BBC news presenter Andrew Marr has sparked a Twitstorm after saying the late Prince Philip walked behind his wife Queen Elizabeth "like an Indian bride".
Marr, more used to grilling politicians on his Sunday morning show, appeared to confuse Hindu customs with those of Saudi Arabia when he was brought on opposite BBC newsreader Reeta Chakrabarti on Friday during the channel's rolling coverage of the prince's death aged 99.
— Harry Kind (@harrykind) April 9, 2021
Twitter users called Marr's comments 'ignorant' and 'inappropriate', especially in front of Chakrabarti, whose parents emigrated from India's West Bengal. Some demanded he apologise or be disciplined.
— Meena Wood (@WoodMeena) April 10, 2021
— Jaya Pathak (@jayapathak_) April 9, 2021
— Pieyedder (@Pieyedder) April 10, 2021
9 April 2021, 12:33 GMT
The Duke of Edinburgh was himself notorious for his many public gaffes, often of a racial nature.
The prince had to apologise in 1999 after commenting during a tour of an Edinburgh electronics factory that an untidy fuse box looked "as if it was put in by an Indian".
Twitterati were quick to point out the irony of Marr putting his foot in it the same way.
— is that normal? (@loonybin1973) April 10, 2021
— DecoloniseTheCurriculum.com (@MrPranPatel) April 9, 2021
— Andrew Smith (@andrew_graeme) April 10, 2021
— Sufiya's Noor Inayat Khan children book out now (@sufiyaahmed) April 10, 2021
