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The Royals' Christmas celebrations: Things to look forward to

The next few days will be exciting for Royal watchers, as the Christmas celebrations take center stage.

The most exciting event is likely to be the Christmas walk on December 25, as the Royals walk from the Sandringham Estate to the 16th century St. Mary Magdalene church for the 11am service. Will Prince George and perhaps Princess Charlotte make their debut this year?

If so, what will they wear? Being as it's the middle of winter, I hope Prince George won't be stuck with short pants again. Isn't it time for him to wear full-length trousers year-round, anyway?

Prince Andrew will supposedly be arriving at the church by car, so as not to dampen the mood. The Queen also arrives by car, and in fact rode with Andrew last year. (Here's some info on how to see the Royals walk in person if you are so inclined.)

There's also talk of a "major announcement" by the Cambridges this year - perhaps Kate's first solo tour? Sophie and Anne regularly undertake solo tours, so why not Kate?  Whatever it is will presumably promote her Early Childhood initiative.

Christmas card chicken

Neither the Cambridges nor the Sussexes has officially released the family Christmas card as of 1pm EET December 23, although @KensingtonRoyal Instagram did release a photo of four generations of sovereigns making a mince pie, a non-so-subtle way of saying "These are the four people who actually matter."

Perhaps the Cambridges are playing a sort of game of chicken with the Sussexes - who will officially release their holiday greeting first? Perhaps the Sussexes will not be releasing anything at all, since they are officially on break. 

The Sussex publicity during the break has been all over the place, first suggesting they were in California, then in seclusion in Canada, possibly with Meghan's mother, but certainly not with Meghan's father. 

Rumors have also been all over the place, with the notorious troll @torontopaper1 suggesting that Meg hadn't been allowed to enter Canada despite making calls to all of her best contacts, as well as a terrible, amateurish video of Harry in a cheapish Santa suit creating speculation that he is in rehab, or should be. 

Philip's health

Overshadowing the Christmas celebrations are worries about Prince Philip's health. As of this writing, the 98-year-old family patriarch remains in the hospital, having been flown to London on Friday for what was improbably called a "planned admission" on a Friday 5 days before Christmas.

If the Christmas celebrations at Sandringham go on without Philip and his famously strong cocktails, it will be the first Christmas ever without him for most of the attendees - with the exception of the Queen.  

Both Philip and the Queen seem to be feeling their ages, and it seems likely that Charles will take over even more Royal duties in 2020. 


The Queen's speech

The Queen's speech to be broadcast on Christmas Day is also much anticipated. 

What can she possibly say about a year that has not only included a significant general election, but an enormous amount of family drama?

Will she obliquely refer to the humiliations of Prince Andrew, the speculation surrounding the mysterious birth of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the complaints and ultimate disappearance of the Sussexes? 

And which photos will appear in the background? Royal watchers have learned that they often represent a subtle but potent form of Queen communication - and shade. 

The speech has probably already been recorded, so it is unlikely to reference Philip's health challenges. 




What are you looking forward to over the next few days?


Comments

Girl with a Hat said…
I'm avoiding doing the last bit of work before I leave for Christmas so I will be posting a lot today. LOL

Someone ran a photo of Harry from a recognized source against him in the hostage Santa video and the results say that it's a different person - distance between the eyes, etc.

https://twitter.com/EvieGrace2Hope/status/1209345406427107330
PaisleyGirl said…
@CatEyes, I agree re Meghan's teeth. They are far too large and white and she is missing all her bottom teeth and has two bottom lips in the picture. Also, Archie, who was a redhead in SA is now suddenly very dark haired with dark eyes and no pupils? Very odd indeed.The only explanation for the photoshop I can come up with is Meghan did it because she is not actually living with Garry or Archie.
Fedde said…
Still ctching up on the comments, but will there be a new post for the H&M Christmas gif?
PaisleyGirl said…
Sorry, Harry, not Garry.
Sandie said…
I'm going down the rabbit hole for this one:

@Trudy: The Daily Mail now has an article about the card being photoshopped!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7824523/Was-Meghan-Markles-face-PHOTOSHOPPED-Christmas-e-card.html

It is odd that her face is in focus but Harry's isn't. It looks to me that a photo was taken with Archie as the focus. The faces of Meghan and Harry in the background would then not be in focus. (Plus, why does Meghan look taller than Harry, but they seem to be sitting parallel to each other - he is leaning down and photographs can be deceptive so I am going to talk myself out of the rabbit hole for that one!) Meghan then photoshopped the pic and replaced her face with another that is in focus (or Harry did it, thinking it would be hilarious, but does he have the skills?).

Amateur theatrics from Meghan (trying to create the perfect Hallmark Christmas movie poster) or an attempt to hide something?

I am not cool with royalty (paid for and endured by taxpayers) sending a gif as a Christmas card.

I used to work in publishing and worked with many designers. I concur with Nutty's criticism of the text on the image. It really is amateur and would have got an immediate reject from me (but I must admit that when I first saw the 'card', I focused on the image and did not notice the text). This kind of convinces me that this is a 100% Meghan production.
SirStinxAlot said…
Daily mail has written an entire article about the photoshopped Xmas card. Confirmed. Lmao
Liver Bird said…
Interesting that the card wasn't posted on the Sussex Royal Instagram, but on the Twitter page of the "Queen's Commonwealth Trust."
CatEyes said…
As to what @Nutty asked in comment stating this thread..."What are you looking forward to over the next few days?"

I would like to see:
1. A Christmas walk to Church with Prince George in attendance.
2. A lovely broadcast by the Queen with her looking rested and serene (despite the circumstance).
3. NO PR pieces by the gruesome duo.
4. An announcement that Kate is expecting (but that is not likely).
5. Prince Philip get a 'clean bill of health (and it was only a preexisting condition to be sorted out)
6. Rather doubtful but hope Harry And Meghan is in rehab/psychiatric counseling but it won't be made public.
7. Seeing Edo and Bea looking like they are 'in love' on Christmas walk to Church.
8. Seeing Her Majesty in a beautiful ensemble going to Church (alas I wish she would break out the jewels, lol)

I think the Queen will not mention the trouble about Prince Andrew because my goodness, why would she want to focus on negative at the holiest time of the year so-to-speak. As for Kate having another child, I think it would be fantastic and would love to see a half dozen or more. lol. I think it is certainly appropriate for a boy of George's age to attend religious services (in my Christian domination we take our children from birth with us every Sunday).

