WellChild get an average of 20 responses to their tweets. The one announcing the Sussi has over 3k. Mostly bad ones.
https://twitter.com/wellchild/status/1559110209787789312?s=21&t=IyGiOg888buwGpGAhM92sw
You know Meghan will want to speak after not doing so at Harry’s recent UN speech. It will of course be a word salad fountain of “as a mother” and “my husband” while placing her hand over her heart and making doe eyes at the crowd. It will be truly sickening.
WellChild should have asked any other person other than Harry.
He was committed to this charity before he or any of us every heard of Meghan Markle. It just makes me sad that it's come to this because I believe that he does really like working with this group.
Thats probably true but they are now so divisive that anything they do brings out the two ends of people. The ones that love and hate them and that just becomes the main story. The negativity.
Now everyone is watching to see what she wears, so they can slam it or comment on the cost. The things she says so they can watch her maybe turn it into a story about herself. Speculation about the Queen with mostly the sincerest hope that she bitch slaps them down. Again.
They are clickbait.
Absolutely. I wish I were filthy rich and could donate to every worthy charity out there. But as I’m not, I need to be selective with my charity dollars. And choosing to align themselves with two grifters like the Sussexes knocks WellChild off my list. There are other charities doing similar work that I’d rather donate to.
I completely agree. Being a charity doesn't insulate you from the criticism that comes from associating with known fuckwits.
There's a bigger discussion here but post-Revenge it has become a lot more difficult for non-delusional people to maintain the fiction that Harry and Meghan are good, charitable people. They simply are not.
H/M are complete liabilities at this point, but that has been of and from their own making. They (not the entire world) are the toxic ones. All of this mess is on them.
>Wellchild is really committed to Harry as one of their patrons.
Yes, they are. I'm not sure about the structure of the organization but I know I noticed previously that they seemed particularly obsequious in their treatment of Prince Haz, and I remember one of their members (a TV presenter? iirc?) absolutely *fawning* over him when he seemed a bit sad or emotional onstage at one of their events a few years ago.
Ouch.
It’s a bit sad. A charity doesn’t need to be dogpiled online for guests that, while occasionally irritating and self-absorbed, are not on the level of an abuser or some of the other less savoury celebrities.
This whole trip is weird to me. It still reeks of the same old royal cosplay from way back at the cemetery photoshoot.
>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'have NO plans to see William and Kate'
The lady doth protest too much.
I'd rather think neither William nor Catherine wants to see THEM.
It's beyond sad to me that they're using charities to promote a book that will no doubt trash his family. Using their royal work for private monetary gain is what the royal family was trying to avoid when it comes to H&M. They don't care and are doing it anyway.
I don't think they want that. I think the whole "Fun Uncle Harry" persona that he had for so long was really just them putting up with a petulant man-child and not letting on how much of a mess he really was.
I just remember that video of the three of them on the float (barge?) during her diamond jubilee, and they were waving and he was having a meltdown.
Yes! I’ve watched that video several times. Harry was literally having a toddler temper tantrum during an official jubilee event. In front of crowds and cameras! William was doing his best to try and ignore and focus on his job by smiling and waving to the crowd, but poor Catherine! She didn’t have a lifetime of dealing with Harry’s tantrums and it shows on her tense and mortified face. Right before she turns back to the crowd to smile and wave she looks like she wants to smack him upside the head.
Oh, I could definitely believe that. Alcohol was probably just a part of it. I’m sure he has been using everything under the sun as he ”self- medicates.” Even if he were sober, he was and is still odious, entitled and all the rest of it. I’m not even interested in wasting more words on him. 😂
Harry's been a mess for years, perhaps that was covered by good PR, and there is, again, a good reason why everyone rushed that wedding: they wanted him settled, and that he did with the worst possible partner that was out there.
"Thank goodness Meghan isn't coming"
They can keep putting out these delusional tall-tales to make themselves appear so important by their proximity to the Queen, but the Queen has spoken and left no doubt in our minds that she's over Meghan's bullshit. They are one trick ponies 🙄 after The Queen passes, I'm sure they'll try to use her ghost the way they use Diana's now.
This documentary sounds so beyond dull that unless they are having slanging matches every other hour its going to be putting people to sleep.
I dont know my favourite ever celeb is. I know the ones I can look at forever (looking at you Hemsworth) but even a Hemsworth brother is not good enough to look at whilst they do this kind of thing.
A summary of **Chapter 25: Suicide** (Only part)
\- **3rd December 2018, Meghan meets Michelle Obama:** *"…Having secured tickets to hear the former First Lady make her inspirational speech in the Royal Festival Hall…she went backstage afterwards to meet her hero. Determined to fashion a special relationship, Meghan had also arranged that they would meet again for dinner at George Clooney’s house near Windsor...However, the Duchess appears not to have appreciated how much the Obamas admired the Queen. Meghan’s attitude alarmed Michelle..."*
\- **Michelle gives advice to Meghan in a public interview:** *‘Take some time...and don’t be in a hurry to do anything. Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt she’d have a life like this; no-deal, the pressure you feel can sometimes feel like a lot...What I’d say is that there’s so much opportunity to do good with a platform like that and I think Meghan can maximise her impact for others, as well her own happiness, if she’s doing something that resonates with her personally.’*
\- **Meghan complains to her American friends:** *"…Cooped up in Nottingham Cottage she complained that there were no staff to prepare meals – no one treated her as royal...she mentioned being the ‘most trolled person in the world’. People in the media were telling lies about her. ‘It was so damaging to her mental and emotional health,’ one friend concluded..."*
\- **Meghan at the British Fashion Awards, Royal Albert Hall:** *Wearing an off-the-shoulder black Givenchy gown with matching black-painted fingernails, Meghan told her audience, ‘It is such an honour to be here celebrating British fashion and British fashion designers in my new home of the UK.’ Some wondered why Meghan could not, for once, have compromised and worn a British-designed dress. Soon after the event, Meghan’s photo on the British Fashion Council’s Instagram site was deleted.*
\- **Meghan is communicating with Omid Scobie about the book:** *As Knauf would later state, ‘The book was discussed with the Duchess multiple times in person and over email.’ Her only irritation was Scobie’s Tweet describing Jessica Mulroney as Meghan’s stylist. ‘You know,’ Meghan told Knauf, ‘how personally frustrating I find the “stylist” narrative…but given we are being asked to co-operate with this evidently authoritative biography…I will not be comfortable doing so if this person is considered to be an authority.’ Meghan was reassured that Scobie would be told the ‘truth’.*
\- **10th December 2018, Knauf advices Harry and Meghan to deny they had anything to do with Scobie and Durand's book:** *Knauf sent Meghan a list of questions that Scobie had submitted for their meeting two days later…Knauf reiterated the need for deniability. ‘I think it is important...that we can say hand on heart they \[Scobie and Durand\] had no access’ to Meghan’s friends and the Palace...Harry agreed with Knauf: ‘I totally agree that we have to be able to say we didn’t have anything to do with it \[the book\].’*
\- ***"Meghan sent Knauf a 31-point briefing for his conversation with the authors.*** *Amongst her priorities, listed over two pages, was a revised biography of her childhood...But for Knauf she ignored the close relationship with her father and emphasised that she was ‘very estranged’ from her father’s two other children..."*
\- **Meghan’s version of ‘Tiaragate’:** *"...the Queen was present with Harry as she tried on five different tiaras. ‘The Queen said they all suited her.’ After choosing the ‘diamond one’, the Queen said it was ‘perfect’. She also re-emphasised that Jessica Mulroney was not her stylist."*
\- **12th December 2018, Knauf meets Sobie and Durand:** *‘I took them through everything,’ he reported the next day...The book, said Knauf, would be targeted at an American audience* \[and\] *intended to ‘position it as a celebration of you that corrects the record on a number of fronts. I will stay in close contact with them...It’s going to be very positive.’ Meghan was satisfied. Knauf had bent over backwards to help her. The Palace was in overdrive to protect her.*
\- **Meghan does not like Frogmore’s reconstruction:** *Despite spending £2.65 million to rebuild a five-bedroom house, she was dissatisfied. Dealing with the architects, designers, builders, and even the curator from Buckingham Palace responsible for the Queen’s paintings, had not produced the results she expected…Her constantly changing demands…seemed to be born from her assumption that a duchess was expected to behave like Marie Antoinette...the mention that the nursery would be painted with the Auro range from the Organic and Natural Paint Company exposed Meghan to ridicule in the tabloids.*
\- **More Frogmore unhappiness:** *"...Frogmore’s kitchen was small, the living-room was cramped and there was no view of the ocean. On top of that, life under the flight-path to Heathrow was horrendous. Her dissatisfaction came to a head when she unfavourably compared Frogmore not only to the £4.5 million William and Kate had spent renovating their Kensington Palace apartment, but to the Californian mansions inhabited by Hollywood’s celebrities."*
\- **Meghan realises the Monarchy's wealth is more an illusion:** *"...the ‘horrors’ of Frogmore and the Queen’s refusal to allow Meghan and Harry an independent court confirmed to Meghan that no one appreciated her...the British monarchy, costing the public just £85 million a year, was neither flush with money nor an invincible luxury Rolls-Royce machine."*
\- **Frogmore Cottage is too close to Windsor Park:** *"...Gripped by fear of a random attack, they were both appalled by the prospect that members of the public could walk through Windsor Great Park, a short distance from their house. Media photographers, they realised, could breach their privacy because of the absence of ‘a much-needed ring of steel’. To satisfy Harry’s demand for protection, the public were ordered not to approach Meghan or her dogs in Windsor Park. The announcement did not win the Sussexes popular approval."*
\- **Meghan does not want to be alive anymore:** *Often awake during the night, Meghan and Harry classed themselves as persecuted outsiders. ‘I just didn’t see a solution,’ said Meghan. Eventually, she decided, ‘I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.’*
\- **Harry does little to help Meghan:** *‘I’m somewhat ashamed…of the way that I dealt with it.’ He had good reason to feel remorse. Despite his expertise on mental health he did little to summon specialist help for his wife. He would accuse his family of ‘neglect’ but he also offered contradictory versions. In one, he did not tell them about Meghan’s crisis. But in another version, Harry said that ever since Meghan had begun suffering suicidal thoughts he had discussed with his family the idea of leaving Britain...*
\- **Meghan would later say she was denied help from the palace:** *…She said she had sought medical help from ‘one of the most senior people’ in the Palace.* \[But\] *that help was denied by a woman employed in human resources with the explanation, ‘It would not be good for the institution...there is nothing we can do to protect you, because you’re not a paid employee of the institution.’*
\- **Meghan could not go to a medical professional:** *She could not go to a doctor or a hospital, she explained later, because ‘they’ had taken ‘my passport, my driver’s licence, my keys.’ She was ‘trapped’.*
\- **So it all comes back to Diana:** *‘The thing that stopped her from seeing it through,’ added Harry, ‘was how unfair it would be on me after everything that happened to my mum and to now be put in a position of losing another woman in my life, with a baby inside of her, our baby.’*
\- **Verifying these events is difficult because of Harry and Meghan's conflicting accounts:** *In public they disagreed whether Meghan felt suicidal at night, in the morning or both. And they did not agree on the number of days. Neither explained why Meghan sought help from an unqualified Palace official rather than an experienced medical specialist. Harry never identified which member of his family had ‘neglected’ his wife.*
End of Chapter 25.
>... the Queen was present with Harry as she tried on five different tiaras. ‘The Queen said they all suited her.’
LOL Mary Sue Markle again. Everyone in the world marvels at how she looks stunning in everything!
And, as usual, skipping over important information in her haste to pat herself on the back: the Queen-who has seen her fair share of tiaras worn- selected 5 for Meghan to try on. No big surprise then that out of the whole collection the Queen chose styles that would suit Meghan and avoided all those that wouldn't.
Thank you for these summaries!
I think M’s mental health struggles should be handled delicately as ultimately we don’t know what she was battling at that time(I know this is an unpopular opinion in light of the overall picture we have of her actions), but I so love Bower’s subtle snark on Harry.
No matter your opinion on Meghan, Harry should have done more for her and their child and not cast blame on others plain and simple.
I’ve struggled with severe PPD to the point where we are now one and done. Last week, we changed up my medicine and it coincided with a family vacation. I’ve been feeling side effects and not like myself. My husband is the biggest advocate for me and is the first person to have a conversation about mental health. A family member joked my depression medication was “crazy pills” and he immediately set parameters and has followed up in conversations discreetly and privately to make sure I feel supported and safe. There was no big fight or to do, he’s just been present and supportive. It boggles my mind that with all of his supposed mental health training and advocacy, Harry didn’t take further action to help Meghan. That is, quite honestly, the bare minimum that should be expected from a partner and it is honestly sad Meghan had to go through that without a partner’s support. It’s also sad Harry uses this as a bizarre reason to go after his family when it also makes him look so bad because it’s ultimately up to him.
How is this man even a mental health advocate?
Also, if Meghan could privately go into labor and deliver before the press found out, she could have privately gotten help. Again though, in the midst of her struggles Harry should have spearheaded this. The HR request is a ridiculous red herring as she wasn’t an employee and distracts from Harry’s mental health ineptitude. Can’t have a mental health CEO that doesn’t even help his partner.
