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
Do you think there was something other than not wanting to get upset that made Philip leave the talks? I just thought that he's too old and fragile and, basically, can't be arsed. Or he left his wishes with Elizabeth to convey.
murphy said...
Love this blog, so glad I found it.
I've saved it for you.
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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.
Apologies for tasteless facetious remark in my last post, but I do also think it relevant that Prince Philip was ostentatiously driven away from the crisis talks.
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Buddy, are you KIDDING me? Prince Phillip would have dealt with this forthwith if he wasn't 90 plus years old. Thousands of us wish he was younger, and stronger, as he was before.
I don't think he was forced to leave. Normally he stays at Wood Farm anyway but it had been reported he was staying in the main house with TQ after the H&M crisis broke.
If a message was being sent, I seriously doubt it was that Philip is too racist to remain in the house during the meeting.
I thought PP was openly driven away before the meeting for many possible reasons. His precarious health, his likely anger at Harry for being so publicly disloyal to TQ, his wish to avoid setting eyes on Harry, his willingness to convey to the world "my wife's got this."
_____________________________
HRH Prince Phillip has been the backbone of the Royal Family since the day he wed HM the Queen. Make no mistake. He has managed the Royal Family from the beginning. I have no doubt that he is agonizing over the Markle scenario, at the end of his life.
It's just your jive talkin' telling me lies
Jive talkin', you wear a disguise
Jive talkin', so misunderstood, yeah
Jive talkin', you're really no good
"HRH Prince Phillip has been the backbone of the Royal Family since the day he wed HM the Queen. Make no mistake. He has managed the Royal Family from the beginning. I have no doubt that he is agonizing over the Markle scenario, at the end of his life."
I don't disagree. At all. I am sure both he and TQ are quite upset. I just don't think he was dragged off "the stage" that day to send any sort of apologetic message to Harry or to the world over anything he's done or said. And that seemed to be what someone was suggesting.
What an adorable and healthy, secure, reasonable image. Lol!! The difference is far more striking in comparison now, so thank you.
Those photos by Kate are shockingly gorgeous. Those are really something, you can't fake that. Can't fake talent. Good for her, ha.
This is my favorite scandal - it doesn't hurt anybody (war, Brexit, etc) and there's a mystery inside.
After this he probably whipped out a hat and left.
That's how I imagine PP's involvement that morning.
Too dang funny ;-)
I laughed when I read your comment re Doria and the shrimp gumbo. When I read that, I just snorted at the BS. Perhaps global warming is helping people in Ohio grow okra now. I have found that people that didn't grow up eating it generally don't like it. I'm surprised, no shrimp and grits? What about the crawfish etouffee? Was there any andouille? Cajun boiled peanuts?
Re Prince Philip
I really thought they had him leave to keep him from taking a swing at H. The fear would have been about his movement afterward and maybe falling or hitting something. He was there for those kids in ways that some of the other adults were not able to be.
Too dang funny ;-)
Oh, my word. Why don't carry smelling salts anymore? I believe I would need some to wipe the very thought of that olfactory sensation completely out.
.
Miss Scarlett, I fear that I may have to borrow yours.
@xxxxx, Yes, no way, no how, should the Cambs be climbing into helicopters. They're flimsy & dangerous. Two places I've lived in, NYC & Hawaii, have helicopter crashes all the time. My husband liked to take them to the airport in NYC when one of my kids was an infant. I hated them. Loud, scary & alarming. The Cambs should stop traveling together. Hegs & Megs should never get near the throne. Egad. Can't stand to think of it!
ABC network is running teaser promo spots about a special about the Harkles exiting the RF this coming Wednesday night. I didn’t catch the time. I expect it to be sympathetic to them and not much else.
Sad about Kobe Bryant and his daughter. Besides his wife, he had a 17 year-old daughter and two little ones age 4 and one born last year who is about Archie’s age. Those two little ones will only know their daddy via videos and other media.
And instead of posing for pap photos, Catherine TAKES beautiful photos of Auschwitz survivors. She’s class, dignity and respect personified.
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/introducing-meghan-and-harrys-etsy-shop
ABC network is running teaser promo spots about a special about the Harkles exiting the RF this coming Wednesday night. I didn’t catch the time. I expect it to be sympathetic to them and not much else.
Good grief, talk about bad optics! These insufferable people want to go on television and whine about being paid millions of dollars a year to show up in clean clothes and shake hands? They do this while Brexit is ongoing and all of Europe faces an uncertain future and there is a potential pandemic in the making? I am so sick and tired of snowflakes whining. If you don't like it, get a freaking job, you pair of morons, and pay the rent on a one bedroom apartment and try living on minimum wage for awhile. Surely somebody needs some sh*t shoveling done, although I highly doubt that you're even qualified for that.
Maybe you should both try for a revival of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. "Dirty Jobs with Prince Harry and the Coverslut" does have a certain ring to it. People in the commonwealth could vie for who could come up with the very nastiest of jobs for their royal whiney heinies to do.
Next headline could be “Markle Overboard/Overload “.
Ms Markle, age unknown, was last seen strutting her stuff whilst clasping a pint of tig, on the poop deck of a Russian yacht.
It is thought she tripped on her own lies, & her mile long legs failed to save her. Air Sea Rescue, piloted by Wills, found nothing but a matted wig, false teeth attached!! Authorities are still trying to track down friends & family, so far no one has come forward. I hope she’s ok?
As for PP's comments over the years, I agree with those above that he was born in a different time and place. His service to his country and HMTQ has been invaluable and, even at his advanced age, PP should not be underestimated. He and Anne are the two royals who would have me shaking in my boots!
Mother 50% African ancestry. The other 50% is white and a very good percentage of American Indian.
