It's difficult not to feel sorry for Prince Harry when he talks about the devastating impact he believes years of intense press coverage have had on him and Meghan.
In his written statement to the court against Mirror Group Newspapers, he acknowledges being caught up in a vicious circle where he became the flawed person the tabloids were writing about.
He admits to embodying the stereotypes they wanted to sell as many newspapers as possible, especially as the spare to the heir.
He confesses that he was portrayed as the Playboy Prince, the failure, the dropper, the thicko, the cheat, the underage drinker, the irresponsible drug user, and blames the tabloids for his misbehavior. He believed that if they were printing such rubbish about him and people were believing it, he may as well live up to it. It became a downward spiral, following Meghan's playbook.
During the trial's fourth day, Harry fails to appear in court as ordered to undergo a test for drugs and alcohol. A witness, a former editor for the Mirror, reveals this information, accusing Harry of being a liar. Harry's post-traumatic stress disorder compounds his dishonesty.
This emphasizes the importance of taking care of one's mental health instead of falsely claiming to be an advocate while refusing to acknowledge his diagnoses.
A sane doctor or wife would have encouraged him to prioritize his well-being before publicly involving himself in matters that cause him so much pain. Harry has unresolved past traumas and is accumulating more. This is not a good situation. He has held seething rage and envy towards his family for years, and Meghan's influence has brought it out into public display.
Experts, including Nigel Corthorne, author of "Windsor Spares: The Prince Harry and Prince Andrew Soap Opera," accuse Harry of suffering from Throne Syndrome. They claim he enjoys privileges that his older brother William does not have, calling it Throne Syndrome—a condition where Royal privilege is fully utilized while blaming others for the consequences.
Corthorne explains that as a spare, one can take liberties that the heir cannot. History reveals that most Royal spares, with the exception of the Queen's father, have always enjoyed such privileges to the fullest during their youth.
Prince Andrew took full advantage of his spare status before settling down with Fergie. Edward VII, too, courted scandals while still a spare to the Crown Prince.
The fact that Harry chose a long-distance relationship, which he describes as incredibly hard, hints at his reluctance to settle down like other spares. He seems to suffer from Throne Syndrome, leveraging Royal privileges while holding others accountable for any missteps.
