Last week, Prince Harry blasted the British press for its consistently unfair — and frequently bigoted — treatment of his wife, Meghan Markle.
The final straw was the letter that Meghan wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.
But based on Harry’s comments, it’s safe to assume that he’s been nursing this grudge for quite some time.
“I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in,” the prince explained.
“There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behavior, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people,” Harry added.
“We all know this isn’t acceptable, at any level. We won’t and can’t believe in a world where there is no accountability for this.”
And Harry did more than just call out his wife’s bullies in a public forum.
The father of one put his money where his mouth is by filing a lawsuit against the Mail.
It’s an almost-unprecedented move from the royals, who typically just ignore slanderous tabloid gossip.
Or at least that was the method preferred by previous generations, who seemed to believe that any response would only serve to legitimize the lies and speculation.
But both Harry and his brother have chosen a more progressive approach to the problem.
Back in April, Prince William threatened to sue a UK newspaper for reporting on rumors that he was cheating on Kate Middleton with one of her closest friends.
Now, Harry is making it clear that any media outlets who continue to treat Meghan unfairly will face the full brunt of the royals’ legal team.
“It’s an accumulation, and Harry refuses to sit and do nothing as the British press scrutinizes Meghan and invades her privacy,” a source close to the situation explains.
“Meghan comes across as a strong woman, but she’s been deeply affected by the negative stories about her.”
While Harry has reportedly marveled at his wife’s imperiousness to the slings and arrows of the tabloid press, insiders say he’s concerned about the long-term effects of such constant libel.
According to the source, Harry is ”worried that the recent escalation of press intrusion has an impact on his relationship with Meghan, as well as their relationship with the royal family and the public.”
And unfortunately, his fears are well-founded.
While life as a royal has always been a fishbowl experience characterized by intense press scrutiny, the coverage has never been so constant — or so vitriolic — as it is in 2019.
By pushing back against the bullies who are turning our media landscape into unsafe territory, Harry isn’t just standing up for Meghan — he’s fighting for a brighter tomorrow.
