Television personality Narinder Kaur, known for appearing on Good Morning Britain, has publicly apologized following criticism over a tweet she posted about Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.
Kaur’s comment, which questioned the royal’s appearance and speculated whether she might be a smoker, came shortly after Kate attended the annual Remembrance Day service in Westminster. The royal family gathered to honour armed forces members who died in combat.
In her tweet, posted on Sunday, Kaur commented on Kate’s “ageing” and questioned whether smoking might be the cause. Her remarks quickly drew backlash on social media, especially in light of Kate’s recent disclosure that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
One Twitter user expressed disappointment with Kaur’s post, criticizing the ongoing focus on women’s appearances. Others called her comment “insensitive” and “lacking in compassion” given the context.
On Sunday evening, Kaur took to social media to respond to the backlash, issuing an apology and calling her tweet “stupid” and “insensitive.” She explained that her initial comment was a genuine, if misguided, question. She acknowledged that someone with her own family’s experience of cancer should have approached the subject with more awareness. “It was, on reflection, a stupid, insensitive tweet,” she wrote, sharing that she lost her brother to cancer after he went through a similarly tricky chemotherapy journey.
In a follow-up video posted on Monday, Kaur reiterated that she did not intend her tweet to be hurtful or mean-spirited. She stated, “My intention was not to be malicious or nasty. It was stupid to ask about the ageing. I’ve admitted that, put my hands up, and apologize if it offended.” She also noted that, while others on social media have commented on similar topics, she received an influx of what she described as “sexual, racial, violent abuse” from accounts using symbols like Union Jacks and English Defence League flags.
Kaur also addressed a wave of comments bringing Meghan Markle into the conversation, saying she believed the backlash highlighted an issue of bias and criticism of her as a South Asian woman speaking about a prominent white royal figure. “You exposed your narrative,” Kaur said in her video, accusing her critics of using the incident to pit her against Kate Middleton in a comparison involving Meghan Markle. “I’m not going anywhere,” she concluded, stating that she would continue to speak out despite attempts to “cancel” her.
In her statement, Kaur clarified that she regretted her initial comment. She reiterated that her intention had never been to cause offence or hurt, particularly toward someone dealing with health challenges. The incident has since sparked a broader conversation online regarding the sensitivity of public commentary around health and appearance.