Father is quite pale so is North European and has a Germanic last name. He was born in Pennsylvania which was/is very German. Ben Franklin was prejudiced on this because he felt that his Anglo/English founded America was being flooded by Germans and it was in Pennsylvanian.
Adding up Megs two parents she comes out at 25% African DNA. And we all know she only took white roles in Hollywood and her actors resume read white.
https://youtu.be/DGscoaUWW2M
Most of what he said is included in this DM article.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7932603/Thomas-Markle-vows-come-forced-witness-box.html
Poor guy! :(
Keeping on topic, I’m sure Kate has has availed herself of said ablutions prior to the RF 😉
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10824859/thomas-markle-meghan-court-evidence/
The way she folded up like a jack-knife reminds me of our 6ft+ physics master at school, built like a beanpole, getting into his Robin Reliant 3-wheeler (think Del Boy & Trotter's Trading vehicle).
See https://themayhew.org/our-new-patrons-first-official-visit/
I expect it should show up there shortly, frankly I think I did a fantastic job. :)
@Lt.NyotaUhura, @lizzie, @hunter & others, I agree & then some. Prince Philip left Sandringham early because both he & Harry are too old for Philip to do a number on Harry's backside. It was RF speak for "you're dead to me, you little git."
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Yes. Harry is a jellyfish, and Phillip knew it.
This makes them difficult to deal with. Very difficult. And to have one in the Royal Family means big trouble.
This is my favorite scandal - it doesn't hurt anybody (war, Brexit, etc) and there's a mystery inside.
Really? The Queen and Prince Philip -
elderly grandparents - are devastated by the behaviour of their grandson and the wife they welcomed into the family.
Prince Charles is publicly rejected by the couple, just as Thomas Markle was.
Prince William loses his brother and Catherine is called out for treating MM badly?
The British people along with the Monarchy are all condemned as racist whilst taking £millions?
Yes, it's just entertainment!!
Compared to the endless catastrophes of war, climate, mass emigration and poverty the world over, I can handle one rich family crying into their silk hankies.
I would understand if it's a play by the BRF to make it seem.like they have the biggest mushiest heart ever. But it also seems like some of Meghan's fans are now finally able to breathe after knowing their beloved princess is loved and welcome after all. So now I'm wondering whom the article actually benefits. Is this Meghan being made to backtrack after her stupid articles about how toxic and soul crushing Britain was??
@Alice,Surrey James
Really? That is a bit disconcerting. I can't believe that anyone would consider that option as a possibility. After all the turmoil and chaos they have created and it has only been one week since Harry left the UK ( It feels so much longer than that).
I think many would reluctantly accept Harry but MM? Only her ardent supporters, whoever they may be, would accept her return to the royal fold. In any case, I seriously doubt she will ever set foot again in the UK.
As the other unknown politely named herself, LEMON TEA here. I thought of Green Lemon tea, but LEMON TEA I am.
Earlier on @ Ava c gave good points on Doria, as others have too.
What puzzles me is, what caused Doria's mothers death. The article never mentioned it.
We know how her father died, but this bit about her mother is untold.
From what I gathered, Doria had the following jobs : Crop Picker , secretary , dress maker , social worker and now yoga teacher. The Crop picker job is strange. It's usually unskilled labour for a minimum wage and usually seasonal. I can imagine it's also quite physically intensive.
It's quite a turnaround from being a crop picker to a secretary. From what I recall secretaries used to wear makeup, polished clothes , possibly heels and work in airconditioned offices , answering phones in a sultry voice , typing letters and so on.
The dress making part also puzzles me. I have various family members who are into home based dressmaking, so I know a bit. Even the home based dressmakers who set up their passion into a full scale business. But these family members got their dressmaking skills whilst working in actual dress production factories. For some it was just following a creative passion. If one knew how to operate a sewing machine, how to repair it as well as pattern making and cutting , a lucrative but painstaking career was yours. If you work solo, clients come to you. If you own a factory with sewing staff, then you tout your skills out. Basically your clients know you, even if you are a slapdash dressmaker. Strange that no previous clients have spoken out.
Then the swing to social work. Gigantic leap from crop picking to dressmaking to this. I will forget about the yoga teaching.
After her fathers death, Doria " found thousands of pounds worth of gold coins hidden in his suit pockets ". How many thousand pounds ? US currency is dollars, how many dollars then ?
If the coins were hidden, how did she find it ? Are we to speculate? How many suits did he own?
Did she share these valuable coins with other siblings ?
Sounds like she found treasure, from the way I perceive it. Wait. Did Thomas Markle not catch the lotto too? If I was their child , mom being a treasure finder, dad a lotto winner, you bet I am going to get my grubby paws on a combination of both.
On a lighter note, I enjoyed watching this fairly long clip of Kate meeting mothers and babies in Cardiff last week (link at end). She really has loosened up. She used to be awkward with children but now she has three of her own she's in her element, especially babies. You can see the mothers were genuinely enjoying talking to her. The babies didn't instinctively veer away as babies and children seem to do with Meghan. Everyone looked happy to be there. When I think of what Kate is going through at the moment, she did a fantastic job.
One thing used to annoy me about Diana was that she brought her feelings to work. I'm not talking about her early years when that was understandable. That last tour in Seoul she and Prince Charles did. I wanted to shake her so much - she was meant to be representing her country professionally. Charles showed unhappiness too, but I think he was reacting to her. I know she was having a hard time, but she was still a drama queen and very adept at showing it for the cameras to maximum effect. I can't ever imagine Kate doing that. In that excellent article by Max Hastings another Nutty provided (thank you!) he said he thought Kate was the best thing to happen to the royal family this century.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HEcNxzjKktc
The timing of this "come back home" articles is just so odd, isn't it? It HAAS only been a week after all. One would think they'll need at least some time to miss thier old life. It's almost like this article was already drafted and ready to go while the whole divorce deal was being hashed out.
