The Press & The Royals: a discussion

[Whaeanui]

As we were just having a great discussion on this topic I’m going to try again to continue it on a thread of its own. A previous thread highlighted two particularly prolific ‘royal reporters’, but the same is true for all. They often manufacture stories to create divisions between the women in the family, more often than the men. The public seem to feed off this and none of the family get treated very well except the monarch. So do we think it is possible for the royal family to stay relevant and in the publics mind without their unhealthy relationship with the media? Can social media replace this? What do you think they can do to make positive changes that would reflect an understanding of the mental health challenges the media intrusion results in? Also their role in charities that deal with mental health and misogyny, mistreatment of women etc could be impacted by this too. Thoughts?
Please do not derail this thread by discussing your personal dislike of particular members or if they deserve it. I would like a discussion on how the royal family could change the relationship with the press.

Interesting on BBC Breakfast news this morning. They are talking about a Panorama programme on tonight "Will King Charles change the Monarchy" looking at whether Charles will adapt the Monarchy to modern times.

For once, BBC was more measured, talking about a poll just undertaken. And that forty something percent aren't interested in the Coronation.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65326467

@Morestrangerthings thanks, I’ll look that up

Thanks @Roussette that’s an interesting article from BBC and the polling was insightful too, I see it goes over the ‘cost of the crown’ briefly which might be a good link for that poster that refuses to read Guardian articles. This part of the article jumped out at me too
The scale of the challenge is suggested in the YouGov polling which found 40% of people from ethnic minority backgrounds wanted an elected head of state rather than a monarchy. The figure was even higher, 49%, when that group was asked if the royals have a "problem with race and diversity". The overall percentage for everyone asked that question - regardless of background - was 32%.

Exactly.

What US exclusive ?

Did Gayle cover an exclusive just like the UK/Aus/ everyone in the world?

I am sure Ingrid Seward felt very important talking to CBS or whoever it was! There was a rumour Meghan and Harry invited Gayle King into their home before the birth. GK has denied it.

So... bottom line... there was no special exclusive, it was America doing what Americans do in their excitement about our RF and an American marrying Harry !

This came across as a big two fingers up at the press, and certainly didn’t help with the coverage of them. (Later it came out that this whole saga had been because they had negotiated an exclusive about the birth with Gayle King and the US network she worked for, so they were deliberately trying to keep the UK press out).

Isn’t this what Meghan was talking about in the OW interview? When she said something along the lines of why should she give first photos of Archie to the British press first, who had been unfair (and racist) towards her before giving them to people she cared for? If Meghan was putting up two fingers to the British press, I’d say the press richly deserved it.

Also in regard to the suggestion/belief re a gayle king interview - more tabloid bullshit. All unnamed ‘sources.’ There never was a GK interview, as a pp said GK denied it.

Totally right @Morestrangerthings

I would've done exactly the same as her.

I thought it was quite cheeky and selfish of them not to do the hospital steps appearance. Small price to pay for all the priviliidges they got. Managed to annoy a lot of people.

Brilliant they broke the mould not doing it. Kate said she was 'terrified' having to do it after George.
What new Mum should be forced to face hundreds of cameras within hours of giving birth.

Well done swerving this M&H.

It’s an outdated and frankly quite gross expectation that new royal parents owe us access to children because of the ‘privilege’ we ‘give’ them. That is saying they don’t get freedoms because we give them palaces. It’s dehumanising them. The Queen didn’t do it, so that excuse doesn’t have any validity. It is of course how the press feel, hence their all out attack when they don’t get the access they want. I’m glad they refused them.

It's sixty years since the Queen gave birth. It has now become a tradition.for royal baby and parents to appear for photos. The public and press look forward to it. But apparently was too big an ask for them. They wanted to do their own thing. And went off in a strop when they realised how little influence they had to change anything.

Well they did change something, you’re talking about it right now! They did not bring their child out to waiting media hours after birth. That’s something they changed. I’m very happy they did because it’s really horrible to do that to a woman and I think sets a poor example of how to care for a woman who has just given birth. In my home country there was a lot of talk about Kate doing it and most people thought it was weird and too much. I’m part of ‘the public’ and I don’t look forward to it, I cringe.

