Prince Harry once described the British press, more precisely the members of the “Royal Rota”, as an extended arm of the palace. As an additional PR apparatus that the press departments of the royal offices know how to use all too well. “It’s a dirty game,” explained the 39-year-old in the Netflix documentary “Harry and Meghan.” Members of the “Royal Rota” system – and therefore present at all royal appearances – are: “The Daily Express”, “The Daily Mail”, “The Daily Mirror”, “The Evening Standard”, “The Telegraph”, “The Times” and “The Sun.”
In the documentary, Harry indirectly made serious accusations against his brother William. It didn’t take much to read between the lines: According to the Sussexes, Williams and Kate’s press representatives were behind negative stories about Duchess Meghan – also, according to one interpretation, to nip negative press about themselves in the bud by pointing the finger others shows. We give you something, in return you let go of us. A dirty deal, sure. Harry cited envy and jealousy as motives. Now, however, the tide seems to be turning.
Because suddenly the previous favorites of the English press, William and Kate, are at the center of furious reporting. Of all people, the loyal tabloids, the willing helpers up to now, seem to be turning against the Wales couple these days. For weeks, the Daily Mail and Co. emphasized that they would respect the privacy of Catherine, who recently underwent surgery. The tide changed for the first time when Prince William canceled his participation in the memorial service in honor of his godfather, the former Greek King Constantine II, at short notice. The press didn’t want to completely accept his “private reasons” and commented sharply on the absence of the Prince of Wales.
The current scandal surrounding the photoshopped Mother’s Day photo of Kate with their three children seems to have been the last straw. Royal author Sarah Vine recently argued in the Daily Mail that William and Kate should finally tell the truth. “Either they say what’s really going on or they risk drowning in a swamp of their own making,” Vine said. Royal author Liz Jones also sharply criticized the palace’s PR strategy and explained why she did not believe that Kate had actually manipulated the photo herself. Various portals joined this chorus of critics, demanding that the palace should release the original picture – which the palace ruled out.
Articles have now also appeared in the “Mirror” and the “Times” criticizing the palace’s behavior. Only the tabloid “The Sun” seemed to stay somewhat faithfully in line and published an article that addressed Harry and Meghan’s Photoshop fails.
What is no less interesting about the whole issue is the look at the international press. Because, in contrast to members of the “Rota” system in England, they have fewer direct connections to the palace’s press offices – and therefore less reason to maintain such relationships or to hold back. CNN announced that it would review all photos published of Kensington Palace. Other news sites picked up on the rumors about the photo fail and Kate’s whereabouts, while US talk show host Stephen Colbert joked on his show about a possible affair by Prince William. A disaster for the royals – and at the same time a dynamic that will probably be difficult to contain again.
If Kate and William can no longer rely on the loyalty of their press and have made enemies in the tabloids, the pressure on them will soon become unbearable. Because, Harry already knew: it’s a dirty game.
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