When I have a moment, I'll explain to you why the 3-way compact between the Monarchy, the Armed Forces and the Government/Parliament is so damned important to the way the UK works.
In short:
The Forces are loyal to the Crown, not the politicians. The Crown has to be seen as apolitical. Parliament rules by consent of the People. The Monarch reigns by consent of the People. As long as the Royals don't meddle in politics and don't flaunt their wealth, by and large, it's been alright with us and we have chugged along more or less satisfactorily since 1688, perhaps even 1660.
Thanks to the intervention of this alien person, the balance has been disturbed. Harry has broken both the loyalty he owes the Queen as her grandson and the loyalty he formally swore as a member of the Forces.
"What puzzles me is, what caused Doria's mothers death. The article never mentioned it. We know how her father died, but this bit about her mother is untold."
It's been reported Doria's mother died of a stroke. While the article says she "died young" she was 71 when she died. It's also been reported she had dementia prior to her death. It's possible she didn't have the Alzheimer's type of dementia but rather had vascular dementia. People diagnosed with the vascular type tend to die much sooner after diagnosis than those with the Alzheimer's type. African-Americans are at higher risk for a variety of reasons including the higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in that population.
I think the reason we know about Doria's father's death is because it was odd. Not just tripping over a dog leash, but ending up with it wrapped around the person's legs has to be an unusual way to die. And there likely were some questions.
I don't believe we know how Thomas's parents died do we?
"It is thought she tripped on her own lies, & her mile long legs failed to save her. Air Sea Rescue, piloted by Wills, found nothing but a matted wig, false teeth attached!! Authorities are still trying to track down friends & family, so far no one has come forward. I hope she’s ok?"
Hahahahaha!!! Bravo!
I'm assuming that the BRF issuing such caring statements is to counter her narrative of them being bigoted, racist and hostile. I'm guessing that a lot of what we're seeing in the press is PR to protect themselves from her attempt to destroy them.
She must be furious at the steps taken so far to distance her from the Royal Family and there are rumours about apocalyptic revenge should she lose her royal branding. Tell-all books and interviews, a surrogate baby unless she gets what she wants.
She's playing a very dangerous game and the Queen isn't going to blink first.
They've known what her game is since the engagement and have their counter-strategy long mapped out. After all, if we could see what she was playing at they most certainly could.
It's a game of checkers. Meghan is going to lose.
Especially if the people you are playing against are playing chess.
Forget that about Doria being part Creole roots .... I misread something on the internet. I don't want start any fake news or fake memes about Doria and her world famous gumbo that Megs grew up on. Which is not one of my favorites anyway.
@NeutralObserver
Stay off helicopters! When they fail they plunge straight down. Airplanes can glide down depending on the situation, and if they have more than one engine they can fly on the engine that did not fail.
Many thanks for your very effective summary. So many don't realise, and treat this like some kind of Kardashian saga to enjoy in the tabloids. That's also why I got so mad about Jessica Mulroney's trivialising tweet about strong women winking around the time of the Sandringham summit (ironic when Meghan had run away).
This is about the fabric of our country. A compact that has existed for centuries. A delicate, unwritten nuanced system that usually works. Meghan is trashing it. She showed no signs of wanting to learn about it at any point. She targeted all her work at minority groups. I'm not saying that's totally wrong but she completely ignored the majority yet spent millions from our taxes.
She and her little Instagram coterie continue to show no awareness of the damage she's done and is still doing, and the extent of her betrayal of this country.
This is real. The royal family is still a family. Who feel as much as any other family. Our country and our history are real and as important to us as the American flag to Americans.
I agree completely about concerns for the Cambs traveling together. Life turns on a dime.
Years ago I had to fly choppers (for my job) to get from point A to point B. You know how when you look out the window of plane and you see all those bolts? I was riding in a chopper and we got a little too close to a small plane which wasn't paying attention. I still remember being able to see the bolts.
I was afraid. At the time, I was told that the all the chopper pilots were ex Nam vets and if something went wrong, they, if anyone, would the skills to put it down well.
As an American, I read with interest your posts about looking past the Harkle drama to the damage done to a country, its people, traditions and history. While many are enjoying watching MM's antics, myself included, the larger story is the collateral damage this woman has caused to millions. I appreciate being reminded of that and am hoping her rampage ends soon and recovery can begin.
This is why so many Brits get rattled, it’s almost impossible for us to explain our country and its valued traditions, and cultural beliefs to foreign nationals. So much of our culture and identity is intrinsically entwined with so many other factors.
Bravo to Ava with this: ‘The royal family is still a family. Who feel as much as any other family. Our country and our history are real and as important to us as the American flag to Americans.’
So very very true. 😊
My first husband made the point that the compact is one way of reducing the risk of a military coup.
Rory Bremner, I think was, (yes, the comedian & impressionist) presented a TV documentary a couple of decades ago in which he stated that although the Government and Army had destroyed the clan system in the Highlands after the '45, the Army had absorbed clan structure into itself. The regiments are like clans, the royal colonels-in-chief being clan chieftains to whom loyalty is due, and through them to the monarch.
Also, this is why it's not appreciated when someone who is not a British subject, or even an EU citizen, turns up in Edinburgh dressed in a ridiculous outfit that trails the tartan in the mud - the regimental tartan of the day. It looks like mockery. Who was it said `The pony wore it better'?
I agree that beyond the Kardashian style drama lies the very fabric of the country. People are so up in arms because this drama has hit a nerve with the nation - patriotism, love for a beloved monarch and a family that people have considered part of their own even if they don't know these fancy royal folks personally. This is a nation that takes pride in it's accomplishments, it's culture and traditions, it's quirks. And here comes a two bit nobody who starts whining about how mean an entire country has been to her, how nobody likes her, how she won't share her life with us because the people didn't make her feel welcome.
