The Palace and the Press

Princess Diana was the queen of the tabloids. She was the ultimate front page pin up. Her public life played out on the front pages of Britain's red tops for two decades. She was, to the press, the most interesting royal for a generation and helped to sell more papers than any other member of the House of Windsor. Diana's relationship with the press was fiercely complex. After her divorce from Prince Charles she hosted a secret lunch with newspaper editors where a pact was made: in exchange for privacy she would feed their news desks stories. It was an attempt by Diana to control the tabloids. This program hears from the industry insiders who reported stories up to that moment and the subsequent events. However, the tabloids' obsession with Diana, and her need of them to stay relevant, would become a dangerous game. What were the events that led to one of the most tragic deaths in recent history?

The Royals may consider the tabloids to be a nuisance, an intrusion or even an outright menace but there's no denying the role of the popular press when it comes to holding the House of Windsor to account. Whether they're lifting the lid on royal infidelity or exposing misuses of taxpayer's money, the tabloids are dogged in their pursuit of the story. A fact the Royals know only too well. From investigating Princess Margaret's lavish lifestyle, to raising questions about Charles suitability to be King and uncovering Prince Andrew's association with a convicted pedophile, the tabloids have been there to scrutinize every scandal and royal misdeed. When the Royals abuse their enormous privilege, the papers are there to take them to task. From undercover stings with journalists dressed as Fake Sheiks to paparazzi shots of a topless Duchess having her toes sucked by her illicit lover, these scandals have increased newspaper circulation and rocked the establishment. This episode offers a rare insight into journalists' minds as they explain how they secured some of the most shocking stories of recent times, and how these tabloid tales have shaped the public's opinion of the Royal Family.

In the often-complicated relationship between the Palace and the Press, there's one group of royals who have had to play perhaps the cleverest game of all. The young generation has grown up surrounded by the glare of the cameras and the prying eyes of the tabloid journalist. They have been taught by the Palace PR machine how to try to keep a healthy balance between their public image and their private lives. It is a press education that has made them more media savvy than any of the other royals as they strive to stay in control of their press life and hold the balance of power. Some young royals, like Prince William, play the game perfectly and have become masters of the media. Others, like Harry, have fared less well, learning the hard way that when you trip up in life as a front line royal, the papers will pounce on you with relish. In this episode we explore that see sawing relationship, the power game between a young royal generation who know how to give as good as they get, and a hungry press constantly pushing to regain the upper hand in their search for ever more tantalizing stories. It's a story that takes us from baby William, to little Archie and the all the young royals in between. We explore their differing fortunes with the press, the dramatic tabloid tales that emerged as they grew up and the many twists and turns in this grand battle royale. Who will come out on top in this latest showdown between the royals and the red tops?

The tabloids' voracious appetite for royal stories feeds our insatiable hunger for regal revelations. The Royals decry the intrusion, but over the last 60 years the press has repeatedly dug up tales of Royal misbehavior. Are they justified to print? Since the very beginning of the Queen's reign, and the promise that her family are really just like everyone else, the British public's appetite to read about every detail of the lives of the Windsors, has fueled huge tabloid sales. That hunger has led to some amazing headlines of just how badly they can misbehave, and some equally shocking press tactics in getting those stories. In this program we look at the events that have brought us from the first photos of 'Party Princess' Margaret in a swimsuit to Harry and Meghan's pres ban. From lifting the lid on secret affairs and family arguments that the royals would rather keep private, the tabloid press has kept us informed about almost every juicy titbit. Britain's most famous family may well be funded by our taxes but shouldn't they be afforded a little privacy? Equally can tabloid tales be given some credit for how well Will and Kate have knuckled down to their job as King and Queen in waiting? Tabloid revelations have had a big hand in how we view our royals. Tabloid tales of royals behaving badly always shift newspapers. From secret affairs, to just who was rude to whom- the royals might hate it but it seems the British public just can't get enough. But are such embarrassing headlines always justified?