Murray noted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had previously attacked the British media for intrusion into their private lives “yet have opened up on several occasions to media in the US,the latest event being Sunday’s interview with Oprah Winfrey,which will play to a worldwide audience”.

Two prominent newspaper editors,Katherine Viner ofThe Guardian and Roula Khalaf of theFinancial Times,said they did not agree with the society’s position.

“There is work to be done across all sectors in the UK to call out and challenge racism,” Khalaf said.

“The media has a critical role to play,and editors must ensure our newsrooms and coverage reflect the societies we live in.”

Viner said:“Every institution in the United Kingdom is currently examining its own position on vital issues of race and the treatment of people of colour. As I have said before,the media must do the same. It must be much more representative and more self-aware.”

Nearly 170 British journalists of colour described the Society of Editor’s “knee-jerk” statement as “laughable” and proof the industry was “in denial”.

“While Meghan’s comments shone a light on her own personal experiences of discriminatory treatment,they reflect the depressingly familiar reality of how people from black,Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are portrayed by the UK press on a daily basis,” the group saidin an open letter.

“The Society of Editors should have used the comments by the Sussexes to start an open and constructive discussion about the best way to prevent racist coverage in future,including through addressing lack of representation in the UK media,particularly at a senior level.”

Good Morning Britainhost Piers Morganquit the show on Tuesday after his fierce criticism of Meghan the day before prompted 41,000 complaints to the media regulator. On Tuesday he had a heated on-air encounter with weather presenter Alex Beresford,who argued racism was a huge problem in Britain.

“Do you know how much courage it takes to actually speak about racism? To actually call it out?” Beresford said.

“This is the thing with racism:racism isn’t always caught on camera;racism isn’t always a black man out on the floor with a white police officer’s knee on his neck.”

The Winfrey interview was watched by 12.5 million people in Britain.

In the interview,Harry said more than 70 British MPs had released a statement condemning the “colonial undertones” of press coverage towards Meghan.

“Yet no one from my family ever said anything over those three years. That hurts,” he said.

“But I also am acutely aware of where my family stand and how scared they are of the tabloids turning on them.”

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