At the best of times the British roll their eyes at anyone who whinges too.mych. not that we are heartless, but we get on without our lives.
Now I'm an army brat through and through. Both my parents have served. In wars, in war torn regions, in peace, in the middle of nowhere. As a family we saw some pretty harrowing times, but we took immense pride in it because it was the only way of life we knew. The army is the only way of life I have known. So it's unimaginable to me that someone can be so flippant about the supposed service they are expected to do for the country and the people. The Sussexes have cheapened the royal family and serving the country.
It's a game of checkers. Meghan is going to lose.
Especially if the people you are playing against are playing chess.
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Never underestimate the aficionados of checkers, :)
But, yes, chess will undo them every time :)
It is honor. Something outside of ourselves. One doesn't need to grow up with it not to have it.
As a journalist writing about veterans' issues, "stolen valor" is something we are keenly aware of. People who pretend to be veterans in order not just to get money, but to parasite off of the actual valor of having served.
This is why so many people despise Markle so much. She is a rogue cell.
@xxxxx Creole roots wouldn't automatically give Doria the ability to make a good gumbo. Doria's family tree going back 5 or 6 generations shows neither Creole nor Cajun, but I guess it's possible. Mostly, @Swampwoman and I were just having some fun, however.
Yes on the fun. Perhaps I should have mentioned that I ran across a recipe for crawfish etouffee that used cream of mushroom soup (shudder) and I was still feeling a bit faint. Crawfish (aka crayfish or mudbugs or crawdads) are small freshwater crustaceans that look like tiny lobsters.
Ooooh, and here we go on the stock market wild ride as people are beginning to realize that China being shut down is going to negatively effect the supply chain.
I suppose we can only say it's as if a member of a respected Presidential family (insert name of any President you respect) married a Brit who trashed your traditions in full view of the crowds.
While everyone else pledged allegiance to the Flag, s/he was flapping her/his arms about. Or tried to carry on a conversation during the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner, all the while turning her/his back despite being told 3 times to face the front. Or wore overlong pants printed with stars & stripes that trailed in the mud to a military parade? Shoved her/his spouse out of the way so as to be first to say `Hi!' to a foreign Head of State.
Get the idea?
I've only been to the US once in my life, just for 10 days, but although it was such a short time I soon realised how easy it is to offend even the lowliest official or waitress. Yet MM has come here, been given a very warm, and expensive, welcome but has treated us like sh*t, insulted us to the rest of the world and has projected the racism within her own mind onto us.
Btw I may look a sort of piggy pink, but I too have slave ancestry.
I, too, am an "Army brat," who went on to enlist in the Army. Everything @Alice and @Ava say is true.
It is honor. Something outside of ourselves. One doesn't need to grow up with it not to have it.
Army vet here, too. If you have no honor, you have nothing.
Meghan shouldn't be allowed to create chaos and disharmony between two lovely countries.
Meg is starting to remind me of Eris, the Greek goddess of discord and strife.
Eris supposedly started the Trojan War, by throwing a golden apple marked "To the Most Beautiful" into a gathering of pretty ladies.
Speaking as a veteran, and as one who lived in England for 3 years, I came away with a deep love of the British history and tradition. True, we fought a war against tyranny, but it was against tyranny, NOT against the British. We may be different culturally, but we will always be cousins under the skin. I think we will always share the same values.
This is why I, myself, find Markle so repulsive. She has no values whatsoever.
Yes,Meghan can be likened to Eris the goddess of strife. She however is the sorts to eat the bloody apple and claim.to have done because SHE herself is the most beautiful. And then cry because she wants another apple. And then declare she hates apples. Lol
Btw, it's quite telling isn't it that she has been pretty quite and back in hiding since Harry got back to Canada? With all these articles coming out in support of the BRF instead of them she must be seethigy. A foresee a raging harpy moment anytime now. Something tells me she'll eventually launch the Messica missile on us. The hole she is digging herself into is not nearly deep enough just yet. Kate's all over the BRF social media with her pictures and behind the scenes warmth. Cue the Harkles hysterics...
My mom's side of the family are of mainly Scottish descent and
we have cousins in Edinburgh. We are royalists and adore Her Majesty. We had an overnight girl's sleep over for PW and DOC wedding and watched it early in the morning together. I believe that your country is better off with a Monarchy to balance and give stabilty to the governing body. God bless all of you and HMTQ as she deals with this malignant narc. Harry brought into the family.
Just saw that Netflix has released Gwyneth paltrows Goop special. I ha not watched it but the reviews are awful. This is not a show I would ever expect to do well at all with any kind of audience, yet it's now a 6 episode special on Netflix.
The platform also has a Taylor swift documentary coming up and the reviews are horrible. There was Kevin Hart documentary which was excrutiating.
My point is that Netflix currently is going through a documentary/celebrity specials phase so a lot mindless boring celebrity documentaries are coming out that literally no one ever asked for. This is something that the Sussexes could be eyeing. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the kind of show they are currently pitching for. All they need is a persistent, pesky PR person ( sunshine sacks), a ruthless agent and lots of drama from meghan about how unique her story is.
Please God don't make it happen!
The only thing a jellyfish needs is for someone to be afraid of its ability to mold into blah and leave only its poison in its wake.
The jellyfish is a creature that has existed since the dawn of Earth.
It metastasizes with the prevailing winds. That is why it has survived.
It wishes to re-create itself. It really has no other aim.
Along the way, it manages to convince people that it is WOW!!! I am Meghan Markle !!!
