Jessica Acosta
The press has always played a significant role in the Royal Family’s life, from Princess Diana to Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan Markle.
Since stepping down from their titles in 2020, the couple has faced many challenges caused by both the media and allegedly high society royals. Their two children, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, did not receive their titles as Prince and Princess when their grandfather King Charles III took the throne. Issues such as skin color came into play during this period.
The 42-year-old actress told Oprah Winfrey during an interview for CBS, “In the months when I was pregnant [with Archie], all around the same time, we have in tandem the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”
She added, “The idea of our son not being safe and also the idea of the first member of color in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be. The other piece of that conversation, when you’re the grandchild of the monarch – when Harry’s dad becomes king – automatically Archie and our next baby would become prince or princess… also it’s not their right to take it away.”
The press exacerbated these issues, creating further chaos contributing to many of their disagreements, as the 39-year-old Prince Harry acknowledged. During a recent interview for ITV Harry addressed, “Anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press.”
EXCL: Prince Harry tells me his legal fight with tabloids was a “central piece” in the breakdown of his relationship with his family.
In our ITV1 documentary ,Tabloids on Trial, Harry says in a “public role these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good”. pic.twitter.com/M065MbRShk
— Rebecca Barry (@BeccaBarry) July 24, 2024
British tabloids have always targeted the Royal family, and Harry hoped to have his family’s support in stopping them. “I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done, it would be nice if we did it as a family,” he told the outlet. “I think everything that’s played out has shown people what the truth of the matter is… For me, the mission continues, but yes, it’s caused part of a rift.”