Steven Baxter

Patrolling the murkier waters of the mainstream media

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Readers are the real reason British papers won't publish the naked Prince Harry photos

The stock of the royal family is at such a high that newspapers fear a reader backlash more than the regulators.

Prince Harry, sans dangly bits (sorry)
Prince Harry, sans dangly bits (sorry). Photograph: Getty Images

Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing? Now, thanks to the miracle of modern connectivity, we can have a peep at Prince Harry’s dangly bits from the comfort of our own laptops, should we so desire.

The justification for the photos – has the Prince embarrassed his family, by playing "strip billards"? How many other soldiers get a couple of months off to watch the Olympics then swan around whale suites in Las Vegas? What is strip billiards anyway? – is a figleaf no better than the cupped hands of the Prince himself as he struggles to contain his dignity.

The simple truth is, the blurry phone photos of Harry’s shame make money because we’re curious. Nothing more, nothing less. There might be pubic interest, but no public interest. Ahem.

One man who will be able to sympathise with Harry Windsor is his old chap, the Prince of Wales. For back in 1994, it was Prince Charles who’d been snapped letting his heir down (ho ho) by a paparazzo with a long lens. Described as "hunky" and "like Michelangelo's David", the Prince came out of the affair with his reputation unsullied, and if anything, enhanced.

The grainy photos were published in German tabloid Bild first, but made it across to Britain, where a a strategically placed set of, er, crown jewels, spared Chuck’s blushes. You can still find them with a couple of clicks today, though I’d have a long think if you’re going to leave that search history on your work PC.

Those were different times, though: the royals were in a slump of popularity; long-lens photos were seen as fair game, in the wake of the "toe-sucking" shots that had embarrassed the former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson; and, perhaps most importantly, Princess Diana was yet to be killed after fleeing photographers in Paris.

Now, it’s not the verminous paparazzi who are most likely to obtain a nudey scoop but friends and hangers-on taking surreptitious snaps using camera phones – or even the subjects themselves unwisely leaving risqué photos on their hardware, as Christina Hendricks and Scarlett Johannson have recently discovered.

In a post-hacking media landscape, how will the tabloids react to the opportunity to show off very nearly all of the nation’s favourite red-top? So far, no-one has blinked. They’ve all mentioned the pictures, but they’ve been coy about showing them, even with strategically placed billiard balls. No news website has even dared link to TMZ.

Perhaps it has something to do with the Leveson Inquiry. The statement of the Mail’s online editor Martin Clarke, for example, says that operators like the Mail are going to struggle if they are hamstrung by a regulatory framework, while other sites (such as TMZ) aren’t. There could be a sense in which our "old news" dinosaurs are worried about the ramifications of publishing, whereas new media bloggers (for example, the one who promotes himself so much that I needn’t detain you by mentioning his name) can happily go ahead, publish and be damned.

I’d say, though, that if British papers did step back from publishing pictures of Harry in the buff, it wouldn’t be fear of regulators but fear of their own readers that might prevent them from doing so. The stock of the royal family is at a high, and young royals like Harry Windsor are more popular than ever before. They are celebrities, like others, but untouchable ones.

It might seem a brave new era, this world in which you can peek at a prince’s penis, but in reality it’s not so different from the world experienced by Harry’s dad. All that has changed is the popularity of the royal family – which might explain, better than any chilling effect of Leveson, why our old media are so coy about showing you the photos that everyone’s talking about.

 

41 comments

Mark Wilder's picture

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Kathryn R's picture

'Everyone' is talking about this? Really? The only people I've seen who were enthusiastically discussing this were on the television news, interviewing other journalists, and telling listeners that they should give the readers/viewers what 'they want' because 'everyone' is talking about this. When journalists use their position to interview each other as evidence that 'everyone' thinks the way they do; maybe it's time to question whether they are in-fact telling us what 'everyone' thinks because most people *don't* actually care about it and they are trying to convince us that we should through artificial peer pressure. Surely if 'everyone' were discussing an issue then telling the public that they were would be a pointless exercise.

