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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Leonie Chao-Fong

Julie Burchill says she’s been sacked by Telegraph after racist tweet about Harry and Meghan’s baby Lilibet

Photograph: Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

Newspaper columnist Julie Burchill says she has been “sacked” by the Daily Telegraph, a day after after tweeting a racist comment about the name of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, Lilibet.

The Brighton-based writer made the announcement on her Facebook page on Tuesday.

“I’ve been sacked by the Telegraph – it’s been a lovely five years, and I’ll always be grateful to them for ending my wilderness years,” she wrote.

“However, I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t often moaned to my husband recently about them always rejecting my edgy column ideas and giving me more pedestrian ones – which I’ve done splendidly anyway.”

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“Onwards and upwards!” she added.

Telegraph Media Group has been contacted for comment.

Julie Burchill and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the arrival of their second child on Sunday, Ms Burchill tweeted: “What a missed opportunity! They could have called it Georgina Floydina!”

The post was met with a backlash on social media, where it was described as “disgusting racism” and “despicable”. A barrister who tweeted an offensive joke in response to Burchill’s post was suspended from her job on Monday and apologised.

George Floyd’s murder by a white police officer last summer in Minneapolis led to worldwide Black Lives Matter protests.

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