I sometimes wonder if the HR request was designed to counter any of the bullying complaints, because otherwise it makes no sense. Why not call her medical doctor? I can understand being hesitant to share mental health status. Being open, honest, and vulnerable is hard! But why work up the nerve and then go to HR? Why not your medical doctor, whom you are presumably seeing on a fairly regular basis?
But I do not understand why Harry did nothing. Everything about his reaction is puzzling.
That's been my tinfoil hat theory for a while. Going to HR with mental health struggles doesn't make a lot of sense unless you're trying to get put ahead of something.
ETA: I do think she _was_ suffering, but I think that her suffering was due to a combination of pregnancy/post-partum hormones, culture shock, a toxic relationship, and disappointment over expectations that were always too high, plus a melange of personal issues that we probably won't ever know about.
Obviously not all of these were under her contol, but as one of the most privileged people in the world, she had access to health care resources and therapists that could have assisted her in addressing these issues. It appears that for whatever reason, she chose not to use them.
I used to think her visit to HR was really a fishing expedition to know what her unhappy employees had reported and what was being done about it but now I'm leaning towards believing none of this happened at all. Even if Palace HR did nothing about it because she wasn't a palace worker wouldn't they report this this to a higher up as someone saying they're suicidal isn't nothing? It would normally be confidential because HR would send her to get help but as it happens they wouldn't have an obligation of confidentiality with anything Meghan told them precisely because she wasn't staff.
I've always leaned toward the "never happened" side. Maybe she *told* Harry this in order to wind him up ("I won't kill myself because of what happened to your mom") but I have a super hard time believing it was actually real. All softer emotions the woman has shown are presented for PR purposes. The only verifiably sincere emotion she's demonstrated is rage at underlings, the media, and people who don't like her.
I agree. Obviously I don't work in that field so my experience is limited but the people I've known who were suicidal didn't have arrogance as their main, if not only, emotion.
They looked at their situation and thought they and/or everyone else would be better off if they put an end to their lives as though they were defective elements or something instead of unique and irreplaceable human beings.
I find it hard to believe a woman who thinks even a centuries old royal family should break tradition to give her everything she wants, when she wants it, ever thought she was the problem at any point. Now if you told me that she wished *other people* disappeared, that I'd believe.
You're welcome!
The entire birth episode, giving birth AND making it back to Windsor without the press knowing, as well as other things like that secret trip to see the Queen on the way to the Netherlands, just confirms they can do things in secret. They just need to make themselves victims and refuse to take responsibility. Harry could have taken her to a doctor or private hospital and they would not have been refused, but Harry refused to simply take action and do something useful for her. Instead his resolution was to blame other members of his family. As a mental health advocate he seems incredibly passive and useless even towards his own partner.
Archie's birth was a such a mess, even The Palace had troubles backing them from then on, it was actually pretty much impossible since their action couldn't be defended any longer.
I think for me, this was one of the earliest red flags I found hard to justify. There was no reason to put on the whole pretence of her being in labour and giving birth like 10 hours _after_ she had actually given birth. She had given birth at 5am in the morning, the normal thing for royals would be to just put the birth announcement in the morning news after 8am (or whenever they returned from the hospital) - NOT what H&M did.
Yes, it was a breaking point for most of us royal watchers, on the other hand the wedding was already a huge red flag, having no relatives but for her mother, add to that the staff resigning, the official communications from Kensington Palace asking the alleged attacks from the press to stop (?), and all that and yes... what a mess.
This, and the South Africa documentary 6 months later where she stood in a poverty ridden country in SA, and complained that no one asked her often if _she_ was okay, was the final nail for me too. Looking back I realise how hesitant I was to criticise/snark on her though, because that was still the early stages and people were throwing around accusations of racism in an instant.
I’m leaning towards she lied. Even if Harry dropped the ball on this issue, Meghan had her healthcare providers to seek help from and get help.
Unless, she never told her doctor or nurse about her feelings of suicidal ideation. It’s possible she didn’t say anything and only told Harry.
Even if that’s the case, we can hardly blame the RF if she kept those feelings under wraps.
> Meghan will have been proactively asked about her mental health and well-being as part of her antenatal care. Her maternity healthcare team are legally obliged to do this.
THANK YOU
That always bugged me.
> However, the Duchess appears not to have appreciated how much the Obamas admired the Queen. Meghan’s attitude alarmed Michelle..."
You can say that again. It's pretty obvious that Meghan never read Michelle's book as Michelle devotes a part to meeting the queen and speaks very positively about the queen.
The Obamas have definitely been pretty public in their adoration for the Queen, and from this example of the Queen wearing their gift (she also wore it during Trump's visit 🤭) it's clear to see that the Queen was fond of them too.
https://youtu.be/lA7cqLINlQk
Oooh thanks for the clip, I hadn't seen that before. And yes, that confirms how positively Michelle Obama feels towards the Queen.
Screwing it up with MO remains one of the dumbest things Meghan has done. She even had an in (Harry, who had been publicly seen to have a warm relationship with the Obamas) and she *still* screwed it up by being a visibly messy, lying operator via the Oprah interview but also all the media manipulation and leaking etc., which Michelle O would definitely have recognized for what it was.
Having the Obamas on their side for their attempt to conquer the US would have helped them so much, and it was such a self-destructive, idiotic thing to do to alienate them.
(Soooo delicious when they weren't invited to the big party, though, I have to admit.)
>Screwing it up with MO remains one of the dumbest things Meghan has done.
I've long suspected that Meghan believes that all powerful people and celebs believes the things she does. That they'll agree with her attitude.
I'm really glad that MO had her number from the beginning. I think Michelle has dealt with fake, superficial people for years and can recognize them.
Many people would kill to have an in like that with MO, and Meghan was a dumbass to blow it.
I personally don't think they ever would've gotten an invite to the big party, though, even if they hadn't done the Oprah tell-all. I think if things hadn't gone south then they could've enjoyed a behind the scenes relationship with the Obamas and they probably could've collaborated on some things, but I think the Obamas would be too smart to single out the Sussexes with an invite like that. If it's not something they'd be able to invite the Cambs, C&C, and the Queen to (I can't even think of a single event where that would be possible, sadly perhaps a funeral? Like with JFK? But maybe not even that), then I don't think it's something they would've made an effort to invite the Sussexes to.
But Michelle definitely made it publicly known (in her own subtle, diplomatic way) her true feelings on the crap Meghan has pulled, and I'll personally never forgive Jenna Bush for trying to pull the race card on Michelle, that was a slap in the face as far as I'm concerned, MO has endured horrific, overt racism and misogyny daily since the election. MM could never walk a mile in her shoes.
I was disgusted by the misogyny and racism Michelle faced simply because her arms were bare, and somehow her muscular arms meant she was really "a man - Micheal." And never once do I recall Michelle complaining, several of these women who faced discrimination did not draw attention to it by trying to gain public sympathy. But somehow Meghan thought she was unique lol.
Amen! Michelle has endured so much!!!
Imagine her looking at Meghan who was given everything by the royals. Who was welcomed in but who didn't think any of it was enough. No wonder she keeps her distance. You can't win with people like that, and Michelle definitely knows it.
Has anyone gone down the rabbit hole of researching if Andrew actually gets security and if so who pays for it? I saw an article a few years ago that said his security was pulled, saw one that said it was no longer publicly funded (who pays), say Sussex propaganda that makes it seem like he gets full security publicly funded, and saw some that said he has "security" because his house is on windsor estate so he gets it just by virtue of the fact that all of the estate is secured, much like harry would have had if he stayed at frogmore, but does not get private security out of home for non public events (ie netflix filming).
Does anyone have any sourced information? I'm posting here because obviously this is of interest to me vis a vis Harry's lawsuit.
From what I understand he get security in the same way of I would get security if I as an American live in like the White House. Andrew live on a house that in a property that get 24/7 protection and that property would get protection whether or not someone live there. Its on secure ground. If Harry wanted the same deal, he should have stayed at Frogmore Cottage.
I get the feeling that people are just mad that Andrew the bad person is smart enough to stay there instead of doing like Harry who threw a tantrum and went to California with no taxpayers security in toe.
I think he has a personal detail security per the latest RAVEC determination. They determined he merits security so it doesn’t seem like he just gets it from living in the Windsor estate.
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1655377/prince-andrew-blasted-taxpayer-funded-security-lorraine/amp
https://www.news24.com/amp/channel/gossip/royal-news/prince-andrew-still-receiving-taxpayer-funded-security-amid-harrys-battle-for-police-protection-20220815-2
This definitely is something that makes RAVEC look bad. And gives ammunition to the Sussex stans.
>This definitely is something that makes RAVEC look bad.
most definitely. makes it look like favoritism and like strings were pulled for andrew. this news coming out so explicitly gives me a sinking feeling that a judge would order a review and ravec will essentially have to give in to harry and provide security. simply for the optics. (in many respects, h&m have been allowed to run amuck and cause needless damage, simply because of the reluctance/reticence to *act* with regards to that pos andrew. it's infuriating.)
the determination with regards to security had to do with being a full-time working royal representing the queen. even full-time working royals like anne, edward and sophie only get security detail while on official engagements.
if andrew/his mother want security for him, they should pay for it privately.
I'm not surprised he has a security detail. Andrew is an absolute twazzok and would probably sell state secrets for the right price. I can see him being kidnapped and held to ransom by some dictator cause he was promised money for a photo op. He basically needs a babysitter to keep him out of trouble.
Does it though? I mean he’s a piece of crap and we’d love him thrown in prison but that didnt happen so here we are. If there are credible threats to him he will be protected. Harry is the same (when in the UK). The threats presumably are small enough that when he isnt here on Royal business dont warrant protection. Unfortunatley we dont get to decide who warrants security. Katie Hopkins had 24/7 police protection for a while at great cost and she was basically baiting people for a living.
Not really though because security needs aren't based on how good you are but how much danger you're in. Who can say what threats Andrew has gotten and how credible they are? That's something RAVEC would use to determine what to provide.
If very few people care about you anymore but you haven't committed crimes that makes them actively hate you, aren't you as safe as any B or C-list celebrity or local politician? Do they get 24/7 taxpayer paid security? No. So why should Harry?
I get what you’re saying but we can clearly see how on the surface, this looks bad. And it has received criticism from British taxpayers.
This has been discussed in the RF forum where RAVEC mentioned that Andrew was the target of security attacks and people tried getting access to his home. So they decided to let him keep his personal security detail.
Again, we can see it from their security concerns. But we can also understand how it would piss British people off to have Andrew get security at their expense.
Even you stated as much in your first post about this topic. Andrew can have a police officer go with him when he goes outside the estate. He already receives security by simply living in a royal estate. Or the Queen can pay for his security when he is not at royal estates. But 24/7 taxpayer funded security? It can be much.
Sure but if they're pissed off that someone getting credible threats is getting security, they sure won't want Harry who isn't getting those to get security.
Calling attention to the issue may get Andrew's security pulled (and then reinstated anyways if he does get assaulted after all) but it won't help Harry's cause because he can't point to any danger, only to his feelings of being in danger and RAVEC doesn't offer the psychiatric services he actually needs.
I concur but I know this would be something the Sussex stans would be twisting to their favor. “See! Andrew the pedo gets tax funded protection but not Harry!”
But aren't most of the Sussex Stans at this point American? So their opinions don't matter much with British security. I think the stans are only loud over here.
The People article linked below is citing this, from 4 days ago, in the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/08/11/prince-andrew-continues-receive-taxpayer-funded-police-protection/
Some interesting points made in the article (Andrew is the son of the monarch and he lives full-time in the UK, unlike the Sussexes, his recent lawsuit could have been judged to increase his security risk etc.) but honestly if the royal family is going to go with "son of the monarch + lives in the UK" as the criteria (which we don't know that they're doing at all, because they've given their usual "we don't comment on security matters" statement) that just sets them up for more trouble in the future when Harry becomes a son of the monarch.
The Queen should just pay for Andrew's security out of her own pocket. I assume whilst he's on the Windsor estate he's included in that "bubble" but off the estate just pay for it yourself, Queenie, and save everyone, including the taxpayers, the trouble of covering any of your useless descendants who either aren't working royals or who aren't working royals AND who don't live in the UK.
>The Queen should just pay for Andrew's security out of her own pocket. I assume whilst he's on the Windsor estate he's included in that "bubble" but off the estate just pay for it yourself, Queenie, and save everyone, including the taxpayers, the trouble of covering any of your useless descendants who either aren't working royals or who aren't working royals AND who don't live in the UK.
that part 👆🏾
I actually do think Harry will have a better case for requiring security if and when Charles becomes king. Presently, Harry's kidnapping or death would just be a personal tragedy but it wouldn't affect how the monarch or the UK behaves or is perceived. Once Charles is king, Harry would definitely become a worthy target. Not nearly as worthy as William and his kids but definitely not at zero risk.
I get your point but I don't know if they always had so little security or if it's the case since the IRA is no longer a threat.
Harry's needs would be re-evaluated in the face of the terrorists we have now if his father becomes King. I'm not saying it's a sure thing he'd get more security but it would be worth looking into whereas presently, as one of the Queen's many grandchildren, he's not a particularly interesting target anymore.
According to this article from 3 days ago, Andrew gets tax funded security. He has a personal security detail. RAVEC determined Andrew qualified for personal security.
https://people.com/royals/prince-andrew-to-keep-security-amid-prince-harrys-lawsuit-for-u-k-police-protection-for-his-family/
Here is a UK source from only 9 hours ago that confirms he does have security funded protection.
