I managed to watch one and a half episodes of Harry and Meghan’s whingefest and do you know what? 

I feel sorry for them 

It hasn’t changed my mind about them. I still think she’s conniving. I still think he’s completely out of touch with what real world problems are. I still think the pair of them are hypocrites and dishonest for denying they leaked friendly media then got busted doing that. And I still think they shouldn’t’ air the family’s dirty laundry. 

But I also feel sorry for them… mostly for Harry. 

You get a real insight into how hard it must be for him to live with paparazzi constantly tailing him. There’s this scene where he’s probably about 11 years old, on a ski trip with William and his cousins Eugenie and Beatrice. And they’re told, I think by palace officials, to go pose for the media so the paps can take photos and ask them how the holiday is going, and you can just see on his little face how much he hates it 

None of us like having our holidays interrupted by work and we’re grownups, imagine how hard that must’ve been for him as a kid? 

And then there’s footage of Diana and the boys on a skiing holiday. Sitting at a table on the slopes, and a camera is filming them. She marches over and asks the camera man… as a parent… just to give her boys some space.

And then, he’s 20 years old, out clubbing, and they’re following him down the road and he snaps and says “Why don’t you just leave me alone?”

That was his whole life. 

Now of course, it comes with the territory. 

A lot of people will say he’s a spoilt brat who sounds awful complaining about the media when there are Brits who can’t afford to turn the heating on this winter. 

And this is what happens when you’re born into fantastic wealth and never have to do a day’s work in your life if you don’t’ want to… have all the nannies you want and all the food and travel and opulence you want. 

But it still hard and intrusive and he was still a kid. 

And so I ended feeling sorry for him. 

He’s got no idea what real life hardship is… but then we’ve got no idea what it’s like to be stalked by a camera the minute you step outside your door. 

I managed to watch one and a half episodes of Harry and Meghan’s whingefest and do you know what? 
I feel sorry for them 
It hasn’t changed my mind about them. I still think she’s conniving. I still think he’s completely out of touch with what real world problems are. I still think the pair of them are hypocrites and dishonest for denying they leaked friendly media then got busted doing that. And I still think they shouldn’t’ air the family’s dirty laundry. 
But I also feel sorry for them… mostly for Harry. 
You get a real insight into how hard it must be for him to live with paparazzi constantly tailing him. There’s this scene where he’s probably about 11 years old, on a ski trip with William and his cousins Eugenie and Beatrice. And they’re told, I think by palace officials, to go pose for the media so the paps can take photos and ask them how the holiday is going, and you can just see on his little face how much he hates it 
None of us like having our holidays interrupted by work and we’re grownups, imagine how hard that must’ve been for him as a kid? 
And then there’s footage of Diana and the boys on a skiing holiday. Sitting at a table on the slopes, and a camera is filming them. She marches over and asks the camera man… as a parent… just to give her boys some space.
And then, he’s 20 years old, out clubbing, and they’re following him down the road and he snaps and says “Why don’t you just leave me alone?” 
That was his whole life. 
Now of course, it comes with the territory. 
A lot of people will say he’s a spoilt brat who sounds awful complaining about the media when there are Brits who can’t afford to turn the heating on this winter. 
And this is what happens when you’re born into fantastic wealth and never have to do a day’s work in your life if you don’t’ want to… have all the nannies you want and all the food and travel and opulence you want. 
But it still hard and intrusive and he was still a kid. 
And so I ended feeling sorry for him. 
He’s got no idea what real life hardship is… but then we’ve got no idea what it’s like to be stalked by a camera the minute you step outside your door.

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

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