Prince Harry accused Royals of ‘leaking’ stories but the Duke is reportedly guilty of it himself

Back in 2021, Prince Harry reportedly threatened to leak information about Buckingham Palace without its permission despite speaking with disdain about the Palace ‘leaking and planting stories’.

The ‘leaking’ of stories

In the Harry & Meghan trailers, Prince Harry brings up the issue of the accuracy of tabloid media content on more than one occasion. In the first trailer, he said:

There’s the leaking, but also the planting of stories.

In the second trailer, the Prince said:

They were happy to lie to protect my brother. They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.

He mentions in the third episode that it’s all about control. He accuses the British media of wanting to exploit his family. He said:

Their (The Royal Family) trauma is our (British tabloids) story and our narrative to control.

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Buckingham Palace is usually the one to decide what information the newspapers are allowed to have. But in 2021, ABC News Royal correspondent Omid Scobie said on the publication’s podcast:

We are used to anonymous sources, like palace courtiers and aides, dropping hints in the press.

‘Unprecedented’ pressure tactics

Back in 2021, in the thick of their feud with the Royal Family, Prince Harry reportedly threatened to leak information about the Palace if the Royal Family didn’t take his concerns seriously. At the time, Scobie said:

It was quite refreshing to hear someone share it straight from the horse's mouth.

While ABC News foreign correspondent Maggie Rulli called the tactics ‘unprecedented’. She said:

Now, all of a sudden, we have this powerful voice going onto major networks in America sharing what happened inside the Palace - without the Palace's approval. […] That’s unprecedented.

Prince Harry reportedly shared information about private talks he held with his family about how Meghan had been treated.

Cooperating with biographers

This wasn’t, however, the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ‘leaked’ information. During Meghan’s lawsuit against The Mail on Sunday, it was revealed that the Duchess allowed Kensington Palace communications secretary to discuss certain topics with the authors of the biography Finding Freedom.

Prince Harry and Meghan both wrote emails with which topics to discuss ahead of the meeting. Harry’s email reportedly said:

So if you aren't planning on telling them, can I?!

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This suggests perhaps that the Prince was ready to speak out against British tabloids and The Firm in 2018.

The book Finding Freedom has many bombshell insider stories, with Prince William accused of snobbery and Meghan supposedly being called 'Harry's showgirl' by the family members. The latter is a topic the Sussexes broach slightly in their documentary, discussing Meghan's welcome within the family. Meghan claims their relationship was 'typecast'.

Sources used:

- Newsweek: Prince Harry and Princess Diana Leaked to the Media, Despite Netflix Swipe

- Express: Royal Family taken aback as Prince Harry threatens to use 'unprecedented' pressure tactic

- Harry & Meghan