It's been quite a day in the Harry and Meghan world - and the previous installment of the blog is collapsing under the weight of numerous comments.
Accordingly, here's a placeholder new post with plenty of room for new comments.
What do you think of the "Travalyst" initiative, the Sussexes' hiring of Sunshine Sachs with Sussex Foundation (Disney) money, and Harry's insistence on turning up in the same crumpled grey suit and musty brown suede shoes for every Royal engagement?
Poor Edward Lane Fox (Harry's former private secretary and de-facto keeper and valet) must need a prescription for Xanax.
Accordingly, here's a placeholder new post with plenty of room for new comments.
What do you think of the "Travalyst" initiative, the Sussexes' hiring of Sunshine Sachs with Sussex Foundation (Disney) money, and Harry's insistence on turning up in the same crumpled grey suit and musty brown suede shoes for every Royal engagement?
Poor Edward Lane Fox (Harry's former private secretary and de-facto keeper and valet) must need a prescription for Xanax.
Comments
As for Travalyst idea, it's nice and many parts of the world are already doing stuff like this. I like the concept and if done correctly, this is a great idea. I would like to know what "over-tourism" is in his estimation? Is it tons of rich celebs heading to Nice to pat themselves on the back for making films that are so "woke," or maybe rich celebs who fly to Toronto to do the same? OR maybe resorts being built up on islands so the rich and famous can head off and vacation away from the little people?
At the end of the day, his comments about "protection for his family," are a bunch of BS and everyone knows it. There is only the need to prevent the world from knowing there is no Archie. THAT is why the flew private.
And what does it mean, anyway? Lust for travel? Isn't the idea that people should travel less?
In that case, they should have called it "Travel Diet" or something along those lines.
Or just "Travel Less" - how about that?
The whole thing was clearly done in a rush, because the name "Travalyst" was only trademarked on August 26.
Hard to believe that was less than a year ago. It seems like forever.
Oh, and the suede shoes are just plain repulsive.
The really odd thing is I have never ran into a military member, past or present that didnt take some pains to ensure their clothing was neat and clean. It is drilled into them from day one in the service and he is not some homeless, severely mentally ill vet that has issues that keep him from adhering to social niceties.
Look who he's partnering with. What's he get in return?
Harry. I have zero sympathy for you now. You are on equal staus with that wife of yours.
He doesn't want to be rescued . He is in this as deep as her .
It's hard to remember now that that little boy ever existed.
The slice of that word salad speech I did see sounds just like Smegs. None of us really believe that she's going to let Sunshine Sachs have complete control over their speeches, do we? I once thought that Harry was a pitiable figure, a man in love who had been cruelly deceived by a manipulative sociopath. She's still a manipulative sociopath, but I now think that Haz is invested in her maniacal plan to destroy his family and is an equal participant in it. This is his revenge on William for being born first and getting the biggest chunk of the pie. He wants to make things as difficult and unsettled and potentially anarchic for his father and William as he can, because he hates them. His insecurity and greed have eaten him alive. Meghan, the skilled Narc, recognized Harry's Shadow side and played to it. He's like her, only weaker, so he is allowing her to orchestrate their joint take-down of his family. So he thinks.
In the end the RF is going to prevail . . .they haven't been a 1000-year-old institution for nothing. Harry will be cut completely off and left in the wilderness. His wife will fluck off to her next scam. She'll be all right . . a person with no conscience and no sense of shame or boundaries will always be able to exploit any situation to her advantage. She'll get money for herself, even if she has to cater to old codgers with a fetish for geriatric yacht girls. Hazza has no natural skills of self-preservation . . I don't think this is going to end well for him, at all. He's going to be a complete pariah, like the Duke of Windsor, only with far less allowance and no wife.
One thing has surprised me about Harry . . . while guile does not come as easily to him as his wife, he's made a decent showing of besotted looks and smiles and lurve, or at least, alternates pissed-off looks one moment with a smile the next. Nearly 35 years of playing to cameras have trained him well, and that's even more time at it than Smeaghan has had. Haz always has a smacked bum face on the BP balcony . . his and William's weddings excluded . . but in other places, one could almost believe his smiles were completely genuine. Except when he forgets and the mask slips a bit.
Being well-groomed need not be the sole province of the clothes horse. William is not a clothes horse like his father. His attire is quite plain, but it is impeccably tailored. There really is no excuse, for a person being dressed out of the public purse, to not have clothing that fits properly or is clean/pressed/in good repair whether or not it's conservative or more trendy. Harry need not be a clothes horse . . .cuz we know how very much he and Meghan both care passionately about not appearing shallow . . ! . . but should a Prince of the United Kingdom and public representative of the Queen go around in crumpled, rumpled, mismatched attire and shoes with holes? If his clothing is that crumpled and worn every day, to all appearances, it cannot be clean, can it? It certainly hasn't seen the inside of a dry cleaner bag recently, never mind an iron. Here's a guy who can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on private jet flights to go visit Elton John but he can't turn up at an official Royal duty in an ironed shirt with a tie? Meanwhile his wife is swanning around in $100,000 Givenchy gowns with bling? If you ask me, Haz puts all of his wardrobe money he gets from his father straight up his nose or else hands it over meekly to his ball breaker of a wife. He apparently had to stop off at Marks & Sparks to get a button down white shirt in a plastic bag since his tuxedo shirt was nowhere to be seen.
