Prince Harry Opens Up About Growing Up Under Media Scrutiny: ‘You Question the Validity of Information’
Prince Harry has opened up about how he deals with the constant stream of hateful and misleading articles about him and his family. During his appearance at The New York Times’ 2024 DealBook Summit in New York City, the Duke of Sussex candidly discussed the challenges of growing up in the public eye and the dangers posed by media misinformation.
Harry revealed his personal strategy for coping with media coverage, joking, “I highly recommend” avoiding reading about oneself in the press. “I’ve seen stories written about myself not exactly based in reality,” he said, reflecting on how false narratives have impacted his life.
The Duke explained how growing up with relentless media scrutiny has led him to question the validity of the information being presented. “When you grow up with that environment, you find yourself questioning the validity of the information, but also what other people are thinking as well, and how dangerous it can be over the course of time,” Harry shared.
He emphasized the importance of detaching from the media cycle, adding, “Throughout my life, there would be moments in my life when I read a lot and moments when I read nothing. I highly recommend the latter.”
Harry explained how removing himself from reading articles about himself has allowed him to take back control. “Once you stop reading the stuff about yourself, you automatically remove the power from their hands. With that element of fear comes an element of control.”
The Duke also discussed how the fear of losing control over the narrative kept him in the media spotlight longer than he would have liked. “And one of the reasons I probably didn’t, I guess, remove myself from that situation sooner was that very fear: ‘Well, they control the narrative,’ whatever I do or say, they can effectively control me and keep me in that space.”
His candid reflections shed light on the difficulties of living under the constant gaze of the media and the personal empowerment he has found by disengaging from it.