London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jan 23, 2026

Charlie Hebdo under fake-fire over cover of Queen kneeling on Meghan’s neck

Charlie Hebdo under fake-fire over cover of Queen kneeling on Meghan’s neck

The British double standards and hypocrisy at its best: Charlie Hebdo - the French satirical weekly magazine that the British protected it’s so called free speech to insult prophet Muhammad - has suddenly come under fire for a cover which insulting a much less important historical figure, the English Queen kneeling on Meghan’s neck in a sick parody of George Floyd’s death.

We can all agree that this last one is not really a satire, as racism is what made the British monarch a monarchy to begin with, but Britain cannot protect free speech when it’s insulting others and play their regular fake surprise when people do to them what they are happily doing to others.

Giving to charity a bit of the huge fortune gained by selling slaves in America and smuggling drugs to China is very nice for the future but not enough to forget past crimes against humanity.

This double-standards-playbook can work among old-fashion-brain-washed British subjects but not among any modern people.

The only right way for the British royal family to prove that they are no longer racists is to put their hand into their pocket and pay the descendants of their slavery victims compensation.

It’s not enough to declare “I am not a racist”. The people who’s family got so rich by enslaving others should prove they are not as racist as their roots by paying compensation to the slavery descendants.

To talk by actions, not by words, in a culture where words always means just the opposite...

The French satirical magazine published the caricature on its front page with the headline: "Why Meghan left Buckingham....".


A speech bubble from Meghan reads: “Because I couldn’t breathe anymore.”

George Floyd, who was unarmed, died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes.

In shocking video footage of the incident Mr Floyd said “I can’t breathe” before he died.

His words have become the rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement after the alleged murder sparked worldwide protests.


Charlie Hebdo’s cover was widely shared on Twitter on Saturday with many saying it was "utterly appalling".

Dr Halima Begum, the CEO of anti-racism think tank the Runnymede Trust, tweeted the image calling it “wrong on every level”.

She said: "#CharlieHebdo, this is wrong on every level. The Queen as #GeorgeFloyd ‘s murderer crushing Meghan’s neck? #Meghan saying she’s unable to breathe? This doesnt push boundaries, make anyone laugh or challenge #racism. It demeans the issues & causes offence, across the board."


Black and Asian Lawyers For Justice tweeted that the cover was “outrageous, disgusting, fascistic racism” adding that the magazine was “pimping George Floyd’s trauma for profit”.

Another person tweeted: “Words cannot describe just how disgusting I found that Charlie Hebdo cover.

“Punching down and constantly drawing racist caricatures it’s not satire.”

It comes after Meghan Markle claimed an unnamed member of the royal family made remarks about her son Archie’s skin colour before he was born, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that the allegation of racism, was "concerning", and said the matter would be dealt with privately.

Prince William later denied his family were racist when he was asked during a visit to a school in east London earlier this week.

On Friday, the city of Minneapolis reached a $27 million (£19 million) settlement with George Floyd’s family.

Jury selection for Mr Chauvin’s murder trial, scheduled to start on March 29, is currently under way.

This isn’t the first time Charlie Hebdo has been criticised for its cartoons.

The magazine has taken aim at dozens of political and religious public figures, most famously its depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.

It was described by some as ‘blasphemy’ and blamed for the 2015 terror attack at the magazine’s Paris headquarters, which claimed the lives of 12 people.

Comments

Rosalind Laing 5 year ago
Some people's idea of free speech is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back that is an outrage: Winston Churchill according to Piers Morgan's tweet. Charlie Hebdo specialises in offensive publications. Attacking the Queen and linking Meghan's distress to George Floyd is what one would expect. Why get outraged? The British monarchy throughout my lifetime has atoned for slavery and colonialism by turning an Empire into a Commonwealth and supporting very positively their progress and achievements. And if you think they are racists after the spectacular wedding that Meghan was given by the Royals - I think you are just prejudiced. That wedding was a celebration of black religion and people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Reverses Course and Criticises UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands Agreement
Elizabeth Hurley Tells UK Court of ‘Brutal’ Invasion of Privacy in Phone Hacking Case
UK Bond Yields Climb as Report Fuels Speculation Over Andy Burnham’s Return to Parliament
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
TikTok’s U.S. Escape Plan: National Security Firewall or Political Theater With a Price Tag?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
Will AI Finally Make Blue-Collar Workers Rich—or Is This Just Elite Tech Spin?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Prince Harry Breaks Down in London Court, Says UK Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life ‘Absolute Misery’
Malin + Goetz UK Business Enters Administration, All Stores Close
EU and UK Reject Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariff Threats and Pledge Unified Response
UK Deepfake Crackdown Puts Intense Pressure on Musk’s Grok AI After Surge in Non-Consensual Explicit Images
Prince Harry Becomes Emotional in London Court, Invokes Memory of Princess Diana in Testimony Against UK Tabloids
UK Inflation Rises Unexpectedly but Interest Rate Cuts Still Seen as Likely
AI vs Work: The Battle Over Who Controls the Future of Labor
Buying an Ally’s Territory: Strategic Genius or Geopolitical Breakdown?
AI Everywhere: Power, Money, War, and the Race to Control the Future
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Arctic Power Grab: Security Chessboard or Climate Crime Scene?
Starmer Steps Back from Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Amid Strained US–UK Relations
Prince Harry’s Lawyer Tells UK Court Daily Mail Was Complicit in Unlawful Privacy Invasions
UK Government Approves China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London Amid Debate Over Security and Diplomacy
Trump Cites UK’s Chagos Islands Sovereignty Shift as Justification for Pursuing Greenland Acquisition
UK Government Weighs Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Under-Sixteens Amid Rising Concern Over Online Harm
Trump Aides Say U.S. Has Discussed Offering Asylum to British Jews Amid Growing Antisemitism Concerns
UK Seeks Diplomatic De-escalation with Trump Over Greenland Tariff Threat
Prince Harry Returns to London as High Court Trial Begins Over Alleged Illegal Tabloid Snooping
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills at Least Twenty-One and Injures Scores
Meghan Markle May Return to the U.K. This Summer as Security Review Advances
Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Sparks EU Response and Risks Deep Transatlantic Rift
Prince Harry’s High Court Battle With Daily Mail Publisher Begins in London
Trump’s Tariff Escalation Presents Complex Challenges for the UK Economy
UK Prime Minister Starmer Rebukes Trump’s Greenland Tariff Strategy as Transatlantic Tensions Rise
Prince Harry’s Last Press Case in UK Court Signals Potential Turning Point in Media and Royal Relations
OpenAI to Begin Advertising in ChatGPT in Strategic Shift to New Revenue Model
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
×