Harry and Meghan news – live: Jeremy Clarkson apology over The Sun column accused of misogyny

Jeremy Clarkson failed to address his “long-standing pattern” of writing articles that spread “hate rhetoric” when apologising to Meghan for his Sun column, the Sussexes have claimed.

On Monday 17 January, the TV presenter apologised to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over a “disgraceful” piece he wrote about the latter in December last year.

But the couple said Mr Clarkson “wrote solely” to Prince Harry, who was not the subject of his piece. They also rejected his claims to have written the column “in a hurry”.

In the article, the former Top Gear host said he despised the duchess on a “cellular level”, adding that he dreamt of the day she would be made to parade naked through Britain while a crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.

Mr Clarkson, in his apology, said: “I really am sorry. All the way from the balls of my feet to the follicles on my head. This is me putting my hands up. It’s a mea culpa with bells on.”

Key points

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle respond to Jeremy Clarkson apology

• Ex-Top Gear host says he ‘felt sick’ over his column, in ‘mea culpa with bells on’

• Prince Harry describes Meghan Markle’s ‘flawless’ first curtsy despite seemingly mocking the tradition

• Iran says Harry killing Taliban ‘like chess pieces’ means UK in ‘no position to preach’ over execution

• Jeremy Paxman shares verdict on Prince Harry memoir Spare

What exactly did the Sussexes say in response to Clarkson’s apology?

Tuesday 17 January 2023 10:00 , Matt Mathers

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have issued a response to Jeremy Clarkson’s apology over his highly criticised remarks about Meghan Markle.

The statement made by the couple reported by Omid Scobie of Yahoo, states: “On December 25, 2022, Mr Clarkson wrote solely to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. The contents of his correspondence were marked Private and Confidential.”

You can read the statement in full here:

Meghan and Harry’s full response to Jeremy Clarkson apology

Opinion: Jeremy Clarkson was already handed a second chance. He shouldn’t get a third

06:00 , Peony Hirwani

Jeremy Clarkson was already handed a second chance. He shouldn’t get a third

Iran says Harry killing Taliban ‘like chess pieces’ means UK in ‘no position to preach’ over execution

05:15 , Peony Hirwani

Prince Harry’s remarks on killing Taliban fighters mean the UK “is in no position to preach” over the execution of a British-Iranian, Tehran has said.

Iran’s foreign ministry announced at the weekend that Alireza Akbari – formerly a high-ranking official in Tehran’s defence ministry – was hanged.

His death provoked widespread international backlash, with Rishi Sunak branding the killing “cowardly”.

Read more:

UK in ‘no position to preach’ over Iran execution after Harry’s Taliban kills comment

04:30 , Peony Hirwani

Prince Harry’s new memoir Spare has sold 750,000 copies across all formats in the UK, according to Transworld Books.

This makes it not only the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time but also the biggest-selling memoir.

Prince Harry describes Meghan Markle’s ‘flawless’ first curtsy despite seemingly mocking the tradition

03:45 , Peony Hirwani

Prince Harry has described the moment Meghan Markle curtsied for the first time when meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II.

In Spare, the Duke of Sussex writes about the moment his then-girlfriend met members of the royal family – including the British monarch – at the Royal Lodge in October 2016.

Read more:

Prince Harry describes Meghan’s ‘flawless’ curtsy despite seemingly mocking tradition

Prince William: I do a good steak

Tuesday 17 January 2023 17:00 , Matt Mathers

The Prince of Wales revealed his love of steaks when he joined a cooking class for young carers - but confessed his sauces need more work.

William met the young people supported by Together As One, a charity formed 25 years ago to help tackle gang violence in Slough, and now providing a wealth of services from sports activities to a Global Grub workshop.

“I do a mean steak. My sauces come out quite dry or lumpy - I’ve got to work on those."

Prince Harry showing clear signs of happiness and joy - body language expert

Tuesday 17 January 2023 16:30 , Matt Mathers

Prince Harry shows “clear” signs of “happiness and joy” when he talks about wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, a body language expert has claimed.

Darren Stanton also claimed the duke’s non-verbal communication shows he is “loving life in California”.

"While speaking about moving to America, I saw genuine flashes of happiness and joy,” he said, on behalf of Betfair Casino.

ITV silent on Clarkson’s future

Tuesday 17 January 2023 15:58 , Matt Mathers

ITV is staying silent on Jeremy Clarkson’s future following his badly received apology to the Sussexes over a “digraceful” column he wrote about Meghan.

