Meghan and Prince Harry have not held back in telling their story. Photo / AP
Meghan and Prince Harry have not held back in telling their story. Photo / AP
The news cycle this year has been dominated this year by an ugly family feud, playing out in full view of the public.
The release of Spare, the hugely anticipated memoir of Prince Harry, has sparked an enormous focus on the inner workings of the British Royal family.
UK correspondentGavin Grey tells The Front Page podcast that the British public remains deeply divided on whether or not to support Harry and Meghan in telling their version of events.
“It depends on who you speak to,” says Grey. “If you’re a Harry and Meghan fan, who by and large tend to be in the age range of 16 to 30, tend to be more supportive. They believe that the Royal Family has questions to answer. But those older than that on average are more likely to say: ‘Oh for goodness sake, get a life.’”
This generational divide between supporters and detractors is also largely reflected in the New Zealand audience, which has been just as enthralled by the endless stream of revelations pouring in. So will any of the issues raised by Harry and Meghan have the potential to sway public opinion one way or the other?
“I’m afraid a lot of this mud will stick,” says Grey.
“People will read into his book and interviews almost what they want to read into it. Some people are huge supporters of them and they can do no wrong. To others, however, they can do no right.”
Grey says that most casual observers are largely looking to confirm what they already think.
He does, however, add that it’s important to note that royal tell-alls can have a lasting impact on the image of the monarchy around the world. You only need to look at Martin Bashir’s interview with Princess Diana in 1995 to understand how enduring certain revelations can be.
“If you ask people to give their two or three top memories of Diana, a lot of people would put that BBC interview in there. When you look at comments like ‘there are three of us in this marriage’, that sticks and people tend to remember it. Diana used language like that: quite careful language. Harry and Meghan and much less careful.”
So which comments will stick? What does this mean for the monarchy around the world? And what impact is this likely to have on the coronation of King Charles later this year?
Listen to the full episode of The Front Page podcast, for Grey’s analysis of the Monarchy’s ongoing internal struggles.
