Seen from across the pond, he was simply surreal – sixth on the British throne in a full interview with Oprah Winfrey, he even showed off his pet puppies. His wife recounted how the royal life led her to think about suicide and claimed that at least one member of the royal family had raised “concerns” about the color of their son’s skin.
But another revelation received less attention: Harry’s claim that his family is frightened by the powerful tabloid newspapers in Britain. He described to Winfrey “what is called or called the ‘invisible contract’ behind closed doors, between the institution and the tabloids, the tabloids in Britain.”
How so? “Well, to simplify, it’s a case where if you, as a family member, are willing to come, dine and give full access to these reporters, then you’ll get better press,” he said. “It’s really a trap environment.”
The tabloid newspapers dominate the public life of Great Britain, shaping public opinion and giving their owners an astonishing influence.
“When the tabloids decide it’s time, you’re toast,” said James O’Brien, a talk radio station who likes to get under the skin of British unity.
Correspondent Holly Williams asked, “How strong are British tabloid newspapers?”
“Their power is almost absolute,” O’Brien said. “They put prime ministers at the height of power. And they lead the mother of all popularity contests.”
“Are they kings from a political point of view?”
– Wow, no doubt.
The tabloids love the royal family because their charm and scandals sell newspapers – and the royal family needs positive coverage to justify their very existence, partially paid for by the British taxpayer.
O’Brien said, “There are birds in a golden cage, and if they make an enemy of the tabloids, the tabloids don’t stop writing about it, they just stop writing the good things.”
All family members face tabloid criticism and sometimes harassment. Even the queen was accused of not showing enough compassion after the death of Princess Diana. But there was a racial element in covering the Duchess of Sussex, part of it blatantly.
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“I accept that the institution was foreign to him,” said Kelvin MacKenzie, who was the editor of one of Britain’s best-selling tabloids, The Sun. He said it was not race, but Meghan’s behavior that made her unpopular. First, she told Williams, the king should be apolitical, and she was too opinionated.
He said: “I think we’ve reached a point where people don’t really want to read good news about Meghan.”
“So she’s so unpopular that the tabloid press knows people just want to hear negative things about her?” Williams asked.
“They just want bad news.”
“So I give it to the public?”
– Give them, yes.
Others here believe that, consciously or not, British tabloids – and parts of British unity – could not accept a biracial American right at the top of the British class system.
Dawn Butler, a Member of Parliament, said of the tabloids: “I think they showed their true colors. They have shown that they are biased and they have shown that they are racist in their reporting, we know that. “
Williams asked, “Why did they go after her?”
“Because I can,” she replied. “The tabloid press is hunting us all.”
Butler told us she was even assaulted by the tabloids. What is most worrying, she said, is Meghan’s accusation that the palace did not defend her when false stories were printed, including that she made her sister-in-law, Kate, cry.
Butler said, “Was the relationship between the two institutions so close that instead of shouting the truth, they decided to perpetuate a lie?”
The Duchess now admits that when she married her fairytale prince, she did not understand the institution she was marrying or her complicated relationship with the tabloid press.
According to James O’Brien, “You should know your place. People who refuse to admit their place, [or] they don’t know their place, I think it’s about painting a target on your back. “
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Story produced by Erin Lyall. Editor: Mark Ludlow.