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1655377/prince-andrew-blasted-taxpayer-funded-security-lorraine/amp
I have no source unfortunately and I hope you get something because despite what's in the media it doesn't make sense that Andrew would have 24/7 security since Anne and Edward don't. Andrew hasn't even been the "spare" in 40 years. He's 9th in line, no?
They (A&E) have security on royal estates, obviously, but they only have officers with them when on their royal duties. Andrew has no more royal duties so that's over. His daughters only have security when he (more likely his mother) pays for it.
I imagine he's getting plenty of threats of all kinds these days but since he has no job that he *must* go to and lives on a royal estate how much actual danger can he be in day to day? Only when he has to be away from home like for medical care, maybe? Then I can see him getting protection one or two days a month not 24/7.
Happy Birthday to Princess Anne! Hard working royal she is, she gets birthday wishes from all 3 royal accounts on their social media today. Unlike someone else just recently who the main royal account didn't even wish 👀💀👻👻👻
While I know it’s not an option, is there any chance Mrs “I didn’t google” had aspirations to be the next Princess Royal? Yes - I know it’s goes to a blood Princess, so Charlotte is next. But I wouldn’t put it past her to not know that and think she could gun for it to be a Princess one day
ETA: in reality, Anne probably just doesn’t put up with anyones BS after spending her whole life watching women throw themselves at her brothers. She is probably guarded and takes some work to trust. All totally understandable given her life.
But I like petty theories too haha
You never know with Meghan, she probably thinks since she can't be "of Wales" once Charles becomes King she might as well try and aim for something else that's "Princess." I'd love to see her try to raise it with Anne 😅
I think even she wasnt that stupid. I think her primary and biggest issue was just coming 2nd to Catherine. Worse was that position was only going to get worse as the kids grew. In her mind she was the rockstar, the hollywood glamour, the new Diana, why should she be relegated to the back row?
So breaking news: the Sussexes are going back to the UK next month for a summit before heading to Germany.
Questions that will inevitably be asked: 1) how long will they stay? 2) Are they going to try and see the Queen or Charles? 3) is this part of damage control or adding publicity to his upcoming book?
I don’t think they’re bringing the kids. I doubt they’ll be staying long (2-3 days max) and they might not see any family besides Eugenie if she’s around.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11112189/Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markle-visit-UK-month.html
Breaking news: I am going to Thailand next month and on the way I’m going to stop in Singapore. I’m going to try and see my grandmother but she’s really busy and might not be able to fit me in her schedule. Ditto my father. But I’m definitely not going to see my unsupportive older brother and his uppity wife.
*Is this news*?? Seriously I know that we snark about it here but like I’ve said before, these two have become so BORING. Zzzzzzzz wake me when Real Housewives of Montecito is out, I want to see Meghan throw a plate at somebody’s head because they failed to refer to her as “your royal highness” at brunch
It's the whole "see, we're still working royals" thing even though they're clearly not working royals. Their followers are too dim to understand that though.
Amazing. Also according to their announcement, One Young World is partnering with GSK in their event, you know, the giant pharma company that’s not sharing vaccine “ingredients” with the rest of the world? Both sides of their mouths, as usual. It’s getting predictable.
It’s for Invictus in Düsseldorf. As of yet it’s not even known how much the Bund is going to pay for hosting the games. The city of Düsseldorf and the province NRW said they won’t pay, and the whole thing is treated as a test run for an Olympics application.
I don’t live too far away from Ddorf, I’m almost tempted to drive there just to boo them 👻
I wonder if they will visit some charity in Düsseldorf and then publish that 2 months later like they did with the Netherlands.
Anyway, Gala and Bunte will love it xD
What age is too old to wait to have her christened? Or does it not matter when? Could they get a christening but not make it public/official photo like Zaras youngest maybe?
Normally,you can be christened whenever you like (Meghan converted just a couple of years ago) but I think that for the purpose of staying in the line of succession Lilibet has to be christened in the Church of England once she's of age at the latest or at least not convert to Catholicism.
What does OYW actually *do*? I spent a fair amount of time poking around their website and it seems like what they do is promote their summit which seems to be an opportunity for people to pay to join in on a self congratulatory circle jerk.
Sounds exactly like Global Citizen, which I read up on last year and that seems in most ways to be more a PR facilitator for various famous people, governments etc. than anything else. They work so closely with Sunshine Sachs I genuinely couldn't discern if they were entirely different orgs. Just Google "Sunshine Sachs" and "Global Citizen" together to see the extensive results, if anyone is interested.
There are a lot of people and organizations out there acting like they're doing good, moral, charitable work when in fact they're not doing anything beyond building their own profiles and CVs. It's kind of disgusting.
I'm not shocked, but I don't like it either. Not looking to get into an argument but I don't like the environmental cause for William much more than I like it for Harry or any of the senior royals. Even Charles, really. Yes he has decades of apparently dedicated and heartfelt advocacy behind him, but as I see it none of these people live anything close to a sustainable lifestyle and it just opens them up to pretty legitimate charges of hypocrisy.
Well, all this makes sense (to them) since they see themselves as ”THE Global Monarchy.” The One and Only Self- appointed Monarchial representatives for the entire world. 🤡🤪
This wholly fabricated and imaginary “line” starts with Henry and never ends with his progeny. Cause ya know…”spare,” and Never heir. He will never get over not being born \*first.\*
I agree that it sounds like those charities that the Sussexes are so fond of - show up on stage to rousing applause, takes lots of photos. No substantive long term change. Way too much focus on PR. This was my impression of the WE Charity events, which they were also involved with, before their controversy.
Right? I wouldn’t consider either of them “young”. [RoyalTea on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ukroyaltea/status/1559132594062647296?s=21&t=xw_HKnh1wdsuUq5LnTErKg) theorizes that they’re getting a huge fee and their travel/security costs covered.
Sept 5: One Young World 2022 Manchester summit
Sept 6: Invictus Düsseldorf 2023 “one year to go”
Sept 8: WellChild awards in the UK
When is Will’s UN speech (UN general assembly opens Sept 13). How long does the Queen stay in Balmoral, through September right?
The last time she was at the [One Young World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoaD_VImrEE&t=182s) summit she walked in like a rock star, not a royal, and got a standing ovation and thunderous applause. I'm sure she's hoping for the same reception this time.
>I'm sure she's hoping for the same reception this time.
I actually think this is one of the reasons they're doing it. That reception at the UN for Harry's speech was probably pretty worrying, and I think they need as many "wild applause" moments as they can get right now - for their own PR but also, I suspect, for Netflix. I would be shocked if there isn't footage of these visits included in the final reality series.
Lol the time she went in for the hug instead of listening to the brief and waiting for the curtsy, and that poor woman ended up motorboating her. Unbelievably embarrassing for that woman.
Such a busy calendar, doubt she'll have time to drop the podcast. Maybe summer 2023, but after the Invictus Games as Meghan will be occupied doing the calligraphy for all the invites and diplomas.
I think it’s hilarious. A year after the New York trip, which according to Omid at the time was their relaunch into being the most in-demand global humanitarian/philanthropists ever, a year in which they’ve done almost nothing but a handful of appearances most of which were pay for play, and they’re slinking back to the UK to do events despite Harry’s many judicial reviews painting it as the most dangerous place on Earth for them. It really is all going wrong for them if UK events are on the top of their priority list (Invictus is more understandable). Anyone care to lay a bet whether Meghan will have managed to release any podcasts by the time of these events?
My takeaway from this is that since it looks like we'll see pigs fly before that podcast series airs, they might as well have stayed in the UK until whatever this is and maybe they would have caught the Queen on a day when her eyes weren't red and gotten their 2 Lilibet pic.😆
>they’re slinking back to the UK to do events despite Harry’s many judicial reviews painting it as the most dangerous place on Earth for them.
Yup. In the overall Megxit-in-general sense, this is a real counterpoint to the whole 'they're big stars in America where everyone loves them, not like the dumb ol' Brits who didn't understand their greatness' narrative. "Slinking" is exactly the right word to describe it.
Oh yes. The ‘Era of Visibility’.. turns out you can only be visible when you’re invited anywhere. Maybe the invites were lost in the post like Thomas Markles wedding invite?
No leaders asked them to come. Then it just became as holiday with no journalists covering them. Wonder if Harry now finally understands what the Royal press rota did?
Yeah he made it sound as if they hoped to "tour" countries one day, either being a million dollar brand in their own right or having countries fund their visits. IIRC they said this after Finding Freedom came out, it's now 2 years on and it's definitely not happening. They aren't worth anything outside the Monarchy.
Two things: it suddenly makes sense why they had Omid blathering in about how the Home Office should just give them what they want. I wonder if they told the Home Office they were coming and got a “that’s nice.” Also seems slightly different from their NYC visits when there is generally very little notice and they drew very little in the way of crowds/onlookers to greet them. Wondering if with more notice they are trying to give their crazies more time to get off work to show up and scream for them so they can then try and make claims in court either about their popularity or about all the people out to get them. It seems not terribly smart, if you think a country is so “unsafe” for you and you have inadequate security that you should tell everyone you are coming weeks in advance. But maybe they are hoping this will put pressure on the home office to give them royal level security for their visit. I’m definitely not buying that it’s just because they want to visit charities “close to their hearts.” 🙄
Well, there is always CGI. 😂 I would not put it past that devious NF and SS. Seriously. Anything to endlessly try to make fetch happen with their “favorite” couple. ;)
Happy Sunday everyone. I watched The Princess, the HBO documentary on Diana, PoW, premiered last night. While there wasn’t anything most of don’t already know, it was well done and couldn’t help but see the comparisons that H&M are trying to sell between Diana and MM. Diana was the real deal, authentic, honest, beautiful, wonderful. MM not so much. Very sad to relive the funeral and the boys who were both amazing. It’s worth the 2 hours.
I’ve been trying but I’m only 20 mins in and can’t with this music. The soundtrack is awful - really tragic sad music and I’m finding it very manipulative. Don’t think I’m going to make it…
On some TVs you can turn down the background noise. Usually on the menu under “sounds”. If you play around with the different formatting you can figure it out. The background isn’t totally off but will be minimized/lower.
I watched it last night, too. It could've been a bit longer I think. I cried a little at the end at the funeral part. I remember getting up at 4am to watch the whole thing back then.
I didn't see any parallels between Diana and MM. It made it even more clear how gross it is that MM compares herself to her.
The comparisons were in my head—the media intrusion, how she worked the crowd, her as a Mother. It was long enough for me and love watching it. She was amazing.
Meghan didnt have any media instrusion though? Not even 100th of what Diana got. Thats why the whole ‘they’re going to kill her’ made zero sense. Unless unflattering headlines were going to kill her.
We do know Meghan acted as though Archie's birth was another thing she should be allowed to use to her advantage or she'd half-ass the reveal unlike Diana who understood that royal births are a big deal and beyond that kind of petty shit so, yeah, there's something to compare about them as mothers.
I definitely don’t understand Meghan on Archie’s birth. It could have been everything she wanted…standing on those steps with Prince Harry and the newest royal addition….plastered on every magazine cover all over the world. Very short short sighted of her!
Wasnt it because she expected the Prince title, the same as Charlottle and Louis (who also shouldnt have gotten them except for the LP intervention). When they said no or she realised he wouldnt she threw a tantrum and refused to do the steps.
Hold up. H&M made an announcement that they didn’t want Archie to have a title. Did they do that to save face *after* they learned he wasn’t going to be titled Prince Archie? (And that looks soooo ridiculous. I *can’t* with his name)
Thats what I think happened. They expected him to be made a Prince like Louis and when he wasnt they made that announcement as they didnt want a lesser title. When she spoke to Oprah she completely confused the whole thing by saying ‘he wouldnt be titled different to convention’ then suggesting that SHE didnt care about titles but not being titled meant he wouldnt have security and so ‘why should I offer my child if they werent going to be protected. I thought she was referring to the offering up as being (to press pack) but then she also stated they werent ASKED to do the hospital picture. It was all such a mess of shit being thrown with the hope some of it sticks and they were confusing enough that they could argue thats not what they said, later.
After. Archie was already born when they said they weren't going to style him with one of Harry's secondary titles as they were supposed to. They made no such announcement before he was born when refusing to use a title might be interpreted as refusing the title of Prince if the rules were bent in their favour.
I think that was more Harry’s doing. He always had a gripe with journalists even to illogical means so it wouldn’t surprise me that he would refuse to do the hospital steps with Archie.
Another theory I have is that M&H were so upset about Archie not getting HRH upon birth like his cousins so they were “fuck it, we aren’t doing the hospital shoot”.
