Scrutiny Over Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Will "Get Worse," Experts Say

published 30 January 2020

Last night on ABC News, a special about Harry and Meghan studied how, contrary to their hopes, scrutiny on them will likely increase.
Harry said he was stepping back for the sake of privacy and protection, and his friends explained more about his reasoning.
Princess Diana herself stepped back from royal life in 1993, and her speech and Harry's sound eerily similar.

In an ABC News special last night called "Royal Divide: Harry, Meghan, and the Crown," Harry's friends, alongside media and royal experts, weighed in on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping back as senior royals—which entails their living more independently in Canada, making their own income, and possibly paying for their own security. But experts believe their desire to have more privacy might backfire on them.

"The idea that by somehow stepping back from the royal family they’re going to somehow regain control of their privacy is tragically a fool's errand," said managing partner of 10Ten Media and former People magazine editor Larry Hackett. "That’s just not going to happen. In fact it’s going to get worse."

"Every single moment in their lives, whether it's the first major commercial deal that Meghan and Harry have just struck, or their next child, every single moment will be tracked," explained James Longman, ABC News foreign correspondent. "This is high stakes."

The couple have already made it clear that they're no longer going to work with the royal rota system, which allows a small group of British royal reporters access to photos and stories that are then disseminated. Now, they hope to work with diverse publications, but it also means many more news sources could conceivably report on the couple and their son.

"I think that actually Harry and Meghan are going to get into more difficulties with paparazzi," said Anna Pasternak, British author of Princess in Love. "There'll be less of an organized structure around them every time they go to an event." She added, "We saw it with Harry’s mother."

Real talk: I'm not sure this isn't anything Harry and Meghan haven't already thought of. They're still pursuing ongoing litigation with British publications and have issued a warning about the use of paparazzi photos about them. They're smart, they're savvy, and they're doing all they can to have a normal life—while still understanding there'll be heightened interest for a while.

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Longtime friend of Harry's, polo player Nacho Figueras, explained that Harry suffered a lot from royal scrutiny. "He's being a father...a guy who is trying to protect his cub and his lioness from whatever it takes," he said. "He has become an incredible man, a man that his mother would be proud of."

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.