AMP in the post
The documentary is a two part piece titled The Princes And The Press. Last week the monarchy made noises about wanting to preview the doc before it aired, and the network firmly denied the request.
Royal Family News: The Monarchy Wants Approval Rights?
Neither side was entirely happy with the hubbub generated by the public controversy. But did the BBC come out the loser by not granting the monarchy access to the material before it aired?
The answer is a definite maybe according to one of the late Princess Diana’s friends who thinks the fallout from the refusal, “could lead to the BBC being cut out of Platinum Jubilee coverage.”
“The brothers and their relationship with the media is at the center of a two-part series hosted by journalist Amol Rajan that broadcast its first episode in Britain earlier this week,” according to the Daily Mail.
At the time the palace released a statement that read in part, “A free, responsible and open Press is of vital importance to a healthy democracy. However, too often overblown and unfounded claims from unnamed sources are presented as facts and it is disappointing when anyone, including the BBC, gives them credibility.”
AMP in the post
Should The Royals Have Access To BBC Material?
The documentary The Princes and the Press showed interviews with prominent journalists but perhaps most troubling to the monarchy was the interview with Meghan Markle’s lawyer Jenny Afia. Reviews noted that Afia, “was briefly shown denying the duchess was difficult to work for.”
Now sources tell The Mail the royal family could consider a boycott of the BBC. As it is, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and Clarence House issued a joint statement denouncing the show.
Royal Family News – Will the Royals Boycott The BBC?
AMP in the post
Richard Kay theorizes that the BBC’s refusal to cooperate with the monarchy could cause them to lose the right to cover Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee next year.
Kay wrote in The Daily Mail, “In the documentary, called The Princes And The Press, self-declared republican Mr Rajan picks through highly selective media stories about William and Harry. In response, the palace, in a rare display of unity, has threatened a boycott of future dealings with the national broadcaster that could have widespread implications. Such an embargo could affect programs related to next year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”
The jubilee kicks off next year so royal watchers will have to wait and see how this sticky wicket unfolds.
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