Following England’s defeat to Italy in the European Championship on Sunday, Prince William went to Twitter to express his displeasure with the “racist abuse” directed at some of the country’s black players.

He’s been chastised once again for his lack of public support for his sister-in-law Meghan Markle when she spoke out against racism.

In a tweet, the British royal stated,“I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W.”

However, many Twitter users are labeling William as a hypocrite for supporting Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Bukayo Saka while never publicly defending his sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, who is bi-racial and has experienced racism while working as a member of the British royal family in the UK.

Fans of Meghan Markle, wondered why he didn’t seem outraged when she was the subject of racist headlines and coverage in the British tabloid press. These opponents said that the future king’s outrage, activity, and demands for responsibility were “performative” and selective.

While William has been vocal against racism in sports, he defended his family when the Duchess of Sussex spoke out about her racism experience in an interview with Oprah Winfrey on March 7.

When reporters questioned William about the interview on March 11, he said, “We’re not a racist family.”

Many Twitter users voiced their displeasure.

“For years #sussexsquad has been told that we are ‘race baiters’ for highlighting the racism against Meghan Markle. Tonight, seeing the abuse hurled at Saka, Rashford, & Sancho literally proves what we’ve been saying for years,” one person wrote.

“Prince William per formative ally ship. His words would have legitimate credibility right now if he had condemned racist abuse towards Meghan Markle and Archie.”  Someone another reasoned, “His silence and complicity fuelled what he condemn today,” reasoned someone else.”

“Were you sickened by the racist abuse aimed at your sister-in-law, Meghan Markle for years? What your own blood nephew Archie?” enquired a user

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a British-born Nigerian novelist, lawyer, and women’s rights campaigner, made a typical remark. “Prince William if you had led by being sickened, vocally & visibly against racist abuse at your sister-in-law #MeghanMarkle, for yrs, Your words would have legitimate credibility right now,” she tweeted.

Mos-Shogbamimu concluded, “Smacks of performative allyship.”

A large number of individuals, on the other hand, applauded William for speaking up on “issues that need to be said.”

“This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media,” said Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, on Twitter. “Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.”

Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, spoke candidly about the racial assaults she experienced from the UK press and inside the royal family during her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.

During the interview, Meghan said that certain royals had “concerns” about the skin color of her and Harry’s first child. Although Winfrey said that Harry informed her that the comments were not uttered by the Queen or Prince Philip, she and Harry did not disclose their names.

Harry branded the tabloid press in the United Kingdom “bigoted” and claimed it fosters a “toxic environment” of “control and fear.” He cited the treatment of his wife by the British media as one of the reasons they chose to retire from royal responsibilities and relocate to the United States in 2020.

The accusations were also recognized in a statement issued on behalf of the Queen on March 9 by Buckingham Palace, which said that “the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.”