I am so sorry you were disappointed there was no appearance outside the hospital.

I hope that Harry and Meghan doing that appearance with Archie a couple of days later at Windsor made up for it.

Why should they? Why is it tradition? Does that mean everything that has been done for Anne and Diana's babies has to be repeated?

No.

Future generations might well thank H&M for breaking the mould of such a ridiculous and quite frankly, barbaric, tradition.

It's 'tradition' to only wear pale nail varnish, because the Queen liked that. Well... Kate has broken that tradition already. Good.
Lots need changing.

Some royal birth traditions I have read about, and how they were broken.

No men allowed during childbirth. Tradition broken by Prince Philip when Edward was born.

Government officials had to be present, to ensure no baby swapping. Rule changed just before Charles was born.

Babies were always born in Buckingham Palace. Rule broken when Anne was born as BP was under repair. She was born at Clarence House.

Anne also the first to have a child in a hospital, after which all royal babies were born in hospitals.

Announcement only through a royal notice on an easel in BP forecourt. Rule broken when W and K's kids had births simultaneously announced on social media.

First born baby, if a girl, could not be heir or monarch. Rule changed before George was born.

Baby presented on steps at hospital. Rule changed by Harry and Meghan, who chose to do it differently for both their children.

Nice summary @MrsMaxDeWinter and it shows that things can change and that ultimately it’s their choice. So if they wanted, they could change their relationship with the press in many ways.

Thank you MrsMaxDeWinter for the list of changes to ‘tradition’ surrounding royal births.

So much is ‘tradition’ until it’s not.

I thought the public hospital steps appearance was a very unfair demand on a new mum. And it’s a really weird thing anyway - it’s the press and public gawping at a newly delivered mum and a bundle of well wrapped baby (I mean really, what do we see of the baby?)The mother needs to be left alone if that’s what she chooses, not expected to stand there and be gawped at.

Well... Beatrice and Eugenie just released social media pics of a hand or a foot or something. That's fine and what they wanted to do.

No one needs to see a baby being held by a Mum just hours after birth, with a wall of paps clicking away.

I think you're making a big presumption that Kate didn't want to do the Lindo Wing photos. She keeps her cards close to her chest, we will probably never find out what she thought. She might even have felt proud to show her babies off - who knows! Same with Sophie. Fergie is much more open but hasn't mentioned it as far as I'm aware. It's not much of a "tradition" since it's only a handful of people who did the photos - Anne's children didn't do it, even though their mother did and neither did the York girls. It was basically the thing done by one single generation of royals, and which only one single individual of the next generation also carried on (and William is the heir so...) The idea that Meghan rebelliously eschewed an ancient tradition... no lol.

She(Kate) is on record as saying she found it 'terrifying' with George.

I'm not surprised she was terrified. You've just gone through a very vulnerable, painful and emotional moment and you have to come out to this:

Not doing this photo shoot and doing a calm inside one a couple of days later, with just a couple of cameras was a perfectly rational decision by Meghan and Harry. I don't think they deserve any criticism for that.

Not doing this photo shoot and doing a calm inside one a couple of days later, with just a couple of cameras was a perfectly rational decision by Meghan and Harry. I don't think they deserve any criticism for that.

☝🏿this!

That photo is terrifying! So many cameras. I would be too worried to do this… we’ve all had babies, I had to wear maternity pads when I walked out of the hospital, still bleeding. I just… can’t imagine not being worried about the realities of a post-birth body.

I'm not a royalist but I do agree that these sorts of stories are manufactured, often by the tabloid press. Unfortunately I don't see what can be done, other than become less public.

Agreed - I know Kate is immensely privileged and probably had the best medical care available and knew she was going home to a situation where she would be waited on hand and foot but she couldn't outsource the physical strain of pushing that baby out of her body, or the postpartum bleeding, or the leaky boobs etc.

It's astonishing she was in heels.

I know she's said she'd have been happy to have another baby but I bet she's glad she doesn't have to do that big again.