John Cheese's picture

GB, you have a real winner in Harry. A coddled 28 year old. Time to nix him from the Civil List? Purported Vegas video & partygoer coke use coming...

Posh Tosh's picture

He was playing strip Poker and her and her and her!

Las Vegas the home of the Mafia, and favourite holiday haunt of sad fat old men that give free beer to Skid Street criminals in Manchester, and launder their money, in reward for calling themselves Landlords, even though their laundering pubs do not earn enough nor have enough customers

....and what was he on that we cannot buy unless illegal to allow such photographs..and where were his minders at that time?

I expect Tom Groans to come out with another song.

!You can keep your Crown on".

Ferdyb00's picture

What it bothers me, and is only laterally mentioned in the article, is what is he doing in a Vegas "whale" Room, with its own swimming pool and full of people having good fun. Do part time Army officers have that much spare money for that kind of holiday?.

myouz's picture

Britain as a nation suffers from acute class denial. That is why Joe Public has come out in favour of Harry's antics. Personally I find his antics distasteful and syptomatic of a man who has no self respect. Prince or no Prince he cheapened himself. He will always be remembered as the Prince who got his jewels out and how very insubstantial they were. As for all the bowing, scraping, engaaed in by the Left and the Right, I smell a cowardly rat. If Harry is like the rest of us, and the royal family are just like us, then why do we need them. Why elevate them to some celebrity super status when they do not deserve such an acolade. Why is it for example on the BBC which is funded by the UK taxpapayers on why we need a royal family. As for the privacy issue, that Max Clifford said he turned down further pics out of respect for Harry is the biggest laugh of the century.

myouz's picture

Britain as a nation suffers from acute class denial. That is why Joe Public has come out in favour of Harry's antics. Personally I find his antics distasteful and syptomatic of a man who has no self respect. Prince or no Prince he cheapened himself. He will always be remembered as the Prince who got his jewels out and how very insubstantial they were. As for all the bowing, scraping, asxx licking engaaged in by the Left and the Right, I smell a cowardly rat. If Harry is like the rest of us, and the royal family are just like us, then why do we need them. Why elevate them to some celebrity super status when they do not deserve such an acolade. Why is it for example on the BBC which is funded by the UK taxpapayers on why we need a royal family. As for the privacy issue, that Max Clifford said he turned down further pics out of respect for Harry is the biggest laugh of the century.

myouz's picture

Britain as a nation suffers from acute class denial. That is why Joe Public has come out in favour of Harry's antics. Personally I find his antics distasteful and syptomatic of a man who has no self respect. Prince or no Prince he cheapened himself. He will always be remembered as the Prince who got his jewels out and how very insubstantial they were. As for all the bowing, scraping, asxx licking engaaged in by the Left and the Right, I smell a cowardly rat. If Harry is like the rest of us, and the royal family are just like us, then why do we need them. Why elevate them to some celebrity super status when they do not deserve such an acolade. Why is it for example on the BBC which is funded by the UK taxpapayers on why we need a royal family. As for the privacy issue, that Max Clifford said he turned down further pics out of respect for Harry is the biggest laugh of the century.

Mora Brian's picture

So Prince Harry gets naked - big deal! I am no monarchist but what is this fuss all about. I am sure that we have all behaved in a similar idiotic way; it is just that we were lucky enough to have no-one around us with a camera and more importantly there would have been no press interest in the photographs anyway!

Megaman's picture

this typical distractionist tactic is unworthy of a great nation, perhaps a "bit of fun" but in truth an irreverent irrelevance....
witnessing the pursuit of even more money by the already rich (publishers in this case for their even richer bosses - what about the bonuses?) is mere tedium, freedom is an excellent pursuit but this is slavery indeed.....

