Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Cut off Access to Newspapers in Scathing Letter

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent letters Sunday
to four of Britain’s biggest tabloid newspapers — the Daily Mail, the Sun, the Daily Express, and the Daily Mirror — cutting off access in the couple’s latest move in their war against the media.

“As The Duke and Duchess now settle into the next chapter of their lives and no longer receive any publicly funded support, we are writing to set a new media relations policy, specifically as it pertains to your organization,” the letters read.

“Like you, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex believe that a free press is a cornerstone to any democracy — particularly in moments of crisis. At its best, this free press shines light on dark places, telling stories that would otherwise go untold, standing up for what’s right, challenging power, and holding those who abuse the system to account,” the letters continued, adding, however, that it’s “gravely concerning that an influential slice of the media, over many years, has sought to insulate themselves from taking accountability for what they say or print — even when they know it to be distorted, false, or invasive beyond reason.”

“When power is enjoyed without responsibility, the trust we all place in this much-needed industry is degraded. There is a real human cost to this way of doing business and it affects every corner of society,” the couple declared, noting that they’ve “watched people they know — as well as complete strangers — have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue.”

The letters went on, “With that said, please note that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be engaging with your outlet.”

There will be no corroboration and zero engagement. This is also a policy being instated for their communications team, in order to protect that team from the side of the industry that readers never see.

This policy is not about avoiding criticism. It’s not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting. Media have every right to report on and indeed have an opinion on The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, good or bad. But it can’t be based on a lie. They also want to be clear: this is not in any way a blanket policy for all media.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to working with journalists and media organisations all over the world, engaging with grassroots media, regional and local media, and young, up-and-coming journalists, to spotlight issues and causes that so desperately need acknowledging. And they look forward to doing whatever they can to help further opportunities for more diverse and underrepresented voices, who are needed now more than ever.

What they won’t do is offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion.

In January, it was revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would “step back” as senior members of the Royal Family, following waves of negative press against Markle in the British tabloids.

The battle with the press reached its height in October last year, with the couple’s decision to file a lawsuit against the owners of the Daily Mail.

“Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences,” Prince Harry wrote in an announcement at the time. “There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face – as so many of you can relate to – I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been.”

In November 2019, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also criticized tabloid newspapers over their negative press towards the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.