But I really am at a loss whether the press feel any sort of compassion towards him and his wife.

Here’s a kid who lost his mom very publicly,then had his parentage bandied about in the tabloids very publicly, went off the rails, found a purpose, then happiness.

Now the press see it as open season on his wife, who happens to be from a mixed race relationship, divorced, with a bit of form.

Is it too much to let them be happy?

I think it’s disgusting the way certain tabloids behave.

People still buy them though, so they must be catering for an audience.

For the same reason people used to like watching witches get burnt, the crowd love a bit of schardenfreude.

Whilst I sort of agree I’d also be more than happy if he resigned his royal gig and became a bog standard grommet like the rest of us. Press would loose interest very quickly if he worked in a bog standard job, paid his way and stopped doing interviews and opening little curtains around plaques. That’s always been an option. Seen much of Edward in the news in last 20 years?

Much as I’m not really a fan of the Royal Family (ambivalent rather than overt republican), let them be FFS.

If nothing else, I hate the hypocrisy of those papers over this – they love a bit of monarchy as long as it doesn’t involve any obvious furriners (with all the irony that entails) or anyone whose skin isn’t milky white…

Pity there’s not a similar spotlight placed on the owners of said tabloids.

I mostly agree with @convert. They currently live a very privileged lifestyle, courtesy in part of taxpayers money via the Queen’s Sovereign Grant. I’m no fan of the garbage that appears in the gutter press, and the people that buy it and ensure its continued existence. I therefore have some sympathy with them, but they can’t have it both ways. They may face a choice: pay their own way and have more privacy, or take tax payers’ money and accept press intrusion.

They’d have press intrusion with or without tax payer money, simply because of the fact that they are about 1000 fold more interesting than the aforementioned Prince Edward. In fact, if he moved to the states he’d end up being the next Edward VIII which would ensure that he was in every edition of the daily mail for the next 2000 years.

I think it’s disgusting the way certain tabloids behave.

People still buy them though, so they must be catering for an audience

Its not the tabloids fault per-se’, afterall their business model is grounded in gossip and treachery at some level or other, it’s the people that buy the rags who support that type of media.

Blame anyone, blame the those people.

Press would loose interest very quickly if he worked in a bog standard job,

Yeah. Sure they would.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/former-eastenders-star-katie-jarvis-20657324

convert

Subscriber
Whilst I sort of agree I’d also be more than happy if he resigned his royal gig and became a bog standard grommet like the rest of us. Press would loose interest very quickly if he worked in a bog standard job, paid his way and stopped doing interviews and opening little curtains around plaques. That’s always been an option. Seen much of Edward in the news in last 20 years?

I have not read an actual newspaper for about 20 years – and source my news etc from various online outlets. The Katie Prices, Beckhams, and royal family are articles I would choose to avoid, so I have missed the apparent hounding of Harry and his wife.
Although from what articles I have seen recently is that they have been doing the usual royal family freebee executive holidays dressed up as charity work … so for that reason I struggle to have sympathy for him; you take the shilling you take that responsibility.

As Convert correctly says; if he took a step away from the limelight then he would soon become irrelevant. William and his family are the long term focus.
My guess is that its just a way of getting the public onboard before he goes to trial with the tabloids; how its dressed up as Diana was chased to her death … not that she was a passenger in a car being driven too fast by a drunk driver.

or just ignore the press and get on with your own life, i’d struggle to name Harry’s wife and care not a jot what anyone says about either of them.

I therefore have some sympathy with them, but they can’t have it both ways. They may face a choice: pay their own way and have more privacy, or take tax payers’ money and accept press intrusion.

Agree. They could also have kept their heads down and ignored everything just as the queen or prince Phillip have done for decades. Get on with the ‘job’ you are payed for without saying a word (part of the job role) or resign. Nobody is making them do the job and they are low enough down on the pecking order that they can just go.

As for the media, I am more concerned how they have helped lead the country into a right wing Brexit mess than anything they may say about the royals

If it wasnt for the faint wiff of racism I’d struggle to give a shit.

The royal family have a political role – he was born not just into privilege but also into power (and responsibility, though that responsibility is apparently just to rubber stamp whatever the pm of the day puts before them). His incredible privilege comes as a result of this power.

The personal lives of politicians should not automatically be out of bounds – they represent us and it seems reasonable to know the kind of person they are – not that many care of course, as evidenced by the polling popularity of our lying, cheating pm.

This isn’t to say any coverage is reasonable, of course. But his family rule over us, and they and their actions should be scrutinised.