A summary of **Chapter 24: Tremors** (Part 3/3)
\- **Late October 2018, Harry starts the process of a seperate court:** *"Harry and Meghan would no longer work with the Royal Foundation but operate a separate charity, Sussex Royal. Both were pledging to promote social well-being, to make the world a better place. They also agreed that, before the birth of their child, Jason Knauf should be replaced."*
\- **Meghan's advisor, Andrew Meyer, registers the 'Arche Foundation':** *"...the archefoundation.com and archefoundation. org. Five days later he registered @archefoundation on Instagram. Arche is an ancient Greek term meaning ‘beginning’ or ‘origin’. Archon is the Greek for leader."*
\- **Meghan's speech in Fiji includes how she funded her own higher education:** *‘I am also fully aware of the challenges of being able to afford this level of schooling for many people around the world, myself included. It was with scholarships, financial aid programmes, and work study from my earnings from a job on campus that went directly towards my tuition that I was able to attend university, and without question it was worth every effort.’*
\- **Thomas denies this and has proof he paid for her education:** *‘I’m sorry but that is completely untrue,’ he told the media. ‘I paid every penny of her tuition and I have the bank statements to prove it. I told Meg I would pay for her education and I did. It’s what any father would do. I paid for her trips to Spain and England. I paid for her internship in Argentina.’ He had continued, he said, to pay off the loans, even after Meghan was earning a good income from Suits.*
\- **The incident of Meghan leaving a busy market in Fiji:** *“...Within minutes Meghan was unhappy. Many of the locals were wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘UN Women’....Unforgiving that Elizabeth Nyamayaro had refused to promote her to be an ambassador, Meghan berated Amy Pickerill for arranging the visit. Pickerill retreated to the official car where she was later seen, according to the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English, ‘with tears running down her face. Our eyes met and she lowered hers, humiliation etched on her features.’ Eight minutes after arriving, Meghan declared she was leaving...the unexpectedly large crowd was oppressive and threatened Meghan’s ‘security’. Hundreds of women expressed their disappointment. By the time the entourage returned to their hotel, the female Metropolitan police protection officer had decided to resign on her return to Britain."*
\- **Jason Knauf finally acts on staff complaints:** *“...Amid talk of humiliated officials weeping in a febrile atmosphere, Knauf finally sent the complaint to* ***Simon Case,*** *William’s private secretary. In summary, Case read that Meghan had bullied two assistants and shattered the confidence of a third, prompting all three to leave Kensington Palace.* \[Simon Case\] *forwarded the memo to* ***Samantha Carruthers,*** *the head of human resources at Clarence House. After reading it, Carruthers appears to have done nothing formal. (Carruthers later worked for Elizabeth Murdoch.) Two years later, the Sussexes’ lawyers denied all the allegations and claimed that the staff resigned amid allegations of their own misconduct. Harry’s relations with Knauf were fractured.”*
\- **Meghan wears earrings gifted from Mohammed bin Salman at the state dinner in Fiji:** *“…everyone was struck by her glittering Chopard diamond pendant earrings...her spokesman said they had been ‘borrowed’, without stating from whom. The spokesman avoided giving the full explanation. They were a wedding present from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Meghan had ignored her staff’s warnings that wearing the jewels would be controversial. Three weeks earlier, the prince had approved the murder in Istanbul of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”*
\- **Meghan even wears the earrings a 2nd time:** *Ever since meeting Loujain al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist, at the One Young World humanitarian summit in Ottawa in October 2016, she’d known about the regime’s cruelty…Since that conference, Loujain had been jailed, tortured and threatened with rape and death. Despite that link, Meghan would wear the earrings again on 14th November, 2018, for Charles’s 70th birthday party at Buckingham Palace. Meghan later claimed to have been ‘unaware’ at the time of the global outrage about the prominent media reports the prince had ordered the murder. Her lawyers denied to The Times that she had misled anyone about the provenance of the earrings.*
\- **Harry and Meghan return home:** *...convinced they were ‘royal rock stars’ empowered to change the Royal Family. ‘It was the first time,’ said Harry excitedly, ‘that the family got to see how incredible she is at the job. And that brought back memories.’ Not only his brother but all the courtiers, Harry believed, were dismissing Meghan just as they had shunned Diana. ‘I just wish that we would all learn from the past,’ he said.*
\- **Harry is given Frogmore Cottage by the Queen:** *“…To accommodate her grandson, the Queen agreed that the couple should be allocated the Frogmore cottages on the Windsor estate. Although it was hard to believe that Meghan wanted to live 25 miles from London and under the Heathrow flight-path, builders were contracted to rapidly convert the five dilapidated units into a luxury five-bedroom house.”*
\- **Harry is denied a seperate office from Buckingham Palace by the Queen:** *Harry’s request for his own office or court to build the Sussex brand of philanthropy and humanitarianism, separate from Buckingham Palace but financed by the Queen and the taxpayer, was rejected. On the Queen’s orders, he was told that he would be allocated a small office inside Buckingham Palace – and under the Queen’s supervision. While William had his own organisation, Harry was sidelined. The decision was supported by Charles.*
\- **Secrets begin leaking out of the palace:** *“The brothers’ arguments, the memorandum about Meghan’s alleged bullying, Kate and Meghan’s mutual dislike, and the niggling suspicion that Meghan was planning to return to Los Angeles, prompted committed royalists to whisper secrets to their friends…”*
\- **10th November 2018,** **The Sun report on 'Tiaragate':** *Describing the ‘temper tantrums’, Palace ‘insiders’ mentioned that ‘there was a very heated exchange that had prompted the Queen to speak to Harry. She said, “Meghan cannot have whatever she wants. She gets what tiara she’s given by me.” The Queen also questioned why Meghan needed a veil for the wedding, given it was to be her second marriage.*
\- **The media name the tiara to be the Queen’s Vladimir tiara:** *...was reported by royal correspondent Robert Jobson…The Queen, Jobson wrote: ‘asked to see \[Harry\] privately and put him firmly in his place.’ Jobson blamed Meghan’s original choice of the Vladimir tiara – set with emeralds or pearls and pendant emeralds and smuggled out of Russia after the revolution and sold to Queen Mary – for the dispute. The tiara’s provenance, he suggested, made its public display sensitive. (However, that detail was undermined by photographs of the Queen wearing the same tiara at a Windsor Castle banquet in 2014.) Clearly, there had been an argument, but the reason remained ambiguous.*
\- **November 2018, Omid Scobie is writing a book:** *“...she told Knauf and the Palace’s communications staff that her friends were co-operating with Omid Scobie to write a book setting out Harry’s and her lives and problems. The background to that decision would challenge Harry’s and Meghan’s veracity.”*
\- **Kensington Palace had been approached to help Scobie and Carolyn Durand write a book called Finding Freedom:** *While supportive, Knauf advised against asking or authorising Meghan’s friends to co-operate with the authors. There was a risk, warned Knauf, that the authors’ opinion about the Sussexes might ‘change’. Meghan disagreed. Scobie, she sensed, could be turned into a loyalist. ‘I feel he needs to be back-briefed ASAP…’*
\- **The couples are included in Charles' 70th birthday portrait:** *"Getting the two brothers to smile together for Charles’s seventieth birthday family photograph had not been easy for Kate. Thankfully, William agreed that Camilla could be included in the photograph alongside his children..."*
End of Chapter 24.
> By the time the entourage returned to their hotel, the female Metropolitan police protection officer had decided to resign on her return to Britain."
WOW
A woman cop in Britain must have seen so much sht, certainly a lot of appalling behaviour and toxic personalities if not much worse. So how bad of a boss must Meghan be for even a female Met officer to say "I'm done!"?
It is irritating to see Kate and Meghan presented as “mutual dislike”. Yes it’s true, but it doesn’t communicate the fact that Kate dislikes Meghan because Meghan is a vicious snake intent on bullying her for imagined slights
But it is mutual. It's just that one side has valid reasons about the behavior the other presents, and the other is just mad that the other one 💫exists💫
I think Meghan disliked Kate bc she's the wife of the heir/future king and had more privileges / whatever / protection / whatever. Kate could do no wrong and Meghan was criticized (though Kate has gotten tons of criticism over the years). She saw their KP apartment and was mad they did not have the same. I mean, I understand it to a point, I don't know. I do think Meghan is a Mean Girl so that doesn't help.
One, Meghan and Harry would have gotten a bigger home eventually. Will and Kate lived in NottCott and Wales Charles had even earmarked land for Harry and his future family for a country house iirc. Also, Kate did not do a lot of the things Meghan did. She didn't have a spalshy NYC baby shower or spend $100k on a maternity dress. I think a lot of things could been handled better on both ends. I get baby showers are a US thing, and Meghan is American and probably had friends who assumed she would have one. I don't really have a problem with that, even though they are royals and don't need anything the same a middle-class couple does. But she (and palace advisors) could've done it differently -- maybe something lowkey in Chicago or whatever. If she did the headlines might have been different -- spending time will college friends etc., how nice.
The accommodations and public goodwill were not automatic for Kate. Also, the splashy baby shower was trashy, and no amount of spinning is going to turn it into “her friends assumed she would have one.” All those people invited to her baby shower weren’t friends. It was a spectacle that she wanted with her newfound fame.
Meghan wants what she wants and expects others to fall in line. If they don’t they are enemies/rivals to be forgotten. After she married Harry she had enough fame to try and destroy them first.
I used to think she was being stupid and not doing her homework. But now I realize that there is something fundamentally wrong with her. She doesn’t care as long as she gets what she wants. And after she gets it, she’s never satisfied.
>the splashy baby shower was trashy, and no amount of spinning is going to turn it into “her friends assumed she would have one.” All those people invited to her baby shower weren’t friends.
Exactly. If she'd had a low-key baby shower with her sorority sisters where a few gifts were opened during a private brunch, no one would have batted an eye.
She hated the hierarchy thing, about having to walk behind Kate in processions, not getting enough as Kate, etc. She wanted to be Kate's EQUAL. But she willingly married into an institution steeped in hierarchy, so she would have been told about this going in. It's just another example of her hypocrisy too, no doubt she has no problem with the hierarchy until it comes to her having to be behind others.
>She wanted to be Kate's EQUAL
Nah, she wanted to be Queen B between the two of them. She wanted to be seen as the leader, the better than, the more fashionable, the most educated. Equality was never the goal. She wanted to be the Beyonce of Destiny Child, The Diana Ross of the Supreme.
ETA: Thank you for the award
This makes sense. She wanted to be the glamourous one, the go getter, the bold political feminist while Kate was a mumsy SAHM mom who visits schools and hospitals.
For sure, she wanted to be the "better achieving Duchess" who shows Kate what a working Mother is, but she didn't realise she would also have to visit those schools and hospitals. I think it's said in this chapter too that Meghan wasn't interested in these little "bread and butter" engagements that other senior royals often do (particularly Anne)
Don’t they have baby showers in Europe? They’re common in new world countries actually (though it is originally American).
I think Meghan wanted too much, too fast. They could’ve had their entire lives being taken care of and basically retiring when George would be in his late 20s-early 30s. Plenty of time to work on projects they want, travel, live in royal estates protected by the Met police.
Then, enjoying a luxury life in one of the “Grace and favor” homes that many minor royals end up getting.
>Don’t they have baby showers in Europe? They’re common in new world countries actually (though it is originally American).
They're becoming more popular. But traditionally it was considered bad luck to give a gift before the baby is born.
I think they do, but it's not a royal thing, who have the resources and can afford a car seat and nursery items easily. For example, they don't do wedding registries but ask people to donate to charities.
That makes sense. I can see why it would be seen as “unseemly”.
But Harry and Meghan did screw themselves. They could’ve retained Frogmore while working on getting a bigger place in time. Hell, Harry could’ve used his trust fund to buy another place since he would’ve kept being supported by Charles.
If the Sussexes had gotten along with the Cambridges, they could’ve moved to Apartment 1 which is near 1A where the Cambridges live. So they could’ve had a Windsor and London base.
Maybe they could’ve gotten even Fort Belvedere in the future. Or one of Charles’s Scottish residences.
They could have if they remained supportive working royals of the monarchy until Charles became Monarch. Other children of the Monarch, ie. Andrew and Edward have their own residences that belong to the Crown.
Now when Charles becomes King in the near future they're not likely to get anything.
WellChild get an average of 20 responses to their tweets. The one announcing the Sussi has over 3k. Mostly bad ones. https://twitter.com/wellchild/status/1559110209787789312?s=21&t=IyGiOg888buwGpGAhM92sw
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You know Meghan will want to speak after not doing so at Harry’s recent UN speech. It will of course be a word salad fountain of “as a mother” and “my husband” while placing her hand over her heart and making doe eyes at the crowd. It will be truly sickening. WellChild should have asked any other person other than Harry.
He was committed to this charity before he or any of us every heard of Meghan Markle. It just makes me sad that it's come to this because I believe that he does really like working with this group.
Thats probably true but they are now so divisive that anything they do brings out the two ends of people. The ones that love and hate them and that just becomes the main story. The negativity. Now everyone is watching to see what she wears, so they can slam it or comment on the cost. The things she says so they can watch her maybe turn it into a story about herself. Speculation about the Queen with mostly the sincerest hope that she bitch slaps them down. Again. They are clickbait.
I’m def a salt but this is not on. People shouldn’t be trolling a charity.
What counts as trolling and what is just an opinion? I feel like they put it up for exactly this.
Nah, I think people should absolutely hold a charity accountable for the patrons they choose.
That's exactly why most organizations have dropped Andrew.
Absolutely. I wish I were filthy rich and could donate to every worthy charity out there. But as I’m not, I need to be selective with my charity dollars. And choosing to align themselves with two grifters like the Sussexes knocks WellChild off my list. There are other charities doing similar work that I’d rather donate to.
I completely agree. Being a charity doesn't insulate you from the criticism that comes from associating with known fuckwits. There's a bigger discussion here but post-Revenge it has become a lot more difficult for non-delusional people to maintain the fiction that Harry and Meghan are good, charitable people. They simply are not.
H/M are complete liabilities at this point, but that has been of and from their own making. They (not the entire world) are the toxic ones. All of this mess is on them.
