Earl Spencer has spoken to the BBC about the media treatment of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, stating that it has "echoes" of what happened to his sister, Princess Diana. He described the press coverage as a "cancerous influence" in their life. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been critical of the media in the past, and their comments come as they returned to the UK from California.
Earl Spencer's comments come after a recent interview where he claimed that King Charles said people would forget Diana "soon enough" after her death. The Palace responded strongly to his claims, stating that the King was "mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgement and colour memory". Earl Spencer reacted to the statement, saying he was telling the truth about the King's comments.
Princess Diana was subject to huge press interest until her death in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. Earl Spencer accused the media of being on a "permanent quest...to bring her down" in his eulogy at her funeral. He said newspapers had been threatened by her "genuine goodness". The Sussexes have long been critical of their treatment by the British press and the support they received from the Royal Family.
Prince Harry and Meghan have faced significant media scrutiny, with Prince Harry accusing the tabloid media of creating a "toxic environment" of "control and fear" in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan also said in the couple's 2022 Netflix series that the media was trying to "destroy" her. The couple recently lost a privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail.
Earl Spencer's interview with the BBC was his first since the Palace's response to his claims about King Charles. He said he had only had two calls with the King and was "hyper alert" to what he was saying. He claimed that the King's statement was an attempt to "gaslight" him. Journalist Richard Kay, a friend of Diana's, also wrote that Earl Spencer had told him of a "furious row" with Charles after her death.
Dame Julia Cleverdon, a trusted aide and friend of the King, responded to Earl Spencer's claims, saying they did not reflect the King's language or behavior. She described the King as being supportive and loving after Diana's death. Earl Spencer's book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, is due to be published next week and is expected to be highly critical of the Royal Family.
The media treatment of Harry and Meghan has raised concerns about the impact of press scrutiny on mental health. Earl Spencer said it would be "beholden on people to learn from Diana's example" and that the media's influence can be "really, really unpleasant". The Sussexes' experience has sparked a wider conversation about the media's role in reporting on the Royal Family.
Key points
- Earl Spencer says media treatment of Harry and Meghan echoes what happened to Diana
- The Sussexes have faced significant media scrutiny, with accusations of a "toxic environment"
- Earl Spencer's comments come amid a war of words with the Palace over his claims about King Charles
