The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been rather quiet over the past week, and no man could be happier about this than Boris Johnson.
In addition to having to supervise negotiations over the Sussexes' security costs abroad - surely if security were cut back and an incident occurred, Johnson's government would be blamed - Boris has to worry about Meghan's determination to "use her voice" when it comes to politics.
Having just put his signature on Brexit, Boris badly needs a trade deal with the Americans. And for that, he must remain friendly with Donald Trump.
Meghan doesn't like Donald Trump, and she will probably be saying so soon, possibly as soon as her first post-Megxit TV appearance.
That said, Meghan is gifted at causing chaos wherever she goes, and if she inserts herself into the political scene that would be no exception.
What would it mean for a member of the British Royal Family to be openly attacking the leader of one of the UK's longstanding allies? You don't have to like Donald Trump to think this is a bad idea. Would anyone have wanted to know, say, Prince Edward's opinion of Barack Obama?
The Royal Family is by definition apolitical, Prince Charles's repeated appearances with Greta Thunberg notwithstanding. Endorsing one candidate or another weakens support for the institution as a whole.
Not that Meghan cares.
First of all, a political campaign requires organization, and it requires a talented and hard-working staff. Meg has already shown herself to be completely incompetent if not dehumanizing when it comes to managing a team. (Something which has been a big negative for current candidate Amy Klobuchar.)
Secondly, a political campaign requires hundreds of in-person appearances and handshakes, precisely the job Meg ran away from in the Royal Family. You can't campaign for any office sitting home and posting Photoshopped images to Instagram.
Finally, as a real-life candidate has to be ready to deal with harsh media criticism and still rise to the occasion when the going gets tough. No one "asks if they're OK."
What I can see Meg doing is trying to ally herself with "the Squad", four left-wing women of color who are pushing the Democratic party to the left. Their most prominent face is Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who has endorsed Bernie Sanders for President.
Will Meg do the same? The vision of a woman who chose to marry into a reformed feudal institution and is currently living off the largess of its largest duchy endorsing a Socialist candidate is delicious in its irony.
Not that Meghan cares.
Today's Mail On Sunday leads with a long-winded article about Meghan's mother Doria Ragland which managed to answer almost none of the questions people are really asking about Doria, such as where she was during Meg's teenage years and what she does all day now.
(There's also nothing about her current partner, who is reportedly a woman. That's fine by me - the poor lady never asked to get involved in Meghan's mess.)
We do learn that Doria makes an excellent shrimp gumbo, a recipe she passed on to Meghan, that she has remained on friendly terms with Thomas Markle, and that the three of them spent Thanksgiving 2016 at a house rented by Prince Harry in Beverly Hills. "There were no servants, just the family," the article states.
That sounds like a clue of some sort, the sort of thing the MoS drops into the very bottom of an article for readers to follow up on. I'm not sure what it means. Anyway, why was Prince Harry renting a house in Beverly Hills?
Did Doria spend time in prison? Now's a good time to tell Oprah, perhaps link it to some kind of statement for corrections reform, and sob about how you as a teenager tried to cope with your Mom so far away.
Is Archie not really "from the body" as advertised? Let everyone know now, and tell Ellen DeGeneres about the pain of infertility, especially when living in the spotlight.
So broke during your acting years that you had to be a "ten cents a dance girl" for wealthy men? Say it now, while (some people) like you and will sympathize with your struggle. (The year that the movie "Hustlers" was considered for an Academy Award nomination might mean the time is right.)
Someone else like Steve Mnuchin, Trump's Treasury Secretary, who was reportedly one of her "ten cents a dance" clients.
If Meg starts going after Trump, will Trump encourage Mnuchin to retaliate? Mnuchin has an active Twitter account.
A subtle dig in a Tweet from Mnuchin like, "The Duchess of Sussex, whom I have known for more than a decade, was in Washington to protest today" might be highly unpleasant for US-UK bilateral relations.
Not that Meghan cares.
In addition to having to supervise negotiations over the Sussexes' security costs abroad - surely if security were cut back and an incident occurred, Johnson's government would be blamed - Boris has to worry about Meghan's determination to "use her voice" when it comes to politics.
Having just put his signature on Brexit, Boris badly needs a trade deal with the Americans. And for that, he must remain friendly with Donald Trump.
Meghan doesn't like Donald Trump, and she will probably be saying so soon, possibly as soon as her first post-Megxit TV appearance.
Overestimates her influence
Meghan, like most celebrities, probably overestimates her political influence. Even Taylor Swift, who has a large and devoted fanbase, struck out with her very first political endorsement in 2018 - she put her name behind a (male) Democrat running against a (female) Republican in her home state of Tennessee, and the woman won.That said, Meghan is gifted at causing chaos wherever she goes, and if she inserts herself into the political scene that would be no exception.
What would it mean for a member of the British Royal Family to be openly attacking the leader of one of the UK's longstanding allies? You don't have to like Donald Trump to think this is a bad idea. Would anyone have wanted to know, say, Prince Edward's opinion of Barack Obama?
The Royal Family is by definition apolitical, Prince Charles's repeated appearances with Greta Thunberg notwithstanding. Endorsing one candidate or another weakens support for the institution as a whole.
Not that Meghan cares.
Will Meg run for office?
There have been various media suggestions that Meg might run for office herself. I don't think she will or could.First of all, a political campaign requires organization, and it requires a talented and hard-working staff. Meg has already shown herself to be completely incompetent if not dehumanizing when it comes to managing a team. (Something which has been a big negative for current candidate Amy Klobuchar.)
Secondly, a political campaign requires hundreds of in-person appearances and handshakes, precisely the job Meg ran away from in the Royal Family. You can't campaign for any office sitting home and posting Photoshopped images to Instagram.
Finally, as a real-life candidate has to be ready to deal with harsh media criticism and still rise to the occasion when the going gets tough. No one "asks if they're OK."
What I can see Meg doing is trying to ally herself with "the Squad", four left-wing women of color who are pushing the Democratic party to the left. Their most prominent face is Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who has endorsed Bernie Sanders for President.
Will Meg do the same? The vision of a woman who chose to marry into a reformed feudal institution and is currently living off the largess of its largest duchy endorsing a Socialist candidate is delicious in its irony.
Not that Meghan cares.
The story on Doria
What does Meghan care about? She cares about her image, or what she thinks is her image, which is why she spends so much money on PR in the past and apparently continues to do so.Today's Mail On Sunday leads with a long-winded article about Meghan's mother Doria Ragland which managed to answer almost none of the questions people are really asking about Doria, such as where she was during Meg's teenage years and what she does all day now.
(There's also nothing about her current partner, who is reportedly a woman. That's fine by me - the poor lady never asked to get involved in Meghan's mess.)
We do learn that Doria makes an excellent shrimp gumbo, a recipe she passed on to Meghan, that she has remained on friendly terms with Thomas Markle, and that the three of them spent Thanksgiving 2016 at a house rented by Prince Harry in Beverly Hills. "There were no servants, just the family," the article states.
That sounds like a clue of some sort, the sort of thing the MoS drops into the very bottom of an article for readers to follow up on. I'm not sure what it means. Anyway, why was Prince Harry renting a house in Beverly Hills?
Post-Megxit Honeymoon Phase
If Meg were smart, she'd use this post-Megxit honeymoon phase with the US media, or at least some portions of it, to burn off the most embarrassing parts of her story and move forward.Did Doria spend time in prison? Now's a good time to tell Oprah, perhaps link it to some kind of statement for corrections reform, and sob about how you as a teenager tried to cope with your Mom so far away.
Is Archie not really "from the body" as advertised? Let everyone know now, and tell Ellen DeGeneres about the pain of infertility, especially when living in the spotlight.
So broke during your acting years that you had to be a "ten cents a dance girl" for wealthy men? Say it now, while (some people) like you and will sympathize with your struggle. (The year that the movie "Hustlers" was considered for an Academy Award nomination might mean the time is right.)
The Mnuchin factor
Otherwise, someone else will release the story, and you won't be in control of it.Someone else like Steve Mnuchin, Trump's Treasury Secretary, who was reportedly one of her "ten cents a dance" clients.
If Meg starts going after Trump, will Trump encourage Mnuchin to retaliate? Mnuchin has an active Twitter account.
A subtle dig in a Tweet from Mnuchin like, "The Duchess of Sussex, whom I have known for more than a decade, was in Washington to protest today" might be highly unpleasant for US-UK bilateral relations.
Not that Meghan cares.
Comments
Sally Bedell smith on “ What Meghan and Harry’s Exit Reveals About the Royal Family’s Future”
Thanks for the new post, Nutty!