Platypus said…
The Sun also has an article about photoshopping of the photo. In the second photo in the article they did something to take out the shadows, and it looks like Meghan’s face itself was pasted in, and at a slightly weird angle.
QueenWhitby said…
Just why? Why release such a cut and paste hack job of a photo when most proud new parents would literally have hundreds of happy family photos to choose from in their baby’s first seven months? Something really stinks here, again, why???

I think we can safely say Janina Javankar has been Markled.
lizzie said…
What is Meghan's arm resting on? Obviously not her leg. A blanket?
abbyh said…

Oooo, lots of nice catches on the photoshop.

I can understand how much easier it is to photoshop in black and white but if you are going to claim that you are sending ecards for the environment (to be a proper SJW) then you can do color just as easily.

Hadn't noticed the double lip action. Wow.

Totally agree with the lettering. The DM does this on the stupid play video box all the time and it makes me crazy on many levels. (I have some very serious questions about their code writers as well.)

Grateful that Prince Phillip is home. Good. He doesn't look as well as he did before but what do I expect at his age (hope I live that long too).

(Um, I've spent a fair time with elderly -to their early 90's). One of the photos, where his head is turned, it looks like he has two black eyes. The fall? maybe? Are we talking about a head injury now too? I was thinking of fall like fall over the stool and concerns about how you put up your hands to break the fall or grab something. Head injuries are a whole nother kettle of fish.

And on this side of the pond, they won't let you walk to the car - you are wheeled in a chair (liability). I completely understand his determination and think well, that can be a good sign of which direction he and his body want to respond.
IEschew said…
Meghan, if you read here, Merry effing Christmas because I am giving you your out:

I can only make sense of this if I believe that Meghan is pursuing some sort of insanity defense. I can just hear Harry raging: Racism and British froideur drove her crazy.

As for royal life, she is clearly done. No way the papers would have her lame Photoshopping of the Christmas card as their lead Christmas Eve story otherwise.

Merry Christmas to all!
Unknown said…
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Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
QueenWhitby said…
Exactly @Trudy, it flies in the face of normality and begs the question - yet more smoke and mirrors. I love that Philip stole their thunder and I hope the Windsors have a lovely Christmas together. I almost cried watching his helicopter touch down at Sandringham.
Sandie said…
Sussex Christmas/Holiday gif: It is very odd that the carpet/rug is in focus on the one side of the photo and out of focus on the other side. I can't think of a technical explanation for this.

Megsy is messy with details and follow through, which is why I think this is a 100% Meghan production.
harrythetwat said…
Long time lurker, first time poster. Is it just me or does anyone else notice that Archie has a striking resemblance to Michael McIntyre?
Mimi said…
Whar a warm, happy and festive Christmas card from Franken baby and the Franken Parents! 😂😂😂😂😂
hardyboys said…
You may not like the picture but they are gaining alot of sympathy for people harping on endlessly about it being photoshopped. So this is a pass for MM bc the DM does look pathetic for this being their headlining story.
@Liver Bird says...`showing who they really care about' - certainly not the recipients.

I loathe the smugness of `from our family to yours' intensely. If I had received that greeting at one of the times when I felt truly alone in the world, I'd have topped myself there and then, before I'd even deleted the bl**dy thing.

Yet again, they disgust me. What about the bereaved, the dumped, the childless, all those victims they claim to care about? No, it's just another opportunity to display their sham `family' and smirk. Pah! Humbug!

I feel for all those left with a bitter taste in their mouths at opening this `greeting' from their `patrons'. You deserve far better than this. What a sad mockery of Christmas.
Fedde said…
Good to see PP on his own two feet. And look, he even opened his own car door! Surprised MM's fans aren't claiming he's copying her "signature" move. Someone mentioned the dark/bruised eyes in the close up and I noticed there's also a dark line on the bridge of his nose - perhaps he's had an oxygen mask on and it bruised his frail and thin skin? A small bump/bruise under or next to an eye can often bruise the whole area so perhaps the pressure of the edge of an oxygen mask is responsible for his black eyes.

And while he doesn't look so hot in the close ups, I have to say he's looking a lot better qua coloring since before he retired. He often looked like death warmed over on some of his official engagements, especially next to younger/healthier people.

The H&M GIF is bad. I often have phases in which I do some photoshopping but most of mine is rather basic compared to some other people; I could've made a better "card" than that on my first attempt. I didn't even notice the text until I read the comments here. And why did they make it a GIF? Just for the sparkles above their heads/christmas tree lights?

Elle, Reine des Abeilles
Also, I read a comment somewhere that the card was released after UK newspaper time, and no Christmas Day papers in the UK, so why was that done? IDK if any of that is true, I just read it. I'll see if I can find it again.
December 23, 2019 at 6:36 PM

They probably didn't want the newspapers to waste extra paper and ink on publishing their card. Think of the environment!
Liver Bird said…
Also, they seem to be making a point - this is our family. Meghan, Harry and Archie. Just the three of them. That's it. No members of the royal family. No Doria even. Have they seen her at all over this 'family time'? What happened to the 'family she never had'?
lizzie said…
PP has had dark "black eye" bruising under his eyes for awhile. Here a photo published last Easter showing it https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a27131846/why-prince-philip-is-not-at-easter-church-services-2019/
He's aged since the photo was taken but the dark coloration isn't new.
Rainy Day said…
Last post before Christmas!

I know absolutely nothing about photography or photoshopping, but I’ve seen speculation that making a GIF erases a photo’s history date and details, which is what tripped her up with the christening photos. For me, the biggest giveaway is the sharpness of her features and Harry’s shirt covering the left side of Archie’s head. Something’s going on - who knows what? Harry Markle even has a new post out about the photo.

I sincerely hope and pray that Archie has someone in his life who loves and cares for him.

Very glad to see Prince Philip out and home.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the holidays to all!
SirStinxAlot said…
@twinsmama...I totally disagree with the Sussex's getting a sympathy vote for the sham Xmas card. Looking at the comments on Facebook and msm outlets even fans calling it a farce. Why make such a deceptive card in the first place? More people are waking up to the Sussex shenanigans. They are one non-stop disappointment. This marriage looks more and more like a farce and fuels more rumors and speculation about Archie being real at all or just another made up character for the storyline.
Anonymous said…
I saw the DM article about the card being photoshopped and scurried right over to Nuttyville! OMG, this is awesome! And @Nutty, George wore long pants to the pudding stirring event - he's a big boy now!

So why the photoshopped card?
Sandie said…
Go to the Royal Family twitter account and have a look at the videos of the Christmas pudding PR:

1. Her Maj does not go near a mixing bowl!
2. William may just take first prize for mixing.
3. William and Charles keep putting more ingredients in George's bowl (probably for the photo op).

It is blatant PR, but it comes across as sweet and endearing and 'thank you for doing this and sharing this, and I hope George can navigate this realisation of who he is safely'.

The Harkles PR does not have the same effect. Why do you think this is? What is it about the Harkles that is so annoying?

By the way, Megsy, negatively criticising and rejecting the traditions and values of the family that provide for you so very well (I could live comfortably for a year on what Megsy spent on clothing for a quiet year, and that is not counting jewellery, holidays, travel, and so on) is actually not a good idea, not good PR.
Anonymous said…
@SirStinxAlot, agreed.

This is bad, and for most who were on the fence before, this might be the thing to push them over. Besides, re our previous "liar, liar, pants on fire" convos, this is just proof in the Christmas pudding. Not only does it raise questions about this visit, but all of the other anomalies and "conspiracy" theories are brought to the fore: fake pregnancy, could be!; Darren or Fauxrchie, why not?; older baby, newer baby, other baby; etc., etc.

Liars lie. That is the one thing we know is true about liars. And Rach & PH have lied to the world, and this is not about racism, it's about basic honesty and integrity, and this card has shown that they've got none of it. So, sans a documented explanation involving aliens holding them hostage and forcing them to do a photoshopped Christmas card, with unphotoshopped pictures as proof, those two are sunk.

Without knowing more, my first guess is that they are not together and have been completely cut out of the BRF, at least Rach has. PH may be in treatment. They do not have Archie. They do not have access to post. And Rach threw something together and duped the Queen's Commonwealth Trust into posting it (thereby blowing up that for them, too).

This woman is a whore, and I do not mean that in the sexual way, no slut shaming. She's a whore in that she'll sell herself and do anything for money/fame/attention. She has no moral core, no integrity, no shame, and for reasons yet unknown (but certainly to be revealed), she has taken PH along for the ride and done some damage to the BRF in the process. Thankfully, I believe Wills is smart and at the ready (maybe his stint in MI-6 was a threat, not a PR story :), and I think the family will deal accordingly.


I have to admit that I'm prepped for Christmas and my biggest challenge now is to keep myself from eating everything before guests arrive. I don't see that happening, so Plan B is only to scarf what won't be missed...

Sandie said…
A thought ... do you think Her Maj has ever cooked anything ever in her life? No criticism as she devoted her life to something meaningful and worthwhile and important, but it is quite odd to have a person who has never cooked anything ever. I suspect that Charles is the same!

I envy them and would have loved to have a life with a personal cook. I loved cooking (can't do so any more) but it would save so much time to not have to shop and cook and just order what you want.
Anonymous said…
@IEschew: As for royal life, she is clearly done. No way the papers would have her lame Photoshopping of the Christmas card as their lead Christmas Eve story otherwise.

Agree completely.
Anonymous said…
@Sandie, I believe she's cooking in their first British TV documentary, and cleaning up after, too.
Girl with a Hat said…
The Queen has a chef to cook for her dogs. When it was found out that this chef was cutting corners on the quality of the dog food, he was let go.

When the Queen decides she wants to go outside and feed the ducks in the pond, the kitchen staff busy themselves cutting pieces of bread to the exact same length for her to throw to the birds. I think someone also helps carry the bread to her in a special basket.

So, no I don't think she cooks at all. I don't think she can even make her own tea and by that, I mean the tea you drink, not tea the meal. (only some people will undersgtand that)
CookieShark said…
Brilliant move by DM. They don't even have to investigate, just ask s question. You can't unring that bell.
Lady Luvgood said…
Smeggy will do anything to steal the focus from HMTQ and the Cambridge’s including releasing a poorly photoshopped and wonky Christmas card.
She really is so predictable.
Look for the next Meg Bomb tomorrow during the Christmas Walk.
I have said from the Summer on that the Suxxes have been banished, and the RF has let the Gruesome Twosome make excuses to the Press as to why they are no longer welcome at RF gatherings.
The Summer excuse made no sense, Archie too young to travel to Scotland, but perfectly fine to fly to Spain, France and the US,
Anonymous said…
I checked, @Sandie, and it seems she did cook in the documentary, though PP ran the grill. She was a mechanic during WWII, so probably she can open a can and operate the basic appliances, but does she? I'd be not ever. Esp at her age.

There is a story about her making a cup of tea for a handyman, too.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9956917/queen-made-tea-buckingham-palace/

I got an LOL at this part: “Yeah. In a mug. Two sugars. Builders’ tea. I don’t want any of that nonsense I had the last time I was here, all that fine china and all that saucer stuff.”

So, who knows, but my guess is that esp before she became HMTQ, she did some cooking, but I'd bet against her doing any of it now, though who knows, she may secretly enjoy whipping up a pudding now and again, just for the fun of it. For those of us who do love to cook and bake, no amount of cash would stop us doing it, it's just we'd only do it when we wanted.

Girl with a Hat said…
I forgot to add, the people cutting the bread into the exact correct size for bread strips for the Queen to feed her ducks use special scissors to do this.

The class divide was even bigger when she was young, and servants did everything. For Her, they still do, for example:

The Queen doesn't even choose what she wears. Someone does it for her, to make sure that she rotates through the variety of her clothes. The clothes are laid out for her, including the jewellery and hat, gloves and purse she will use that day. She doesn't even break in her own new shoes. She has someone do it for her.

Everyday she has a bath and the water is exactly at a certain temperature, and a certain depth in the tub.

The newspapers are ironed for her to read and laid out in the exact same order every day.

Does that sound like someone who makes muffins in the morning for her family? I don't think so.


Anonymous said…
This one is interesting, too:


https://www.forbes.com/sites/ceciliarodriguez/2019/11/05/dressing-the-queen-royal-behind-the-scene-secrets-revealed-by-her-majestys-dresser/#32a026c84325


___________________________________


So, I know that the BRF will not directly and bluntly call out Rach & PH card. Will they address it at all? Or is this another chance to show how the duo has been set adrift?

Poor Archie. I hope that baby is somewhere safe and loved. He deserves none of this.
@Unknown re Archie & Malcolm MacIntyre

Yes! I was trying to think of who(m) Archie reminded me but the best I could do was Timothy West. Your suggestion of another MM gives a much closer resemblance.

I find it hard to agree with those who think Archie's cute, he seems such a lump to me. The babe in the `official' Christening photo was more attractive to my eye but I'm still think that could have been a photo-shopped Harry, perhaps from an unpublished picture of him on Diana's knee from the baptism in the 1980s. Hence the `remarkable'* likeness to his father.

*There's a pun in there somewhere
Girl with a Hat said…
I remember why the Queen's chef for her dogs was fired - he froze some prepared meals and would re-heat them instead of making them at each feeding time.

Anonymous said…
@AVerySunshinyDay, I just saw your comment, and I think you've got it! It looks like her photo is a combo effort, too. This mouth shot looks to be the source of the smile:


https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://peopledotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/meghan-markle-31.jpg?crop%3D0px%252C76px%252C2000px%252C1051px%26resize%3D1200%252C630&imgrefurl=https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-winter-white-sweater/&docid=uw1Yy_oRBc8dGM&tbnid=4s3mGcgNl-1aNM:&vet=1&w=1200&h=630&source=sh/x/im#h=630&imgdii=AK9KpklPX3NdNM:&vet=1&w=1200

But why?
Anonymous said…
Okay, these people are definitely my relatives because of the OTT dog thing lol. I love this, and yes, HMTQ was not amused at the frozen meals:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030638/Queen-Elizabeths-shock-corgi-dogs-fed-reheated-meals-instead-freshly-cooked.html

This was a totally new one on me so I had to find out the details. Serious dog love.

harrythetwat said…
@wild boar battle-maid, glad you see the resemblance as well.
@nutty,great blog. Thanks ever so much for providing the space to air our thoughts on MM.
HappyDays said…
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Thank you nutty for this blog. You rock!
Unknown said…
@Marie @FairyCrocodile Yes, the camera lens may explain the weird proportions of Archie’s face. Archie strongly resembles Meg, even more here. I also was struck with how separate the trio look from each other. I don’t see the rug as proof they were pasted together. Rugs like that can have designs that aren’t symmetric in a cross-section that is visible in a photo. The fact that the trio aren’t interacting with each other makes my instincts go their photos were taken separately. The seating alignment of H&M is odd to my eyes. Meg seems to have spent a good deal of more time prettying herself with her face, ornament crown, bright teeth, and conveniently placed season greetings.

This whole Sussex Christmas card looks very rushed and like a patchwork of efforts. Another reason they may have opted for e-cards is because actual paper cards would have required coordination with staff and vendors weeks maybe months ago. A photographer would have wanted a higher quality pic and this is pretty low resolution. Their rollout on Twitter is probably an attempt to mirror what the Cambridges and Prince of Wales-Duchess of Cornwall did. They went for extremely quiet and had the physical cards revealed by those who received them.

The Sussexes didn’t even send cards so couldn’t go the same route. They had the Commonwealth Trust do the reveal to legitimize the e-cards and not be considered some potential hoax/photoshop job. The use of the Commonwealth Trust may explain why the Sussexes were being so heavy-handed with their Commonwealth love of late.
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said…
@Mischi @Elle I feel so sorry for that chef. I wish the idea that frozen is some egregious cooking crime would just die. If properly done, it can trump fresh cooking because fresh ingredients don’t always mean higher quality. Not only that, it is more environmentally friendly. Oh well.
Glow W said…
The fundamental problem I have with the DM article is that she is also blurred in the photo released by the QCT. She is not in focus.

https://twitter.com/queenscomtrust/status/1209241848411303941?s=20

Unknown said…
Long time lurker. Just wanted to point out that the DM is now rather oddly re-running the few days old four monarchs photographs as the top story, pushing the photoshopping story further down the page. Is BP sending a message that the Sussexes shouldn’t be headline news?
Unknown said…
PS apologies for the typos! It’s 4.30am where I am and I’ve just woken up.
KayeC said…
@Sandie, I said the same thing when I saw the Christmas pudding pics, but like you, not in a snotty way, more humorous. I also laughed that she was holding her purse, she reminds me so much of my late grandmother, who was the same age, (she made it to 93!)

Just checking in after I saw the DM article, and wow, you guys picked up a lot! PH's shirt over part of Archie's face, the double lip. And like @Nutty said, the placement and choice of font for the greeting was terrible. Very amateur! But that's MM for you....watch out MM you are getting boring!!

Finally, it's like a Christmas Miracle, in that this blog has gotten back on track and we can all enjoy it again. It is really fun engaging and discussing this with y'all and I look forward to the TRUTH in 2020!! Merry Christmas to all!!!
Glow W said…
@KayeC it will be interesting to see when (If) they return to England and how that will unfold.
KayeC said…
@tatty, the DM pic in the article does look different, but underneath it states their editor "flattened out the shadows on Meghan's face" to show it was added later. I have no idea what that means, lol. Anyone understand that lingo?
I’ve not had time to catch up on comments or news, so I apologise if this has already been mentioned .

The e-card was released via non official media forums suggests something is very off? (and I quote from the DM),

‘The card was not officially released through any official royal channels, and first appeared on an unverified Twitter account called The Queen's Commonwealth Trust.’

The card has been verified as genuine, and already been ruled out it wasn’t a hoax, but why was the e-card released by an unverified Twitter account? Have the Sussex’s been banned from using their official IG account ? Have they been shut down from posting I wonder?
Fedde said…
KayeC
@tatty, the DM pic in the article does look different, but underneath it states their editor "flattened out the shadows on Meghan's face" to show it was added later. I have no idea what that means, lol. Anyone understand that lingo?
December 24, 2019 at 12:47 PM

In Photoshop you can adjust (and add) lighting and shadows over the whole pic or specific layers or areas. If you edit pics, especially if you put different pics/layers in one, then you often have to adjust for this or it will look unnatural since the subjects/objects were not in the same room/under the same lighting originally. Flattening the shadows is one way to highlight the differences in lighting between subjects/objects in the image. Anyone who plays around semi-seriously in PS will know to do this to determine the areas they need to adjust the lighting and/or brush edges etc to make the whole picture look more natural. MM obviously does not know this and just c/p her pic in there and the editor showed that by making the adjustments himself.

Hope that clears it up a little...
Mimi said…
Her halo is a little askew! 😂
KayeC said…
@Fedde, thanks and that does make sense. Do you know if @Rainy Day was correct in the GIF vs JPG and the original date/file details? My brother in law is a photographer and whenever we receive JPGs from him, they have his name, date and so in the file details. Not sure about GIFs?
Fairy Crocodile said…
Wild Boar "Megadonna and Child" I nearly chocked, you put the whole meaning of the card into two words perfectly.

Poor Archie. Having been used from such an early age. I hope he will grow into a happy confident kid despite all this.
Glow W said…
@KayeC I read it as two separate issues: 1) DM claims MM photoshopped the card, in part because her face is wildly in focus when ph’s is blurry. This is untrue. In the card released, her face is not in focus. And then 2) DM took it in their own initiative to flatten out the shadows on the card the used (which is not the released card) to see if it is photoshopped.

So they used a photoshop tool to try and prove a photoshopped card (the one they used where someone made her face in focus ) to prove it is photoshopped.

Do you all see that? (Sincere) They are using the wrong photo.
Fedde said…
No, I'm afraid I don't know the definitive answer to that. I rarely make gifs. I do have a couple saved to my computer and they show the creation date as the date I saved it to my computer, I think (they're old), because the date of editing was years prior to it. Which makes no sense unless the edit date is the original one and the "creation" date is the one when I saved it to my pc. It also doesn't show previous versions or the original title (just the one I gave it).

But I don't know if that's true for all gifs or just the ones I downloaded/saved.
Fedde said…
Tatty the issue is not that they photoshopped a photo to show the "original" was photoshopped (how else would one definitely prove it?) but that by flattening the shadows only her face came more into focus and not Harry's. That most likely means her face is from a different source in this context, since she and Harry are allegedly in the same room sitting next to each other in the photo and therefore the quality and lighting of their images should be similar. If Archie was used as the focus point it makes sense his face is in focus, but H&M's face should either both be sharp/clear/in focus after making adjustments in PS or neither should.
Anonymous said…
@Charade, I know, lol. I froze my dogs' food, and never once heard a complaint, but then again, only one of them was royal lol, and he was too nice to confront directly. Now that I think of it, this may be the reason he would drop his tennis balls in my bubble bath when I drawing the tub and not looking lol.

@KayeC, I hope @Ozmanda checks in, too. She knows a lot about the metadata stuff.
I'm so with you on the truth. I really do believe that this is an embarrassment to more than just Rach & PH, and that it raises so many questions about the previous questions (oh, and that Christening photo! how did I miss that on my list of suspicious acts!).

Glow W said…
Ok, thanks for explaining it
Anonymous said…
@Fedde, that makes sense. A quick google turns up a plethora of articles on the flattening subject.
Anonymous said…
@ twinsmama I disagree. What would have been totally on “brand” for them would be for the two of them to be walking with their backs to the camera (in B&W natch), holding hands, with Harry walking with him in a backpack. THIS would have been completely acceptable and would, of course, caused another round of massive eye-rolling here, but it would be expected and at least make sense. This card is so amateurish as to be laughable. Not a single figure in this “card” is in proportion, either to their own bodies or to each other. I agree with the poster above, this raises so many questions given the marked lack of proportion and will, no doubt, polarize even more the people who dislike her and those who love her. And those who are on the fence? What is more important is the photograph of the Queen while filming her state-of-the-crown address. It should put to bed once and for all those PR pushes about how MUCH the Queen adores Ms. Markle. Nothing says “love” like being banned from any visual representation during her state-of-the-crown speech.
Unknown said…
@Fedde @tatty The strategically located twinkling lights over Meg’s head like a tiara/halo was what tipped me off into thinking she cut and pasted herself into the pic. Her face has also changed since presenting Archie. Her vanity keeps screaming from this card.

@Elle Super classy dog! Royalty are nothing without their passive aggressive manners. LOL :)
Anonymous said…

What a nice way for Rach to hijack the BRF Christmas with her drama. If only she had recycled her Jesus Christ Superstar extra costume from SA and put Archie in the bespoke manger...

This PA images thing does not make any sense, either. Lots of talk on Tumblr. I swear it's covered in Rach & PH fingerprints, however. Even Scobie tweeted the card, so...
Glow W said…
@indybear what does that mean? Someone made a card with photoshop??!! WTH? This isn’t their Christmas card?

Who is PA images?
Anonymous said…
@Charade: he could throw shade with the best of them.
Mimi said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
@Tatty, I read on Tumblr that the wrong photo was released. HTH that happens, beats me.

Now I guess they get to release the right card? Just in time to further disrupt the holiday and steal attention away from the Christmas Walk? Seriously, who does this? And how does it happen? @Nutty? @Anyone in PR or press?

SirStinxAlot said…
There was no mistake. They didn't get the preferred response and scrambled all day to find something better. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Wierd how all these high paid experienced people the Sussex's hired make so many " mistakes". Everything from the birth announcement to Christmas cards, travel plans to parties.
Fairy Crocodile said…
Mimi, not only her halo is askew as you say they committed a huge gaffe by not sending signed cards to their charities. As Harry Markle points signed cards from royal patrons are a big thing, they will be put on display year after year and cherished, this cheap GIF is very disrespectful. And been sent a day before Christmas feels like charities were an afterthought, done in a hurry.

