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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Monkey

Which gossip mailout dropped some not-so-subtle hints about Harry's Afghanistan tour?

The leaking of Prince Harry's deployment has been roundly blamed on the US website the Drudge report - and an Australian women's magazine had already mentioned it back in January. But the clues to the story were out there for far longer. A mailout from gossip service Popbitch - received by hundreds of British journalists - as far back as September 27 last year rather let the cat out of the bag only a month after the MoD and the Society of Newspapers first started talking about imposing a media blackout. "Which well-connected public school boy is finally flying off for his gap year travels, after having to abandon his previous plans for a trip to the sun with his mates?," the mailout asked in the 'What People are Asking this week' slot. "He's no longer so keen on exploring the desert in a tank; his old narcotic enthusiasm may be much better served cleaning up the poppy fields." In retrospect it couldn't really be clearer, could it?

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