Prince Harry Reads the Comments in Stories about Meghan Markle. You Should Never Read the Comments.
When you start working in digital media, one of the very first things you learn is to never read the comments. Even if you're reporting only the most straightforward of facts or sharing the mildest of opinions, the comment section still isn't somewhere you want to spend much, if any, time.
Unfortunately, it sounds like no one ever told that to Prince Harry. According to Finding Freedom, a forthcoming biography of the Sussexes by reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, Prince Harry frequently reads the comments on articles about him and Meghan, some of which can be particularly nasty or racist.
"Scrolling on his iPhone, he sometimes couldn’t stop himself from reading the comments on the articles," reads a new excerpt from the book, published in the Times.
"Harry regretted opening the link," notes the authors. "His stomach tied into the same knot every time he saw these sorts of comment. 'It’s a sick part of the society we live in today, and no one is doing anything about it,' he continued. 'Where’s the positivity? Why is everyone so miserable and angry?'"
Prince Harry's habit of reading coverage about his life, work, and relationships (be it favorable or not) isn't a new one.
Duncan Larcombe, who has also written a biography of Harry, and once served as the royal editor at the Sun, previously told Cosmopolitan UK that the Prince reads about himself "religiously."
"I was always surprised at just how religiously he reads stuff that’s written about him," Larcombe said in a 2017 interview. "I think Prince Charles hasn’t read a newspaper in years but Harry, and to some extent William, they almost read everything that’s written. It’s a sign that probably deep down he is worried about what people think of him."
These accounts also track with an anecdote shared by Daily Mail reporter Rebecca English earlier this year.
"Just wanted to see what you were saying about me," Harry said peering over English's computer, as she was working during a visit to Lesotho in 2006. "I always want to know what people are saying about me."
Read the full excerpt from Finding Freedom here. The book debuts later this month, but is available for pre-order now.
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