Piers Morgan has condemned Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as "shameless hypocrites" for providing their "carefully choreographed" pregnancy photo to the press.
The Good Morning Britain host blasted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in one of his characteristically brutal rants for the Daily Mail, claiming it was "baffling" that the couple shared the intimate image with the newspapers he claims they "supposedly detest".
Describing Harry as "hobbit-like and bare-footed" in the photo, Morgan claimed the expectant parents clearly had "no desire" for the privacy they had previously insisted upon, having implemented a "zero-engagement policy" with four British newspapers last year.
"They loftily announced they would no longer have anything to do with The Sun, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Mail or the Daily Express... because of their supposed 'salacious gossip' about them which they apparently know to be 'distorted, false, or invasive beyond reason'," Morgan wrote.
The 55-year-old broadcaster claimed that the move had come amid one of Harry and Meghan's "many furious tirades against the press" which come about "whenever they are criticised for doing stuff like preaching about the environment as they use Elton John's private jet like a taxi service".
Morgan noted that the four newspapers that had been mentioned by the couple as responsible for making them "currency in an economy of clickbait" all featured Harry and Meghan's baby announcement in a very positive light.
"Why were these papers allowed to publish such an intimate photo given the ban?" Morgan asked, insisting the pair could have blocked its use by some outlets.
"[Harry and Meghan] just want the right to use the media to promote themselves when it suits them, and trash and ban them when it doesn't.
"In fact, it's quite clear that the pair of them crave attention and publicity like ravenous jackals gorging on the carcass of a freshly slain gazelle."
Morgan added that he felt the former royals were "no different to the Kardashians" with their "self-promotional hustle" that has seen them sign a major Netflix deal, record their own podcast and agree to a "wide-ranging" interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"They know all this publicity is key to their success and bank balance, and they depend on the media they profess to loathe to deliver it," Morgan wrote.
"In this regard, they're no different to reality TV celebrities like the Kardashians who don't actually do anything for a living other than sell their 'brand' to the highest bidder."
The television host also declared it was "contemptible" that Harry and Meghan continued to "exploit their royal titles in such a ruthless greedy way without doing any of the hard graft that other royals back home in the UK have to do to earn their keep".
"I'm thrilled for Meghan and Harry that they're having another baby," he wrote.
"But not as thrilled as they will be feeling about their very private photo adorning the front page of every paper that they banned for intruding into their privacy."