It's sadly obvious to everyone that Harry has lost his man . . he's got no valet, no secretary, not even a PA to run his clothes to the dry cleaners'. Isn't it sad that the son of the future King of England only has one sad gray suit to his name? Moreover, it's his complete attitude of NGAF about his appearance that rankles more. It's his birthday in nine days and he's going to be 35 years old, and were it not for the baldness and the haggardness of late, Haz might be mistaken for a 25-year-old chav on the dole, who is a perpetual skater boi in his mind.
I've noticed when Haz plays sport, be it polo or rugby, his sports clothes are impeccable . . .it's just when he's on official engagements representing the Queen, to foreign governments even, that he absolutely does not mind turning up like a hobo in a suit he got for 2 pounds from Oxfam. It's a sad state of affairs for Charles's son or for anyone who could be assumed to have a modicum of pride in his family or himself. Harry really needs help, but he's going to continue to swirl the drain and there's nothing we can do about it but watch.
Both Fergie and Diana got kicked out of the firm, for not toeing the line...Meghan will follow those two.
Narco will do anything for money, won't she? It must really pain MeGain to have MeGain'd so much weight compared to this time last year . . or even compared to four months ago when she was supposedly so pregnant.
I really think, and I hope I'm wrong about this, is that Smegs is biding her time until Beatrice announces her engagement, or Eugenie announces that she's expecting. Whichever comes first, Smegs will have to steal that thunder with an announcement that she's expecting Wonder Twins!
On the other hand, part of me hopes she tries that on. Imagine that sh*t show. After Fauxchie, the world is wise to her . . . for the love of God the RF wouldn't go along with this insanity a second time?! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that the twin charades of Archie and Fraudmore have not been exposed. How long must we wait, O Lord and Your Majesty?!!
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/business/media/a-pr-firm-alters-the-wiki-reality-of-its-star-clients.html
Since Smegs was NOT at Althorp making a solo pilgrimage to Diana's grave as she promised she would be, she was probably at home amassing more jewelry.
Harry will live to rue the day he ever let her into his life, but apparently that day has not come yet. William must be gutted to the core. Now there have been a number of stories appearing in recent days (Since Sunshine Sachs was retained, don't you know?) stating that actually Harry had selected Diana's engagement ring first and gave it to William for Kate . . back when he was still doing generous brotherly things like that. William selected Diana's Cartier watch, probably because he would have known better than any other person how unhappy that ring made his mother when it become merely a symbol of the sham marriage she was trapped in. After the first few years, Diana never wore that ring except for formal ceremonial portraits, so I was kind of surprised William gave it to his bride. It felt like a ring full of bad karma. I suppose Wills selected the piece his mother wore often and he associated with her. But the ring has gotten a happy new life on Kate's finger where it has pride of place every day. That's why the stories appearing now are a little ominous. If anyone is bat of the merde (as Elle would say) enough to claim that the ring rightfully belongs to her, it's Smeaghan. Of course she wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on . . if swanning around with a fake baby and embezzling millions of pounds on shady schemes isn't enought to get her chased out of England with pitchforks, how do we think the reception will go down if she tries to take Catherine's engagement ring with her grasping mitts? I wouldn't put it past her to try it.
6 out of 10 of the flights he has taken since he was married have been on private jets, not the 10% he claims
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7424429/Prince-Harry-insists-99-flights-commercial-six-ten-trips-private.html#comments
I feel sorry for the queen. She's being hit by random missiles all day and doesn't deserve it. I reckon she's ignoring every bit of news in order to enjoy her stay at Balmoral. People in high positions such as hers are excellent at being obtuse when they choose. I know I would be. All this crazy cats in a bag would make me hit the avoid button.
I have the greatest respect for Elizabeth's 66 years of devotion to her duty, like her father and mother before her, she was made of flinty stuff in a bunny rabbit looking package. But she really took to heart her grandmother Mary's admonition that her job as sovereign was to Do Nothing, as hard as it would be to sit by without passing comment. Queen Mary's adage was in regards to events in the outside world of politics, not, I believe, intending the Do Nothing to extend to members of the Family. Mary turned her back completely on her eldest son when he proved to be a disappointment and she and the Queen Mother put up a formidable Maginot line of resistance to ever EVER letting That Woman get a foothold at court. Elizabeth also never forgave her uncle, whom she blamed for the premature death of her father who'd had to take up the burden of being King when it was thrust upon him.
This is why I find her hands-off attitude toward her wayward grandson and his American grifter so quizzical. I suppose she loved cheeky Harry and wanted to see him happy, and had no wish to repeat the bad feeling that ensued over her playing hardball with the constitution when Margaret wanted to marry a divorced man. With her own son and heir married to a divorced woman with a history almost as colorful as Meghan's, I can see why ER would have agreed to the marriage despite reservations. No one could have known how bad this was going to get, not even Her Majesty. It's like Smegs and Harry together are determined to set as many charges as possible to blow up the RF from inside. They are only cutting off their noses to spite their face, but this doesn't seem to have dawned, particularly on Harry.
Using their antics as a distraction over Andrew is a poor strategy since at this point I think it's all one big stewpot of Royal scandal and tone-deafness. The Andrew scandal only confirms what H. and M. have been illustrating for us in inglorious Technicolor for the last 2 years . . . the RF will go to any lengths to hush up what it does not want to see the light of day and if complete silence isn't possible, then they will spin anything any way they can. Elizabeth had plausible deniability that she knew what her middle-aged son was up to on his vacations, but she cannot claim the same for her grandson's alleged baby or the alleged 2.4 million pounds spent on a house she gifted to the couple--and where they are currently living. Who else allowed a fraudulent birth announcement to be posted outside her gates? Without any official witnesses, it was fraudulent. Yet that story just keeps spinning. Same with Fraudmore. If that massive overspend has NOT been put into Fraudmore, that should be a plus, shouldn't it? People would be appeased . . . except if that amount of money is actually missing, with nothing to show for it. Where is it? Has it been in fact siphoned off to pay hush money to Andrew's accusers? If that is the case, then Hazmet and S'meaghan, odious as they are, are actually being turned into patsies for a far more sinister plot.
The intrigue is getting thicker than a John LeCarre novel. The Queen (or her representatives) MUST address some of these issues. She can't stick her head in the sand over these landmines going off from within her own family. The age of deference and mystery is over; hiding now just makes them look cowardly and as if there are so many skeletons to hide, She doesn't know where to start in letting them out. It saddens me to see such a proud Queen so sadly reduced to a powerless laughingstock at the end of her reign, but that's what's happening.
I think it would be a start if she would exercise some of the prerogatives she has regarding her own family members and be that formidable Elizabeth of old. She's 93 and all, but I really expected this one to go down fighting til the end. This isn't fighting so much as lying down.
As for Meghan and Harry, I sincerely believe they have been cut off financially by Charles, and they are trying to rapidly fill their coffers. One reason that I think she isn't being seen in public is that she cannot afford the 5k or more she used to spend every time she went out in public.
I think the rest of the family is looking rather good in comparison to those two twats. That may be an unintended consequence of having these two vile people around for so long.
"The thieves. The thieves. The filthy little thieves. Where is it? Where is it? They stole it from us. My precious. Curse them, we hates them! It's ours, it is, and we wants it!"
I'm wondering if PH's suit isn't beginning to smell. PH is a Virgo, and Virgos are usually impeccably dressed. Their clothes don't wrinkle, they don't have sweat stains. But PH looks a mess. And he's getting balder and balder by the day. And more and more arrogant by the day. He looks like a bum or a panhandler.
At the time my gut told me, "this human is full of it and this isn't going to end well!" So I put some popcorn in the microwave.
If she had never said that... only to have her friends later reveal that she was so obsessed in royalty they used to gift her books about royal family, I wouldn't be here today.
I don't "hate" her (so calm your titties George, Pink, Elton) or wish her harm, but do I pop in occasionally to check what's up with everyone every now and again. It's just a morbid curiosity on how this will all end because what a mess it all started with (nothing personal, Meghan).
No wonder people visit these blogs. All because she claimed she didn't know who Harry was and now everybody's looking into it...
She doesn’t even need haters to take her down, she’ll be her own undoing. Just watch.
The sh*tshow become a little uninteresting and repetitive, but I still listen to Ashlii and this English woman (celt something) on YouTube for... their beautiful accents. And DanjaZone is so entertaining, and Celt should be doing BBC Earth documentaries. I can’t get enough of those two’s accents! They should be VO artists.
Maybe those two should get paid 5 million per episode for their talents.
Oh, I’m soooooooooooo sorry that I’m so unaccustomed to being surrounded by such beauty that I feel compelled to immortalise the experience and take a selfie in front of my holiday destination, Harry...
Does he think that when his late mother went to those fields full of landmines that she was there on holiday?
Does your vegan diet make you feel that much better about being such an a-hole? Is it like “carbon-offsetting for the soul”?
MM herself appears unable grasp what being a public servant means or entails. Had Harry married a former police officer, an administrative assistant at a public/government office or even some staffer at an transnational organisation funded by state members like the EU, that person might have had a better concept of the role she married into. I mean if you’re going to marry a commoner, at least find one with some common sense (not that you’ve ever demonstrated having any to offer yourself). MM seems to treat her marriage into a traditional establishment like some random sugar daddy situation instead of the public servant job that it is.
I'm just glad I'm not paying for it (and neither are George Clooney and Pink, so they might want to sit down).
Not sure if there is even a "PR war" or if it's just imagined by MM's more determined haters, but if there is one, why does it feel like a political campaign?
If it is her, the tweet about the tarot reading is quite revealing of her character.
It read something like, "if it's in the cards, then it must be true" as though she thinks tarot cards are bullshit. And maybe they are bullshit, but this is coming from the woman who was said to have consulted Princess Diana's personal psychic and astrologers (?) in an attempt to model herself after her late MIL, liken herself to a Diana 2.0 (and even then we don't know this actually happened, could've been a PR plant from a woman who's never even met Diana's personal astrologer/psychic).
