The Sussex PR team - which seems to be a group effort between Sushine Sachs, Kruger Crowne, and a few elements of the British Foreign Office - is doing its best to portray the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's tour of Southern Africa as an unqualified success.
Others would beg to differ, including many people who comment on this board.
Still, it's no fun being a sourpuss all the time, so let's try something counter-intuitive today.
What do you think was the high point of the African tour?
This is the kind of thing the British Royal Family should be doing: honoring someone who made the ultimate sacrifice for the public good, in this case helping to stop the killing of elephants.
Harry's participation in the wreath-laying ceremony also brought fresh attention to the topic of wildlife poaching. Raising issues for public discussion is another thing the Royal Family is good for.
Doesn't the Foreign Office have access to military headshots?
Instead, we get a dozen more photos of Harry and Meghan.
What do you think has gone well during the trip?
Others would beg to differ, including many people who comment on this board.
Still, it's no fun being a sourpuss all the time, so let's try something counter-intuitive today.
What do you think was the high point of the African tour?
Tribute to fallen soldier
I'll start. I think Prince Harry's tribute to Matthew Talbot, a 22-year-old British Guardsman who was killed in Malawi while participating in an anti-poaching effort, was well-chosen and appropriate.This is the kind of thing the British Royal Family should be doing: honoring someone who made the ultimate sacrifice for the public good, in this case helping to stop the killing of elephants.
Harry's participation in the wreath-laying ceremony also brought fresh attention to the topic of wildlife poaching. Raising issues for public discussion is another thing the Royal Family is good for.
No photo of Talbot
That said, I find it strange that there was no picture of Talbot in either the BBC story or the Daily Mail story - wouldn't one of the three PR companies have been able to dig one up?Doesn't the Foreign Office have access to military headshots?
Instead, we get a dozen more photos of Harry and Meghan.
Don't get your hopes up
I suppose we have to keep our expectations in check when it comes to the Sussexes.What do you think has gone well during the trip?
Comments
Well... I guess they finally showed us a living breathing child in motion (nevermind if it’s the right age, or consistent with prior iterations).
This will sound snarky, but... I actually am glad she made me appreciate how poised and elegant Diana and Kate are, in comparison.
(someone with a more generous spirit should now offer a better response to Nutty’s thoughtful post.)
Once again I'm sorry for my English.
This tour was strategically planned to take place during the week of school holidays here. Less traffic so their entourage could move around easily. It puzzles me to see the Nyanga speech to children in full school uniform!! Schools were closed! It is sad that those children had to lose a day of rest and be used.
Also 24th September is a public holiday in South Africa and everyone who could was out and about celebrating various cultural events. The Cape Minstrels have their own fan base, and these fans turn out in huge numbers. Those crowds in those photos turned out for these events. Of course , it would have been a bonus to any celebrity who wanted that background.
Things that went well? I thought Harry's solo engagements - his disrespectful shabby appearance aside - were quite good, and what you'd expect from a royal tour. Which begs the questions: what is Meghan's role in this? I have never known a royal tour where a couple separate for several days and each does different engagements. Are her engagements official? If so, why do they clash with Harry's? Royal diaries are usually carefully planned to avoid that sort of thing.
I guess you could also say that Meghan wearing more 'repeats' and mid-range brands is a positive, and I was initially impressed. However, it's so very obvious that it's just a PR ploy and as I've said before, if PR is obvious then it's not working. Plus I bet another aim is that if she goes back to wearing high-end stuff again - as I'm sure she will - her fanz can turn around and say "Oh but she wore high street stuff in the South Africa tour so leave her alone!"
I'll repeat what I said before: The only possible way for these two to win back the British public is to basically disappear to their taxpayer funded home and enjoy their baby, mixing in a low key, unglamourous appearance somewhere in GB every week or so. That's what the other royals do: when they're not on 'duty', we don't see or hear from them, and that's how people prefer it. Sounds pretty cushy to me, but if you're a narcissit, and if you're represented by an American PR firm for whom all publicity is good publicity, then it's not possible. Stand by for more daily leaks from 'friends' just to make sure there's a story in the press about her every single day. How dull.
I've heard so many things from SA friends that the country has gone absolutely down the drain. Admittedly, they are Boer and likely to feel certain issues more keenly and differently. Yet it was a nice reminder that still certain things are unchanged and lovely.
