Kate, Princess of Wales: Princess Diana's death was supposed to change the media forever - did it?

Over at Aunty’s place, the BBC is carrying an interview with the late Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, who told his interviewer that the death of his sister changed the press, and that media intrusion was worse when Diana was alive. Well, I’m afraid that from where I’m sitting things are no better, now. If anything, increased media plurality, combined with smartphone usage and heightened competition has made things worse.

When Princess Diana died, the first iPhone was still a decade away. Today, we are more than a generation away from that tragic episode and yet here we are in a world where the King and Queen-to-be are leading the tabloid press with rumours of the now Princess of Wales having been replaced with another woman. With paparazzi photos of her being labelled products of artificial intelligence. Hounded inexplicably because she had the temerity to touch up a family photograph in order to try and make it the best it could be.

All the while, this is a woman recuperating from what was clearly significant surgery. I am not going to speculate one iota as to the procedure - that’s a private matter - but what is clear is that Kate and her family needed time and space to heal, physically and emotionally as a family unit. But she hasn’t been given that. They haven't been given that. Forced to put out a photograph in order to ‘prove’ she hadn’t been bumped off by secret services then harangued beyond belief for releasing that photograph - to the point where she feels compelled to get out and about publicly - and even then the cranks aren’t satisfied.

I’m sorry, but rushing anyone back from invasive surgery is despicable. Imagine your employer telling you, following a major operation, that you’d better get back to work because rumours were abounding that your spouse had done away with you. You’d sue them for thousands, and rightly so.

So, politely and respectfully I must disagree with Earl Spencer. Things have not improved in the intervening 27 years since he lost his sister. Things have changed, though. The speed with which media moves, now, has increased exponentially and the news - if you can call all of this news - is in the pockets of 87 per cent of people in the UK, 96 per cent of 16-24-year-olds.

In other words, the supply and demand of red top tittle tattle has never been more proliferate. Nothing has changed, at least, not for the better in this space. Though, perhaps. No, for sure one thing is different. We know what can happen by harassing Royals in this way. We are informed as to possible consequences. If anything, continuing to hunt Kate like prey knowing what we know makes this generation worse than the last.

Inevitably when I write in support of anyone associated with the Royal Family I receive replies from people who have in their own minds dehumanised the targets of their vitriol to the point where they characterise Kate, William and others as inanimate entities deserving of every scintilla of scorn they can muster. Quite why is perhaps a thesis someone else should write, analysing the receptacles of ourselves and why some are filled with hate and others love and affection is one of those questions for the ages.

Better together. More in common. If tha’s nowt nice to say, seh nowt!

James

Editor | The Yorkshire Post

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Write to me at: [email protected] - it’s nice to read a friendly word or two.

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