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Harry and Meghan have been involved in a “near catastrophic” car chase after being followed by paparazzi – the latest in a long string of run-ins between the press and the prince.

Sky News looks at the strained relationship between the prince and the press and what he’s previously said about the paparazzi.

Harry blames paparazzi for Princess Diana’s death

Harry has made no secret of where he lays the blame for the Paris car crash that killed his mother.

Speaking in an interview to mark the 20th anniversary of her death, he criticised the paparazzi for taking pictures of his mother dying in a car instead of trying to help her.

He said: “I think one of the hardest things to come to terms with is the fact that the people that chased her through into the tunnel were the same people that were taking photographs of her, while she was still dying on the back seat of the car.”

In his book Spare he went further, saying he and his brother Prince William had pushed for further investigation into her death after a report concluded drunk driving was the cause.

“Even if the man had been drinking, even if he had been drunk, he wouldn’t have had any problem driving through such a short tunnel. Unless paparazzi were following him and dazzled him,” he wrote.

“Why had those paparazzi got off lightly? Why weren’t they in prison? Who had sent them? And why weren’t those people in jail either? What other reason could there be apart from corruption and cover-ups being the order of the day?”

French police officers at the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris where the fatal crash happened, during the 2007 inquest
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French police officers at the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris where the fatal crash that killed Diana happened

‘Every time I hear a click it takes me straight back’

In an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby in 2019, when the prince was on a trip to Africa for the Harry & Meghan: An African Journey documentary, Harry was asked if he is at peace “in a way yet” with his mother’s death or if there is still “a wound that festers”.

He says it’s a wound that festers, and that being followed by paparazzi is the “worst” reminder of her life as opposed to the best.

“Every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back.”

A “feeding frenzy” surrounding his relationship with Meghan

Prince Harry described the media interest in his relationship with Meghan in the context of his mother.

“To see another woman in my life, that I love, go through this feeding frenzy, that’s hard,” he said.

“It is basically the hunter versus the prey,” he added.

“No matter what I did, they were still going to find a way to destroy me,” Meghan said.

Car chases and disguises

Harry said the early days of dating “became a combination of car chases, anti-surveillance driving and disguises, which isn’t a particularly healthy way to start a relationship but we always came at it with as much humour as possible”.

Meghan also described paparazzi following her and how she received a death threat while she was in Toronto.

“I would say to the police, if any other woman in Toronto said to you I have six grown men who are sleeping in their cars around my house who follow me everywhere that I go and I feel scared, wouldn’t you say that it was stalking?

“And they said yes, but there’s really nothing we can do because of who you’re dating. I was like, so I’m just supposed to live like this? And then I got a death threat and things changed because I needed to have security.”

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Prince Harry and Meghan leave an awards ceremony moments before a car chase

Duke blames media for Meghan’s miscarriage

The Duchess of Sussex had a miscarriage in 2020 “because of what the Mail did”, according to Harry.

He said: “I watched the whole thing. Now, do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was created, caused by that? Course we don’t.

“But bearing in mind the stress that it caused, the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her.”

Paparazzi feature in early memories of Diana

In Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, he described his early memories of his mother – and how photographers were in the background.

“Strapped in the car, seatbelt across, with my brother in the car as well, and my mother driving, being chased by three, four, five mopeds with paparazzi on, and she was always unable to drive because of tears. There was no protection,” he said.

“Invasive” paparazzi photos of Archie

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex settled a claim against a celebrity picture agency that took “unlawful, invasive and intrusive” photos of Meghan and their son Archie in January 2020.

A scuffle with a cameraman

As a 20-year-old, Prince Harry was involved in a scuffle with a photographer outside a London nightclub.

A royal spokesperson said he was hit in the face by a camera, while the photographer said the prince lashed out at him.

‘Getting in bed with the devil’

Prince Harry accused members of the Royal Family of getting in “bed with the devil” over their links with the tabloid press in an interview when Spare was published.

He has previously described the British tabloid press as “the mothership of online trolling”, and says he is exposing alleged media wrongdoing “to save journalism as a profession”.

The prince says it’s his “life’s work” to change the British “media landscape”, making it more accountable for its actions.

Fighting tabloids in court

The prince is currently pursuing four cases against UK tabloids.

The lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers alleges the prince was the victim of “unlawful information gathering”.

Harry’s case is said to cover the period between 1995 and 2011, including 148 articles published between 1996 and 2010 by MGN titles that were allegedly obtained through unlawful means.

