‘The Princes and the Press’ is one of the most controversial Royal Documentaries in recent years. Amol Rajan explores the years following the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the media reaction to the emergence of a new generation of royals.

The first episode charts the years leading up to and including the engagement and marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, providing context for the princes’ relationship with the media. The film examines some of the illegal activities engaged in by some newspapers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including hacking and ‘blagging’, and how these techniques were used to target members of the royal family and their associates.

Episode two covers the tumultuous period from 2018 to 2021, including the birth of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and the royal tours of the Sussexes and the Cambridges. The film looks at circumstances around the decision of the Sussexes to step down from their senior royal roles. It explores the legal cases brought by the Sussexes against some newspaper groups from 2019 onwards, and considers how Princess Diana’s experiences with the press and broadcasters impacted on her sons