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Meghan and Harry's "mental health documentary" with Oprah - some thoughts

While Duchess Meghan clearly has an interest in getting back into show business - Prince Harry was even heard promoting her voiceover talents to Disney chairman Bob Iger - show business seems to have much less interest in Meghan.

Although various blind items have suggested that she is setting up meetings to discuss projects with various production houses, only one US-based project has been definitively announced: Prince Harry's documentary series about "mental health" in co-operation with Oprah Winfrey for the new Apple+ network.

(While Harry is the co-creator co-executive producer, it seems inevitable that Meg will play a role in the production and make one if not several appearances.)

What does Prince Harry have to teach us about mental health?

William's mental health video

The most convincing hosts and spokespeople speak from experience: Prince William's one-and-a-half minute PSA about mental health, released this week, is a good example.

Willam explains how his patronages the London Air Ambulance and Child Bereavement UK will be working together in two areas: one, teaching the Air Ambulance staff how to talk sensitively to family members of an child killed or severely injured in an incident, and secondly to help the Air Ambulance members themselves deal with the extreme stress of a job where they encounter devastating tragedies.

In the video, he speaks about his own struggles coping with bereavements when working for the Air Ambulance. "Having worked at the scene of traumatic incidents involving children, it was impossible for me not to take on board the enormous sadness and make the connection between the distressing events I had witnessed and  my own family."

This sounds like a useful project that will help the people of Britain, exactly the sort of thing that a Royal patron of a charity should be doing.

So, what's Harry up to?

Harry's mental health struggles

Harry has been open about struggling with his own mental health, particularly with grieving and guilt over the death of his mother Diana 22 years ago.

He also has an obvious angle in his association with military charities. Sadly, current and former service members have an extremely high rate of suicide, perhaps because of PTSD, perhaps because of their access to weapons.  This would be a useful topic of a documentary.

So would addiction. Harry has already been to rehab once as a teenager on Prince Charles' orders, supposedly because Harry was using marijuana. His longtime cocaine use appears to be an open secret, and he also reportedly drinks heavily.

There may be more substances in play, and Harry's rumpled appearance, particularly his stained clothes and weaving gait at a recent event at Royal Albert Hall, do not suggest a man who is completely sober.

A frank look at addiction - and how it can affect the very fortunate as well as the less fortunate - would be compelling television, but Buckingham Palace may not be quite ready for that.

"Tools to thrive, rather than simply survive"

According to the publicity when the series was announced in April, it will "focus on both mental illness and mental wellness, inspiring viewers to have an honest conversation about the challenges each of us faces, and how to equip ourselves with the tools to thrive, rather than to simply survive."

(Yes, folks, "thrive and survive" made an appearance way back in April 2019.)

In that statement, Harry was quoted as saying the documentary would be "positive, enlightening, and inclusive", which sounds like something Meg would write, but whatever.

Harry was also quoted as saying, "I truly believe that good mental health - mental fitness - is the key to powerful leadership, productive communities, and a purpose-driven self."

This sounds like the sort of word salad that marred the Fab Four's Mental Health PSA released in October, an advert that was so general about the topic that it wasn't very useful to anyone.

The documentary series will also show "human spirit fighting back from the darkest places," which I dearly hope will not be another exercise in pity tourism similar to what the Sussexes carried out in South Africa.

Meghan continues to insert herself into the tragic case of Uyinene Mrwetyana, a young woman murdered in Cape Town, sending a video this week to help launch a foundation in Uyinene's name.

Back to Britain

Uyinene's case is tragic, but so are the cases of the 23 young people who have been stabbed to death so far in 2019 in the Royal's home country, the United Kingdom.

Many are "BAME"- the British term for citizens who are Black, Asian, or Middle Eastern - exactly the sort of community Meghan says she cares about.

Wouldn't a project to address knife crime in the UK and its mental health implications - both for the survivors and for the relatives of the dead - be a more appropriate use of Meg's time and focus?

There's an old American cowboy expression that goes, "You have to dance with the girl that brung you."  (Wikipedia defines it as "be considerate and loyal to the one who has been supportive, attentive, or helpful to you.")

Based on what we know about the Oprah Winfrey documentary, I cannot see how it will benefit the people of the United Kingdom who are paying Prince Harry's and Duchess Meghan's bills.

Perhaps it is time for them to be on their own, without public support, so they can pursue the causes they care about unhampered by the British populace they don't.

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Housekeeping note: This post is about the Sussexes.  I will keep the Prince Andrew thread open for a few days so we can continue our discussions of Andrew, Beatrice, Edo, and that branch of the Royal Family there.

Comments

The Sussexes are unusually silent in the Oprah documentary front. Its been way too long since they announced it, perhaps a case of once bitten twice shy? If not the Sussexes themselves, then maybe their team or Oprahs/Apple don't want to jinx it by letting them talk about it just yet.

I had assumed that this break would be their way of spinning their American stint while they work on the documentary. Makes sense if you consider that there cryfest has been very recent and it's not their usual MO to appear weak or miserable. Mm has always projected the 'perfect family' image, it doesn't seem like she would want to appear weak, sad, not-thriving. I just think that maybe something did not work in their favour, and the waiting period was longer than they were willing to bargain for. The public now thinks of them as annoying, hypocritical, attention seeking.

I really do believe that MM will be a huge part of the conceptualization of this project and that that will be a big reason why it will be yet another blah self serving attempt. Maybe that's already the reason why it's being delayed, because of creative differences between Oprah and the Sussexes??
lizzie said…
I really don't understand why American audiences would want to hear from Harry (much less Meghan) about much of anything. Of course, I'm not sure the average American is all that interested in what Oprah has to say these days either. Certainly she's been amazingly successful and in a sense she's an icon, but she's kind of past her prime (and I'm not talking about her age.)

The Americans who are long time royal-watchers seem to be mostly disgusted by Harry and Meghan. And longtime American royal watchers certainly know the BRF is expected to serve the Queen and the UK, not spend time pontificating to Americans.

Another chunk of Americans may remember Harry as "Diana's ginger-haired son" (if they are old enough--after all, Diana has been dead nearly a quarter of a century), and/or may know M as the ho-hum second-rate Toronto-based actress Harry married, but otherwise they don't really care about the two of them one way or the other. I expect most Americans fall into this group.

The only people who likely will be interested are the Meghan-obsessed group-think "fans" who seem to have the emotional maturity of teenagers. While vocal, I expect this group is actually fairly small. And like teenagers, they may soon shift their focus to the next new shiny object to come along.
Unknown said…
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Nutty Flavor said…
Good point @Trudy - the Sussexes credibility is very low, and every experienced Royal reporters are saying so.

And @Alice, you are correct, it has been a long time since we have heard about the documentary series - although it could be expected to have a long production time, particularly if it involves multiple interviews and locales.

It could be, however, that like Meghan, Oprah suddenly found herself with a chemically-impaired Harry not capable of doing much at all.

@Lizzie, the US TV ratings for documentaries about the Harkles confirm that their organic audience is not very big. As for her puerile
"fans" online, I find it difficult to tell which ones are real and which ones are paid.
Unknown said…
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I don't think MMs PA comment was preemptive. It seems to me it was probably MMs attempt at being releviand jumping on whichever bandwagon comes along. Apart from the rumours/conspiracy that she targeted Harry she doesn't strike me as the kind who thinks things through for the long run. She is more reactionary, very right here right now types. It's the reason she hasn't been able to find a place in the hearts of British people yet, why her place and role in the BRF seems so flaky and undefined.

She likely just wanted to say something because the nation is collectively thinking about the PA saga right now, and she wanted to endearing herself by voucing an opinion that most public already have. Being in the telegraph is just her newest strategy to legitimize herself.
FrenchieLiv said…
Good morning Nutty! Thank you for the post.
I think the documentary is currently being prepared. MM still has a lot of support.
They're so predictable... They take no risks and ride along on the most popular social issues (women empowerment, mental health, climate change, body positivity...). The only popular issue in the US she can't jump into is all the topics related to the black & African-american communities (see American son, the Obama foundation, Black lives matters, when they see us...) : it mustn't be easy for her!

I think this documentary will be act II of their pity party & act II of their split from the BRF.
I can imagine they'll use people's stories (veteran, athlete, sick person (AIDS, eating disorder...), victim of domestic violence, new mum, victim of sexual violence....) to highlight their own mental health. At the end of the day, all the news headlines will be about them :
- chapter one on Diana's death/paparazzi (1st documentary in S.A was a kind of incipit),
- chapter II on PTSD in veterans. I don't think it was a random "intimate & secret" meeting with military families in Windsor (Harry, as a former soldier would share his experience : remake of American soldier),
- chapter III would be on being a royal / the British stiff upper lip / being a new mummy/daddy/weds. We may see them taking Archie to playgroup or attending to parent support group.
Long-term friends, A+ list celebrities, US & UK politicians would praise them for having given a voice to people to those who are silent and being so honest about their mental health!

As they're obviously trying to break the internet :
-they'll need breaking news so I can imagine they could also make passive agressive statements on Charles' affair with Camilla (how difficult it was for Harry to see his mummy crying) or on Andrew (interviewing a victim of sexual assault)
- the documentary will come as a surprise, a secret (key word for MM) project they prepared during their 6 weeks family time off.
- the documentary has to remain secret because it’s gonna be bomshell number 2. They’re going to lie and to hide this documentary from Charles & BP (or at least the most crispy parts).
Unknown said…
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Nelo said…
The Sunday Times have got a YouGov poll of Positive/Negative views of Royals today.


Prince Charles +42
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall -7
Prince William +74
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge +70
Prince Harry +51
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex +11
Prince Andrew -69.

The Times and Telegraph are known as the official mediums for the royals that's why no one doubts any royal story from them, especially, the times.
As for the documentary, has Oprah had a successful tv production in recent years? The Morning Show produced by America's sweetheart, Jennifer Aniston for Apple had very low ratings how much worse will a documentary from H and M do?
Andy's YouGiv rating is -69 ???! Lol! YOUGiv isn't trying to be too cheeky, is it? Hahaha

Also, telegraph is definitely a so called unofficial official.medium.for the royals. Which is why it's surprising that she is being quoted in a telegraph article. After the MP letter and now this telegraph article, is SS trying to get MM into the so called smarter set's psyche? That's why I said they are bow trying to legitimize her. Her original fan base is more the people, GoodHouskeeping , national enquirer, I stagram type right? But she isn't happy with that,she wants more. She wants be recognising and lauded for her better than you-ness.
Madge said…
"Wouldn't a project to address knife crime in the UK and its mental health implications - both for the survivors and for the relatives of the dead - be a more appropriate use of Meg's time and focus?"

It would, if only Markle was interested in the lives of British people. She couldn't give a damn about any of us aside from how much money she can leech out of the system. Every appearance, and I mean EVERY appearance has been for her benefit in some way.

By contrast William and Kate focus on British people, British trade, British profile overseas. Everything they do has a British focus at the core.

I think this difference is why Markle will never ever be successful in the UK. As time goes on, it gets worse as more people see her for what she really is. The vast majority were so willing to welcome her, but not so any more.

On top of her tone deaf, greedy and self-centred behaviour she either is incapable of learning or does not want. Personally, I think it's a bit of both. What could possibly have promoted her to make that comment about Andrew? I don't buy into the "source" theory, I think it came straight from her via one of her many mouthpieces. It was a most ill-advised comment because no matter what, that's the Queen's favourite son she's throwing shade at (love that modern saying!).

The news that, despite being on a break for six weeks, she has sent a video about the start up of the Uyinene Mrwetyana foundation shows that she just can't help herself. I'm an oldie Brit and have been following royal news since the 1960s, through all the years, including such events as Margaret's shinnangans, the War of the Wales, Fergie's toe sucking etc., I cannot recall ever seeing someone so self-centred, greedy and damaging in the RF.

As for Harry, I think we are now seeing his real personality. He is spoilt, petulant and immature. He and Markle enable each other in their quest for fauxmanitarian glory. The only hope we have is that Andrew's "retirement" prompts a further tightening up of acceptable behaviour.

In the DM this morning there is an article saying that William was part of the process and decision making in sidelining Andrew. Given that he saw right through Markle and cautioned Harry before they got engaged, there is hope that the Harkle Debarcle will be reined in, and soon.
Ava C said…
Re: YouGov poll figures above, I really don't understand why Camilla is so far below Meghan. The only one in minus quantities apart from Prince Andrew. She seems fine to me. Soldiering on with Prince Charles. I know there's still grievances from the Diana years, but Diana was no saint either and I thought public opinion had shifted to a more balanced viewpoint by now. Bodes ill for the next reign.

I guess Meghan is at the (to me) astoundingly high figures of +11 because of her stans. Such a polarising figure when she's meant to be unifying.
Ava C said…
The Sun has a YouGov poll asking which royals should be in receipt of public funding. Only 38% are in favour of H&M being funded. 44% no. 17% undecided. The undecided could easily shift to the no camp if Meghan continues to screw up this break. I get the impression Harry is doing us a favour and lying low but it's still early days.

Numbers aren't brilliant for Charles and Camilla either, given no one is more senior than him apart from the Queen. 51% yes. 35% no. 14% undecided. Must be the Camilla factor.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10410756/royal-poll-taxpayer-funding-prince-andrew/
lizzie said…
@FrenchieLiv said "MM still has a lot of support."

Who exactly is in this supportive US group besides Hillary, Ellen, maybe Serena (none of them are leaders of public opinion these days IMO) plus a few fair-weather Hollywood "friends?"

I have read this kind of statement before and I'm truly puzzled by it. I don't think I've ever heard MM discussed positively anywhere I've been except right before the wedding and even then, it was more in passing with the sentiment being "glad Harry's found someone to settle down with" not "wow, she's so amazing and so accomplished."

Now MM's pretty much never mentioned by most people I engage with or even read about. And while I don't necessarily get around all that much, to never hear anything about her except in stories in the media, many seemingly planted by her "anonymous friends"....Many young people I encounter (18-25) don't seem to even know who she is and are pretty vague about who Harry is too.

In comparison, I do occasionally hear folks discuss people like Kim Kardashian and Angelina Jolie. Some of it is derisive, at least so far as Kim's "alternative law school" plans go and so far as a range of Angelina's recent saintly activities go. But I do know people who might watch their TV specials. Meghan's? Not really. And I think Harry's US popularity, to the extent he had any, peaked with his friendship with President Obama. (Not trying to get into politics but even the Democratic party seems to have moved away from Obama. While he continues to be a gifted fundraiser, he's hardly front page news these days otherwise or a mover of overt public opinion.)
CatEyes said…
I believe the project will be hard to pull-off with Harry's involvement if any degree of focus is on his mental health. He does not appear to be a 'success case' when it comes to facing his demons and conquering them. We just heard how he has PSTD from an event 22 years ago (Diana's death) and the weight of the world causes him to struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
- Has he not achieved improvement because therapy failed?
- Has his family failed him and continues to?
- Maybe he never addressed his mental health challenges appropriately (ie. self-medicating)?
- He is suffering new problems on top of old problems (ie. lawsuit, overwrought concern for Meghan)?
- How will he spin it that others will find him credible?
These are just some of what could be many issues that he will have to navigate and successfully explain if he really wants us to believe his achievements toward thriving not just surviving. Otherwise, he looks like a failure in a depressive situation. Will or even could, Oprah accept the hard truth if she can even find it when the Harkles have sent a mixed message to the public recently (one day they're sad the next day they're strong).

This leads to my jaded observation that how Harry portrays himself (and maybe Meghan too) could be fodder for his lawsuit. An attorney might instead want their client not to talk about his mental health lest a slip of the tongue could come back to bite him on the witness stand. Harry may have to even involve his lawyers setting the groundwork for what harry can or can't say. I can't see Oprah would want to be hamstrung with her project.

On one hand, having a world stage for a pity party could help formulate a public opinion that indeed the 'poor Harkles' has been negatively impacted by the press (like their SA docudrama). Although such an effect might not influence a judge in the case, it could help settlement talks (look what an interview did to PA because of public opinion). Opposite of that, if Harry and Meg portray themselves as such strong individuals who weather hurt, rejection and media criticism (even lies) where are the 'damages' that they have suffered to the point of needing to sue and deserve compensation..
none said…
I'm in the U.S. and people here don't care about Oprah and her "friend" Gayle King anymore. Very few people even watch "regular" TV. Everyone's either streaming programs or on their phones clicking through social media posts. The age range that might be interested in the Harkel's are not watching Oprah. They're too self involved to be bothered to watch. I'm curious why this is being pursued and who they think their audience would be.
Madge said…
@Ava.
"Re: YouGov poll figures above, I really don't understand why Camilla is so far below Meghan. "

YouGov poll results are drawn only from people who have a YouGov account. They are sent specific topics for them to vote on and not everyone gets to vote. They are not random because when joining members have fill in an extensive form full of personal details including name, age, address, gender, occupation, marital status, ethnic origin, and educational level. 

When YouGov send out polls they select a specific demographic which is heavily weighted to the agenda of whoever commissioned the poll. It is not representative of the country as a whole.

Not only that, YouGov members get YG points for responding to polls. Once they get enough points, they can trade them in for £50 in shopping vouchers. PR firms can commission polls from You Gov, so the results can be taken with a very large pinch of salt by those seeking a genuine public opinion.
none said…
I'd also like to add that "star power" and "physical appeal" are the only way anyone here becomes and remains relevant. Harry and Meghan have neither.
Unknown said…
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Liver Bird said…
Yes it's all gone a bit quiet on the Oprah front of late.

Leaving aside the Sussexes' own lack of a big support base, as described by other posters, the Andrew debacle has seriously tainted the royal brand. Oh sure, they like to think they have their own 'Sussex Royal' brand, but as far as the vast majority of people are concerned, they are simply members of the royal family. As such, they will be indirectly tainted by the fallout from the Andrew scandal, however much they try to distance themselves.

Also, as others have said, their 'marketing' strategy seems confused. Oprah Winfrey is passe, and many of the young people the Sussexes seem to be trying to target would barely even know who she is. Then of course there's the point that as British royals, paid for by British taxpayers, they should not be dealing with private American broadcasters. If they must do this 'mental health' stunt, let them find a British TV channel willing to host them. Good luck with that.
Royal Fan said…
Speaking of “mental health” and well basic honesty really this is a favorite quote from Meg. It’s from her documentary and it’s clearly a slip of the tongue but it highlights her character in all it’s glory.

“If I’d done something wrong, I’d be the first one to go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I would never do that.’


Let me translate this so you really catch the meaning. There are some typical “American phrases” in there.
“If I’d done something wrong, I’d say I never did that.”

That is Meg, the “smartest one in the room,” letting us know she really is just a grifter!
Ava C said…
@Madge - thanks for that info. Enlightening.

Back to Meghan, from the engagement onwards I have yet to meet a single person who is happy with her. Thinking of when I did my personal 180 about her, it was based on appearances and expenditure as it was still early days, and the speed of my disquiet was unsettling.

I still remember how surprised I was with the press event in Kensington Palace gardens for the engagement announcement. Those tarty shabby shoes that didn't fit. Bare legs in winter. The first of her bathrobe coats, so unsuited to her figure. And the engagement photo shoot with the first of many jaw-droppingly expensive dresses. I really didn't expect her to channel Marie Antoinette, at least not that early. Such an obvious and avoidable mistake, to anyone with the slightest knowledge of the British public.

What I'd read about her until then had made me optimistic, even though she was only a minor actress. This is because I had never actually seen Suits and had assumed she at least could act since they were paying her a reasonable amount of money. She looked OK on the red carpet and sometimes really good. I didn't realise the stylists must have done everything.

I kept reading she was insanely smart. Accepted her activist credentials. Liked the look of The Tig (naive I know). Makes you realise how little scrutiny someone like her experiences, when you realise she was on such weak foundations but was coasting along. Though as Jane Austen wrote, she must have 'felt the approach to the years of danger' as time was running out. Smoke and mirrors. It all fell apart SO FAST. I'm still surprised about that.

Guess it's because I was unfamiliar with that particular kind of celebrity culture. Never even read tabloids before she joined the BRF. There must be lots of people like me, who now know more than they wanted to know, but are driven by the need to see her gone. I don't want to miss it, but it's taking so long! So many more pleasurable things to do. Imagine what Jane Austen would have made of her! She was good at charlatans and grifters.


Liver Bird said…
Today's polls make dismal reading for the Harkles. 51 might sound like a reasonable number for Harry, but bear in mind that until very recently, he was the most popular royal except for the Queen herself. So that's quite a drop in only a few years.

Fact is, while Harry still clings on to some residual popularity among the British public, Meghan is quite simply disliked. Not on Andrew levels - though that's hardly an achievement - but for a young(ish), good-looking, newly married royal with a cute baby, her popularity figures really are poor. The only way she could possibly turn them around would be to lie low, put in some good old-fashioned royal work in Swansea or Hull, release the occasional photo of Archie and hope for the best. But she can't do that.
Janice Sue G. said…
Mental health issues have been talked to death but rarely does anyone talk about the elephant in the room; prescription meds. Serious mental issues are most often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Without the judicious use of meds you won't get better.

The Sussex interview will be another pity party.
IEschew said…
Hmmm, I’ve been of the opinion that Oprah distanced herself from this project, and that is why there has been so much last-minute hemming and hawing about where these two would actually spend their break (I think we still see some of that re: where they'll spend Thanksgiving and Christmas—no one wants them).

I think it’s become clear that Meghan, and by association Harry, is toxic. Look at how lamely BFF Gayle’s special on the Sussexes performed...we have seen example after example of the toxicity. Oprah is an almost nothing in the States anymore, so if she were to partner with Harry, my guess is it would only be if he and Meghan could boost her profile—not the other way around.

Therefore, I think it’s not happening. @Nutty et al, do you have information otherwise?
none said…
Good point Janice. I, for one, am not interested in hearing about the importance of mental health from someone with ongoing, documented substance abuse issues.
Liver Bird said…
@Trudy

"Speaking of MM's fans - have you ever taken a peek in the pro Markle threads on LSA? She seems to have a large and devoted American fan following on there. I rarely read their posts as I find them very disappointing, but am aware of how fervid they are by how frequently they show up in the unpop opinion thread to "start trouble"

Sure, but how many people does it take to disrupt a discussion? Only a very few.

That's the thing about the Harkles' fandom. There seem to be a group of people - I suspect mostly young American women - who are passionately devoted to them, but my guess is that group is pretty tiny in number. Certainly the whinomentary had pretty poor viewing figures on both sides of the Atlantic, which doesn't suggest that they have a broad fanbase anywhere.
Ava C said…
@ Liver Bird, I find MM's defenders so weird. They seem unemployable to me. Must be a tiny niche group. No royal can rest on support like that. Various Nutties have made the important point that they will surely move on to someone else soon, and younger people just aren't interested in MM. They think 30 is ancient. I'll never forget when I was at law college a 21-year-old student turned to a mature student aged 40 and said "Why are you bothering to do this in the twilight of your life?"
SirStinxAlot said…
I actually think the Oprah documentary may be a Redeemer. Oprah is a billionaire who spent decades building her empire. She is not going to let a control freak narcissist run a muck on a project with her name attached to it. Meghan is delusional and thinks herself above her station. Oprah doesn't strike me as easily manipulated or a push over. She will not fall for the childish teen giggling or doe eye drama. IF Oprah goes through with this documentary, it will be done to Oprah standards. This project may be delayed a bit due to creative differences, power control struggling, current climate around BRF, or Oprah could be back peddling due to the negative opinions surrounding the Sussex brand. The Sussex's have been the kiss of death for charities, athletes, teams, clothing lines, etc. Alot of people and organizations are stepping away from them. I have seen numerous commenters who have withdrawn financial support for brands and charities the Sussex's are associated with. The Brits seem disgusted at the current sh*t show going on with the BRF. The public can always choose to spend their money elsewhere and donate to other charities. If you can't take their taxpayer funding, there are other ways to make a statement.
Artemisia19 said…
Anything happening in the US media today is being overshadowed by Trump. I'm finding people in the US are starting to tune out the media because it's too depressing or too divisive or just too much noise. Oprah is not as relevant and her association with Weinstein has damaged her.
abbyh said…

Can I agree with most of the above? Really liked a lot of what people have pointed out

such as popularity numbers (notice we don't hear of K&W's kids - those would blow her out of the water to drive home that point that you are barely tolerated)

Oprah and Gail really haven't had the successes they once had. They are power people still. The issue is that they don't have the audience they had - which makes it harder to see them as relevant in the market place.

problems with someone leading the shows who has not addressed his demons - 1) what kind of optics is this people? 2) this has the ability to come out just all wrong (and it will never go away thanks to youtube). Two of the last three shows by royals (PC's was the good one) are nice examples of just how easily it is to come off 180 from how you think you are.

Given that the numbers were low for the first Sussex doc, what or how would this be so compelling to say that it could be the comeback everyone wants? Hollywood is filled with film which everyone believed would be the greatest/win awards/seal my reputation until that film met the public and the public said: No.

How would this new show not sound like the pity party the first one was? except this time it would just have more people? The real problem is that they cannot have someone who has had some horrific thing happen to them and come out the other side (think survived sexual trafficcing and is now a college grad/working as some high rank something = being productive) because their tale of woe would show up as how truly shallow it is when you think of their resources.

Problems with where and who to film - if it isn't UK people, UK resources for supporting them, then why would UK people want to watch it? If it is UK all the way, why would the US/world watch? Most of the world who would watch (who are not UK) would do so to watch the car crash.


Emily said…
Remember watching a documentary a few years ago, where William and Harry were talking about Diana and the impact her death had on them. Harry said that he had been getting help and had come to terms with her death and it was now time to move forward.

Skip a few years forward, Harry now a married man and a dad, cant get out of bed, every click of the camera reminds him of what happened to his mother and now the same thing is happening to his wife. Did the cringe Halo walk, which he had actually done a couple of years privately. The lone walk down the street then sitting looking at a tree. Then the pity us documentary which backfired spectacularly.

It has been sad to watch a popular Harry, even though we knew some of what he did was covered up, become a weak, simpering petulant man child. A marriage to Meghan which people were happy about, is now a platform for her, and occasionally Harry to jump on the latest bandwagon. No family, no friends and rumours of drugs taken by both of them. Then the Archie saga. He envied the family William and Kate created, but got it so wrong when trying to do the same.

I will be very surprised if they are still living in the UK and part of the RF by the end of next year.

Jenx said…
By inserting the "slogan" for the documentary about thriving and surviving into the SA pity party doc, it serms like they were priming the public. And because they are being watched so closely now, many of these subliminal tactics are overt and missing the mark.