(You should've followed your dreams, Boris! 🌟🌈✨)
There’s no way he will ever say that because he will look bad.
Doria
I don't see the DM article on Doria as anything positive to/from Meghan. To me, as a British reader, it comes across as more evidence of the sheer amount of planning and deliberate intent to use the BRF and the country for their own ends, right from the beginning.
Feels like it is also a further indication that what was out-of-bounds for the British media due to likely accusations of racism (OK to write about Thomas but not about Doria) is no longer out-of-bounds. The DM is using a slow build-up rather than breaking news angle. Preparing the ground.
The article also reinforces the image of grifter Meghan, trained by her mother to never give anything for nothing. This will particularly grab the attention of fence-sitters who knew something was 'off' about Meghan but didn't know what, and didn't want to get down and dirty into the rumour mill. Now they can nod sagely and realise they were right. Nothing more unsettling or primal than reading of a mother who instils all the wrong values in her child.
Meghan and politics
This doesn't worry me at all as she couldn't do it even if she wanted to. What does worry me, as someone who can't bear Trump, is that my hostility to Meghan trumps Trump! If she criticises him, a tiny little bat-squeak of support for Trump emerges in my mind. No more of that kind of thing thank you very much. Pleeeese BRF. Do something!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7929195/Queen-gives-Prince-William-new-role-Church-Scotland-Prince-Harry-prepares-step-back.html
"The Duke of Cambridge, 37, has been made the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and will act as the sovereign's personal representative at the annual meeting.
"It comes almost immediately after his brother, the Duke of Sussex, made the ten-hour journey to Vancouver on Monday to join Meghan and Archie at the start of their new life away from the monarchy. [...]
"Many have interpreted Prince William's appointment at the Church of Scotland as a way of strengthening the Union as SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon prepares to make a renewed bid to break up Britain in the wake of Brexit."
The article says William will be visiting Scotland more often. I'm moving there in April. The one and only time I stood and waited to see a royal was the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, as a child, when the Queen was inches from me and all I could think about or remember now was her perfect complexion. Milk and roses. However, if William drops in nearby I'll go again. I'd like to show support for him personally, even though I'm in favour of Scottish independence.
Scottsh independence is the next big issue to Brexit, and I'm glad the Queen is showing confidence in William entrusting him with a role there, as she did for the Pakistan tour. Can you IMAGINE Harry ever being trusted with anything like that? That's why he's not the loss to the BRF many commentators would have us think.
---------------
48% say they're not royalists, 46% say they are [...] It's been a busy couple of weeks!
Harry and Meghan's announcement that they wanted to 'step back' from royal duties has rattled the royal household [...]
The public reaction was swift and unimpressed.
A poll conducted for the Sun newspaper this week showed a huge majority disapproving of Harry and Meghan's conduct and saying the couple wouldn't be missed.
More worrying for the royals they leave behind is that the country is split on whether we call ourselves royalists. 48% say no, 46% yes. Hardly the ringing endorsement you might expect.
With 65% saying Harry and Meghan should pay for their own security a petition in Canada, demanding the royals pay for their own protection, had gained more than 90,000 signatures by the end of this week.
Republic is getting its message out there.
I've been telling journalists that the monarchy is now in real trouble. Harry and Meghan will continue to be a thorn in their side for years to come, inviting unhelpful comparisons with the stuffy institution they've left behind. [Don't agree with final part of sentence but we all know they're thorns ...]
With the Queen turning 94 in April the royals face an increasingly difficult decade ahead. Attention will soon turn to Prince Charles as future king, while the supporting cast will have effectively been reduced to William and Kate.
---------------
It seems light years since glorious 2011-12 with the London Olympics and William and Kate's wedding, the Windsors on such a high.
1. Why are we not allowed where Doria was for 7 years, while Thomas was raising her? Why is it such a big secret? You'd think that if the reason was kosher, it would have been mentioned..
2. MM publicly trashing Trump, is a gift. We should embrace it.
3. MM getting into politics is another gift. They don't make comedies this funny anymore.
I fully believe that within six months MeGain will leave Harry because after all of this furor subsides, she's going to realize she's stuck in the Canadian wilds far from the spotlight with an idiot manchild for a husband, a child she may or may not have given birth to but doesn't really care about, and a string of failed moneymaking schemes behind her. Her name is mud except to a small but vocal group of equally narcissistic sugars online.
And while we're at it, Prince Charles's behavior this week has been atrocious. Four private flights and a helicopter ride to act all smarmy around the hectoring Brat in Chief Greta? Spare me. Then he follows that up with not greeting VP Pence and having the royal social media sites trumpet his visit to the "Occupied Palestine State." Which is Israel. He's a wanker. I really hope he kicks it before his mother does. His woke reign would be a disgrace.
Just brainstorming... Wasn’t Thanksgiving 2016 just a few weeks after Harry made that statement about the press’ evil treatment of Meg? Maybe we are going to be getting some juicy news of all that nonsense being fake news. Or maybe Meg’s backers are in Beverly Hills. Or plot twist, Harry actually met Thomas Markle before the wedding. Or maybe the plotting of Susex Royal happened pre-wedding.
The H&M crazy-sauce never lets up! LOL :)
He must be a mess. Substance abuse, mental illness, some combination of the two. I had an odd flash about Harry being arrested for drunk driving.
Meg probably wouldn't come back to the UK, and no one seems to mind. But what about Archie?
If you watch "The Windsors", there was a funny episode in which the Prince William character (accidentally) has an affair with SNP head Nicola Sturgeon. (Both are in disguise at the time.)
There’s no way he will ever say that because he will look bad.
Could be. Trump might do it, though. He's never afraid of looking bad.
Bottom line, I think it's about the security. Harry cannot afford to pay for security outside the UK, and the Home Office must have told them that it cannot arrange for British officers to be stationed 24/7 in another country. Canada and the US don't want to pay for their own people to protect the Sussexes on an indefinite basis.
Funny that Meg's obvious pap shot seems to have put the security question into focus. I cannot believe that people think that shot was not set up - she's smiling into the camera! - but some people apparently do.
As time has progressed, more of the fringe Sussex rumors are becoming mainstream. I expect more cray cray going forward.
Good to see comments on DM skewering her for the attention seeking
I only see her talking about herself. This interview with Ellen would most likely happen. The only catch is that it would have to happen in LA and from the looks of the couple has been strictly banned from going to LA (or the US) just yet by the Firm. I do feel that some of the terms of megxit that we aren't privy to specify state that they can't do interviews or go to LA and that is a bone of context tion between them.
I'm looking forward to see what she does in the coming weeks when the Cambs would be working and very visible all over the country. They are also going to be at the Baftas and something petty is to be expected the Sussexes around then. Don't think they'll be at Oscars which means more mindfu****y from them.
Yuk!
There is NO WAY either the federal government or a local police department will agree to pay or provide for the protection of two private individuals who are not representing the BRF and are not carrying out official duties. It's not going to happen, and if H&M think it will, they are even more delusional than most of us think they are.
Meghan flouncing around and denouncing the president of the USA isn't helping her case, either. If they come here, even for a visit, they are going to have to pay their own way. We don't financially support royalty in this country anymore.
"the idea that the USA will pay for their security if they come to this country is a complete non-starter"
Hope you are right. Certainly we shouldn't pay but NYC, NY State, and the feds via the State Dept provided some security for that stupid baby shower.
Re: Doria
Odd DM article. It says
"Doria was deeply affected when her mother died young. 'This was something that led Doria to take care of her body,' the friend explained. 'That's something she instilled in Meghan. Jeanette never reached her full potential."
BS. Doria's mother died in 2000 at 71. While 71 is below the average lifespan, dying at 71 is hardly "dying young." And when she died Doria was in her mid-40s, a bit late to "instill" anything in Meghan who was 19.
Odd too the article says the father's house was left to Doria and "her sister, Saundra" by Doria's father, Alvin Ragland. Saundra and Joseph are Doria's half-sibs from her mother's first marriage, and aren't Raglands. (Her father did remarry and have another son after he and Doria's mother divorced.) And how did Doria get a $100K mortgage? I felt like I had to go through the wringer to get one as a single woman and I didn't have a bankruptcy, an eviction, or a failed dress-making business in my past. (I do plan to check property shark but don't want to do it on my phone since it can be done only once.)
