UK royal comms team slammed in Harry and Meghan Netflix doc

In the final three episodes of Harry & Meghan, released today, the Duke of Sussex spoke of the competitive relationship between press offices for different members of the royal family.

He said: “If the comms team want to be able to remove a negative story about their principal, they will trade and give you something about someone else’s principal, so the offices end up working against each other.

“It’s a dirty game. You know, there’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories.”

Though claiming that he and William “promised” never to use these tactics, Harry implied that William’s comms team had contributed to the negative press coverage surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. He added that the ordeal left him “heartbroken”.

“I would far rather get destroyed in the press than play along with this game, this business of trading,” continued Harry.

Elsewhere in the new episodes, Harry accused the palace of issuing a joint statement from him and his brother, for which he had not given permission. The statement was released shortly after Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal duties, with the intention of squashing rumours that William had ‘bullied’ the pair out of their positions.

PRWeek has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment, although it is understood that the royal family and its press offices have so far declined to comment in any capacity on the Netflix docuseries.

Last week, a guest columnist for PRWeek UK looked at the reputational impact the series could have for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.