"So, to put this all back together, priming is what we call it when exposure to some thing influences the behavior of an individual later on, without that individual being aware that the first thing is guiding their behavior to a certain extent." http://blog.motivemetrics.com/What-is-Priming-A-Psychological-Look-at-Priming-Consumer-Behavior

Oprah is past her best before date as evidenced in SM comments advertising her last speaking tour in Canada. Most were sarcastic and dismissive. MM and her shadow have made so many blunders that I don't see how they can be taken seriously regarding mental health. Except maybe being walking talking examples of bonafide symptoms.

They are shallow, vain and hypocritical and that is not going to change anytime soon.
Glow W said…
I think Charles is coming home home and cracking a whip and getting everyone in line. I suspect a big family church walk at Sandringham with Doria too possibly. We are all one big happy family. Nothing to see here folks...
Glow W said…
While Fergie and Andrew will be at their Swiss chalet
Liver Bird said…
I doubt it. Once you've made it publicly known that you refused an invitation from HMTQ, you won't be given another chance just because your other plans fell through. Besides, as the polls show the Harkles are not liked by the British public, so their appearance at Sandringham wouldn't be a good PR move.
KCM1212 said…
Has Prince William participated in two documentaries this year within thecontext of football as a wway ofworking through issues and highlighting football players struggles? He has done at least one in May, and perhaps a second in August.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9780968/prince-william-is-making-a-bbc-documentary-to-encourage-men-to-talk-about-mental-health-through-football/

Perhaps Harry (and Oprah) do not want to compete so directly with William. Harry does not come off well when compared directly to William, particularly since his marriage.
lizzie said…
@tatty. I suppose you could be right about Sandringham.

But personally I very much doubt Charles will try to get H&M to come since they've already publicly declined TQ's invitation. Or if he does and they do come, I doubt W&K will be there playing happy family. Last Christmas was already orchestrated to show family solidarity. (Supposedly W&K were persuaded to alter their plans to be at the Middletons.) But with the scarfing and other evidence of coolness re: H&M, the orchestration failed to convey the impression that all is well and in fact conveyed the exact opposite. And that was before H&M publicly threw the family under the bus. I'd be quite surprised if Will was willing to go through that again or was willing to put Kate through it.
Fairy Crocodile said…
Thank you Nutty for interesting themes for comments.

I always wonder at the modern trend to "bare all" for public. In many cases it is bound to do harm. Harry is obviously mentally unstable, and I seriously doubt getting Oprah involved is going to do him any good. He needs privacy, professional treatment and stable environment away from the limelight to get better.

He can participate only as a sufferer, not as somebody qualified to give advice.

Since MM got into his life he's become worse, and if he continues on that path his condition may deteriorate to the extent he would need hospitalizing.
OKay said…
@Sir Oprah is *absolutely* "easily manipulated" AND "a pushover." She's dazzled by fame/power/influence - or what she perceives of it - and has gone the extra mile to support people like Harvey Weinstein and the like (you've never heard her say a word about him, have you?)
Maggie said…
@Tatty - "I suspect a big family church walk at Sandringham with Doria too possibly. We are all one big happy family"

Why Doria? In-laws are never in the family Christmas photos. Brits do not reward bad behaviour. I very much hope never to see the cheap grifter anywhere near our Royal Family again.
Humor Me said…
H&M's "mental health" campaign would have a huge impact if it came from personal experience, as in Harry going in patient, Meghan receiving counseling to cope with 1) becoming British and 2) resolving her own family issues. Doria could be seen in residence at Toad Hall to care for Archie as MM goes to her counseling. Father Markle could issue a statement that "they have received a rapprochement with conditions and I cannot speak any more to the subject." Same with half siblings. (MM puts them on a leash with legal conditions).MM fires SS and goes quiet.
That said - both return to the RF a kinder gentler version of themselves, ready for service to the Crown.

I wish.
Acquitaine said…
'Thrive and Survive' is one of Maya Angelou's more famous quotes, and we know that Oprah is both very familiar with her work and was a very good friend of many years' standing.

Therefore in that context it doesn't surprise me to find an Oprah project using Angelou's words.

What surprises me about Meghan using them is that she pretended they are her own words, and if the Oprah project was described this way then Meghan was doing subtle promotion of it even as she cried prettily in the documentary.

Having been alerted to Meghan's use of Angelou's words, i did a quick analysis of her speeches, interviews and essays and found that more often than not she quotes Angelou extensively though she uses the words as if they are her own or she gives quotes a memorable backstory that takes them completely away from Angelou and into her own originality or someone else eg 'Wounded bird','we are not machines','You are enough'.

Angelou isn't the only person whose words she steals. She frequently uses words from Eleanor Roosevelt - a big chunk of her UN speech is actually a speech by ER, and she uses google quotes generator for chunks of her speeches. She is so blatant that i put any new soundbites into google quotes generator to see who wrote it.

It would be funny if she didn't present herself so seriously and others lauded her for being a deep thinker.

In contrast, on the rare occasions she's caught on the hop and asked a question, she's deeply inarticulate and can barely string a sentence together. In this respect she's worse than Kate who is inarticulate because of nerves and has improved over time.
Fifi LaRue said…
Oprah's going on tour in the US in 2020. At each city where Oprah will appear, she'll have guest stars. Among the stars so far: Michelle Obama, Tina Fey, Lady Gaga, Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lopez, Juliann Hough, and Dwayne Johnson. Ticket prices will range from $67 to $250 for an afternoon event. This is a WW (Weight Watchers) sponsored event on health and wellness. Somehow Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry are not in the line up. Must be that neither are mentally well, nor will attract ticket goers willing to pay to see them.
Fifi LaRue said…
Also, look up the Hare Psychpath Checklist. Markle checks most, not all, of the boxes. Psychopaths really do not like to extend effort into work; that may be why MM and PH turned down Charles' offer of 9,000 acre estate. Too much work for entitled snobs.
CatEyes said…
@Humor Me said

>Father Markle could issue a statement that "they have received a rapprochement with conditions and I cannot speak any more to the subject." Same with half siblings. (MM puts them on a leash with legal conditions).MM fires SS and goes quiet.<

By what I've seen from people's disgust with Meghan and Harry, it would be better that the Queen puts them on a leash with legal and binding conditions. First off, they should keep their inflammatory opinions to themselves and refrain from whining as entitled prats. If the Queen can order Charles and Diana to divorce I think it would be appropriate for her to order Megs to reconcile with her father and have Harry do the honorable thing and meet his father-in-law. If Doria can come to England for a visit, maybe its time Tom Sr. can meet his grandchild. Put out the olive branch to Meghan's siblings as it's not a good look having family discord on both sides of the family. The Queen, after all, is the Head of the Church of England and should expect her family to follow the Christian ideas of love, forgiveness and peaceful harmony toward others.

Royal Fan said…
@Acquitaine
Without her plagiarism, it’s even difficult to follow her thought process from beginning to end sometimes. Actually, Harry is more articulate on the fly than Meg. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could write a better speech than her as well, if she doesn’t use a speech generator program. I bet that would really burn her biscuit too!!
Liver Bird said…
@rabbit

"Somehow Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry are not in the line up. Must be that neither are mentally well, nor will attract ticket goers willing to pay to see them."

With the recent revalations about Andrew using his royal position for personal profit, it would look VERY bad for the Harkles to be overtly involved in a profit making enterprise in America.

In fact, given the public anger with Andrew, and the polls showing a desire for the royal family to be whittled down to the direct heirs, the Harkles are going to have to tread very carefully from now on. The royal family doesn't actually need them. In fact, if the polls are accurate, they'd be better off without them. I'd say tolerance for these two is pretty low at the moment.
Royal Fan said…
I just came across this headline and literally laughed hysterically! Apparently, Meg is the world’s most powerful dresser.


https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-named-2019s-most-powerful-dresser-see-her-10-best-looks-of-the-year/amp/
@Royal Fan, ‘https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-named-2019s-most-powerful-dresser-see-her-10-best-looks-of-the-year/amp/‘

Agree it’s laughable! Don’t forgot, The People Mag is another Megs mouthpiece and just as likely was paid to include her.
Anonymous said…
There is another American cowboy saying which seems an appropriate descriptor of both of them, one of whom has learned how easy it is to create a foundation, then donate less than 5% of the donations to it while using the rest for "expenses" including first class travel, and designer clothing to hoity-toity parties to beg for even more donations. That saying is, "All hat and no cattle."
none said…
Oprah's touring the country in Weight Watchers sponsored events. LOL All women guests except for one. Not able to pull in the top TV ratings anymore Oprah? Thanks for that info. rabbit. Very interesting.
Royal Fan said…
I’m a lifetime WW member and I think part of this weight watchers is to have a big meetings across the country with the boss lady. People on connect have been asking her to do this for awhile so I’m not surprised she’s doing a tour and I don’t think it has anything to do with her TV ratings etc. It is everything to do with what the WW customers have been asking her for on connect and I can vouch for that since I’m a lifetime member. The setup is like a weight watchers meeting led by Oprah and her guests is what I’m led to believe.
Ava C said…
@Liver Bird "With the recent revelations about Andrew using his royal position for personal profit, it would look VERY bad for the Harkles to be overtly involved in a profit making enterprise in America."

Absolutely. The media is really beginning to dig into that cut PA was contractually entitled to for the first 3 years of any IT project under the Pitch@Palace initiative. As soon as I read that, alarm bells started ringing re: H&M's foundation. I would say without MM's plans for financial gain of some kind, she would no longer see her royal life as viable. If she then stayed it would only be because she couldn't get a better offer. No good for Harry, the BRF or the country. She needs to tread very carefully. As does Harry. However, I don't think they know the meaning of the word 'carefully'.

Also, the DM is reporting a spike on popularity for Charles in his newly-decisive mode (applying to William also). This would be music to his ears. He's bound to want to do more of it. We hope!
Mimi said…
People magazine are calling her 2019’s most powerful dresser? Yeah, that green tent dress at the polo natch was powerful alright! Powerfully hideous!!! 😂😂😂😂
none said…
Oprah is hardly the boss lady of Weight Watchers. She merely an investor owning between 10 and 15% of the holdings. I'm curious Royal Fan...why would customers be asking to connect with her?
Mimi said…
Let’s see...her Mary Magdalen reject at the mosque in SA was another good one as was the semi- transparent top with a black bra, the 3 sizes too small black dress at the Lion King premiere, but my favorite....the sausage dress when she was pregnant, at the retired actors home (?)......the white and gray floral summer dress that was so tight it gave me a headache just to see it! Oh, mustn’t forget the summer dress slit up her leg to her waist in. Australia. These were all such ROYAL and POWERFUL looks!!!!!!
Royal Fan said…
@Holly. I was using a euphemism but she does more than what you listed. She’s the company spokes person and also has a seat on the board. She is highly active on WW connect which is a WW specific social media and customers were asking for her tour there. Why? I don’t know. You’d have to ask them. I’ve never been an Oprah fan. She would post videos of her chef cooking her food and her dog and things like this. People ate it up from what I can tell by the comments. Although WW connect is generally a very positive space so mostly you don’t see a lot of negative comment like you would on Facebook for instance. I assume maybe these people were fans of her talk show??
Liver Bird said…
"the sausage dress when she was pregnant, at the retired actors home (?)."

Nope - that time she wore a low cut, short sleeved dress with added back fat and belly cupping. It was actually quite a nice dress - if it had fit her and if it had been worn for a summer garden party, not a royal event in the depths of winter.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2018/12/18/meghan-feeling-very-pregnant-on-visit-to-retired-performers-nursing-home/

Maybe we should start a contest? Your Top Ten 'favourite' Meghan looks?
Mimi said…
Her “hooker” outfit with her new boobs...the red leather pencil skirt with the different shade of red tucked in sweater. That screamed...”CLASSY” !!!!!!! 😂
none said…
@Royal Fan Thanks for the response. I find the tour and the choice of guests quite odd. But that's another topic for another blog. Again, appreciate the info.
Liver Bird said…
Kill me but I actually liked that outfit.... though I preferred when she wore the green version of the same skirt with a green shirt. In her early duchessing days, some of her outfits were actually decent.

I think the Oz tour beach dress slit to the upper thigh (on both sides) or the snot green sack, paired with the half-covered rat's tail hair in South Africa, have to be up there with the very best. By which I mean worst.
Royal Fan said…
@Mimi Her leather skirt mismatched reds outfit with the 90s hair hanging in her face made their top 10 😂😂😂
luxem said…
I think Harry wants to get into show business as much, if not more, than Meghan. He needs something to do when he gets to LA (Meghan will be busy attended galas and speaking engagements). His elevated role in co-producing this Oprah documentary seems to be positioning him for future documentary-producing jobs for celebrity causes - like Ellen's elephants. Undoubtedly, he would also like to do something with the climate (team up with Greta?). When this idea was conceived, it probably seemed a win-win for Harry and Oprah, as she could get some traction with a younger, intl crowd. Since the Sussexes have torpedoed their brand over the last 6 months, I think Oprah is having second thoughts. And maybe she didn't realize just how dim/addicted Harry really is and her best laid plans are not going to work.
CatEyes said…
Powerful..yes, like nuclear level disasters.

Who can forget the brown poop hat, the blue 'dead muppet' coat, the way too large shoes she clomps around in, the stained and torn tights she wore once and I think her plain-jane ill-fitting wedding dress (white mind you, for her 3rd marriage). Also maybe include her Himalyian yak hair wigs and her lambskin skirt (RIP baby lambs) that only her being a vegan can wear!
Mimi said…
Royal Fan, Are you serious? Do they have a list? What outfits are on it beside the red ensemble?
Royal Fan said…
@Liverbird. “Kill me but I actually liked that outfit.... though I preferred when she wore the green version of the same skirt with a green shirt. In her early duchessing days, some of her outfits were actually decent.”

