The Sun has apologised to Meghan Markle over the publication of a column written by Jeremy Clarkson.
The column, which caused great offence to many, was published on Sunday and was filled with crude remarks about the Duchess.
Jeremy said he was “dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”.
His remark was a reference to a Game of Thrones scene, lost on many who hadn’t watched the cult hit.
Jeremy’s column sparked a huge backlash on social media, with many calling for him to be fired. Even his own daughter, Emily, spoke out against him.
It became the most complained about column ever, with over 20,000 complaining to IPSO.
As a result, it has since been removed from the Sun’s website.
Following the backlash, the newspaper has now issued an apology to Meghan.
Jeremy Clarkson column: The Sun apologises amid backlash
“In last Saturday’s Sun, Jeremy Clarkson wrote a comment article about the Duchess of Sussex,” said the paper in a statement.
“It provoked a strong response and led to a large number of complaints to IPSO, the independent press regulator.
“In a tweet earlier this week, Jeremy said he had made a ‘clumsy reference to a scene in Game of Thrones’, which had ‘gone down badly with a great many people’ and he was ‘horrified to have caused so much hurt’.
“He also said he will be more careful in future. Columnists’ opinions are their own but, as a publisher, we realise that with free expression comes responsibility.
“We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry. The article has been removed from our website and archives.
“The Sun has a proud history of campaigning, from Help for Heroes to Jabs Army and Who Cares Wins, and over 50 years of working in partnership with charities, our campaigns have helped change Britain for the better.
The newspaper added: “Working with our readers, The Sun has helped to bring about new legislation on domestic abuse, provided beds in refuges, closed harmful loopholes in the law and empowered survivors of abuse to come forward and seek help.
“We will continue to campaign for good causes on behalf of our readers in 2023.”
What is social media saying?
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just the public that found the column offensive.
More than 60 MPs wrote to the editor of the newspaper condemning the piece “in the strongest terms”.
Following the release of the Sun’s statement, reaction on social media remained divisive.
One angry reader wrote: “Can we get something straight here. The Sun did NOT apologise to Meghan Markle. They said they were sorry for publishing the vitriolic opinion piece about her by Jeremy Clarkson.”
A second annoyed tweeter wrote: “The Sun apology for Jeremy Clarkson column is calculated bulls**t.”
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