Poor judgement, bad implementation and cheap PR. If this is the way Megan modernizes the Royal Family I much prefer the traditional version. Wouldn't you agree?
Anonymous said…
https://twitter.com/scobie still up at this time

https://twitter.com/queenscomtrust taken down there

My guess: once Rach had been found out, they had to claim it was the wrong card or an accident or whatever. There are just not many other explanations since it had already been confirmed as the card.
Fedde said…
It's still up on the queenscomtrust, Elle.
Mimi said…
She won’t let go of the idea that she thinks the public is stupid! This was soooooo very insulting!
Brown-eyed said…
PA Media via Getty Images put out a kill notice on the Christmas card photo. Statement said one published today wasn’t representative of the Christmas card sent out by MM and PH. Link: https://www.gettyimages.no/detail/news-photo/please-kill-this-photograph-royal-sussex-23423421-news-photo/1190441169.
Well, who set the Photoshopped one out?
Again, Merry Christmas.


xxxxx said…
The original is still up at Queens Commonwealth Trust Twitter and has 2000 very happy comments with loads and loads of nonsense gifs and images accompanying them. So why would they take it down? To see what the staff of the Queens Commonwealth Trust looks like, their Christmas photo is just above H&M's. It is all white British as far as I can see.
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fairy Crocodile said…
@Brown eyed and xxx This is exactly what happens when they send their card electronically, via strange channels. If they used their royal offices, official photographers, verified channels, real cards delivered well before Christmas to the intended charities, none of this would have happened. It is a storm in a tea cup, of their own making.
Anonymous said…
@Fedde! You're right! It is there. When I went, it was blacked out and I checked a couple of other RTs, and those were, too. I am so confused.
Pantsface said…
#totally confused as to what photo is real and what is not, it's Christmas Eve in the UK, can't be arsed, having another Vodka, Happy Christmas/Holidays to you all x
Stephanie_123 said…
Hello All!

Happy and Merry Christmas in just a few hours now!

A couple things regarding Harry and Meghan and their “unusual” Christmas card:

They sent a late and (very likely) homemade GIF. (Plus, Harry just did a poor quality video.) This says to me: 1) They are cutting corners financially. Postage and printing lots of cards is expensive and unwieldy if no staff is available to help with the process. This leads me to believe their funding and support staff has been cut down or cut off. The lateness hints that they may have thought there would be funding and staff help for the card project but it did not come through. Meghan seems to be a lot of things but she has not been tardy or a procrastinator on past projects. IMO, this card was Plan B or C after more attractive (and timely) options did not come to fruition.

Using the Commonwealth Trust to release the card may mean they no longer have access to RF social media channels — especially if the RF was unhappy with Harry’s cringeworthy Bad Santa video.

I’m a financial planner and enrolled agent (tax preparer and advisor) in the US and have seen clients who have been laid off or had other financial setbacks do the exact same regarding their Christmas cards.
Magatha Mistie said…
Merry Christmas from Oz, hope you’ve all been naughty, & nice 😉
What strikes me about the photo is Harrys arm is darker than Megs, & Archie looks as if he has two sets of eyebrows?
Anonymous said…
Kensington Royal just published a new pic of Will kissing the little one with the other two.
Anonymous said…
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6eXqjIlOvk/?igshid=1drlkzb0xahlk
Himmy said…
I just saw the black and white photo of Will and his three adorable kids. MM got scarfed again.

W&K really despise that dreadful woman and her spineless lapdog.

Tea Cup said…
OMG, the shade, the unmitigated shade of it all! Wills, I stan your royal pettiness. To release this heartwarming darling picture of the kids... in BLACK & freaking WHITE!

This calls for a toast, where's my wine glass? Cheers everybody!
abbyh said…

Wow. I spend 3 hours making cake for tomorrow and the email blows me out of the water.

Thank you for the enlightening details about photoshop - so many details that I had no clue about.

Mistakes were made but not by someone. How interesting Sir. Inclined to agree with you. They seem to jump from one mistake to another without pausing to think their way through all the possible bad options and how to avoid them.

Stephanie, could be, could be, could well be why (and snark: gosh and why would the money be cut off?)...This would tie into my idea that global Sussex is shut down and they are looking at ways to "reach out to their 'supporters'".

Gosh those kids of the Cambs are really cute. (They look real, kind, approachable, just nice all around kids). It just shows (to me) that it makes it much harder to pass off Hollywoodization of something when compared to the down to earth really real.

Anonymous said…

OMG, the shade, the unmitigated shade of it all! Wills, I stan your royal pettiness. To release this heartwarming darling picture of the kids... in BLACK & freaking WHITE!

I called it early with Wills and HR Shadiness. I had faith, and he delivered shade of royal proportion. I hope they release a few BRF walk photos tomorrow in B&W, too, because what better than a viral virtual scarfing!

(An aside to W&K: seriously, free babysitting on NYE, and I promise to wait for cocktails until after Nanny Maria puts the children to bed... and yes, that means you, too, Charlotte, you cannot stay up late with your Auntie Elle :)

This calls for a toast, where's my wine glass? Cheers everybody!

Definitely worthy of a Cheers all 'round to my BFFs, W&K, and all the Nuttiers.


HappyDays said…
They make sure people know they’re only sending an e-greeting this year because of the paper waste from cards, which are usually recyclable. I’d be interested to know if the Sussexes have been traveling by private jet during their so-called break, which makes the virtue signaling of the e-card meaningless and hypocritical. If they had been traveling by standard scheduled airlines, you can be sure Meghan would have made sure the world knew it.
Glow W said…
Apparently someone named @sussexdiary on twitter admits to altering the Christmas card, and it is her edited card that DM used. I’m trying to piece this together.
Glow W said…
So I THINK the kill picture is the one where Meghan’s face is not blurry
Glow W said…
This is how it appears to be:

1) the card gif on QCT page is their Christmas card.
2) a sugar photoshopped the card to make MM’a face clearer
3) DM picked the altered sugar picture to coomment on about photoshopping
4) the sugar realized what happened and was embarrassed, so she apologized and turned off her Twitter account
5) kill photo declaration is issues over the DM used sugar photoshopped card with MM”s face in focus

This IMO doesn’t help DM with the lawsuit.
CookieShark said…
This is just like the baby announcement.
Somehow, for some reason, things go haywire and it's not their fault, everyone else messed it up.

Are these two the most unlucky public figures ever? It seems they couldn't organize a picnic.

Are they trying to say it was altered after it was posted? What image is on the Commonwealth Trust account? That's the photo they submitted.
CatEyes said…
Legally the photo has nothing to do with Meghan's lawsuit. Period.
Glow W said…
Her Stans have a habit of photoshopping her photos to make her prettier, put on more makeup, etc. if you have been around tumblr then you may have seen these glamorized photos.

