It is well-known the Royal Family have had a contentious relationship with the media. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in particular, are very protective of their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The British royals are very private and what some may consider cold when interacting with the media compared to their European counterparts.
Despite the feelings on the British Royal Family’s relationship with the media, it is the people who they visit on engagements that are the focus of a story as they should be honoured or recognised.
One member of the British Royal Family who interacts more so with the media who follow her to events or cover her tours is the Duchess of Cornwall. On November 21st, she will attend a commemoration ceremony at St. Bride’s church to honour those journalists killed while simply doing their jobs.
The event held at the Fleet Street church will also honour those members who work behind the scenes killed such as camera crew and other support staff. The Duchess attended the annual ceremony back in 2012.
A St. Bride’s church spokesperson said the event would help: “remind us that there are many journalists who are missing or held captive, and many more who continue to report at great risk”.
Sky News foreign affairs editor Sam Kiley will deliver this year’s address. James Irving, St Bride’s head of operations said: “We demand a great deal of our journalists, foreign correspondents, camera-crew and support staff, expecting them to keep us informed about difficult and dangerous situations in the trouble spots of the world.
“We will be honouring those who have paid the ultimate price in bringing us the truth as they see it, as well as celebrating the profession of journalism, and the priceless value of free speech”.
As an Australian journalist for over thirty years, I found this short piece incredibly moving. It brought back memories of two colleagues who paid the ultimate price whilst carrying out that which they considered the one true journalistic duty: to report the truth of the horrors of conflict to the global audience, regardless of the dangers involved in doing so.
One colleague was killed in Bosnia twelve years ago. My other colleague was killed in Iraq in 2004 when the military vehicle he was travelling in was blown apart in an ambush by the local insurgents.
I find it very touching that my colleagues, who were also my friends, will be recognised along with the many men and women who travel to parts of world the rest of us would prefer to avoid and lay bare that which most of us would turn away from.