Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan reignited their simmering feud with the press on Sunday as they cut ties with major UK-based tabloids.
In a letter to the editors of the four newspapers and their associated titles, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they would "not be engaging with your outlet" as they criticised “an economy of clickbait and distortion”.
The message from the couple, who gave up their jobs as working royals at the end of last month and have an increasingly tense relationship with the press, was sent to The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Mirror.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex insisted they believed a "free press" was a "cornerstone of democracy" and their new policy is "not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting".
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, meet with members of the NGO Waves For Change, during their African tour, on Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. REUTERS -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet surf mentors as they visit Waves for Change, an NGO, at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Waves for Change supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in under resourced communities. Getty Images -
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex visit the Waves for Change compound kitchen, where charity The Lunchbox Fund, provides nearly 30,000 nutritious meals every day to programmes in townships and rural areas at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Waves for Change supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in under resourced communities. Getty Images -
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex looks through a microscope as she visits Waves for Change, an NGO, at Monwabisi Beach with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex in Cape Town, South Africa. Waves for Change supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in under resourced communities. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Waves for Change, an NGO, at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Waves for Change supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in under resourced communities. Getty Images -
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex hugs a surf mentor as she visits Waves for Change, an NGO, at Monwabisi Beach, with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex in Cape Town, South Africa. Waves for Change supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in under resourced communities. Getty Images -
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, meet with members of the NGO Waves for Change, during their African tour, on Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. REUTERS -
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, meets with members of the NGO Waves for Change, during their African tour, on Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. REUTERS -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Waves for Change, an NGO, at Monwabisi Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Waves for Change supports local surf mentors to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in under resourced communities. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex travels on a South African Maritime Police Unit RIB during a visit to Kalk Bay Harbour on September 24, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. The boat travelled to Seal Island, an abalone poaching hot spot. Abalone, a type of sea snail, is now at critically low levels because of over-exploitation and poaching. Getty Images -
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day during their royal tour of South Africa on September 24, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. Getty Images -
Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship. Reuters
"It is gravely concerning that an influential slice of the media, over many years, has sought to insulate themselves from taking accountability for what they say or print - even when they know it to be distorted, false, or invasive beyond reason," the letter read.
"When power is enjoyed without responsibility, the trust we all place in this much needed industry is degraded."
Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth's grandson and sixth in line to the British throne, has previously spoken of his fear that his new family could be exposed to the same media scrutiny his mother Princess Diana faced. The couple said reporting could not "be based on a lie".
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched people they know - as well as complete strangers - have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue," they wrote.
Last year, Prince Harry said he would sue The Sun and the Daily Mirror over the media phone hacking scandal while Meghan began legal action against the Mail on Sunday over the publication of a letter she wrote to her father. The next stage of that case will be heard in court this week.
The couple now live in Los Angeles with their young son Archie.
