In the wake of their Photoshop mishap, the British press is increasingly turning against Prince William and Princess Kate. A remarkable development if you know the relationship between the palace and the press.
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 only 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”.
Prince William and Princess Kate are facing backlash from the press
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. So they would have two advantages: By giving food to the press – or their employees – they could nip negative press about themselves in the bud. Harry cited envy and jealousy as motives. Now, however, the tide seems to be turning.
Duchess of Sussex
From number girl to duchess: This is how Meghan has changed over the years
Because suddenly the previous favorites of the English press, William and Kate, are at the center of negative reporting. Of all things, the British tabloids, which Harry says are fed stories from the royal offices, 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 funeral 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.
Fake photo continues to cause excitement
The recent scandal surrounding the completely edited 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 criticized the palace’s PR strategy at least as harshly and explained why she did not believe that Kate had actually manipulated the photo herself. In addition, various portals have already demanded that the palace release the original image that Kate allegedly edited.
Articles criticizing the palace’s behavior have also appeared in the “Mirror” and the “Times”. The tabloid “The Sun”, on the other hand, published an article in which Harry and Meghan’s Photoshop fails were pointed out.
First anniversary of the monarch’s death
A look at the most important moments in the Queen’s life
It is also interesting to take a look at the international press. In contrast to members of the “Rota” system in England, they generally have fewer direct connections to the palace press offices – and therefore less sense of responsibility for maintaining these relationships. CNN announced that it would review all photos published of Kensington Palace. And other news sites also picked up on the rumors about the photo fail and Kate’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, US talk show host Stephen Colbert joked on his show about the rumors about the couple, more specifically about the speculation about a possible affair by Prince William.
If Kate and William can no longer rely on their old cooperative relationship with the press and make enemies in the tabloids, the pressure on them will soon become almost unbearable. Because as Harry has already analyzed: it’s a dirty game.
+++ Read also +++
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
