Priti Patel, the home secretary, said she had not seen any debates or commentary about Meghan that she thought were racist

Priti Patel has dismissed suggestions that the Duchess of Sussex has been subjected to racist press coverage, saying people of any background can “get on in life” in Britain.

The home secretary, whose paternal grandparents were born in India and whose parents emigrated to Britain from Uganda, said she had not seen any debates or commentary about Meghan that she thought were racist.

There have been widespread claims that racism has driven negative media reports.

The Labour leadership contender Clive Lewis, who is mixed-race, said last week: “If you look at the racism Meghan Markle has experienced in the British media, then I understand why . . . it can’t be easy being a royal.”

The novelist Sir Philip Pullman tweeted: “Of course Meghan Markle