An apology issued by The Sun to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over a controversial column is ‘nothing more than a PR stunt’, a spokesperson for the couple has said.
In the column, written by Jeremy Clarkson, the ex-Top Gear presenter said he ‘hated’ the Duchess of Sussex. He also wrote he had dreamed of Meghan being paraded through British towns and publicly shamed.
The piece is now the UK’s most-complained about article ever, notching up 17,500 complaints to the Independents Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), by Tuesday (December 20). The Sun issued a statement expressing regret over the work, saying it was “sincerely sorry” .
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Now, the couple have responded to the apology — with a spokesperson for the pair condemning The Sun for not contacting the pair directly. They released a statement on Saturday, December 24.
“The fact that the Sun has not contacted The Duchess of Sussex to apologise shows their intent,” it said. “This is nothing more than a PR stunt.
“While the public absolutely deserves the publication’s regrets for their dangerous comments, we wouldn’t be in this situation if The Sun did not continue to profit off of and exploit hate, violence and misogyny.
“A true apology would be a shift in their coverage and ethical standards for all. Unfortunately, we’re not holding our breath.”
The couple have hit the headlines in recent weeks after their docu-series — Harry and Meghan — aired on Netflix. The six-part series included a series of revelations about the Royal Family’s relationship with the UK media.
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