A veto from Buckingham Palace prevented British television networks from using video from Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, highlighting the contentious relationship between the monarchy and the media.
The royal household was granted the ability to request that specific footage from the burial rites at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle not be used again as part of an arrangement with news broadcasters.
During the event, members of the royal staff sent messages to the BBC, ITV News, and Sky News with the timestamps of material they wished to have removed from upcoming newscasts and social media pieces. As a result, five brief videos with members of the royal family were taken off the market.
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The decision to grant the palace a veto over what footage could be used, despite the sections’ relative briefness, has unnerved some of the journalists who worked on the coverage. This comes amid ongoing conflict at British media outlets between commemorating the passing of a significant national figure and allowing the royal family to influence news coverage.
With a specific request to avoid intruding on the grieving of specific members of the royal family, the palace offered guidelines on what footage and photographs would be considered appropriate, as reported by the Guardian. Broadcasters also chose not to use other videos, like one showing a man lunging towards the Queen’s coffin as it was in Westminster Hall.
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