Now all of the sudden when a reading's not in her favour she calls bullsh*t?
Regardless of what you personally think of the occult/esoteric arts, I think we can all agree that a person who flip-flops between beliefs and warms to one belief or the other depending on which belief suits their interests/agenda, is an untrustworthy individual.
That kind of cherry-picking is precisely what gives the entire spiritual community a bad name.
I sincerely hope that Twitter account isn't her, though. Because how mind-numbingly stupid would that be? And how disrespectful to those who believe in their beliefs earnestly?
Also "Travalyst" sounds like something Big Pharma might name a medication for the STIs one might contract from an overseas tryst.
“I’ll see you guys soon and we’ll tawlk fast. Stay safe and be blessed...” 💋
No matter who she hires, she’s still going to act like a haughty, entitled, elitist, materialistic, controlling, greedy narcissist. Her shallowness will still be apparent to anyone with even half a brain, well anyone with half a brain except Harry.
@Hikari - merde of the bat. Of course, technically, merde de la chauve-souris, but that's just a little OTT for moi lol.
She can make money apart from her license (say, for commissions on sales, for ex) thru an LLC or paid directly and get a 1099 and it would not show up unless she had a registered business. Lots of ways around it and a good tax attorney can hide it under layers.
"My boy," Phillip studied his grandson while he cleaned his hunting rifle. "You've had your fun with this American woman, but it's time now to let her and the baby dolls she's trying to convince the world his a child go. If need be we can arrange a way to make this the cleanest break possible."
Perhaps one of the UK's famous super-injunctions? They not only prohibit journalists from writing about a specific matter, but forbid them from writing that the injunction itself exists.
One image the DM used included a blogger's husband, however, and he certainly hadn't consented to publicity. He'd have a good case.
Here's another good opportunity to make clear that if anyone tries to go after me, I'll be happy to sue.
I work in the media and I know a great deal about privacy law and the GDPR, and I'm happy to put both of them to work in an annoying and expensive lawsuit that will make the Gawker case look like child's play.
What I wonder is why TripAdvsior, Booking.com, and Visa got involved in this mess. I'll give the Chinese providers a pass here - for cultural reasons, they may not have realized what a mess the Sussexes are.
But the US corporations should have done their homework.
It's criticism like this which actually gives credence to the idea that he is unfairly targeted because he can point to the sniping and use it as an example of bullying and all the sh*t that comes his way. Save it for the stuff that actually deserves it because there's plenty of that.
In the interest of fact finding, what is the source of this $9 million Doria story? I can't find anything anywhere, although we all know that the internet is regularly scrubbed, especially now a PR firm is on the case.
And the Dutch do love their royals.
(I have to say, though, Booking.com has some pretty sweet deals to some pretty Instagrammable destinations. *Whispers* Their listing prices are better than Agodaaaaa...)
I think the parent company (which also owns Kayak and Agoda?) is American, but to my knowledge Booking.com is still HQ-ed in Amsterdam. CMIIW.
The Spectator had a satirical piece about the intitiative:
"Harry was unfairly criticized at the event for his use of private jets. To this, he responded: ‘I came here by commercial. I spend 99 percent of my life traveling the world by commercial.’
"Figures published by the royal household showed 207 trips last year were made by helicopter, and with a mere 56 flights on specially chartered planes. The helicopter trips were for short hops and cost a mere £15,000 ($18,128) each time. So, at a total of $3,752,496 in taxpayer’s money, this really was value-for-money.
"In evaluating the carbon footprint of a helicopter, a Bell 206 will use around 16 gallons of fuel to travel 58 miles, while a van would burn around five gallons to cover the same distance.
"So honestly, 207 journeys of say, 250 miles by helicopter, using a total of 14,276 gallons… is the equivalent of one of us traveling 165,603 miles in a small pick-up truck.
"Given that the average UK driver travels approximately 8,000 miles per year… in order to offset the royal family’s annual helicopter carbon footprint, each year we should nominate one person to give up driving for 21 years. Hey presto! Problem solved. I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
"Obviously we’d also need to factor in the 56 chartered flights per year and given that a medium-sized jet consumes 233-336 gallons per hour, that person would more likely need to quit driving for 164 years (I’m thinking the ‘fuel debt’ could be passed down to future generations), but that’s a small price to pay for the comfort of a handful of people for one year.
"Especially if those people are educating us on how much the rest of us need to save fuel because saving the planet is incredibly important."
Link: https://spectator.us/carbon-footprints-prince-harry-private-jet/
That said, female Royals are criticized for their clothing all the time - as recently as last weekend in Beatrice's case, when she arrived at a wedding in an ill-advised green metallic ruffled dress.
If Harry seems "unfairly targeted", it's only because the Royal men generally have had the benefit of the doubt in a way that the women have not.
Britain is a fashion exporter. Having its representative show up in a well-cut business suit for an official occasion (and not the same suit every time) doesn't seem to be too much to ask.
@Nutty, I’m positive the press have a tonne of dirt on Meghan and a certain amount on Harry too. It could be they are saving it, and it will be fed to the public drip by drip. Perhaps that time could be soon. The Royals do have a very powerful law firm working for them too, Harry could be silencing them...but then stuff could be released to America media where our privacy laws have little or no power.
