Piers Morgan blasts ‘shameless, brazen hypocrites’ Meghan Markle and Prince Harry over baby bump photo

In his article for the paper, he said: "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."

And he's now accused the couple of being "beyond parody" - after it was announced they'll give Oprah an exclusive interview.

Piers hit out at the couple after they posted their announcement just days after Meghan won her High Court privacy case against the Mail on Sunday.

A judge ruled the paper breached her privacy when it printed extracts of a five-page letter she wrote to Thomas, 76.

It comes as...

• Bookies have revealed their top picks for baby names - including Diana and Alfie
• Harry has previously revealed he wanted two kids
• How Meghan appears to have kept her pregnancy secret
• Harry and Meghan's touching tribute to Diana in the announcement has been revealed
• The Duchess is tipped to "do an Arnie" and run for office in the US

And Piers - who has previously labelled the couple 'Ginge and Cringe' - said: "Meghan got to have yet another whack at the press.

"Which makes it even more baffling as to why, just a few days later, she would then want an incredibly revealing private photo of her and Harry and their unborn child to appear on the front page of the Mail and the front pages of all the other papers she claims to hate.

"Or rather, it's not baffling at all. For this is yet another example of Meghan and Harry's brazen hypocrisy, and further evidence that they don't have any real desire for privacy.

"They just want the right to use the media to promote themselves when it suits them, and trash and ban them when it doesn't."

And he even compared the couple to the Kardashians after claiming "barely a week has gone by without a new grainy self-promoting Zoom chat, statement or interview being released from their Santa Barbara mansion".

"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," he said.

"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.

"It's a self-promotional hustle and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have proven to as effective at it as Kim and her sisters."

However, he also offered his "sincere congratulations" to the couple - and said: "I wish them nothing but happiness with their new addition when he or she arrives."

The couple yesterday shared a black and white picture of themselves under a tree, with Harry resting his hand on Meghan's head as she cradled her bump.

But the post immediately attracted Piers' ire, and he told his 7.7million Twitter followers: "Harry and Meghan have announced they’re pregnant and released this cheesy photo of themselves to ensure the media gives the story about their private life more prominence - in their latest courageous effort to stop the same media focusing on their private life."

Just days ago he urged The Queen to permanently strip Prince Harry of his military titles because he cannot be an "absentee armchair general".

A spokesman for the couple said on Valentine's Day: "We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child."

Harry and Meghan quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020 in a quest for personal and financial freedom, and now live in an £11m house in Montecito in California.

The couple's new tot will be the tenth great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

It's reported that the Palace was "caught off guard" by the public announcement and photo.

In a short statement last night, Buckingham Palace said: "Her Majesty, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and the entire family are delighted and wish them well."

Meghan and Harry's first child Archie was born in 2019. He is due to celebrate his second birthday on May 6.

When the tot arrived, Meghan said: "It's magic, it's pretty amazing.

"I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy."

The couple have made no secret of their desire for a second child but they previously said two would be their limit for environmental reasons.

And their announcement follows Meghan opening up last year about suffering a miscarriage in an emotional essay in the New York Times.

In the moving article, the Duchess said she had been looking after her son Archie, who would have been about 14 months old at the time, when she felt a "sharp cramp".

She wrote: "After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp.

"I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.

"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second. Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand.

"I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears."