The journalist who fronted the BBC's controversial royal documentary once criticised its 'utterly relentless, spirit-crushing monarchist propaganda' and joked about 'throwing a brick' at Prince William and Kate, it emerged today.
Amol Rajan - the BBC journalist who presented The Princes And The Press - also previously condemned Prince Charles for 'not being bright enough' and said Philip 'for all his faults, is also c**p at doing a tie knot'.
He slammed 'sycophantic and shameless monarchist propaganda', said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's titles were 'absurd', and criticised Kate during her wedding for her 'false royal wave' which was 'desperately sad'.
Rajan, 38, posted around 20 critical tweets about the royals over a period between March 2010 and January 2013 when he was working for The Independent newspaper, but before being appointed editor in June 2013.
The revelations will pile fresh pressure on the BBC over its handling of Rajan's two-part documentary, which drew unprecedented censure from Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace and bias accusations.
The tweets emerged after Rajan apologised on Twitter this morning for describing the public role of William and Kate as a 'total fraud' and calling Philip a 'racist buffoon' in articles written in 2012 for The Independent.
MailOnline sent all of Rajan's old tweets to the BBC's press office this afternoon, which said he wanted to make clear that his tweet apology 'applies to all commentary - including tweets'. A BBC spokesman also told MailOnline: 'Once journalists join the BBC, they leave past views at the door. Amol is an experienced BBC journalist who reports on all of the topics he covers in an impartial way and in line with the BBC's editorial guidelines.'
Among the tweets was one posted on June 16, 2012 - the day of Trooping the Colour - when he said: 'This utterly relentless, spirit-crushing monarchist propaganda on the BBC is making me ill. Need to watch some sport, quick.'
Another saw him reply to a tweet by his Independent colleague Rebecca Armstrong, who is now features editor at the i, on September 23, 2012 in which she said: 'Watching a mad cat programme on Animal Planet. Couple have a mog sanctuary mansion with bazillions of cats. I may need a lie down after this.' Rajan said in response: 'Is that on Freeview? I'm about to throw a brick at Kate and Wills and would love a good cat sanctuary right now.'
It is not clear exactly what he was referring to, although Kate and William had just returned from visiting the Pacific island of Tuvalu at the time and Closer magazine in France had published topless photos of Kate a week earlier.
In a further tweet on October 22, 2010, Rajan wrote: 'Prince Charles isn't bright enough to realise the foundation of ethics is a refusal to accept nature's cruel course. Not "harmony" with it!'
And on June 9, 2011, the day before Philip's 90th birthday, Rajan tweeted: 'The Duke of Edinburgh, for all his faults, is also c**p at doing a tie knot. That's just not on.' Then on March 8, 2012, he wrote: 'Must we endure endless sycophantic and shameless monarchist propaganda this year? Ah. Yes. I'm thinking of T2 cover on Prince Harry.'
On November 28, 2012 he wrote: 'OH NO! The absurdly titled Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enter Guildhall in Cambridge. I'm getting married there next year. Must reconsider.' And during the Royal Wedding on April 29, 2011, he posted a series of tweets about how members of the wedding party were waving - including one saying: 'Oh no... how desperately sad. Kate is doing the false royal wave too. I wish she waved like a Commoner #rw2011.'
In another on the same day, Rajan said: 'I've got so much solidarity right now with the way Michael Middleton is clearly incapable of the royal wave. Let's hear it for the oiks!' In a third, Rajan tweeted: 'Massively respect William for waving properly and naturally rather than in the absurd, stilted, false, condescending manner of other royals.'
The old tweets emerged after the Daily Mail revealed that Rajan had described the public role of William and Kate as a 'total fraud' and calling Philip a 'racist buffoon' in articles written in 2012 for The Independent.
Amol Rajan is the BBC's media editor who presented The Princes And The Press, its recent controversial royal documentary
In response to the Daily Mail's report, Rajan tweeted today: 'In reference to very reasonable questions about some foolish commentary from a former life, I want to say I deeply regret it. I wrote things that were rude and immature and I look back on them now with real embarrassment, and ask myself what I was thinking, frankly…'
In a second tweet this morning, Rajan added: 'I would like to say sorry for any offence they caused then or now. I'm completely committed to impartiality and hope our recent programmes can be judged on their merits.'
A source told MailOnline that Rajan had apologised 'of his own accord', rather than being forced into it by bosses.