They probably do have a super injunction issued wrt where they live. Sometime last year PH won a case against the Sun (I think it was the Sun) for publishing pictures of their house in Cotswold. Now I know the basis of that lawsuit might have been different but there might have been a super injunction issued post that regarding their living arrangements/housing situation/publishing photos of them at or near home/going about their daily lives wherever they live.
It's my understanding that the Cambridge's also have an arrangement with the press not to take pictures of them and their kids near Anmer Hall, and the local residents generally respect their privacy and refrain from either taking pictures or selling them to the press. But of course the 2 situations are different and part of the reason why Cambridge's enjoy this privacy is because they have been smart and practical about a lot of issues. It's also partlyb of the goodwill they enjoy.
In this game of one upmanship, the Sussexes quite possibly thought they could do better than the Cambridge's privacy arrangement owing to their self agrandisation. Instead of work for it though,they demanded it without putting in the hard work.
As for the infamous grey suit, well it's got a lot to do with the brand they want to create for themselves - Harry is the down to earth relatable dude, Meg is the bestest in the wide world. There are some professions or circles where relatability is important, especially when you are rich/famous/generally unapproachable and want to seem one of the masses. For eg., For Harry it could work when he is down in the trenches, or visiting a school in Angola, or tagging the elephants in Kenya. But then in a formal setting, when he speaking at an engagement or launching his charity initiative he has to seem an authority figure. So he needs to dress the part. The criticism regarding his dressing is often snarky but the reasons remain. Most of us normal get that, so we dress accordingly at work.
If we were to hire a PR firm (which some of us could have at some of time for our work) we would be told to dress accordingly. One of my friends was asked by his PR image consultants to even change his facial hair and style of moustache, and not to use certain colours for his ties. So these fancy smancy PR gurus would obviously be guiding the Sussexes as well. Of course the problem as we all know, is that they follow this advice.
Now when I say I bumped into him, I do not mean we did karaoke at a pub. He interacted with the people there, participants, the researches, charities, volunteers. He mingled with them, and that's when the picture is from. The suit seemed new at the time ;p
Louise, you're correct that there isn't much privacy protection for celebrities in the US, but I think there's also not enough interest in the Sussexes there to make an exposé worthwhile.
Exposing the Sussexes misdeeds would also risk accusations of racism, and anger powerful PR people like Sunshine Sachs, who have other valuable clients that journalists want access to.
The NYTimes piece on Travalyst is a good example of the sort of thing organizations do to appease people like Sunshine Sachs - a mostly complementary piece with just a passing reference to the private plane controversy, and assigned to a travel reporter who is a young black woman.
I would imagine that Sunshine Sachs has a good contact at the Times, and perhaps even requested this specific reporter.
Interesting, the most popular comments on the story are negative, but the "Times Pick" comments are mostly positive. Something's going on there.
I see that publicity is already out for the October issue of Vogue UK, with Kaia Gerber on the cover.
Still haven't heard any publicity about Meg's September issue selling out.
The Royals really need to take action right now, at the very least making their positive assets visible.
Nobody's seen the Cambridges or Zara Tindall or even Sophie Wessex for awhile. It's all Harry, Meg, and Andrew.
Not a good time for business as usual.
Here is from wiki...It is owned and operated by and is the primary revenue source of United States-based Booking Holdings. Booking.com is headquartered in Amsterdam.
Also, one of the companies, I think Skyscanner, was originally a Scottish based company but was bought by Ctrip in China in 2016,
I'm not a tax anything other than I pay but I'm thinking about the how taxation would work for their foundation, based in UK, with money flowing to say buy property in the USA. Would that require some sort of reporting to the USA any money brought into a bank on this side (1099's which are reported to the IRS)? Avoiding the appearance of money laundering?
That Doria claimed X on her taxes rumor. I read it here and there but I never recall any named sources. There is a part of me which thinks that if my accountant was giving out private information about my finances not to the IRS, I'd be wondering what else they were saying and to whom. Did they give out my social? I think of that as similar to HIPPA rules for medicine and wonder if there is some sort of professional code of honor about privacy. So I think of it as a distraction rumor. Or if there is some basis, I'm thinking that is an inflated number.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5625413/Why-did-Meghans-marriage-Trevor-Engelson-implode.html
MM probably was under the impression that royal work just entails showing up for the pictures, having everyone fawn over you, wear new clothes everyday and have everyone bow down to you while you flash your pearlies at the shutterbugs.
Harry couldn't educate her on the profocols because he was none the wiser. The manners and customs were inbred in him, so didn't really know how different the muggles were from his kind. And he was mostly a third wheel to W&C at the official formal events. And at his own events his probably had a whole team, more experienced, who did all the behind the scenes woek. So he probably just showed up and didn't have to bother about much else. He couldn't teach her if he didn't know himself. Certainly looks that way.
Once she was in the scene, she decided to be at the helm of things and started coaching him about all the in things, and how to seem informed. It's a shame that he , or rather they couldn't hold their end of the bargain, and do their homework when it comes to most royal patronages. The work didn't live up to their standards and they didn't want to live up to the Firm's standards.