Megaman's picture

this typical distractionist tactic is unworthy of a great nation, perhaps a "bit of fun" but in truth an irreverent irrelevance....
witnessing the pursuit of even more money by the already rich (publishers in this case for their even richer bosses - what about the bonuses?) is mere tedium, freedom is an excellent pursuit but this is slavery indeed.....

Stuart Eels's picture

Well you got that one wrong Steven Baxter, trust the good old sleezy Sun to be the first to "break out."

Most of the people posting comments on here seem rather pathetic and needy if all they can do is attack a minor royal, I wonder how many of them woiuld have the nuts to serve in a war zone, sad sad people.

I don't normally defend the Royals, I was unfortunate to meet Princess Ann years ago and that can turn you off for life!

I'm also unfortunate enough to meet people of Harry's age on Saturday nights every other week behaving far worse than him.

You sad people should try getting out into the real world ocassionally.

Jim Easby's picture

Well done Hewitt's lad ,your dad will be proud of you but Charlie boy is another matter.

davelong's picture

Interesting idea, Stephen - maybe they are genuinely afraid of losing circulation. Or rather, losing it even faster than they have been.

Ardeyeph's picture

what feeble twisted creatures we Brits are. Good luck to the lad and happy hunting while he is fancy free and full of the joys of Spring.

MediaFerret's picture

@Hikaru22 - "Bugger it, why NOT Bognor", as Harry might say.

JJJ's picture

My God what a bunch of old crones some of you are!

Any, ANY unattached, red-blooded young male would do the same thing if they had half a chance. I know I would.

Harry is a legend. The rest of you are just tragic.

jasonblacko1's picture

This rich playboy may one day be offered the job of King and Head of the Church of England. If he were to renounce this possibility then I agree his behaviour would be of no interest to anybody. However, he hasn't done this.

So, one day we might be faced with a situation were the head of a church is a known gambler and spends his time getting naked with loose women. Therefore, despite not being religious myself I am able to see that such details of Harry's behaviour are indeed in the public interest.

He can enjoy being a red blooded young man anytime he wants if he says he will never accept the throne.

William Brown's picture

The fact that Neil Wallis - (ex N.O.T.W Exec Editor) has been moaning about a 'neutered press' with regard to the publication of the 'Prince Harry Naked' Photo's, only convinces me that the Leveson Enquiry has done at least something of a good job.

We now know (hoorah for freedom of the press!) that Prince Harry has been photographed naked whilst letting off steam - That information is now in the public domain - that's all we (need to?) know. Personally, I don't feel a crushing desire to see the pictures, but if I did there are, apparently, endless on-line opportunities to do so.

hugh markey's picture

Billiards is so high-falutin!

Snookered 0r Behind the Eight Ball

hugh markey's picture

What's the odds being quoted in Vegas on RF "Arry Boy returning to the front line in Aland? Sure, there's a lot ridin' on the kid, but the fix ain't in - yet, buddy! This sure ain't a set-up, no way!

Phil the Greek

Eric Wiltsher's picture

The media frenzy is comical. I doubt there will be the same level of interest should Prince Harry return to Afgan.
Unfortunately, lazy cheque book journalism is still rife and as such the pictures have made one outfit a lot of money. That said I'm left wondering if this could also be an amazing positive!
Good old Prince Harry has put the UK on the front pages of papers around the world, I trust the English Tourist Board will write to say thanks as they have never achieved such a thing.
stevem1940 - will you be thanking Harry when he returns to Afgan?
Tinky Wink - Why should Harry F Off, if you don't like the Monarchy apply to another English speaking country to go and live there.
myouz - the benefit scroungers are those that take money from the HUGE amount of revenue the Monarchy brings into the UK and the taxes the Royals pay.

Harry, best wishes should you return to Afgan and thank you for fighting for and protecting not only the UK but the world in general from terrorists.

Eric N Wiltsher

willoyen's picture

'Harry, best wishes should you return to Afgan and thank you for fighting for and protecting not only the UK but the world in general from terrorists.'

god! there really exist people who buy that bull! and fawn upon the invaders!