Agreed the green was better. I can’t remember what she did with her hair with the green outfit. Inside and with fluorescent lighting the reds probably better less noticeable color problems. The dangling hair just needs to go. A neat chignon would’ve been much more chic.
Mimi said…
Cat Eyes, I had forgotten about her hideous wedding dress. Her dirty shoes without stockings looks terrivle and those horrivle coats with the belts under her boobs.
Royal Fan said…
@Mimi If you click on the link in my original post, it takes you the article and they show their “Top 10” of her looks.
Royal Fan said…
https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-named-2019s-most-powerful-dresser-see-her-10-best-looks-of-the-year/amp/
Mimi said…
I liked the green leather skirt with the mismatched green top but for some reason, in red and with her boobs pushed up and out and her Amy Winehouse hair she just looked really cheap and slutty for a DUCHESS who was speaking to young kids!
Mimi said…
Royal Fan, unfortunately I can’t click on the links people post h ere but I with google it and check it out. Thanks.
CatEyes said…
@Mimi

I think the belts under her boobs is because she has a broad waist and the belt wants to fall above her paunch. I agree the no stockings with shoes look unfinished even, unpolished. Of course, posters here say it is a California thing...not in the 33 years I lived there and worked in a professional environment.
Mimi said…
Cat Eyes, I sat back when the.stockings versus no stockings debate was going on because back in the day, here in L.A. my profession was as an administrative assistant (glorified secretary) and I ALWAYS wore stockings and heels. It was just how you dressed for that position and I liked the complete look, very polished, professional, well groomed etc. I had long black hair that I usually wore up in a bun and nerdy glasses. I was young had a great face and figure but always dressed professionally. How I dressed in my private life was something else.......
Like the red leather skirt with the tucked in low cut sweater, with my hair down to my waist and my contact lenses. ........but with stockings!!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂.
Royal Fan said…
The “no stockings” look is common in the US in the hot climates or times of the year for the more northern areas but only in more relaxed work environments or social situations. Many would find it unprofessional still here but you’ll find many Americans will not find it unusual say in Florida or California where trends are more casual to go without even in typical very professional settings. My physician colleagues tell me about walking into the hospital in the flip flops and changing into their work shoes once inside in Florida. That would be absolutely unacceptable where I live. She lived in Toronto for awhile but I don’t anything about the vibe in that city.
CookieShark said…
We have all had "What Not to Wear" moments, but surely MM has advisors so she doesn't have an excuse (it just seems like she doesn't listen to them).

Her Suits-era styling was much better than what she's doing now. While those outfits wouldn't fit the bill for a Duchess, her overall look was much more polished and appropriate. The low cut tops for official business are inappropriate. I think MM deludes herself and believes she's "pushing the envelope" but she's just inappropriate. The slits up to the Mason-Dixon line aren't appropriate at all, ever, given her new role. Sorry.

Also the booty pads to a place of worship, of all venues, were seriously wrong. Especially for a culture that emphasizes modesty for women. Once again it seems like she was saying a big "FU" towards rules and requests, which seems to have been her MO since joining the RF.
Ava C said…
I enjoyed the Express article yesterday:

>>>>>. MEGHAN Markle's hopes of modernising the monarchy will be in vain, with Royal historian Adrian Tinniswood suggesting the Duchess of Sussex was simply "not important enough" to make a difference.

[...]

"People have asked me will Meghan modernise the monarchy?

"Well no she won't because she's fleeting. She's not that important and because of that, they've got a lot more freedom."

Mr Tinniswood, who is senior research fellow in history at the University of Buckingham, added: "If we think back, I can remember Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. They had a fairly bohemian lifestyle, everyone said they are the modern face of the monarchy, which they were in a way, because it did not change things. >>>>>

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1206948/meghan-markle-news-royal-news-monarchy-queen-elizabeth-prince-harry-royal-family.

However, things are moving so fast with PA that I think "She's not that important and because of that, they've got a lot more freedom" no longer applies. PA was not that important but look how much reputational damage he's done. It's only been a week since the interview went out, and in that time the entire royal landscape has changed for Meghan.
Mimi said…
Royal Fan, so many things have changed since I was in the work force and I believe no stockings is just a thing now. As well as what passes for professional attire.

I checked out People’s Meghan top 10 looks. She has had MUCH better looks than what they put out!!!!! my all time favorite look on her was the pink ensemble she wore at Charles birthday garden party. It was classy, elegant, subdued. The way she should dress ALL the time.
Mimi said…
CookieShark, She refuses to be bound by anybody’s rules. She will not even dress appropriately at a place of worship!!!! Rude, disrespectful, no-class whatsoever.
gfbcpa said…
I worked in a medium-sized CPA firm in the '80's in Long Island, NY (20 miles east of NYC). Most of the clients were in Manhattan. We had to wear a suit or a dress with a jacket when we went to clients. We could wear a pantsuit only in the office. (Think the TV show LA Law style of dress). Pantyhose or tights had to be worn. No open-toed shoes or sandals. We had a male employee who claimed he had a foot problem. He tried to get away with wearing black sneakers to take the train, walk to the client and then change into dress shoes. He was told not to do that. I am 60 years old and I feel strange in bare legs, so I tend to wear capri pants or longer dresses in the summer.
Mimi said…
gfbcpa, when I worked in a bank we were allowed to wear pantsuits on Friday's only! because my legs are pasty white I wear stockings with dresses. but since I am retired I just dress like a homeless lady most of the time.
lizzie said…
Her engagement photo outfits were awful in many different ways I thought. But after that, until the wedding, I thought she looked pretty decent. Not a fan of the Givenchy wedding dress nor the long veil but the S. McCartney 2nd dress was ok as was the pink garden party dress. It was pretty much downhill after that for me. The bespoke Givenchy Ascot white dress with the black belt made her look chunky and the Oscar de la Renta blue and white bedspread dress with the tiny doll-sized white hat worn to a Spencer wedding looked ridiculous. "Baby poop green" was an odd choice to wear to Louis's christening and why carry suede gloves in July? The wide-leg ivory trousers that dragged the ground worn at Wimbledon seemed to be the wrong size and swallow her. And bare shoulders at the morning Trooping ceremony? Just no. No to any and all outfits that have displayed her upper and lower undergarments too.

I thought the green version of the red leather outfit was ok but I'd never wear lambskin. Compared to the red, the green outfit fit a little loosely and wasn't all about cleavage. She looked slim with no tummy but the next week she showed up in a maternity-style dress at Eugenie's wedding.

For the worst outfit (not considering the prices) the winner for me was the "channeling Mary Magdalene" look at the mosque when she was photographed intentionally pulling side pieces of her hair forward and out from under the headcovering.

Tied for second place for the worst---the sausage sheath worn to the retired actors home and the Kim Kardashian "I'm very, very, very pregnant or I have a bouncing beach ball under my dress" look worn to the Mayhew dog shelter in mid-January. And no, I'm not criticizing pregnant bodies but she was supposedly less than 6 months along at that point.
Mimi said…
The outfit she wore last year on the Sandringham walk. (Victoria Beckham?). It was freezing cold that day, everybody was all bundled up, their coats button all up, scarves tucked in, gloves, hats, etc. Her coat was open, her dress had a v cut neckline, she held her gloves in her hand, she must have been freezing!!!!!!!
Mimi said…
one last thing....the short, SHORT dress she wore when pregnant and she crossed her legs up on stage and you could see all the way up to her ying yang!!!!!!!! That was NASTY!!!!!!!!! She was just plain nasty that day!
Humor Me said…
@CatsEyes re: the Markles. Well stated. I was in hopes pre-wedding when the family began acting out that MM/ HMTQ would extend an invitation with conditions. Like, you talk, we sever the relationship. You attempt to sell pictures, we sever the relationship. you attempt to get more than offered, we sever the relationship. This way they would understand up front what will happen and wen they trip up, cannot blame the RF or MM.
@Mimi, ‘! my all time favorite look on her was the pink ensemble she wore at Charles birthday garden party. It was classy, elegant, subdued. The way she should dress ALL the time.’

Was this the outfit with the pale tights though, they made her legs look dead. Agree, it was a lovely outfit overall.

I love the comments about the clothes, so very funny! The poo hat was one of the worst, along side the nurses hat she wore at Westminster I believe, awful, just awful. Oh yes, and the diarrhoea green coloured tent. Nasty and ghastly.
Mimi said…
Raspberry Ruffle, I don’t recall what she wore on her legs with that pink outfit, probably something that ruined the look, she is notorious for that!
CatEyes said…
@Mimi said
>She has had MUCH better looks than what they put out!!!!! my all time favorite look on her was the pink ensemble she wore at Charles birthday garden party. It was classy, elegant, subdued. The way she should dress ALL the time.<

Agreed. I found that dress was also a nice color for her, better than the jarring reds of that sweater/lambskin skirt combo. For evening wear I personally love the white dress with the fluttering black birds (Oscar de la Renta) she wore to Australian Geographic Awards gala in Tonga. However many panned her and said she was overdressed compared to others. I found the look to be clever in that it may have been a thoughtful selection based on the event's sponsor and purpose (awards handed out for wildlife and conservation efforts).

Her selection of jewelry is hardly notable despite her supposedly owning an extensive collection. Harry must be tightfisted as her items are relatively cheap pieces that many say look like they came from Claire's. With the exception of those ridiculously expensive earings she recently wore that cost approx. $25.000. Could they have been on loan as I can't believe she/he would waste money like that, at least for a pr.of insignificant earrings? Then there is the gauche redesign of her engagement ring...who does that when they previously said how much they loved their husband's thoughtful and personally designed gift of such magnitude..
@CatEyes, ‘Her selection of jewelry is hardly notable despite her supposedly owning an extensive collection. Harry must be tightfisted as her items are relatively cheap pieces that many say look like they came from Claire's. ‘

They look cheap because they are. A lot of the jewellery she wears is made by her friends, American’s call it merching? Which is against protocol, but what does Meghan care?! I don’t believe her personal collection is huge by any means, by that, I mean significant pieces. ;o)
Mimi said…
Cat Eyes, that wildlife dress you mentioned was nice but like she does on countless occasions, she does not dress appropriately for it. A glamorous glittering dress to a circus? that red outfit for meeting kids? The excessive chest skin at one of the Remembrance occasions, the beach dress to a formal dinner in SA. The semi transparent top with black bra to the terribly sad occasion where she posed for a photo. I could fo on and on.

As for her jewelry. I was under the impression that Harry and William were given Diana’s personal jewelry. Meghan has been seen wearing some of her jewelry. As for the rest...It is probably borrowed or on loan or maybe just given to her for merchandising purposes but except for those outrageously expensive microscopic earrings, everything else she merches is chintzy looking. Yes, like it came from Claires!!!!!!
Sandie said…
Anyone interested in psychic predictions? Craig Hamilton-Parker has a video for the royal family for 2020. (Craig has nice energy and he admits that he is fallible and gets things wrong.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWRvm7beud4&feature=youtu.be

For M&H:
1. Will move to USA in 202 and will probably divide their time between LA and NY. Great for Megsy; a disaster for Harry.
2. The marriage will not end well, but Craig sees another baby, which will delay the divorce. However, problems in the marriage are going to be all over the tabloids in 2020.
3. Craig sees Megsy as very controlling, and confusing celebrity status with what is actually a life of service to the people of the UK.

It's not a long video and it is always interesting to see what he gets right as the year pans out.
CatEyes said…
@Mimi

I had known Harry originally got Diana's sapphire/diamond engagement ring but selflessly gave it to William when he proposed to Kate. In turn, William gave Harry Diana's watch. However, I have not read on any photo that Meghan has worn it. The only pieces that she allegedly have are Diana's butterfly earrings. It has been subject to speculation whether that is true and the photos I've seen show some differences. Just like anything with Megs, one wonders if the truth is being told.

Meghan does suffer from dressing inappropriately, whether it is too much cleavage, poor posture causing fails, obscenely expensive vanity clothes, sloppy and unkempt attire, or stupid mismatched clothes for the weather she is just atrocious. Even if she merches,one would think she could get the right size and flattering styles suited to her. Now that she has been feted as a 'powerful' influential clothes horse, she will look like she belongs in a barn on not on the high society pages.
lizzie said…
@CatEyes-- The aquamarine ring M wore to her reception was supposed to have been Diana's. I'm sort of surprised we haven't seen it since.
HappyDays said…
According to enty, Harry and Meghan are getting paid $3 to $5 million EACH for this series. Being a humanitarian is lucrative.
HappyDays said…
The rest of my comment. They are trading off being royals, in essence merching the royal family. If it was just Mr. and Mrs. Markle, they get a cent.
HappyDays said…
Should read: ‘they WOULDN’t get a cent.”
Mimi said…
Cat Eyes, yes, I read about Harry giving William the shapphire ring to give to Kate. And Lizzie, you are right about the aquamarine ring that we have not seen since she wore it to her reception where she made a speech!!! I have no idea if their are bigger pieces of jewelry that Harry wanted to get his hands on to give to Meghan and somebody said NO! Not these or not this!
Debra said…
@CatEyes

Himalyian yak hair wigs...lol
SirStinxAlot said…
Meghan a powerful dresser...ROFL. I would have to vote for the transparent skirt look. True Hollywood straight off the casting couch.
Beachgal58 said…
I wouldn’t trust Markle with any of the family jewels. Knowing how devious she is, she might try to sell them, have fake ones made, Harry wouldn’t know the difference.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
For some reason (and I can't seem to remember why) I've been associating TIME magazine with Harvey Weinstein (before #MeToo).