Their defense would most likely be that the work was so boring! And very soon we'll hear or read some version of this statement from them.
Travalyst:
If M is still controlling H, she may be forcing him to do Travalyst (abominably stupid name, btw -- has her paw prints all over it) to make money or as a reaction to savage backlash on their alleged jet-setting. Hiring Sunshine Sachs will not help, because M is a control freak and does whatever the hell seems like a good idea in the moment, probably fuelled by pink water and god-knows-what else. Seems like Travalyst was set up in a hurry, probably as SS's first attempt at damage control. I'm sure there will be many more, at least until M fires them or runs out of money to pay them.
I suspect M wrote at least some of the Travalyst web content herself; it's full of vague phrases about doing good and protecting local environments whilst ignoring the fact that corporate involvement by VISA and booking.com is the antithesis of "sustainable tourism" (which seems like an oxymoron anyway). I almost snorted out my tea when I read the bit about "enabling global travel and commerce through digital payments is one of many ways VISA connects and empowers individuals." Apparently their vision of "empowering individuals" is ensnaring local vendors in the VISA system -- which will enrich VISA and the Suxsexs, who will get a percentage b/c they're sponsoring this profit-making venture. The hypocrisy is on full display, as there's not a shred of actual concern for impoverished locals exploited by the travel industry. It's all about weaving a seductive fantasy to persuade wealthy tourists that they are beneficent do-gooders. This idea has about as much substance as Elton John's donations to plant some trees to maybe offset the Suxsexs alleged private-jet trips. Expect more backlash as they're called out.
Re: H's wardrobe.
He may be drinking and drugging a lot to deal with M and their "marriage," in which case he may not care about his appearance. Alternatively, he could be making a visual statement, showing up disheveled when appearing for the Suxsex brand. He looked lovely at the rugby just a week ago; he owns a navy suit and access to a dry-cleaners, steam-press or iron, if not a valet. He washed and combed his hair and put on a tie as well, neither of which he did in Amsterdam. He may have been persuaded by M or SS that Travalyst is a good idea, or he may just be desperately trying to amass funds for the divorce and "child" maintenance, especially if royal funding has been cut.
I think M may have demanded more for her exit than the RF are willing to give presently, so her strategy may be to continue angering the public and blowing up the RF's reputation until they're either forced to meet her demands or watch the monarchy go down in flames. She's probably enjoying the process, too, and relishes playing the race/victim cards.
Random thought: What if her exit price includes some of Diana's jewels? I could see her doing that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V7wAufY_fY
My brain's shrivelling up, trying to understand her ...
The rank of Major required a test; and yes, that is what most assume Harry didn't even try he being rudimentary in the brains dept or lazy. However that is just one part of the equation. To promote to Major you have to pass a formal board that reviews your record and an essential requirement is demonstrable "leadership" (THE eminent buzzword within the military). Harry would have served in some capacity like squad leader for example and in that role would have had to function at a level of expertise, responsibility and authority within his position. If at any time either his superiors or his men had any loss of faith in his capabilities, it would have been reflected in his record which to the layman would appear reasonably positive but to the trained eye was sorely lacking the key elements that would make him in any way promotable. TLDR; the fact is, he had no future in the BA because no one was willing to follow him into battle. Harry doesn't have the skills of a leader worth following.
Harry had no idea how different the muggles are from him. And he’s trying to emulate muggle life in order to appear down-to-earth with disastrous results.
In my mind, there are 3 types of altruism:
1. Professional altruism (which is the people who work in non-profits/NGOs, charities, international organisations, food banks, animal shelters).
2.1. Personal – The Patronage Model
Which is the kind of life that Harry was born into whereby you're charitable because you’re in a position of power/privilege. In this model, one is practicing this thing called “noblesse oblige” and they’re giving from a place of privilege (the upper-hand). In some cases it’s because you’re also a celebrity (but not always) and the purpose is bring attention to a cause. You’re supposed to use your power to shine light on somebody else's plight.
2.2. Personal – The SJW Model
Which is what most humans are born into. This is more grass-roots activism and rather than coming from a place of privilege, the actors of this model are also victims and/or “allies”, they bring attention to their own causes (themselves) which these days is done through social media. Because these people often represent themselves, they get to be finger-wagging virtue-signallers. We tolerate it because they’re fighting for their own struggles/plights, and thus those under this model, they themselves may take the spotlight.
Model 2.2 is prone to having attention-seekers take advantage of causes to bring attention to themselves (this is why we see so many commoner celebrities ride on a cause to raise their own profiles, rather than use their profiles to raise awareness of a cause).
Now problems arise when those who belong in the 2.1 model in desperate attempts to appear more “relatable” don’t stay in their lane and start acting like they can just wake-up one day and be part of the 2.2 model... Because that always goes well. (It never works.) Just be yourself without trying to “be one of them” but learn how to communicate in a neutral way (don’t talk about your status/wealth, ask about the other person’s life—it’s that simple).
I’m pretty sure some type of advisor has advised him against his current approach (note that usually when 2.2 commoners, such as Kate, marry into the establishment, they don't take their 2.1 partner into their category—the 2.2 partner usually adapts and learns to become a part of the 2.1). Maybe Harry refuses to listen.
