NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Anatomy of a royal scandal: Six days that led to Harry and Meghan's declaration of war

By Daniela Elser
news.com.au·
11 Oct, 2019 11:53 PM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

They were riding a wave of renewed public adoration, until now. Photo / Getty Images

They were riding a wave of renewed public adoration, until now. Photo / Getty Images

Harry and Meghan have enjoyed a rollercoaster of ups and downs since their wedding in May 2018 — but last month, finally, things were looking up.

They were freshly arrived in Africa for their first royal tour as a family of three and doing what they do best — charming people, far and wide.

Crowds flocked, the press fawned and the Sussexes' own personal annus horribilis seemed to be coming to an end.

Meghan and Harry had successfully rehabilitated their image - and then came the lawsuits.  Photo / Getty Images
Meghan and Harry had successfully rehabilitated their image - and then came the lawsuits. Photo / Getty Images

READ MORE:
• Meghan Markle shares childhood video to celebrate International Day of the Girl
• Piers Morgan on Meghan Markle: 'She's not the angel you think she is'
• Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex refuses to 'fade away'
• Meghan Markle's new life as a 'working mum' sees her rush home to Archie

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And then in a matter of six days, less time than it takes for milk to go off, the couple managed to tumble from those lofty heights to being mired in two court cases and facing global consternation thanks to their decision to aggressively declare war on the press.

How did it come to this?

The newlyweds have face a barrage of negative headlines this year. There was Meghan's six-figure New York baby shower, the never-ending speculation that she and her sister-in-law Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, were embroiled in a feud, numerous staff members leaving their posts, the $4.2 million of government money they used to renovate Frogmore cottage, Archie's birth being shrouded in unnecessary secrecy that read like a rebuke to public interest, the refusal to name his godparents, the Wimbledon fiasco, Meghan's contentious Vogue issue and that whole private jet fiasco. It's enough to make any hardworking palace courtier to start reaching for the gin indecorously early in the day.

Harry and Meghan in South Africa. Photo / Getty Images
Harry and Meghan in South Africa. Photo / Getty Images

The tour was a chance to wipe the slate clean. Public sentiment is nothing if not fickle. Which means that just as fast as their brand had been tarnished by all of this persistent negative coverage, they could swiftly and simply repair it.

A fresh slate

via GIPHY

From the moment the Sussexes kicked off their 10-day Africa trip in a Cape Town township, only hours after landing, they were wowing audiences, both local and international, with their heartfelt commitment to tackling issues such as mental health and gender-based violence.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For the next two days, they resolutely followed, hugged, chatted, laughed and wooed as they successfully got their message across.

Then the Great Archie Reveal! It was the coup de grace. On September 25, a beaming Harry and Meghan introduced the world to Archie, and the world was immediately smitten. Hearts melted. Public approval skyrocketed.

This was the couple at their astute best: creating an immediately iconic image — a baby who represents the union of a mixed-race couple with Desmond Tutu, a venerable, powerful figure in the fight against apartheid. Three generations of hope and commitment to racial equality.

Harry and Meghan's newly installed PR supremo and private secretary would have been forgiven if they repaired to their hotel that night and cracked open bottles of mini bar champers with abandon.

Discover more

Royals

Why the Queen broke her own key tradition

14 Oct 04:35 PM

But then came Harry's barnstorming, deeply emotional statement on October 1 that excoriated the press and set the stage for the news that Meghan is suing the Mail on Sunday after publishing part of a letter she had sent her father in 2018. That turned out to only be the opening salvo. Four days later, it was revealed that Harry was suing the Sun and the Mirror over alleged phone hacking in the early 2000s.

And just like that — POOF! The goodwill and warm wave of adoration evaporated to be replaced by rancorous argument. All the press coverage of the trip was immediately subsumed by news stories and opinion pieces debating the Sussexes' audacious campaign against Fleet Street.

The real victim

View this post on Instagram

Today, during #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, @PublicHealthEngland - in partnership with the NHS - has launched #EveryMindMatters to help people take simple steps to look after their mental health, improve their mental wellbeing and support others. This is why The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pleased that they were able to lend their voices to this important campaign. Along with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they are proud to be supporting Every Mind Matters. This new platform creates personalised action plans – specifically tailored to each person, depending on what they are going through. And because we all know every day is different, you can visit this online portal as many times as you want, to help support you through whatever you may be experiencing. Every person matters. Every mind matters. Visit www.everymindmatters.co.uk/ to find out more. @KensingtonRoyal @SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Oct 7, 2019 at 12:55pm PDT

On Tuesday, Every Mind Matters released a short video about mental health narrated by both the Sussexes and the Cambridges. This should have been a PR slam dunk — cue headlines about the so-called Fab Four back together!

Instead, publicity around the project got far less media play with Harry and Meghan's legal manoeuvring still consuming all the press oxygen.

It's a frustrating state of affairs. While reporting by the Financial Times suggests Harry and Meghan made the announcement mid-tour for legal reasons (by filing the paperwork at that point in time, it is alleged the case will be heard by a court supposedly more favourable to victims), that does nothing to ameliorate the damage done by the events of the last week.

View this post on Instagram

Coming soon... @teddysphotos • #WMHD

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Oct 9, 2019 at 4:40am PDT

Their gently rehabilitated image has suffered some blows simply because the lawsuits have detracted from the good work the Sussexes are trying to do.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Here's the upside. Harry and Meghan are charming, beguiling and savvy public figures. They will unquestionably, in the future, find a way to dazzle and impress us at some stage, all that pesky courtroom talk relegated to the past. The challenge will be, once they are firmly back on top, not stumbling again.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

I thought my stitch was from over-exercising. It turned out to be cancer

07 Jul 12:25 AM
Lifestyle

Weighing pros and cons of reuniting with long-lost pals

06 Jul 10:21 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

Why burnout in women spikes in their 30s and 50s – and how to get through it

06 Jul 06:00 PM

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
I thought my stitch was from over-exercising. It turned out to be cancer

I thought my stitch was from over-exercising. It turned out to be cancer

07 Jul 12:25 AM

Telegraph: Early diagnosis saw 58-year-old Andy Rushton beat the odds.

Weighing pros and cons of reuniting with long-lost pals

Weighing pros and cons of reuniting with long-lost pals

06 Jul 10:21 PM
Premium
Why burnout in women spikes in their 30s and 50s – and how to get through it

Why burnout in women spikes in their 30s and 50s – and how to get through it

06 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Do regular facials actually improve your skin?

Do regular facials actually improve your skin?

06 Jul 06:00 AM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP