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Open Post: What does Andrew's decision mean for the Sussexes?

Prince Andrew has chosen to step down from active royal duties due to his role in the Epstein scandal.

What do you think this means for the monarchy as a whole, and for the Sussexes in particular?

As Winston Churchill once (reportedly) said, "Never waste a good crisis."  Will Charles show himself to be unusually decisive and use Andrew's situation as an excuse to slim down the monarchy?

What will the idiotic Sussex stans do, now that they can no longer insist that the media is harassing Meghan to cover up for Andrew's misdeeds?

And what does it all mean for Beatrice's wedding?

Comments

Miggy said…
@Mimi,

"Wonder if Fergie will be as supportive of Meghan as she has been after she reads what she said about being “horrified”."

The only time I recall Fergie being supportive after Eugenie's wedding, was when she spoke out about the abuse that BOTH Kate and Meghan were subjected to on social media and compared it to the supposed rivalry that was always reported between herself and Diana.

Good Morning America have it on Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW7UfL8OrTw

Mimi said…
o.k. Miggy, you’re probably right. Thanks you.
Louise said…
Ava C.: " should add that I quite agree Meghan should not have said anything, as a member of the BRF. But putting that on one side, what she actually said wouldn't be criticised if coming from from someone else, but it was. "

The thing is, one can't separate what she said from the fact that she is a member of the RF because she IS a member of the RF and traditionally the RF don't rag on one another to the media.

And in her particular case, even were she not a member of the RF, it is rich coming from someone who, both professionally and personally, has gotten ahead by pleasuring men.

If many men were not just as Andrew described, she might be working at a mundane job, in a mundane location.
CatEyes said…
@AvaC said
>Due to her personality and the way she lives her life and treats people, she will always be seen as a hypocrite when spouting what should be normal, good, human sentiments. Quite rightly. The hostility towards her is absolute.<

You also pointed out she is so disliked. I agree with you wholeheartedly, but a number of posters here allege the UK public just don't care. I sense that indeed she may not be hated but certainly, the public has a negative opinion of her and I will go further and allege that many think she is damaging the BRF,

However, I would say, as an American, that perhaps most here don't care. I have yet to have anyone mention her in a conversation. much less engage in a discussion about her. I would like to be a fly on the wall and know if she has any concept of reality as to how she is viewed. Because of the props that are her few celebrity *friends* and strange support from the likes of MP's she has a sense of popular legitimacy if not absolute adulation of the people in her mind's eye. How I wish she would get a reality bitch slap to put her in her place. Rather than Diana 2.0 she is a zero-minus Meghan
Ava C said…
The Sun's editorial on what must happen next with the BRF pulls no punches regarding H&M. Excerpt below:

>>>>> Former golden couple Harry and Meghan, meanwhile, have fast become the royals’ second-biggest liability.

The hypocritical “woke” lectures, the egotistical self-pity, the secrecy, the misguided war on the media and the reported bragging about “single-handedly modernising the monarchy” have been catastrophic misjudgments.

They must be given an ultimatum: buckle down to your duty, and nothing else, or withdraw and live as private ­citizens on your own incomes.

The Palace must reassert central control. Allowing different family branches to freelance has been a costly mistake.

Boris Johnson was wrong this week to say the monarchy was beyond reproach. It isn’t. Charles must set about fixing it. >>>>>>

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10406058/prince-charless-decisiveness-over-brother-plenty-to-do/
Mischief Girl said…
@LiverBird: "Meghan really really despises sex offenders and is an ardent feminist.

And she hired Harvey Weinstein's PR company to make sure we're all aware of that."

That is classic!

For a woman who connived and schemed to become Mrs. Haz, MM is dumb as a bag of rocks.

Her ONLY hope was to shut the eff up and GO AWAY for at least the duration of her 6-week hiatus. No PR stunts, no press, no NOTHING. Go deep underground and then return, hoping the public had forgotten some of her gaffes. She might have had a prayer if she could prove she could tow a quiet line for 6-weeks.

But she can't even do that.

MM must be exhausted by the rapidity with which she is digging her own grave within the BRF.

Should MM somehow survive within the family, I can't wait to see the body language when Andrew and MM will next be together in public. You know he would have her guts for garters, if he could.
Sandie said…
If Meghan did make that comment, as reported (and it sounds so much like her and we know she spends a lot of time online shopping and checking out video tutorials of applying make up and getting 5-minute information abut everything to use as word salad!), then she has shown she has no respect for nor loyalty to the BRF (much like her own family). You speak directly to family about issues and do not gossip about them behind their back. Silence does not mean you support or approve; it just means you are discreet and are actually part of a family. Meghan does not seem to understand that.

I hope Harry ends up with a decent wife who provides a foundation for him to live a decent life. For Megsy, there is plenty of space for people like her (there are many like her who are rich and famous), but that place is increasingly being shown not to be the BRF (just my opinion).
Liver Bird said…
"I hope Harry ends up with a decent wife who provides a foundation for him to live a decent life."

Harry got precisely the wife he deserves.
Liver Bird said…
@Mischief Girl

"Her ONLY hope was to shut the eff up and GO AWAY for at least the duration of her 6-week hiatus. No PR stunts, no press, no NOTHING. Go deep underground and then return, hoping the public had forgotten some of her gaffes. She might have had a prayer if she could prove she could tow a quiet line for 6-weeks."

Yup. That's what I've been saying. MAYBE a few cute pics of Archie at Thanksgiving and/or Xmas - not 'tease' black and white snaps of random limbs, but normal cute family pics - and nothing more. No merching, no pap walks, no planted stories from 'friends'. And then come back in the new year for a fresh start and hope the public will have forgotten all your shenanigans and be willing to give you another chance. It might well work. But she seems incapable of that.
SwampWoman said…
Hey, Ava C! I've a house full of children spending the weekend and I didn't notice the SwampWom instead of SwampWoman (grin). I'm doing run-by reading today.

I do not know which publication has the erudite readers; I just know that erudite readers aren't going to be MM fans.
lizzie said…
While we actually haven't seen M since the Remembrance events, Harry's last official appearance was less than a week ago. Along with the "who knows where we'll go or what we'll do for the upcoming holidays" we've had the "no one texts us or checks on us" and the "Meghan is troubled by Andrew" stories. We've also had the tree-planting campaign from "fans." And a few days before Harry's last appearance we had the "Terribly advanced 6-month old Archie like to 'play with' red-haired babies at playgroup" and "Hillary visits Frogmore to cuddle Archie." No, M is not going to shut up. In fact, it could be worse than usual because she's not out and about getting attention that way.
Liver Bird said…
Interesting insights into the Andrew debacle:

"Prince Andrew has been de-royaled, if there is such a word,” said the historian and biographer Robert Lacey, an adviser to the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown. “At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I really would compare it to 1936 and the abdication of Edward VIII. What we are talking about is effectively the removal of a member of the royal family as a result of public opinion.”

The duke can take some comfort from the knowledge that if he had been around a few hundred years ago, things could have been worse. “One can even compare it to 1649, when Charles I was executed,” Lacey said. “This is a reminder that what was an institution of absolute power now depends ultimately on the consent and approval of the communities it seeks to represent, and Prince Andrew failed in this respect.”

Arrogant, aloof and slow-witted, according to some who have encountered him, the duke’s interview last weekend with Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis is now seen as a textbook example of how not to conduct a damage-limitation exercise.

Perhaps he should have heeded the lessons of history. Princess Diana’s bombshell Panorama confession did huge damage to the royal family. Prince Charles’s decision to admit to adultery via a television interview greatly reduced his standing in the eyes of the public.

“Andrew is a bit of a plonker, everybody knows that,” said one source close to the palace. “There’s no way he should have been allowed to do that interview. They should have just sent him off to Australia. That would have been a bloody good idea. Out of sight, out of mind.”

Gotta love that 'palace source'! "Plonker" is a great word and perfect for the odious Andrew.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/nov/23/prince-andrew-royal-crisis-firm-lost-grip
dunnoreally said…
".........but a number of posters here allege the UK public just don't care. I sense that indeed she may not be hated but certainly, the public has a negative opinion of her and I will go further and allege that many think she is damaging the BRF......."

I've been seeing comments about us not caring about MM and what she's been doing. As a reader and not often a poster I'm pushed to refute this. In my corner of the world we definitely do care about the damage that MM is doing to the RF, and by extension to the UK - and I'd go as far as to say that she is despised, hated and loathed by a growing number of us. No-one I've come across has a good word to say about her, no-one. To put the record straight, FWIW!
I have something to add about a purloined letter that I can't see has appeared here yet but I'll write separately.
dunnoreally said…
Ok, this letter. This appeared on Twitter.

Duke of Edinburgh wrote a letter to Harry. The messenger left it 'in the room' instead of handing it directly to Harry.
Meghan Markle intercepted it.
She then flew off to LA.

Details are sketchy other than that. There is an amount of scepticism about it on Twitter, I'm keeping an open mind.
Louise said…
dunnoreally: "on Twitter" is not much of a receipt. Twitter is a big space.

Liverbird: I am almost finished watching season 3 of The Crown (one more episode left), and I would think that an historian who worked on that show does not feel any warmth for the RF. Apart from Charles, they all come across as extremely unsympathetic this season. Is this accurate?

This doesn't take away from Lacey's recent opinions.
Ava C said…
Can this week get any more surreal? Just read that Meghan's favourite false eyelashes are “handmade from pure mink hair for a natural-looking finish”. Furthermore, "the mink is “sourced from free-range zoos and completely sterilised for safe and hygienic use”.

I'm sure the mink are fine with that ...

Mink eyelashes! £23 a pair! Never seen anyone look such a mess with false eyelashes. Glue everywhere. Maybe Priscilla Presley can give her some lessons. She managed just fine in the ye olde non-mink 1960s, wearing several pairs at the same time, no glue in sight.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/meghans-favourite-party-lashes-revealed-just-in-time-for-the-party-season_uk_5dd25fd9e4b02947481a4e22
Ava C said…
Meghan can do the triple - get off a private jet in her lambskin skirt and mink eyelashes. Even better, if it's the weekend she won't be vegan ...
Miggy said…
She's in the news again following a complaint from ONE viewer!

"This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes has been reprimanded by ITV bosses for describing Meghan Markle as ‘uppity’ because the term has racial connotations."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7718737/Eamonn-Holmes-race-storm-ITV-reprimands-presenter.html
Ava C said…
I've been looking at a few more 'Anne Boleyn' tweets. So convinced it's MM:

"Here's the deal; I'm going to rip apart the arguments, positions, ideas, and behaviours of others who are cruel to #MeghanMarkle or anyone else. I will not, however, attack another person's soul. That's not how my mother and grandmother raised me....."

"If I came to your house & demanded to see your newborn & told you that if you said no, I'd find damaging pictures & stories about you to share with all of your neighbours & social media contacts, you'd think I was a stalker psychopath, not 'the press'."

"The tabloids want you to hate Meghan and/or Kate. That's how they keep their false narratives going, and that's how they get clicks for cash."

That last one - she's so convinced the tabloids create the hostility towards her, whereas the readers are managing perfectly well, no professional commentary needed. Cameras are enough.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
Eff-ing hell, it's like she has a twin.

The Good Twin is Cruella de Vil, and the Evil Twin is a vegan.
dunnoreally said…
@Louise I'm not sure what you mean.
Do you want the tweet and tweeter ID'd?
As I wrote, the info is sketchy, sparse.
And tweet responses were being deleted, apparently by Twitter, 15 out of 22 responses at one point.
Louise said…
Yes, dunnoreally. A report of a Tweet made by an unknown Tweeter is not particularly reliable as being factual, in my opinion.

Perhaps others feel differently.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
Is the ITV's "uppity" incident the only ONE *ACTUAL LEGIT* racist comment she's received since Harry released the "leave her alawn!" statement?

Finally some real, concrete, tangible evidence.

Because it IS racist (something to do with America's history of slavery).

I am sorry that it happened to Meghan. What happened to the slaves is degrading and shouldn't have happened to any human.

Remember when people asked the parliamentarians for examples of racist treatment and nobody seemed able to provide any? That was weird.

Now we have an actual racist incident *after* the fact!

At least now I feel a little less gas-lit.

It's just bizarre, the whole thing.

Actually...

When you put the whole thing into perspective it's WEIRD AS HELL in general.

I have family members who've run for office (parliamentary seats). Admittedly we're not very good at it (the whole "democracy" thing) LOL because I'm from a family where we were leaders "just because" before democracy happened.

Anyway, my point being:

I can't imagine my family member (the one who ran for office) defending a foreign citizen married to a member of the Sultanate (who's on the taxpayers' payroll, and the foreign spouse overspending the hell out of it at that & being disrespectful toward the local customs). It just made *no* sense to me. It came off as parliamentarians being amateurishly star-struck with Hollywood and kiss-assy (cringe).

On top of that, I have a personal policy of not talking Indonesian politics on social media (in case we run for office again). I totally get why certain people should refrain from talking politics. The only time I really "talk" local politics is when I do my routine "proof I voted" on Instagram every gubernatorial/presidential election (because you know you can get your b*tching rights revoked if you don't vote, right? And I love b*tching too much to stop; I mean either way you vote you "lose" these days and some years I just feel as if I'm renewing my "b*tching license", but I digress).

I don't get why it's so hard for Meghan to understand royals shouldn't be political (regardless of gender).

It's not always about you.

I get why royals should be apolitical (or "politically-neutral").

In my not-so-humble-opinion as a foreigner, monarchies shouldn't be outwardly/openly political because it's simply not fair to the citizens.

Nobody voted for them.

Us plebs always say to each other, "STFU you didn't even vote!"

And yeah usually nearly half of a population will end up being governed by a-holes we never voted for (possibly more than that if Putin meddled into your elections LOL).

But it's your 100% your RIGHT to b*tch about the mayor/governor/president you didn't vote for.

Seriously this whole thing is weirding me out.

I need a break again.

Take care, all! 💜
Scandi Sanskrit said…
" Mischief Girl said...

@LiverBird: "Meghan really really despises sex offenders and is an ardent feminist.

And she hired Harvey Weinstein's PR company to make sure we're all aware of that."

That is classic!"


☝🏼 THIS is also my favourite comment in the whole thread LOL.

Bye. Take care. 💜
abbyh said…

a couple of thoughts

Dunnoreally - hmm the letter. When were they all together so that Megan could swipe the letter intended for her husband?

He's in Sandringham last I thought (and Balmoral before that).

So, for this to be true, we have to have opportunity before we can get tangled with motives and means.

The one racist statement - I think even if she was not racially mixed, it still would have been a little uproar as many woman who were a tad militant about being feminists were sometimes called "uppity" in a way to try to bring them down.

So I didn't look at it initially with the racial connotations but the historic feminist ones.

SwampWoman - loved the red/green explaination. I feel sorry for his kids. And a lot of respect for William and Kate and their work in bringing up those kids in spite of the goldfish life.
Anonymous said…
It’s a shame that Charles and Camilla seem to be having a great tour, and it's been completely overshadowed by Andrew.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
I see he's not getting his pizza from Pizza Express, either: https://twitter.com/EamonnHolmes/status/1198266680763400193?s=19 🍕

Too bad Pizza Hut doesn't do thin crust...

Jackass Andrew.
KnitWit said…
Playing devil's advocate. The word " horrified" and the phrase " under the table" don't sound like Megan to me.

She is arogant and ignorant enough to criticize mbers of the royal family again. She has also alledgedly leaked information via " friends".

CatEyes said…
@Scandi Sanskrit said

>Is the ITV's "uppity" incident the only ONE *ACTUAL LEGIT* racist comment she's received since Harry released the "leave her alawn!" statement?
Finally some real, concrete, tangible evidence<

****I live in the South and that word 'uppity' is used regardless of what your race is. The times I have used it were when referring to Caucasian people and it wasn't used due to any slavery reasons. It was meant to describe someone who is haughty.

But it is like many remarks, if one wants to see racism they will even if it wasn't meant to be It is like when you refer to a young black man as 'boy' some might be offended, but in the South 'boy' is a word used regardless of race. Meghan wants to see racism as that is her victim narrative.
KnitWit said…
If one were determined to hurt Meg and/ or have her removed from the royal family, what better way to have unpopular opinions released via media attributed to Meg's "friend".

This method would likely be deployed by someone well versed in history.

Maria Antoinette, another unpopular foreign queen, was destroyed by alledgedly false reports in the press released by jealous and/ or anti-royalist courtiers. Rumours of affairs and excessive spending during an economic crisis and the infamous " let them eat cake " comment are examples.

A "let them eat cake" style quote spread on social media would be a brutal blow at this time. A devious modern courtier could leak insensitive politically charged comments attributed to " friends" of Meg hoping they will turn public opinion enough to prompt royal action. Charles is probably in a temper about Andrew and the dynamic duo upstaging his trips and documentaries with their scandals. He may push to be rid of them all.
KnitWit said…
If anyone has pictures of Meg and Andrew on a yacht " back in the day", I wish they would release them!
Platypus said…
I agree with @cateyes. I live in the south as well, and that is not considered racist at all to tell someone they are being uppity. Means the same as telling someone they are getting too big for their britches or warning them not to get above their raisin’.

Also, sometimes saying someone is a gift can be sarcastic, especially if used with the word real in front of it.

I’m about to haul out the bottle of Jack Daniels if anyone wants to join me. I think I need something stronger than wine. This all just gets weirder and weirder, doesn’t it?
CatEyes said…
@Platypus

Funny, you wrote the comment about ;getting too big for your britches; that I was going to say but figured some might not get it. We have a whole bunch of sayin's that ya'll outside the South might not fully appreciate.

I personally find what some feminists get offended at doesn't bother me and I consider myself a feminist. Like when someone refers to me as 'Honey' at a store or office, I find it just a nice term, not an insult.

No Jack Daniels thank you,, I'm just 'uppin' my wine 'a drab'.
Glow W said…
Uppity in the south is nearly always followed by the N word.
Glow W said…
Don’t all y’all try and pretend it doesn’t
Glow W said…
Texas isn’t “the south” either. It’s texas. It’s different.
CatEyes said…
@tatty

You are so freakin' wrong on so many levels!!!!!!! It is people like you saying things like that which attempt to give the South a black eye. Well. you are unsuccessful.

If you are being honest (about hearing it) then you hang around some low life people. I have never heard a single person say it like that and I'm going to guess I spent more time in the South than you have.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
@CatEyes @Platypus:

Thanks so much! (Speaking English is TERRIFYING these days, isn't It?! SHUDDERS.)

I guess it does depend on region.

Like in South Africa "coloured" is apparently not offensive: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Coloureds

It says on the Wikipedia page:

"The term "coloured" is currently treated as a neutral description in Southern Africa, classifying people of mixed race ancestry.

Once used in the Western countries as well, especially so in North America, the term has shifted in meaning and is now regarded as derogatory in the Western World; a newly-coined term "person of color" has since become common and preferred by the members of the community and the general populace. This term tends to mean any non-white person, as opposed to a mixed-race person, where the term "multiracial" is used. "Coloured" may also be seen as offensive in some other western countries, such as Britain.[10]"

That includes South Africans of Javanese descent: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Malays

(I'm Javanese and I'm not bothered by it! I mean what else are they supposed to call me in South Africa? I'm not white LOL... A true Javanese lady would never impose and draw attention on herself by being like, "don't call me 'coloured' wawawawa! I'm zpesyulllllll¡~" LOL. Unless you have tick boxes on your RSVP card, I'm not going to volunteer my dietary requirements. We don't like being fussed about, it's very narcissistic and makes us uncomfortable to trouble people.)

I feel like if Anglophones don't cut it out ESL speakers will be more concerned with being PC more than they are concerned with being grammatically correct. In which case, I say, let the damn language die already. I'm so eff-ing tired of it.

What's next for western civilisation? Are we going to start revamping the Romance languages and ruin French? Maybe we should just exclusively speak in emojis.

Can't imagine what it must be like for an actual ESL person to live through 2019 in an Anglocentric world where there's just too much America... (I'm not really ESL because I was a Third Culture Kid, but now I just let people think I'm ESL because I'm terrified of saying the wrong un-PC thing all the damn time I might as well be ESL! I mean just look at the dictionary accounts on social media. They're practically "woke" guides now.)

Must be terrifying for an actual ESL person to learn the dominant language in this current social climate...

HALP.
Jdubya said…
Same as above about uppity not being racist. Someone who has a much higher opinion of themselves than others do. I usually think of someone with money getting an uppity attitude. Or someone newly promoted and thinking they rule the office now
CatEyes said…
@tatty said

>Texas isn’t “the south” either. It’s texas. It’s different.<

Now you have really displayed your lack of history and geography. Most definitely Texas is a southern state!!!!
CatEyes said…
@tatty

Funny, you don't reveal what southern state you live in and how long (like what is your frame of reference)?
CatEyes said…
@Scandi Sanskirt

I sympathize with you trying to navigate the language with such pitfalls in attempting to avoid politically incorrect words/phrases especially when native speakers speak with such liberal use of slang.

You have a good command of English and grammar!!!
Scandi Sanskrit said…
Anyway, even if Meghan *is* a legitimate victim of racism, it doesn't change the fact that:

She's acting like an "Ugly American" imposing her "culture" (or "American values", as The Deplorable One likes to say) and is disrespectful to her receiving/host country. 🥑

It was awfully RICH of those parliamentarians to use the term "colonialism".

Bless their hearts... 🖤
Scandi Sanskrit said…
@CatEyes:

Thank you for your kind words! 💜💜💜💜💜💜
CatEyes said…
@Scandie Sanskirt

You are quite welcome!

I have also thought that about Meghan, being the 'Ugly American'. I have often commented and said that I am ashamed of what Meghan has done as an American. I held out hope for her at the beginning of the marriage but it didn't take long for me to get a sick feeling she was not a good pick for poor Harry.

Now I think she may have influenced him negatively and they are harming the BRF. It is both sad and awful that now I am angry about their behavior and wish they retire from public life. Unfortunately, things may get worse before they get better. I wish the Queen peace in her last days as she deserves it (although many wish she had acted differently on certain issues).
Boxy1975 said…
Hi. My first post on this excellent blog. Thanks Nutty and your many thoughtful contributors.

Something I find amusing are the occasional calls I'm seeing to 'send' Andrew to Australia and Harry to NZ. I can't speak for NZ, but here in Australia it's been a great many years since a Governor-General was appointed from British royalty and in the current political climate it wouldn't happen.

Moreover even discussion of such a thing (locally) would pretty much give the republican cause the air it needs to revive into a pressing issue rather than the 'something that can wait' issue it currently holds. The royal family are seen as 'distant' enough and residual respect for the Queen strong enough that the link isn't a political hot potato.

On top of that, I think the concept of sending someone out of harms way might have made sense in 1910 but not so much in the era of social media and internet where every misdemeanour will be instantly shown/seen/known in the UK (and everywhere else on the planet) within minutes of it happening.

While I do believe Andrew could pull off the role of Governor-General (minus the not so small issue of the Epstein related problems), it's crazy to believe Harry could manage it. A Governor-General pretty much does nothing *but* turn up to boring (sorry!) morning teas and ceremonies for everything from restoration of river boats to graduating school students - with the very occasional bit of sign off on legislation which I'm also sure Harry has neither the understanding nor the patience for.

I can't imagine Meg finding NZ's pace fast enough for her LA dreams either, unless she's planning on being around for the inevitable remake of the Tolkien-based movies.
Anonymous said…
@ swampwoman. The age exemptions in Florida does not excuse someone over the age of 23, so I really think this is splitting hairs and a way of saying, well, they weren't really that underage. The point is that these girls were considered underage given the age of the men abusing them. One of them was flat out fourteen. Minors. They were minors. And can we please stop hiding behind the usual Clinton smoke when Trump's behavior is called into question. Bill's shown on the flight log of the Lolita Express 28 times? Fine. Produce evidence and jail him if the evidence proves him guilty. I have no problem with that. I feel the same way about Prince Andrew. Removing him from the BRF is not my idea of justice. I will point out that neither Clinton or PA were handing out cabinet-level jobs at the White House to those who engineered a plea deal that basically amounted to a slap on the wrist of a serial sexual predator. Like Trump did.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
No offense to Americans on this blog.

But speaking as an 🇬🇧Anglophile and a 🇫🇷Francophile, I don't want to see England or France (or any part of Europe) be Americanised.

Don't get me wrong, I love multicultural-Britain: https://youtu.be/XVPib7JiH_M 💜

But an Americanised-Britain isn't a "multicultural-Britain", it's a *colonised* Britain.

And there's a reason I like England and France.

I mean sure the Queen scares the living hell out of me, but not as much as Hillary...

Please don't make the "arse" an "ass"? And keep the "cul" cool.

Obviously I don't pay taxes in either country, but it feels like watching your dear favourite television show take the wrong turn. (I can always elect to turn the telly off, of course...)

PS: Please don't send them to NZ (or anywhere in the Pacific/Oceania). We'd never hear the end of it.
CatEyes said…
@Scandi Sanskirt said
>I mean sure the Queen scares the living hell out of me, but not as much as Hillary.<

lol lol lol. She scares me and I'm an American. lol lol

On a serious note, I agree I would hate to see any country 'Americanized'!!!
Scandi Sanskrit said…
@CatEyes:

You're a good egg. 💜
CatEyes said…
@Scandi Sanskirt

Thank you! I will bask in that before I get crucified by Hillary fans (as can happen on this site, as much as I like the Nutties here.)
Nutty Flavor said…
Good morning, all.

I see the Daily Mail has lead with news that Princess Beatrice was involved with preparations for Andrew's disastrous interview, and "hasn't stopped crying since." Supposedly she's so miserable that she went without makeup at Edo's birthday party last night, for fear her mascara would run. She and Edo are also reportedly thinking of moving to the US for awhile, America apparently becoming the popular hiding place for second-class Royals.

Re "uppity". Thanks to our Southern readers for educating us about how the word is used in their region.

Unfortunately, outside the region it really does sound offensive. Eamonn Holmes is not Southern and much of his audience is not Southern, and I really wish he would have said "arrogant" instead.

I cringe when people like Holmes give ammo to the argument that all of the opposition to Meghan is racist.
Nutty Flavor said…
@Boxy1975 Welcome, and thanks for your interesting post.

I agree that Harry seems like a very poor choice for Governor General.
Nutty Flavor said…
Housekeeping note: I've just published a new blog post about the Sussexes. However, I'll keep this post open for a few days so we can continue to discuss Andrew, Beatrice, etc. here.
lizzie said…
I don't doubt the word "uppity" may have racial connotations for some people. But as a lifelong white Southerner, I didn't learn that until quite recently.

The first time I remember ever hearing the word it certainly wasn't in the context @tatty mentioned. It was when my mother used it when speaking to me when I was a child, as in "don't you act uppity with me, young lady." I don't remember exactly what was going on except that I was arguing and trying to dictate to my mother how something should be done. I was quickly disabused of the notion that was to be my role!

My mother's meaning of the word suits M's behavior since joining the RF perfectly. But since so many believe it to be a racist term, it is best not used. I just wish people (especially non-Southerners) would quit saying Southerners commonly use it as a racist term because we don't.
@Scandi, ‘But speaking as an 🇬🇧Anglophile and a 🇫🇷Francophile, I don't want to see England or France (or any part of Europe) be Americanised’.

As a Brit I very much agree.

As for the word uppity. No one I know thinks or knows it as a raciest word. Like many others in the UK, the first time I heard it was raciest was yesterday, and it was linked to American history and not the UK’s; that’s what read in a newspaper. I’m glad to see American Nutties clarifying what it means. Thanks for that.
Nutty Flavor said…
@Raspberry

Sounds like the word is not seen to be racist in a UK context.

I worry, though, about what the mainstream US media - which with the exception of CNN is not based in the South - will make of it.

I fear it will join "Straight out of Compton (Almost)" as another example Meg will use to tell the mainstream US media based in NYC and LA that she was not welcome in the UK because of her heritage.
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Unknown said…
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Maggie said…
@Lizzie - my Scottish grandmother used to reprimand me for being uppity. I haven't heard it for some years and believe it is fairly regional, certainly Ireland where Eamonn's from and Scotland.

Here's an example of recent usage https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/world-cup/comment/fighting-spirit-uppity-irish-now-a-major-irritation-for-french-fans-31598048.html and no-one appears to have had a fainting fit about its use.

With MM there is a great deal of imposing American cultural values and faux offence on British societal values. For example "Straight Out of Compton" has no meaning in the UK and cannot be seriously construed as evidence of our innate racism. We are not a racist country and using that as a siren call to attribute any form of criticism is a very dangerous path to follow.

Crying 'racist' without good reason is like the boy crying wolf. Eventually the village ignored him.

We are simply not a racist country however much we are accused of being so. MM looks like many Europeans and any major city is massively multicultural. Speaking for myself I'm finding the projection of American values by people who have never visited the UK very tiresome. We are very different and nuanced, our cultural roots are complex and instinct is to get along with people.

Following the principle of Occam's Razor MM is disliked for her appalling behaviour - no need to look for any sub-text.
Oops, sorry for the typo, of the word - racist!

@Nutty, from what I heard, there was only one single complaint about the word, uppity, just one. Further, it was said in a country where it has one single meaning, so I can understand why a lot of Brits were not only annoyed that one single complaint got so much flak, but worse still, it doesn’t have the racist history to it.

