Royal Correspondent Details Tense Confrontation with Prince Harry
A seasoned royal correspondent has revealed how a seemingly innocuous question during Prince Harry's 2019 tour of Southern Africa escalated into a heated exchange, leaving the Duke of Sussex visibly irritated and his communications team furious.
The Explosive Exchange in Malawi
Sky News Royal Editor Rhiannon Mills, who was covering Prince Harry's solo engagements in Malawi, described approaching the royal as he walked to his car after an event. Having previously established a rapport with Harry during his earlier trip to New Zealand, Mills decided to ask why it was important for him to visit the region.
"It was a terrible question. It was a rubbish question," Mills admitted during an appearance on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show. "I just sort of said, 'oh, why is it so important for you to come here?' And he looked at me and said, 'oh, well, just go and ask those people over there'."
Rather than retreating, Mills pressed further, asking if that was indeed why the visit held significance. Harry's response was curt and dismissive: "Rhiannon, don't behave like that." He then entered his vehicle and drove away, leaving the journalist feeling embarrassed and patronized.
"I felt like I'd looked like an idiot. He looked really patronising. Nobody came out of it looking good," Mills recounted. "Anyway, it all blew up with his team. They were livid."
Context of the Tense Africa Tour
The 2019 tour proved to be a pivotal moment for the Sussexes, occurring just one year after their celebrated visits to Australia and New Zealand following their wedding. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled to Southern Africa with their infant son Archie, with Harry undertaking separate engagements in Angola and Malawi.
This journey later emerged as a period of intense reflection for the couple, who were reportedly contemplating their future within the royal family. The atmosphere was further charged when, shortly after the Malawi incident, Harry and Meghan issued a bombshell statement in Johannesburg announcing legal proceedings against a British newspaper.
"Immediately I just realised, I frankly kicked the bear and I just didn't realise it at the time," Mills reflected on the timing of her question.
Aftermath and Royal Departure
Following their return to the United Kingdom, an ITV documentary aired detailing the Africa tour. The program featured Harry discussing his rift with Prince William for the first time, while Meghan revealed that nobody had asked if she was coping well as a new mother.
The Sussexes subsequently took several weeks' leave from royal duties, spending Christmas 2019 in Canada. Mere weeks later, after the Sandringham Summit, they announced their decision to step down as senior working royals, eventually relocating to the United States with their children.
Mills' New Royal Role
In a recent development, Rhiannon Mills is transitioning from her frontline reporting position to become a senior media adviser to King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Appointed as media secretary at Buckingham Palace, she is expected to assume her new responsibilities before summer.
With over a decade of experience covering royal affairs, Mills has accompanied the family on global tours to destinations including Japan, Africa, Nepal, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Australia. Her partner, Andrew Parsons, serves as a photographer for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
A royal source praised Mills' "intelligence, quick thinking, good humour and wise judgment," noting she brings "a wealth of broadcasting and digital storytelling experience, combined with deep knowledge of royal matters" to her new position.