Mr Clarkson presents the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire quiz how on ITV. But bosses at the broadcaster would not confirm to Mail Online if Mr Clarkson would continue presenting the show.

It follows reports that Mr Clarkson is being dropped by Amazon Prime Video.

Iran says Harry killing Taliban ‘like chess pieces’ means UK in ‘no position to preach’ over execution

Tuesday 17 January 2023 15:04 , Matt Mathers

As my colleague Andy Gregory reported earlier, officials in Iran believe that Prince Harry’s admission that he killed Taliban fighters in Afghanistan means the UK “is in no position to preach” about the execution of a British-Iranian.

Here is Andy’s full report:

UK in ‘no position to preach’ over Iran execution after Harry’s Taliban kills comment

Prince William visits charity in west London

Tuesday 17 January 2023 14:48 , Matt Mathers

Prince William made a surprise visit to a charity in west London on Tuesday morning.

The heir to the throne met with volunteers at Aik Saath, which was set up to tackle gang violence in Slough.

The visit was originally scheduled for September but was postponed following the late Queen’s death.

Iran says Prince Harry killing 25 Taliban means UK in 'no position to preach about human rights'

Tuesday 17 January 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers

The Iranian regime has sought to use Prince Harry’s remarks on killing Taliban fighters to undermine the UK government’s outrage over Tehran’s “barbaric” execution of Alireza Akbarim, my colleague Andy Gregory reports.

Britain moved to sanction Iran’s prosecutor-general Mohammad Jafar Montazeri last week after the British-Iranian was hanged over allegations of spying by Ayatollah Khamenei’s regime.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said the government was “holding the regime to account for its appalling human rights violation”, which prime minister Rishi Sunak condemned as a “callous and cowardly” killing by a “barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people”.

More follows...

Jeremy Clarkson was already handed a second chance. He shouldn’t get a third

Tuesday 17 January 2023 13:33 , Matt Mathers

Reports suggest that the ex-‘Top Gear’ presenter’s lucrative Amazon deal may be coming to an end after his apalling comments about Meghan Markle. But, writes Louis Chilton, Clarkson has been telling us exactly what sort of person he is for years – why on earth didn’t everyone believe him?

Read Louis’s full piece here:

Jeremy Clarkson was already handed a second chance. He shouldn’t get a third

TK Maxx denies Prince Harry’s claim about shopping retailer’s annual sales

Tuesday 17 January 2023 12:19 , Matt Mathers

TK Maxx denied Prince Harry’s claim about shopping at the retailer during its yearly sales, which he mentioned in his new memoir, Spare.

In his book, which was released on 10 January, the Duke of Sussex reflected on buying from TK Maxx during their “once-a-year sale”. However, TK Maxx has now responded to the royal’s claim, noting that its stores don’t “do sales”.

My colleague Amber Raiken reports:

TK Maxx denies Prince Harry’s claim about shopping retailer’s annual sales

ICYMI: Royals ‘got to get a move on’ to reconcile with Harry and Meghan before coronation

Tuesday 17 January 2023 11:58 , Matt Mathers

The royal family has “got to get a move on” to reconcile with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before King Charles’s coronation in May, Buckingham Palace sources have said.

The two sides haven’t spoken since before the release of the Duke of Sussex’s explosive memoir in which he was critical of his older brother William and his father, King Charles.

My colleague Joe Middleton reports:

Royals ‘got to get a move on’ to reconcile with Harry and Meghan

Prince Harry is the worst export to the US in 200 years - commentator

Tuesday 17 January 2023 11:10 , Matt Mathers

Prince Harry is the worst export to the US in “over 200 years”, a commentator has claimed.

Nile Gardiner, a former aide to Margaret Thatcher, added that “if he [Harry] ever gets deported from America, hopefully it will be to Canada.”

He also said the Sussexes still have a “few useful idiots” in the British media who are willing to “defend their nefarious attacks against the Royal Family”.

Jeremy Paxman shares verdict on Prince Harry memoir Spare

Tuesday 17 January 2023 10:27 , Matt Mathers

Jeremy Paxman has described Prince Harry’s claims in his memoir Spare as a “series of moans from a very privileged young man”.

The veteran broadcaster and University Challenge host wrote a new comment about the Duke of Sussex’s autobiography, which has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book yet.