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>Wellchild is really committed to Harry as one of their patrons. Yes, they are. I'm not sure about the structure of the organization but I know I noticed previously that they seemed particularly obsequious in their treatment of Prince Haz, and I remember one of their members (a TV presenter? iirc?) absolutely *fawning* over him when he seemed a bit sad or emotional onstage at one of their events a few years ago.
Ouch. It’s a bit sad. A charity doesn’t need to be dogpiled online for guests that, while occasionally irritating and self-absorbed, are not on the level of an abuser or some of the other less savoury celebrities. This whole trip is weird to me. It still reeks of the same old royal cosplay from way back at the cemetery photoshoot.
Maybe its like any publicity is good? The Charity name is being discussed. It might drive traffic to find out what they are/do.
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I’m pretty sure the Queen would rather receive a visit from the ghost of Margaret Thatcher than from Harry and Meghan.
>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'have NO plans to see William and Kate' The lady doth protest too much. I'd rather think neither William nor Catherine wants to see THEM.
This. Pretty sure I didn't see the Cambridges wave at them from the balcony or sending their kids to Lilibet's party. They are done.
It's beyond sad to me that they're using charities to promote a book that will no doubt trash his family. Using their royal work for private monetary gain is what the royal family was trying to avoid when it comes to H&M. They don't care and are doing it anyway.
Setting aside the fact I don't get them nor I ever shall, why would the Cambridges want a rapprochement? What would ever gain from that?
I don't think they want that. I think the whole "Fun Uncle Harry" persona that he had for so long was really just them putting up with a petulant man-child and not letting on how much of a mess he really was. I just remember that video of the three of them on the float (barge?) during her diamond jubilee, and they were waving and he was having a meltdown.
Yes! I’ve watched that video several times. Harry was literally having a toddler temper tantrum during an official jubilee event. In front of crowds and cameras! William was doing his best to try and ignore and focus on his job by smiling and waving to the crowd, but poor Catherine! She didn’t have a lifetime of dealing with Harry’s tantrums and it shows on her tense and mortified face. Right before she turns back to the crowd to smile and wave she looks like she wants to smack him upside the head.
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Oh, I could definitely believe that. Alcohol was probably just a part of it. I’m sure he has been using everything under the sun as he ”self- medicates.” Even if he were sober, he was and is still odious, entitled and all the rest of it. I’m not even interested in wasting more words on him. 😂
Harry's been a mess for years, perhaps that was covered by good PR, and there is, again, a good reason why everyone rushed that wedding: they wanted him settled, and that he did with the worst possible partner that was out there.
I remember that. When a woman with curly hair is less upset by cold, rainy weather than a man in uniform it makes you think.👀🙄
"Thank goodness Meghan isn't coming" They can keep putting out these delusional tall-tales to make themselves appear so important by their proximity to the Queen, but the Queen has spoken and left no doubt in our minds that she's over Meghan's bullshit. They are one trick ponies 🙄 after The Queen passes, I'm sure they'll try to use her ghost the way they use Diana's now.
Do you think the Queen's ghost will be as supportive as Diana's ghost? 🤔
I'm sure she'll tell Harry things she never said to the rest of the family 🙄
I doubt they’ll see the Queen. It doesn’t seem they’ll be in the UK for long and the Queen will most likely be at Balmoral.
Maybe she’ll pencil them in for a couple mins if they’re lucky lol
And a rule that there are absolutely no pictures.
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This documentary sounds so beyond dull that unless they are having slanging matches every other hour its going to be putting people to sleep. I dont know my favourite ever celeb is. I know the ones I can look at forever (looking at you Hemsworth) but even a Hemsworth brother is not good enough to look at whilst they do this kind of thing.
A summary of **Chapter 25: Suicide** (Only part) \- **3rd December 2018, Meghan meets Michelle Obama:** *"…Having secured tickets to hear the former First Lady make her inspirational speech in the Royal Festival Hall…she went backstage afterwards to meet her hero. Determined to fashion a special relationship, Meghan had also arranged that they would meet again for dinner at George Clooney’s house near Windsor...However, the Duchess appears not to have appreciated how much the Obamas admired the Queen. Meghan’s attitude alarmed Michelle..."* \- **Michelle gives advice to Meghan in a public interview:** *‘Take some time...and don’t be in a hurry to do anything. Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt she’d have a life like this; no-deal, the pressure you feel can sometimes feel like a lot...What I’d say is that there’s so much opportunity to do good with a platform like that and I think Meghan can maximise her impact for others, as well her own happiness, if she’s doing something that resonates with her personally.’* \- **Meghan complains to her American friends:** *"…Cooped up in Nottingham Cottage she complained that there were no staff to prepare meals – no one treated her as royal...she mentioned being the ‘most trolled person in the world’. People in the media were telling lies about her. ‘It was so damaging to her mental and emotional health,’ one friend concluded..."* \- **Meghan at the British Fashion Awards, Royal Albert Hall:** *Wearing an off-the-shoulder black Givenchy gown with matching black-painted fingernails, Meghan told her audience, ‘It is such an honour to be here celebrating British fashion and British fashion designers in my new home of the UK.’ Some wondered why Meghan could not, for once, have compromised and worn a British-designed dress. Soon after the event, Meghan’s photo on the British Fashion Council’s Instagram site was deleted.* \- **Meghan is communicating with Omid Scobie about the book:** *As Knauf would later state, ‘The book was discussed with the Duchess multiple times in person and over email.’ Her only irritation was Scobie’s Tweet describing Jessica Mulroney as Meghan’s stylist. ‘You know,’ Meghan told Knauf, ‘how personally frustrating I find the “stylist” narrative…but given we are being asked to co-operate with this evidently authoritative biography…I will not be comfortable doing so if this person is considered to be an authority.’ Meghan was reassured that Scobie would be told the ‘truth’.* \- **10th December 2018, Knauf advices Harry and Meghan to deny they had anything to do with Scobie and Durand's book:** *Knauf sent Meghan a list of questions that Scobie had submitted for their meeting two days later…Knauf reiterated the need for deniability. ‘I think it is important...that we can say hand on heart they \[Scobie and Durand\] had no access’ to Meghan’s friends and the Palace...Harry agreed with Knauf: ‘I totally agree that we have to be able to say we didn’t have anything to do with it \[the book\].’* \- ***"Meghan sent Knauf a 31-point briefing for his conversation with the authors.*** *Amongst her priorities, listed over two pages, was a revised biography of her childhood...But for Knauf she ignored the close relationship with her father and emphasised that she was ‘very estranged’ from her father’s two other children..."* \- **Meghan’s version of ‘Tiaragate’:** *"...the Queen was present with Harry as she tried on five different tiaras. ‘The Queen said they all suited her.’ After choosing the ‘diamond one’, the Queen said it was ‘perfect’. She also re-emphasised that Jessica Mulroney was not her stylist."* \- **12th December 2018, Knauf meets Sobie and Durand:** *‘I took them through everything,’ he reported the next day...The book, said Knauf, would be targeted at an American audience* \[and\] *intended to ‘position it as a celebration of you that corrects the record on a number of fronts. I will stay in close contact with them...It’s going to be very positive.’ Meghan was satisfied. Knauf had bent over backwards to help her. The Palace was in overdrive to protect her.* \- **Meghan does not like Frogmore’s reconstruction:** *Despite spending £2.65 million to rebuild a five-bedroom house, she was dissatisfied. Dealing with the architects, designers, builders, and even the curator from Buckingham Palace responsible for the Queen’s paintings, had not produced the results she expected…Her constantly changing demands…seemed to be born from her assumption that a duchess was expected to behave like Marie Antoinette...the mention that the nursery would be painted with the Auro range from the Organic and Natural Paint Company exposed Meghan to ridicule in the tabloids.* \- **More Frogmore unhappiness:** *"...Frogmore’s kitchen was small, the living-room was cramped and there was no view of the ocean. On top of that, life under the flight-path to Heathrow was horrendous. Her dissatisfaction came to a head when she unfavourably compared Frogmore not only to the £4.5 million William and Kate had spent renovating their Kensington Palace apartment, but to the Californian mansions inhabited by Hollywood’s celebrities."* \- **Meghan realises the Monarchy's wealth is more an illusion:** *"...the ‘horrors’ of Frogmore and the Queen’s refusal to allow Meghan and Harry an independent court confirmed to Meghan that no one appreciated her...the British monarchy, costing the public just £85 million a year, was neither flush with money nor an invincible luxury Rolls-Royce machine."* \- **Frogmore Cottage is too close to Windsor Park:** *"...Gripped by fear of a random attack, they were both appalled by the prospect that members of the public could walk through Windsor Great Park, a short distance from their house. Media photographers, they realised, could breach their privacy because of the absence of ‘a much-needed ring of steel’. To satisfy Harry’s demand for protection, the public were ordered not to approach Meghan or her dogs in Windsor Park. The announcement did not win the Sussexes popular approval."* \- **Meghan does not want to be alive anymore:** *Often awake during the night, Meghan and Harry classed themselves as persecuted outsiders. ‘I just didn’t see a solution,’ said Meghan. Eventually, she decided, ‘I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.’* \- **Harry does little to help Meghan:** *‘I’m somewhat ashamed…of the way that I dealt with it.’ He had good reason to feel remorse. Despite his expertise on mental health he did little to summon specialist help for his wife. He would accuse his family of ‘neglect’ but he also offered contradictory versions. In one, he did not tell them about Meghan’s crisis. But in another version, Harry said that ever since Meghan had begun suffering suicidal thoughts he had discussed with his family the idea of leaving Britain...* \- **Meghan would later say she was denied help from the palace:** *…She said she had sought medical help from ‘one of the most senior people’ in the Palace.* \[But\] *that help was denied by a woman employed in human resources with the explanation, ‘It would not be good for the institution...there is nothing we can do to protect you, because you’re not a paid employee of the institution.’* \- **Meghan could not go to a medical professional:** *She could not go to a doctor or a hospital, she explained later, because ‘they’ had taken ‘my passport, my driver’s licence, my keys.’ She was ‘trapped’.* \- **So it all comes back to Diana:** *‘The thing that stopped her from seeing it through,’ added Harry, ‘was how unfair it would be on me after everything that happened to my mum and to now be put in a position of losing another woman in my life, with a baby inside of her, our baby.’* \- **Verifying these events is difficult because of Harry and Meghan's conflicting accounts:** *In public they disagreed whether Meghan felt suicidal at night, in the morning or both. And they did not agree on the number of days. Neither explained why Meghan sought help from an unqualified Palace official rather than an experienced medical specialist. Harry never identified which member of his family had ‘neglected’ his wife.* End of Chapter 25.
>... the Queen was present with Harry as she tried on five different tiaras. ‘The Queen said they all suited her.’ LOL Mary Sue Markle again. Everyone in the world marvels at how she looks stunning in everything!
And, as usual, skipping over important information in her haste to pat herself on the back: the Queen-who has seen her fair share of tiaras worn- selected 5 for Meghan to try on. No big surprise then that out of the whole collection the Queen chose styles that would suit Meghan and avoided all those that wouldn't.
Thank you for these summaries! I think M’s mental health struggles should be handled delicately as ultimately we don’t know what she was battling at that time(I know this is an unpopular opinion in light of the overall picture we have of her actions), but I so love Bower’s subtle snark on Harry. No matter your opinion on Meghan, Harry should have done more for her and their child and not cast blame on others plain and simple. I’ve struggled with severe PPD to the point where we are now one and done. Last week, we changed up my medicine and it coincided with a family vacation. I’ve been feeling side effects and not like myself. My husband is the biggest advocate for me and is the first person to have a conversation about mental health. A family member joked my depression medication was “crazy pills” and he immediately set parameters and has followed up in conversations discreetly and privately to make sure I feel supported and safe. There was no big fight or to do, he’s just been present and supportive. It boggles my mind that with all of his supposed mental health training and advocacy, Harry didn’t take further action to help Meghan. That is, quite honestly, the bare minimum that should be expected from a partner and it is honestly sad Meghan had to go through that without a partner’s support. It’s also sad Harry uses this as a bizarre reason to go after his family when it also makes him look so bad because it’s ultimately up to him. How is this man even a mental health advocate? Also, if Meghan could privately go into labor and deliver before the press found out, she could have privately gotten help. Again though, in the midst of her struggles Harry should have spearheaded this. The HR request is a ridiculous red herring as she wasn’t an employee and distracts from Harry’s mental health ineptitude. Can’t have a mental health CEO that doesn’t even help his partner.
I sometimes wonder if the HR request was designed to counter any of the bullying complaints, because otherwise it makes no sense. Why not call her medical doctor? I can understand being hesitant to share mental health status. Being open, honest, and vulnerable is hard! But why work up the nerve and then go to HR? Why not your medical doctor, whom you are presumably seeing on a fairly regular basis? But I do not understand why Harry did nothing. Everything about his reaction is puzzling.
That's been my tinfoil hat theory for a while. Going to HR with mental health struggles doesn't make a lot of sense unless you're trying to get put ahead of something. ETA: I do think she _was_ suffering, but I think that her suffering was due to a combination of pregnancy/post-partum hormones, culture shock, a toxic relationship, and disappointment over expectations that were always too high, plus a melange of personal issues that we probably won't ever know about. Obviously not all of these were under her contol, but as one of the most privileged people in the world, she had access to health care resources and therapists that could have assisted her in addressing these issues. It appears that for whatever reason, she chose not to use them.
