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Prince Harry takes legal action against the press

342 replies

Usethegoodbudder · 01/10/2019 20:35

m.eonline.com/news/1078711/prince-harry-defends-meghan-markle-against-ruthless-tabloid-campaign

About bloody time I say!

OP posts:
Passthecherrycoke · 02/10/2019 20:37

No we don’t know it was him at all but I don’t see how it matters tbh.

SaraNade · 02/10/2019 20:43

@Leflic What tripe.They get criticism not hatred.There is a difference.
Absolute nonsense. You clearly have never read the comments on Daily Mail or on social media, or heard of Piers Morgan. They don't get criticism, they get hatred.

Cohle · 02/10/2019 20:52

If you don't think that confirmation that her father leaked the letter will be construed negatively by the press and the public then you must have an exceptionally optimistic worldview.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Passthecherrycoke · 02/10/2019 20:53

You don’t know anything about PR though, So your worldview isn’t really relevant cohle

Leflic · 02/10/2019 21:02

SaraNade. I disagree. Regardless Boris Johnson, Trump, Jeremy Clarkson and Mr Morgan himself come in for I perceive as actual hatred. But they are fair game apparently.

The Royal couple could easily just give up their titles and working on behalf of the Royal family. Meghan could go back to acting and do her charity work like every other affluent American. Harry could get a job in the civil service.Then they could be judged as every other celeb are ( or not depending on how much they court publicity).

Soola · 02/10/2019 21:13

The first mention of the letter to her father was mentioned by her ‘friend/s’ in People Magazine

people.com/royals/meghan-markle-dad-thomas-markle-letter-after-wedding/
“After the wedding she wrote him a letter. She’s like, ‘Dad, I’m so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship.’

Then her father confirmed there was a letter.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/people.com/royals/meghan-markle-dad-shares-letter-confirming-her-friends-account/amp/

So her friend/s are not that discreet by mentioning the letter which may have prompted her father to sell it to the Mail on Sunday.

Cohle · 02/10/2019 21:14

There's no need to be quite so dismissive Passthecherrycoke. This being an internet forum you have idea what my professional background is.

Passthecherrycoke · 02/10/2019 21:18

I do not it’s not PR though. You’re continuously insisting that this actual will damage them because Markle is involved when it’s neither here nor there. The U.K. public couldn’t care less about Thomas Markle

In fact it’s a pretty good idea because there are quite a few people who thought she might’ve leaked that letter herself to improve her image. At least this puts that rumour to bed

Soola · 02/10/2019 21:25

The friends shouldn’t have mentioned the letter as the Mail on Sunday may haves then approached Mr Markle and made him an offer too good to refuse.

So he might not have initially intended to show it to anyone or sell it until the friend/s mentioned it.

The timing shows that possibility.

Pitterpatterpettysteps · 02/10/2019 21:30

In fact it’s a pretty good idea because there are quite a few people who thought she might’ve leaked that letter herself to improve her image. At least this puts that rumour to bed

I think she wrote the letter hoping it would be leaked.

Cohle · 02/10/2019 21:41

You're perfectly entitled to disagree with my opinion that MM's decision to sue will ultimately result in negative press for her.

Claiming that my "worldview" is any less relevant than your own however is rude and weirdly self-aggrandising. Time will tell which of us is right, eh?

noodlenosefraggle · 02/10/2019 23:32

I can't imagine breaching my child's trust in the way Thomas Markle has, especially if we were estranged. Why would a parent throw away any chance of a reconciliation with their child like that? I can't see how his actions reflect badly on anyone but himself.

WonderWomansSpin · 02/10/2019 23:52

Their PR team has been, and continues to be, poor. Or else, H&M are completely ignoring their advice. Even certain sectors of the USA media who have been very pro Meghan are reporting negatively on the legal action.
I notice the Mail on Sunday isn't backing down. They're saying the edits didn't change the meaning of the letter. If that's true then this will be yet another misjudged step by H&M and their advisors.

joyfullittlehippo · 02/10/2019 23:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PianoTuner567 · 03/10/2019 07:11

I notice the Mail on Sunday isn't backing down. They're saying the edits didn't change the meaning of the letter. If that's true then this will be yet another misjudged step by H&M and their advisors.

I don’t think they’d risk that. The original letter will be submitted as evidence do it’ll be easy to tell how it was edited. The legal argument will be over whether the edits ‘changed the meaning’.