All I'm coming away with is "murder capital" and "femicide."
I understand two male South African TV hosts got married this weekend in a traditional ceremony that featured several costume changes. (Google "Somizi wedding" for more info.) Apparently the two men were from different tribes, and there was a ceremony to admit the Zulu groom into the Sotho groom's tribe, with appropriate traditional garb and a new Sotho name.
That sounds like a lot more fun to me - and a lot more symbolic of South Africa in 2019 - then Harry and Meg's dismal meetings and throwbacks to the days of apartheid.
I agree the first day was good and I thought that perhaps Meghan was starting to listen and things may go uphill. Ah well. I never had a doubt that Archie is alive and well, so no surprise to me. It was nevertheless great to see him move. I also liked that Harry had the chance to do a few engagements on his own (albeit not without being disrupted by his wife).
Personally, I found various twitter accounts which claim not to be Meghan and their tweets quite entertaining. I feel my very last doubts that she may not be quite as bad as she comes across have disappeared. I feel things are much worse than I had suspected for a long time. This is the most entertaining the RF has ever been during my adult life.
Interwebz: 11 comments
Hmmmmmmm........???......nope!
Yes, I echo this,and I think it can be a legitimate example of what's gone right about this tour. I was critical about Kate for years and I'm not ashamed to admit this and say I was wrong. Meghan's 'wokeness' has made me realise the BRF are limited in what they say and do for a reason. It may be boring and it may look outdated, but it's the best way to be. They have to represent everybody. The way Meghan is operating excludes most of the UK population and moreover she seems to ENJOY excluding them.
People across the political spectrum agree the country is polarised to a degree not seen since the days of the English Civil War. As part of that people are expressing their discontent about Meghan when they never would have bothered to voice an opinion about any member of the BRF before. I have seen this personally any number of times. She's no longer damaging 'just' on a personal level. Her malign influence is extending to the BRF as a whole and the last thing they need at this time is a destructive, extravagant duchess gone rogue. She's a magnet for discontent.
If this tour is the straw that broke the camel's back for Meghan (IF), then I'll throw my hat in the air and declare it to be the best royal tour since George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada and America leading up to World War II. I know it's hard to believe, but people praised Queen Elizabeth - later the Queen Mother - for her crinolined dresses and cascades of lace, so different to the svelte lines of the 1930s. (They were actually designed because she couldn't stay away from the dinner table.) She seduced them with her charm and George VI seduced them with his rather tortured, silent nobility, and who know how much this helped FDR and US philanthropists to bridge the gap in resources for the UK until Pearl Harbour.
Of course national survival in World War II can't be compared to Meghan (how she would love that - good or bad doesn't matter to our rogue duchess) but what I'm saying is that seemingly insubstantial things like lace camouflage dresses can still have a place in our history books, as can Meghan's controversial wardrobe. We are living though a critical time in our history. The BRF needs to justify their place in 21st century Britain. Meghan is shining a light on reasons why we should politely ask them to leave, and this tour has made the light even brighter. If I was a member of Republic, I'd be happy right now. (But I wouldn't be holding my breath. This is Britain. We do social change s-l-o-w-l-y.)
I don't know where Archie fits in, but I don't think they know either. All I know is that he needs loving care and playfulness from someone whose vision isn't obscured by dollar signs and camera angles.
The other good result is that Harry has showed he can still do his thing if Meghan is absent literally and virtually. He's still lazy about the detail but he can still get out of bed and show up. So it's not too late to save him. It would be tough as he's far gone and has forfeited our affection, but it's worth trying once Meghan is out of the picture for good. Like the time when Edward VIII, then PoW, made an intervention (in modern parlance) for his brother George, the Duke of Kent and got him off hard drugs. He shut him away in one of their many residences and just did it. Come on Wills! Do some terminal scarfing and then rescue your brother!
I suspect that when the story of the Harkles is told some years from now, this tour will be looked at like Haz' parents' South Korea tour - the point at which it was clear that things just weren't right. Not so much distant looks like what happened in the SK tour but questions. Lots of questions. Why are they spending nearly a week in different countries? Why does Meghan feel the need to Skype in and otherwise overshadow her husband's engagements? Why is she treating him - the born royal, the one and only reason she is there - as an accessory? Why is he going along with this? Why does he always seem so much happier and at ease away from her?
