Prince Charles' new spokesperson might be Prince Harry's biggest enemy. Why is the new hire such a
big deal for Harry and Meghan, and what does it mean for the future of the royal family?
Here's why Prince Charles' latest hire might infuriate the Sussexes.
Tensions seem to be high between Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and his father Prince Charles
since the couple chose to leave the royal family in 2020. Though they are reportedly happy with
their decision, the couple has still made an effort to see the family they stepped away
from. Recently they visited England for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations,
though they did abruptly exit the country before the celebrations concluded.
While the duke and duchess visited Prince Charles during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations,
things were reportedly still tense between the couple and the future king ahead of the visit.
Additionally, things are changing in the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II
is facing recurring health problems, which is making both the family and the English public
start thinking about what the future will look like when Prince Charles takes the throne.
"I will have been very happy indeed."
Prince Charles has made some changes within his camp in preparation for the
future — he and Camilla Parker Bowles let go of their current spokesperson
and replaced them with Tobyn Andreae, the Daily Mail's deputy editor.
This shakeup might lead to more trouble with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Meghan and Harry have long taken issue with the Daily Mail and have sued the online and
print editions including the Mail on Sunday, which Andreae used to be the deputy editor of.
The couple has had issues with the way the Daily Mail reports on their family. Seeing Charles hire
a prominent member of their team may add even more trouble to their already struggling relationship.
Prince Charles's latest acquisition is likely to shock Prince Harry since the prince previously
sued the Associated Newspapers group, which publishes the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday,
and its online counterpart Mail Online, and won — twice. As The Independent reported at the time,
Harry targeted the Mail after they published a couple different articles claiming he no
longer had a relationship with the British armed forces after defecting from the royal family.
In fact, the notorious tabloid claimed the relationship had suffered to such an extent
that higher-ups were even considering replacing Harry, who has ten years' service on his record,
as Captain General of the Royal Marines. The prince's lawyers confirmed he was shocked and
hurt by the allegations, especially considering how much working with veterans means to him.
Harry's lawyer decried the stories as "baseless, false and defamatory."
The prince received an apology and unspecified damages, which he donated to his own dedicated
charity for injured servicemen and women. He just emerged victorious
in another lawsuit against Associated Newspapers after they claimed he was
trying to keep the details of his security battle in the UK out of the public eye.
A High Court judge ruled on July 8 that the Mail on Sunday had published a misleading
"exclusive" report. The judge ruled that the story implied Harry was to blame for
"attempting to mislead and confuse the public as to the true position."
Meghan Markle also notably came out on top in her defamation suit against Associated
Newspapers. The former Suits actress received a symbolic £1 in damages. A
judge ruled her privacy had been breached when the Mail on Sunday published a private letter
the duchess sent to her estranged father Thomas Markle. The Guardian confirmed the
case would not be appealed, though Associated Newspapers had initially attempted to do so.
Meghan was also slated to receive another, undisclosed pay-out for
copyright infringement and was likely to have part of her legal fees covered too.
Elsewhere, both front and homepage reports of the paper's defeat were to be published accordingly.
The duchess called out the "deception, intimidation, and calculated attacks" used
by the British tabloid media and criticized them for conditioning "people to be cruel."
"First, I would urge you not to read tabloids because I don't think that's healthy for anyone."
The defendants claimed, in their initial appeal,
that there was an expectation the letter might be published someday,
and that it was newsworthy as a result. In fact, Associated Newspapers legal team asserted,
"The letter was crafted specifically with the possibility of public consumption in mind."
Thomas gave it to the tabloids in the hopes of clearing his name, but it had the opposite
effect and created a further divide between him and his famous daughter. Now, Prince Charles'
latest hire seems to ensure that the media will keep dividing this family for years to come.
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