There was a young lady of Niger

Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;

They returned from the ride

With the lady inside,

And the smile on the face of the tiger.

THIS limerick (attributed, of course to Edward Lear) comes to mind each time I read stories about people trying to manage the media.

Harry and Meghan’s departure from official duties continues to make the news. I was fortunate enough to attend an event last year attended by the Duke of Sussex. He spoke well, balancing humour with the gravity that befitted the occasion. He was dignified, charming, and engaged, putting those to whom he was introduced at ease; earning the enthusiasm, warmth and admiration of the guests.

His departure from official duties is a loss to the nation and I suspect will be keenly felt by the other members of the Royal Family on whom his responsibilities will now fall.

I am not qualified to comment on the institution of the monarchy. On the eve of the day that has divided the nation, it would be insensitive to divide readers further. But, having previously studied the way the media influences our lives, I do feel warranted to offer some reflection on the Sussexes attempts to control the media and use it to further their own ends.

It is not only the height of hypocrisy for someone simultaneously to complain about the coverage they receive and to demand respect for privacy whilst using every media trick to promote their own agenda; it is foolish and naïve – as naïve as the young lady in the poem.

Public attention is merciless. One either retires from public view (as some former prominent figures have done successfully) or one feeds the media beast – in the sure and certain knowledge that it will never be sated and that by throwing it tit bits you merely whet its appetite and its desire for more.

Therein lies the difference between celebrity and royalty. Our Royal family is famous for who they are and what they represent; there is consequent interest in what they do and what they say. Celebrities are only in the public eye for what they do, say, wear or hang out with; their media presence gives them existence and becomes their reality. They employ publicists to ensure that they are talked about and use the plethora of social media to command attention. And each time they tweet or post they knowingly create demand for more. “There’s only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about….”

Th Sussexes will discover that attempts to command the waves of prurient public interest are as futile as Canute’s, their illustrious predecessor.

Those who live by the sword will die by it…