Like, I've had an impression that if you're in an issue of TIME, it must be because Harvey's trying to make you visible to the awards season voters?

IDK why I think that. Or what incident made me think that... But that's basically what I think.

➡️ Pre-Sunshine Sachs: HOMELESS PEOPLE CLEAR OFF STREETS FOR ROYAL WEDDING!

↩ Post-Sunshine Sachs: Wearing vegan sheep's clothing over your lambskin skirt and fur thongs with mink lashes is all the rage!

♻️ My challenge still stands, Meghan:

Go on a #ShopYourStash #NoBuy and don't buy a single item of clothing (or accept freebies) for the entire year of 2020. 🌱

No more buzzwords, no more virtue-signaling hypocrisy, "Meghan's Mirror" be damned, show you're the "environmentalist" you claim to be without saying it.

Do it and I'll stop being such a "hater", I will never say a single negative word about you again.
CookieShark said…
I have been thinking awhile this weekend about MM & the "Dish Soap" story so often trotted out to illustrate the narrative that MM is a woke feminist. If I were her PR, I'd advise her to give the story a rest. It actually isn't that impressive.

1) Wasn't the letter to the dish soap company part of a larger school assignment? If so, the teacher assigned a project and she found an example as the teacher requested. For a school age child, this is appropriate but hardly a grand accomplishment.

2) Was the ad inherently sexist? If the ad stated "Women in the kitchen," that's not even inherently sexist, although it may be a generalization. The ad did not state "This soap is only for women, as women only do dishes." The ad did not state, "Men can never wash dishes in the kitchen."

Either way, it appears from an early age MM was keen to pontificate and be critical of others. Did she find sexism in an ad where there was none, just as she finds fault in articles about her where facts are simply stated?

Far more impressive, I would think, are the stories of school age children who help raise their younger siblings, high schoolers who work jobs to aid their families, etc. I guess I've never understood why the story keeps getting circulated. Hasn't she done things since then that should be more important? And what is remarkable about the story? Because she was young at the time, or because she accused a company of sexism?

This to me is a prelude to her projects that she seems to think may "break the internet" but appear of little consequence. Who really benefits when she edits a high end fashion magazine or endorses a "capsule collection" for fashion items already in circulation?
SS said…
@Nutty - The thrive not survive goes back further than April 2019. I did a bit of digging and found a 2017 Newsweek article where Harry is interviewing a vet, Mike Day.

"His first question to Mike Day, a former sniper commander who was hit by a grenade in Afghanistan in 2009 and whose injuries included a broken back and shrapnel in his head and body, went right to the core: 'So what has been the biggest effect on you?"

Day thought for a moment, then said softly, "I am no longer me."

It was a moving and delicate moment, but Harry wasn't thrown. One of your biggest struggles must be living rather than existing.

So Nutties, do you all think Megan took this from Harry, or Harry is trying to get this to become a signature line? Seems like he plays word association with live, survive, thrive and mental health.'

https://www.newsweek.com/2017/06/30/prince-harry-depression-diana-death-why-world-needs-magic-627833.html
Royal Fan said…
Is “IB Times” a Meghan mouthpiece? They are running two articles today. One with a title that says basically that Kate is work shy because she stayed home to tend to her ill child and the second that compares her knockout lace dress from the other day directly to her supposed “rival” Rose.
HappyDays said…
rabbit said…
Also, look up the Hare Psychpath Checklist. Markle checks most, not all, of the boxes. Psychopaths really do not like to extend effort into work; that may be why MM and PH turned down Charles' offer of 9,000 acre estate. Too much work for entitled snobs.

Hi rabbit, a couple of places you may or may not already be aware of on the web. Read through the Harry Markle blog, especially the older posts that chronicle the Harkles’ ‘courtship’ and other earlier posts. Also read all four parts of the A Very Royal Narcissist posts by H.G. Tudor on his narcsite blog.

I’ve been of the opinion since I saw the engagement interview that Meghan has a profound case of narcissistic personality disorder. Speaking of checking off boxes, Meghan checks off all the boxes, for NPD too, sometimes twice!

At any rate, Harry and Meghan would be like Disneyland for any psychiatrist or psychologist who treats NPD and people who are victims of narcs.
abbyh said…

SS - an interesting article (I suggest everyone take a look at it).
https://www.newsweek.com/2017/06/30/prince-harry-depression-diana-death-why-world-needs-magic-627833.html

Personally, I doubt the idea of thriving not merely living/existing as a core value word play came from him at that time. It might have been a vague thought of the moment but the article seems to be more of a he got help, he's fine and look at all the things he's now doing and will be doing with W&K but not MM. I have not done a comparison on visits before and visits after marriage to see how that has held up.

Now if you came up with him using this phrase from before she was in the picture a couple of times and then, a couple more between this article and now ... then I would say it could be more of a possibility.

Where I found things to "interesting" (my code for: hmm, that jumps to my eyes) is the long part about how the RF does charity (not just a show up, shake hands), how the research which one, how they want to be regular visits, how many and that they will be thinning the herd a little. It also does mention how he is part of supporting the Queen, the three parts and so on. Run that through the brain with a parallel soundtrack of the most recent SA trip and then with the documentary. ...

I think the phrasing is a lot closer to the Maya Angelou quote. We know MM finds a lot of uplifting/positive quotes so I think from her to him, not him to her. just an opinion
SS said…
@abbyh - Astute commentary. Yes, this article was published on June 26, 2017. MM's "Wild About Harry" Vogue cover was published on September 26, 2017 so she was very much in the picture at that point. But unclear if she yet had the influence over which charities they chose, at least at the time the Newsweek article was published.

Another interest point in the article -
"When asked about his family, Harry talks readily about the queen -- "She is so remarkable" --and his late mother -- "She had the most wonderful sense of humor and always wanted to make things fun for us, as well as protect us." He says less about William and Kate, and almost nothing about his father or his stepmother.
...
Later in the article...
...
"He tells me in a rush "I feel there is just a smallish window when people are interested in me before [William's children] take over, and I've got to make the most of it."

Perhaps this is around the same timing that MM ushered in her ideas of "Hollywood" connections etc. as to provide Harry said identity outside of the royal family. Sounds like there's that tinge of jealous brother meets not sure what his identity is as a 30-something that no longer can use the Diana storyline. MM & Harry both, then, get mutual value from the relationship, just for very different reasons.
abbyh said…

I wasn't there, so I didn't hear the tone of his voice when he talked of how William's kids will increase their profile. Personally, I read it as more a neutral statement of his understanding of the reality of being part of the Firm and his place in it.

Why? Knowing to make things happen with the charity, he knows he has to get along with both W and K. And, that he visits them often for meals makes it sound like they have him around a lot. Any deep seated resentment would make the work difficult and cut off the easy meal for the bachelor (and would probably be a little obvious to them). And, what is his goal? to help support the Queen and greater good.

Where you do actually read of him not being chatty/friendly is when he talked of his actual resentment of not being allowed to stay on his military tour and the writer talking of how when he's not "on" for a meet and greet, that he can be tense or irritable.

Notice too how he talks of modernizing the monarchy. I hadn't seen that from back then. When he does, it is about a force for good. When M talks about it, it didn't seem to have that laser focus on the goal of greater good through supporting the Queen through charities. It appeared to come off as I'll follow the protocols I like, dress how I like and if I don't, I won't. I don't know if that was her intent or not.

As a side note, it is one thing for someone who is a blood member of the family to lead changes while it may be totally inappropriate for someone not blood/not raised within the family to come in and tell everyone how they are doing it wrong and need to make changes. That's not a good way to make friends or build support. It is, however, totally appropriate for a boss to come in and tell workers that.
lizzie said…
@abbyh, I agree with much of what you said about the article.

But when I read it back when it first came out, I was a bit taken aback by his mention of the narrow window before the Cambridge children grabbed all the attention. Yes, there is a royal hierarchy and he is the second son. But this was also said by someone who admitted he considered abandoning the royal life altogether. So it did strike me as a little odd. I mean, George was like what, not quite 4 years old then? As I recall, neither Will nor Harry were doing much royal work in their teens or even their early 20's. So it came across as jealousy to me. Especially since we'd never seen "Uncle Harry" interacting with George (although recent rumors suggest W&K we're worried about H's substance abuse.)

Second, I thought the "magic" stuff was incredibly condescending. On a related note, I found his dismissal of "showing up and shaking hands" a bit offensive.  Anne the Queen's elderly cousins, and even TQ and Philip have done that kind of work across the UK for years and while I'm not from the UK, I expect it has promoted the RF positively. If Harry is saying he'd rather be "the brains" behind the scenes, good luck. (What I think he was really saying was "I just want to do what interests me personally." Like TQ gets giddy about opening a new town hall? Or a bridge?)

Finally, after the engagement interview later on where roasting a chicken was mentioned (as it was by Harry in this interview) I wondered just how often people in the UK eat roast chicken! :)
HappyDays said…
@ Cookie Shark

1) Wasn't the letter to the dish soap company part of a larger school assignment? If so, the teacher assigned a project and she found an example as the teacher requested. For a school age child, this is appropriate but hardly a grand accomplishment.

Hi Cookie Shark,

In addition to the dish soap letter being part of a school assignment ( just like her volunteering at soup kitchen in high school, the volunteer work was required), I read quite some time ago that the suggestion that pointed out the dish liquid commercial came from... wait for it....yes, her father Thomas, who saw the commercial first. Knowing she had the assignment, it was he who said she should write to the company to complain. Also, I highly doubt that little Meghan was so incredibly precocious that all by her little self she worked the phones and networked to get the publicity and story pitch that got her television interview.

One way or another, adults stepped in somewhere to turn it into coverage. The interview with Ms. Ellerbee didn’t come to the attention of Nick News without adult assistance to pitch Meghan’s story to an assignment editor or producer at Nick News.

Thomas was an active and very successful television lighting director at the time, and it is not far fetched to think he had connections to public relations people who could help get the story to Nick News, the program Meghan appeared on.

The other possibility is that someone on the staff at her school had public relations expertise or knew a parent at the school who provided the connection to pitch the story. After all, Meghan getting on a national kids news show made the school look good and helped market the private school to parents, many of whom were in the entertainment business themselves.

SwanSong said…
Their SA documentary has very low ratings in the US. The only thing that would make them want to watch would be a tell-all interview of them done by Oprah herself. If Harry goes on camera playing the “my mom died/the paparazzi killed her” card during the special, people will change the channel for sure.
Ava C said…
About Diana's aquamarine ring ... I'm very surprised we haven't seen it since the evening of H&M's wedding, though I'm also relieved as it upset me to see Meghan wearing it. It's my favourite (reminded me of what an elegant woman would wear in the 1930s). I hope Harry guards it well. I saw it as a symbol of what I'd hoped would be Diana's new life after her divorce. I never took to her sapphire engagement ring.
Magatha Mistie said…
Hopefully the aquamarine ring was a once only loan. As for Diana’s sapphire engagement ring, I got engaged, rashly on a w/end in London with a copy cat ring, still have the ring, minus a tiny diamond flint, & thankfully have forgotten my affianced at the time.
Unknown said…
@Mimi

How interesting that you worked in a bank. I did as well. The dress code was quite severe. No low cuts , undergarments to be invisible , nothing tight fitting , no mini skirts , no hanging earrings , no dreadlocks - yes, there were no wigs around so women wore their natural hair just possibly finely braided in , in short we had to consider the image being shown to the public, not our own creativity with fashion choices. It was basically, appear well groomed and conservative. I have shuddered at so many of the Sussex duo's public image appearances.

If that Oprah documentary goes ahead , there are 2 things I see happening. Firstly , Oprah , always being one who shoots from the hips , will outright ask Harry about his drug addictions. The BRF will not allow that.

Secondly , Oprah is already associated with Weinstein. Harry and Meghan , via his uncle are already associated with Epstein. Jumble the names up and the press will be brewing up headlines galore. Again , the BRF will not allow this image to show up.

Also the Sussex court case is looming. Their lawyers will not approve of an Oprah tell all. Far too risky. The lawyers will want less information out there rather than more.

Meghan has changed directions frantically , but continues to latch onto people who can benefit her only. From clutching onto celebrities , pop stars ,sports stars , political bigwigs , all name dropping people ....to victims of crime. Very puzzling as to why she is not zeroing in on her supposed home town, being Britain. Not puzzling if she has figured out that she is not liked.

Scandi Sanskrit said…
@Sandie

OMG wtf lol I went to the YouTube link you provided on my lunch break and I was drinking me water when the psychic said Charles was going to get hit by an egg 🥚😂🤣😂😂😂

I choked so hard I'd never choked yay he'd before literally had water running through my nostrils to the floor.

That psychic prediction needs to come true. Yes please I hope he does get hit by an egg. He said he saw egg all over Charles' suit or something.
Meghan’s mouthpiece, strikes again!

‘Meghan Markle is 'aware' she's being 'pitted against' future queen Kate Middleton and finds the situation 'challenging', source tells People magazine’.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7722387/Meghan-Markle-aware-pitted-against-future-queen-Kate-Middleton-source-claims.html
Meghan's "sources" really need to get a life. She must be exhausting to be around these days, she is so single minded and blinded by her own dazzle.
Ava C said…
Yes, something tells me Meghan's "sources" are going to be busy all through "the break". Really bugs me in the DM when readers keep saying of course Meghan has nothing to do with the latest story so don't judge her. When really it's not even one of her friends. It's her. Has to be.