I think most Brits will see it as a lot of fuss about nothing, no-one British will care what mainstream American news think.
@Maggie, 100% agree with you.
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Liver Bird said…
@Maggie

"With MM there is a great deal of imposing American cultural values and faux offence on British societal values."

Absolutely this. The word 'uppity' does not have racist connotations in Britain. It just doesn't. It simply means that someone - white, black, male, female, young, old - has ideas above their station, so to speak. Eamonn Holmes should not have been reprimanded for it.

A parallel example might be the word 'Paki' to refer to someone of Pakistani heritage. I understand it to be fairly neutral in most English speaking countries. However, in Britain it is considered very offensive. Incidentally, the Prince of Wokeness himself was caught on camera referring to a South Asian army colleague as a 'Paki'. That's been wiped out of their fans' memories, though in fairness most of them are probably too young to remember it at all.
Even if someone does bring up Harry's sordid past, I'm sure the Sussex PR would find a way to gloss over that. Honestly speaking, Meghan herself has chosen to ignore the Nazi princes vegas-gate scandal. Most women would simply nit be interested in a person with Harry's past, his intellectual prowesses wouldn't even come under consideration. But Meghan has willingly chosen to not be bothered about that. But now she is all up in arms about the fact that Andrew chose the wrong words to describe his sexual encounters. Glass houses, Meghan. Glass. Houses.
lizzie said…
@Maggie, I agree.

And how interesting you mentioned "uppity" was used by your Scottish grandmother to reprimand you. My mother's father's family was from Scotland so maybe she was at the receiving end of such a grandmotherly reprimand too. For sure though, when my white Southern mother used the term to scold her white Southern child it had nothing to do with race--- it just meant you are entirely out of line and better stop right now!
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Sandie said…
Lizzie; 'The first time I remember ever hearing the word it certainly wasn't in the context @tatty mentioned. It was when my mother used it when speaking to me when I was a child, as in "don't you act uppity with me, young lady." I don't remember exactly what was going on except that I was arguing and trying to dictate to my mother how something should be done. I was quickly disabused of the notion that was to be my role!'

Me too! That's exactly what may mother used to say to me! I grew up in a British colony and still live in Africa. Have never heard of uppity used as a racist insult.

American English and culture is actually a minority in the world, but I doubt it was American arrogance that inspired the complaint and reaction. Rather it was probably a rabid Megsy supporter determined to push the racism narrative. (News flash friend: that PR strategy did not work for the British, who support Megsy in the lifestyle she always dreamed of! Americans are not going to give her a title, provide her with a home on a historic estate, provide her with a fully staffed office, pay for her clothes and travel, and provide her with the best 24/7 protection.)

There are numerous websites that list words in American English that have a completely different meaning (sometimes rude) in other countries (as well as customs). When is the last time (any time) that an American had to apologise for using such a word? Here's a good place to start (uppity does not make it on the list, but it seems to be only considered racist by some Americans, and some Americans are as baffled as I am as to how on earth it can be considered racist):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_American_and_British_English_(M%E2%80%93Z)
Sandie said…
Remember how popular The Secret was when it was first released? It was a major success and introduced millions to new concepts. Scratch beneath the surface though, and it was a popularised, glamorous overview of a subject that requires a lifetime of study (and it completely simplified and misinterpreted The Law of Attraction, but that kind of view was popular and very lucrative).

Do you think the Oprah and Harry documentary is going to be like that? (Unfortunately, unlike The Secret, they are riding on the tail of the popular focus on mental health, not starting and leading the conversation.)

I wonder if William and Kate will be involved? They are the ones leading the movement in the UK,, with actual tangible projects and programmes, unlike the speeches and word salad from H&M. (Megsy, a documentary is about giving information and promoting ideas - real tangible support and help in their daily life is what people actually need!)
Liver Bird said…
The Cambridges have been doing their best to distance themselves from the Sussex side-show for a year. No chance they will be involved in this 'documntary' if indeed it ever happens. Aside from wanting to keep their distance from the Sussex tackiness, they know that royals should not be giving exclusives to non-British TV channels.
Plus, @Liver Bird, there is no way the Sussexes would let the Cams anywhere near their documentary.
Fairy Crocodile said…
With the continuing over the top Andrew coverage Meghan can't say any more the vile British press is after her. What sort of new excuse will she invent to continue playing victim?
Scandi Sanskrit said…
@ Raspberry Ruffle @charade: Thanks for being good eggs too. 🥚🥚

I thought the "Compton/Campton" thing was about class? I first heard it here: https://youtu.be/xteIlDst09M (this is basically a guy questioning her motives for marrying into a family known for casual racism).

I posted a while back how I used to have a crush on a guy who did something like the Nazi costume Harry did. But I was young (an undergrad) and stupid AF then. I squirm at the thought now.

All the Weinstein firm's PR in the world about how she's bringing "wokeness" to the royal family doesn't change the fact that she was willing to overlook everything wrong with the royal family. It just looks like she's overcompensating now.

People criticised Naomi Campbell for defending Gucci (about the blackface sweater) but since when has Naomi ever pretended she was a "woke" second coming of Diana? AFAIK she's a mobile-phone-throwing a-hole and she owns it.

