Prince William and his father Prince Charles are both growing increasingly concerned about the highly contentious relationship Harry and Meghan have with the press. Harry & Meghan: An African Journey which documents much of the lives of the royal couple will likely expose even more of this battle publicly.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven't always faced the unrelenting negative press that they have recently experienced. The fervor around their wedding was more positive than negative and originally seemed supportive of the biracial former Suits actress joining the royal family. Up to and around the wedding, the American actress was being praised as a progressive addition and portrayed as a strong woman who could potentially bring some needed updating and change with her. This sentiment and perception changed somewhere around the time she became pregnant and has grown increasingly negative bringing with it a shocking level of vitriol aimed at the couple but more specifically the Duchess. Harry doesn't seem inclined to sit back and watch this happen.
As Us Weekly reports a source was quoted as saying, "William wants to be there for Harry and hates seeing him in such a bad place." The source noted, "Harry’s a very sensitive guy, and Charles is worried, too." Their mother famously experienced a similar battle with the press which ultimately contributed to her death in 1997 in a car crash while trying to evade aggressive paparazzi. The brother's experience during and after Princess Diana's death was understandably brutal and it's something the family doesn't want to see happen again with Harry or Meghan. This fear of history repeating itself seems to be justified as the struggles between the young couple and the public and media grow.
The anger towards the Duchess has ranged from complaints about how she posed holding her pregnant belly to how they didn't pose at all following the birth. It seems there is little she can do to stem the negativity aimed at her. Currently, the couple is taking legal action against British tabloid, The Mail, for publishing a private letter from the Duchess to her father, as they feel it was an invasion of her privacy. With the premiere of Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, the public saw an emotional Meghan open up about what she is going through. While this rare insight into her vulnerability and pain brought out some support online it also seemed to give the Duchess detractors even more ammunition as they accused her of airing the royal dirty laundry publicly with what was referred to as poor little rich girl complaints.
It will remains to be seen if the Americans will go to Meghan's side as she's an American member of the royal family. Time will tell if the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey helps or hurts the couple in the long run and whether Prince William and other royals concerns are warranted, but we can all hope that the long term consequences of this public battle with the press has no consequences as serious as the royal family has seen in the past.
