Alice O'Connell, previous editor of Women's Weekly in New Zealand, has openly admitted to and expressed remorse for publishing stories about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that she now recognizes as "untrue." Her public apology comes in the form of an open letter to the royal couple.
In her lifestyle blog "Capsule," O'Connell shared her piece titled "An Apology to Prince Harry: A Former Women's Mag Editor Shares Her Regrets." Her decision to pen the apology was prompted after seeing a cover story about Harry and Meghan's Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" she had previously approved. She noted that the headline, "Meghan's shock past: Is Harry heading for trouble?" was not only "unnecessarily mean" but also a source of personal shame.
O'Connell confessed that she often apologizes, even when it's not warranted or within her control. However, in this case, she feels a "genuine apology" is due to the Duke of Sussex for her unfair and biased coverage of him during her four-year tenure as Women's Weekly editor from 2016 to 2020.
Admitting her mistakes, O'Connell acknowledged that the reporting, especially on Prince Harry and Meghan, wasn't always objective. She pointed out that she "published some stories that were incredibly one-sided," and came from sources that, in retrospect, were not truthful.
Regrettably, O'Connell realizes she failed to consider Harry's humanity, which was her "biggest mistake." She also acknowledged the unfairness she showed towards Meghan, expressing remorse for her actions.
The former editor's remorse became more pronounced as she followed news of Prince Harry's ongoing privacy case against Mirror Group Newspapers, where he alleges they hacked his voicemail messages. She states, "As I watch Prince Harry's court case, I feel nothing but shame, and anger. And regret."
While distancing herself from scandalous practices like phone-hacking, O'Connell accepted her role in disseminating potentially false stories. She said, "I reprinted stories and quotes from British newspapers and magazines that, knowing what I know now, were untrue. I commissioned stories to British writers, who I trusted for their connections in the Palaces, that contained information that was, in hindsight, likely very untrue."
Her realization and remorse come at a time when she feels the media refuses to reassess their practices or past reporting. O'Connell concluded her apology by acknowledging her failure to treat Prince Harry as a human being, a mistake she deeply regrets.
