Princess Diana Would Be ‘Disappointed’ in Prince Harry’s Legal Battles Against the Press

Princess Diana‘s relationship with the press was complicated — but according to a new report by Rob Shuter, the late royal would not have agreed with her son Prince Harry‘s constant battle with the British press.

“Diana understood exactly how the media worked,” a friend told Shuter for his Naughty But Nice Substack on Thursday, July 9. “She never saw every journalist as the enemy. She built relationships with people she trusted and used those relationships to make sure her voice was heard.”

On the other hand, Diana’s youngest son, the Duke of Sussex — whom she shared with ex-husband King Charles III — has been tied in legal battles against the press for years.

“Harry thinks he’s protecting Diana’s legacy,” another source told Shuter. “But Diana believed understanding the media was far more effective than declaring war on it. That’s why she would be disappointed by the path he’s chosen.”

Earlier this week, Harry, 41 — along with Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and others — was dealt a crushing blow in his privacy case against the Daily Mail. A judge dismissed all 97 claims against the newspaper explaining that the claimants failed to provide sufficient evidence “that the information complained of had been obtained unlawfully,” per Deseret News.

Unlike Harry, who has been in court since 2019 for a series of privacy lawsuits, Diana was “incredibly media savvy.”

“She couldn’t control every headline, but she knew she could shape the conversation by working with journalists she respected,” Shuter reported. “She played the long game.”