Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Aug 05, 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

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Arrest Warrant Issued in Lebanon for Tycoon Spotted Meeting Netanyahu in Washington
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
US Retaliates Against Iran After Two American Troops Killed in Jordan
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Iran Claims It Destroyed Bahrain’s Main Artificial Intelligence Center in Missile and Drone Strike
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
Leadership Change and Strategic Rivalry Redraw the Political Map
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
Thomas Tuchel Faces Fierce Backlash After Tactical Retreat Costs England World Cup Final Berth
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
Harvard Astrophysicist to Lead U.S. Scientific Advisory on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Emergency Sirens Activated Across Bahrain as Interior Ministry Issues Shelter Directives
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
The Physical and Electronic Barriers Disrupting Domestic Wireless Networks
France and Morocco Open World Cup Quarter-Finals as Collina Defends Refereeing
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
×