'Wrong and appalling': Charlie Hebdo criticised for cartoon depicting Meghan Markle as George Floyd

French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has come under fire for its most recent front cover, which shows a cartoon of Queen Elizabeth kneeling on the neck of Meghan Markle, an apparent recreation of George Floyd's death.

The publication has sparked outrage just days after the Duchess of Sussex, and her husband, Prince Harry, told US interviewer Oprah Winfrey of apparent racism within the royal family. However, they did not criticise the Queen.

Alongside the caricature, a headline reads, "Why Meghan left Buckingham", with the Duchess of Sussex replying – from underneath the Queen's knee – "because I couldn't breathe anymore".

The image appears to be replicating the horrifying death of George Floyd, a balck man, who died last year after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, despite Floyd's desperate pleas for help crying, 'I can't breathe'. This also sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests around the world to speak out against police brutality and racial inequality.

People on social media and activists have branded the Charlie Hebdo cover 'wrong' and 'appalling', with some Twitter users claiming the magazine's satire has become 'plain racist'.

Dr Halima Begum, the chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, the UK's race equality thinktank, said that the cartoon was "wrong on every level". Sharing the cartoon on Twitter, Begum said it not only "demeans the issues" but causes offence across the board.

#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. pic.twitter.com/ptNXs8RtuS

— Dr Halima Begum (@Halima_Begum) March 13, 2021

"#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 doesn't push boundaries, make anyone laugh or challenge #racism. It demeans the issues & causes offence, across the board," she tweeted.

The magazine is yet to respond to the criticism, however, this is not the first time it has been criticised for its controversial cartoons. Charlie Hebdo was attacked by Islamist fanatics in January 2015, after posting cartoons that were said to have insulted the Prophet Mohammed.