Camilla Tominey discusses the Royals and the press
Ms Tominey is a guest on Celebrity Mastermind this evening on BBC One at 6:45pm. Presenter Clive Myrie quizzes actor Jeremy Edwards, broadcaster Sonali Shah, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree and royal expert Ms Tominey. The celebrity guests take to the black chair to answer questions on their respective specialist subjects ‒ Carrie Fisher, George Michael, Nikola Tesla and Back to the Future.
The second round will then see them take on a range of general knowledge questions in a bid to lift a commemorative trophy and win money for their charity of choice.
Ms Tominey, who is associate editor of the Telegraph, began as a royal reporter in 2005, when she covered Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’s wedding.
The journalist has since become one the most prominent voices on the Royal Family.
Speaking on Spectator podcast ‘Women with Balls’ last December, the royal expert was critical of Harry and Meghan for not offering a “right of reply” to the claims they made on Oprah.
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Ms Tominey criticised Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for not offering a “right of reply” (Image: Getty)
Harry and Meghan made a number of claims in their Oprah interview (Image: Getty)
She argued that, as a journalist, she always offers the royals a right of reply whenever she writes about them, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not offered the same courtesy to her, other journalists, or other members of the Royal Family when they have made claims of their own.
Ms Tominey said: “There’s nothing balanced about going on a podcast or going on Oprah and making a load of accusations and offering no right of reply.
“At any point I have to write something about Harry and Meghan, we go straight to their people in LA and say, ‘This is what I’ve heard, what’s your response?’
“Interestingly, I’ve done major long reads on the whole situation and so far none of them have elicited a legal complaint.”
Meghan and Harry married in 2018 (Image: Getty)
Harry and Meghan’s representatives were approached for comment on the above claims.
In a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey last March, the Sussexes were deeply critical of the UK media coverage of them while they also made a number of bombshell allegations about royal life.
The Duchess of Sussex also refuted one of Ms Tominey’s claims in particular.
In 2018, the royal expert wrote an article claiming Meghan made Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, cry over flower girl dresses in the lead up to her wedding with Harry.
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Ms Tominey claimed that Meghan had made Kate cry (Image: Getty)
However, during the Sussexes’ two-hour interview with Oprah, Meghan refuted the claim, insisting that “the opposite” had occurred.
The Duchess said that the article was “a turning point” and claimed that in reality the Duchess of Cambridge had made her cry, though refused to speak in detail about what sparked the tears.
Ms Tominey noted that it was “interesting” Meghan refuted the allegation on prime time television.
She said: “At any moment during the period between me reporting that [in] November 2018, and going on Oprah in March 2021, anyone, [Prince Harry] personally, or any of his people could have phoned me to correct that story if they had wanted.
Harry and Meghan were deeply critical of the press in their Oprah interview (Image: Getty)
“I find it interesting that it was corrected on prime time tv.”
On the original article, Ms Tominey said: “I wrote a snap analysis at the time pretty much accurately summing up what the whole thing represented.
“I made the point that I have written subsequently that a journalist never discusses their sources, but the suggestion that that story originated at the Palace ‒ this idea that the Palace briefed me this ‒ I find sort of laughable.
“Equally, it was written by me in a big feature about ‘Is the sisterhood at breaking point’ in the features pages of the Telegraph.
“It’s a pretty nuanced piece if you go back, saying ‘these two women are very different, there’s been a few pinch points, some of it is the Duchess of Sussex’s fault, some of it is the Duchess of Cambridge’s fault.’
“There’s a perception that they haven’t been welcoming enough, the Cambridges, and that Meghan’s been made to feel like an outsider.
“The bridesmaid dress fitting tears was well sourced, it’s been subsequently well sourced, so what can I do but stand by that.
“It could have been the fact that Meghan also ended up in tears.”
Watch Celebrity Mastermind this evening on BBC One at 6:45pm.
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