Meghan should have just worn mink from the beginning... By all means if you're going to be an out-of-touch PJ-riding a-hole, then just be a damn full-blown a-hole and wear mink lashes and lambskin skirts and fur thongs, but don't wear sheep's clothing over it.

PS: As a non-white person I have zero interest in punishing current generations for crap their ancestors did. I mean I cringe at the thought of coming up to a 40-year-old (that would make them born 1979) Dutch person and giving them hell for colonialism in Indonesia, for example. CAN YOU IMAIGINE?! Cringe damn. But Unilever selling skin-lightening/whitening creams in 2019 (while Dove runs "woke" ad campaigns) should definitely be addressed.
Fairy Crocodile said…
@skandi sanskrit About the uppity comment being the only true racist thing to happen to Meghan. I am red haired pale Ashkenasi jew and I was called uppity in a dispute. Never took it as racist.
If some people are determined to be upset they will get upset about the "black hole" space term. There is no help for them
Liver Bird said…
Another point about the 'uppity' non-story is that the person 'responsible', Eamonn Holmes, is a Catholic who grew up in Northern Ireland. I'm willing to bet that he has a lot more personal experience of being on the recieving end of bigotry than Meghan does.
Scandi Sanskrit said…
@Fairy Crocodile:

OMG, people are more than just "determined", they seek it out & make issues out of non-issues these days!

A while back, some ignorant SJW made a Tumblr post about how un-PC the term "beauty guru" is because "guru" is Sanskrit for spiritual teacher and shouldn't be used for people teaching makeup on YouTube. The thing is, "guru" means any teacher in general in Indonesian/Malay (it's a Sanskrit loan word) including my Weinstein-like sleazy acting teacher.

By virtue-signaling, these "woke" type only reveal how Anglocentric the world really is and how eff-ing lonely it must be to be in their sad little bubbles of wokeness... And these are the same people who peach "inclusivity" yet they keep making other cultures feel invisible.

People who preach "inclusivity" are often the most elitist people you will ever meet.

It's getting out of hand!

Just after submitting the comment above where I said, "bless your heart 🖤" with the black heart emoji, I was terrified someone might take it as a racist "slur" somehow.

That's life in 2019 for you!

Next year we enter a whole new decade of wokeness.

This whole "woke" culture is around about Chapter 4 of "Animal Farm" right now and I can't wait to get to the end of it! The only fun part aboit it is watching them eat their own (like Justin Trudeau).
Lady Luvgood said…
West Coast American, uppity is not a racist word.

End. Of.
Unknown said…
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SouthernGinger said…
Funny how Meg all of a sudden has friends to comment on the PA story for her, but no one is asking if she’s ok?
Unknown said…
Hi Nutty.

Love the blog. Always a lurker but as a lifelong US Southerner I was deeply offended by Tatty's remarks it's always followed by the "N" word. No it is not! I grew up hearing "uppity" all my childhood in Ky. Usually by my Mama referring to some snooty lady who thought she was better than everyone.. But never once as a racist term. Absolutely never as Tatty described.

I lived in Ky my whole childhood and have lived in Texas since 2006 and I've never heard it used that way. I've heard lots of racism, more so in Tx than what I grew up with but I lived in a rather homogeneous area so our discrimination was more about who was poorer, dirt poor, etc.

That's my two cents on Uppity in the South. I realize it may have some 100 year old connotations, but that would be a stretch for most anyone alive today to use it that way.
Nutty Flavor said…
Hi Unknown. Thanks for your input! I can see that the word has a different meaning for you and many others.

I can only be honest and say that my own reaction was the same as Tatty’s. I personally would never use that word. I suppose I would say”snobby” or “arrogant” or perhaps “nouveau riche”.

But the same words can mean different things to different people. In my city, for example, there is a street called Pikk Street. Scandinavians love to have their photo taken in front of the sign, because “pik” means p8nis in their language.
Unknown said…
It's a shame in our modern world that as words change & evolve we are still also held to historical meanings we may not even be aware of. Innocent intentions can quickly be turned against us. I can't keep up with all the new alphabet letters, slang and meanings. I often realize years later that a Top 40 music hit's words meant something totally different than what I thought when I was humming along. Awkward moments for a Mom w a teenager in the car!

But thanks for allowing us Southerners to defend ourselves. We aren't all as the news might want to present us. It's too easy for media and the like to make the word Southerner into Rascist.

I live in one of the most beautifully integrated cities. Most all families I know in San Antonio are multicultural across all income brackets, most are White and Hispanic partners. It works so well here and has for generations. But then we drive 50 miles in any direction and it's like we're in a different world. Some of my friends won't leave the city bc they know they will be harassed or discriminated or pulled over so they just stay in our safe blended city. And Yes it is very safe here. Don't believe the random news blurb, I'm a small white woman and I am safe any and everywhere in San Antonio.
AnnaK said…
More scrutiny on Pitch at Palace in DM: What DID Prince Andrew pocket at the Pitch@Palace?
Wonder if the spotlight will be on Sussex Royal charity next
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