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French Satirical Weekly Charlie Hebdo's Edition Displays A Cover With Queen Elizabeth kneeling on Meghan Markle's neck

Source: Marc Piasecki / Getty

Controversial French magazine Charlie Hebdo is causing outrage once again for their latest magazine cover — which depicts Queen Elizabeth II kneeling on the neck of Meghan Markle in a striking reference to the death of George Floyd. Being known for what they tout as a satirical point of view, many are disavowing the publication’s latest cover as one which takes their “humor” way too far.

As translated, the publication’s headline reads “Why Meghan Quit Buckingham Palace.” The Duchess is seen being crushed underneath the weight of the Queen’s body, and the cover depicts Markle responding to the headline by saying, “Because I Couldn’t Breathe Anymore!”

As the reference of what they were trying to satire, George Floyd was a Black man killed last May by a white police officer who violently kneeled down on his neck for almost eight minutes. In a chilling video seen around the world, Floyd’s cries of “I can’t breathe” and his death sparked months of protests in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

The French magazine’s latest cover comes just days after it was announced that in a historic settlement, Floyd’s family would receive $27 million from the City of Minneapolis as a close to their civic lawsuit against them for their police department’s role in Floyd’s death. Additionally, the trial against the cop who killed Floyd, Derek Chauvin, has been in preparation to officially begin in just under two weeks.

Not only is the latest cover insensitive, untimely, and generally inappropriate — but it also blatantly minimizes the experiences of Black pain felt by both Floyd and Markle. It pairs down them, and their experiences — to jokes and entertainment for mass consumption. The level of disregard for the family of Floyd in particular — especially within the days leading up to the trial of his death — honestly leaves me shocked with confusion on what to say.

As a publication that has aimed to corner itself as one of the most thought-provoking, weekly-based cultural observers of the last 50 years since its inception — Charlie Hebdo has released enraging covers before. If you recall, back in 2015, the magazine’s offices in Paris were attacked when two brothers killed 12 of their staffers and wounded 11 for their then-recently published depictions of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

While the umbrella of satire not only leaves, but encourages room for crass, un-politically correct, and “edgy” things to be said and creations to be made — this comparison of Markle’s inability and fear to speak her truth surrounding the treatment she received as a senior member of the royal family to a man who not only lost his voice as Markle did — but his life at the hands of police violence, reeks of a disregard for Black humanity that can’t be overstated. As they made light of the history of senseless Black suffering here, in their country, and across the world, their cover also showcased the often humiliating costs Black people — Markle included — have to endure for the simple act of expressing their painful realities.

Markle’s action to step outside of the monarchy and reveal her truth during her and Prince Harry’s recent interview with Oprah was both courageous and brave. In addition to Charlie Hebdo poorly attempting to minimize that and the death of George Floyd with their sensationalized, outrage marketing through the distastefulness of their new cover — they simply displayed how little empathy they have for Black lives and experiences.

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