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The royal family

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

The Prince and the Press: Continuing the Discussion on Prince Harry and the UK Media

972 replies

MrsMaxDeWinter · 06/06/2023 10:12

A few weeks ago, there were three really great long running threads about Prince Harry and his battles against the UK "popular press."

I thought I would do one that looks at Harry's current court action.

For those interested in the kind of balanced view you won't get from the tabloids, all of whom face conflicts of interest, here is the Guardian take, which is the springboard for this discussion.

It is not possible to take any of the tabloids seriously when they report on Harry's legal cases. Former editor Alan Rusbridger, now of Prospect, has observed that all tabloids covering this story are acting unethically as they have not declared their conflicts of interest: Harry is suing all of their media houses.

The only papers with no conflict of interest are the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Financial Times.

So I will be following this from the Guardian live page.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/04/diana-meghan-and-the-tabloid-press-harry-finally-gets-his-day-in-court

Diana, Meghan and the tabloid press: Harry finally gets his day in court

The Duke of Sussex has made it his life’s work to change the British media landscape. He’ll get his chance this week in the phone hacking case against the Mirror Group

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/04/diana-meghan-and-the-tabloid-press-harry-finally-gets-his-day-in-court

OP posts:
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Roussette · 09/06/2023 13:13

Haha oh yes @Iwantcakeeveryday maybe I'll go over there and post my differing views politely. No doubt there would then follow posts telling everyone to ignore me and that I'm derailing.
No! I just have a different opinion! Impossible to have one on that thread.
Yet posters here are saying that is exactly what should be happening on this thread!

I welcome different opinions on this thread as long as it isn't the endless Harry bashing just for the sake of it. It's boring. We've heard it all before.

Anyway, the trial is ongoing and hearing what NikkiS went through is horrendous. She was young and targeted by groups of girls, her hair set on fire, vile insults shouted at her in the street, because of sensationalist articles written about her, some of which had the basis in possibly illegal activities. Now a recess, and I think more will come out this afternoon.

Iwantcakeeveryday · 09/06/2023 13:18

well I was attempting to let people have their own spaces to save MNHQ the time of so much moderating and out of politeness after there were so many deletions from both pro and anti Harry posters. But it seems more posters prefer differing views on each thread no matter if its repetitive so I'll go back to that if everyone is happy, as long s it isn't personal then I guess it is fine. they separated the feminism board in two and I still think its needed here too but I'll go with the consensus.

kirinm · 09/06/2023 13:39

Roussette · 09/06/2023 13:13

Haha oh yes @Iwantcakeeveryday maybe I'll go over there and post my differing views politely. No doubt there would then follow posts telling everyone to ignore me and that I'm derailing.
No! I just have a different opinion! Impossible to have one on that thread.
Yet posters here are saying that is exactly what should be happening on this thread!

I welcome different opinions on this thread as long as it isn't the endless Harry bashing just for the sake of it. It's boring. We've heard it all before.

Anyway, the trial is ongoing and hearing what NikkiS went through is horrendous. She was young and targeted by groups of girls, her hair set on fire, vile insults shouted at her in the street, because of sensationalist articles written about her, some of which had the basis in possibly illegal activities. Now a recess, and I think more will come out this afternoon.

Oh my god. That poor woman.

derxa · 09/06/2023 13:52

she and her husband happily came to Harry's wedding She hadn't met her husband at that point and she didn't look happy at all. I'll bet she wishes the whole drama would go away. What benefit is it to her?

Iwantcakeeveryday · 09/06/2023 13:56

different people will assume her feelings based on how thye think they would feel... personally if I had been put through all that I would want him to pursue it, and I would hope for justice no matter how many years had passed. Part of the pain for me would be that nobody was held accountable and of they were that would actually help my healing. We are all different though and I think this is a bit of a silly side issue that's been talked about enough dn there no way of actually knowing how she feels.

Roussette · 09/06/2023 14:02

derxa · 09/06/2023 13:52

she and her husband happily came to Harry's wedding She hadn't met her husband at that point and she didn't look happy at all. I'll bet she wishes the whole drama would go away. What benefit is it to her?

Really? Not from the pictures I saw. She wasn't forced to go to the wedding was she?
I apologise, got it wrong about the husband then. She walked up the road with someone. I assumed.

ArcaneWireless · 09/06/2023 14:02

I don’t think anyone is out to be antagonistic. Or disrespectful. I’m not. And it isn’t even about good or evil.

Just that it is ok to post where you like with a differing opinion without people saying ‘We don’t post on that thread so we’d prefer it if you don’t post on ours’ or similar.

People who wish for a Republic post how much they despise certain things about the Royals on favourable Royal threads. If keeping to a certain lane doesn’t apply there, why should it here? It is good to get perspective.

An echo chamber, as said, isn’t what a forum is about. On very, very, rare occasions (not Royal threads!) I’ve seen everyone in agreement about a situation.

Mostly though people have differing opinions or interpretations and say as much.

Some might say the same thing that was mentioned on the first page of a thread because they haven’t had the luxury of reading it real time because of work or other commitments. Their opinion, though late on in the thread, is just as valid - even if it has already been discussed. Why should their opinion be dismissed just because the discussion has moved on a bit?

I’ve no wish to argue with anyone. I will disagree though if my opinion is different. I will also disagree if some want to control the narrative of a thread. I will occasionally have cause to reconsider my position of someone presents something superbly. That is what discussion is all about.

Talk guidelines are there for the benefit of all. As long as a post doesn’t breach the guidelines then what or where people post is no-one else’s concern and it is happy days.

Anyway. Back to the thread.

Here’s hoping that Nikki Sanderson gets similar coverage.