Harry was a different matter altogether...I think the BRF was blindsided by his disloyalty. But unlike many, I think it was good that Harry showed his true colors now rather than those two staying in the family for a couple of more years. They now are out and can't have any more of the cachet of being royal (let's hope this is true) and being in the fold. I for one will be deeply disappointed if the Queen takes them back without consequences. I think they need to have their HRH permanently stripped in say a year (even if Harry returns could he be trusted again?). I know this sounds awful but I hope they fall flat on their face and are unable to have any measure of success. I think it is significant that hardly any important person/celebrity is coming out in their defense...were are the British MP's, the Cloneys, Meg;s crying hair stylist. even Meg;s Mother (the silence is deafening).
Exactly! So I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix and the Harkles chase each other and produce a mindfart. Only problem is Harry is supposedly doing a mental health doc with Apple (and Oprah). So they wouldn't go to a rival network.
Don't think this AppleTV doc has started production/shoot yet, I believe. If it was then they won't stop bragging about it. Did the BRF put a stop to Harry's TV dreams as well along with Meghan's jewellery queen dreams??
As an Amerocan I have said ait and will say it again, I am embarrassed and repulsed that MM married into undoubtedly one of the best of royal families (Japan being another stellar royal family) AND acted so horribly right from the start and ended her involvement with such dastardly results.
I don't think she's been silent at all. PR stories just about every day.
Today: William & Kate commemorate 75th anniversary of Auschwitz.
So we don't forget about her: Smeg regrets giving up acting to become royal. Reading further, I hate that I married Harry, "the man I love" and now I'm saddled with a kid.
Always overshadowing and always running a con.
Headline: Revealed: US agents hint Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could make up to £7MILLION from a book deal and £400,000 each from public speaking
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7933977/US-agents-say-Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markle-make-millions.html
The articles are now starting to pop up with guesses as to how much Harry and Meghan can make from their various enterprises. This one from the DM says they could end up billionaires, which would surprise me.
Apparently, they do not plan to make money from selling trinkets or commercial endorsements such as how George Clooney endorses a brand of coffee pods here in the US in tv commercials.
Instead, they plan to do book deals and charge hundreds of thousands for speeches.
The problem the RF faces with the Harkles, especially Meghan is that as a narcissist, lying is a large part of who they are.
Any book or speech from either of these two, but most likely Meghan, will likely be filled with lies and embellishments, or family info that does not belong in the public domain.
The RF needs to head this off by making part of the Megxit deal the right to review and approve all books, speeches, tv and movie scripts, and any other other similar things from either of these two.
In other words, Harry and Meghan need to be muzzled.
Threatening them with loss of their titles needs to be on the table as a deterrent.
The New Yorker is making fun of the Harkles. The New Yorker is wokeness at its wokiest, but even it finds them laughable.
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/introducing-meghan-and-harrys-etsy-shop
Didn't want this to get lost! I LOVE the articles listed. Meg wishes she were clever enough to come up with any of them.
I was trying to express how deeply MM has wounded us. This isn't a comedy or fiction - it's real and deadly serious. We try to make the most of the comic bits because it's all we can do. We use black humour to come to terms with things that aren't at all funny and which scare the life out of us. The national mood was difficult enough when Diana died but this seems much,much worse.
Britain is poised on the edge of a new future; we're already split about this. Some would say the future is hopeful, others see it as doom-laden. All would agree that it's one of uncertainty. That's without the threat of further constitutional crisis set off by HAM, with or without shady backers - we just don't need it.
You will be fine. After all, when London was a wreck in WWII, didn't you come back?
Not nice to be so worried, these days. But you are British. You will always come back.
xxxxx
Perhaps they will do a contract with the Sussexes, but that doesn't mean anybody is going to watch it. They (Netflix) are floundering wildly now like a drowning person that can't swim since many of the items that they had available for viewing (Disney, for example) have been withdrawn for their own pay per view/monthly fee company.
Because I was curious, I watched about 5 minutes of the GP Goop Netflix series. It is as bad as you can imagine.
Cosmic has already praised this stellar entry, but I just wanted to belatedly award you yesteday's Starbucks of the Day for:
"It is thought she tripped on her own lies, & her mile long legs failed to save her. Air Sea Rescue, piloted by Wills, found nothing but a matted wig, false teeth attached!! Authorities are still trying to track down friends & family, so far no one has come forward. I hope she’s ok?"
I particularly like the bit that got excised . ."Ms. Markle, age unknown". Well, well done.
***********
All levity aside, I've had it up to the teeth with Their Whining Wokenesses, given everything that's happening in the world. Bushfires ravage Australia, killing millions of wildlife. Three families are in mourning from the helicopter tragedy yesterday & we are marking the 75th anniversary of the most heinous global genocine ever perpetrated on humankind . . a period which Harry's great-grandparents and grandparents lived though and served through.
Yet the HAMS simply cannot cope with their millions annually in a billionaire's mansion? Watching their various gaffes used to be entertaining but we've had enough now.
Rachel has succeeding in Markling herself, looks like. To be so self-destructive is a very special superpower she has, but it hasn't gone far enough yet, because she's still pumping out her asinine drivel. I could care less if she's OK. The world is not an OK place, and even less so since she became such a major irritant in it.
This sudden explosion of articles worried about Harry's 'fragility' does make me wonder if he's expressed suicidal ideation. Guys, particularly ex-military with a macho reputation to uphold very often do not give advance warning, they just do it. Haz is not a typical example of a macho ex-military man, and he's whined plenty about his psychic pain before now, but there is a real possibility that one day his self-medicating is going to go too far, by accident or design. I'm periously close to not caring about that, either . . but making Markle the next Jackie Kennedy in her own mind would only serve to make her grow more heads and never, ever leave.
The BRF has a right mess on its hands. I don't know what the solution is. Not without a final solution which would make matters even worse.
@HappyDays, Pray tell, what are these two woke celebs going to say that they have not already said? Lol. Climate change, racism, royal family bad, etc. I think they've said it all. Maybe MM can demonstrate how to hold a nine month old without smothering him and how she gets him to remain so still. Unfortunately, we have enough dummies that may be interested.
@Portcitygirl: You’re right. Anything Netflix does or Apple or anybody else does about them can only be rehashed so many times, but because the Harkles will control it as they did the Africa whineomentary, it will feature them as helpless victims.
However, I see them branching out to be professional activists and fauxmanitarians, especially Meghan, and have production deals for programs that profile African elephants and nature-related topics, women's and children's issues for Megsy, and any number of woke subjects. I think Meghan will be aiming for an Oscar or Emmy for a documentary because the only person who believes her acting is Harry.
I just hope if the marriage is going to implode, that it happens sooner than later and she angers the reigning monarch so thoroughly that she loses her title. If she’s not a duchess, she is nothing and her marketability will drop off a cliff.
I wholeheartedly agree. Netflix has been struggling lately and they've over saturated their market with original content (much of which is rubbish). In the medical field, many are likening Netflix to the next purveyor of pseudo-science, given all of it's Goop-esque programming as of late.
Let's not forget that Markle is NOT Obama. She's NOT Oprah, and she's not Ellen. She doesn't have any pull of her own, save her title. Without which she is nothing. Hence, she's not gonna give that up (as required by law, if memory serves) to apply for any kind of political position in the US. Her title is EVERYTHING to her. Without it she is just Meghan Markle and that's not enough for her to scrape by.
Further, I find all of her woke bullshit just that. Megan, Oprah, Ellen, et al proscribe that to that infamous political realm of pseudo-Democrats who talk the talk but secretly revel and succeed from all this capitalism. They preach Democracy and equality while having absolutely no desire to find themselves amongst their plebeian followers. Why would they? Once they become equals, they are no longer unique and elite. So it's better to preach a message of equality and acceptance, to push that extreme "woke" agenda, but we all know they don't follow it. If they did they would no longer be exceptional. They would be ordinary and like everyone else. And that outcome doesn't garner million-dollar speeches or warrant fancy merching contracts.
So whenever I see Megan and her ilk trying to push the uber "woke" and "liberal" card, as a Liberal myself it bothers the crap out of me. And I know many others are starting to see through her facade as well (Oprah has been struggling with viewership as well, most likley for similar reasons - people are seeing through her bullshit). This is a platform she cannot sustain because it is a platform she doesn't give two shits about. She uses it for gain and for clicks, but in the end, it will all come crashing down around her. Megan is only passionate about Megan. It's only a matter of time before the world sees that, and we are already seeing evidence of it already.
She's clutching at straws. I anticipate she'll clutch and lash out more now that she's been reduced to the back pages in light of Kobe, the Coronavirus, the Impeachment trials, Brexit, etc. She is going to hate that and as a result, she is going to become more erratic and dramatic in order to secure the headlines she so desperately wants.
Aunt Hilda - is the best friend of my mother-in-law, not an aunt at all, who grew up poor in Louisiana and is "certifiably" cajun as she is white and not black - which is historically, a large part of the difference.
In any case - here is what I got from Aunt Hilda
Aunt Hilda’s Gumbo Recipe
As told over phone
Hilda: Get you some On-yone, some sell-ree, and some pepper and chopem up.
How much of that Hilda –
Hilda: oh well I don’t know – one or two…but anyway. Cook that down with your roux.
What roux?
Oh well, back up then. You need some bacon grease and flour and make a roux with that. You know what a roux is right?
Yes
Make that in a cast iron skillet, now don’t use any other kind of skillet because it won’t work right
And open up some tomato paste – I prefer hunts but I guess you can use somthin else – put that in the skillet and add it to the roux – stir until the tomato paste browns up. Add the vegetables and cook that down until its wet
Me: Brown and Wet?
Hilda: Yes. Like I said, brown the paste – that’s why you need a cast iron skillet, it won’t work if you don’t
Me: OK Hilda
Hilda: Then you add some canned tomatoes, okra and…
(Uncle Dick yelling in background…”you make sure you tell her not to add the shrimp until..”)
SHUT UP DICK, IM telling this story
Hilda: Now make sure that…
(more yelling in background – and you tell her the shrimp boil shouldn’t…)
I SAID SHUT UP DICK!
I stopped writing at this point and called my sister in law – who said that she could have warned me and I should just go over there to watch.
Well it was me who made the point that I thought the report of him leaving was significant. I'm trying to see things in the long term so if MM thinks she has something on any of them re. racist remarks then it makes sense to show him absent otherwise she could later claim (in her tell-all interview) that he'd influenced the outcome. So I was actually saying the RF did the right thing. They don't let things like that get into the media for no reason, no-one would have known he'd left if they hadn't alerted the press. And I'm not even saying he has said anything racist but he would be an obvious target for a smear from MM.
I'm sure he was also highly annoyed with PH but I still think it was a tactical move (as I say, thinking of future comments from MM) to ensure he wasn't there.
OMG, that's hilarious! I come from Ohio, and most of my family is from there going back a hundred years or so. I have more recipes from my mom's side of the family, which is predominantly German. I have this drop dumpling recipe that most people have never heard of, and when my mom gave me the recipe it was based on how she was taught how to make it from her mother, grandmother, etc. Pinch of this, pinch of that, stir until its paste but not too pastie, it needs to be just right. Like I know what that is!
@Twinsmama
I can't imagine someone paying them $500K to talk unless they're going to spill a lot of secrets.
Me, neither. That is an obscene amount of money for people who aren't Nobel laureates, rock stars, movie stars or former Presidents. Poor Harry can barely string a sentence together and his wife strings together too many strands of utter nonsense. They are completely off their heads if they think they are going to command this kind of money. Well, we knew that already. More to the point, any organization that would waste its money on the Suxxits is off their heads. For the two of them together . .? I'd offer them $50 and free validated parking, just for the curiosity factor. Rach will be back to giving lap dances to old leches again very soon . . let's hope?
