Queen Camilla’s lunch with Meghan Markle critic Jeremy Clarkson explained

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Queen Camilla has come under fire in Britain for attending lunch just hours before the release of the final part of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s hit Netflix series, which was also attended by two vocal critics of the couple .

The Queen consort was pictured arriving at London’s exclusive Murano restaurant in Mayfair to attend lunch, believed to have been hosted by a friend, a short distance from her home at Clarence House.

It was the event’s guest list that attracted the most attention over the next few days, as among the big party were Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson, two broadcast journalists who were widely criticized for their anti- -Meghan.

However, there is a lot of misinformation circulating about the lunch whether or not Camilla hosted the event herself until the date it took place.

Here, Newsweek examines the truth behind the social media outrage surrounding Queen Camilla’s controversial luncheon.

Queen Camilla pictured at a reception at Buckingham Palace, November 17, 2022. And (inset) Jeremy Clarkson, January 22, 2016. The Queen consort has come under fire for attending a luncheon where guests included Clarkson and Pier Morgan. Kirsty O’Connor – Pool/Getty Images/Karwai Tang/WireImage Did Queen Camilla host the private luncheon?

Queen Camilla was pictured at a private lunch at Mayfair’s Murano restaurant in London on Wednesday December 14, where a number of high-profile celebrities and broadcasters were also in attendance.

The Daily Mail reports that the lunch was not hosted by Camilla, but was the guest of long-time friend Ewan Venters, the former CEO of Fortnum and Mason department store, near her home in Clarence House and also Buckingham Palace.

Camilla has been photographed with Venters numerous times over the past decade. The royal’s ties to the department store and Venters extended through her food writer son, Tom Parker Bowles.

Parker Bowles is the author of a number of official Fortnum and Mason cookbooks, he also writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail’s YOU magazine.

Who attended the private luncheon?

Photographs from the event show the lunch was attended by a number of British celebrities, including actors Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville, as well as TV presenters Tess Daley and Claudia Winkleman, and famed entertainer Tracey Emin.

It was the presence of broadcasters and journalists Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson on the guest list that created the most backlash over the next few days.

Morgan is a notable critic of Prince Harry, and in particular Meghan Markle.

In 2021, following the airing of the royal couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, Morgan had an on-air altercation with a colleague on Good Morning Britain, which led to him quitting the show after being asked to apologize for his comments he didn’t make. believe Meghan’s testimony.

Since then, Morgan has launched a number of attacks on the couple from her eponymous show on the Rupert Murdoch-owned TalkTV channel.

Queen Camilla (when Duchess of Cornwall) pictured at a book launch for her son, Tom Parker Bowles, with broadcaster Piers Morgan, October 12, 2006. Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

Jeremy Clarkson has taken to the UK press for widespread condemnation of a column he wrote in Saturday’s edition of The Sun newspaper, detailing his ‘dream’ that Meghan was ‘made to parade naked through the streets of every city of Britain”, while the crowd shouts “shame” and “throw excrement” on her.

The comments have come under closer scrutiny since the release of the Netflix series Meghan and Harry in which the Duchess broke down describing how the hatred stoked by tabloid reports led her to fear for her and the life of their children.

Did Queen Camilla attend private lunch after Jeremy Clarkson posted his anti-Meghan Markle column?

A number of tweets and comments online have been posted about Queen Camilla’s attendance at the private lunch, including suggestions the royal attended to after Jeremy Clarkson posted his critical comments about Meghan Markle.

This is not the case. The lunch took place on December 14. Clarkson’s column was published in the December 17 edition of The Sun newspaper.

Other comments made seem to give the impression that Clarkson and Morgan attended the luncheon at the invitation of the Queen Consort, which, again, does not appear to have been the case.

However, Camilla has come under fire for associating with the two broadcasters after being an active supporter of women’s charities and recently hosting a reception at Buckingham Palace to raise awareness about violence against women and girls.

British actor Colin McFarlane wrote: “😮WOW! Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson, Meghan Markle’s abusers, guests of QUEEN CAMILLA! Yet she’s supposed to stand up for abused women?! Did she see how her beautiful -daughter been treated by the press? So cheeky. It’s the tide that Harry and Meghan are swimming against #WeLoveYouMeghan”

Commentator Nicola Thorp pointed to the fact that there was no public statement made by the Palace about the luncheon or criticism of the guest list following Morgan’s column.

“Where is @RoyalFamily’s statement about @JeremyClarkson’s despicable comments in his column?” she said on Twitter.

“I thought the Queen Consort was outspoken on issues of misogyny? Will she distance herself from Clarkson…or just invite him to dinner again? Their silence speaks volumes.”

Buckingham Palace has not issued any official statement in response to this criticism.

Newsweek has approached Buckingham Palace and representatives for Meghan Markle and Jeremy Clarkson for comment.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek’s London-based Royal Reporter. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.

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