Meghan and Harry’s unique attempt to reshape the way the British press works had taken no account of the fact that the British press is an integral part of British national life, and scrutiny is an acceptable part of the package. As Prince Philip has put it, ‘It’s the role of the press to be intrusive. It’s a fact of life and one we accept.’ As members of the Royal Family, albeit semi-detached ones residing abroad, both Harry and Meghan have a duty to respect and abide by the protocols and customs of the country over which his grandmother reigns and of which his father and brother will one day be king. There are already elaborate protocols, safeguards and laws in place, some quite recent, but others going back decades, sometimes centuries, protecting the rights of those who write in the press, and those about whom the press write. All British newspapers are obliged to refer to an individual about whom they are writing for his or her comments. This right cuts both ways, protecting not only the subject of an article but also the publication publishing the piece.
Because the American media were being fed stories that Meghan had been victimised because of her race and class, there was considerably more sympathy for her and for Harry on that side of the Atlantic than there would ever have been, had they known that the facts were being misconstrued to protect the Sussex brand.
I for one found it depressing that clever operators could so subvert the narrative and misrepresent the reality to the detriment of a whole nation. But the world had changed out of all recognition because of the coronavirus pandemic. Things that had seemed significant pre-lockdown simply became irrelevant post. Inevitably, Harry and Meghan were affected along with everyone else. While the other members of the Royal Family endeared themselves to the British public with sensible, down-to-earth and relevant demeanour, Harry and Meghan were finding it difficult to strike the right note from their temporary accommodation in California.
As the pandemic raged and people started dying in their thousands, as hospitals filled up and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson was struck down and nearly died, surviving only after being taken into intensive care at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, and chaos reigned worldwide as to what was the best course of action for fighting and avoiding the virus, Harry and Meghan’s postings did nothing to enhance their reputations. They advised people, who had been told weeks before that they should wash their hands, to do that, then grandly informed the world that they would be providing updates as to the best and most accurate information. Since the consensus was that not even the experts knew what they were dealing with, Harry and Meghan found themselves being mocked for laying claim to a level of expertise they could not possibly possess. Then their website was closed down and they had to rely on friendly journalists and postings from their supporters. By this time, they were coming across as irrelevant and out-of-step, and those of us who wished them well hoped they’d go to ground until the crisis was over.
Fortunately, they did go quiet, but it was for only a few days before they surfaced, offering their support and encouragement to a variety of people. Their professionally paced and heavily curated contributions were obviously conceived with their advisors to keep their profiles up with drip-feeding. Each of them contacted someone who was then proud to share the experience with a wider public. Since it was unlikely that any of these people would have been violating the couple’s privacy, the conclusion had to be that Harry, Meghan and Sunshine Sachs were providing encouragement behind the scenes. This was borne out when the executive director of Project Angel Food, a charity Doria Ragland likes, informed Instagram, ‘In honour of the Easter holiday, the duke and duchess spent Sunday morning volunteering with Project Angel Food. And on Wednesday they quietly continued delivering meals to relieve our overworked drivers. It was their way to thank volunteers, chefs and staff who have been working tirelessly since the Covid-19 crisis began. We’re completely honoured.’ This was much more the sort of tone Harry and Meghan wanted than what they had been getting from the British media, and sure enough, the American press not only covered the story with the positivity that is such a feature of their press, but even managed to obtain photographs of Meghan in her face mask and Harry in his bandana delivering the meals. People magazine, whose coverage of them is akin to what it was with his mother when she was alive, not only faithfully reported upon those activities, but also managed to obtain the couple’s uncomplaining approval when it ran a story, with photographs, about them taking their dogs for a walk. Plainly, Harry and Meghan were, Kardashian-style, keeping themselves in the news by curating their profiles as and when it suited them. But this did not help their cause in Britain, for people questioned why Harry and Meghan would consider it acceptable for American publications to photograph them walking their dogs but complain, as they did, when the British press did the same and provided equally inoffensive coverage.
Looking behind what was happening to Harry and Meghan’s motives and aims, they seem to have believed that they had embarked upon a win/win scenario in their battle with the tabloids. If they beat the four newspaper companies into submission, they would have achieved their goal of micromanaging their publicity, but if they failed,