The subjects of the articles in the case include Harry’s relationship with his family and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a few injuries and illnesses, his military service and allegations of drug use.

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Phones turned off during Yom Kippur, worshippers leaving synagogue hear news of attack

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Phones turned off during Yom Kippur, worshippers leaving synagogue hear news of attack

It’s just gone 7.30pm – and outside a synagogue in north Manchester, we’ve heard the shofar, a ceremonial horn, being blown to mark the end of the long day of prayers.

The streets, which had been so quiet all day, fill with people and families.

We’re just minutes away from where the attack took place.

But people haven’t had their phones on in synagogue – and we find ourselves in the slightly surreal position of having to tell people what happened to members of their community, just a few roads away.

Manchester synagogue latest: Suspect in killing named

Rachel gasped as she heard the news
Image:
Rachel gasped as she heard the news

“Did many people get hurt?” Rachel, in her 70s, asks me.

I tell her two have died.

She gasps and says: “My gosh. It’s the holiest day of the year.

“Very, very frightening. We’re not safe.”

Read more:
Witnesses describe how attack unfolded

What we know about synagogue attack

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Earlier in the day on these streets, we saw additional police patrols, with officers telling us they were here to reassure members of the public.

But people are accustomed to seeing security here.

Both paid and volunteer security staff, in their hi-vis jackets, are a permanent fixture outside every synagogue.

It’s to help protect a community that, even before this attack, has felt under threat.

'The security is not the solution,' this man said
Image:
‘The security is not the solution,’ this man said

“The security is not the solution,” one man tells me as he heads home from prayers. “Those who really want to do [something like this], they will do it with lots of security, it doesn’t matter.”

Among everyone we spoke to, there was a sense of shock at what had happened, but perhaps not necessarily surprise amid rising acts of antisemitism in the UK.

David Yehudi
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David Yehudi

David Yehudi and the rabbi he studied with said it had felt like a long time coming.

“As a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, I feel as if this is before 1935 again,” he says. “That’s the overwhelming feeling all over the world.”

The rabbi asked 'where is the United Nations?'
Image:
The rabbi asked ‘where is the United Nations?’

The rabbi adds: “The United Nations was set up with the intention of ‘never again’, and where is the United Nations? In terms of the global support against antisemitism. It’s just not there anymore. We are as unsafe as we were before the war.”

It is a shocking thing to hear, on this, the most solemn of days.

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Attack ‘sadly something we feared was coming’, Jewish leaders say

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Attack 'sadly something we feared was coming', Jewish leaders say

The UK’s chief rabbi has described the terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester as “the tragic result of Jew hatred”.

Two Jewish men were killed outside Heaton Park Synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The attacker, named by police as Jihad al Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, was shot dead by police seven minutes after officers were alerted to the incident.

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Britain's chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. Pic: PA
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Britain’s chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. Pic: PA

Sir Ephraim Mirvis said it was “the day we hoped we would never see, but which deep down, we knew would come”.

He celebrated the “courageous leadership” of rabbi Daniel Walker, who has been praised for his efforts to keep his congregation safe as the terrorist tried to get inside.

In a post on X, Sir Ephraim wrote: “For so long we have witnessed an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred on our streets, on campuses, on social media and elsewhere – this is the tragic result.

“This is not only an assault on the Jewish community, but an attack on the very foundations of humanity and the values of compassion, dignity and respect which we all share.”

He added: “May the victims’ memories be for a blessing and may the injured be granted a swift recovery.

“I pray that this tragedy strengthens our collective resolve to confront antisemitism, in all its guises, once and for all.”

Read more:
Witnesses describe how attack unfolded

What we know about synagogue attack

What is Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year.

It is a solemn day of observance and atonement, and marks the peak of the High Holidays.

It comes after Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, with both occasions bookmarking the Ten Days of Repentance.

Jews observe Yom Kippur by prayer and fasting from sunset the day before to the sunset of the day itself.

No work is permitted, and for some, the day is spent at a synagogue.

The occasion falls on the 10th day of Tishrei – a Hebrew month between late September and early October.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council said the attack “was sadly something we feared was coming” at a time of rising antisemitism in the UK.

They said: “We are devastated at the loss of two members of our Jewish community, and our thoughts are with their families, those who are injured and receiving treatment, and all those who have been affected by this act of antisemitic terror.”

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Thanking the government, the King, the prime minister and senior politicians for their support, they added: “At this dark time, these acts of solidarity will be a comfort to our community.