My colleague Maayna Sachdeva reports:

Jeremy Paxman shares his verdict on Prince Harry memoir ‘Spare’

ICYMI: Jeremy Paxman shares verdict on Prince Harry memoir Spare

Tuesday 17 January 2023 10:24 , Matt Mathers

Jeremy Paxman has described Prince Harry’s claims in his memoir Spare as a “series of moans from a very privileged young man”.

The veteran broadcaster and University Challenge host wrote a new comment about the Duke of Sussex’s autobiography, which has become the fastest-selling non-fiction book yet.

My colleague Maanya Sachdeva reports:

Jeremy Paxman shares his verdict on Prince Harry memoir ‘Spare’

Palace silence over book claims not what it seems - Sussex biographer

Tuesday 17 January 2023 09:56 , Matt Mathers

Buckingham Palace’s silence over claims made by Prince Harry in his book Spare “might not be what it seems”, an author and ally of the Sussexes has said.

Omid Scobie, co-author of Finding Freedom - a biography of the couple’s time together - said palace aides often speak to the media.

In a piece for Yahoo! News Royal Executive, Omid said: “While it may be true that Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have chosen not to answer requests for comment from journalists (including myself) about the revelations in Spare, in my experience of royal reporting the reality of the institution’s silence might not be quite what it seems.”

“Despite the tired ‘never complain, never explain’ facade, an assortment of Royal Family sources and friends have all been busy speaking to media outlets since the contents of the book first leaked to British newspapers ahead of its 10 January debut.

“Whilst these sources may be speaking out entirely independently, given how tight knit the Royal Family inner circle is, I doubt they would speak to the media without at least some form of tacit approval from the royals.”

Spare ‘misses the point’ - royal author

Tuesday 17 January 2023 09:35 , Matt Mathers

Prince Harry’s book Spare is “missing the point” about what it means to be a working royal, an author has said.

Robert Jobson, the royal author, says being a working member of the family is a privilege.

“It hands them a platform so they can use their position to serve the Crown & country by helping others & promoting causes that matter to them - whilst not worrying about how to pay the rent,” he adds.

Americans welcomed Prince Harry with open arms. Will ‘Spare’ spoil the love story?

Tuesday 17 January 2023 09:05 , Matt Mathers

ICYMI: Americans welcomed Prince Harry with open arms. Will ‘Spare’ spoil the love story?

A generation of American teens dreamt of marrying Prince Harry and then watched, rapt, as the fairytale they imagined came true before their eyes.

Two years later, the nation welcomed the royal combat veteran after he cut his privileged ties for the love of an LA-born actress. But in the aftermath of Prince Harry’s book release and media blitz, Sheila Flynn asks: Can he keep America on his side?

Americans welcomed Prince Harry with open arms. Will ‘Spare’ spoil the love story?

Clarkson ‘being dropped' by Amazon Prime

Tuesday 17 January 2023 08:09 , Matt Mathers

Jeremy Clarkson will be dropped by Amazon Prime once the final episode of ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ ends, it has been reported.

A press conference for the series was due to take place today but was cancelled at 6pm last night after the presenter issued his apology to Prince Harry.

Variety Australia, citing anonymous sources, said the presenter will no longer work with the streaming giant once ‘The Grand Tour - another series featuring Mr Clarkson - and the farm show have ended.

Clarkson Twitter remains silent

Tuesday 17 January 2023 07:39 , Matt Mathers

Jeremy Clarkson has apologised to the Sussexes for the “digraceful” column he wrote about Meghan.

Following the backlash against the piece, Mr Clarkson tweeted that he’d put his “foot in it” but stopped short of saying sorry.

That remains that last tweet on his Twitter account, posted on 19 December.

Princes Harry and William invited to reunite at relaunch of nightclub

Tuesday 17 January 2023 06:59 , Andy Gregory

Prince Harry has been invited to reunite with his brother Prince William at the relaunch of London’s Bouji nightclub, where the brothers once partied.

After closing its doors in 2014, the Sunday Times reported that it was planning to reopen, with co-owner Carlos Carello reported as saying: “Harry will be able to join us for the opening via the metaverse from LA, and he and William would be welcome to come and share the table together like the old days.

“I’m an optimist – I think those two will have a happy ending.”

Chelsea Handler pokes fun at Prince Harry’s frostbite recollections

Tuesday 17 January 2023 05:59 , Andy Gregory

Prince Harry found himself at the sharp end of comedian Chelsea Handler’s Critics Choice Award speech last night over certain revelations in his new memoir.