It's obvious that there is something very wrong chez Haz 'n' Megs. And no amount of in-your-face PR can hide that.
Harry - I think he seriously needs an intervention or to wake up and smell the roses. He looks like he's at the end of his rope and I'm seriously concerned that he may do something drastic - intentional or not. Didn't Diana do self-harming at one point? I'm seriously concerned.
S'Meagol on the other hand.. I get that she's American and would like to be popular in the United States but it's the British taxpayer that's paying her upkeep. I hate that she's excluding them 95% of the time. I'm a proud Canadian that lives in the US married to a United States citizen - who oh btw doesn't give two cents or less about Preach and Leech. I've been a royalist all my life but Mooch and Kooch are really making me very angry. And they're supposed to be the Commonwealth ambassadors? How disappointing, I think HM should yank those titles - all of them and give them to someone who wants to represent the Commonwealth. I don't even click on any articles that mention them.
One thing I've noticed during this tour - other than the Cambridges outing and Bea's engagement, the RF have been very quiet. Have I missed others?
Good advice.
I will try my best to not infuse my scant comments with negativity.
Day 1 -- I liked Meg's black-and--white dress. She got flak for its low cut, but she did showcase a Malawi designer. I'd like to see that dress again, but perhaps with a black cami underneath for any greeting of the public. Her hair also looked nice.
Harry's visit to the slain soldier memorial was in keeping with the kinds of things a Royal tour, and particularly his, should showcase.
I'm glad Archie looks healthy, happy and well-cared for. Someone is doing a good job with him.
*****
I'm afraid that's all I've got without getting snarky.
Count this as an observation, not snarkiness per se: I do wonder if Meg's role in this tour was never meant to be official. The events she went to with Harry were nothing he couldn't have done alone, and the 'private' ones she went to by herself have the smell of things her 'team' hastily arranged to fill up time. If she had been invited as an official Royal rather than as Harry's plus-one, she would have accompanied him to the other countries.
The purpose of Meg's coming along was to merch Archie and herself. I don't consider that snark so much as 'fact'. :p
Harry's cringeworthy Halo walk and sitting by himself looking at the tree named after Diana. That put me in mind of Diana sitting by herself at the Taj Mahal. The majority of what he is doing on this tour, he did privately, including the halo walk, three years ago. All done again for the cameras. The grey suit and brown suede shoes are an embarrassment. What happened to the navy suit and polished shoes he wore to meet Desmond Tutu? Were they borrowed so he would look good for the H&M website promoting the clothes Archie was wearing? Let's not forget the preaching speeches and him looking like a support act and not the royal he actually is.
Oh and Meghan. Where do you start. The mosque visit, telling women to sit on the floor, giving them Archie's clothes, skyping in on one of Harry's visits, preaching speeches, and the ladies who lunch meeting that they had to pay to attend. The one private visit which disgusted me was going to the place where that young woman was killed. The crowds reported the visit on social media which then meant BP had to confirm the visit. No one was allowed to take pictures, yet a day later up pops a photo of her writing on a yellow ribbon. Then to take it to another level, the top she was wearing had a link from that post as to where you could buy it. Shameful. Also again with the preaching speeches and ill fitting clothes
It's been blatantly obvious that this tour, well Meghan's tour has been all about promoting her. She has basically said that she will continue to do her own thing and royal duties can take a back seat.
Will anything be done to reign the both of them in? At this point it looks like a no.
I have seen elephants in the wild so, for me, bringing the anti-poaching back to visible by BRF was it.
That it happened when he was by himself is noted. She is quite good about making any meet and greet all about herself. I don't know why I am still shocked.
I have always had some respect for Kate (for knowing what the position was and what that meant for her/what she could and could not do but willing to take that on to be as it should be done). But it has, as was mentioned, vastly increased. She does what she is supposed to do and does it well.
Archie. I knew there was a real baby somewhere. Cute kid. Sad, really sad, that he is useful for making money. And then I thought of Fagin from Oliver Twist.
ROFL! Whenever her mouth is open in that fake laugh now, I shall hear SpongeBob's inane laugh! But that isn't enough...I had to research it so that I could make my own SpongeBob sound effect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5c9mj-PbLI
So, I suppose she is developing talents in me that were (rightfully) unexplored before.