Interesting the article says there was such implicit racism in the neighborhood of Woodland Hills in the early 1980s that Doria was assumed to be the nanny. I'm white but I do know there was and is racism in our society. But my neighborhood in the southern US was integrated long before the 1980s! And interracial couples weren't THAT uncommon. No one where I lived in the South would have thought Doria was a babysitter/nanny except for maybe an occasional crackpot.
And why would Harry rent them a house for Thanksgiving? And not attend himself? Plus, I can't imagine anything worse than cooking Thanksgiving dinner in a rented house. And to say there were "no servants." Who in the heck has **servants** in the US or the UK in the 21st century????
Odd. Just odd.
The law of primogeniture applies in England, Wales & Scotland where large estates are involved, as it has long been deemed undesirable that these be broken up by being divided among multiple beneficiaries. That is, the fate of the land cannot be changed by the current owner making a Will.
The current Scottish government is considering doing away with this as it has an aversion to large land holdings - I don't know the current situation, perhaps someone can bring me up to date on this.
(Nor do I know about Northern Ireland - in the 19thC when the whole of Ireland was consider as `British', primogeniture was abolished for at least Catholic-held land [I don't know/ can't remember what happened with Protestant-held land] in order to break up potential power bases. This had a disastrous effect on the very small holdings which became too tiny to support anyone.)
Under primogeniture, the heir usually has to be male - there are a few exceptions.
Recent changes to legislation about the succession to the Throne mean that Charlotte now follows George in the line of succession; previously she would have followed Louis and any other male child born to her parents. The law is not retrospective, so Anne's position is unchanged.
A Princess Margaret story I heard from friends who lived near Windsor:
When the Little Princesses, Elizabeth & Margaret, were small and living at Royal Lodge in Windsor Gt Park with their parents, the then-Duke and Duchess of York, their mother took them to the Theatre Royal, just across the road from the castle, to see the pantomime.
Margaret took exception to what she considered a lack of respect from a member of the front-of-house staff, stamped her little foot and cried `You've got to curtsey to me 'cos I'm a Princess!'
Whereupon her mother seized her hand and announced very sharply that Margaret was not to behave like that and as a result, nobody was going to the pantomime.
The Royal party promptly left the theatre.
Whatever's coming must be big. My guess is divorce and MM has started pleading her case in the court of public opinion. Good luck with that. Forced to take sides, Harry wins.
Would PH need to get permission from the RF to travel to the U.S.? If permission is required, would it also be granted for a child? Could he be flagged as not allowed to enter a non-commonwealth country?
And right on cue - up pops a PR Instagram post from the Harkles about the bush fires in Australia. It's just so predictable. Every time there is something positive for Kate or William, this happens. Markle is just incapable of letting an inch of limelight go to the Cambridges.
The comments to articles in the DM have highlighted this for months, but it's also being noticed more by journalists. Today's Talk of the Town column in the MoS points out that Charles was angry that one of his important announcements was overshadowed by Markle posting from the dog's home. He should spare a thought for poor old Kate. She was trying to launch a new initiative for her Early Learning work, and Markle's PR jumped right in.
It's no wonder the Harkles are becoming increasingly despised.
Whatever's coming must be big. My guess is divorce and MM has started pleading her case in the court of public opinion. Good luck with that. Forced to take sides, Harry wins.’
Harry has been strangely quiet and Meghan only showing herself on their IG account. I’m not sure what’s going g to happen next. If Meghan wants to start having a political opinion, then her time being on the periphery of the royal family will be over for good, there will be no returning for her.
I’m pretty much fatigued by the whole nasty and sorry saga. I do enjoy ready the comments here where so many reflect my own thinking and feeling. 😀
Has Camilla found a way into British hearts through decency, service and hard work?
Yvonne Traynor, from Rape Crisis South London in Croydon, praised Camilla for her thoughtfulness, after the Duchess of Cornwall met survivors at the centre. In Penny Junor's 'The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown', Ms Traynor is quoted as saying: "It really inspired me and I was in awe from the moment we met survivors at the centre. "She was so warm, and she was just another woman that understood women, I think that was why I was so drawn to her.
"She didn't have airs and graces, she spoke to every one of the staff from the volunteer admin to the counselling coordinator, and then she went downstairs and spoke to our clients and she wasn't shocked."
Camilla’s office arranged for security to park away from the building with the Duchess herself entering through a fire escape at the back to avoid unwanted attention.
Ms Traynor continued: "She spoke to them warmly, she asked pertinent but not intrusive questions, she was calm, everybody warmed to her, she was so open and so honest.
"I didn't feel she was doing this because it was a publicity stunt, and we've had people who've done that."
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1231573/Royal-news-Camilla-Parker-Bowles-Rape-Crisis-charity-Penny-Junor-book
However he has brought tremendous stress for the Queen. Betrayed his grandfather's trust in the disrespect he showed as Captain-General of the Royal Marines. Think of the sacrifices Prince Philip has made. He was commander of his own ship. A deep joy to him. Fought in the war. Only to see his grandson throw it all away for a tacky Instagram queen.
Harry has betrayed his brother and in his own desire to have everything he wants for his family, he has increased the time his brother will have to spend away from his own family. Same for Kate, who had been a sister to him for years, and is now visibly drawn and grey from the strain of supporting her husband through this. George will need to step up to the plate sooner. He's a visibly sensitive child with old soul eyes. He will feel this deeply in later childhood.
I find it harder to be sorry for Prince Charles as he seems to have been a self-centred father, but he has lavished millions on Harry and Meghan and bent over backwards to welcome Meghan. And Doria. He will now be feeling utterly defrauded, not just financially but emotionally. With the added worry of what Harry is doing to the throne he has waited for for decades.
The public also feel defrauded on an epic scale. Having welcomed Meghan they - we - are now accused of being racist and our country is apparently toxic. The Sussexes couldn't leave quickly enough. But still want our money.
How is Harry to restore his reputation after this? He will never be loved again as he was by many before. We are now looking at a spoilt, petulant, selfish man approaching middle-age. He will continue to be like Dickens' character Harold Skimpole from Bleak House, who sailed through life sponging on other people, expecting them to provide even for his children. "He had more the appearance in all respects of a damaged young man than a well-preserved elderly one. There was an easy negligence in his manner [...] a romantic youth who had undergone some unique process of depreciation. It struck me as being not at all like the manner or appearance of a man who had advanced in life by the usual road of years, cares, and experiences."
Yes I have compassion for those who have been subjected to abusive treatment and we should offer a way back, but this ties up too well with the way Harry was before he met Meghan. His living in the African bush fantasy (only if it came with Out of Africa trimmings) and his assumption that the money would never stop flowing. He has never wanted to do anything that was not on his terms. His time in Afghanistan he reportedly found 'fun'. Same with his own charity work. Only in environments he liked. No care homes in Grimsby.
😂 Even if that isn’t aimed at the banana marking Duchess, it’s still hilarious.
Doesn’t this just show how incredibly immature and egotistical the Sussex’s are! 🤨 Horrid ghastly pair, I really wish the media would ignore them. 😖
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XxOVACDn7jM
Odd all this is being brought up again. I think Harry was initially smitten with her but may have regrets now. I do think there is some blackmail against Harry now. Perhaps he thinks he is protecting his family by staying with Meghan. As long as she is "winning" she won't do any tell-all interviews or books. The BRF are obviously aware if we are seeing these blatant blackmail articles in the headlines. The ongoing headlines about how fragile he is and referring to his mental health are not helping him though if they do get a divorce.
As for hypocrite Charles, like father like son.Jet-gate II. The house of Windsor is on fire, we are all watching the castle burn to the ground. Because it doesn't seem they know how to put it out in an age of technology and instant social media.
That is one of the reasons I don't believe anyone is camping out in front of the house the Sussex's ate in. Everyone has a camera, anything can be posted on the internet before you have a chance to turn around. Live streaming is common. If they are off a public road, paps could park a car with a motion sensor camera and watch all day. Turn it into a live stream channel like the zoos do for the giraffe birth, or geisers at national parks, etc. Not to mention she looked staged and directly looking into the camera.
The NYTimes is a big supporter of identity politics, but isn't too sensitive to the role the BRF plays in British identity.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/world/europe/harry-meghan-charles-duchy-of-cornwall.html
"How is Harry to restore his reputation after this"
if harry showed some humility, distanced himself from his narc abuser and asked the British public and his grandmother openly for forgiveness, he'd redeem himself.
he was very quick at publicly trashing everyone and everything that had supported him since his childhood, but I don't think he will show the humility, at least not anytime soon.