"...it was me who made the point that I thought the report of him leaving was significant. I'm trying to see things in the long term so if MM thinks she has something on any of them re. racist remarks then it makes sense to show him absent otherwise she could later claim (in her tell-all interview) that he'd influenced the outcome."
I guess that's possible @murphy. It just doesn't sound terribly plausible to me.
If MM wants to wave the "PP is a racist" flag, I don't see how making it clear he didn't attend that one meeting--- a meeting no other spouse attended-- affects MM's claim one way or the other. Obviously he could have influenced TQ, Charles, and William before the meeting.
Certainly PP has said things that today are considered racist. He's also said things that today are considered sexist. I suspect that's true for many 98-year olds! The world was a very different place in 1921 when he was born. And I suspect if we looked back at comments made here in say, 25 years, some would be seen as unacceptable for reasons we can't currently envision.
Whether MM's claims (if made) will hold water, I tend to doubt they will beyond a few days' furor in the press. Everybody already knows the kinds of things PP has said over the years. Everybody also knows of the good things he's done over the years.
Even if PP did privately express animosity towards MM that may or may not be interpreted as racist, so what? He also dragged himself to their wedding, walking from the car into the chapel unaided, when he'd had a fairly recent hip replacement. Plus, he also recently cracked several ribs in a fall. Those really hurt! And he certainly was all smiles in the posed family picture supposedly taken with swaddled Archie at Windsor Castle. During the filmed "Archie reveal" Meghan *volunteered* they'd "bumped into the Duke" before they came out and it was "so nice."
It's only been 9 or so months since Archie was born. When could MM have even seen much of PP? H&M didn't go to Balmoral, they jetted all over on private vacations in the summer, and by Sept they were in SA complaining about not thriving.
IMO, people who buy MM's complaints about her awful life as a royal will continue to buy her tales. Those who think she's a liar will continue to think she's a liar. I suppose those who are on the fence might be swayed by it being obvious PP wasn't in the vicinity of the meeting. But I doubt it. People in that group mostly aren't paying any attention. Or they wouldn't still be on the fence.
I think the pointed filmed exit of PP that day was aimed at Harry and intended to express Philip's utter disdain for Harry's actions. He intended for his exit to be seen and so it was. But that's just my opinion.
Emmanuel Macron lost his cool during a walkabout in Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday and television cameras captured the moment for posterity. “Everybody knows the rules,” shouted the president of France, directing his wrath at Israeli security officials. “I don’t like what you did in front of me. Go outside!”
The confrontation took place outside the Church of Saint Anne, a possession of the French government which is regarded as French territory. According to reports Macron snapped when Israeli security men attempted to accompany him into the church.
It’s not the first time that a French president has had a fit of Gallic pique in Jerusalem; Jacques Chirac famously clashed with some Israeli soldiers in 1996, asking of them in English less fluent than Macron’s if “you want me to go back to my plane?”
But Macron’s meltdown is a sign of the pressure he’s under on all fronts. It’s also, if one may be topical, his Meghan moment.
Like Meghan, Macron took the job expecting to be treated with due reverence. That’s how he set out his stall on the night of election victory in May 2017, walking regally through the courtyard of the Louvre to address his subjects. He had the press eating out of his hand at home and abroad (remember that Economist front cover of him walking on water under the headline ‘Europe’s Saviour?’). For a while he could do no wrong. But then, like Meghan, it all began to go pear-shaped in the court of public opinion.
“What Meghan wants, Meghan gets” is what Prince Harry allegedly shouted at a senior Palace aide on the eve of his wedding in a row over a certain tiara. Macron, too, has grown up expecting to get what he wants.
He first set his eyes on his future wife Brigitte when he was only 15 and she, his schoolteacher, was a 39-year-old married woman with children. Money was his next desire and he made plenty of that in a short space of time. And then in 2016 he set his heart on the presidency. Twelve months later, voila.
In the case of the French president, it’s not just his attitude that has alienated people. Meghan entered the Royal Family on a wave of affection, her wedding in April 2018 greeted with near-universal acclaim.
Macron entered the Elysée Palace because the majority of his people were given a choice between him and Marine Le Pen and they decided he was the lesser of two evils. But Macron never grasped that fact. Soon he began belittling French people as lazy or losers. This explains why his approval rating dropped from an initial 66 per cent to 23 per cent within 18 months of taking office.
That’s roughly how long it took the British people to fall out of love with Meghan, who shares many of Macron’s progressive ideals, particularly on climate change. It was that issue, specifically the imposition of a ‘green’ diesel fuel tax, that sparked the Yellow Vest protests in November 2018, a social uprising that in recent weeks has expanded to include the millions of Frenchmen and women angry at Macron’s pension reforms.
Macron must have flown to Israel hoping for a brief respite from his domestic woes but now he’s in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Perhaps his temper snapped after a long day trying to explain to Benjamin Netanyahu why it is that a third of France’s Jewish population feels their religion makes them a target in their own country.
Macron clearly likes to be the one in control. And as his little tantrum in Jerusalem showed, his ego is easily bruised. But whereas a minor member of the Royal Family can disappear to a country where’s she’ll be treated with the respect she damned well deserves, the president of France has no such option.
If an opinion poll published this week is anything to go by, Macron may soon have little choice but to ‘step back’ from presidential duties. Asked if they think their president will be re-elected in 2022, 69 per cent of those surveyed said no.
But will Macron even stand for re-election? Marine Le Pen has confirmed she will be a candidate. But from Macron there has been no word as yet. Who knows, perhaps he has decided he could have an easier life – a more lucrative one – away from the Elysée Palace. He could return to banking and make millions in the City of London, free from the unappreciative French, perhaps?