Only...there isn't much coverage at all. This is astonishing to me. Are they waiting to "cover the tour" in their print magazine? Or do they not care about it? Hello! is rampantly pro-Royal and nauseatingly positive (nary a word on Andrew's recent troubles), so the silence is deafening. Of 20 thumb-nailed stories on their front page, only 4 have anything to do with the Royal tour. Sadly, 3 of the 4 are Meghan related. I'd never even heard of Harry's honoring the fallen soldier until I read about it on this blog from commentors.
So I've had a dearth of opportunity to hear or see anything about them, but for the positive I will say that she has worn 2 outfits I liked. I'm happy to see her wearing recycled and/or reasonably priced clothes. However, as others have mentioned, this is so clearly a PR ploy that there is no genuine meaning behind these sartorial decisions other than "leave me the eff alone!"
I saw a video of her kneeling to accept flowers and hand drawn pictures from two little girls. The kneeling down ploy was so obviously "scripted"-- Step One: approach little children. Step Two: Kneel down and smile. Step Three: Fiddle with hair (a unique and incredibly annoying Smirkle trait) and give pretend "I'm so surprised and will overly emote" smile to said children.
Fake, phony, insincere.
BUT, I did like those two dresses.
Also, Archie is cute as a button, but there was something off with her handling of him and a lack of closeness or warmth between them. I'm a parent of dogs only, and have truly negligible experience with babies despite being officially middle-aged, but the vibe or aura was off for me. But he is a doll! May he thrive and know only love...from whomever is caring for him.
After watching a documentary on Jesy Nelson from Little Mix and realising how horrible i was being to Meghan, which could legally be classed as bullying ive been trying to be nice where it is warranted.
So.
I have been particularly impressed by her clothing choices on this tour. Cheap (for her) simple dresses that suit her, i wish she would ditch the belts though because they highlight her middle and i think the belts ruin the aesthetics of the dress, i think she would look better if they flowed freely.
I like the fact that she has highlighted African designers, and i like her in flat shoes, i loved her Orange flats yesterday for example.
That said.
Archie is the spitting image of his father, there is no question of his parentage and anyone that does is a bit deluded.
People should stop saying she is Black, she is mixed race, and very pale mixed race at that, if you didnt know her mother was black you would think she was caucasian.
I am still tired of Harry lecturing me on the environment, grade a hypocrite, he is driving me insane. I have been thinking lately that i really believe that Harry has Complex PTSD. His behaviour is erratic and it would explain why he lets Meghan go before him because he is so anxious and he needs the attention away from him and Meghan is happy to do that for him, plus he needs comfort, like when she puts her hands on his back, i think he needs it mentally and it has softened my attitude towards Meghan because it cannot be easy to live with.
Im English and Harry has always had a soft spot in my heart since the day he walked behind his mums coffin, i still sob uncontrollably when i see it, no idea why. However the constant using Diana as a get out of jail free card to condone all his behaviour is starting to get right on my last nerve and they should stop it.
I still begrudge giving them my tax money and their spending has been completely obscene, but if they continue the way they have on this tour with simple ethical clothing that everyday people could afford then i do believe that eventually the tide will turn, however they really need to remember that the British taxpayer pay for their lifestyles and the British people should come 1st, that means clothing designers, charitys etc etc Its good that they go abroad, but their loyalty should be to Britain and its people.
That was a bit longer than i had intended lol
@Liver Bird '@Nutty I agree. Aren't royal tours supposed to be up beat and about celebrating the positive aspects of both the host country and GB? Isn't that why governments choose to fund them? Yet here, they've focussed on negative things both from the past - apartheid - and the present - violence against women. Why would the South African government want to pay for that? Everyone knows their country has and has had serious problems, but royal tours are supposed to emphasise the good things, as well of course as the things which connect them with GB. Otherwise why bother?'
In both the US & the UK there have been concerted efforts to use the colonial past as a way provoke criticism of both countries, perhaps as basis for reparations & various other forms of compensation. The UK had the 'Rhodes Must Fall' (instigated at times by students from SA) campaign & various statues of historic figures tied to the slave trade have been removed. We have been undergoing the same process here in the US. Statues pulled down, things renamed, & several Democratic presidential candidates have called for reparations. So there might be some in SA, including the government who were happy for Megs to highlight these seemingly negative things. The murder of the young girl was an outgrowth of the ills of apartheid, etc. could be the thinking.
