- Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have 'zero engagement' with some UK papers
- The statement was made in a letter sent to editors of the British press last night
- Prince Harry and Meghan say they refuse to 'offer themselves up as currency'
- The couple will not speak to the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, The Sun or Daily Express
- The ban also extends to the sister stablemates of those titles and their websites
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said they will no longer respond to enquiries from journalists at four British newspaper groups.
The couple are adopting a 'zero engagement' policy with the organisations but insist it is not a move aimed at 'avoiding criticism'.
Los Angeles-based Prince Harry and Meghan say they will never again speak to publications including the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, the Sun and the Daily Express.
Their letter, sent from a Sussex Royal email, details how their self-imposed ban on contact with a large portion of the British media is a refusal to 'offer themselves up'.

They say they accept the media has 'every right' to report on the high-profile ex-royals, but claim: 'This policy is not about avoiding criticism. It's not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting.'
It continues: 'Like you, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex believe that a free press is a cornerstone to any democracy - particularly in moments of crisis.
'At its best, this free press shines light on dark places, telling stories that would otherwise go untold, standing up for what's right, challenging power, and holding those who abuse the system to account.
'It has been said that journalism's first obligation is to the truth. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex agree wholeheartedly.'
The announcement came hours after Prince Harry was criticised for claiming the UK's Covid-19 crisis is not as bad as the public are being told.
In an interview with the Declassifed podcast, the 35-year-old said that things here are 'better than we are led to believe through certain corners of the media'.
But his comments were branded 'outrageous' by expert Professor Karol Sikora, who asked: 'What are his qualifications for making these comments — other than deserting his country in its hour of need?'

In the letter, which was sent to the editors of the groups involved last night, Harry and Meghan said: 'Please note that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be engaging with your outlet. There will be no corroboration and zero engagement.'

Accepting the media has 'every right' to report on the high-profile ex-royals, the letter explains: 'This policy is not about avoiding criticism. It's not about shutting down public conversation or censoring accurate reporting.
'Media have every right to report on The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, good or bad. But it can't be based on a lie.
'They also want to be very clear: this is not in any way a blanket policy for all media.'

The strongly worded letter then goes on to suggest that British tabloids have been responsible for publishing 'salacious gossip' which they know to be 'distorted, false, or invasive beyond reason'.
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