BBC under fire after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's friend cut from coverage

The have come under fire after the mother of a cellist that played at said she was shocked to find that he did not appear on the broadcaster's highlights. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason's son Sheku had been personally invited by Meghan, 43, to play at the 2018 Windsor wedding, and even met Meghan and Harry prior to the big day to find out what they wanted.

Speaking at the Hay Festival in Wales just days ago, Mrs Kanneh-Mason said that she believes her talented son did not feature in newspapers or on the BBC's highlights because he was not doing a "black thing", as

, she said at the event: "So there was the choir, there was the preacher but he was left out as though he hadn't been there."

She continued: "The next morning, we looked through all the papers. He was not there. So they decided that he was going to be absent. And we thought, what's going on here?

"I think what it was: the gospel choir was doing what it was supposed to do. The preacher was doing what he was supposed to do. But a black cellist?

"A black cellist cancels itself out ... he's not doing what he's supposed to be doing, he's not doing a black thing."

A BBC spokesman has said: "BBC News reported widely on Sheku Kanneh-Mason's role in the 2018 royal wedding including news that he was selected to play, multiple stories of how the day unfolded and on the impact of his performance."

Since performing at the wedding in 2018, the cellist has recalled the event multiple times with fond memories.

In an interview with the previously, Sheku said: "I'd never actually been to a wedding before. It was pretty cool. Kind of like I'd imagine a wedding to be. I actually really enjoyed it.

"They (Harry and Meghan) were really friendly. It was great to talk to them and see how much they cared about what I played."

Sheku was believed to have been chosen to play at the wedding by Meghan as she was a fan of his music beforehand, with the cellist having won the 2016 BBC Young Musician title.