The British royal family is one of the most famous families in the world and while popularity comes with privilege and prestige, it also brings relentless media attention and public scrutiny.
Although, all the working royals try their best to stay out of demeaning headlines, many have been the victim of constant glare of the media spotlight.
From the tragic experiences of Princess Diana to Meghan Markle’s battles with the press, here are 5 royals who have faced the harshest media scrutiny till now.
1. Princess Diana:
Princess Diana’s tragic tale of media scrutiny is no secret from world. The People Princess stepped into royal family in 1981 at the young age of 20 and since then she endured severe press scrutiny until her heartbreaking death.
Princess Di’s each and every move, from her fairytale wedding to then-Prince Charles to life after the heartbreaking divorce, was watched, documented, and sensationalized by press in the cruelest way.
Without even wanting, she became one of the most photographed women in the world, with media scrutiny invading her privacy and exacerbating her struggles with anxiety and depression.
The years of media intrusion ultimately led the mother of Prince William to a tragic death as she died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, while escaping from paparazzi.
2. Prince Harry:
2. Prince Harry:
Following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, the tabloid diverted the line of fire to Prince Harry.
Since his teenage years to until now, the youngest child of King Charles has been the subject of media attention.
Over the years, Harry’s past drinking habits, drug use, and heated run-ins with photographers have made front page news.
The Duke of Sussex has detailed the impact of media harassment on his mental health in his memoir, Spare, which released in 2021.
3. Meghan Markle:
3. Meghan Markle:
Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry, is also a victim of intense tabloids’ criticism.
After her relationship with Prince Harry went public in 2016, she received a warm welcome from royal enthusiasts, for being a fresh, modern face for the monarchy
But it didn’t take long for the British tabloids to turn the table as they left no chance to humiliate the Duchess of Sussex.
From racist headlines to false narratives about family feuds, Meghan became a target of the relentless criticism, which led the duchess and her husband, Prince Harry to step back from royal duties in 2020 and relocate to US.
4-Queen Camilla
4-Queen Camilla
Camilla Parker Bowles is now the Queen of British monarchy but she was once known as a vilified royal mistress of then-Prince Charles and a conniving marriage-wrecker of his marriage with Princess Diana, due to which she faced decades of bad press and harsh public judgment.
However, the public perception and media scrutiny has softened now, especially after her marriage to Charles and her role as Queen Consort.
5- Prince Andrew
5- Prince Andrew
Since past many years, the favorite child of late Queen, Prince Andrew, has been a topic of discussion for media outlet over his ties with Jeffery Epstein, a convicted sex offender.
The disgraced Duke of York’s Newsnight interview in 2019, which intended to clear his name, only intensified public backlash and media scrutiny.
Despite of stepping back from his public roles and royal patronage, the younger brother of King Charles remains a controversial figure whose all moves are under close watch by the media.
