Prince Harry’s recent loss to Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) has brought his media-handling strategy into question.
An insider has claimed that his mother, the late Princess Diana, was a natural at managing the media and would have been extremely disappointed by Prince Harry’s actions.
New claims suggest Princess Diana may not have supported Prince Harry’s ongoing battle with the British press
Prince Harry and seven other celebrities have just lost a vital case against the ANL, where they had claimed that a tabloid had used illegal means to gather information about their stories, like phone hacking, listening to voicemails, and impersonation. However, the judge has dismissed all such claims, mainly citing the fact that the proof presented was too old to be considered.
The loss has drawn parallels with how Princess Diana expertly handled the media, vis-à-vis the misguided way Harry managed them.
According to The Royal Observer, an insider has claimed that the People’s Princess worked with and not against, the media, a virtue that helped her maintain long and fruitful working relationships with journalists and senior editors.
One of Diana’s closest friends told Rob Shuter’s Naughty but Nice, “Diana understood exactly how the media worked. She never saw every journalist as an enemy. She built relationships with people she trusted and used those relationships to make sure her voice was heard.”
The royal insider also said, “She (Diana) was incredibly media savvy. She couldn’t control every headline, but she knew she could shape the conversation by working with journalists she respected. She played the long game,” as per the Royal Observer.
Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail, has noted that Diana also appreciated the newspaper’s support during the breakdown of her marriage with the then-Prince Charles.
Diana and her son’s contrasting media management skills have been on full display during the high-profile case, and have invited several sides to the story.
WHICH MEDIA HANDLING STYLE DO YOU PREFER?
