Let’s talk about ‘Sussex Double Standards’ today.
Harry “unexpectedly” showed up at London’s High Court mid-morning Monday (more than 5,000 miles from home!) arriving to the court by black cab no less, then walking straight into the front entrance, running the full gauntlet of waiting press and photographers in the process.
If you’ve lost track, this is one of three cases where Harry - and others - are taking legal action over allegations of unlawful information gathering.
Today was against the publishers of the Daily Mail - charges which the publishers strenuously deny.
A crowd of photographers and news reporters were waiting outside to record him arriving, as reporters inside began tweeting that the courtroom was “packed with journalists” - gosh, how fortunate they were all there when Harry showed up!
Elton John and others arrived separately, and entered at the side gate, slipping straight inside from their cars, without physically knocking into a single photographer, as Harry had.
That, of course, doesn’t make for breaking news alerts on Sky…
Conveniently, just as Harry turned up, The Telegraph immediately released details on that never ending soap opera story line - will Harry see his family?
Victoria Ward, who has inside information from “Sussex sources” every fortnight it seems, had the scoop again!
Writing in The Telegraph:
The Duke is not expected to see his father while he is in the UK. Although he did inform the King that he would be in London he was told his father was “busy”."
How exactly does she know about Harry’s conversation with King Charles? Surely Harry believes those kind of personal family conversations are private?
It certainly couldn’t be from ‘leaking and planting’ or ‘playing a dirty game with the press’ could it? The very thing Harry’s been complaining about and insisted he would never do?
Actually, it seems clear that the Sussex camp are still leaking to the press when it suits them, when they want to control a narrative, or turn media attention in a certain direction.
Which is fine, it’s often done by public relations firms and communications staff for public figures.
The difference with the Sussexes? Though others may not go out of their way to admit it, they don’t make a lifelong crusade denying what’s blatantly obvious!
Look at what Omid Scobie tweeted, “I see we can now report that Prince Harry is here in London for the hearing. Pretty major!”
“We can now report” is standard lingo for: ‘we were briefed this was coming but had to sit on it until the moment he arrived.’
Photographs of Harry seemingly en route from the US to London even conveniently managed to make their way around social media Sunday…
What’s the big deal, you ask?
Since leaving the UK in 2020, Harry has told just about anyone who will listen, that his (Royal) family and their staff were “leaking” stories to the press, and in doing so were “playing a game” that he would have no part of, and, because he refused to engage, he had to leave.
From his own words:
Harry to Oprah: “It’s a case of if you as a family member are willing to wine, dine and give full access to these reporters, then you will get better press.”
Harry on Netflix: "There's leaking, but there's also planting of stories. It's a dirty game."
Harry to Tom Bradby: “I suppose lots of people know now, there was a family motto of ‘never complain, never explain’… that was just a motto. There was a lot of complaining and there was a lot of explaining and it continues now.”
Harry went on to tell Bradby that, by leaking to the press, “certain family members have decided to get in the bed with the devil, right?”
Get in bed with the devil! Strong words Harry!
And then, Harry went on to describe precisely what many public figures do, and the Sussexes appear to still be doing themselves, telling Bradby:
Harry: “A royal source is not an unknown person, it is the palace specifically briefing the press, but covering their tracks by being unnamed. And I think that’s pretty shocking to people.”
Shocking? That public figures use sources to convey information to the press?
That’s perhaps the least shocking thing there is about the press/PR relationship!
The Sussexes doubled down one year ago, in January 2022. Announcing (once again to The Telegraph - sensing a pattern yet?) that:
“Unnamed “sources” will no longer speak for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their team have promised.
The Sussexes’ communications team at Archewell will speak on the record or not at all, as fans of the couple are warned to pay no heed to mystery “sources” claiming to talk for them in the press.”
And Harry reiterated that again to Tom Bradby a year later:
Harry: “I sit here now, speaking to you, answering the questions that you put to me, and the words and the truth will come from my lips rather than using other people, especially through the tabloid media.”
But despite all Harry’s charges, despite the promise of a ban on “unnamed sources” - Sussex sources have been appearing in articles for months, explaining, or directing, Harry and Meghan’s side of a story.
And - importantly - not once have the Sussexes denied the story, or said the source was not connected to them, or reiterated their statement of a year ago that they were no longer using “anonymous sources”!
The Sussexes seem to be operating under that old adage, “do as I say, not as I do!”
As for the court case, Harry’s allegations against certain British press outlets are very serious, but he told Bradby he considered changing the British media to be his “life’s work” -
Harry: “One of the reasons why I am moving the – the mission of changing the media landscape within the UK from being personal to my life’s work, a large part of that is down to the ongoing legal battles. Right?”
In the interview, Bradby pointed out that Harry’s accusations are very “grave” and the stakes “very high” -
Bradby to Harry: “You’re suggesting you know, they hired private investigators to break into people’s houses to plant a listening device, I mean this is off the scale, they deny it absolutely.
Let’s be clear, you would owe them a pretty abject apology if you’re not right, if it’s not proven…”
The Mail’s publisher vehemently deny the charges, their lawyers saying the charges are “preposterous smears” and a “pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone hacking scandal”.
Today was just a preliminary hearing to determine if the case will proceed. It’s expected to last four days before a judge decides.
Harry sat for the entire first hearing in High Court, reportedly taking notes and shaking his head frequently.
Then he left - out the side door - see, he does know where it is!
The first thing that intrigued me was that Harry went to London "via Miami." For a concert, if Twitter is to be believed. I live near Phoenix, Arizona and I have never gone to London via Miami. I have flown to London via New York City, via Atlanta and even once via LA itself!! A short flight over to LA and then a direct flight LA to London, long and boring and three hours longer than flying direct from Phoenix but there you are, we are at the mercy of cheap flight schedules. Something I am sure that Harry is not. It makes absolutely no sense for a side trip to Miami which is south of LA (trans Atlantic flights from anywhere in the US have to fly north because the UK is north of all points in the US) unless Harry went to Miami to party. And then ambled onward, a day or two later, to London. Nice work if you can get it. I also agree with you about the leaking to the Press stuff. The photos of Harry arriving at the High Court were nuts. He walked right into a photographer! So much for worrying about security, so much for being traumatized by lenses and clicks.
He continues to be a sad joke.