I get the feeling she and Harry are working in isolation now. I would have said what professional person would put up being treated badly day in day out by a minor royal no one respects, as it couldn't possibly be good for their CV, but Prince Andrew seemed to do OK until last week. Although of course the PR man who seems to have been the only one with common-sense got out before that. His CV is nicely burnished now!
Jen said…
I would love to see a well produced documentary about mental health and it's effects on every day people. If these two goons were truly concerned about mental health issues, they would create a charity that could be launched in both the UK and America in tandem. They could use their voice to help show that mental health discussions should not be taboo, and they can start by talking about their own mental health issues. If Harry were to sit down and have a heart felt interview about his struggles, and how he knows he needs long-term care to fight his own demons, that documentary could be explosive. They could include others from every walk of life (from both America and the UK; our struggles really aren't that different, it's only geography) and interview them on their own struggles, failures and successes. This would provide hope for those watching that may have the same issues that they aren't alone; there are others out there who have the same (or similar) issues and if "they" can get help...so can I. Harry should conclude his portion of the doc by actually going in to long-term rehab, so that the folks on both sides of the pond can see how seriously he takes his OWN mental health. I'd love to see him actually do it, and take it seriously. This would go a LONG way to improving his life, his standing among the people of the UK and his own family.

Honestly, I don't see this as something MM can be a part of since she is unable or unwilling to see that she has severe mental issues. Sometimes, people cannot be helped because they cannot see it in themselves, therefore cannot ask for help. Harry KNOWS there is something wrong, but I think he's afraid to ask for help.
Pint Size said…
Hi Everyone,
Nutty, thank you for this blog. I love it and love reading all of the commenters’ posts!

I noticed on Twitter that the Sussex Great Forest account is super active. What is going on with that? Such a random initiative to start, it reeks of MMs arrogant PR and it looks like they’re also accepting monetary donations. Is this part of the “Sussex Foundation” nonsense? Who monitors this type of thing?
CatEyes said…
@Jen

Oprah should use you as a coproducer because your concept of hoe the series should be filmed, content-wise, is brilliant! The sticking point I believe would be Harry admitting substance abuse. Maybe I am jaded but I don't know if Meghan would want Harry to do anything that might damage their Sussex brand. And truly it would be a hard thing for Harry to go into rehab for say, the mandatory 60 days or more (sometimes 6 months) hospitalization. However, maybe if he committed to twice a week therapy. I know locally, there is a Mental Health facility, that requires people with mood disorders, mostly anxiety/depression to come 5 days.wk for 4 hours.day for a year.

I think the Queen/Charles may not want Harry to present quite this honest facade of his 'problems'. Heck, Harry might say a lot of things that could reflect badly on them. Meghan with her controlling attitude might feel threatened if Harry got real help. She could conceivably think if Harry got his head on straight, that he may find he doesn't need her.

Yes, a well-done documentary on Mental Health could help the public on both sides of the pond as you point out. Regardless of nationality, we are all the same (biology proves that) facing the same challenges in everyday life. William has talked about his distress of seeing heartwrenching situations while working as a helicopter pilot with the air ambulance service.I believe he had Kate as an effective sounding board for his feelings and handled it well. I would admire Harry if he got help instead of just talking/whining about his more protracted problems (he looks impotent as if he can't/won't do anything to address his demons).
Yes they sussex great Forrest is an actual thing bow. They've even acknowledged it in their Instagram as a 'very special surprise'. They are now going to pretend it's their own cause. Pretty sure it their PR brainchild.
Sandie said…
Interesting:

'End of April/first two days of May 2016 she jets off for a vacation in Tulum, Mexico (state of Quintana Roo) with Cory Vitiello. At that point she was definitely still having sex with Cory, because it was their romantic getaway. As they return, Cory hosts the dinner for Harry and she´s there. Various sources have said that she and Harry met already back then and she started two timing Cory.

First week of June 2016 she is in New York City. Supposedly for work..? Well, chick´s gotta pretend to be doing something sometimes. June 8th she posts a selfie that makes it look as if she´s naked with the words “Sleep sweet”. You can bet your ass it was aimed at a guy, most probably Harry.

End of June 2016 she holidays in Greece, snaps herself topless and with ass cheeks out, snaps herself in bed... and allegedly some random guy also vacationing there boinks her (so it is claimed in a forum by a dude who says he's the guy's friend and saw them together, and boinker told him Markle is lousy in bed and tried to make up for that by being very loud).

Very last day of June (doing some press junket for Suits) and the entire first week of July 2016 she then spends in summery London, living it up. She gets clad in Ralph Lauren, the Wimbledon thing “Let me stalk Cressida and do some box and seat hopping, pretending I´m actually there because I'm Serena's friend” ensues.

Other blogs have repeatedly said that she could not have met up with Harry then because he was out of the country. Who knows. I'm pretty sure some boinking was going down with whomever. And she sure was holidaying more than she was “working”.

She does at least one day of shooting on July 9th. She posts a snap of herself in a cream coloured Rachel-Zane-outfit and says they shot until very late at night.

But if she and Harry and the claims of the engagement interview are to be believed - and for theory's sake we now do - in the same month of July 2016 they flew to Botswana together after their lovely first date, took the time to get to know each other there in Africa, and “camped out under the stars” (meaning: they fucked like rabbits in some glamorous tent or luxurious safari lodge). Our hard working, bleeding heart SJW gets to squeeze in more vacay time.

First week of August 2016 she then holidays in Ibiza, Spain. She posts a shot of herself, Benita Litt, Misha Nonoo and Heather Dorak toasting with cocktails at sunset on August 8th. She's clearly there to celebrate her birthday. August 13th she's still there, because she uploads a snap of herself, Misha and Markus as their out and about in Ibiza town.

End of August 2016 she's back in London however. She posts a pic of London Bridge on August 21st and writes that she's there with the newlywed Lindsay Jill Roth, a hashtag reads “#vacation ”. She sure needs a lot of recovery time, huh? But yeah, I mean of course... it must be incredibly exhausting holidaying in Ibiza, so now she needs a vacation from the previous vacation...

So up until this point, let's summarize what we have so far from end of April until end of August:
Mexico
Europe (Greece)
Europe (UK)
Africa (Botswana)
Europe (Spain)
Europe (UK)
For a whopping 4 months she did basically nothing else but vacation on three different continents. Six holiday trips in total, all of them consisting of soaking up the sun and hot weather, within 122 days.

Please tell me, dear sugars: in which country, which company and which form of employment would your boss, your co-workers or any outside onlookers consider THAT as someone being a hard-working woman?

Source: the-charlatan-duchess
Jen said…
@CatEyes I think the Queen/Charles may not want Harry to present quite this honest facade of his 'problems'.

But see, that in itself is why Harry will not get the help he needs. He's not "allowed" to speak publicly about his demons. Must keep it quiet and under wraps because speaking of it is taboo. THAT'S THE PROBLEM with mental illness awareness...people won't talk about it! WE cannot be afraid to be completely open about this. The only way forward is to speak out. The RF should be part of the solution if they truly want to save Harry. If they could show the people of the UK that they support him 100%, it may endear them to a whole new generation of folks who know of someone (family, friends, themselves) who have fought or are fighting their inner demons. It would go a long way to showing that groups the RF are so fond of "supporting" are truly being supported and that it's not just lip service.

Basically, put your money where your mouth is. If they aren't willing to speak about it on behalf of their own family, then how can they expect others to do the same?
PaisleyGirl said…
@Sandie, thank you for this interesting timeline re Meghan's many vacations in 2016. It does leave me with a lot of questions.
First of all, who was paying for all these vacations? Even assuming Harry paid for the Botswana trip and Cory paid for the Mexico trip, Meghan would still have to pay for flights and accommodation from/to Greece, Ibiza and two UK trips.
Also, it does make me wonder how all the dates add up. It seems she saw very little of Harry at that time, as she was constantly on holiday with other people.
lizzie said…
@PaisleyGirl, Good question about who was paying.

Whenever possible, I expect M got someone else to pay--Trevor, Corey, Harry, or even Thomas M for many years. But I expect some of the time she had to pay for herself. That's why it's so idiotic when M's fans/stans not only grossly inflate the salary she likely earned on Suits, they act like she has every cent she ever earned on Suits saved and in the bank. They seem to forget how often she traveled for pleasure (and forget about income taxes, fees for agents/publicists/accountants/the dogwalker she wrote about, forget about groceries, forget about vet bills, forget about her Soho membership, forget about the costs of non-work clothes, forget about cosmetic surgery costs, forget about entertainment costs when she couldn't get a man to pay, and so on.)
Lady Luvgood said…
I think a large part of Harry’s issues, stems from his relationship. We all know subconsciously when we are being played and often become depressed when our partner is unstable.

Messy has exploited Harry’s demons and jettisoned all his close and supportive relationships. Let’s hope someone can reach him, to help him get the therapy he needs.
Unknown said…
Re @Jen and @Paisley Girl, didn’t they say in the engagement interview that after they met for the first 6 months no one knew about them and they had such a fantastical time just being by themselves? Hard to see where they fit that ‘fantastical’ time in given she did nothing but vacation with other people the first four months after they met.
Unknown said…
Oops, sorry...@Sandie, not Jen
Glowworm
SirStinxAlot said…
The Sussex Forest sounds alot like Elton John's carbon offset donation during Fly Gate.
Liver Bird said…
My god the crowd over on Celebitchy are actually demented. I mean that literally. They have ANOTHER article about the fact that Kate cancelled her appearance (as a mere plus one) at one single event on Friday - apparantly for something related to the children - although she did attend a different event later that day. Yet they have not one word of criticism for the Harkles taking a month and a half of 'family time'.

There's one particular person who calls herself 'notasugarhere' and has beeen obsessively posting about Kate for years, well before Meghan arrived on the scene. But it's amped up several notches since then. This is the calibre of the Meghan fandom. Mad as hatters.

https://www.celebitchy.com/643236/duchess_kate_returned_to_work_on_friday_after_cancelling_an_event_the_night_before/#comments
PaisleyGirl said…
@Unknown, the whole timeline for the Harry/Meghan courtship and engagement seems off. The date when they first met varies from May to July 2016, depending on the interview, and was also amended in the Vanity Fair interview after it came out. But even if they had met in July (and went to Botswana straight away), they can't have spent any time together afterwards, as Meghan was on holiday with other people and still filming Suits, and Harry was doing his royal stuff. So I don't see the "secret first six months" timeline at all.
lizzie said…
I think it's pretty clear M was living with Corey and seeing Harry at the same time. Hence the "confusion" over when they met. I mean really, if you met someone on a blind date, you'd certainly know when that was. It's not as though they were traveling in the same social circle and got to know each other gradually. In those cases, it can be hard for either person to pinpoint the "start of the relationship."

I also think they didn't see each other prior to becoming engaged quite as often as they wanted to us to think they did, meaning they didn't know each other all that well.
Fairy Crocodile said…
@Liver Bird There is an excellent way to troll the demented MM fan club. Just calmly and matter of fact-ly state that MM's main function as a member of royal family is to support and serve the Queens - existing one and the future one, Kate. Job done. They go into complete meltdown.
Jen said…
@Lizzie I also think they didn't see each other prior to becoming engaged quite as often as they wanted to us to think they did, meaning they didn't know each other all that well.

Which then begs the question, why did they get engaged so quickly? There was no reason to get engaged so soon after meeting; they certainly don't come across as the "love at first sight" kind of people and I cannot imagine their love was so great that they just couldn't wait to be man and wife. All very odd.
SS said…
@Jen Could it be pregnancy, "pregnancy", slipped secrets, Harry wanting to make a stand, Markle holding the Andrew-Epstein thing over his head. The plot gets thicker...
CookieShark said…
@ Liver, notasugarhere appears to be a deranged, hateful individual. For a cohort of posters who present themselves as educated, intelligent people (but don't talk to them about investing money or even just saving money, as you will be called snobby), the group lives in total ignorance (or denial) of any less than favorable information about MM. Not once has anyone on CB discussed:

1) The H&M photoshoot in SA and appearance on the H&M website
2) MM's merching (they deny she does)
3) MM's tendency to rip off the ideas of others

I could go on. In addition to this, CB posters maintain MM is worth "5 million" and that she has "tons" of $$$ from Suits. Other posters above made good points that while working for Suits, MM did not appear to be living a frugal lifestyle. Her Tig blog was about luxury travel, expensive fashion and expensive food. I have said before I would bet MM is not a financial wizard and does not even make good financial choices, one example is paying SS big bucks for PR (it's not working)! I believe her parents loved her but didn't teach her good lessons about money.
Liver Bird said…
@FairyCrocodile It's funny 'coz it's true! Kate's status can only increase; Meghan's can only decrease. That's a fact.

@CookieShark Yes, that 'notasugarhere' really does seem like a horrible person. Now, I'm not in the least bit precious about bitching about celebrities - including Kate - as and when they deserve it. But I can just picture that 'notasugarhere' at home, sticking pins into her Kate doll. Why of all people would anyone take such a passionate dislike to Kate? The worst that can be said about her is that she's a bit bland and lazy. Big deal. I'll take that any day over merching, shallow wokeness and hypocrisy, and as the polls show, so would the majority of British people. But of course the CB nutters don't get that the British public is the only one that counts, not a few obsessive nutcases in Des Moines, Iowa.