Apologies for sticking my oar into politics, but Megs put us there by her actions. Also, my italics function isn't working for some reason, so sorry I couldn't italicize Liver Bird's quote.
I am still surprised about the hush hush of the H&M ad...from that point I felt like RF is actually not going to do much except burying its face in the sand. Each and every appearances of her is major cringe. It's very evident she loves herself! She thinks very highly of herself. Couldn't even give her husband chance to shine...nothing affects her at all...its truly me-me-me!
It seems so very strange that Prince Harry can do well enough on his own, yet be quite subservient and incapable when with her. I think the tour highlighted this. Maybe it is just a case of him doing this solo for such a long time that he can do the royal presence thing in his sleep as long as there isn't somebody to disrupt him.
Am I seeing this incorrectly? If anybody wants to school me on this, (Prince Harry being better with her in tow) I will be happy to take instruction.
Day two had potential. Baby Archie lives , breathes and moves. Can't wait until he writes a tell all book. Harry owns a decent suit! He should wear it more often. And get a few more. And a valet, a serious valet not a drinking buddy. Arch meets Arch epitomizes everything wrong with the duo and, at least to me, shows that Harry is a willing participant in this nonsense. Unlike Megan, he knows how things "should" be done. Someone needs to rescue the baby from these two.
Harry is better at his job alone. Meg's can't be trusted at important appearances because she shifts the narrative hogging the camera and acting and dressing innapropriately.
Both should keep quiet and quit private social media. The royal accounts and the professional press cover events adequately.
They have pushed the limits to the point that the RF should act.
Meg has an insidious addiction to belted trenchcoat styles. The fact that this is the absolute worst style for her body type, with the fussy double-breast design and extra bulk around her middle doesn't deter her at all.
Those trench style dresses are perfect for someone like Catherine, though.
One of the Mysteries of Meg surely must be where she gets all this money for PR. Surely that measly $3 Mil from Disney must be gone by now. There isn't a single major lifestyle/celeb magazine in the States that hasn't drenched themselves in MM coverage. And she's got several of the top search engines in her pocket, too. It beggers belief.
That is all I can muster. However, today she had put her foot in it again. During her university talk she paused to look at her notes and said, " I don't want to screw this part up...", well, she kind of did by using that very un-royal vocab!
In her narcissist bubble (propped up by expensive PR that the British people are paying for ... wake up people and say no), she is fabulous and beautiful and the most famous and important person on a global scale. This is what I read from her energy on the tour, and I think that the media at least are buying into this nonsense!
So, this tour is a major win for Megsy (who turned up at a South African university like an A-lister, gave a garbled speech (what the heck is she actually saying and what qualifications and experience does she have to say anything at all), in which she lied and had to refer to notes (including swearing in the most common way possible) to announce funding for a bursary (not clear to me because that part just got lost in the show) and then left for a quick change and another engagement where she could hug African children (porn poverty alert, although just because those kids are black does not mean they are poor).
Most South Africans (really, the majority) do not even know that she was here and her visit has made absolutely NO difference to them at all, but Megsy has hit a home run in the international media, which is what this tour was about, and so it is ALL a huge success for her.
Do you think her voice is good enough to do voice overs for animated movies?
I agree that it's all about self-promotion for Megz, but have the international media been that interested in this tour? In the UK, the only things which even made a ripple in the mainstream media were the Archie roll-out and Harry's Diana cosplay, the latter not even involving her (!)Just like as you say most South Africans have no clue she was there, neither do most Brits. I doubt the media elsewhere was any more enthusiastic. She's just not nearly as interesting as she seems to think she is. Diana she is not and never will be.
Animated movies may be a bit of a stretch, unless it is for a character designed to annoy and repel the audience :-)
Here's the article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/09/29/prince-harry-caring-planet-not-hippy-must-overcome-greed-apathy/
Two choice quotes from Harry:
"'Caring about conservation should not be dismissed as' “hippy”, the Duke of Sussex has said, as he issues a rallying cry for humankind to overcome 'greed, apathy and selfishness' to guarantee its survival on the planet."
You first Harry, please give up all the trappings of being a royal... start with the huge budget for travel and police protection, then move on to the clothing allowance. Once you've purged yourself of all your wealth, property and privilege, we can have a chat about greed and selfishness.
