Prince Harry says ‘Megxit’ is a misogynistic term
Appearing on a panel on Tuesday, Prince Harry described the term ‘Megxit’, used by the British press to refer to his and Meghan’s decision to quit their royal duties, as misogynistic, as well as an example of online and media hatred.
The Duke of Sussex was appearing on a panel hosted by WIRED Magazine called ‘The Internet Lie Machine’, and said about the popularly-used term, "Maybe people know this and maybe they don't, but the term Megxit was or is a misogynistic term, and it was created by a troll, amplified by royal correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew into mainstream media. But it began with a troll.”
Harry and Meghan moved to California last year after quitting their royal duties in order to lead a more independent life away from the scrutiny of the British press. Harry has previously said that the racist treatment of Meghan by the tabloids was part of the reason for their move.
Trolls are responsible for much of the online hatred directed at the couple; a study released in October by Bot Sentinel identified 83 accounts on Twitter that were responsible for 70 percent of the hateful content and misinformation aimed at Meghan and Harry.
Referring to the study during his panel appearance, Harry said that, "perhaps the most disturbing part of this was the number of British journalists who were interacting with them and amplifying the lies. But they regurgitate these lies as truth."
Harry and Meghan have since started campaigning against negativity on social media that they say affects people’s mental health.
Harry also talked about misinformation, calling it a “global humanitarian crisis”. Referring to the media treatment of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in Paris in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi, Harry said, "I know the story all too well. I lost my mother to this self-manufactured rabidness, and obviously I'm determined not to lose the mother to my children to the same thing."
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