Carla Bruni has posted an edited photo of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex which replaced Meghan Markle with Yoko Ono.
The former French first lady, 55, posted the photoshopped image to her 750,000 followers with the lyrics to All You Need is Love by The Beatles.
The wife of Nicholas Sarkozy even tagged the Royal Family in the post which some praised but others criticised as ‘racist’ for comparing the two women of colour and their supposed influence over their husbands.
Ono is regularly cited as the main reason the Beatles broke up, despite the Fab Four denying her involvement.
Carla Bruni has been slammed for posting an edited photo of Prince Harry which replaces Meghan Markle with Yoko Ono
Like the Duchess of Sussex, Ono was an actress who moved to the UK to marry into a world famous British institution, but soon left for the US amid a dramatic rupture.
Some critics believe today that the idea she was a Svengali-like figure who ensnared John Lennon and deliberately caused the breakup of the biggest band of all time was a narrative rooted in sexism and racism.
Similarly, while some have questioned Meghan’s role in Harry’s continuing war of words against the royals, others say it is unfair to blame her for his decision to ditch his family and launch missiles at Buckingham Palace from the US.
During the media blitz for his new memoir Spare which was released today, the Duchess of Sussex has remained out of sight.
Previously, the couple appeared together on their Netflix specials and their bombshell interview with Opray Winfrey where they made accusations of racism against the royal family, which Harry tried to roll back on Sunday.
One person commented on Bruni’s post: ‘No. Not funny. Why would you post something so insensitive? Seriously. Why are you condoning racism and supporting hateful rhetoric?
‘Meghan has been the target of multiple death threats in recent years, Yoko was threatened many years ago and then John was murdered… This post reveals a lot about you… and it’s disappointing.’
The former French first lady, 55, posted the photoshopped image to her 750,000 followers with the lyrics to All You Need is Love by The Beatles
The wife of Nicholas Sarkozy even tagged the Royal Family in the post which some praised but others criticised (pictured in Saudi Arabia in December)
Many criticised Bruni’s post, saying in her Instagram comments how it was ‘demeaning’ and ‘condoning racism’
Another said: ‘This is disrespectful and racist towards women of colour I love you so much it fills me with sadness to see you hitting such a low level on your social media platform.’
A Twitter user wrote: ‘Carla Bruni, a white woman, continuing to blame WOC [women Women of Colour] for the decisions their white partners make.
‘Funny that they never blame any of the white female partners. Ugh, I’m upset I ever admired Carla. I’m done with her.’
Another commented: ‘I historically gave Carla Bruni a lot more credit. It wasn’t deserved. When given the opportunity to clown, most white women will take it.
‘In the same way Yoko had nothing to do with the Beatles separating (hell all groups disband at some point), Meg has 0 to do with Harry’s choice.’
Bruni, Sarkozy’s third wife, previously courted her own controversy in France after dating renowned philosopher and TV personality Raphaël Enthoven, and his publisher and author father Jean-Paul Enthoven.
Others expressed their approval of the joke which divided Bruni’s followers
She is said to have had an on/off affair with Mick Jagger when she was in her 20s, which, according to his wife Jerry Hall, precipitated their divorce.
She also briefly dated musician Eric Clapton in 1990.
It was rumoured she briefly had an affair with Donald Trump however, the model said the US president had made up these claims.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan, 41, relocated from the UK to California in early 2020, and have, since early 2021, been raising their two children, Archie and Lilibet, in a $14.65million mansion in Montecito.
However, while Harry has admitted that he doesn’t believe his family will ever make a full-time return to the UK or royal life, he has hinted that he and Meghan will not give up their official titles.
In an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday, Anderson Cooper asked why they did not relinquish their titles as duke and duchess if they wanted a peaceful existence away from the media.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding in 2018
Ono is regularly cited as the main reason the Beatles broke up, despite the Fab Four denying her involvement
Cooper said: ‘One of the criticisms that you’ve received is that okay, fine, you wanna move to California, you wanna step back from the institutional role.
‘Why be so public? Why reveal conversations you’ve had with your father or with your brother?
‘You say you tried to do this privately.’
Harry replied: ‘Every single time I’ve tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife.
‘You know, the family motto is never complain, never explain.
‘But it’s just a motto. And it doesn’t really hold.’
The couple announced that they were going to step back from their royal duties on January 8, 2020.
At the time, they wrote in a joint statement that they had reached the decision after ‘many months of reflection and internal discussions.’
They said they wanted to ‘work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.’