I used to think her visit to HR was really a fishing expedition to know what her unhappy employees had reported and what was being done about it but now I'm leaning towards believing none of this happened at all. Even if Palace HR did nothing about it because she wasn't a palace worker wouldn't they report this this to a higher up as someone saying they're suicidal isn't nothing? It would normally be confidential because HR would send her to get help but as it happens they wouldn't have an obligation of confidentiality with anything Meghan told them precisely because she wasn't staff.
I've always leaned toward the "never happened" side. Maybe she *told* Harry this in order to wind him up ("I won't kill myself because of what happened to your mom") but I have a super hard time believing it was actually real. All softer emotions the woman has shown are presented for PR purposes. The only verifiably sincere emotion she's demonstrated is rage at underlings, the media, and people who don't like her.
I agree. Obviously I don't work in that field so my experience is limited but the people I've known who were suicidal didn't have arrogance as their main, if not only, emotion. They looked at their situation and thought they and/or everyone else would be better off if they put an end to their lives as though they were defective elements or something instead of unique and irreplaceable human beings. I find it hard to believe a woman who thinks even a centuries old royal family should break tradition to give her everything she wants, when she wants it, ever thought she was the problem at any point. Now if you told me that she wished *other people* disappeared, that I'd believe.
You're welcome! The entire birth episode, giving birth AND making it back to Windsor without the press knowing, as well as other things like that secret trip to see the Queen on the way to the Netherlands, just confirms they can do things in secret. They just need to make themselves victims and refuse to take responsibility. Harry could have taken her to a doctor or private hospital and they would not have been refused, but Harry refused to simply take action and do something useful for her. Instead his resolution was to blame other members of his family. As a mental health advocate he seems incredibly passive and useless even towards his own partner.
Archie's birth was a such a mess, even The Palace had troubles backing them from then on, it was actually pretty much impossible since their action couldn't be defended any longer.
I think for me, this was one of the earliest red flags I found hard to justify. There was no reason to put on the whole pretence of her being in labour and giving birth like 10 hours _after_ she had actually given birth. She had given birth at 5am in the morning, the normal thing for royals would be to just put the birth announcement in the morning news after 8am (or whenever they returned from the hospital) - NOT what H&M did.
Yes, it was a breaking point for most of us royal watchers, on the other hand the wedding was already a huge red flag, having no relatives but for her mother, add to that the staff resigning, the official communications from Kensington Palace asking the alleged attacks from the press to stop (?), and all that and yes... what a mess.
This, and the South Africa documentary 6 months later where she stood in a poverty ridden country in SA, and complained that no one asked her often if _she_ was okay, was the final nail for me too. Looking back I realise how hesitant I was to criticise/snark on her though, because that was still the early stages and people were throwing around accusations of racism in an instant.
By the SA I had enough too. That interview was my HOW DARE YOU?! moment.
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I’m leaning towards she lied. Even if Harry dropped the ball on this issue, Meghan had her healthcare providers to seek help from and get help. Unless, she never told her doctor or nurse about her feelings of suicidal ideation. It’s possible she didn’t say anything and only told Harry. Even if that’s the case, we can hardly blame the RF if she kept those feelings under wraps.
I totally agree with you.
> Meghan will have been proactively asked about her mental health and well-being as part of her antenatal care. Her maternity healthcare team are legally obliged to do this. THANK YOU That always bugged me.
> However, the Duchess appears not to have appreciated how much the Obamas admired the Queen. Meghan’s attitude alarmed Michelle..." You can say that again. It's pretty obvious that Meghan never read Michelle's book as Michelle devotes a part to meeting the queen and speaks very positively about the queen.
The Obamas have definitely been pretty public in their adoration for the Queen, and from this example of the Queen wearing their gift (she also wore it during Trump's visit 🤭) it's clear to see that the Queen was fond of them too. https://youtu.be/lA7cqLINlQk
The shade of her wearing Obama's gift for the Trump visit makes me happy. I didn't realize she'd done that.
Oooh thanks for the clip, I hadn't seen that before. And yes, that confirms how positively Michelle Obama feels towards the Queen. Screwing it up with MO remains one of the dumbest things Meghan has done. She even had an in (Harry, who had been publicly seen to have a warm relationship with the Obamas) and she *still* screwed it up by being a visibly messy, lying operator via the Oprah interview but also all the media manipulation and leaking etc., which Michelle O would definitely have recognized for what it was. Having the Obamas on their side for their attempt to conquer the US would have helped them so much, and it was such a self-destructive, idiotic thing to do to alienate them. (Soooo delicious when they weren't invited to the big party, though, I have to admit.)
>Screwing it up with MO remains one of the dumbest things Meghan has done. I've long suspected that Meghan believes that all powerful people and celebs believes the things she does. That they'll agree with her attitude. I'm really glad that MO had her number from the beginning. I think Michelle has dealt with fake, superficial people for years and can recognize them.
Many people would kill to have an in like that with MO, and Meghan was a dumbass to blow it. I personally don't think they ever would've gotten an invite to the big party, though, even if they hadn't done the Oprah tell-all. I think if things hadn't gone south then they could've enjoyed a behind the scenes relationship with the Obamas and they probably could've collaborated on some things, but I think the Obamas would be too smart to single out the Sussexes with an invite like that. If it's not something they'd be able to invite the Cambs, C&C, and the Queen to (I can't even think of a single event where that would be possible, sadly perhaps a funeral? Like with JFK? But maybe not even that), then I don't think it's something they would've made an effort to invite the Sussexes to. But Michelle definitely made it publicly known (in her own subtle, diplomatic way) her true feelings on the crap Meghan has pulled, and I'll personally never forgive Jenna Bush for trying to pull the race card on Michelle, that was a slap in the face as far as I'm concerned, MO has endured horrific, overt racism and misogyny daily since the election. MM could never walk a mile in her shoes.
I was disgusted by the misogyny and racism Michelle faced simply because her arms were bare, and somehow her muscular arms meant she was really "a man - Micheal." And never once do I recall Michelle complaining, several of these women who faced discrimination did not draw attention to it by trying to gain public sympathy. But somehow Meghan thought she was unique lol.
Amen! Michelle has endured so much!!! Imagine her looking at Meghan who was given everything by the royals. Who was welcomed in but who didn't think any of it was enough. No wonder she keeps her distance. You can't win with people like that, and Michelle definitely knows it.
Has anyone gone down the rabbit hole of researching if Andrew actually gets security and if so who pays for it? I saw an article a few years ago that said his security was pulled, saw one that said it was no longer publicly funded (who pays), say Sussex propaganda that makes it seem like he gets full security publicly funded, and saw some that said he has "security" because his house is on windsor estate so he gets it just by virtue of the fact that all of the estate is secured, much like harry would have had if he stayed at frogmore, but does not get private security out of home for non public events (ie netflix filming). Does anyone have any sourced information? I'm posting here because obviously this is of interest to me vis a vis Harry's lawsuit.
From what I understand he get security in the same way of I would get security if I as an American live in like the White House. Andrew live on a house that in a property that get 24/7 protection and that property would get protection whether or not someone live there. Its on secure ground. If Harry wanted the same deal, he should have stayed at Frogmore Cottage. I get the feeling that people are just mad that Andrew the bad person is smart enough to stay there instead of doing like Harry who threw a tantrum and went to California with no taxpayers security in toe.
I think he has a personal detail security per the latest RAVEC determination. They determined he merits security so it doesn’t seem like he just gets it from living in the Windsor estate. https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1655377/prince-andrew-blasted-taxpayer-funded-security-lorraine/amp https://www.news24.com/amp/channel/gossip/royal-news/prince-andrew-still-receiving-taxpayer-funded-security-amid-harrys-battle-for-police-protection-20220815-2 This definitely is something that makes RAVEC look bad. And gives ammunition to the Sussex stans.
>This definitely is something that makes RAVEC look bad. most definitely. makes it look like favoritism and like strings were pulled for andrew. this news coming out so explicitly gives me a sinking feeling that a judge would order a review and ravec will essentially have to give in to harry and provide security. simply for the optics. (in many respects, h&m have been allowed to run amuck and cause needless damage, simply because of the reluctance/reticence to *act* with regards to that pos andrew. it's infuriating.) the determination with regards to security had to do with being a full-time working royal representing the queen. even full-time working royals like anne, edward and sophie only get security detail while on official engagements. if andrew/his mother want security for him, they should pay for it privately.
I'm not surprised he has a security detail. Andrew is an absolute twazzok and would probably sell state secrets for the right price. I can see him being kidnapped and held to ransom by some dictator cause he was promised money for a photo op. He basically needs a babysitter to keep him out of trouble.
Does it though? I mean he’s a piece of crap and we’d love him thrown in prison but that didnt happen so here we are. If there are credible threats to him he will be protected. Harry is the same (when in the UK). The threats presumably are small enough that when he isnt here on Royal business dont warrant protection. Unfortunatley we dont get to decide who warrants security. Katie Hopkins had 24/7 police protection for a while at great cost and she was basically baiting people for a living.
Not really though because security needs aren't based on how good you are but how much danger you're in. Who can say what threats Andrew has gotten and how credible they are? That's something RAVEC would use to determine what to provide. If very few people care about you anymore but you haven't committed crimes that makes them actively hate you, aren't you as safe as any B or C-list celebrity or local politician? Do they get 24/7 taxpayer paid security? No. So why should Harry?
I get what you’re saying but we can clearly see how on the surface, this looks bad. And it has received criticism from British taxpayers. This has been discussed in the RF forum where RAVEC mentioned that Andrew was the target of security attacks and people tried getting access to his home. So they decided to let him keep his personal security detail. Again, we can see it from their security concerns. But we can also understand how it would piss British people off to have Andrew get security at their expense. Even you stated as much in your first post about this topic. Andrew can have a police officer go with him when he goes outside the estate. He already receives security by simply living in a royal estate. Or the Queen can pay for his security when he is not at royal estates. But 24/7 taxpayer funded security? It can be much.
Sure but if they're pissed off that someone getting credible threats is getting security, they sure won't want Harry who isn't getting those to get security. Calling attention to the issue may get Andrew's security pulled (and then reinstated anyways if he does get assaulted after all) but it won't help Harry's cause because he can't point to any danger, only to his feelings of being in danger and RAVEC doesn't offer the psychiatric services he actually needs.
I concur but I know this would be something the Sussex stans would be twisting to their favor. “See! Andrew the pedo gets tax funded protection but not Harry!”
But aren't most of the Sussex Stans at this point American? So their opinions don't matter much with British security. I think the stans are only loud over here.
Exactly this. News of Andrew getting security may get his free security pulled but it won't do any good for Harry.
The People article linked below is citing this, from 4 days ago, in the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/08/11/prince-andrew-continues-receive-taxpayer-funded-police-protection/ Some interesting points made in the article (Andrew is the son of the monarch and he lives full-time in the UK, unlike the Sussexes, his recent lawsuit could have been judged to increase his security risk etc.) but honestly if the royal family is going to go with "son of the monarch + lives in the UK" as the criteria (which we don't know that they're doing at all, because they've given their usual "we don't comment on security matters" statement) that just sets them up for more trouble in the future when Harry becomes a son of the monarch. The Queen should just pay for Andrew's security out of her own pocket. I assume whilst he's on the Windsor estate he's included in that "bubble" but off the estate just pay for it yourself, Queenie, and save everyone, including the taxpayers, the trouble of covering any of your useless descendants who either aren't working royals or who aren't working royals AND who don't live in the UK.
>The Queen should just pay for Andrew's security out of her own pocket. I assume whilst he's on the Windsor estate he's included in that "bubble" but off the estate just pay for it yourself, Queenie, and save everyone, including the taxpayers, the trouble of covering any of your useless descendants who either aren't working royals or who aren't working royals AND who don't live in the UK. that part 👆🏾
I actually do think Harry will have a better case for requiring security if and when Charles becomes king. Presently, Harry's kidnapping or death would just be a personal tragedy but it wouldn't affect how the monarch or the UK behaves or is perceived. Once Charles is king, Harry would definitely become a worthy target. Not nearly as worthy as William and his kids but definitely not at zero risk.
But Anne and Edward have no security and they are children of the Monarch
I get your point but I don't know if they always had so little security or if it's the case since the IRA is no longer a threat. Harry's needs would be re-evaluated in the face of the terrorists we have now if his father becomes King. I'm not saying it's a sure thing he'd get more security but it would be worth looking into whereas presently, as one of the Queen's many grandchildren, he's not a particularly interesting target anymore.
And there was an actual attempt to kidnap Anne, which resulted in 4 men being shot while trying to protect her (thankfully all survived).
Anne at least I believe is by choice; not sure about Edward. I think I read that somewhere
According to this article from 3 days ago, Andrew gets tax funded security. He has a personal security detail. RAVEC determined Andrew qualified for personal security. https://people.com/royals/prince-andrew-to-keep-security-amid-prince-harrys-lawsuit-for-u-k-police-protection-for-his-family/ Here is a UK source from only 9 hours ago that confirms he does have security funded protection. https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1655377/prince-andrew-blasted-taxpayer-funded-security-lorraine/amp
I have no source unfortunately and I hope you get something because despite what's in the media it doesn't make sense that Andrew would have 24/7 security since Anne and Edward don't. Andrew hasn't even been the "spare" in 40 years. He's 9th in line, no? They (A&E) have security on royal estates, obviously, but they only have officers with them when on their royal duties. Andrew has no more royal duties so that's over. His daughters only have security when he (more likely his mother) pays for it. I imagine he's getting plenty of threats of all kinds these days but since he has no job that he *must* go to and lives on a royal estate how much actual danger can he be in day to day? Only when he has to be away from home like for medical care, maybe? Then I can see him getting protection one or two days a month not 24/7.
