Prince Harry has been dealt a recent blow as his ITV documentary was beaten in ratings by a show about turbulence. The Duke of Sussex had starred in an hour-long feature last week, on July 25, but was pipped to the post by a rival documentary.
Tabloids on Trial, which aired on ITV, followed how Prince Harry, Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church, Paul Gascoigne and other famous faces were thrust into the public eye. The show revealed the impact of the unlawful tactics allegedly used by some newspapers.
The Prince told the documentary that his decision to fight the media contributed to the “rift” with the royal family. Asked if his decision destroyed the relationship, Harry said: “Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it.
"But, you know, that’s a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press.” He continued: “I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done.
"It would be nice if we, you know, did it as a family. I believe that, again, from a service standpoint and when you are in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good. But, you know, I’m doing this for my reasons.”
Asked what he thought of the royal family’s decision not to fight in the way he has done, he replied: “I think everything that has played out has shown people what the truth of the matter is.
"For me, the mission continues, but it has, it has, yes. It’s caused, yeah, as you say, part of a rift.”
While the documentary was eye-opening into why Harry felt a need to fight, when TV ratings were revealed it showed that other topics had been ranked higher. According to figures from ThinkBox, Tabloids on Trial was the 35th most watched programme on ITV that week, bringing in just under 1.1million viewers.
The documentary had been beaten by Turbulence: How Safe Is Your Flight, which came in 29th place with 1.2million viewers in comparison. The informative programme looked at the science of turbulence while also exploring its causes, effects and implications for the future.
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Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have recently been criticised on new channels for a "dangerous" move. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will undertake a four-day visit to Colombia later this summer after being invited to the country by the vice president, Francia Marquez.
Speaking to GB News about the couples' decision, royal expert Charles Rae said: "The UK Foreign Office advises against travel to certain parts of Colombia. Cali, which is one of the places that they're going to, being one of them."
Charles went on to explain that the United States warns its citizens planning to visit Columbia of kidnapping and civil unrest. Charles continued: "I'm not suggesting that Meghan and Harry are in any danger of being kidnapped, because they'll have total security, but it is ridiculous."
