Anyone who’s seen The Crown knows that the royal family can make unflattering press disappear. Over the summer, an article criticizing Kate Middleton in a prominent British newspaper completely vanished. Some suspect that the royal family applied pressure. Here’s what we know.
Disappearing Kate Middleton Story Causes Stir
It’s no secret that the media bashes certain members of the royal family while others are angelic. The disparity in coverage between Meghan Markle and Middleton reveals deep hypocrisy, for Markle can do no right and Middleton can do no wrong. This double standard isn’t limited to tabloids.
The Telegraph is one of Britain’s leading newspapers. When Middleton wrote an op-ed with First Lady Jill Biden to promote childhood education, the paper ran a critical op-ed of its own. Joanna Rossiter wrote, Middleton “is in danger of falling into the same trap as the Sussexes; she has risked aligning herself too closely with a sitting political party.” She said it was impossible to imagine Middleton doing the same with Melania Trump, so the promotion “is a tacit endorsement of the Bidens.”
Critical Piece Got Pulled
Royal watchers roundly trashed the piece. It’s one thing to criticize a political affiliation, but Middleton was doing this in the name of helping all children get access to pre-school. Attacking kids is not a great look.
Also not a great look? Pulling the critical op-ed once it got posted. Within hours, Rossiter’s piece disappeared. The paper has made no official statement, but a source told Buzzfeed that the Palace did not contact the paper. In fact, it called the allegation “ludicrous.” You can’t find the article in The Telegraph anymore.
Critics were quick to note that the Telegraph, even in this op-ed, trashed Markle and Prince Harry all the time with no retractions. It sure feels like the paper overstepped by targeting the wrong royal, so it changed course. Middleton was too busy announcing her center dedicated to early childhood advocacy to comment.
Symbiotic Relationship
When Prince Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey, he discussed the relationship between the royal family and the media. “If you as a family member are willing to wine, dine, and give full access to these reporters, then you will get better press,” he said, going so far as to say “the institution survives” because of this.
This very week a Missouri representative attacked Markle because she penned a letter to Congress advocating for paid parental leave. His statement was plastered all over the Daily Mail, yet The Telegraph piece attacking Middleton for being partisan couldn’t stay? Something seems fishy. We’ll probably never know what really caused this retraction, but palace interference doesn’t sound too nonsensical.