>
Did Jeremy Clarkson apologize to Meghan Markle just to stop pubs from canceling his Hawkstone beer?
Jeremy Clarkson was encouraged to apologize to Prince Harry in a bid to save the reputation of his beer brand.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that a mutual friend of the two persuaded the TV star to write to the Duke of Sussex after some pubs refused to sell his beer, Hawkstone, following his comments about Meghan Markle in his newspaper column.
After outrage over him saying he ‘hated’ the Duchess of Sussex and wanted to see her parade the streets naked while people hurled ‘excrement’ at her, apparently referencing a public shaming scene from the fantasy TV series Game Of Thrones, Clarkson’s business partner Johnny Hornby, who is also on the board of directors of Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, orchestrated the apology.
Hornby, who co-founded Hawkstone along with Clarkson, is understood to have feared more pubs would stop drinking, such as owners such as Tom Doggett of the Red Lion pub in Evesham, Worcestershire. He has withdrawn the lager from his establishment because he says he wants to ‘stick to his principles’ from him.
In the column, Jeremy Clarkson said he “hated” the Duchess of Sussex and wanted to see her parade naked through the streets while people threw “excrement” at her.
Clarkson’s business partner Johnny Hornby (right), who is also on the board of Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, orchestrated the apology.
A source said: “Johnny is friends with both Jeremy and Harry, so he was in the middle of it all.” He suggested that it would be a good idea for Jeremy to apologize. It was, after all, at a time when the beer’s reputation was taking a hit.
“Jeremy decided he was going to do it and now everyone hopes he can get over it.” Hawkstone ale is brewed using ingredients grown on Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds. Priced at around £4.20 a pint, it is sold in around 100 pubs in London, Buckinghamshire, Kent and Worcestershire.
Speaking of her decision to ban beer, Doggett said: “We have a lot of women who come here alone and say they feel safe in the pub… And if someone in the pub made comments like Jeremy Clarkson, at least they would I would ask them to be quiet or they would be kicked out.
Clarkson’s deal with Amazon Prime, for shows Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm, appears to be over, while ITV bosses refuse to say if they will work with him after the contracted series of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is filming later this year.
Hornby and Clarkson declined to comment.
Clarkson was persuaded to write to the Duke of Sussex after some pubs refused to stock his beer, Hawkstone, following his comments about Meghan.