefly News