They released the card as a Gif. A Stan took the photo and “glamorized” it by photoshopping Meghan and sharpened her face and put it in focus. This is against the copyright.

DM grabbed that unauthorized in focus picture and then made an article about the idea that the Sussex photoshopped it. Sussex didn’t, Stan did.

Dm is going to have to correct their article.
CatEyes said…
@tatty

Who in particular did that? How do you know what you say to be true? Why hasn't the DM corrected it immediately?
Glow W said…
This is what I have figured out. Obviously in the wee hours of the morning, I doubt DM is going to do anything.

@sussexdiary did it apparently

Why has the DM not killed the photo as instructed? I have no idea. It is that photo that has been killed.
CatEyes said…
If ;stans' are making MM look better byphotoshopping MM all over the internet they are doing a lousy job as she is repeatedly captured looking with terreible skin whether it is uneven tone or flaky skin on her face, lumpy lips, puanchy belly, dirty stockings, etc...
Glow W said…
I don’t know why they do it. Some people photo shop her photos to make her look worse and some people photoshop her pics to make her look better.

@cookie shark a circus swirls around them.

But if it makes anyone feel better, there is a Stan “fight” going on now where the alpha Stans are fussing at the photoshop stans and saying “look at what happens” and to stop because they are causing chaos for their queen etc.
Anonymous said…

I just checked Scobie's twitter, and even the good one looks bad. The "original" at the Queen's Commonwealth Trust also looks like merde (and photoshopped). I personally think this is Rach & PH lying about the obvious again. We saw the original that went to QCT and people called it photoshopped at that point. Besides, Rach is probably @SussexDiary. Liars lie. Cheaters cheat.

And yes, @CookieShark,poor Rach & PH, victims again (lolohellno). I'm going to need some more candy because apparently the chocolate I've eaten just now is not enough to stave off the sussex dementors lol.
CatEyes said…
All variations of the Harkle's Christmas photo with their not-cute apparently (according to many posters) surrogate baby are not flattering no matter whether original or photoshopped. They should start over,,, as I've seen everyday families take better pics for Christmas. Harry, MM, and their kid are just plain unphotogenic no matter what.
Girl with a Hat said…
it's not just Meghan's face that is photoshopped. It's Archie's head as well, so the theory of her "sugars" doing it doesn't hold water. And the photo that DM used is the one from the Commonwealth people.

A lot of people are doing a lot of water carrying here for Meghan.
KnitWit said…
A recycled picture from Archie meets Arch would have been less awful. Perhaps that was a rare occasion that "mommy", "daddy" and baby were together. Wasn't she travelling with her own photographer? Couldn't they get a useable picture?

I remember dressing up in summertime for my parents to take the holiday photos for our holiday cards.
Glow W said…
The one the DM used is NOT the commonwealth one.

In the commonwealth photo, her face is blurry.

In the DM one, her face is sharp and in focus.

I’m not speaking of Archie. Just of this issue.
KnitWit said…
Happy Christmas and Chanukah nutties
Glow W said…
Commonwealth one: https://mobile.twitter.com/queenscomtrust/status/1209241848411303941

DM one: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7824523/Was-Meghan-Markles-face-PHOTOSHOPPED-Christmas-e-card.html#comments
Glow W said…
The kill photo is the one the DM used, not the one from commonwealth trust


https://www.gettyimages.no/detail/news-photo/please-kill-this-photograph-royal-sussex-23423421-news-photo/1190441169.
Glow W said…
Better no kill link https://www.paimages.co.uk/search-results/fluid/?q=picture%20kill&category=A,S,E&fields_0=all&fields_1=all&imagesonly=1&order=relevance&orientation=both&words_0=all&words_1=all
Tea Cup said…
In-fighting among the stans? Ho ho ho, so much for peace on earth and goodwill to men. If there is one thing consistent with Markle's nature, it is that she sows chaos and division in her wake. Everything is always needlessly dramatic with her.
I think most don't care about any of them as they are basically all of poor quality and strange with a huge baby strangely coming out of the picture at you. Yuck!
Glow W said…
Now Janina Gavankar is calling out Daily Mail on twitter: 12/24/19 7:34pm

“...and to The Mail, I see your campaign against my friend continues. Nice photoshop ofmy non-photoshopped image. Now may we all get back to the spirit of Christmas and not the spirit of maliciousness.”

Peace out, everyone. Quiet time then bed for me.
Girl with a Hat said…
the image that Richard Palmer of the Express tweeted is the tweet from the Queen's Commonwealth Trust which was the original recipient of the Sussex image.

That photo is photoshopped. So, that story about DM using another image doesn't hold water.
meant to write "...strange with a large baby weirdly coming out of the picture at you". Yuck!

The so-called original still looks to be altered to me.
Anonymous said…
This says they have been spotted hiking in Victoria with their RPOs:

https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/prince-harry-and-family-spotted-vacationing-in-greater-victoria-1.24042042
Unknown said…
This development about a Meg stan/sugar @sussexdiary being responsible for the photoshopped image DM was reporting about could be the Sussex camp offering up a sacrificial lamb for their Christmas card fiasco. If the DM intentionally did that kind of reporting, well we see exactly where H&M stands with the BRF.

However, Janina Gavankar needs to sit herself down about saying the Christmas pic was not photoshopped. I am not an expert on Photoshop but I know enough to say that photo-editing software of some kind was clearly used to produce that card. I am not even talking about editing their faces. Adding the Christmas message required photo-editing. The twinkling lights required the photo used to be changed into a GIF animation with several layers that were edited to have the desired effect. Then there is the pic being edited to be the right type of black-and-white pic.

As for the debate about the photo being used by the DM being different from the Queens Commonwealth Trust, that argument has holes in it. A GIF is not a photo or one image. It is technically multiple images so the first image someone sees when they click on a link/thumbnail to a GIF is just the first/last/default layer. The other layers or images which can be numerous can be duplicates of that layer or completely different. Hence why it is an animation and not a photo or video. It is possible the less blurry image(s) of Meg is/are on the other layers. When DM flattened the image, they merged all the layers into one which meant most of the editing was seen all at once. There can be some loss of qualities when flattened.

