BBC: How dare the Sussexes refuse access to us after we barged into Colombia!

Some would say that Sussex fans are “wallowing in negativity” when we keep abreast of what the British media is saying about Prince Harry and Meghan. While I do think people should be more careful about amplifying negativity and hate, I also think that it’s perfectly reasonable to keep our eye on what the hell those salty people are saying. The British media has desperately tried to influence American and international coverage of Harry and Meghan for years, and what sucks is that sometimes they’re successful. What starts as a lie or smear in the Daily Mail will suddenly turn up in Deadline or People Magazine. All of which to say, I’m still reading through the British coverage of the Sussexes’ Colombian tour. It’s clear that the British media is beyond furious that they don’t have access to Harry and Meghan and they can’t order the Sussexes to give them the access they crave. The Telegraph ran a piece demanding that the Sussexes spoon-feed briefings and content to them, all so they can “independently scrutinize” Harry and Meghan. Well, the BBC ran a similar piece with even more details about how little access they had to the Sussexes in Colombia.

A stately welcome: Prince Harry and Meghan may no longer be working royals. But on their tour to Colombia, they still received a stately welcome. They were there on the invitation of the country’s vice-president, Francia Márquez. That also meant they received a heavy government-backed security operation throughout their trip. They no longer get this in the UK, something they have argued to the UK government and Royal Family that they should, especially given they have been targeted by threats and abuse in the past.

The lack of crowds? Events involving members of the Royal Family don’t draw quite the same crowds in South America as they may in other parts of the world. There were modest groups of people at some events who stopped to try to catch a glimpse of the couple. One Venezuelan tourist in Bogotá, Jacqueline Romero, told me: “I saw them close; I thought my heart was going to come out. Since I was a child, my grandmother educated me about royalty. I never imagined I would find them visiting Bogotá like me.”

Controlled events & controlled media access: At another event at a percussion school on the beach, though, most of the people enjoying the sunshine seemed unfazed – despite the heavy armed military presence and gaggle of journalists. That may be, in part, because much of this tour – including the events – were very private and controlled. These strict controls are often very typical of all royal tours too. The couple and government only allowed their own videographers and photographers into most of the events which they say was to make sure events were represented “accurately”. Footage was released daily, with no sound. They took with them only one “pool” reporter from Harper’s Bazaar who released daily updates to the media about what they were doing, copying in their spokespeople and publicity team. The BBC chose not to rely on this material alone, as we could not be present to verify what was said and described, but we were able to attend the summit and watch some events from the sidelines.

Why did Harry & Meghan go to Colombia when they’re worried about press intrusion? Prince Harry and Meghan have been explicit about their concerns about press intrusion on their lives, particularly from British tabloids. They have received threats online and had many legal battles with newspapers about invasions of privacy. But as a result, some royal watchers did raise questions like: why do such a high-profile visit which seems, in part, about publicity too for both the hosts and the guests? For Prince Harry and Meghan, this was about promoting their campaigns to make the internet safer, and some of their initiatives like a new parent’s network to support parents of children who had suffered harm online. It is also about maintaining their influence and visibility on the world stage, and showing they can still attract audiences with global leaders.

The security: While there was certainly a big buzz in local media about the visit, there was some criticism too about the cost of the heavy security presence accompanying them. Crowds of armed military lined the streets in vast numbers, in part because Ms Márquez herself has had threats on her life. The Sussexes have said they fear doing similarly high-profile events back in the UK after suffering violent threats online and because they no longer receive the government-funded security they did as working royals.

Sussex International: This second international tour in just a few months, though, suggests perhaps international campaigning is where their focus may now turn instead. The invitation from government figures like Ms Márquez, who come with their own security operation, suggests a future model for how the couple could work safely and on their own terms outside the royal structure.

[From BBC]

“The couple and government only allowed their own videographers and photographers into most of the events which they say was to make sure events were represented “accurately”. Footage was released daily, with no sound.” The thing is, everyone would justifiably take issue with this if it was any royal couple doing a royal tour on behalf of the government. But because Harry and Meghan are two private-yet-high-profile citizens, who gives a f–k? It’s like, oh, Bill Gates controlled media access when he did an event with a government official in India. Okay, and? “They took with them only one “pool” reporter from Harper’s Bazaar who released daily updates to the media about what they were doing.” That’s because the British media barged into Colombia uninvited! There was never supposed to be a traveling royal press corps attached to this visit! And this convoluted whining and hissy-fitting from the British media is all about concealing that fact, that the British media wants the Sussexes to be “royal” enough that they can demand access, yet they want to mock the Sussexes for not doing a royal tour.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.