Charlie Hebdo is criticized for portraying Meghan Markle as George Floyd with the Queen kneeling on her neck

The French newspaper Charlie Hebdo has been criticized for an "offensive" cartoon portraying Meghan Markle as George Floyd with the Queen kneeling on her neck.

The cartoon in question was released in the wake of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey, which premiered on CBS, on Sunday, March 7.

In it, Markle spoke about the intense media scrutiny she had fallen under after becoming the Duchess of Sussex and stated that she felt she had been the victim of racism from an unnamed member of the British royal family.

The Guardian reports that the controversial cartoon was published on Saturday, March 13, under the headline "Why Meghan quit."

The caricature shows Markle lying face-down on the ground, with a leering Queen Elizabeth kneeling on the back of her neck. A speech bubble issuing from the Duchess' mouth shows Markle saying: "Because I couldn’t breathe anymore."

On Twitter, a number of social media users have condemned the newspaper for evoking the image of Floyd, whose death as a result of police brutality sparked mass protests in America and beyond, in a satirical cartoon.

For instance, one Twitter user stated: "The enjoyment on the cartoon queen face is so horrible it says to cause pain to this person is ok and its also enjoyable, pleasurable. Why is the idea of hurting a black women enjoyment? that is the deeper question. [sic]"

Another person commented: "The latest cover of the Charlie Hebdo magazine is appalling and a huge giant leap too far."

A third wrote: "#Hebdo always takes things too far without having the least consideration for how things might pan out.

"It is as if instead of moderating themselves after that tragedy, they've grown more radical instead of being emboldened. Radicalism in all its form is dangerous. [sic]"

The Guardian reports that Halima Begum, chief executive of the British race equality thinktank the Runnymede Trust, has called out the newspaper, which was stormed and attacked by radical Islamist terrorists over its depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in 2015.

Begum stated: "The Queen as George Floyd’s murderer crushing Meghan’s neck?. Meghan saying she’s unable to breathe?

"This doesn’t push boundaries, make anyone laugh or challenge racism. It demeans the issues and causes offence, across the board. [sic]"