I am not purporting to be an expert but I would love to hear from those more advanced than me in Photoshop.
Girl with a Hat said…
everything is a psychodrama with them. Drama Queen par excellence.
Unknown said…
So true @Mischi :)

Anyways, Happy Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a happy, healing, and hopeful holiday season! Enjoy! Thanks for all the knowledge, laughs, and most importantly snark!
KCM1212 said…
The Times Colonist story is pure Megsy. "Victoria is so lucky to have them!" Couldnt eat at the restaurant due to " security
required" refers to this "festive season"

More b.s. From the queen of b.s.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Hiking in Victoria? Really? Like been seen having lunch at their local pub?
Sigh.....

Can't we have a real six week break from them?


Merry Christmas Everyone!
Sandie said…
"FairyCrocdile:@Brown eyed and xxx This is exactly what happens when they send their card electronically, via strange channels. If they used their royal offices, official photographers, verified channels, real cards delivered well before Christmas to the intended charities, none of this would have happened. It is a storm in a tea cup, of their own making.'

Yes! What is the point of hiring professional staff (at huge cost) if you do not let them do their job? Megsy and Harry, here is some advice: hire staff that have a full understanding of the monarchy and then let them do their job and guide you in doing yours!

Interesting ... the tarot reader I find most reliable did a quick reading on the Sussex Christmas card , I think last Friday. What she got was that a reveal on Monday was surrounded by a lot of negative energy (worst day)!

Oh I agree with everyone that sending an unsigned and poorly designed (low-resolution) gif was cheap and tacky for royalty.

As for the black and white photograph from the Cambridges ... perhaps this was a show of support for the Sussexes so that their fans would think twice about criticising them for the black and white obsession because that would expose them as hypocrites?
Scandi Sanskrit said…
Happy holidays whatever you celebrate & hope 2020 treats you better than 2019 did~ 💜
Sandie said…
This is the original Sussex Christmas greeting:

https://twitter.com/queenscomtrust/status/1209241848411303941

DM did some editing on the gif, which appeared to show that Meghan's face was not part of the original photo (something looked strange). That article seems to have disappeared.

DM still has an article with the adjusted gif that they created, claiming that the image had been photoshopped (of course it had, by Meghan - even adding the text would be an act of photoshopping). However, the DM's left hand does not seem to know what the right hand is doing and they are now using the adjusted gif that they created as proof that Meghan photoshopped the image. That bizarre article is still on their website:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7824523/Was-Meghan-Markles-face-PHOTOSHOPPED-Christmas-e-card.html

How PA (a photo agency) and Getty images got the doctored image of the gif is a mystery. Can they take an image from a secondary source and then commercialise it? Seems unethical, if not illegal, to me.

I think it is ironic that this whole debacle has been caused by sloppy and unethical work (no respect for rules and due process), which is exactly the way Meghan and Harry operate!

By the way, why does the public accept such poor standards from media? Surely free speech does not mean that the media can make up and publish absolutely rubbish if not downright lies (mistakes do happen, which is why media traditionally publish apologies)? However, it's not really important that rubbish is published about the Sussexes because they are constitutionally irrelevant and use the monarchy as a platform for wealth and fame but actually have nothing to offer and are not important, relevant, significant in any way (their reputation is not important because they are not). Lies published about them may influence the public to demand that their funding gets withdrawn. Gosh, let's all feel sorry for them!
Unknown said…
@Sandie I’ve been reading elsewhere the Image Kill is for the Original Christmas Card. That would explain why Getty and PA Images had it. The image the sugar/stan doctored is cropped and does not match the original Christmas Card.

All this just sounds like plausible deniability by the Sussex Camp. That DM article must have set a huge fire for Meg and she’s trying to kill the flames by backtracking on everything. Apparently, Kensington Royal liked the Original Card on the Commonwealth Trust Twitter. Not sure how they can say that the image is illegitimate or not photoshopped. I really would like some experts to weigh in. At a minimum, it shows how vain Meg is.

Le sigh. The drama of H&M is endless.
Nutty Flavor said…
Good morning! New post up - an open post to discuss the Christmas walk.
Sandie said…
@charade: 'I’ve been reading elsewhere the Image Kill is for the Original Christmas Card. That would explain why Getty and PA Images had it. The image the sugar/stan doctored is cropped and does not match the original Christmas Card.'

It's a mess!

It seems like a very Megsy thing to do ... act rashly and then make more of a mess trying to backtrack.

Playing around with editing tools on Photoshop is a very normal thing to do, and if you have had a couple of glasses of wine - whoopie, you are suddenly so brilliant!

If Megsy is going to stick like superglue to Harry and the privileges of a royal life, I hope she learns something, i.e. hire the right professionals for the job (those who understand the history and complexity of the royal family and monarchy, which is more important than being a fab PR or a woke media guru) and then stand back and let them do their job (and listen to and follow their advice).
catskillgreen said…
@tatty...it is not just Meghans face that looks photoshopped. Harry's shirt is overlapping the baby's face. Once you see it you can't unsee it. It looks sloppy.
Suzanne Wilson said…
@Elle-- Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
No,I dont know the legal definition of "of thebody". I assume it means "born of the body of the title-holder's legal wife". I do know that the Viscount and Viscountess of Weymouth had a son through a surrogate, and that a court ruled that the child could not legally inherit his father's title even though the child was genetically theirs. This would also apply to Archie if he was born to a surrogate.
So I'm thinking this is thevreason the Queen refused to let Archie be styled by Harry's subsidiary title of Earl of Dumbarton. I'm assuming the decision came from the Queen because Meghan would not pass up the chance to have Archie styled as an Earl, no matter how her husband may have felt about it.
I worry about Archie. The fact that the Queen included him in her speech (even with that awful photoshopped picture of him with herself and Phillip) seems to indicate that he is considered part of the family. I hope he is being cared for by the Cambridges or the Wessexes or the Phillipses or the Tindalls and is not just being raised by nannies. Itd pretty obvious to me that H&M dont have him.
@tatty said…
>>>I’m not a Stan. I’m a realist. I support Harry and she is his wife. I don’t believe in conspiracy theories. Why this bothers some unknowns to the near point of obsession is odd to me. I’m just one person, it’s my point of view. Get over yourself.<<<

No you are worse than a stan...you are obnoxious!! Get in line (to borrow Your phrase) and then Get Over Yourself.
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