He' completely and utterly lost. The more I watch his behaviour, the more I think he truly has a very very low IQ. Intelligent, confident people aren't easily manipulated, fooled or used. You have to be of a very primitive persuasion to fall again and again for such transparent mind games.
they’re both trainwrecks
She cannot tolerate criticism, or accept feedback. Her staffers will not be silenced.
She will be eviscerated.
Ive wondered because the Princess Royal’s husband doesn’t have a title and isn’t a working royal and it works for them. It’s a modern take on royalty.
Sounds like PH is not fit for the job, weak, and unpredictable; not BRF duty-bound material and can’t handle the pressures of royal life. And chose to leave on his own.
Bluebell, that is a brilliant chess move by the RF! I'm laughing so hard. Everybody saw how delighted MM was when those evil paps 'ambushed' her and her shit-eating grin. Now the RF is offering 'protection' to the poor hounded victims, asking very little in return. If they truly were hounded and persecuted, they'd jump at the protection offer. But they're not, so they won't. But since they won't, will they subsequently dare to complain about a lack of privacy again? And how the RF is toxic?
hahaha magnificent self goal by these two idiots
I don’t believe the article, I think it’s PR spin from the Sussex’s. I don’t believe our royal family would offer this alternative. I can’t imagine Meghan being allowed to be a ‘working actress’ whilst being married to a senior royal. 🤔Regardless, Meghan would never turn down a style of HRH and a title. 😉
There were a lot of rumours flying about where (not newspaper articles) about MM having been offered a lump sum to leave PH, but she wanted the Title and Prestige nothing else.
Really nice that BRF is so open hearted is right.
And nice catch about Doria's mother's death. When I read the article, I noticed that there seemed to be a real focus on Doria's need to be independent - which makes making a marriage work more difficult because you are less likely to be asking for help when needed and maybe less likely to offer help if there is not immediate payout.
https://web.archive.org/web/20150325205433/http://thetig.com/tig-talk-ivanka-trump/
People were saying she wants to be the next Paltrow, but it's Ivanka she wants to be:
"Her eponymous brand, which, by the way, seems to include every covetable thing one could imagine. Don’t get me started on her jewelry collection: the late night “window shopping” I have done on my computer, snuggled up in my bed with a glass of wine, staring longingly at the beautiful designs. And there are the shoes, the home collection, the clothing, and the natural extension of her brand with a kids collection – a smart choice given that she is now a proud mama."
She wants to be a fancy girl with a commercial empire and I believe that is her only long term plan. She won't go into politics beyond (social media) activism because it's hard. She will never come back to Britain because she knows she's not welcome and that she cannot thrive there.
The story of the prodigal son is as old as time and could be elegantly spun by someone like ELF. It will take time, and I predict Harry spending a year or two in Africa, but they'll bring him back as a working royal. Unless. The surrogacy story is true and is exposed in the mainstream media. Now he's perceived as a gullible fool, not an evil mastermind, but if he was a willing partner in Meghan's fraud, people will find it hard to forgive him.
I must admit that those theories about their marriage being a two year contract sound more appealing every day, though it seems that the principle of Occam's razor is Meghan's biggest enemy - if there was any contract, she probably changed it along the way and complicated it beyond reason. It baffles me that she just keeps trudging onward, oblivious to her mistakes, confident in her delusional PR assaults.
Further to my other comment, unless this was their way of keeping them both away from royal court/life etc. So instead of them saying no, you can’t marry her, have an alternative life instead. 🤔 I can’t see Meghan wanting this though.🙄
Honestly, what did they think would happen? Realistically, they're left with no choice now but to go back to Frogmore Cottage.
No he didn’t in the interview. That comment was allegedly said over a year ago.
Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence married in 1992, but he only retired from the navy in 2010, so there was a blueprint in the family of the spouse of a senior royal continuing a career. Since his retirement, he has been very active, but the positions have not been as a royal patron (e.g. he has been Chairman of the English Heritage Trust since April 2015).
I can believe that it was clear to some that Meghan was not going to fit into the firm and thus there was an option for her to pursue her acting career (perhaps they did not know how mediocre it was) while Harry remained a working senior royal. Meghan wanted the title and status to fulfil her ambitions, so Harry insisted on the title, huge white wedding, some overseas trips, patronages and appearances to get her that status as soon as possible ... to make her happy. I doubt that he knew that it was all just a platform for her and he is probably so confused by now!
American politics: Even if Meghan does not run for office, if she gets involved in fundraising or supporting a candidate (interviews and appearances), won't she open herself up to scrutiny, criticism and a whole lot of fake news about her? She is so thin-skinned, I do not know if she could handle that, and it would drive Harry completely over the edge.
It will be interesting to see if Meghan joins Harry or trudges on alone, trying to build her global empire with her divorce settlement payout.
https://airmail.news/issues/2020-1-25/an-open-letter-to-harry-and-meghan
For me, the most stunning part of the article is this: "members of the royal family perceive themselves as different from the rest of us to a degree that renders them exempt from the rules which govern ordinary human behavior.
This helps to explain an egoism which afflicts even the Queen, and even in conversation with those whom she considers personal friends. Beyond 'Have you come far?,' she, like other royals—with the notable exception of Princess Alexandra—finds it difficult to show the sort of interest in others that, among lesser mortals, passes for good manners."
I have a couple things.
1. Hikari's suggestion she was sexually molested at a young age contributing toward life of promiscuity - I disagree with this and I am a person who has experienced exactly this phenomenon in my own life. The reason I disagree is because if MM is truly the self-centered scheming narcissist we paint her as, I believe she would simply see her body and sexual draw as another tool in her arsenal to get what she wants, nothing more or less.
2. MM cannot claim her first pregnancy was "difficult" because if it was, she would have told us ALL ABOUT IT the entire time. We know Kate has some shitty pregnancy issues because it has been publicized.
3. If AOC actually meets MM and tries to do any sort of joint political thing, she will realize what a right bitch MM is, how narcissistic and difficult to work with, and I would imagine AOC would be disenchanted pretty quickly. I don't see politics being a workable option for MM, she is not smart or likable enough.
4. @Bluebell - interesting article from the Times. They quote a "source" multiple times and those are some pretty specific quotes. I wonder who the source was.
5. Harry will quickly tire of life as an Average Joe, I can't imagine it will go well.
It'll also be interesting to see if any security is provided for Meg.
If she keeps mouthing off, someone may decide that the world is better off without her. Not necessarily the Royal Family, although they would be the ones blamed. In the shadowy world that includes whomever got rid of Epstein, someone may find Meghan an inconvenience.
Someone who doesn't want the Royal Family to be blamed if something happens to Harry. "We made it clear that the door to return was open to him..."
I do think his family loves him and cares about him. However, he's caused a lot of damage, and could cause more.
2) Why did Harry rent a Beverly Hills house for Doria, Thomas and MM for the holidays and not attend himself? (and in addition, how would any self-respecting individual accept an offer to have someone else rent a house for you? - well, these are The Markles so I guess that answers that questions)
I've just read that excellent article by Sir Max Hastings over at Plant's, and it confirms the RF being a rather shambolic enterprise. The wheels turn until they don't. Perfect breeding ground for nefarious actions.
Hunter,
Agree with everything, especially about her "pregnancy". She would yap about it all the time if it was real or difficult.
This a murky mess that no-one will ever get to the bottom of, but have seen several comments in various media that MM's hobby horse of "female empowerment" was the mantra of the NXVM?? cult, seeing that a prominent Canadian family has members involved in that cult's activities. Also that MM recruited girls at parties for dubious reasons??? True or not who can say, but these sort of things being bandied about lend credence to the theory that she may be a huge inconvenience to those who like to operate in the shadows.
I don’t buy the royal family would welcome Meghan back, she’s thrown them under a bus and called them toxic and more. Harry hasn’t behaved any better. If Harry comes back, he’s better off just being a non working royal and living his life...which means getting a paid job, even if it’s at Sainsbury’s checkout. 😁
As for be UK welcoming either back just baffles me, have they heard the nation at all? 🙄
I agree, the family would not want her or welcome her back. And she wouldn't want to go back either. This is just groundwork being laid to finally throw her under the bus.
What's sad to me is that eventually when the shit does hit the fan, even Harry would slunk back to his family. And he would be forgiven, not because he would still be the beloved son but because he is part of the Forms public persona. She would be thoroughly tarnished by her own sloppiness.