Scrutiny is one thing, the intrusive and hostile coverage they get is another.

I struggle with the fact that he visits Malawi, a country riddled with poverty and inequality, and chooses that place to bemoan that fact that the press are mean to him and his wife. Whilst he may be feeling sorry for himself, he does not have to worry about where their next meal comes from or whether their kid will die from malaria.

Whilst I am not condoning the behaviour of the press I do think he needs to be careful seeking sympathy whilst visiting a place that is full people much more deserving of sympathy.

The royal family have a political role – he was born not just into privilege but also
into power

The Queen or King yes, 5th in line to throne not really.

I have not been following the recent absolutely ongoing press coverage so I say the below (and above!) without reference to it.

As with any news, coverage should be fair and truthful, and isms (racism, sexism, etc) are not acceptable.

There will always be questions about where legitimate scrutiny crosses the line to become invasive/intrusive. Likewise, when does legitimate criticism become hostile and unreasonable.

These questions are particularly blurry in the case of the royals given their unique position in our society.

I believe that there are many celebs who keep out of the press by not courting the press. When you are funded by the proles, then they feel that they have a certain right to know what you are up to.
Meghan and Harry cannot court the press for the stuff they want to talk about – all the good stuff, and then not accept some responsibility for the other stuff. Hew as born into privilege and despite his protestations, has a rather nice standard of living.
He and Meghan can now use their positions to do great things fro a variety of non-traditional causes, which has to be good.

But quit whining … suing the press is a bad move. They know her family are challenging, then they have people who can manage that. Preaching to all and sundry about the responsibilities to the world and then conveniently excluding yourself because you are important is sheer hippocracy. Tiara-gate was Meghan being very meh … And with hindsight, maybe, if you wanted leaving alone, then 2.6 mill from the taxpayers for your love nest should have come from the personal coffers
All painful for them to read in the press – but learn from it.
Lady Di used the press conveniently when it suited her – but cried foul when it didn’t. Harry needs to listen to advisors … and he must have many from mental health support, through to media relations. He does not have to queue up at the Windsor Heath Centre to get a referral to help his health. He also doesn’t have to worry about feeding the wife and kids…
Princess Anne has managed to keep out of the public eye for many years.
I am guessing that the “rift” he talks about is because he is being given advice – and he is choosing not to use it.
If royal life is not for them, then it is not that difficult to withdraw – the Lindley’s , the Phillips etc all have done.

TBH, most people don’t really care …

First of all, I’m a republican. I reckon the whole setup stinks and only serves to support a system of elitism throughout the UK. I never pay any attention to any royal news/gossip. However, I can imagine that being born into that life might introduce a little guilt and a subsequent need to feel as though you were using it to help others, be that charities, worthwhile causes, green issues or whatever. Skulking off to a life of relative anonymity might be a difficult choice.

aww diddums did the nasty press say nasty things about you?
better ‘take 6 weeks off’ where you live in luxury in a massive house with a butler to cook your every meal, a cleaner to make your bed and a nanny to get up at 2am for an hour when the 6 month old starts squalling in the next room, after which you don’t have to go work for 8am like the rest of us..
They should be made to live on minimum wage for a year, working at Asda and living in a 2 bed flat… then they’ll learn some **** humility and have a better understanding that when the press make things up about you, that is not ‘having a tough time’ – having a tough time is when you’re worrying if you can afford next months rent! aww diddums, go and **** cry into your silk pillow and tell someone who gives a shit.

They have £2.6m of tax payers’ money being spent on refurbishing their ‘house’. Their Range Rover was flown out to Africa. She says to poor women in Africa ‘I am your sister’ and being surrounded by a retinue of personal staff she claims not many people ask if she’s OK. I struggle to understand how people swallow this carp and remain sympathetic. They use charities as good photo ops because they’re not going to be asked difficult questions (rather like politicians who hold babies) and the world’s most vulnerable people are not in a position to resist. They represent the callous inequality and elitism that recreates the problems that charities seek to address, and they don’t use ‘their own’ money. How can any self-respecting person accept being an infantilised subject under this lot rather than a citizen? Get rid.

having a tough time is when you’re worrying if you can afford next months rent

I am not in any way at all a Royalist (just ask my wife, I don’t have any time for them) but that is a most absurd statement. ‘A tough time’ doesn’t have an absolute. Whether the person was born into the Royal family, won the lottery, became a very successful musician, became a TV celebrity, had a voice on climate change or whatever route to celebrity they took, they can still have a tough time.

