BBC defends 'The Princes and the Press' after claims it is pro-Meghan Markle

The BBC has hit back at viewers who complained that its documentary "The Princes and the Press" is one-sided and favours Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

The two-part BBC Two special explores the relationship of brothers Prince William and Prince Harry with the media. It includes interviews with royal experts and people who have watched the siblings grow up in the public eye. It also featured commentaries from those who know their wives, Kate Middleton and the Duchess of Sussex.

However, there were those who thought that the documentary is biased towards the Sussexes. Some even claimed that it is an "anti-Meghan media bias" and "disgustingly one-sided." Netizens took to Twitter to share their thoughts with one writing, "#DefundTheBBC thought I'd watch the Princes and the Press. What a disgustingly one-sided, dog whistle racism filled program it is. The BBC is no longer fit for purpose."

Another chimed in, "It would seem that the princes and the press show on #bbc2 is very biased and certainly not about what the title infers, time to switch off after 5-10 mins."

One more commented, "The Princes and the Press on BBC2 is basically about anti-Meghan media bias. (But is also manipulating viewers even while warning against media manipulation)."

Aside from the viewers, the British royals also expressed their disappointment at "The Princes and the Press" in a joint statement. They called it "overblown" and based on "unfounded claims from unnamed sources that are presented as facts."

According to Metro UK, the documentary received complaints about being disrespectful to the royal family and so it should not have been aired last month. In response to the complaints, a spokesperson for BBC said the documentary "explored the relationship between the media and the monarchy, focusing on the younger royals."

Addressing claims that it favoured Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the representative explained, "it included interviews with a range of print and broadcast reporters who follow the royals closely and heard their views on the relationship the press has with the royal family and what influences the stories that are published."

The BBC spokesperson added that "The Princes and the Press" did "more than 80 hours of interviews and sought views from a wide variety of contributors." These included requests for interviews with representatives of Prince William, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, or "approaches to Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and Clarence House." It is said that the royals only issued the joint statement.