“At a time of rising antisemitism in the UK, this attack was sadly something we feared was coming. We call on all those in positions of power and influence to take the required action to combat hatred against Jewish people.”

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‘We’re not safe, we’re not safe’

The chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Olivia Marks-Woldman, said antisemitism “has no place in our society” and “we must confront it whenever it arises”.

“We are horrified by today’s antisemitic attack in Manchester. Taking place on Yom Kippur, a moment of atonement and reflection, it is a truly horrendous event,” she said.

“Our thoughts are first and foremost with the victims and with the Jewish community in Manchester and across the UK, who will understandably feel shocked and afraid.”

The president of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt, called for more to be done to “stamp out murderous ideologies”.

He added: “Jews in Manchester, England, woke up this morning to pray, and were murdered in their own synagogue. Governments from the world over should spare us the statements about fighting antisemitism and instead ensure Jews are safe.”

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Prince William hints at ‘changes’ to come when he is king

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Prince William hints at 'changes' to come when he is king

Prince William has said “change is on my agenda” when he becomes king, in his most open and personal explanation to date about how he sees his future role and the future of the monarchy. 

The revelations come during a discussion with Hollywood actor Eugene Levy as they were filming at Windsor Castle for Levy’s travel series The Reluctant Traveller.

When asked if the monarchy will be shifting in a slightly different direction when he becomes king, William says: “I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda.

“Change for good, and I embrace that and I enjoy that change. I don’t fear it, that’s the bit that excites me – the idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen.”

Pic: Apple TV+
Image:
Pic: Apple TV+

What could be described as William’s manifesto for the monarchy comes out in an unexpectedly candid interview with the Schitt’s Creek star.

The Prince of Wales also opens up about being “overwhelmed” by family problems last year – as both Kate and the King were diagnosed with cancer – and his desire to try to “make sure you don’t do the same mistakes as your parents”.

Describing how he is driven by both his passion to protect his family and his desire to ensure everything is in place when Prince George one day becomes king, he says: “I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, in a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.

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“That is caveated with, I hope we don’t go back to some of the practices in the past that Harry and I grew up in. And I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation.”

Pic: Apple TV+
Image:
Pic: Apple TV+

Analysis: Interview was personal, open and significant

Over a pint of cider, with his pet dog Orla by his feet, Prince William sets out, in one sentence, his manifesto for the monarchy: “Change is on my agenda.”

The setting and the choice of platform for it, a travel series with a Hollywood actor, could not feel more unexpected, and we are told it wasn’t necessarily planned to happen this way.

A free-flowing conversation is how it was described to me. And the result was the most personal and open interview, on topics that would usually be considered off limits.

Those close to William would say it’s the most publicly vulnerable we have seen him.

Read Rhiannon’s full analysis here.

On being monarch one day, he says: “It’s not something I wake up in the morning and think about.”

But in an earlier part of the programme, he does talk more about his desire to potentially shake things up, albeit with a caveat.

He says: “I think it’s very important that tradition stays, and tradition has a huge part in all of this, but there’s also points where you look at tradition and go, is that still fit for purpose today?”

In an incredibly open admission about sometimes feeling overwhelmed, especially last year – “the hardest year” – he also appears to reveal a man now more at peace with the role that lies ahead for him.

Eugene Levy and Prince William. Pic: Apple TV+
Image:
Eugene Levy and Prince William. Pic: Apple TV+

Speaking in St George’s Hall inside the castle, he says: “Stuff to do with family overwhelms me, quite a bit.

“You know, worry or stress around the family side of things, that does overwhelm me quite a bit. But in terms of doing the job and things like that, I don’t feel too overwhelmed by that. Not now anyway.”

His own childhood, and how that has impacted his thoughts on the media, also come across clearly, at times appearing to echo his brother Prince Harry’s thoughts on the press and drive to protect his own family from what they went through as children.

William, front, pictured with his mother, Princess Diana, and Harry in 1985. Pic: Reuters
Image:
William, front, pictured with his mother, Princess Diana, and Harry in 1985. Pic: Reuters

As he talks to Levy in a pub in Windsor, William says: “Growing up, I saw that with my parents … the media were so insatiable back then.

“And if you let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family.”

Those close to the prince believe the interview is the most publicly vulnerable they’ve ever seen him on camera.

The special episode of The Reluctant Traveller With Eugene Levy on Apple TV+ with William airs from today.

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