This Morning viewers have complained to Ofcom after Talk Radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer took a swipe at Meghan Markle on Thursday’s show.
The panel were discussing a previously unseen photograph of the Queen and Prince Philip and their great-grandchildren, which was released earlier this week, following the Duke Of Edinburgh’s death.
But fans on the show were left unimpressed, when Julia, 52, said Meghan would take offence to the photo because Archie wasn’t in it- despite the fact it was taken in 2018, before he was born.
Her comments come after Meghan and Harry spoke to Oprah last month in a bombshell interview in which she accused an unnamed member of the Royal Family of racism, while also stating she was denied support after feeling suicidal.
Unimpressed: This Morning viewers have complained to Ofcom after Talk Radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer took a swipe at Meghan Markle on Thursday’s show
Family: The panel were discussing a photograph of the Queen and Prince Philip and their great-grandchildren, which was released earlier this week. The image in question (pictured) shows the 94-year-old monarch and her husband with Prince George, Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips holding Lena Tindall, and Mia Tindall
Julia told hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary: ‘I wonder if Meghan has managed to take offence to this photograph because it doesn’t include her son…
‘She probably thinks it’s a racist photograph which was taken before her son was even conceived.
‘But I’m sure she’s managed to take offence at it anyway.’
Nicola Thorp, who was also part of the discussion, interrupted the radio presenter and said: ‘Julia, you can’t say something like that. I’m sorry and I know you’re laughing about it. You can’t say that without me picking you up on it.
Backlash: Her comments come after Meghan and Harry spoke to Oprah last month in a bombshell interview in which she accused an unnamed member of the Royal Family of racism, while also stating she was denied support after feeling suicidal
Dig: Julia said: ‘I wonder if Meghan has managed to take offence to this photograph because it doesn’t include her son, she probably thinks it’s a racist photograph’
‘To suggest that Meghan would think that something was racist because something didn’t even exist at the time. You, yourself are pushing this agenda and I’m tired of it.’
Trying to diffuse the situation, Dermot said: ‘Ladies please, let’s move on to the next subject. We thought we’d start off with a lighter subject.’
After the scenes aired, fans of the show took to Twitter to slam Julia for her comments and said they found it ‘uncomfortable’ viewing.
Irked: Nicola Thorp interrupted and said: ‘To suggest that Meghan would think that something was racist because something didn’t even exist at the time. You are pushing this agenda’
One wrote: ‘Shame on you Julia. You have just showed exactly what it’s like to be a black person in this country and to endure flippant comments as a joke! your racist comment against Megan is not a joke, it makes people feel uncomfortable.’
Another viewer added: ‘@Ofcom please look into Julia heartley brewers ‘joke’ and giggle on racism on @thismorning earlier today’.
‘If Julia heartley brewer wasn’t stopped by dermot she would have continued more and laughed more,’ a third chimed.
‘I am putting in a complaint to OFCOM about Julia on #ThisMorning,’ typed a different infuriated fan.
Ladies please! Trying to diffuse the situation, Dermot said: ‘Ladies please, let’s move on to the next subject. We thought we’d start off with a lighter subject’
Controversy: After the scenes aired, fans of the show took to Twitter to slam Julia for her comments and said they found it ‘uncomfortable’ viewing
‘Wow Julia on #ThisMorning has really let the side down. I genuinely used to think there was little racism in the UK but this among many other comments since the Oprah interview has made me think again. Such an unnecessary comment and cruel to boot,’ said another.
However others supported Julia, with one writing: ‘Loved your dig at Meghan this morning Julia. Her followers had already been calling Catherine for leaving Archie out, even though he hasn’t been born. So you were not far off the mark xx’.
Prince William and Kate Middleton had released the touching photo of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen with seven of their great-grandchildren ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday.
Support: However others supported Julia, with one writing: ‘Loved your dig at Meghan this morning Julia. Her followers had already been calling Catherine for leaving Archie out’
The previously unseen photograph, which was taken at Balmoral Castle in 2018 by the Duchess of Cambridge, showed Prince Philip with his arm around Peter Phillips’ daughter Isla, while the Queen, 94, held a then-baby Prince Louis in her arms.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte offered a cheeky smile in the picture, while Peter’s elder daughter Savannah Phillips posed alongside Zara Tindall’s daughters Mia and Lena.
A second picture of Her Majesty and her husband was shared on the Duke and Duchess’ Instagram page, and showed the couple posing with Prince George and Princess Charlotte during a visit to Balmoral in 2015.
The caption read: ‘Today we share, along with Members of the Royal Family, photographs of The Duke of Edinburgh, remembering him as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather.’
The photograph does not include the couple’s three youngest grandchildren, who were born in the last few years.
Complaints : A fair few viewers complained to Ofcom following the heated argument
Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed their son Archie Harrison in May 2019, while Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall both gave birth to their sons, who they named after the Duke, last month.
In Meghan and Harry’s interview, they sparked global outrage with a host of shocking comments and accusations of racism in the royal family.
Meghan refused to say which royal had the conversation with Harry about Archie’s skin colour, claiming it would be ‘damaging’ to the person in her husband’s family who raised it.
She told Miss Winfrey that it was ‘a pretty safe’ assumption to suggest that the royal family member was ‘concerned’ that Archie being ‘too brown’ was ‘a problem’.
When asked if it was ‘important’ for Meghan that Archie be called a prince, she said she doesn’t have any attachment to the ‘grandeur’ of official titles.
But she said it was about ‘the idea of our son not being safe, and also the idea of the first member of colour in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be.’
Prince Harry – who later joined his wife and Miss Winfrey for the last part of the interview – described the conversation as ‘awkward’, saying it left him ‘shocked’.
But he declined to reveal anything more about what was said, saying: ‘That conversation I’m never going to share.’