This article from The Atlantic, a left-leaning magazine in the States, is well-written, but the one factor that is not discussed is how Meggan’s NPD will impact the future of Harry and Meghan as social media influencers.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/harry-and-meghan-could-have-future-influencers/604654/
Many thanks for sharing the Max Hastings piece. I’ve always loved his articles etc., and this was no exception, it was truly excellent! 😍
Hello Hunter, I agree with you on every point, esp the last one, Harry soon will tire of being Mr Independent. This is a man who has never had to do anything. He's had people organising things for him, paying his bills, and laying out his day to day schedule. We already know that working for the Harkles is hard, people quit left, right and centre. Harry is incapable of taking care fo logistics and Meghan feels she's too good for that. Who will take care of their day to day household? And more importantly: whom can they trust?
I see the RF planting someone into their midst, as a spy, who will inform them of their every move, their every word. What people are they going to surround themselves with? Assistants, housekeepers, cleaners, gardeners, nannies, drivers, security, etc. and even lawyers. It takes a village to take care fo a royal. And these people used to be vetted. What about now?
Nothing sordid 'What it's like to work aboard a super yacht Mahan Agnew peeks back the glamour on a world wgere depression is rife ,the demands are relentless and #me too never set sail 'Is this significant timing ?
"If she keeps mouthing off, someone may decide that the world is better off without her. Not necessarily the Royal Family, although they would be the ones blamed. In the shadowy world that includes whomever got rid of Epstein, someone may find Meghan an inconvenience."
Wow, that's pretty harsh! I think a QVC or HSN career is more her speed. Any political or social influence she has is a figment of her imagination. The other wokies who support her publicly, just do so because she fits into their narrative of everything is the fault of white men, although Megs sure seems like them! LOL.
I have a question: it is stated that Megs was a “private dancer “?. Or is this figure of speach? I’ve heard Yacht Girl before, but not this.
Does anyone have a link or perhaps Some other source that gives more insight in her connection with Steve Münchin or her other “clients”?
Thank you!
Wow, that's pretty harsh! I think a QVC or HSN career is more her speed. Any political or social influence she has is a figment of her imagination. The other wokies who support her publicly, just do so because she fits into their narrative of everything is the fault of white men, although Megs sure seems like them! LOL.
I expressed myself poorly. I didn't mean what she'd said so far - I mean what she might say, particularly about the inner workings of the Royal Family, Ron Burkle's empire, or anything else she might have first-hand knowledge about.
Unlike some here, I've never had an interest in the RF. Just read what made US headlines. I was even living in London during Diana & Charles' wedding, & I believe my husband's bank rented offices & apts along the procession way for viewing parties. I wasn't very interested. I just felt sorry for young, pretty Diana having to marry someone who looked like Alfred E. Neuman to me. I did buy a friend a wedding gift at the General Trading Company (now defunct). Diana had a wedding list there. I figured if it was good enough for a princess, it was good enough for my friend. LOL.
I am wondering if the latest press articles (not from MM ) are a warning shot across the bow to the Sussex Duo.
We have separate articles on the parents: Thomas and Doria (i so not believe for one minute that Doria is the steely resolve behind Megxit).
We have MM given the opportunity to continue acting after her marriage.
We have did MM leave Harry (as in abandon him) with his Sentabal speech.
and..royal experts say Harry will become the "bloke" in the corner....MM had unreal expectations of life as a royal....protection costs for the couple...and the PAP walk in the woods (was it real or was it a set up).
I have always wanted to know why MM lived with Thomas during her formative teen years into college. I do not care about Doria's private life now. I admire that she is keeping her head down and not running to the press. By telling falsehoods about her past, Meghan has opened the door to her life before Harry - one that Samantha was gleefully kicking open regarding who paid for what.
I await the press investigation as to the missing seven years of Doria, how was Meg's post secondary schooling and life paid for, right up to Uncle gettin her the foreign office stint. And did she graduate from Northwestern?
I await the Kraken of press on Meghan. It is coming in slow drips. My only regret when it happens - Archie. No child should be stained with the mud from his parent.
Wait...Meghan was a 'private dancer'??! Like she used to dance in the shower??
Yes indeed! And she used to sing too--
Who put the bomp
In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp?
Who put the ram
In the rama lama ding dong?
Megs is a piece of work, but I wouldn't want her to come to a bad end. A lot of her crazy behavior is standard Hollywood stuff, & probably even considered 'smart' in some circles. Society has really loosened its standards in the last few decades.
I completely agree with this. Even 10 years ago a woman with her backround (noooooo I’m not talking about her skin color !!!!!) would have never made it intro the cirkels she is operating in now.
I agree - her NPD is staring us all in the face and has been from the beginning. My psychologist father would disapprove of me 'diagnosing' anyone in this way, but every time I look up NPD to understand more about it, there is Meghan! Textbook.
Those over a certain age will remember how much flack Prince Charles and friends of his such as Sir Nicholas Soames received for suggesting Diana had borderline personality disorder. It all got very ugly. I have the feeling the media is waiting for Meghan to be truly over before wading into that territory.
I don't expect her to die as that would be too freakish, but what we are seeing now is the same fast slide older people remember about Diana's final year. Diana's slide was more gentle (until the end) and she was insulated by her tremendous popularity. Many of us were irritated with her, but we still wanted her to be OK. To be her best self.
Meghan's a runaway freight train and the public would be happy if they never heard from her again. She will never be protected again as she was in the UK as a royal and there's no way back for her. She's truly on her own. She totally blew it. I just can't get over it. As someone wrote recently, she had attained the position even 'A' listers would covet as she no longer had to hustle to get or maintain recognition and wealth. She'd made it. And now she's given it up to hustle again.
The Surreptitiously Sneaky Sussex Plan
Talk about gloves coming off....
Queen Elizabeth II $500 million USD (2011 estimate)
Prince Charles is Elizabeth II's son.
Net worth Prince Charles is $100 million USD (2019 estimate)
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is Elizabeth II's spouse.
Prince Philip net worth $30 million USD (2015 estimate)
________________________
Queen Elizabeth II Net Worth | TheRichest
https://www.therichest.com/celebnetworth/politician/royal/queen-elizabeth-net-worth
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, 86, has a personal net worth of $550 million. The queen's wealth comes from property holdings including Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, stud farms, a fruit farm and marine land throughout the U.K.; extensive art and fine jewelry; and one of the world’s largest stamp collections built by her grandfather.
Nationality: United Kingdom
Place Of Birth: Mayfair, United Kingdom
Occupation: The Queen of The Commonwealth Realms
Born: Apr 21, 1926
______________________________________
https://money.com/royal-family-net-worth/
Royal family finances can be complicated, as many details of their fortune are kept private. But it’s fair to say that Queen Elizabeth and the royal family’s net worth is in the tens of billions — around $88 billion as of 2017, according to Forbes. Since the royal family’s jobs aren’t like the average person, how do they make all their money? The short answer: much of the royal family lives off trusts like the Crown Estate, which is owned by the reigning monarch and includes real estate properties like Buckingham Palace.
Some of the royal family’s wealth also comes from a portfolio of extravagant personal collections. The British monarchy owns billions of dollars in property alone, including Balmoral Castle, where the Queen spends every summer, The Savoy in London, a horse racetrack and an entire London street. The crown also owns one of the largest art collections in the world and the Crown Jewels collection, which is made up of more than 140 individual pieces and estimated to be worth at least $4 billion.
***** Much much more at the source
******This is a long and detailed article. I am going with the 88 billion estimate
https://money.com/royal-family-net-worth/
The BRF did not think this through and should have made it a requirement that they shut down the IG account and website until negotiations for MegXit are complete and all is agreed, or keep the former going with BP approved weekly posts (maybe a photo of Harry and Archie and news of ongoing negotiations and any, if at all, future official appearances). Otherwise, any formal announcements should be made through the regular Buckingham Palace channels.
The BRF are letting Meghan use them right until the very end.
If this is their attempt to keep a door open for Harry or to entice him back, they are doing more harm than good. He will not leave her, and the more damage she does, the more difficult it will be to undo.
As for the Duchy of Cornwall, the entire set up is complicated with a lot of unique rules and regulations, and the ongoing benefit of being part of a huge corporation that is dedicated to the well-being of the Duchy. Changing all that will take time, a team of lawyers, consensus from the people of the Duchy and a lot of government involvement. Will the people of the Duchy be better off without their unique laws and regulations and fully under the rule of whichever political party is in government? Maybe not. Can Prince Charles and his management team do more for the people in the Duchy? Probably. Can the royal family survive financially without income from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall? Probably, if they are seen as the CEO of a corporation with commensurate compensation and responsibilities.
I think it is the Rothschild family that chooses the one with the best mind to manage the business affairs of the family in each generation. Perhaps the BRF should do the same (but keep Andrew well away from the job!).
