British commentator clowns CNN's Don Lemon after he suggests royal family should pay for reparations

Recently sidelined CNN host Don Lemon was taken to school by British royal commentator Hilary Fordwich after he suggested the vast wealth inherited by King Charles III after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II should be spent on reparations for descendants of the victims of the African slave trade.

Following the queen's funeral on Monday, Lemon suggested to Fordwich that the Royal Family's wealth should be redistributed to alleviate inflation or pay for slavery reparations.

“All of this wealth — and you hear about it comes as England is facing rising costs of living, a living crisis and austerity budget cuts, and so on, and then you have those who are asking for reparations for colonialism," Lemon said. "Some of those people want to be paid back. Members of the public are asking ‘why are we suffering when you have all of this vast wealth?’ Those are legitimate concerns."

Fordwich answered that if people want reparations, they need to look back "to the beginning of the supply chain" for slavery. "That was in Africa," she said.

Then she gave Lemon a history lesson in how the British empire was the first nation in the world to abolish slavery thanks to the efforts of William Wilberforce, a devout Christian and member of Parliament.

"In Great Britain they abolished slavery. Two thousand naval men died on the high seas trying to stop slavery," Fordwich continued. "Why? Because the African kings were rounding up their own people, they had them on cages, waiting in the beaches. No one was running into Africa to get them. And I think you're totally right. If reparations need to be paid, we need to go right back to the beginning of that supply chain and say, who was rounding up their own people and having them hanged up in cages? Absolutely. That's where they should start."

She added that the descendants of the families who lost loved ones fighting the slave traders on the high seas "should receive something too" if reparations from Africa are to be given.

Lemon was left dumbfounded. "It's an interesting discussion, Hilary. Thank you very much, I appreciate it," he said.

Days ago, CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO Chris Licht announced that Lemon would be sidelined from prime time and moved to a new morning show with co-anchors Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. The show is set to debut this later this year.

Lemon addressed the announcement on his show last Thursday, telling viewers, "I was not demoted."