I don’t have much time for the Royals but I can’t help but think a lot of the bad press has basically been pandering to an audience that dislike Megan order her skin colour. For that reason I think its pretty ****.

So, to clarify…

I don’t read many supporters of them.

Correct?

🤷‍♂️

Although from what articles I have seen recently is that they have been doing the usual royal family freebee executive holidays dressed up as charity work … so for that reason I struggle to have sympathy for him; you take the shilling you take that responsibility.

Which one is it then, should he sit back and do nothing and get a fairly inconsequential and meaningless job and become anonymous to society at large the like the rest of us. Or do some charity work as he has the time, resources and public profile to make a difference?

And how is their treatment in the press a “responsibility” they have to bear? I’d buy into the idea that the grant should be spent wisely on things like the expense of maintaining the estates, public events etc. I absolutely don’t agree that my £1.20 entitles me to or the press to act indecently towards them.

I think support of Royal family is getting less each decade and they are becoming more irrelevant. As each older generation goes there will be even less support. Kicking off and putting yourself in the spotlight even more is not going to help that support.

They use charities as good photo ops because they’re not going to be asked difficult questions

How many photos of minefields in Africa do you think the average person would have seen last month if they’d not gone? Rather than it getting coverage on the evening news (probably around most of the world) for 2-3 days?

Your social or financial status is irrelevant when it comes to personal attacks, mental health and relationships.

Taking a public pound is not to be repaid through open season on the minutiae of life of you and family to be spread across the tabloids.

I’m no big royalist, however I do believe they can be a force for good in all sorts of ways for the UK.

They don’t deserve the treatment they are recieving.

I didn’t see any of the meghan stuff in the press so I was confused when I heard about it third hand and had a look. Wow.

I can’t find the pictures in a postable form but the contrast in headlines for kate and meghan is just unconscionable.

These were the headlines in the mail, beside photos of both women smiling and holding their ‘bumps’.

Kate headline:
“Not long to go! Pregnant Kate tenderly cradles her baby bump while wrapping up her royal duties ahead of maternity leave – and William confirms she’s due ‘any day now”

Meghan headline:
“Why can’t Meghan Markle keep her hands off her bump? Experts tackle the question that has got the nation talking: Is it pride, vanity, acting – or a new age bonding technique?”

Everything Kate does is normal, understandable and wonderful, everything meghan does is underhand, inexplicable and suspicious.

All other things being equal, I wonder what possible difference there could be between them to result in such a treatment?

All other things being equal, I wonder what possible difference there could be between them to result in such a treatment?

Kate keeps herself to herself and hardly ever talks. Meghan gobs off about stuff.

Kate is following the “How to be a good Royal” handbook.

There is a bigger question here about how the press behaves, full stop. It is not just a Harry and Meghan issue.
There is implied racism with a lot of stories, the DM have been blatant in going after Raheem Sterling, for example.
Time for them to raise their standards, TBH.

There is a bigger question here about how the press behaves, full stop

Well there was a 3 year enquiry which the Tories then bottled….

All other things being equal, I wonder what possible difference there could be between them to result in such a treatment?

The scum press likes hero’s and villains, it sells papers and creates clicks. When they don’t exist they create them.

Everything Kate does is normal, understandable and wonderful, everything meghan does is underhand, inexplicable and suspicious.

Meanwhile, Ol’ Uncle Andy gets accused of rape and orgies with a paedophile and it doesn’t even make the news

you take the shilling you take that responsibility.

The press are mounting a hateful campaign against his wife, the same sort of campaign that ended with the death of his mother, and he’s seeking to defend her, as I’d have though any loving husband would try to do. I don’t have an issue with that at all.  The Red Tops need to sometimes to be held account for their actions. Props to him.

The Star (I know, I know, it was in a Kurdish barbers) today reports allegations that Andy and Jeffrey commited statutory rape ‘partying’ with 8 teenage girls. How does he get away with it? Anyone else would be banged up (pun intended) for decades, instead he lives a life of luxury also at the taxpayers’ expense.

They’re feeding the fire a bit, as I understand things. Take a step back, leave it to die down a bit. I concur that they don’t deserve the treatment they get though. The papers have been shit to her.

This smacks of whataboutry, basically are they treating another human unfairly, yes. Is it relevant who or what that person is, or what they have done? No other than some of the unfair treatment might pertain to her race. Just because she is privileged does not mean she has given up her rights. Plus if they win, they are doing poorer people a cheesy quaver by paying for precedent to be created so we can all call on it when we get treated the same way.