IMO, Meghan can never run for office, even dog keeper. It would be open season on her and her background. Harry’s exploits and transgressions, hidden in an attic like his some of his late uncles, aunts and cousins, will be point center. Harry’s titles, rank, and status will be taken away faster than a strip search in an American jail. The Duke of Windsor was a King and Emperor before he (in)voluntarily gave up his throne for the woman he loved (but Wallis did not love him, only his power). H is only one of many grandchildren of a Queen.
When Half of the HAMS was in New York City, for her $500,000 baby merching shower, we learned that the USA State Department officials and their security, plus the Secret Service and New York police were used to protect this woman whilst she went around New York, unnoticed, shopping and eating. The dozen or more highly trained officers were beyond flabbergasted and angry that they were babysitting a has-been actress, because Charles or the Queen rang up and told our country that half a HAMS was in NY on a diplomatic matter. It was leaked out by USA police that she said she wanted the front of the hotel secured, kept changing her mind, leading to anger, and finally said on record that she would receive the best exposure if she looked like she was sneaking out the back of the hotel, “just like Diana” one officer put in his report.
The USA public were angry that our tax dollars were spent on this nobody. If HAMS and Son, Inc, ever reside in The YSA, the British will pay for their security.
I fully believe that within six months MeGain will leave Harry because after all of this furor subsides, she's going to realize she's stuck in the Canadian wilds ...
@Texshan: As early as March of last year blind items were reporting that the Harkles had people scouting possible homes for them in the Los Angeles area. My thinking is that the palace said “no” to moving to the US, so Meghan did the next best thing, she chose British Columbia. It’s in the Pacific time zone, well away from London so as to keep Harty as isolated as possible from his former family, friends, and life.
The flight from Vancouver to LA is not as long as if they settled in Toronto, and there’s no time zone considerations.
Meghan will still move to LA, but it will be an incremental move. She will do most of her business in LA. As she and Harry spend more and more time there, they will quickly buy a home there as soon as they can afford it, justifying the purchase with the amount of time they spend there.
Eventually, they will be de facto residents of LA, with their Vancouver home as their “official” residence but it will be visited only occasionally, much like Frogmore will be in the UK.
Just as she quickly sneaked into the RF, she will quickly sneak into what will amount to nearly full-time residency in LA. Archie will go to the Little Red School House as Meghan did before she went to the Catholic girls school.
It seems very apparent that as dim & stubborn as individuals in the RF might be, they suffer from not having competent advisers.
Of, course, if they ignore the advice, what good are the advisers anyway? Whoever told Charles it was ok to cosy up to Greta at Davos, obviously is an idiot, but from the sounds of things, Charles was probably freelancing, as Andrew was when he did his interview.
The royals aren't used to making decisions. Others make the decisions for them. When they try to assert themselves independently, disaster results. Also, they're treated with pomp & deference, but their behavior is also very circumscribed. They're told how to behave from an early age. It's hard for them to have an inner life. They are not what the self help folks call 'self actualized.'
I thought the conversation with Trevor Nunn that Max Hastings describes regarding the impossible behavior of famous actors was interesting. In Hollywood, people grovel for people who have power & fame just as much as they do for any royal, if not more. Megs grew up seeing that as a child & working actress. She thought the RF would give her the deference she couldn't get on her own. Hollywood is much more cruel to those who have lost, or never had, power than the general public is, which is what makes it so nasty.
When Megs married Harry I assumed that the RF had advisers who carefully vetted her, & that they would have figured out how to ease her out if something was off about her. I was very wrong.
I’d like to think the royals had their homework done on Meghan, I also like to think they had her sussed from day 1. I wouldn’t like to second guess anything with the royals when it comes to easing someone out of the family, especially someone like Meghan. Maybe we haven’t seen enough play out yet, there’s an awful lot that could happen yet....
It could be that the RF have been playing a long game. I've wondered if they've planted some of the wilder Megs stories so that they blow up later, & make her look like a liar. Lord Geidt has intelligence experience, so he'd probably know how to do that. All governments, & the RF ,use disinformation. It's a tricky thing to do without making the RF look bad as well, plus Charles seems to be stubborn & unable to see his own best interests. All the more reason to be thankful for the monarchy's constitutionally limited powers. As I've mentioned before, the BRF is unique in its longevity, as the are the Japanese royals. I think that they do have more leverage over the Harkles than is apparent to the average member of the public. Control of the purse is a big tool, if Charles has the will to use it.That's the key thing. Will Charles & Her Maj continue to do the right things. They want Harry back, don't care about Megs, Archie? ? it's a tough needle to thread.
Can you imagine what the atmosphere must be like in that house on Vancouver Island? I wonder if MM was happier when Harry wasn’t there...gallivanting around to random charities, driving herself, having friends visit, arranging to get papped. It’s like she had no adult supervision. I think Harry might be a very big wet blanket - tense, nervous and unhappy right now as the enormity of what he’s done is starting to hit him.
@Raspberry Ruffle. Love your photo!
I think the NYT article on the financial and legal machinations of the Duchy of Cornwall is infinitely more problematic than Harry/Meghan and Andrew put together. The BRF systemically harvesting every financial and legal advantage on its own behalf is going to be worse optics than dodgy second sons. No thanks to Harry for inadvertently shining a light on this in his quest for “financial independence.”
Having said that...if what Charles offered was actually to set up the Duchy of Sussex as a corporation like the Duchy of Cornwall, and those two geniuses turned him down, then she’s even worse at planning ahead than current behavior would suggest. She could have had unlimited merching under that model with minimal effort on her part.
And finally, regarding Doria’s missing time—I don’t think she was in jail or anything else unusual. I think she didn’t want the responsibility of parenting, and shuffled Meghan off on Thomas. Meghan deploys her parents and her relationship with them strategically, but neither of them seem like they were good role models or emotionally present in her life when she was growing up.
Your comment made me giggle, I never really thought how the name could be taken by non Brits! 😂 It’s a childhood fav of mine. Maybe for fun, I should change my avatar to a pile of Raspberry Ruffles for a while. 😜
@Rainy Day, that’s my very naughty kitten/cat. He‘s less than a year old in that photo, he’s 17 months old now and still not fully grown/mature. He’s a British Blue (shorthair breed), AKA known to us in the family as a Weapon of Mass Destruction ! 😂😍
Here is the "cult" article:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6072627/Thomas-Markle-likens-royals-secretive-Scientology-cult-attacks-wall-silence.html
It's really not as inflammatory as it might have sounded. And I think he makes some good points! See what you think.
I didn't know about that kind of British candy. But while I've typed "Ruffle" when responding to your comments, I think I was always kind of picturing not a chiffon dress but Raspberry "Truffles." So I wasn't far off!
Re Charles cosing up to Greta. I am told by my Russian friends it is a common knowledge in Russia that Greta is suffering from a mental condition, most likely autism. Apparently there were articles to this extent.
Charles has made a huge mistake. Not only he alienated British taxpayers already taxed to death (UK's car taxes are disgraceful), he opened himself up to a potentially hugely damaging association. Imagine headline "Charles Signs Up to Environmental Scheme by Mentally Fragile Teen".
I seriously suspect Harry is not compose mentis either.
That's the thing though, Meghan wasn't raised that way and does not have a personal history of managing (or even having) a staff. I genuinely doubt they will hire many people to care for them, due to MM's general lack of planning. Neither of them know much about the logistics of running a household and unless they stay in hotels, there will (initially) be no staff to take care of them beyond whatever housekeeping services are being provided wherever they are staying.
I imagine a disaster of take-out or room service with the growing stank of unwashed bedsheets and dirty clothing, but hey that's just me. Add some empty liquor bottles.
He has a lot to say....”
I'll admit to being slightly more interested in Will & Harry as they are roughly my age. I was at a Veuve Cliquot Polo event here in NY once and was sitting right next to Harry as he took his walkabout to greet fellow guests. It was kinda cool. LL Cool J has great skin.
I loosely followed the "Waity Katie" saga because again, youth... I've always been impressed with Kate's long game.
I was psyched when MM was initially with Harry because she is about my age and a pretty American so honestly I identified with her and thought hey that's so cool, a girl like me! (I am white, I never considered her color.)
BUT THEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then she didn't wear hosiery on more than one occasion and the Baptist preacher at her wedding struck a false note with me. I've been hooked ever since.
I've learned SO MUCH!! about royal stuff since then. Things I would never give a crap about otherwise. Fascinating but useless info. Also learned a lot about the British press though, and that's quite interesting. The stuff about super-injunctions and all that. That's quite interesting.
