Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch recently told LBC host Nick Ferrari that she feels sorry for the Duke of Sussex after his latest legal defeat, and said that she feels he's been given "very bad advice." She also warned that "attacking the free press is not the way." It's a very generous, sympathetic take but I don't think it's right; I think Harry is digging a deeper hole for himself and all of his family.
Harry's Own Choices Are the Problem
Let's be honest, at this point, Harry can't keep blaming lawyers, PR teams, memoir ghostwriters or well-meaning advisers. The common denominator in every row is Harry himself — it's time he take a step back and reconsider his approach to things. If we strip it back and look at what's happened since he and Meghan left royal life, it is clear to see a pattern. Harry has repeatedly insisted he wants privacy, yet we've had the Oprah interview, the Netflix documentary, his book Spare, endless television appearances, court battles and public statements. Every single one has been presented as an attempt to draw a line under the past, yet every single one has created another chapter instead.
His Reaction Overshadows the Court Defeat
The irony is that Harry's latest court defeat wasn't the biggest story. His reaction was. Instead of quietly accepting the ruling, he gave another interview, reigniting debate about his relationship with the Royal Family, his security arrangements and his future in Britain. Whether you agree with him or not, it's impossible to argue that this strategy has worked out for him. His popularity in Britain has slumped. His relationship with his family appears no closer to healing and every attempt to explain himself simply produces another week of headlines dissecting his words.
Badenoch's Sympathy Misplaced
I just don't buy Kemi's narrative that he's simply been badly advised. Harry is a 41-year-old man who has consistently chosen this path. He's entitled to challenge newspapers if he believes they've acted unlawfully; nobody should lose that right because they're famous, but there's a huge difference between pursuing justice through the courts and repeatedly stepping into the public arena to relitigate every grievance. Each appearance risks undermining the very message he's trying to send.
The Solution: Silence
Ironically, the one thing that would probably improve Harry's public image more than anything else would be doing... nothing. No interviews. No documentaries. No lengthy explanations. Just getting on with his charitable work and family life. The public and press don't need convincing that Harry has been through extraordinary experiences — we've all seen it played out. The loss of his mum, growing up in the spotlight, various incidents and then meeting his wife and leaving the royal family. What many have grown tired of is hearing about them again.
Let's be honest, despite a difficult time, Prince Harry is a prince! He's had an incredibly privileged life. But after five years of making the same choices, it feels much more likely that this is exactly the strategy Harry believes in. And if that's true, it's a strategy that's digging an ever deeper hole and one I doubt he'll ever be able to climb out of.
