Prince Harry’s “ironic” appearance in a new ITV documentary has been highlighted as the royal continues his legal battle against the tabloid newspapers.
The Duke of Sussex detailed his experience with the media and his “monumental victory” in court as part of ITV documentary, Tabloids on Trial.
Among the bombshell claims made during the program, Prince Harry told ITV that his legal battles with the media were a ‘central piece’ to his rift with the Royal Family.
He also claimed that the UK is now “too dangerous” for wife Meghan Markle to return to, as security concerns for his family remain.
Prince Harry said the UK is ‘too dangerous’ for Meghan Markle to return to
ITV
Reacting to the documentary on GB News, royal broadcaster Rafe Heydel-Mankoo said it was “ironic” of Prince Harry to star in a documentary about press intrusion, yet ITV were keen to get him to “deliver as many headlines as possible”.
Heydel-Mankoo said: “I thought it was a very interesting documentary. It was supposed to be about press intrusion and the use of illegal tactics to gain information, and it certainly was that.
“But ironically, it was also a documentary that seemed to be trying to get Prince Harry to deliver as many newspaper grabbing headlines as possible.”
Criticising his claim that the media were to blame for his rift with the Royal Family, Heydel-Mankoo said it appears to “never be the Sussexes fault” when a rift is caused between the royal couple and another party.
The Duke of Sussex detailed his legal battles with tabloid media in a new ITV documentary
ITV
Heydel-Mankoo told GB News: “We heard his ludicrous claim that it was his campaign against the press which was a central element of his rift with the Royal Family. Once again, on planet Sussex. Nothing is ever the Sussexes fault, it’s always the fault of somebody else.”
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When asked what the Prince “hopes to achieve” from sharing his story in the documentary, Heydel-Mankoo claimed that alongside the duke, the celebrities also featured are hoping for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to launch “another Leveson Inquiry”.
He explained: “This documentary actually follows another similar documentary put out by the BBC, and the intention behind these documentaries is to try to put pressure on Keir Starmer to have a Leveson inquiry 2.0.
“That’s why you’ve had the participation of people like Hugh Grant, but Sir Keir Starmer has said that this wasn’t actually part of his priority.”
Turning the discussion to the Royal Family and how they may react to Prince Harry’s continued public pursuit of the press, Heydel-Mankoo affirmed that the monarchy “rises above” any public discrepancies, as they are “not celebrities” like the duke has become.
Rafe Heydel-Mankoo said the Monarchy ‘needs a good media relationship to survive’
GB News
Heydel-Mankoo told GB News: “The important thing here is that he’s blaming the Royal Family for not coming on board with him. The King is alleged to have said to Harry that it’s a suicide mission.
“The monarchy really needs to have good media relations if it is to survive. It’s so vital in this day and age. And if they were to wage war on the media, as Prince Harry is, you would see such negative, destructive media coverage from the tabloid press.”
He added: “It’s simply not in their interest to do so. Prince Harry is now no longer a royal, he’s a celebrity like anybody else in Hollywood.
“He’s free to embark upon these personal campaigns, but the Royal Family simply can’t do that, they have to rise above it.”