How Prince William Stopped The Media From Harassing Kate
The life of a royal might seem like an easy one, from the luxurious trips and your own staff to designer clothes and giant castles, however, the reality is much harsher. One thing that the royals have to deal with constantly is the disregard of privacy by the media.
And one who has had quite the journey when it comes to their relationship with the media is Kate Middleton. She and William might be fan favorites now but this was not always the case. Even before she became a royal Kate had some dealings with the paparazzi.
The media were relentless in their pursuit of headlines with Kate, making jabs and comments on a plethora of things, labelling her as lazy, unfit for royalty, and accusing her of prolonging the couple’s engagement.
The two dated for quite some time before finally getting engaged, as both were doing their respective degrees at the college where they actually met. Things got especially heated after the two finished colleges in 2005, with the first overstep coming two years later.
In 2007 on her 25th birthday Kate when she was relentlessly hounded by more than 20 photographers and five camera crews. The mob even prevented her from leaving for work by blocking her car both physically and with the camera flashes. And we know how that can go.
This was because at the time the media was saying that an engagement might be imminent so everyone was trying to be first to the scene. This, however, had gone too far for Prince William.
In a 2011 documentary titled Chasing the Royals, it is revealed that Prince William actually took action. ‘An angry Prince William issued a statement to the press to stop harassing his girlfriend,’ the documentary explained.
‘Prince William is very unhappy at the paparazzi harassment of his girlfriend,’ read the statement on behalf of William. ‘He wants, more than anything, for it to stop. Miss Middleton should, like any other private individual, be able to go about her everyday business without this kind of intrusion.’
The statement concluded: ‘The situation is proving unbearable for all those concerned.’
This wasn’t the first time William had to step in on her behalf, as back in 2005 he sends a very angry letter to a newspaper after it published some photos of Kate in her everyday life.
William knows firsthand how taxing and hurtful that kind of exposure to the media can be, so he and Kate have done all they can to shield their children from that fate. However, the Duke of Cambridge knows that it is more about balance and being in control of what you let them see, as a complete lack of information will make them even bolder.
So far Kate and William have done great with their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, as well as treating royal fans with the occasional insight or photograph of the family.+
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