Or it would be if it was a libel case. But they’re suing for infringement of copyright, so it shouldn’t come into it.

Passthecherrycoke · 03/10/2019 09:24

Pre levenson I know someone whose life was destroyed by the press. They are experts at walking the line of not explicitly saying an untruth, but leaving the reader with the impression that the untruth is accurate

Said persons life and livelihood was destroyed yet they were advised not to take legal action against the paper because nobody ever got anywhere trying to sue them, it wasn’t even worth it for the super rich. And publishing inaccuracies continued.

I hope that Megan wins her case and gets lots of money. It would be great if she used it as a fund to help normal people destroyed by the gutter press

CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook · 03/10/2019 10:31

Firstly, I hardly think this is a faux pas, indeed, they seem to be getting support from the public for this.

It's already being reported on as a faux pas and certainly neither BP or any other sensible PR team would have advised he write it. There are now reports that William knew nothing about it.

And what I think is constantly forgotten is that they always have a great deal of public support. Go check out their instagram page. Did he write it specifically to garner good will from the public? That is a very Dianaesque way of going about it if so. However the point is that it will do nothing to bring those on the fence about them, to them.

Secondly, you ignore the fact that no other royal has been IN this situation before, where there is a bi-racial woman marry into the Royal Family.

I concede this point in that she is the only mixed raced person in modern times to marry into the upper eschelons of British Royal family. However, it is a case of the amnesia I talked about earlier to forget the earthquake level PR scandals and difficulties that have beset the RF since at least Edward the 8th abdicated. In modern times Sophie Wessex had photos of her breasts on display and was later deliberately set up and targeted by the newspapers. And Fergie - I don't think she received half the staunchion support M receives. Fergie was truly hated. And she may become Queen, but Kate will die as Waity (workshy) Katie. Do you not think these women have suffered? Even had private tears? Yet neither Edward, Andrew or William, have come riding to their defence on a white charger citing unrealistic morbid comparisons with Diana in a bid to raise sympathy from the public.

What I will admit is very different, is the presence of social media which makes negativity (or positivity) appear inflated - we ourselves debating this here are part of that.

You can't say it is 'unbecoming' because a) this is a unique situation that the RF has never faced before

Yes I can. The uniqueness of the situation neither necessitates or legitimises such a response from a member of the RF. This is not the abdication crisis so no need to bring 'the woman I love' into into it (it is uncanny the similarities, I do love history) They have sought a legal means to address their grievances in the 'unique circumstance' and taken it as is their right. At most a brief statement or none would have been advised. That could be argued to be a necessary response. If anything such a personal statement could be reserved for after winning the case.

As I already pointed out, the RF have dealt with bigger scandals before - they have got through them by listening and acting on discreet advice, not issuing deeply personal letters inciting war with the press.
I am amazed you cannot see how dangerous this tone is for a member of the Royal institution to take with the press which traditionally supports their continuence.

It is not something that H and M asked for If you mean the racism of course not. If you refer to proper press scrutiny of things like spending on their free house, their PJ use, their endorsement of privately funded companies, their bid to 'change the world' through their Sussex Foundation among other things then that is debatable.

They were forced to respond to the abuse

They were not 'forced' to respond to anything. They volunteered to do so and with far more detail than anyone expected. Being forced to respond would be when they have been caught or assumed to have done something controversial and forced to issue a statement through their PR team.

What you are doing, to me, is akin to victim-blaming. It's like; a bully beats up on another boy all the time, the victim suddenly has enough and finally responds with a punch back. You then call the victim's behaviour 'unbecoming'

One can fight against a bully and retain their diginity or let the bully push them into doing something unbecoming. It also pays to ensure that you hit the bully at the right time and in such a way as to end the fight. It remains to be seen whether the court action will act as a check on the press or rather inflame things. However there is no doubt that the public letter will inflame things.

There would have been no need for Harry to write the letter if his wife hadn't been hounded and racially abused for months on end

As I said there is a degree of negative bias in talking about them, in that people overlook that M&H receive lots of love and support, a very great deal, including from influential celebs and their fanbases (which have been specifically marshalled in their defence at times) Their charity work would hardly be so sucessful were it not the case. Sadly the letter will not stop or prevent racial abuse of M on the internet. Neither is comments made by sad, disgruntled but harmless idiots on the Daily Fail where the 'hate' is concentrated. If H's aim is to stop such, then he ought to be taking Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and some of the small far right press to court as that is where the sinister malicious comments are.

and they I for one think they've withstood this for a long time with dignity and grace, and finally, at long last finally answered back (with grace, sensitivity, earnestness and dignity)

That is your assessment of the situation, yes.

and you are attacking them for standing up for themselves. Just wtf

Your need to use hyperbolic language is interesting.

