The Royal Family’s Right To Privacy

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28802, 24 January 1959, Page 12

The Royal Family’s Right To Privacy

From time to time, circumstances force members of the British Royal Family to reassert their right to personal privacy. This is not because of any fear that their prestige or place in the public’s affections would be threatened by greater publicity; but rather because they share, though to a degree diminished by their rank and hereditary duties, the inalienable right of every Englishman to freedom from irksome, unnecessary intrusion upon his home and its -affairs. Unfortunately, a section of the British press has always been reluctant to recognise the need of Royal persons to enjoy, as much as their responsibilities allow, similar opportunities for relaxation to those the commoner takes for granted. As the Monarchy has become jnore democratic, so have the -chances multiplied for intruding upon commonplace details of Royal life. Old restraints and conventions have disappeared; the mass-circulation newspaper is ever alert to gather fresh tit-bits for its readers; and former employees of the Royal Family have found a ready market for their memoirs, however worthless or indiscreet. Admirers of the Royal Family and of their corporate Christian life will endorse the Court action taken in London to check this spate of fatuous publicity. The first Elizabeth had her own summary methods of dealing with those who breached her confidence, even on minor matters. Today, in keeping with the changes wrought by democracy, her successor has recourse to the ordinary legal processes of the realm; and the punishment for a delinquent may be confined tq the loss of probably lucrative earnings . from publishers and the payment of Court costs. The difficulties with which the Queen and her husband contend in attempting to maintain as much as possible of a .normal family environment for their children were apparent -during Her Majesty’s Christmas telecast. She had decided, said the Queen, not to permit the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne to appear with her on television. “We would like “ our son and daughter to “ grow up as normally as “ possible ... ”, she continued. “We believe that public life “is not a fair burden to place

“ on growing children ”. Earlier last year, Her Majesty’s press secretary had to tell the Press; Council that “the private lives| “of the Royal Family were “ being increasingly disrupted ] “ by certain sections of thel “ press ”. The immediate cause of the rebuke was the persistence of a few newspapers | in tjrying to report trivial activities of the Prince of Wales at Cheam School. Affectionate interest in the Royal Family’s affairs is no excuse for unwarrantable intrusion into their i daily lives, nor for the bad ' manners that intrusion reveals. ■ Many people will hope—though i perhaps vainly—that they have 1 heard the last of the numerous ' successors to “ Crawfie ”.