Jamesthecritic's picture

A poor example for our country. An embarrassment. If we had an elected head of state and he behaved like this, he would be sacked. Time to get rid of the royals and have an elected head of state.

K. Reid's picture

You only get one go in THIS world, Harry! Have fun!

Gail Heslop's picture

Shame on you Harry, you are not a kid now, inexcuseable for your behavior. I have always loved you, but you havwe gone down in my book. What do you think your mom would think. You need to grow up and appreciate the heritage you have.

myouz's picture

The truth is that Harry has always pushed the boundaries in terms of behaviour. I suspect there have been many instances of similar behaviour but they have never made it to the press. The truth is that Harry along with other members of the family have never been told the world NO!! They do not live in the real world

Gail Heslop's picture

Shame on you Harry, you are not a kid now, inexcuseable for your behavior. I have always loved you, but you havwe gone down in my book. What do you think your mom would think. You need to grow up and appreciate the heritage you have.

hugh markey's picture

Royal Flash 'Arry! The Taliban must be bemused at such antics and dreading his return to the front line.

Royal Knave

mbrecker's picture

TMZ would like to take a moment to thank the New Statesman and other global media outlets for endlessly running and talking about these nude shots of Harry. Normally in a lousy economy, they'd have to struggle with budget cuts and more. Thanks to you though, you've given them massive free global pr that most people would kill for.

Carry on.

Dietrich Hartmann's picture

All it proves to me is that these people are not different than the rest of us. Who puts them on a pedestal, just the jealous and/or dumb? So he got horny, can't blame him for that, but knowing that makes not a bit of diffrence in the grand scheme of things.

myouz's picture

It seems that in general even before the Leverson Inquiry the royal familiy were always considered untouchable. WHat more proof does the public need that these over privileged wanxxxxx are taking the michael. Just look at the slovenly demeanour of Harry. Is he or that weak pathetic excuse of a brother, fit to rule over us. It seems that the royal fmailiy in general want al the privleges but none of the responsibilities. Wake up Joe Public!!!!

stevem1940's picture

What a pathetic excuse for defending censorship. The writer should be thoroughly ashamed . Harry is a kept man. The public who keep him in the lap of luxury are entitled to know about his antics. He and his family are publicity seekers par excellance. The bad must go along with the good.

YeahRight's picture

I disagree. What good does it serve to have this pictures out in the open? I think it's been well established that Harry is a male, so the public hardly needs to see that "evidence".

Being rich and/or famous does not suddenly negate your inalienable right to privacy as defined in Human Rights, even if the gutter press would like that to happen..

myouz's picture

Spot on!!! That is the truth the royal familiy are the ultimate benefit scroungers!!!

stevem1940's picture

What a pathetic excuse for defending censorship. The writer should be thoroughly ashamed . Harry is a kept man. The public who keep him in the lap of luxury are entitled to know about his antics. He and his family are publicity seekers par excellance. The bad must go along with the good.

John Cheese's picture

You can dress them up, but...

Tinky Wink's picture

Harry - perlease! Just fuck off!

hugh markey's picture

Correct us if we're wrong. But isn't there a war on? Somewhere?

Or is truth the first casualty of virtual reality?

Prince Charming ( Boy, is he ripped )

Davidaslindsay's picture

I love the way that posh boys always get it slightly wrong.

"Strip billiards", indeed!

Hikaru22's picture

It is not the photographs of Harry in the buff that bother me - they might actually serve to "buff up" (sorry!) his Prince Hal image. No, what I don't like is the fact that he was "on holiday" in Las Vegas when they were taken. Harry has to learn not to trust either America or the Americans, and Las Vegas is no sort of place for a young man in his position to be frequenting. It does not set a good example, and many people - especially the young people who look up to him - will be disappointed by this.

In future, he might be better advised to take his repose at Bognor .

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