You cannot take an abnormal situation not of their doing, and then say they are breaking protocol for responding to a not normal situation.

I didn't mention protocol, more precedent, but in that vein I have already pointed out that I can.

That is simply not logical. You compare like with like (ie baby shower with non-baby shower). You cannot compare a situation of racial abuse of the first and only bi-racial member of the RF, because, there is no other precedent that lends itself to demonstrate protocol in this situation.

This is silly for reasons stated above.

We are not talking about Anne or E&S or even Fergie because they are white, not bi-racial, and not from a foreign country/foreign power. That's why. Lets be honest here. There is no need for amnesia, because no one, no one, has been able to give 1 (one) example of something they've done that disrespects or breaks royal protocol. NO......ONE. And the question in a few months when another thread pops up, will still be the same. And the answer will still be......crickets. Because the bullies on here know there is only one real true reason they are being talked about. Lets be honest here; you know it, I know it, everyone on here does, including those who hate her do. Everyone knows. If only there was 1 (one) definitive example. There is not. There never is. There won't be. Now, or 5 months down the track

That is because rather ironically, identity politics (as you have inserted here) will always trump merit in these discussions. You have so called socialists on here who previously (I've been on MN for many years) had nothing positive to say about the RF and wished them all way, paint themselves as passionate defenders of free speech and meritocracy suddenly bending over themselves to argue that criticism of H&M needs to be justified. They then use any excuse to paper over their errors and prevent any discussion about their behaviour the 'But what do they do that others have not done' being the (in their minds) tactic that is most effective. As if these criticisms do not cycle afresh for every new member of the RF that is the flavour of the moment. This is purely because M is a woman of colour and an avowed feminist (who needs her husband to talk on her behalf instead of making her own statement). Then there is the appeal to adhere to MN group think.

It is interesting.

derxa · 03/10/2019 11:21

.

derxa · 03/10/2019 11:35

Kate Moss has a great approach here - say nothing at all. No response. Never complain, never explain. The press lose interest when they get no reaction. I think that's right though it must be terribly difficult.

Passthecherrycoke · 03/10/2019 11:38

Kate Moss did have to play the game after her cocaine expose though (which was morally dubious- why should the nations papers be able to expose something she does in private?) although I think she had a great attitude, it didn’t serve her forever. The bullies got her in the end too

Hannah021 · 03/10/2019 11:59

They really arent a royal class. They want to spend our money on jets and refurbishing their mansion, and then talk about the environment!!! If u want privacy, get a private job and live on ur own expenses.

It is disgusting to go traveling on a tour paid by us, and maliciously ruin the outcome of it for a personal gain.

And he has the audacity to compare "queen" Diana to his no class wife.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 03/10/2019 12:14

Diana had no issues giving interviews about her marriage after the split . That must have been uncomfortable viewing for her children once they became old enough to know about it all

I don't know why she's held up as some sort of saint

Puzzledandpissedoff · 03/10/2019 12:17

Superb post, Catherine, in particular your emphasis on a calmer and more measured approach often being more effective in the end

Unfortunately, in these days of spilling one's guts all over social media, it's no longer always seen as the go-to approach. Choices which may be harmless to the rest of us aren't necessarily so when made by the royal family, once again throwing into relief the divergence between their generally accepted role and the modern world

Whether the whole contradiction can be reconciled for the 21st century remains to be seen, but right now it's all grist to the mill for republicans

noodlenosefraggle · 03/10/2019 13:16

They really arent a royal class. They want to spend our money on jets and refurbishing their mansion, and then talk about the environment!!! If u want privacy, get a private job and live on ur own expenses.
They are exactly 'a Royal class's then because that's what Royals do!

And he has the audacity to compare "queen" Diana to his no class wife.
Diana was not 'Queen'. She wasnt even HRH when she died. She was, however, his mother, so he has every right to talk about his feelings about her death however he likes.

BertrandRussell · 03/10/2019 14:16

“And he has the audacity to compare "queen" Diana to his no class wife.“

You’re not the person who’s just popped up on my Twitter feed saying that Meghan’s a transwoman, are you? Grin

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