"In impassioned words ahead of his royal visit to highlight conservation projects in Malawi, the Duke warned of 'vast ecosystems' set alight in Africa, communities destroyed for short-term gain, and warned a 'natural order' between humans and wildlife must be restored."
Nice word salad I didn't order. I'd like to have a word with him about 'natural order' and how unnatural it is to be the heir to a thousand years of wealth, power, and privilege. Why do I suspect he means for us peasants to limit our travel and general consumption of goods and services? The natural order is for the haves to have it all while the rest of us live in 80 sq ft cells, stacked atop each other, sitting in the dark, eating crumbs.
Here's another article: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a29074769/meghan-markle-prince-harry-royal-tour-africa-2019-staff/
So Harry, you travel with 13 people? Please explain to me about greed, apathy, and selfishness again, and how you are saving the planet.
Harry can go f*ck himself with a barbed stick. If this uneducated twat didn't have a title, no one would listen to him.
Can you tell I'm feeling rather surly today?
I suppose anyone who has simulated full-blown sex on a camera probably doesn’t have a shy bone in her body, but part of the whole “I’ve never met a camera I didn’t like” is that she is grossly overexposed at this point. She thinks that all these photographs are in service of enhancing her image. But in fact they are only feeding the narrative that she’s a narcissist in search of more adoration.
If Meg hired me as her PR person (and I’m a technical editor but bear with me), the first thing I would do would be to make my persona everything BUT about me. I would be using my iPhone to take pictures of all those people she reluctantly populates in the PR and make them front and center WITHOUT a single shot of her. I would even encourage her to start a blog but NOT along the lines of that self-promoting vanity project “The Tig.” I would feature all those people she met in SA, complete with pictures and their little stories and make it about them. Make “me” the afterthought. Not a single “I” should appear. A year of this kind of “self-exile” would go a long way to restoring her image because we are SO SICK OF HER. All these people around her have interesting stories to tell, and they all get pushed out of the way by the juggernaut of her “I.” SS, you heard it hear first. Get her away from the camera. This will give people like me nothing to snark about. Her inappropriate attire, her silly overuse of bronzer to make her appear more “ethnic,” her bizarre affectation for ratty, unkempt hair (wigs). I could go on and on. She needs to disappear physically. And then after a year, she slowly emerges, chic, well-dressed, and coached down to every single word. Because uncoached, all she can do is talk about herself. I think that is the “real” her, but when handed lemons, make lemonade. I don’t think she would agree to any of this, because her true love is the camera, but it would eliminate a huge percentage of the negative “talk” about her.
So, yes, I now have much greater appreciation for how a smart PR campaign is run and how the people at SS don’t know their ass from their elbow.
In a few weeks we’re going to see Wills and Kate show us how it’s really done, and how the Monarchy can still remain relevant in our time. The machinations of the palace can be a wonder to behold.
Now Liz has the goods, we’ll see what’s next, but this tour was NOT a success by any measure. What I do know, (and it is what got my hinky metre up in the first place regarding MM), is that the Palace is very conspicuous by their seeming inaction as is the mainstream media in letting her PR form the rhetoric. Something is being held back and I hope this tour gave the Palace something they’ve been waiting for.
Yet this woman would have us believe she is a dedicated member of the La Leche League and has been breastfeeding her son for the last five months. While leaving her baby for three days at a time and flaunting her t*ts in white shirts.
She is not nursing Archie. Despite the post-partum pregnancy show in May, I also believe she is far too vain to have carried that baby herself. He is their genetic issue, it seems indisputable . . but if Archie is actually in their custody, his safety and welfare, in the hands of two immature, narcissistic drug addicts is going to be weighing heavily on my mind. Maybe Sophie Wessex is caring for him? Sophie could not be along on this tour as it would raise too many questions, so there are interim nannies. He's a happy little guy considering that he's been passed around like a party favor.
The long-overdue reveal of Archie raises more questions than it answers, but it's a sure thing that a person without a soul cannot be a good mother.
Kudos to you for coming up with discussion topics every day.
The highlight of the tour for me was the article by the Aussie journalist and accompanying photos showing that the media hordes outumbered the actual South Africans paid to attend the Harkles events. It was hilarious and really showed what a big photo op the tour was.
