Meghan Markle and Prince Harry launched another blow to the British tabloid press a day before the Queen's birthday. On Monday, the Sussex royals released a letter directed to the editors of The Sun, Mirror, Daily Mail and Express to say that they will have zero contact with these news outlets.
This letter was the latest salvo in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's war against the British media. The couple filed three lawsuits against these publications in late 2019, while they were on an official tour of South Africa.
On Friday, one of these lawsuits will have its first hearing by a virtual platform. However, Prince Harry and Meghan's letter is putting them back in the media storm but for the wrong reasons.
According to some journalists, Prince Harry and Meghan's statement was released at the wrong timing. The impression was that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are so much into their own agenda instead of helping the Queen, the country and the rest of the world during the pandemic.
"As the world grapples with Covid-19, do they really think people care what media they deal with?" Andrew Neil, the chairman of Spectator, asked on his Twitter.
The Society of Editors also slammed Prince Harry and Meghan as they cut ties with some members of the press. In statement, the editors said that the Sussex pair's move is censorship.
Ian Murray, the director of the group, said that Prince Harry and Meghan also benefited from the coverage of these tabloids as public figures. They could, instead, take action on reports that they do not like through the right channels without shunning the publications.
Prince Harry and Meghan apparently did not inform Prince Charles or Buckingham Palace that they will be releasing a letter. According to palace sources, the royals are left stunned by yet another surprising move as the Sussex royals do not seem to listen to their advice.
Sources said, however, that the Duke of Sussex apparently told the Queen of his plan without going into the specifics. This has left some people close to the Queen quite upset as Prince Harry and Meghan had to release their zero-interaction policy on the eve of the monarch's birthday and amid the coronavirus crisis.
Prince Harry and Meghan's fight with the British tabloid press took an interesting turn after Meghan said on television in October 2019 that she's been struggling with the royal media spotlight. This prompted Prince Harry to denounce the press as well as renounce his royal duties.