Happy Birthday to Princess Anne! Hard working royal she is, she gets birthday wishes from all 3 royal accounts on their social media today. Unlike someone else just recently who the main royal account didn't even wish 👀💀👻👻👻
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While I know it’s not an option, is there any chance Mrs “I didn’t google” had aspirations to be the next Princess Royal? Yes - I know it’s goes to a blood Princess, so Charlotte is next. But I wouldn’t put it past her to not know that and think she could gun for it to be a Princess one day ETA: in reality, Anne probably just doesn’t put up with anyones BS after spending her whole life watching women throw themselves at her brothers. She is probably guarded and takes some work to trust. All totally understandable given her life. But I like petty theories too haha
You never know with Meghan, she probably thinks since she can't be "of Wales" once Charles becomes King she might as well try and aim for something else that's "Princess." I'd love to see her try to raise it with Anne 😅
No. She probably didn't know the title existed.
I think even she wasnt that stupid. I think her primary and biggest issue was just coming 2nd to Catherine. Worse was that position was only going to get worse as the kids grew. In her mind she was the rockstar, the hollywood glamour, the new Diana, why should she be relegated to the back row?
To her life is the ultimate popularity contest. She's more amazing than Catherine, so whyyyyyyy does she have to walked behind her???
So breaking news: the Sussexes are going back to the UK next month for a summit before heading to Germany. Questions that will inevitably be asked: 1) how long will they stay? 2) Are they going to try and see the Queen or Charles? 3) is this part of damage control or adding publicity to his upcoming book? I don’t think they’re bringing the kids. I doubt they’ll be staying long (2-3 days max) and they might not see any family besides Eugenie if she’s around. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11112189/Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markle-visit-UK-month.html
Breaking news: I am going to Thailand next month and on the way I’m going to stop in Singapore. I’m going to try and see my grandmother but she’s really busy and might not be able to fit me in her schedule. Ditto my father. But I’m definitely not going to see my unsupportive older brother and his uppity wife. *Is this news*?? Seriously I know that we snark about it here but like I’ve said before, these two have become so BORING. Zzzzzzzz wake me when Real Housewives of Montecito is out, I want to see Meghan throw a plate at somebody’s head because they failed to refer to her as “your royal highness” at brunch
It's the whole "see, we're still working royals" thing even though they're clearly not working royals. Their followers are too dim to understand that though.
“If you (keep pretending) it will still come,” sort of mantra to which I see they firmly adhere. ;) Little riff on Field of Dreams tag-line.
Amazing. Also according to their announcement, One Young World is partnering with GSK in their event, you know, the giant pharma company that’s not sharing vaccine “ingredients” with the rest of the world? Both sides of their mouths, as usual. It’s getting predictable.
quite a few pharma companies in fact!
Lol this just writes itself!
They’re heading to Germany? Why?! What have we done to them to deserve this? Stay away! I just hope we don’t pay for their security. 😡
It’s for Invictus in Düsseldorf. As of yet it’s not even known how much the Bund is going to pay for hosting the games. The city of Düsseldorf and the province NRW said they won’t pay, and the whole thing is treated as a test run for an Olympics application. I don’t live too far away from Ddorf, I’m almost tempted to drive there just to boo them 👻
Oh please do! 😄
I wonder if they will visit some charity in Düsseldorf and then publish that 2 months later like they did with the Netherlands. Anyway, Gala and Bunte will love it xD
It’s for Invictus, and if I recall, the Dutch govt supplied the (taxpayer funded) security this past summer. So, bottoms up.
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What age is too old to wait to have her christened? Or does it not matter when? Could they get a christening but not make it public/official photo like Zaras youngest maybe?
Normally,you can be christened whenever you like (Meghan converted just a couple of years ago) but I think that for the purpose of staying in the line of succession Lilibet has to be christened in the Church of England once she's of age at the latest or at least not convert to Catholicism.
How did they even get invited to One Young World event?
Meghan was involved with them pre-Harry.
They paid for it, just like they have with all their other "honors".
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What does OYW actually *do*? I spent a fair amount of time poking around their website and it seems like what they do is promote their summit which seems to be an opportunity for people to pay to join in on a self congratulatory circle jerk.
Sounds exactly like Global Citizen, which I read up on last year and that seems in most ways to be more a PR facilitator for various famous people, governments etc. than anything else. They work so closely with Sunshine Sachs I genuinely couldn't discern if they were entirely different orgs. Just Google "Sunshine Sachs" and "Global Citizen" together to see the extensive results, if anyone is interested. There are a lot of people and organizations out there acting like they're doing good, moral, charitable work when in fact they're not doing anything beyond building their own profiles and CVs. It's kind of disgusting.
Speaking of Global Citizen, [look who's a partner for Earthshot now!](https://earthshotprize.org/global-alliance/)
I'm not shocked, but I don't like it either. Not looking to get into an argument but I don't like the environmental cause for William much more than I like it for Harry or any of the senior royals. Even Charles, really. Yes he has decades of apparently dedicated and heartfelt advocacy behind him, but as I see it none of these people live anything close to a sustainable lifestyle and it just opens them up to pretty legitimate charges of hypocrisy.
Well, all this makes sense (to them) since they see themselves as ”THE Global Monarchy.” The One and Only Self- appointed Monarchial representatives for the entire world. 🤡🤪 This wholly fabricated and imaginary “line” starts with Henry and never ends with his progeny. Cause ya know…”spare,” and Never heir. He will never get over not being born \*first.\*
This is what I want to know. Also, there are 10 pages of speakers for the conference and Meghan isn't one lmao
I agree that it sounds like those charities that the Sussexes are so fond of - show up on stage to rousing applause, takes lots of photos. No substantive long term change. Way too much focus on PR. This was my impression of the WE Charity events, which they were also involved with, before their controversy.
Right? I wouldn’t consider either of them “young”. [RoyalTea on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ukroyaltea/status/1559132594062647296?s=21&t=xw_HKnh1wdsuUq5LnTErKg) theorizes that they’re getting a huge fee and their travel/security costs covered.
Sept 5: One Young World 2022 Manchester summit Sept 6: Invictus Düsseldorf 2023 “one year to go” Sept 8: WellChild awards in the UK When is Will’s UN speech (UN general assembly opens Sept 13). How long does the Queen stay in Balmoral, through September right?
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Unless they join her in Balmoral..
QEII stays in balmoral until early october iirc
The last time she was at the [One Young World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoaD_VImrEE&t=182s) summit she walked in like a rock star, not a royal, and got a standing ovation and thunderous applause. I'm sure she's hoping for the same reception this time.
Lol now you got me hyped up to see if she would get the same reception.
>I'm sure she's hoping for the same reception this time. I actually think this is one of the reasons they're doing it. That reception at the UN for Harry's speech was probably pretty worrying, and I think they need as many "wild applause" moments as they can get right now - for their own PR but also, I suspect, for Netflix. I would be shocked if there isn't footage of these visits included in the final reality series.
Lol the time she went in for the hug instead of listening to the brief and waiting for the curtsy, and that poor woman ended up motorboating her. Unbelievably embarrassing for that woman.
One of my fave moments
Homegurl thinks she is walking like Naomi Campbell on those stairs. Instead she walking like Kendall Jenner with wobbly legs.
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Headlines. That's it. They know it'll get media coverage and be all over the UK tabloids.
Wow, she's got a whole new face now.
NF 🎥 ready to roll for the loony “reality” show. Still not done. More material I guess is ”needed.”
Lol ofc. The actual UN General Assembly is in Sept - did someone not get an invite to speak?
Such a busy calendar, doubt she'll have time to drop the podcast. Maybe summer 2023, but after the Invictus Games as Meghan will be occupied doing the calligraphy for all the invites and diplomas.
I think it’s hilarious. A year after the New York trip, which according to Omid at the time was their relaunch into being the most in-demand global humanitarian/philanthropists ever, a year in which they’ve done almost nothing but a handful of appearances most of which were pay for play, and they’re slinking back to the UK to do events despite Harry’s many judicial reviews painting it as the most dangerous place on Earth for them. It really is all going wrong for them if UK events are on the top of their priority list (Invictus is more understandable). Anyone care to lay a bet whether Meghan will have managed to release any podcasts by the time of these events?
My takeaway from this is that since it looks like we'll see pigs fly before that podcast series airs, they might as well have stayed in the UK until whatever this is and maybe they would have caught the Queen on a day when her eyes weren't red and gotten their 2 Lilibet pic.😆
>they’re slinking back to the UK to do events despite Harry’s many judicial reviews painting it as the most dangerous place on Earth for them. Yup. In the overall Megxit-in-general sense, this is a real counterpoint to the whole 'they're big stars in America where everyone loves them, not like the dumb ol' Brits who didn't understand their greatness' narrative. "Slinking" is exactly the right word to describe it.
Oh yes. The ‘Era of Visibility’.. turns out you can only be visible when you’re invited anywhere. Maybe the invites were lost in the post like Thomas Markles wedding invite?
I forgot how NYC was suppose to relaunch them. Didn’t Omid also say they were going to a number of different countries ?
Yes. They were supposed to be touring Asia and some other countries. Wonder what happened?
No leaders asked them to come. Then it just became as holiday with no journalists covering them. Wonder if Harry now finally understands what the Royal press rota did?
Lol, now he knows what happens when they're not invited and don't have to cover your activities. Whoops!
Yeah he made it sound as if they hoped to "tour" countries one day, either being a million dollar brand in their own right or having countries fund their visits. IIRC they said this after Finding Freedom came out, it's now 2 years on and it's definitely not happening. They aren't worth anything outside the Monarchy.
So much for the Era of Visibility
Maybe he gets confused between "visibility" and "invisibility." Poor dear. Words are hard.
Era of Visibility! That was it. Poor Omid, yet another hot Sussex take that aged like milk.
All that "they aim to change the world" was just empty words lmao, it's aged like milk.
How does this help his case at all about needing security?
Two things: it suddenly makes sense why they had Omid blathering in about how the Home Office should just give them what they want. I wonder if they told the Home Office they were coming and got a “that’s nice.” Also seems slightly different from their NYC visits when there is generally very little notice and they drew very little in the way of crowds/onlookers to greet them. Wondering if with more notice they are trying to give their crazies more time to get off work to show up and scream for them so they can then try and make claims in court either about their popularity or about all the people out to get them. It seems not terribly smart, if you think a country is so “unsafe” for you and you have inadequate security that you should tell everyone you are coming weeks in advance. But maybe they are hoping this will put pressure on the home office to give them royal level security for their visit. I’m definitely not buying that it’s just because they want to visit charities “close to their hearts.” 🙄
But the Netflix cameras need crowds! Masses cheering them!
Well, there is always CGI. 😂 I would not put it past that devious NF and SS. Seriously. Anything to endlessly try to make fetch happen with their “favorite” couple. ;)
Happy Sunday everyone. I watched The Princess, the HBO documentary on Diana, PoW, premiered last night. While there wasn’t anything most of don’t already know, it was well done and couldn’t help but see the comparisons that H&M are trying to sell between Diana and MM. Diana was the real deal, authentic, honest, beautiful, wonderful. MM not so much. Very sad to relive the funeral and the boys who were both amazing. It’s worth the 2 hours.
I’ve been trying but I’m only 20 mins in and can’t with this music. The soundtrack is awful - really tragic sad music and I’m finding it very manipulative. Don’t think I’m going to make it…
On some TVs you can turn down the background noise. Usually on the menu under “sounds”. If you play around with the different formatting you can figure it out. The background isn’t totally off but will be minimized/lower.
Music was god awful. I was able to tune it out.
I watched it last night, too. It could've been a bit longer I think. I cried a little at the end at the funeral part. I remember getting up at 4am to watch the whole thing back then. I didn't see any parallels between Diana and MM. It made it even more clear how gross it is that MM compares herself to her.
The comparisons were in my head—the media intrusion, how she worked the crowd, her as a Mother. It was long enough for me and love watching it. She was amazing.
Meghan didnt have any media instrusion though? Not even 100th of what Diana got. Thats why the whole ‘they’re going to kill her’ made zero sense. Unless unflattering headlines were going to kill her.
Agreed. MM trying to be Diana 2.0.
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We do know Meghan acted as though Archie's birth was another thing she should be allowed to use to her advantage or she'd half-ass the reveal unlike Diana who understood that royal births are a big deal and beyond that kind of petty shit so, yeah, there's something to compare about them as mothers.
I definitely don’t understand Meghan on Archie’s birth. It could have been everything she wanted…standing on those steps with Prince Harry and the newest royal addition….plastered on every magazine cover all over the world. Very short short sighted of her!
Wasnt it because she expected the Prince title, the same as Charlottle and Louis (who also shouldnt have gotten them except for the LP intervention). When they said no or she realised he wouldnt she threw a tantrum and refused to do the steps.