It is terrible to think that it was once actually considered acceptable to hack into private conversations or communications by certain people. Just as awful to know that your friends or family could sell you out for monetary gain. And as a consequence be put at risk of physical harm.

You could argue that you could pick friends wisely or whatever. But there would always be someone somewhere, if it is an employee of a certain business or someone who finds themselves in the company of someone famous in a pub or whatever, happy enough to take their greedy spoils.

I hadn’t really heard what Nikki had endured. Her hair set on fire? Accosted by groups of people? That is bloody awful.

That poor woman. She must have been absolutely terrified.

Roussette · 09/06/2023 14:06

I will also disagree if some want to control the narrative of a thread

But that happens, surely you know that?

As I said, I am more than happy for differing opinions here as long as we aren't harping back to totally irrelevant stuff about Harry just to have a dig about him, because it just muddies the waters.

tigger2022 · 09/06/2023 14:07

Yeah if we could only post things we agree on every thread would be about Prince Andrew, and nobody wants that (except Prince Andrew maybe)

mixedrecycling · 09/06/2023 14:07

Who gets to decide what is relevant or irrelevant? That is up to each poster.

Roussette · 09/06/2023 14:07

That poor woman. She must have been absolutely terrified

I think she was. And she was barely out of teens when it was happening. Horrendous.

MayQueeen · 09/06/2023 14:14

@ArcaneWireless @mixedrecycling @tigger2022

well said! I quite enjoy the tangents and different views - it makes it all the more interesting.

mumsnet do a great job of policing the threads so there’s no need for other posters to try and put off the posters they don’t like/agree with.

Roussette · 09/06/2023 14:36

there’s no need for other posters to try and put off the posters they don’t like/agree with

That should apply to the other thread as well then. You may deny that's the case of course

Iwantcakeeveryday · 09/06/2023 14:37

MayQueeen · 09/06/2023 14:14

@ArcaneWireless @mixedrecycling @tigger2022

well said! I quite enjoy the tangents and different views - it makes it all the more interesting.

mumsnet do a great job of policing the threads so there’s no need for other posters to try and put off the posters they don’t like/agree with.

That's odd because you were saying on another thread you were really happy a group of pro-Harry posters were absent for awhile and were wondering if you were 'free'. That doesn't;t sound like someone who likes different views but perhaps I have misunderstood all of the comments you've made about this. Also, I have had a poster tell people not to engage with me, so it would be great if people with very different views to some of us could stop trying to put others off speaking to us, I'm pleased to see you in agreement on that too, thanks for that :) I look forward to respectfully disagreeing here with all of you!

Howsimplywonderful · 09/06/2023 14:38

Her case seems better constructed than Harry’s as she witness statements from others to support her allegations

I didn’t know anything about this actress until I read about it here but it does sound horrible

I do remember reading a biography about the Duchess of Devonshire (Georgina Spencer / Cavendish) over 200 years ago and she was subject to horrible abuse on pamphlets so there must be a cultural element to it

Iwantcakeeveryday · 09/06/2023 14:39

Could I ask, I haven;t had a chance to read as much about all the claimants as I would like but does anyone know a good site that has some information about all of them? Maybe there isn't such a place but there are a lot of claims and I feel I should give some time to others too.

behaveasbefitsthesituationwillyas · 09/06/2023 14:40

@Iwantcakeeveryday I have had a poster tell people not to engage with me too, only yesterday. They don't like differing opinions no matter what they say.

4plusthehound · 09/06/2023 14:44

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 09/06/2023 09:10

I'm sure it is distressing for anyone who has been hacked and had their lives splashed over the vile media.

Yes I'm sure it is. But Harry has chosen to revisit it, whereas Chelsy has not.

whereas Chelsy has not.

Is there any statement from her?

She may be a silent partner.

She may hate it.

She may be silently enjoying it.

She may...

Howsimplywonderful · 09/06/2023 14:45

@Iwantcakeeveryday

I think a poster (on this or the other thread) posted a link to transcripts ? Perhaps if you scroll back you might spot it

Iwantcakeeveryday · 09/06/2023 14:46

@behaveasbefitsthesituationwillyas yes its not nice when that happens and I thought you were just engaging with what was already said.. but I am glad actually that other posters have clarified we can all post away and they welcome differing views, it is possible and indeed healthy to hear all sides and arguments, perhaps with less of the unnecessary and repetitive remarks about harry in general.

Iwantcakeeveryday · 09/06/2023 14:47

Howsimplywonderful · 09/06/2023 14:45

@Iwantcakeeveryday

I think a poster (on this or the other thread) posted a link to transcripts ? Perhaps if you scroll back you might spot it

thanks so much! I should have read through first before asking.

ArcaneWireless · 09/06/2023 14:47

Describing herself as a "young girl" at the time, Ms Sanderson said: "They were hiring random men to follow me - they could have done anything to me...

And as a woman in the public eye, how is she to differentiate these from ardent fans or plain old creepy bastards?

Iwantcakeeveryday · 09/06/2023 14:48

ArcaneWireless · 09/06/2023 14:47

Describing herself as a "young girl" at the time, Ms Sanderson said: "They were hiring random men to follow me - they could have done anything to me...

And as a woman in the public eye, how is she to differentiate these from ardent fans or plain old creepy bastards?

yes exactly. It would be really scary

Howsimplywonderful · 09/06/2023 14:50

@4plusthehound

I just read that Nikki Sanderson has witness statements from friends and co-stars to support her case.

Harry didn’t provide anything like that from Chelsey.

ArcaneWireless · 09/06/2023 14:51

I do remember reading a biography about the Duchess of Devonshire (Georgina Spencer / Cavendish) over 200 years ago and she was subject to horrible abuse on pamphlets so there must be a cultural element to it

I’ve only read a little on the Duchess of Devonshire but what I did read - poor woman.

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