Their absurd passion for Meghan is very similar to their unconditional love for Angelina Jolie, coupled with their hatred for these women's perceived rivals - Kate and Jennifer Aniston. And being mixed-race, the sense of virtuosity Meghan inspires in her fans is even greater. And just as their love for Brad Pitt turned into hatred the moment the divorce was announced, expect the same to happen for the Prince of Wokeness when the almost inevitable divorce comes around for the Harkles. Sooner rather than later.
Clarissa said…
I think Meagain has something very unpleasant that she is holding over Harry and potentially the BRF.

I have found some more plagiarism of The Queen’s Speech at the opening of The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. This can be found on www.royal.uk site on 6th July 2004.
“But I cannot forget - and nor can those of us here today who knew her much more personally, as sister, wife, mother or daughter-in-law- the Diana who made such an impact on our lives.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else?
Clarissa said…
I think Meagain has something very unpleasant that she is holding over Harry and potentially the BRF.

I have found some more plagiarism of The Queen’s Speech at the opening of The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. This can be found on www.royal.uk site on 6th July 2004.
“But I cannot forget - and nor can those of us here today who knew her much more personally, as sister, wife, mother or daughter-in-law- the Diana who made such an impact on our lives.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else?
Ava C said…
@ CookieShark - good points about Meghan and money. Also stands to reason that narcissists wouldn't be good with money as they need to project a certain image and that kind of image takes a lot of money. Of course you could be a raging narcissist and also a big money-earner. There's plenty of room in the entertainment industry for divas, but Meghan was only mediocre. That's the pattern of her life. She keeps gunning for things she's no good at and/or unsuited for.
lizzie said…
@Jen, I don't know why H&M married so quickly. My best guesses for the reasons for the rush to the altar

1. Harry made it clear he wanted kids. (Even I knew that from just reading about him.) M could have thought (not unreasonably) she was running out of time on that front. Sure there are options (and I'm not convinced they didn't use one of those anyway) but it may have taken time to get Harry on board with those. Better to be engaged first.

2. M knew her acting career was going nowhere after Suits----she was getting too old for most sex parts (which I expect she saw as wrong and unfair as I expect she sees herself as the ultimate in sex appeal)

3. M had $ signs in her eyes. I think there is plenty of evidence she was shopping for a rich British man while living with Corey.

4. Harry was determined to "settle down" and he likely knows he isn't improving with age. And at some level he probably knows he doesn't necessarily become more lovable to women the longer they know him. Many of his friends were married or engaged, he may have known too that W&K hoped to have a third child (many in the public had read Kate wanted 3 because she had 2 sibs) But Harry may have known they were trying before we knew the deed was done. I do think Harry was envious of Will's family life.

5. I think Harry was at loose ends after getting out of the military. While he did 3rd wheel-it with W&K, they still spent a lot of time at Anmer Hall and I'm not sure Harry was there too often.

I do think Harry had qualms and may have broken off with M as the HarryMarkle site suggests. But a narcissist like M couldn't allow HIM to leave HER so he was love bombed. And if Will did say slow down, that likely made Harry speed up.
Ava C said…
I had been hoping Kate would have a 4th child but I guess that's very unlikely now nearly 200 charities suddenly need new patrons.

As part of Prince Charles' descent on the BRF to sort it out, I do hope he stops the Cambridges from travelling all together in future. When you consider they always seem to do that when with the children, H&M are not so minor after all. I truly think they would have to bring the monarchy to an end after Charles if something dreadful happened and H&M were next.
SwampWoman said…
I would like to see a real program on the mental health crisis, not just platitudes and "if we counsel them hard enough" or "if we teach them hard enough" or "if we medicate them hard enough" then the problem will *poof* go away. But when the counseling is ineffective, the teaching is ineffective, and the meds eventually become ineffective, there are no options.

There are not enough residential facilities for crazy people that should not be running around in the wild. We've had a number of deaths of aging parents or grandparents killed by their dysfunctional children/grandchildren because the caregivers are getting older and the kids are getting stronger with time. The waiting list for a spot in a residential facility or group home is years long. There is a man in the nearest town who, if he takes his meds, does not set his neighbors' houses on fire. Unfortunately, he doesn't like to take his meds and can't be forced. He just got out of a lengthy sabbatical in the county jail and I haven't seen him lately jumping into the road to make cars swerve. I would imagine he's back in custody because I haven't heard of him being killed.

Almost all of the children with severe mental health issues that were not genetic in nature (such as Down or Rett syndrome) that were in our school district had parents who were substance abusers. I do not know if the mental health issues predated the drug abuse, or vice versa.

I suppose I'm outraged that people like M & H are out there whining about their feelings when there are people whose lives are in real present danger of being snuffed out by the mentally ill.
Rainy Day said…
According to the DM, Archie is being introduced to solid foods, all organic and in season, of course. I guess his caregiver or nanny gives H&M a weekly update? Considering what else is going on in the BRF these days, Media Meg is sounding a little desperate.
Ava C said…
@ Rainy Day - yes it's funny H&M were so aloof about providing any information about Archie at the time of his birth and christening yet now they're giving the most mundane details that William and Kate never provided and that the public have never sought or expected. Only makes their previous witholding of information look even worse. Especially when that information actually did matter. Place of birth and doctors present should be part of the historical record for a royal baby reasonably high in the succession.

The other aspect that strikes me about the updates on Archie's playgroup and weaning is that they may have realised Archie's the only Sussex the public doesn't dislike. :-/
SwampWoman said…
According to the DM, Archie is being introduced to solid foods, all organic and in season, of course. I guess his caregiver or nanny gives H&M a weekly update? Considering what else is going on in the BRF these days, Media Meg is sounding a little desperate.

Locally grown, too, no doubt, by farmers using oxen to plow the fields.
lizzie said…
Just out of curiosity, what is "in season" in Windsor right now? Apples, kale/greens, cabbage and Brussels sprouts?
Rainy Day said…
Well, we know it’s not avocadoes!!!!
Ava C said…
An article by Suzanne Moore in the Guardian advocating a republic has another of those oddly blind spots about Meghan:

"So here is Prince Andrew, essentially dethroned. His sin was not his inhumanity, but giving an interview about his inhumanity. Remember that when you start defending his mother. Meanwhile, Meghan has been treated as a villain for combining princessiness with stardom and being biracial."

This used to puzzle me, that journalists and people I respect in the public eye defend Meghan this blindly, but I've realised it's because they're too aloof/busy/disinterested to read the press coverage as it's so often about bad wigs, creased or inappropriate clothes etc. Things they would consider too trivial to spend their time on. After all, to use the word 'stardom' here shows she hasn't done her homework at all. Too busy watching art house films to bother with sleb culture.

Well if they're not going to get down and dirty with the History, Life and Times of Meghan Markle they shouldn't patronise us with such airy, insubstantial opinions, all the time rejoicing in their wokeness.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/25/prince-andrew-bad-apple-abolish-monarchy-republic
@SwampWoman,’Locally grown, too, no doubt, by farmers using oxen to plow the fields.’

If old methods were used to plough fields in the UK, it would be Shire horses, strong work horses.
All that said, wouldn't Megsy (for herself) want something a little more exotic than homegrown? ;o)
Louise said…
Ava C: I find it so frustrating whenever someone attributes the dislike for Smirkle to racism, without ever having to provide even a single example to back up their statement.

Smirkle herself listed herself as white on her acting CV and has distorted her nose and hair in order to look more white.

All her known boyfriends/husbands were white, as were her highschool and university friends. (It is only recently that she has collected black friends in order to play up he pseudo blackness.)

Heck, even the sorority that she joined at uni was a "white" sorority.

If anyone is a racist, it is Smirkle herself.
Mimi said…
She has sone so many things that are just plain wrong and dangerous. Using the racist card, for me, is one of the biggest issues because of what is has done...the division she has caused and the potential for it to blow up into something much bigger!
Mimi said…
ugh....DONE so many things....
Glow W said…
@louise your post comes across as racist
lizzie said…
I agree it's very frustrating when people make claims of racism (or any other -ism) without evidence.

I think part of it is the people doing it truly believe they are right. Therefore, to them ANY criticism of M is in and of itself proof of racism. Criticized for spending 1 million pounds on clothes her first year? That's racist because Kate wasn't criticized for her spending. (Well, she actually was but let's assume she wasn't.) But Kate didn't spend anywhere near as much as Meghan's 1 million pounds. Yeah, but if she had, nobody would have criticized Kate because she's white.

So the proof that criticism of M is racist lies in the fact that someone else wasn't criticized for doing something she didn't do!
Maggie said…
@Tatty When non-Brits accuse us of racist attitudes they should know that mixed race marriages are so common that they are unremarkable. The 'average' family in a TV ad won't be all white - race in the UK is simply not an issue.

Our differentiators tend to be class based. We aren't a version of the US, we are growing more distinctly different by the day. So please don't judge us by American standards.
Fairy Crocodile said…
@Louise I agree that she did a lot to change her appearance. All these heroic teen acts she supposedly performed exposed her early photos, with curly hair, darker skin and different nose. I personally think she had more character with her natural hair. Just imagine her now with a cloud of curly hair, a lot more unique and interesting than her current extensions and wigs with artificial gloss.
CookieShark said…
The ship has sailed on Archie (IMO) bc the pregnancy was so in our faces and yet he was debuted in SA, another giant FU to the UK IMO. No one cares if he eats organic everything or Chik-Fil-A. I know MM defenders have said "She doesn't owe the public anything" regarding Archie, and technically that may be true, but there is something to be said for goodwill and gratitude (granted, these emotions don't appear to be MM's strong suit).

The pregnancy & coat flicking was endured by the UK for months. It reached its zenith with the picture of her in the black gown at the BAFTAs, cradling her bump and making the moment about her when she was there to present an award to someone else. We can entertain the argument that she was mad at the press and therefore would not allow them to publish photos of Archie. However, not every British citizen did her wrong and it was unfair (to use another word she likes) to punish all of the UK by refusing to talk about Archie or show photos. Lots of grandmotherly types like my mother love baby photos. This is one demographic she could have capitalized on by just taking the high road and allowing a few decent photos of Archie to be published, not the bizarre, arty, "here's a head here's feet photos."

Archie in SA appeared to be much older than his stated age, so that may have been the motivation for H&M to refuse to release photos when he was born. At this point too much time has passed, IMO. No one is interested in what Archie eats. In addition to this, the WHO recommends breastfeeding for at least a year, so it seems early for Archie to be eating entirely solid food. Another detail overlooked by the PR team, but I suspect they want to float that story since not many of us actually believe she is breastfeeding Archie.
Ava C said…
Yes and with the Suzanne Moore Guardian article alleging racism - as usual - no comments are allowed, so you can't challenge it. Drives readers crazy. So relieved DM usually allows comments.

Recently Meghan was referred to by one of her stans on DM as an 'internationally acclaimed' actress. At least I could reply asking them to name (1) one award (2) one good review (3) one leading role. No reply of course. They just run away.

There should be a concerted, consistent drive to get Meghan's defenders to provide specific evidence for their claims, using a calm and reasonable tone. Much as Emily Maitlis skewered PA. Of course it only works where there's the right to reply. No coincidence comments are disabled so often in the broadsheets.

Lady Luvgood said…
The Kate Hate has been an ongoing thing, on CB for a long time.

They hate her and her coat buttons, it’s really petty and surreal.
SirStinxAlot said…
I love Kate's coat buttons!!
SirStinxAlot said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
KCM1212 said…
Meghan, as a master manipulator, had to get Harry to commit very quickly, while he was "twunt-struck". Any delay could expose her for what she really is, and who she really is.

I believe some of the "when we met" conflicts were to disguise the fact she was living with a man as well as to imply to the BRF that they knew each other for a longer period of time than they actually did before the engagement.

The Vanity Fair article and the "racism" letter from Harry to the press were critical to her plan. Once he committed to her publicly he would be less likely to dump her. I do think he sees himself as a gentleman.

Once she had him publicly committed, she could move a little slower on the wedding of her dreams, but there couldn't be any lengthy engagement. Every day was the day she, or someone else, could reveal the real Meghan. Another reason her family and long term friends were forbidden access to the trophy.
Royal Fan said…
https://news.yahoo.com/exact-untrue-news-stories-meghan-175432884.html

I love the title of this article!

“Here are the exact “untrue” news stories Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are suing over“

So by default all of the others are true.
Three I can think of so far are:
1. Threw a teapot at staff in Australia
2. Demanded certain tiara from the Queen
3. Made Kate cry

Any others verified as real stories from daily mail? I don’t think they’ve said a word about Archie’s birth circumstances but let’s play a game!
Royal Fan said…
Above comment should’ve said “the mail on Sunday” not the daily mail
SirStinxAlot said…
@Royal fan...let's not forget asking for a friean apartment at Windsor palace, putting in a tennis court instead of the garden listed on their building approval for Frogmore cottage, complaining about the smell of the church, buttery taste in the food, excessive spending on clothes, tag on dress that she intended to return after the event like an impoverished star, ....too many to list.
Ava C said…
@ KC Martin -yes that Vanity Fair article was critical and should have been recognised by the BRF as the red flag it was. She just went ahead and did it, to force the outcome she wanted. Relying on Harry being too chivalrous to do what he should have done, which was jettison her. She carried on that way ever since, but in a minor key. Her mother going to Balmoral being a good example. The BRF won't play now, so those test balloons just hang there, gradually deflating.