I would agree with you that honoring Mathew Talbot ( 22, so young! Horrible) would have been number one for me due to my neverending concern for disappearing animal species, in particular elephants. But all Harry did for me with that appearance was remind me how he chose to attend the Disney Lion King premiere over going to the Deal memorial so it left a bitter taste in my mouth. This became amplified once Harry made his asinine and hypocritical speech on conservation.
Finally the other favorite, and frankly sad, about the tour is that the world has been shown Harry’s very diminished and wraithlike
condition. Far beyond henpecked, his deferential demeanor to her and the way he practically sinks into the wall so she can be at the center of attention shows the world and the Royal Family in no uncertain terms how toxic and cultish the relationship is and how Harry has been brainwashed by an NPD/Borderline hagalina.
@Mishi Spongbob Square Pants —bwahaha.
The endless parade of fabric belts tied directly under the boobs disgust me because I think they are pregnancy signaling.
It’s the new belly clutching. Gag.
The sign that read "Welcome Harry's Father"
and
The gigantic banner across the road that read '(We welcome) the Duck of Sussex'
*****
The second one, a typo. Regrettable but it happens, particularly when composing signs in one's non-native language.
The first one, major shade throwing.
Well played, South Africans.
@BJLK I agree with you 110%. Promoting the UK is in the job description and supporting the Queen.
There was also a caption of Harry calling him the Duchess of Sussex. Love it!
Whoops, I meant the sign read 'Welcome Archie's Father'. Meglodon has me so discombobulated I don't know what I'm saying. That image of her in the mosque get-up like an escapee from 'The Abduction of the Seraglio meets Jesus Christ Superstar' haunts my dreams.
Seriously though, why should the Africans care about Meghan? Harry is the legitimate tie to the Queen. Doubtful too many folks there were plastered to their TVs for the Corpse Bride wedding, if they even own TVs. TV, social media, tabloid newspapers and glossy magazines, where Smegs has been smearing her image relentlessly are luxuries for all but a handful of the elite. These people are trying to eat and feed and clothe their children. I doubt many Africans even know what Harry's wife looks like. She is nothing to them.
The whites in South Africa are either of British descent or are Boers. The Boers have no affection for the British even though they were British subjects for decades. That just leaves the mixed raced people who may or may not remember colonial times fondly, and the descendants of Brits. That's what they are gambling their global reputation on?
I have better odds in a casino.
https://news.sky.com/story/meghan-sues-mail-on-sunday-harrys-statement-in-full-11824792
Re Harry’s statement. We know one thing: neither one of the Harkles actually wrote it. It’s too well written. LOL.
Notice the note about press coverage of the tour being positive. LOL.
Sadly I believe this signals a commitment to his wife and the rumors that they fight all the time and live apart may not be true?
What a dumb way to fight back. They need to change their behavior. The press will probably rip them new arseholes for this.
However, it's the whiny letter from Haz (though we can bet Meghan wrote it) all about 'bullying' and of course playing the mummmy card which gets me. I'm sick of any sort of criticism of a high-profile person being described as 'bullying'. Particularly when that person has been seeking out media attention all her adult life. Because that's the thing with fame - you can't control what people say about you. Some of it will be good, some of it won't. Deal with it like the other royals do and get over yourself. Never complain, never explain.
Someone is disappointed in how the tour turned out!
Gosh, this is a mess!
Personally, I do not think Harry can come back from this in any way, and the damage to the Royal Family as a whole will be irrepareable.
Clearly this action hasn't been sanctioned by the palace as they've said it will be privately funded and they don't appear to be using the royals' preferred legal firm. And we now know why we've had the 'Duchess Thrifty' and all those photo-ops with cute kids laid on so thick - it's there to form the backdrop to this legal action. I mean, that letter was published many months ago and most people had long forgotten about it. So why now?
I'd say they do have a good chance of winning though, not that I really have a clue!
He is suing because of letter, invokes dead mother, says this is a private action funded privately by himself and Meghan.
Also, noticeably not using the family lawyers, Harbottles, but another lawfirm, Schillings.
panicked. They may win this suit but people are still going to hate on her. At least he didn't cry racism but he did feel compelled to play the Diana card.