Handler quipped: “Niecy Nash-Betts is nominated for Dahmer. Dahmer became the third highest viewed show on Netflix, which a combined watch time of 1 billion hours, which, apparently, is the same amount of time we’re going to have to listen to Prince Harry talk about his frostbitten penis.”

Following laughs from the crowd, she said of Harry’s claims: “It’s enough already.”

Chelsea Handler mocks Corden and DeGeneres in brutal Critics Choice monologue

Voices | The most damning detail in Prince Harry’s book - TJ Maxx

Tuesday 17 January 2023 04:55 , Andy Gregory

In this opinion column, Holly Baxter takes aim at perhaps the most damning revelation of them all to emerge from Spare writing: “There it was! The smoking gun! Surely the proof that he could be trusted for nothing! Because if a man lies about a TJ Maxx sale, what else is he capable of?”

Read the piece in full here:

The most damning detail in Prince Harry’s book - TJ Maxx

Video report: Amazon to ‘cut ties’ with Clarkson, sources claim

Tuesday 17 January 2023 03:50 , Andy Gregory

What was Sussexes' and Clarkson’s initial reaction to Sun column?

Tuesday 17 January 2023 02:41 , Andy Gregory

Prior to the joint statement from the Sussexes and Jeremy Clarkson’s statements on Monday about his much-maligned column in The Sun, both he and Prince Harry had previously spoken out on the subject. Here is what they said:

For their part, the couple issued a statement calling the paper’s “sincere” apology “nothing more than a PR stunt” and accusing it of profiting off and exploiting “hate, violence and misogyny”.

Prince Harry later told ITV’s Tom Bradby: “What [Clarkson] said was horrific, and is hurtful and cruel towards my wife. But it also encourages other people around the UK and around the world, men particularly, to go and think that it’s acceptable to treat women that way.”

Queen Elizabeth pressed Meghan Markle for opinion on Trump in 2016, book claims

Tuesday 17 January 2023 01:36 , Andy Gregory

Among the lesser-covered revelations in Prince Harry’s book was the claim that Queen Elizabeth II put the future Duchess of Sussex on the spot at their first meeting by asking her opinion of Donald Trump when the latter was a US presidential candidate.

He described the first encounter between the late Queen and the future Duchess as “all very pleasant,” and noted that the meeting took place in late 2016, just before Mr Trump’s victory.

“Granny even asked Meg what she thought of Donald Trump,” he wrote, adding that Meghan “thought politics a no-win game” and described how she deftly changed the subject to Canada, where she’d been living while filming Suits.

In response, he said the late Queen “squinted” and replied to Meghan: “I thought you were American”, to which she replied: “I am, but I’ve been living in Canada for seven years for work”. He writes: “Granny looked pleased. Commonwealth. Good, fine.”

Queen Elizabeth pressed Meghan Markle for opinion on Trump in 2016, book claims

Sussexes respond to Jeremy Clarkson apology over Sun column

Monday 16 January 2023 19:20 , Andy Gregory

The Sussexes have issued a response to Jeremy Clarkson’s statement of apology for his column in The Sun about Meghan Markle.

Appearing to contest a number of the former Top Gear host’s claims, the statement – reported by Omid Scobie of Yahoo – states: “On December 25, 2022, Mr Clarkson wrote solely to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. The contents of his correspondence were marked Private and Confidential.

“While a new public apology has been issued today by Mr Clarkson, what remains to be addressed is his longstanding pattern of writing articles that spread hate rhetoric, dangerous conspiracy theories and misogyny.

“Unless each of his other pieces were also written “in a hurry”, as he states, it is clear that this is not an isolated incident shared in haste, but rather a series of articles shared in hate.”

Recap: What did Jeremy Clarkson say about Meghan Markle?

Monday 16 January 2023 16:25 , Emily Atkinson

Jeremy Clarkson has come under fire for his most recent comments about Meghan Markle, with a plethora of fellow celebrities criticising his “hateful” rant.

Over the past two years, Mr Clarkson has continued to give Markle the attention he has claimed she “craves so desperately” through a stream of online criticism and newspaper columns.

Ella Kipling takes a look back at Mr Clarkson’s most controversial comments about Markle, whichcover everything from climate change and polar bears to calling Markle a “silly little cable TV actress”:

7 of Jeremy Clarkson’s most controversial comments about Meghan Markle