Did anyone believe that Prince Harry’s testimony in court against the Mirror Group Newspapers would be accurately portrayed within the British media? No, of course not. We’ve seen enough from the British media establishment to understand that they feel like they’re all in this together. The stones it takes for Harry to not only go up against one newspaper, but the entire media landscape, the whole rotten system, is pretty extraordinary. Still, I had hope that the American media would do a more thorough and fair job of covering the events. That… has not been the case. The New York Times had an analysis piece about Harry’s testimony in court and wouldn’t you know, they’re relying more on “wow, Harry is hurting his reputation in Britain!” GMAFB. From Mark Landler and Megan Specia’s reporting for the NYT:
Harry’s declining popularity: For Harry, who now largely supports himself, the litigation has been expensive and time-consuming. People who know him say he did not expect, when he brought the suits, that they would drag on for so many years. Going to war against the tabloids has not helped his image in Britain, where his popularity has already been tarnished by his bitter split with his father and older brother, William.
Peter Hunt’s comments: “He is taking action over alleged illegality, alleged abuse of power,” said Peter Hunt, a former royal correspondent for the BBC. “That is quite a courageous move, which is not an adjective often seen next to the name Harry.” Since Harry left Britain in 2020, he has gone a long way toward taking back control of his narrative from the tabloids. Between his tell-all memoir, “Spare,” and a Netflix documentary with Meghan, Harry will have little new information to disclose on the stand, Mr. Hunt predicted.
Royal watchers claim Harry is polarizing: Some royal watchers said it was a sign of Harry’s polarizing reputation in Britain that the media coverage before the trial focused on whether testifying would diminish his stature rather than on the journalism issues at stake. “The kernel of what he’s trying to do is being watered down,” said Mr. Hunt, the former BBC correspondent. “It’s almost as if phone hacking is priced in,” he said, adding, “it wasn’t priced in if you were the victim.”
[From The NYT]
“Going to war against the tabloids has not helped his image in Britain, where his popularity has already been tarnished by his bitter split with his father and older brother, William.” Ah, yes – the split was so bitter that Charles spent months demanding Harry show up for his coronation. And Harry’s “image” being hurt after he revealed that his brother physically assaulted him in his home says more about Britain than Harry. It continues to fascinate me as we watch the Windsors act as if the tabloids are an extension of the royal family, and the tabloids speak as if they’re part of the family too. What an unholy alliance. Anyway, it’s disgusting that to watch the New York Times once again carry water for the worst people and the most nonsensical arguments in the UK.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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