Queen Elizabeth's youngest son, Prince Edward, used to dislike the media scrutiny that comes with being a royal. In the same way that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle called out the British press for their skewed reporting, the Earl of Wessex also had his public brushes with some members of the media.
In one interview from the 1990s, Prince Edward masterfully sized up what Prince Harry and Meghan's problems are with the press' obsession with their royal life. He got a bit miffed when he was asked about when he planned to marry his then-longtime girlfriend Sophie Rhys-Jones.
According to Daily Express, Prince Edward shot back at the reporter who asked the question. He said that, if the media minded their own business, then, the wedding might likely happen. However, if the media kept speculating and second-guessing Prince Edward's choices, he said that he might not just go ahead with marrying Sophie.
Eventually, however, he and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, got married in 1999 and are raising a daughter and son together. The Wessex children, though privileged and also appear in the press from time to time, enjoy a private life better than Prince Harry and Meghan.
Prince Edward also complained that the royal family cannot escape the public eye. It's the same complaint that Prince Harry and Meghan are now echoing.
According to experts, Prince Harry's declaration that he's stepping away from his royal duties, along with his wife Meghan, is more triggered by his anger with the press than the trappings of being in the royal family. Some journalists relayed, via The Guardian, that Prince Harry has "grown increasingly irritated" with the media and it showed in his engagements last year.
In announcing they are stepping back from their royal duties, Prince Harry and Meghan also outlined what they would like to change in their media relations. The couple said that they would like to be removed from the royal rota of news outlets that have universal access to the work and charities of the royal family.
In lieu of being part of the royal rota's circulation, Prince Harry and Meghan also said that they will be communicating their plans and news about their charities on social media. They will be, carefully, choosing the parts that will be released in public instead of having the British press get first dibs. They will also be tapping "grassroots media organizations and young, up-and-coming journalists" for exclusives and special invites.
In reply, the National Union of Journalists said that it looks like Prince Harry and Meghan want to stop the media from doing their jobs. The organization recognized that the royal rota is far from perfect but it having the Duke and Duchess of Sussex approve their stories first is not an ideal situation in the news business.