So then we get pampered prince telling us plebs how to live our lives when he doesn’t even live by the same rules that we do.
The privileged/wealthy in the 2.2 category need to understand their place and stay there:
- they should stick to causes that everybody can agree on (cancer needs to be cured, terrorism/armed conflict is evil);
- stick to “highlighting” (be an ambassador of a charity in an official capacity) rather than “virtue-signalling” (like an everyday pleb on social media—celebrities who do this seem to think it makes them “relatable”, but often it just comes off out-of-touch and totally annoying);
- promote ways of do-goodership that are accessible to everyone (hugging/holding hands with AIDS patients is something everyone of every socioeconomic class can do, so is volunteering your time, so are affordable products like canvas shopping bags and reusable straws).
You can wear expensive/designer stuff but don’t rub in people’s faces how “ethical” these products are.
Nobody wants to hear about the overpriced vegan paint you sniff before bed every night and how sniffing it makes you a more “moral” than people who honest-to-God simply can’t afford it.
I just can't with these a-holes.
But then again, we do kinda know that MM is dressing and styling him. So doesn't say much for smartworks and the new capsule collection either.
Next week we'll see a fashion show and panel discussion for Smartworks. It's her official first engagement post mat leave. Can't even imagine the mad circus that would entail.
Also random thought.... the news about her back-to-work engagement was released today, sometime ago. Could it be a covert attempt to steal the spotlight from Charlottes first day of school? The pics and video were expected midmorning today.
The Cambridge's were expected to release a photo of her first day, and it's not out yet. Maybe they held back on the releasing the pics just yet for this very same reason?
Regarding MM being all over Travalyst: the first thing I noticed is how similar the branding is to their IG account. Same blue, simplistic unique symbol (similar in style to the monogram)
MEGHAN MARKLE BAD PRESS BLAMED ON BUCKINGHAM PALACE!!!!
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1173768/Meghan-Markle-Duchess-of-Sussex-Royal-Family-Buckingham-Palace-latest
Best laugh of the morning so far.
Seriously, the smoke follows them (KP, BP, BV, LK and the list goes on) and seems to leave the other party behind. This is not rocket science but certain correlative relationships are obvious.
Playing on the victim narrative again. But this might just be their undoing. At some point the men in grey would take their gloves off, roll up their cuffs, kick off their oxfords and enter the ring. This attack on BP could very well be the thing that tips the balance against them.
In the meantime I sit back taking a break from my gardening and read juicy stories about these two idiots.
Sadie on youtube, aka Yankee Wally, had a copyright infringement suit filed against her by some people. These people, when they enrolled, gave false names or no name at all but when she had to reply to the suit, her name and street address were automatically made public.
So a word to the wise. If you can, create an anonymous profile and link all your social media accounts to that.
@Ava, I'm going to go with:
He has never been held accountable in his entire life so it didn't occur to him that anyone would doubt his royal word (lolololololol.)
Also, remember the pub story? More people probably saw the story than the retraction, so I guess he figures it's better to lie to all of the people all of the time and get away with it some of the time than to tell the truth. It's worked for markle, so maybe that's seems to be the Dumbarton family MO: just say it and don't get bogged down with things like truth and integrity and accountability.
I've also read that she lied about actually graduating from NWern. Anyone know? Again, just curious.
The point I am trying to make that it is this sort of sniping at everything he does wrong in your eyes (oh his suit jacket was ruffled he's embarassing himself/the country/his family etcetc) actually gives Harry ammunition. He can point towards this and say "do you see how unreasonable they are, they criticise everything and they are mean and vindictive." It gives him a sympathetic audience and allows him to use this bullying to extricate himself from situations when critical analysis really is merited.
I understand you can't stand him or MM or both of them. But if you really want to get people on side that aren't quite as extreme in their beliefs then you're going to need to hold back and pick your battles rather than have a go at every...single...thing....
I also get your point re PHs clothes and calling out everything. Once it starts looking like everything is wrong and/or everything is melodramatic and/or gets too crazy and/or too questionable in other ways, then all of it gets discounted. Just the same thing as everything being 'laundering'. If valid points can be minimized b/c of outlandish points, they will be.
I also agree with you re the damage that the Dumbartons have done / are doing to the BRF. This breaks my heart because 1) hello, the Queen, and I value queens; 2) W&K; 3) the Cambridges' children; and 4) I want to see a King William -- from that little boy Diana loved so much to King -- yes, I want to see that.
The upside of all of this is that it has bestowed blessings on my favorite Catherine. Someone on some blog somewhere wrote about how she is a perfectionist and always hesitant and that held her back and this praise has helped her blossom. I agree because I can relate so well to the inner-critic and believe HRH Kate wrestles with it, too, but she has always tried very hard and has learned from her mistakes. Also, she appears to be a very good mother/friend/sister/daughter/DIL. I can't help but think that this must be horrors for both W&K.