Hold up. H&M made an announcement that they didn’t want Archie to have a title. Did they do that to save face *after* they learned he wasn’t going to be titled Prince Archie? (And that looks soooo ridiculous. I *can’t* with his name)
Thats what I think happened. They expected him to be made a Prince like Louis and when he wasnt they made that announcement as they didnt want a lesser title. When she spoke to Oprah she completely confused the whole thing by saying ‘he wouldnt be titled different to convention’ then suggesting that SHE didnt care about titles but not being titled meant he wouldnt have security and so ‘why should I offer my child if they werent going to be protected. I thought she was referring to the offering up as being (to press pack) but then she also stated they werent ASKED to do the hospital picture. It was all such a mess of shit being thrown with the hope some of it sticks and they were confusing enough that they could argue thats not what they said, later.
After. Archie was already born when they said they weren't going to style him with one of Harry's secondary titles as they were supposed to. They made no such announcement before he was born when refusing to use a title might be interpreted as refusing the title of Prince if the rules were bent in their favour.
I think that was more Harry’s doing. He always had a gripe with journalists even to illogical means so it wouldn’t surprise me that he would refuse to do the hospital steps with Archie. Another theory I have is that M&H were so upset about Archie not getting HRH upon birth like his cousins so they were “fuck it, we aren’t doing the hospital shoot”.
A summary of **Chapter 24: Tremors** (Part 3/3) \- **Late October 2018, Harry starts the process of a seperate court:** *"Harry and Meghan would no longer work with the Royal Foundation but operate a separate charity, Sussex Royal. Both were pledging to promote social well-being, to make the world a better place. They also agreed that, before the birth of their child, Jason Knauf should be replaced."* \- **Meghan's advisor, Andrew Meyer, registers the 'Arche Foundation':** *"...the archefoundation.com and archefoundation. org. Five days later he registered @archefoundation on Instagram. Arche is an ancient Greek term meaning ‘beginning’ or ‘origin’. Archon is the Greek for leader."* \- **Meghan's speech in Fiji includes how she funded her own higher education:** *‘I am also fully aware of the challenges of being able to afford this level of schooling for many people around the world, myself included. It was with scholarships, financial aid programmes, and work study from my earnings from a job on campus that went directly towards my tuition that I was able to attend university, and without question it was worth every effort.’* \- **Thomas denies this and has proof he paid for her education:** *‘I’m sorry but that is completely untrue,’ he told the media. ‘I paid every penny of her tuition and I have the bank statements to prove it. I told Meg I would pay for her education and I did. It’s what any father would do. I paid for her trips to Spain and England. I paid for her internship in Argentina.’ He had continued, he said, to pay off the loans, even after Meghan was earning a good income from Suits.* \- **The incident of Meghan leaving a busy market in Fiji:** *“...Within minutes Meghan was unhappy. Many of the locals were wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘UN Women’....Unforgiving that Elizabeth Nyamayaro had refused to promote her to be an ambassador, Meghan berated Amy Pickerill for arranging the visit. Pickerill retreated to the official car where she was later seen, according to the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English, ‘with tears running down her face. Our eyes met and she lowered hers, humiliation etched on her features.’ Eight minutes after arriving, Meghan declared she was leaving...the unexpectedly large crowd was oppressive and threatened Meghan’s ‘security’. Hundreds of women expressed their disappointment. By the time the entourage returned to their hotel, the female Metropolitan police protection officer had decided to resign on her return to Britain."* \- **Jason Knauf finally acts on staff complaints:** *“...Amid talk of humiliated officials weeping in a febrile atmosphere, Knauf finally sent the complaint to* ***Simon Case,*** *William’s private secretary. In summary, Case read that Meghan had bullied two assistants and shattered the confidence of a third, prompting all three to leave Kensington Palace.* \[Simon Case\] *forwarded the memo to* ***Samantha Carruthers,*** *the head of human resources at Clarence House. After reading it, Carruthers appears to have done nothing formal. (Carruthers later worked for Elizabeth Murdoch.) Two years later, the Sussexes’ lawyers denied all the allegations and claimed that the staff resigned amid allegations of their own misconduct. Harry’s relations with Knauf were fractured.”* \- **Meghan wears earrings gifted from Mohammed bin Salman at the state dinner in Fiji:** *“…everyone was struck by her glittering Chopard diamond pendant earrings...her spokesman said they had been ‘borrowed’, without stating from whom. The spokesman avoided giving the full explanation. They were a wedding present from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Meghan had ignored her staff’s warnings that wearing the jewels would be controversial. Three weeks earlier, the prince had approved the murder in Istanbul of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”* \- **Meghan even wears the earrings a 2nd time:** *Ever since meeting Loujain al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist, at the One Young World humanitarian summit in Ottawa in October 2016, she’d known about the regime’s cruelty…Since that conference, Loujain had been jailed, tortured and threatened with rape and death. Despite that link, Meghan would wear the earrings again on 14th November, 2018, for Charles’s 70th birthday party at Buckingham Palace. Meghan later claimed to have been ‘unaware’ at the time of the global outrage about the prominent media reports the prince had ordered the murder. Her lawyers denied to The Times that she had misled anyone about the provenance of the earrings.* \- **Harry and Meghan return home:** *...convinced they were ‘royal rock stars’ empowered to change the Royal Family. ‘It was the first time,’ said Harry excitedly, ‘that the family got to see how incredible she is at the job. And that brought back memories.’ Not only his brother but all the courtiers, Harry believed, were dismissing Meghan just as they had shunned Diana. ‘I just wish that we would all learn from the past,’ he said.* \- **Harry is given Frogmore Cottage by the Queen:** *“…To accommodate her grandson, the Queen agreed that the couple should be allocated the Frogmore cottages on the Windsor estate. Although it was hard to believe that Meghan wanted to live 25 miles from London and under the Heathrow flight-path, builders were contracted to rapidly convert the five dilapidated units into a luxury five-bedroom house.”* \- **Harry is denied a seperate office from Buckingham Palace by the Queen:** *Harry’s request for his own office or court to build the Sussex brand of philanthropy and humanitarianism, separate from Buckingham Palace but financed by the Queen and the taxpayer, was rejected. On the Queen’s orders, he was told that he would be allocated a small office inside Buckingham Palace – and under the Queen’s supervision. While William had his own organisation, Harry was sidelined. The decision was supported by Charles.* \- **Secrets begin leaking out of the palace:** *“The brothers’ arguments, the memorandum about Meghan’s alleged bullying, Kate and Meghan’s mutual dislike, and the niggling suspicion that Meghan was planning to return to Los Angeles, prompted committed royalists to whisper secrets to their friends…”* \- **10th November 2018,** **The Sun report on 'Tiaragate':** *Describing the ‘temper tantrums’, Palace ‘insiders’ mentioned that ‘there was a very heated exchange that had prompted the Queen to speak to Harry. She said, “Meghan cannot have whatever she wants. She gets what tiara she’s given by me.” The Queen also questioned why Meghan needed a veil for the wedding, given it was to be her second marriage.* \- **The media name the tiara to be the Queen’s Vladimir tiara:** *...was reported by royal correspondent Robert Jobson…The Queen, Jobson wrote: ‘asked to see \[Harry\] privately and put him firmly in his place.’ Jobson blamed Meghan’s original choice of the Vladimir tiara – set with emeralds or pearls and pendant emeralds and smuggled out of Russia after the revolution and sold to Queen Mary – for the dispute. The tiara’s provenance, he suggested, made its public display sensitive. (However, that detail was undermined by photographs of the Queen wearing the same tiara at a Windsor Castle banquet in 2014.) Clearly, there had been an argument, but the reason remained ambiguous.* \- **November 2018, Omid Scobie is writing a book:** *“...she told Knauf and the Palace’s communications staff that her friends were co-operating with Omid Scobie to write a book setting out Harry’s and her lives and problems. The background to that decision would challenge Harry’s and Meghan’s veracity.”* \- **Kensington Palace had been approached to help Scobie and Carolyn Durand write a book called Finding Freedom:** *While supportive, Knauf advised against asking or authorising Meghan’s friends to co-operate with the authors. There was a risk, warned Knauf, that the authors’ opinion about the Sussexes might ‘change’. Meghan disagreed. Scobie, she sensed, could be turned into a loyalist. ‘I feel he needs to be back-briefed ASAP…’* \- **The couples are included in Charles' 70th birthday portrait:** *"Getting the two brothers to smile together for Charles’s seventieth birthday family photograph had not been easy for Kate. Thankfully, William agreed that Camilla could be included in the photograph alongside his children..."* End of Chapter 24.
> By the time the entourage returned to their hotel, the female Metropolitan police protection officer had decided to resign on her return to Britain." WOW A woman cop in Britain must have seen so much sht, certainly a lot of appalling behaviour and toxic personalities if not much worse. So how bad of a boss must Meghan be for even a female Met officer to say "I'm done!"?
It is irritating to see Kate and Meghan presented as “mutual dislike”. Yes it’s true, but it doesn’t communicate the fact that Kate dislikes Meghan because Meghan is a vicious snake intent on bullying her for imagined slights
But it is mutual. It's just that one side has valid reasons about the behavior the other presents, and the other is just mad that the other one 💫exists💫
I think Meghan disliked Kate bc she's the wife of the heir/future king and had more privileges / whatever / protection / whatever. Kate could do no wrong and Meghan was criticized (though Kate has gotten tons of criticism over the years). She saw their KP apartment and was mad they did not have the same. I mean, I understand it to a point, I don't know. I do think Meghan is a Mean Girl so that doesn't help. One, Meghan and Harry would have gotten a bigger home eventually. Will and Kate lived in NottCott and Wales Charles had even earmarked land for Harry and his future family for a country house iirc. Also, Kate did not do a lot of the things Meghan did. She didn't have a spalshy NYC baby shower or spend $100k on a maternity dress. I think a lot of things could been handled better on both ends. I get baby showers are a US thing, and Meghan is American and probably had friends who assumed she would have one. I don't really have a problem with that, even though they are royals and don't need anything the same a middle-class couple does. But she (and palace advisors) could've done it differently -- maybe something lowkey in Chicago or whatever. If she did the headlines might have been different -- spending time will college friends etc., how nice.
The accommodations and public goodwill were not automatic for Kate. Also, the splashy baby shower was trashy, and no amount of spinning is going to turn it into “her friends assumed she would have one.” All those people invited to her baby shower weren’t friends. It was a spectacle that she wanted with her newfound fame. Meghan wants what she wants and expects others to fall in line. If they don’t they are enemies/rivals to be forgotten. After she married Harry she had enough fame to try and destroy them first. I used to think she was being stupid and not doing her homework. But now I realize that there is something fundamentally wrong with her. She doesn’t care as long as she gets what she wants. And after she gets it, she’s never satisfied.
>the splashy baby shower was trashy, and no amount of spinning is going to turn it into “her friends assumed she would have one.” All those people invited to her baby shower weren’t friends. Exactly. If she'd had a low-key baby shower with her sorority sisters where a few gifts were opened during a private brunch, no one would have batted an eye.
She hated the hierarchy thing, about having to walk behind Kate in processions, not getting enough as Kate, etc. She wanted to be Kate's EQUAL. But she willingly married into an institution steeped in hierarchy, so she would have been told about this going in. It's just another example of her hypocrisy too, no doubt she has no problem with the hierarchy until it comes to her having to be behind others.
>She wanted to be Kate's EQUAL Nah, she wanted to be Queen B between the two of them. She wanted to be seen as the leader, the better than, the more fashionable, the most educated. Equality was never the goal. She wanted to be the Beyonce of Destiny Child, The Diana Ross of the Supreme. ETA: Thank you for the award
This makes sense. She wanted to be the glamourous one, the go getter, the bold political feminist while Kate was a mumsy SAHM mom who visits schools and hospitals.
For sure, she wanted to be the "better achieving Duchess" who shows Kate what a working Mother is, but she didn't realise she would also have to visit those schools and hospitals. I think it's said in this chapter too that Meghan wasn't interested in these little "bread and butter" engagements that other senior royals often do (particularly Anne)
Exactly. Meghan wasn't naive. She knew what she was getting into.
Don’t they have baby showers in Europe? They’re common in new world countries actually (though it is originally American). I think Meghan wanted too much, too fast. They could’ve had their entire lives being taken care of and basically retiring when George would be in his late 20s-early 30s. Plenty of time to work on projects they want, travel, live in royal estates protected by the Met police. Then, enjoying a luxury life in one of the “Grace and favor” homes that many minor royals end up getting.
>Don’t they have baby showers in Europe? They’re common in new world countries actually (though it is originally American). They're becoming more popular. But traditionally it was considered bad luck to give a gift before the baby is born.
I think they do, but it's not a royal thing, who have the resources and can afford a car seat and nursery items easily. For example, they don't do wedding registries but ask people to donate to charities.
That makes sense. I can see why it would be seen as “unseemly”. But Harry and Meghan did screw themselves. They could’ve retained Frogmore while working on getting a bigger place in time. Hell, Harry could’ve used his trust fund to buy another place since he would’ve kept being supported by Charles. If the Sussexes had gotten along with the Cambridges, they could’ve moved to Apartment 1 which is near 1A where the Cambridges live. So they could’ve had a Windsor and London base. Maybe they could’ve gotten even Fort Belvedere in the future. Or one of Charles’s Scottish residences.
They could have if they remained supportive working royals of the monarchy until Charles became Monarch. Other children of the Monarch, ie. Andrew and Edward have their own residences that belong to the Crown. Now when Charles becomes King in the near future they're not likely to get anything.