Goodness, I was not born British but now realize I came to view the royal family as if I sort of own it and it is the epitome of Britishness. Cokctales, corgies, five o'clock tea, bagpipes to wake up, never turn your back on the Queen, Queen's opening the Parliament in her crown, curtsy as sign of respect, "yes ma'am", "One is not amused"
And some sort of parvenue rushes in, gets money and privilege poured on her and then spits on the whole country, abuses the tradition and protocol, demands privacy and independence and yet holds on to the royal title given to her by the country because without it she is worth nothing.
If Queen can't put a stop to this disgrace the royal era is over. I have never seen so many people calling for the republic.
It doesn’t need to be said that Ms. Markle has none of that draw, and any endorsements she has made have been ALL related to her merching. Harry actually seems to have a real interest in promoting environmental causes. She is merely merching ideas for private gain, either monetarily or for narc fuel.
Hunter, from personal experience, I don't see these two as heavy drinkers. Sure they drink, but I totally see them both as stoners and coke users. Harry fits the stoner profile while MM seems to fit the coke-user profile, imo.
Not wanting to let staff see their extracurricular activities, could be a reason why they I agree with your scenario of dirty dishes, take away bags strewn around, and bedsheets that haven't been changed in weeks.
@Elle, Impossible to say. Megs is probably pretty thick skinned after all of her Hollywood years. Charles may have been dumb enough to think he could add wokiness to his royal cred. in endorsing the marriage.
Charles was/is woke years ago as far as organic farming. He was doing homeopathy ages ago. Multicultural Charles was visiting Mosques years ago and other foreign religious houses of worship, such a Sikh and Hindu. Matter of fact Charles blurted out that when he became King he would act as defender of faiths. Not defender of the faith, which is the Church of England. This pissed off average Britons so Charles had to backtrack on this one.
Sad to say but Charles was duped and sucked in by Meghan's wokeness. I am sure she talked this up when she was with Charles. This commonality got Prince Charles to approve the H$M marriage.
It could be that the RF have been playing a long game. I've wondered if they've planted some of the wilder Megs stories so that they blow up later, & make her look like a liar. Lord Geidt has intelligence experience, so he'd probably know how to do that. All governments, & the RF ,use disinformation.
I am a Lord Geidt fan so I like to hear this about him being/was actually in British Intel. He has old chums on his phone. I am hoping he is back for good and has been contributing greatly in the RF's handling the dumped duo's defection.
Another brilliant post, Nutty, and I think we'll get some lovely comments.
For myself, I am wondering about that bit in the DM about the RF providing a safe haven for the Harkles. It may not just be about the paps.
Just look at what is happening: volcanic activity in Vancouver (or right near, H and MM must have felt the tremors), indigenous tribe claims they are living on stolen land and that the tribe's ancestors are buried there, a case of coronavirus has turned up in Canada as well as three in the US (Chicago, Washington and LA) and news is breaking that they will have to pay for their own security or face the wrath of the Canadians.
Does H still think this is a safer environment for Archie than the UK? I am wondering if the Great Spirit in the Sky is trying to tell them something.
https://thecrownsofbritain.com/
My theory is MM originally claimed to be pregnant while they were still dating and a quick marriage was arranged. This fake pregnancy then ended in a supposed miscarriage. When she became pregnant the second time with "Archie", Harry was skeptical and arguments ensued.
I don't think MM was ever pregnant, hence the absurd rollout of "Archie" which continues to this day. No one even seems to know how old he is.
As for Coronavirus, it’s only a matter of time before the U.K. gets cases.
In the US, you can say all indigenous people were robbed of their land.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12303455
The 2 pictures are beautiful. Well done Kate: this is something very symbolic but I am very moved.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7932049/Duchess-Cambridge-photographs-Holocaust-survivors-mark-anniversary-liberation-Auschwitz.html
2 comments:
- what Meghan will do to upstage Kate: I think she may have a few more "secret" photos she could share on their/her IG?
Maybe she'll make another announcement?
- what Meghan will do to counterattack her dad tomorrow (GMB): some more articles about her close bond with her mum?
Lastly, agree that Kobe and his daughter's death will run the headlines in America this week.
If she had a photo with Kobe, she would have showed off. If she could send a "secret" sweet message for their family (which will be - of course - released) she would do so.
Been off line for the afternoon bc I was at the theater, so I did venture I said position earlier about how the queen might be deploying her secret weapon Lord Geidt aka 007 in this mess. His official title is advisor to the Commonwealth Youth Ambassadors scheme.,,It was in effect a babysitting detail for Dinge and Minge. Hoping that’s just a cover to placate Charles, and that LG is propping up his successor with a game plan to shut the HAMS down. Retrieval from Canada and house arrest at Toad Towers under the guise of rehabilitation sounds suitably draconian. I think I speak for the president of the United States of America when I tell Lord G. That he has Americas permission to Waterboard her until we get some satisfactory answers about Archie, and about how she finagled her way into marriage with a fuck buddy who dumped her. I mean, how many times can one middle-aged prostitute pretend to be pregnant in the same year with multiple fetuses and still not produce a single one? I think the Octomom was certifiably off the deep end but she did produce eight babies out of her body. Meg has at least three or more fantasy babies, so she wins the the Cray Cray sweepstakes.
I have just switched my phone back on to learn about Kobe. I need to pour a stiff drink and find out what the hell happened.
I am Markled out. Her pap walk stunt with the doll and the after threat of a new law suit turned me off completely. I am really tired of her silly, childish games.
However, your other comment rather puzzled me - what do indigenous tribes losing their land in the US have to do with my comment re the land the Harkles are living on in Canada?
@Elle, I laughed out loud on your 'milk' comment, your mom, & Meg's warped interpretation of it.
@Hunter, I've learned a lot of stuff too, some things I didn't even want to know! LOL. However, now that Megs & Harry are in North America, they seem a lot less royal to me. Just another tiresome celebrity couple. I suppose we're all wondering if & when there will be a divorce, & what will happen to the baby known as Archie. I'm afraid we'll never find out the truth about that very sketchy 'pregnancy.'
HAMS' attempts to stay in the public eye will come across as more desperate with each effort. I've seen a lot of discussion that the "baby" in the ill-fitting baby carrier was a doll, so that thought seems to be VERY public. No more hiding the fact that MM has the Reborn dolls hiding somewhere in the house, in case Harry didn't know about them already.
I have to wonder if Harry read MM the riot act when he saw how foolish she looked in those photos. If they moved to Canada to get away from the intrusive press, or whatever their complaint was with the UK, Harry will know that was a pap walk and she tipped them off. And he'll clearly know that wasn't his son in the carrier.
I would have LOVED to be a fly on the wall for that argument. I'm hoping that Harry really lit into her (verbally only, of course) and let her know that sort of press baiting simply isn't going to be tolerated because it only makes the HAMS look unbelievably stupid.
Regardless that there are NDA's people have had to sign regarding anything to do with Archie's birth, why wouldn't someone with nothing to lose (ie. money or professional position) leak the info? Someone with nothing to lose could secretly tell someone else the details and it get out eventually to the media. Even if reporters can't publish the story it would still be talked about among themselves in private. Nutties do you think this is what is going on (like we are discussing but the media actually may have the details)?
Well, HAMS is going to get knocked off US News (already has I guess) because basketball star Kobe Bryant just died. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7931909/Kobe-Bryant-dies-Calabasas-helicopter-crash.html This is going to take over everything for a week.
Agree 1000%. I thought it was a joke or some sort of macabre troll when I first heard talk of it online before it was confirmed. How incredibly sad.
William and Kate were also given a hard time by some indigenous leaders in BC when they visited in 2016, with the native leaders using the occasion of the visit to pressure the Canadian government for more money. However, they did have a more successful meeting with the Heiltsuk people.
Ok, so now I'm officially a Kate stan. My fave Federer struggled into the quarterfinals of the Aussie Open today. (He's almost 40!) Kate's admiration for Federer & Mirka is another sign of her good taste & astuteness.
FrenchieLiv: Thank you very much for the link to the story about Kate's portrait photos for the Holocaust exhibition. I was very moved by her contribution to the project.
Yes, let me add my thanks to Louise's. The photographs were lovely. She is very talented.
If you recall M reported on one of her blogs that if she failed an audition she would take to get bed with a bottle of wine and cakes staying there for days.
Maybe an unstable H is dealing with an unstable M.
That poor baby if that's the case.
Also Kobe dying in a helicopter crash is huge news in the US.
H&M are minor celebrities compared to Kobe in the US.