Markle's grasping claw ("the claw! the claw!") and nouveau-riche ingratitude and entitlement are so very disgusting. The Duke (lololololol again) should just know better. And their wretchedness to PC and the Welsh estate, I just cannot. So, I'll just throw this out here:
PC, I know your ungrateful son and that tacky thing he drug home to BP don't want the Welsh estate, so if you'd like, I could live there with your grace and favor and I'll babysit all of the grandkids anytime. I will also allow red squirrels to visit and I will embrace all of your ideas re the environment with glee! I will keep your favorite whiskeys and will not count the number of just-a-spalshes I pour for you. I'm discreet, fun, and well-behaved when it matters. My family on one side is solidly Welsh (with the predictable bloodlines), and if we overlook that Magna Carta bit and that bit about the American Revolution, they were always loyal subjects. Also, we are cousins and family matters.
Got it.
I just don't agree with you. It's like Trump flying around in an Airbus (when the US is home to Boeing) or Angela Merkel turning up in a Toyota instead of a BMW or Benz.
Britain sells fashion. Harry sells Britain. Looking appropriate is part of his job.
Harry on the other hand, in his sullen “ I’ll show them” brattiness gave in to the party lifestyle and loose women that go with it. I bet he had a list of attributes for a spouse that were guaranteed to piss his family off. He chose one who ticked off each box. Whether the marriage is valid or not, he allowed himself to be manipulated into a position of looking like he wanted this woman. The vote is still out on just what MeGain and co. held over his head to make him appear to put a ring on it but the fact remains, his stupidity allowed him to be in a position for this to happen. There is a reason why several lovely, accomplished young women turned down his offer of marriage. Did nine of them before MeGain want more than to be his beard? Considering the close friendship he has with a certain long term ‘travel companion’, I think that bears thinking about.
It’s never been hidden that second sons of powerful families often feel deprived and cast aside. They make the
perfect targets for nefarious people to use as leverage. All that needs to be done was wag their chosen poisons in
front of them and wait (with cameras) for them to bite. The Illuminati or whoever couldn’t have asked for a better situation than these two.
When money is made by illegal means, (drugs, prostitution, etc) typically a business is set up to "launder" the money through, making it look like it was obtained legally. You can spot them because they never seem to have customers or new inventory but stay in business.......ever seen a mattress store that nobody ever goes to but has been in business for years and years?
Interesting what leads in it as it is mainly about SW (a new biography). When he was still information gathering, they were still friends.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7427607/How-Serena-Williams-passed-learned-exposure-racism-Meghan-Markle.html
The legend is that the Buddha held a race for all the animals. The rat came in first, and the pig or boar came in last because he was having such a great time. The Chinese astrological cycle thus begins with the rat as the first sign, and the last is the pig.
Harry has had issues about being second to Harry from childhood. I'm not sure about Andrew but there was a very big age gap between him and Charles/Anne.
Charles is a rat as well, but then, he's the Heir!
@KayeC - businesses like you describe are one way to do it, but if only it were so obvious and easy. And often the businesses are "real", @Louise500. They are not always fake or loser businesses. That's small time back in the "olden days" laundering, when it was simple crime.
There are many, many ways to do it, but real estate is another way to do it. Ditto with political campaigns. Casinos. Money-Services Businesses. Prepaid debit and credit cards. It's no longer the low-end sleaze factor.
It is also not different in different countries, although regulations do vary, but it's a global problem with global coordination.
I worked in AML and cannot describe any specific accounts I researched. What I can say is that I saw some really creative structures.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9864469/meghan-harry-snub-queen-balmoral/
I was just saying to you that sometimes they are real businesses only b/c you said "seemingly". One of my favs really is the small-town, real life business who gets an 'altruistic' (yes, right lol) investor who visits the restaurant 'by chance' (researched the mark) and wants the 'tax deduction' (place to launder). ROFL.
But anyway, yes, I get carried away. I'll shut up now.
It's a fascinating field, though, isn't it?
I'm jaded and cynical, of course, but I think that Markle has been dropping these stories since early summer to force HMTQ's hand for an invitation. They've become less fanciful as time has passed. First it was the special birthday party and cake, then it was the private cottage while W&K were there, then it was after W&K left, and now it's never. I think that markle probably thought the awkwardness of failing to invite the Dumbartons would force The Queen's hand, but hahahaha, no. No invitation two years in a row, so I think that speaks volumes about markle's favoritist-of-all status with HMTQ, and this latest spin is the only absurd way to spin the fact that the dumbartons are going nowhere near the BRF unless it's absolutely required. I do think that they may have been completely cut off and wouldn't that be wonderful.
So, you weren't invited. Even Fergie gets invited if Phil The Greek isn't around, so you're more of a pariah than her. Not good, is it?
@Nutty, suggested post: "what does this mean that markle "snubbed" The Queen lolololol.
Contemptinis, chez moi, tonight!
Side note: Lord G, I know you weren't around at that time, but hell-the-F-O, this is creepy.
Also, as someone there pointed out, PH and markle have competing engagements on 9/12. Odd. Like the not-living-together kind of odd?
This become more bizarre by the day. Thankfully, I have a break and can watch the soap full on for a couple of weeks. Pass the popcorn and fill that Contemptini pitcher, Nutties!
OMG - I've got the popcorn!!!
But it seems all hell has broken loose - I think any remaining boundaries have now been relaxed and that is bad for them - good for us though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLOeyWL3V8I