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

Former Top Gear host said he was ‘profoundly sorry’ for language in column

Prince Harry shows Stephen Colbert the necklace William broke

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

[17 January 2023 15:58 · Matt Mathers]

ITV silent on Clarkson’s future

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.

[17 January 2023 15:04 · Matt Mathers]

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

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:

[17 January 2023 14:48 · Matt Mathers]

Prince William visits charity in west London

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.

[17 January 2023 14:00 · Matt Mathers]

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

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...

Prince Harry at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan (Getty Images)

[17 January 2023 13:33 · Matt Mathers]

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

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:

[17 January 2023 12:19 · Matt Mathers]

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

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:

[17 January 2023 11:58 · Matt Mathers]

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

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:

[17 January 2023 11:10 · Matt Mathers]

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

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”.

[17 January 2023 10:27 · Matt Mathers]

Jeremy Paxman shares verdict on Prince Harry memoir Spare

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:

[17 January 2023 10:24 · Matt Mathers]

ICYMI: Jeremy Paxman shares verdict on Prince Harry memoir Spare

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: