Prince Harry should speak out and denounce the abuse and online conspiracies targeted at his sister-in-law, Princess Kate, during her cancer battle because not doing so could prove reputationally damaging, according to a new episode of Regalrumination.com’s The Royal Report podcast.

Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have not yet addressed the online harassment directed at Kate by social media users professing to be their fans, despite both highlighting that the monarchy and members of the royal family failed to speak out when similar abuse was directed at Meghan.

When Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in March, the duke and duchess did issue a clear message of support, saying via a spokesperson that: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”

However, chief royal correspondent Jack Royston told Royal Report listeners that the absence of a direct appeal to stop the spread of misinformation about Kate’s condition, in part by the couple’s fans, could leave them vulnerable to reputational damage.

Though Harry and Meghan are obviously not directly responsible for their fans’ social media posts, Royston suggested that not addressing them contradicts their position as campaigners for online safety, and Harry’s position as a member of the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder. Speaking out, he said, would shield them from attacks in the British press.

I personally think there’s a way this could wind up reputationally damaging them,” Royston noted.

“Meghan complained very vocally about the social media abuse she faced, particularly in 2019, and she said it was almost unsurvivable. And Harry and Meghan have made campaigning against misinformation and disinformation online a big part of their brand.

 But their own fan base, using accounts that have their names…and often their photographs on their profile pictures, have been inflicting basically misinformational warfare against Harry’s sister-in-law, and Harry and Meghan have kind of stood by and watched it happen.”

Some might argue that the royals did the same thing to them,” Royston suggested. “It’s not necessarily untrue, but there is a problem with that perspective because Harry and Meghan have been absolutely damning of Harry’s family for standing by and doing nothing.”

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