At the time it reminded me of Elvis and Ann Margret in the early '60s, very much in love. Then while she was visiting the UK she was (unfairly) reported as speaking about their imminent engagement and it was enough for him to drop her like a stone. Priscilla knew she should never to say a word to anyone if she wanted to be his wife, and she waited a long time (just like Kate). That's how it should have been with Harry.
CatEyes said…
@tatty said:
>@louise your post comes across as racist<


You're kidding I hope. Sort of like innocently using the word 'uppity'.
SwampWoman said…
Maggie said:

Blogger Maggie said...
@Tatty When non-Brits accuse us of racist attitudes they should know that mixed race marriages are so common that they are unremarkable. The 'average' family in a TV ad won't be all white - race in the UK is simply not an issue.

Our differentiators tend to be class based. We aren't a version of the US, we are growing more distinctly different by the day. So please don't judge us by American standards.


Don't worry about it. She's determined to find offense. According to her, we racist southerners sit around on the veranda sipping Mint Juleps and talking about the uppity relatives who think they're too good to pick cotton. (I've actually never heard uppity used for anything other than accusing people of thinking that they were better than anybody else. Anywhere outside of the movies, that is. It is also used for people running off at the mouth, as in telling a person "You get uppity with me one more time, and I'll snatch you bald headed!" which is just another way of saying don't let your mouth write checks that your a$$ can't cash.



CatEyes said…
I find it strange that Megs isn't breastfeeding Archie instead of him going on solid food. I thought the 'earth mother' that she is, being so into healthy living she would breastfeed until he is at least two or three. My gosh, I also thought she would let it be known they share a family bed not isolate him and confine him to a crib. But of course he is advanced so next, we will read Archie has been toilet trained at 9 months and speaking in sentences at 11 months, soon to be followed by composing poetic quotes shortly thereafter.
CatEyes said…
@SwampWoman

Ditto to your remarks!

Talking about Mint Juleps, wish I had one now, dang it! Just have wine. But the warm weather (77 F) might find me on my veranda tomorrow drinking one.
Louise said…
tatty said...
"@louise your post comes across as racist"

Could you state specifically what about my post comes across as racist?

As I said in my original post, it is frustrating when some people call other people racist, without any elaboration or explanation..

Scandi Sanskrit said…
What enters Archie's system must be clean and organic (I'm not arguing it should be any other way).

What fast-fashion H&M outfit Archie wears howver is allowed to harm other children...

Okay, Meghan.

PS: The Guardian is run by "boys who cry wolf" types, and they're doing more harm than helping the cause of eradicating racism because they're essentially writing fan fiction with Jussie Smollette undertones, undermining actual racism cases... I'll tell you what's racist, veganism is racist: https://thevimblog.com/2018/12/30/is-veganism-racist/

The other day I saw (what appeared to be a middle-class white American) imply that he [regularly] eats rice that Indians only get to eat during "wedding season". When a posh toff says that at least you can attribute it to class and wealth, but when an average Joe says that, as an Asian living in Asia, I don't know what to say.

These middle-class status symbols are seriously messed-up.

I said it once and I will say it again: the most racist person in this debacle is Meghan herself.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
Also, why do we keep hearing about Meghan consumes?

I never seem to hear anything about what the Queen eats for breakfast?

Did we ever hear about what Diana fed her children?

Despite being born into privilege, Diana was never a callous one to rub what fancy pants stuff she had in your faces, was she? Manipulative as she was, at least she was considerate in that department.

The only time I ever heard about a product another member of the royal family used was straight from the company itself: https://www.trilogyproducts.com/blogs/the-latest/the-reported-secret-behind-kate-middleton-s-gorgeous-glow-trilogy-rosehip-oil

But then the Elle, Allure, Harper's Bazaar articles focus on the rosehip oil itself and Kate's mentioned alongside other public figures (I doubt Kate herself leaked it or).
CatEyes said…
@Louise

I am aware of the same facts as you have stated. Facts, Cold hard facts about Meghan.

As to an opinion about Meghan being racist, I agree. She could also be called what African Americans ('black' people) call a 'Colorist'; someone who despises or avoids their own race. Since Meghan identifies herself now as a Woman of Color (WOC) and has done the things we both know as facts (98% of her life) then yes, she is a Colorist, which in their eyes (LSA) seems worse than a being a racist (if one thinks the posters at Lipstick Alley are to be believed). The thinking being, of all people a person of color has a duty/obligation to accept/socialize with other people of color, date them perhaps, marry them maybe, identify yourself as having mixed blood rather than hiding/lying about as Meghan did on her CV.

I am so disgusted that if one criticizes Meghan we are labeled as Racists. I find that repugnant. I for one thought positive thoughts about her when she married Harry. I got up at 5am to watch the wedding. It took me a little while before I began to think she was doing things wrong.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
LOL I love how I can no longer access this blog without a VPN.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
FTR I used to like Meghan when I regularly watched "Suits" (the Harvey/redhead ship was way hotter than Rachel with weedboy's ship, but whatever I thought she was pretty and had nice eyes & nice face nonetheless).

These days I find her less attractive. I mean her character was so nice and seemed harmless and I didn't think she'd be such an a-hole IRL.

It's true isn't it? That as we age, we become less and less shallow (like the more we learn about a person's personality and actions, the more our brains affect how attractive we find that person).

I'm glad our brains are wired that way! It helps us make better choices about who to spend the rest of our lives with....
KCM1212 said…
@catered
I so agree!
The problem with any name-calling and/or label is that it is impossible to respond to (or to change for that matter) because of its vagueness. Which is probably why people use it.
The people who call names are not really interested in a dialogue.

It's also knee-jerk. There is nothing thoughtful, measured, or even interesting about it.

Ultimately, it's simply lazy.

Really, it's designed to infuriate. So it accomplishes that much. Only that.
KCM1212 said…
@cateyes. Stupid autocorrect
Scandi Sanskrit said…
@KC Martin:

I'd say it's designed to silence people.

They just want to shut you down.
SwampWoman said…
I for one thought positive thoughts about her when she married Harry. I got up at 5am to watch the wedding. It took me a little while before I began to think she was doing things wrong.

Not me. I read that he was getting married, saw the pics, saw she had the crazy eyes and bad makeup. I'd never heard of her but then I don't do TV much. I asked some TV addicts about her, and they said "who?" So, I shrugged and forgot about her until a few months later when SwampMan, reading some of the controversy about her, asked me "What was Prince Harry thinking?" It piqued my curiosity. At that point, I didn't know or care that she was biracial.

I just knew that she was acting in ways that were diametrically opposed to her new role. The clumsy missteps and self-sabotage is fascinating in a trainwreck kinda way.
CatEyes said…
@KC Martin
@Scandi Sanskrit

I posted some polite remarks that were construed as being anti-Meghan (on LSA) and I was lambasted, called names and a couple stalked my comments on different threads to continue with the verbal abuse. One made like 80 downvotes in 10 minutes. They were rabid. Truly, they wanted to run me off. Frankly. it left a bad taste in my mouth and it was not worth responding back to. If I post there again, I will know to expect a tirade from some and to let it roll off my back.
CatEyes said…
@SwampWoman

I should have said my positive thoughts were that Harry was getting married after all these years. I didn't know anything about her or Suits. When I later read about the prior relationships and saw the risque acting I was shocked....Shocked I tell ya!!

I was kind of surprised that the Queen took her on that overnight train trip. I thought surely the Queen must know something very good about her. And look at the money the Queen allowed to be spent on the wedding...it was obscene.
KnitWit said…
They are mental, but not healthy.

Wondering what the Megster has planned for Thanksgiving? Trying to find a shelter serving turkey dinner for a photo ops? Merching Archie's first organic free range turkey baby food? Taking a boat ride with Andrew to reminisce about the old yacting days? Calling the Queen to tell her all the things about the royal family she was thankful for? Driving around in her electric car to see which pub Andrew was drinking at?
KCM1212 said…
That's pretty scary cateyes. That's one thing I love about this blog. Not only is it really interesting (I swear I learn something new nearly every time I wander through) but it's so consistently civil. I know that Nutty enforces that, but I think she has collected a group of like-minded folks that both offer and demand respect.
How refreshing!
CatEyes said…
@KnitWit

Turkey for the vegan,,,oh no! She will have Tofu Turkey with Avocado Stuffing (made from that leftover toast). Archie will be able to eat Tofu. Maybe she will have some Tig Wine...nope I forgot she doesn't want Harry to drink. We have read she looks out the window at Frogmore and watches lawn bowling, or cricket or something. She could get out there, exercise and lose some of that baby weight. Whoops, forgot she just likes to look at athletes not be one. Perhaps she will relax with some weed (like at her wedding to Trevor)...oh no that's not going to happen because she doesn't want Harry to smoke

Hopefully, she will steer clear of helping at Shelter/Charity Dinner as she would get up there and start pontificating how all the attendees should be thankful they don't have to worry about their carbon footprint since they don't fly, nor drive or even own a bicycle. I would get nauseous if I had to listen to her. The homeless need real salads not 'word salads'.
CatEyes said…
@KnitWit

>Taking a boat ride with Andrew to reminisce about the old yacting days? Calling the Queen to tell her all the things about the royal family she was thankful for? Driving around in her electric car to see which pub Andrew was drinking at <

Oh, that's good! But really, has anyone read where they are? Gee only 2+ days and Thanksgiving will be here and surely if she was going to be in the states they wouldn't want to wait till the last minute. I am curious what will come out in a few days, maybe a photo of Archie knawing on a drumstick?
SwampWoman said…
Well, my gracious, ladies (and gents, if there are any here). I must bid y'all a fond good night because that alarm goes off at a most uncivilized hour of the morning. I'm about to pop the cork out of a bottle of wine that my brother bottled. It tastes of summertime sunshine, new beginnings, the sweetness of life and no regrets.
CatEyes said…
Oops, typo, meant: gnawing on a drumstick.
CatEyes said…
Goodnight, I'm retiring too.

How delicious your wine sounds....while mine has the taste of mellow cardboard with a hint of ink, Walmart vintage 2019
Lady Luvgood said…
IMO Meggy has one foot out the door, there are no Balmoral or Sandringham invites, they let her and Harry cover by making excuses, but I think much like her predecessor Wallis Simpson, the Royal Family is putting Meggy on ice.

It won’t be long until Chaz sees the writing on the wall and forces their hand, to pursue all the merching and privacy they desire.

Don’t forget it was Charles who forced HMTQ (long may she reign) to fly the Royal Standard at half mast and flew to Paris to bring Diana home, he also insisted she have a state funeral.

Home boy has waited too long for that scepter to let Meggy snatch his crown.
Lady Luvgood said…
I stayed up all night to watch Harry get married and was so let down by the dress and the funeral attire of the page boys and Prince Harry, black?? Who does that?

Only some one who knows their marriage is only one of connivence, it definitely did not resemble a joyous or happy occasion.

Megs triumphant smirk through the streets of Windsor, was extremely off putting. Poor Harry and Archie
CatEyes said…
@Unknown

Yes, that hideous dress....I could not believe it and said so. Whit all the money and opportunity at her disposal, she was outfitted in basically a slick bedsheet. That was a foreshadowing of her terrible taste in clothes and that she couldn't manage to dress right for the most important occasion of her life. I told a friend at the time, that I could have gotten a Simplicity dress pattern and made it and saved her what $500,000? I will say I really liked the embroidered flowers on her veil. that I believe Megs tried to take credit for rather than the lady who designed it.
Tamhsn said…
Just watched the story of the Windsors on Netflix. I never resented Charles like majority..this series made me sympathize with him. Watch it if you can..the last episode is on him. ..now off to read the comments..its awfully late here..but the comments are really fascinating.
CatEyes said…
Yes the funeral feeling of the attire must have been Meg's decision because she dresses so much in black. I thought the picture of the Queen frowning at Meghan was priceless. That is one for the History books when it is written about the sure-to-be-doomed marriage. Even their wedding cake was lackluster in appearance. And the smirking bride was sickening while Harry did not look elated as one would think he would be (he almost looked uneasy).
lizzie said…
@Unknown said
"Don’t forget it was Charles who forced HMTQ (long may she reign) to fly the Royal Standard at half mast..."

I didn't know Charles had a role in the flag decision. But it wasn't the Royal Standard, it was the Union Jack. I believe the Royal Standard was taken down when TQ left for the funeral but it is never flown at half-mast.
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 I started thinking about how time passes when reading some of the articles about the birthday.  It was interesting to think about it from the different points of view.  Besides, it kind of fits as a follow up the last post (the whole saga of can the two brothers reunite). So there is the requisite article about how he will be getting all kinds of money willed to him from his great-grandmother.  There were stories about Princess Anne as trustee (and not allowing earliest access to it all).  Whether or not any or all of this is true (there was money for him and/or other kids) has been debated with claims she actually died owing money with the Queen paying the debts to avoid scandal.  Don't know but I seem to remember that royal estates are shrouded from the public so we may not (ever) know. However, strange things like assisting in a book after repeated denials have popped up in legal papers so nothing is ever really predicable.   We are also seein...

The Opening Act of New Adventures in Retail

 I keep thinking things will settle down to the lazy days of spring where the weather is gorgeous and there is a certain sense of peacefulness.  New flowers are coming out. increasing daylight so people can be outside/play and thinking gardening thoughts.  And life is quiet.  Calm. And then something happens like a comet shooting across the sky.  (Out of nowhere it arrives and then leaves almost as quickly.)   An update to a law suit.  Video of the website is released (but doesn't actually promote any specific product which can be purchased from the website).  A delay and then jam is given out (but to whom and possible more importantly - who did not make the list?).  Trophies almost fall (oops).  Information slips out like when the official date of beginning USA residency.  (now, isn't that interesting?) With them, it's always something in play or simmering just below the surface.  The diversity of the endeavors is really ...