To dump an accusation like that on an already over-burdened man is vile, but I bet she did. It has crossed my mind, given Meg's hyper-sexualized behavior as a teen, her choice of profession, and her choice of the image she embraced within that profession, plus the yachting and the seemingly complete lack of scruples about selling her body and a sexy image--all of this points to classic signs of sexual abuse. A very high percentage of prostitutes were sexually abused as children and we can say the same about slutty actresses. Meg was not raised in the most salubrious environment. She may well have been assaulted by someone(s) on the Married With Children set (a raunchy place which was not suitable for a pre-pubescent girl) . . or any of Thom and Doria's pothead friends that were in and out. It was a bohemian household and while Thom may have been loving and well-intentioned, he was also distracted and out of it a lot of the time to know exactly where his nubile daughter was and what she was doing. That Lolita complex is not natural but rather a learned behavior. And it's really disturbing when a nearly-40 year old woman is still milking the Lolita complex.
An allegation of being raped by her father would be guaranteed to disgust Harry and put him well off of ever pestering to meet her Dad. Megs doesn't want him getting too close to Dad lest Harry start to question what he's been told.
Is this what she wants? She's out to annihilate her family and just be seen and associated with "the family she never had" because it suits her narrative for now. What's the end goal here. I don't understand all this maneuvering.
 +9
The couple's tour of South Africa, Botswana, Angola and Malawi ends tomorrow. The Duchess said all of their engagements were organised around Archie's feeds.
“This is the most extraordinary statement and goes way beyond anything I have ever seen issued by a member of the royal family.
“I completely understand that Harry should feel protective about his wife and there have undoubtedly been some negative stories in the last nine months that must have hurt - but not exclusively in the Mail on Sunday - and they have not all been lies, nor I would suggest, part of a ruthless campaign.
“The positive coverage of this last week in Africa is richly deserved. This feels to me like an over-emotional and somewhat ill- advised outburst.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10046359/meghan-harry-mail-on-sunday-statement-letter-news/
Love reading your opinions.
Megs disowned Tom because he refused her demand that he choose between her and her half sister Samantha. She wanted him to disown and shun Sam, and when he didn't, she shunned him. What kind of a daughter does that?
I don't think Tom had anything to do with molesting or other advances to Megs. I wouldn't put it past her mother's friends, or maybe some of Tom's though. And, some of my more slutty friends were never molested or mistreated, so it's not always the case.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7526379/Prince-Harry-launches-emotional-attack-British-press.html
It was nice to see that baby Archie is a healthy, happy little guy. I'm sure Meghan has nothing to do with that, but was nice to see.
I liked the dancers on the first day, the wonderful daughter of Bishop Tutu, seeing whatever I could see past Meggie's big fat head, of the culture and people. It was also nice to see that Harry does in fact own more than one suit and pair of shoes.
That's pretty much it. Meg can't dress herself to save her life, can only control her hair about one third of the time, can't relate to people at all, and completely used the murder of a girl just to benefit herself. She insulted customs, religion, etc etc. And to top it off she succeeded in convincing no one that this wasn't one huge PR exercise.
I do agree with the posters who claim this is a huge boon for the rest of the RF. This is a long awaited backlash against the whole "modernization of the Royal Family", started so long ago with Princess Diana. The RF's strength all along has been its very traditional behavior. Yes, you might think Kate dresses way too conservatively and the "stiff upper lip" thing outdated and the Queen too entrenched in tradition, but they connect Britain to its past in a way that just the castles and tiaras on their own can't do. Their service isn't just to the people, but to the country, the history, the very idea of Great Britain. Megs can't ever understand that, she doesn't even want to.
This is about a letter between Meghan and her father - no self-respecting feminist would allow her husband bring the suit and write the letter explaining it - she'd damn well do it herself. It really shows what we've all suspected - that Meghan is all mouth when talking about strong women but when the going is heavy she turns to men like the frailest little flower.
That letter - so silly, pretentious and fake sounding - would have been best forgotten. It didn't impress any of the public but Meghan supporters and was forgotten. This brings it all up again. The papers must be delighted. Any damages are well-balanced by the wonderful negativity this will bring. Poor weak little feminist Meghan hiding behind Harry against the big bad press. A strong woman (like the queen) would ignore such nonsense.
Nothing to do with Diana - if that driver hadn't been drunk and she'd had royal protection, she wouldn't have died. And Meghan is supposed to be strong and self-sufficient, not emotionally weak like Diana admittedly was. It's becoming obvious Meghan plays the poor little woman with Harry.