His death was the top story in The Sun.
But with a sinking feeling I found myself wondering what bit of PR fluff or nonsense Markle will put out tomorrow to try and push Kate off the front page. Will she, for once, be able to control her jealousy of Kate?
with him.
Maybe the UK tabloids and blogs will pay attention to them.
My feeling is that they are over.
M really screwed up.
(As an aside, I don't know whether all readers here know that Philip's mother, Princess Alice, hid a Jewish from the Nazis in her home in Greece during the war. )
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5439555
I truly believe this latest pap walk with the doll is the action of someone incredibly mentally unstable. Worryingly so. Totally lost touch with reality.
There is a baby. We saw him with Desmond Tutu. I can only hope that child isn't anywhere near MM. If she is unstable enough, I wouldn't put it past her to harm him if only to generate sympathy for herself. Maunchausen syndrome by proxy. Honestly, I think MM is that sick in the head. It was SO OBVIOUS she was carrying a doll.
Who does that???
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/did-meghan-markle-narcissistic-streak-lead-royal-exit-drama-expert-claims-own-feelings-ahead-dutiful-life.html/
Did Meghan Markle's 'Narcissistic Streak' Lead to Royal Exit Drama? Expert Claims Meghan Put 'Her Own Feelings Ahead of the Dutiful Life'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s announcement about taking a “step back” from their royal lives came as a shock to many and the rumors quickly began to swirl that Meghan was to blame for the decision. A psychologist now sheds some light on why Meghan’s “narcissistic streak” may have played a large part in the couple’s move away from the royal family
[...]
Hemmings points to Meghan having “a touch of the narcissist about her, putting her own feelings ahead of the dutiful life she signed up to.” Meghan’s comments during the couple’s documentary that “It’s not enough to just survive something… You have to thrive,” according to Hemmings, “shows how important her own happiness and wellbeing is to her.”
So did Meghan push Prince Harry into this exit decision? Hemmings notes that “many strong and influential people have that narcissistic streak. They find it hard to tolerate a situation that makes them feel distressed or to manage a situation over which they have little control.”
My message to the author of that article: Thanks, but no thanks. We're good.
MM will not be able to control her jealousy of Kate's glorious,portraits and the good press Kate receives. Narcs have to be the best in all things at all times! They cannot tolerate being second best or that someone is smarter or more talented than they are.
Kate is real. Genuine through and through.
MM is an empty facade. Fake as a three dollar bill. There is nothing inside her.
@Animal Lover
I agree that M really screwed up. As someone earlier in the thread posted, she could have had it all without ever having to hustle. Yet, in her feeble mind the BRF is toxic and her position in the Firm was soul-crushing? To that I say, you screwed yourself over Rach. You could have had a very cushy life with fame, fortune, and respect. You squandered it. For what? To be a faux "lifestyle brand" a la Goop?
I read The Times, Telegraph, Guardian and Daily Mail and Sunday sister papers and I like The Times' analysis. They tend to hold fire until they come up with some real news and analysis, whereas the Daily Mail sets firecrackers off with everything that comes along.
The Guardian drives me crazy with woke female writers excusing and defending Meghan without tracking what she's actually doing. It's enough that they see her as black and female. Then they disable comments. What's funny is that they leave comments open for royal fashion and beauty articles and readers pile in there to let off steam.
Hey, no offense to any Minnesotans. I was born there while my dad did one of his graduate degrees at the University of Minnesota. My parents loved it. Their best friends were a couple named Olsen who lived in Edina, MN back in the 40s. Minnesota was rife with good, honest Scandinavians then, & probably still is. It isn't the home of glam & media savvy, though. Never has been. Might be someday, but not now.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1233525/meghan-markle-news-duchess-sussex-prince-harry-queen-elizabeth-ii-donald-trump
The host of America Talks Live said: “She was like a 'C' list actress, a supporting actress on a cable network show for a few seasons.
“She got lucky and married a prince.
“Now I think Meghan Markle realises that she is never going to be truly embraced as a Royal.
________________
I've heard Meghan described as B list, C list and D list now. In talent I'd say D list but I've never been quite sure where Suits would fit. She was paid a lot of money when you think what a bad actress she was. Just think, she was earning more per episode than many doctors get for saving lives all year. In the UK anyway!
I'm a four-year Minnesotan, waaaaaaay up north. I'd agree--we aren't glam, or media savvy.
FYI, the biggest tragedy we've had this year is too much snow so the lake ice isn't safe for ice houses. This time last year there was a veritable village on the big lake here. Today, there isn't one house.
https://www.quora.com/Are-Meghan-and-Harry-happy
I like one who points out how ludicrous it was when Meghan said she met Harry on a blind date. How can you have a blind date with a British prince? She notes that Heather Mills claimed initially she didn't know who Paul McCartney was "and we know what happened there".
"Just think, she was earning more per episode than many doctors get for saving lives all year. In the UK anyway!"
I think reports of Meghan's earnings on Suits have been greatly exaggerated.
I'm in the US but I've never heard of John Cardillo.
If they are indeed staying at a Russian oligarch's vacation house, that can be very dangerous. I could see her being politely requested to move on. I could also see her having a hissy fit and threatening nebulous consequences and how she knows things that she would spill if she isn't allowed to stay. I could also see where she threatens a rich man (or men) that she has had/is currently having an affair with with exposure if he doesn't pay up, thereby becoming a problem that needs eliminating. Who knows what else she has picked up in her alleged yachting career that she is probably not bright enough to keep quiet about. Then there's the (alleged) NXIUM connection.
Hopefully she'll just end up pitching a miracle skin whitening cream (eyeroll) or wig freshener on late night infomercials.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/elite-hockey-just-for-the-rich-and-megxit-as-money-maker-for-canada-1.5437570/how-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-are-a-boost-worth-more-than-28m-for-canada-1.5439555
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsmax_TV
At least Kate looked beautiful but she's not looking fresh-faced at the moment, thanks to you-know-who. I'm sure she'll pull out all the stops for the BAFTAs though. Last year's white dress was one of the best she's ever worn. A real Grace Kelly moment. I'm going to enjoy Kate having an evening of pure glamour while Meghan sits at home with her sulky man-child.
I am a journalist (for a weekly publication for veterans, of which I am one) -- but I also have a bachelor's degree in psychology. I would probably need a master's to diagnose Markle, but offhand, I'm seeing not narcissism (NPD) but borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is, I'm afraid, always going to be impossible not only to correctly diagnose, but also to treat. There really isn't any treatment.
The Royal Family's "Grey Men" are formidable. I put ALL my faith in them, as they are the BEST at "putting out fires" in the RF. They have always been there. Hopefully, they always will. Not sure, however, what they are up to today.
Markle can be compared to a rogue cancer cell. They mutate, as they confront threats. They don't know why they bounce around other cells. They only know they must.
Something tells me we need to treat this …. person ….. as a cell, particularly now, that the Corona virus is such a threat.
Its 2 am here so I'll stick to a couple of basic points that I'm puzzled by;
1. Thomas Markle could have used all that footage of his daughter that was shown in the documentary and made a killing. Even just using it in a positive way as an interesting glimpse into her childhood, the media would have paid good money for that stuff. That he didn't do that is to his credit.
2. Katie Nicholl, journalist, was the source of the story that Harry had a major crush on Rachel Vane, MM's 'Suits' character from 2015 and that he pursued her relentlessly, (perhaps confusing the woman with the TV role.) That story has vanished and been replaced with conflicting versions of how they met. I'm always inclined to believe the first, unvarnished version of these things. And I do think he's as guilty as she is in terms of doing whatever it takes to get what he wants.
3. Harry must have spilt some very tasty beans about the RF. She probably knows all kind of stuff about Andy and goodness knows what else and imagines this gives her leverage. Except it puts Harry in a horrible position.
4. Prince Philip has said some pretty indefensible racist things in the past and we laugh and tolerate the old duffer. This won't play out quite so well for the RF on a world stage, nor for the UK public who've turned a blind eye. I imagine she has receipts for the odd unpleasant remark that she thinks will bring the RF to its knees. And I'm no fan of 'woke' culture but when somethings racist you have to be honest and admit it, and call a spade a spade.
Thats it for now.
PP has a fine war record and has achieved a great deal in his life. I've mentioned before that I grew up in an Outward Bound school from the early '60s where PP was patron and he represented such strong values. In those days courses were really tough and lasted a month, and many kids had their lives turned around. Same for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Yes he can be rude and inconsiderate, but that applies to Princess Anne as well. Both of them have worked infinitely harder than any of the younger royals.