Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under fresh criticism following claims about a WhatsApp group used to brief selected journalists on the couple's plans. According to reports, selected journalists were first sent detailed information about the Sussexes' proposed return to the UK before being told less than 24 hours later that the plans had changed.
The reported change centred on whether Harry and Meghan would travel to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and where the family would stay during the visit. It came after reports that Harry's request for automatic taxpayer-funded police protection had again been rejected.
WhatsApp Briefing Confusion
The apparent change left several reporters having to update stories they had already published. Writing in the Daily Mail, royal editor Richard Eden claimed the confusion stemmed from messages sent through a WhatsApp group created by the Sussexes' Director of Communications, Liam Maguire.
According to Mr Eden, journalists in the group first received a detailed briefing stating Harry and Meghan would return to Britain with Archie and Lilibet, marking the children's first visit to the UK since Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. The message also reportedly said the family would stay at a royal residence during the visit, with several news organisations publishing the details shortly afterwards.
Security Rejection Triggers Change
However, Mr Eden said another message was sent the following day after reports emerged that Harry's request for automatic police protection had been rejected. According to the Daily Mail, journalists were then told Harry was reconsidering bringing Meghan and the children to the UK following the security decision.
Mr Eden argued the change left reporters in a difficult position after they had already published the original briefing, writing that members of the WhatsApp group "have been made to look like prize chumps". He also claimed nothing had materially changed between the two briefings, arguing that the Home Office had simply maintained its long-standing position that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not qualify for automatic taxpayer-funded security after stepping back as working royals and moving to North America.
Criticism of Handling
Mr Eden was highly critical of the way the briefings were handled and claimed Harry and Meghan had "sunk to a new low". The article also shared comments from Tom Sykes, royal correspondent for the Daily Beast, who is said to be a member of the WhatsApp group.
After the reported change in plans, Mr Sykes wrote: "It is now blatantly apparent what this whole exercise was about. The tour, the announcement that Meghan and the kids were coming, the whole carefully choreographed media rollout, the months of assurances to the Royal Household that this was happening, the accommodation requests, the detailed planning: it was all just to bounce his poor, weak, loving father into intervening in the Government’s security decision-making, something Charles, to his eternal credit, has refused to do. This is the high-water mark of Harry’s emotional blackmail."
Background on Security Dispute
Harry has been locked in a legal battle with the Home Office over security arrangements. He previously lost a High Court challenge against the decision to downgrade his police protection when visiting the UK. The couple stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California.
