Jeremy Clarkson's Meghan Article Ruled Sexist by Press Regulator

The press regulator, Ipso, has ruled that a column written by Jeremy Clarkson in The Sun, in which he made derogatory remarks about the Duchess of Sussex, was sexist. The article received a record-breaking 25,000 complaints from the public.

Ipso chairman, Lord Faulks, stated that the imagery used in the column was "humiliating and degrading towards the duchess." Prince Harry and Meghan accused Clarkson of promoting "hate rhetoric" and spreading dangerous conspiracy theories and misogyny.

In response to the ruling, The Sun stated that it accepts the responsibility that comes with free expression. The newspaper and its columnist had previously apologized for the column and removed it from their website. However, they have not accepted that it breached the editor's code, maintaining that concerns raised were a matter of taste and judgement.

Following an investigation, Ipso determined that The Sun had indeed violated its editors' code of practice by including a pejorative and prejudicial reference to Meghan's sex. The regulator, however, rejected complaints that the piece was racially discriminatory, inaccurate, or harassing.

In the column, Clarkson made inappropriate remarks about Meghan, including expressing a desire to see her paraded naked through the streets while being subjected to humiliation. He later claimed that he was referring to a scene from Game of Thrones but had forgotten to mention it in the column.

Ipso's chief executive, Charlotte Dewar, emphasized that the regulator had considered complaints from gender equality charity The Fawcett Society and The Wilde Foundation. She stated that the publication of Ipso's decision was a necessary remedy, ensuring that both Sun readers and the wider public were aware of the reasons behind the ruling.

The Sun acknowledged Ipso's ruling that Clarkson's column contained a pejorative and prejudicial reference to the duchess's sex. However, the regulator did not uphold other aspects of the complaint, including claims of inaccuracy, harassment, or discriminatory references based on race.

Jeremy Clarkson has expressed regret over the article, acknowledging that he had "completely messed up" and apologizing to Prince Harry and Meghan for the language used. The Sun has sincerely apologized and removed the column from its website.

The Fawcett Society's chief executive, Jemima Olchawski, described Clarkson's column as "vile and offensive" and called for an investigation into how such "toxic comments" were published in a major newspaper.

Ipso's ruling has been hailed as a significant step forward in combating sexism in the media by Senior Labour MP Harriet Harman, the incoming chairwoman of The Fawcett Society.

Prince Harry and Meghan, as well as Clarkson, have been contacted for comment.

The high number of complaints received for the article makes it the most complained-about since Ipso's establishment in 2014.