He’d need somewhere to live but apparently there’s a recently refurbished cottage in Windsor in need of a tenant.
True, we're pretty resilient but we still had food rationing until 1954, two years after HM came to the throne, nine years after the end of the war. At the time of the Coronation in 1953, meat & sugar were still rationed and controls on milk, which lasted more than 20 years after that, limited British cheese production to one type only, Cheddar. `Coronation Chicken', a recipe devised for the Coronation banquet, was considered fine dining.
Bread wasn't rationed during the war, only afterwards, because the Government feared what might happen if we fed ourselves but let Europe starve.
Also, the terms and conditions of repaying the aid received from our main ally, under the Bretton Woods arrangement, were not particularly friendly so, as Basil Fawlty said of the War, I shan’t mention it, except that the shortage of consumer goods was because `everything went for export’ .
As this type of scenario is what the Remainers are predicting anyway, the prospect of a constitutional upheaval as well is almost unbearable.
Btw, not a few Remainers I know, angry at coming second in the 2016 referendum, were very quick to accuse Leaver friends of being `racists', simply because they put their X in what they regarded as the `wrong'box on the voting slip. Perhaps MM's accusations of national racism are based on the outcome of the Referendum?
I agree that this is perplexing. If she's as 'woke' as she pretends to be (and she holds her progressive views very lightly) then why would you sacrifice your principles and marry into an institution like the monarchy? Makes no sense. Well of course it makes sense as an opportunistic gamble, a quick smash and grab, and hope that the tide has turned against everything the monarchy stands for (in her mind) and you come out of looking like a freedom fighter with very little effort.
Its a real culture clash between Twitter woke culture, which has always been dominated by the US, and the more nuanced, layered culture of the UK.
I re-watched her UN speech the other day and its very noticeable how she emphasises that detergent letter when she was 11. Its so odd, it's as if she's talking about someone other than herself and this person is the saviour of humankind. The self aggrandisement is off the charts but there's also a strange dislocation, as if she really is just acting the whole time.
Theres also a Larry King interview on Youtube which I recommend. He clearly got the measure of her and didn't fall for any of it, its quite funny.
The Larry King interview is a great watch. MM word salad strikes again. She does not, and cannot directly any of his questions. He points out contradictions, and she does not like it. He has her number.
Meghan was pro EU, she had a photo on her IG account, with her holding a cardboard placard thing with something like ‘Don’t EU leave me (I can’t remember the exact wording unfortunately). Not like it had anything to do with her, she wasn’t even eligible to vote. 🥴
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtl9mnEoZUY
@Murphy. Very interesting. Thanks for mentioning it.
I am surprised she didn't go after Larry King herself!
Oh my giddy aunt! Do you mean what I think you mean???!
Please keep us posted.
@ Holly & Lt. Nyota Uhura :
True, we're pretty resilient but we still had food rationing until 1954, two years after HM came to the throne, nine years after the end of the war. At the time of the Coronation in 1953, meat & sugar were still rationed and controls on milk, which lasted more than 20 years after that, limited British cheese production to one type only, Cheddar. `Coronation Chicken', a recipe devised for the Coronation banquet, was considered fine dining.
_____________________________________________
Yes, I know --
My Dad served in all 3 of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. In WWII, he met his very dear friend Rupert, and they stayed friends till the end of their lives.
Rupert flew a Fairey Battle fighter-bomber in the early days of the War. It was a miserable plane, designed in peacetime by "committee." The Messerschmidts made mincemeat out of them. Rupert was shot down in May of 1940 and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III, the scene of the "Great Escape." He made lanterns out of old tins and lard for the tunnelers.
Throughout the War, he corresponded with Rosie, a Red Cross volunteer. After the War, they got married. They made do on very, very little, as you've said. Meat only once a week, if they were lucky. Somehow they managed, raising a beautiful son and daughter. Even at the end of his life, when Rupert's pension meant he could eat quite well, comparatively, he remained frugal. Between the camp and rationing, I suppose he just got used to it.
My Dad was stationed in England briefly just after the War, and ran into Rupert in the U.S. War Office in London. They were both waiting to see some officer, and got into uproarious conversation, laughing so hard they couldn't breathe :) They were inseparable ever since :)
My late husband and I had the great good fortune to visit Rupert and Rosie in the 90s. Rosie put on an elaborate British High Tea, complete with smoked salmon and two or three different kinds of scones. I was overwhelmed, knowing that they were pensioners, and could ill afford it. Still, I was the daughter of Rupert's great friend, my Dad, and she could not do enough for us.
Funny how food marks the important times in our lives …. eh? :)
Blimey, if they sort of tie Macron to Megsy his state is dire indeed. What Spectator says about Markle's hypocrisy is interesting; it becomes a widely accepted fact. Being compared to her is sign of rapid public decline.
I also read elsewhere that her claims of been treated inferior to Kate don't stand a test: her wedding cost more than Kate's by approx. ten million. The media is using hard cold facts to disprove her accusations.
Thank you for that lovely story about your father, his friend and you. I found it both interesting and touching!
>>>True, we're pretty resilient but we still had food rationing until 1954, two years after HM came to the throne, nine years after the end of the war. At the time of the Coronation in 1953, meat & sugar were still rationed and controls on milk, which lasted more than 20 years after that, limited British cheese production to one type only, Cheddar. `Coronation Chicken', a recipe devised for the Coronation banquet, was considered fine dining.<<<<
It's a testament to the British sense of manners and stoicism that there wasn't more rioting in the streets over austerity measures when the war was supposedly won. I think everyone had a great sense of letdown. Over on this side of the Pond, there was some wartime rationing but nothing like Britain experienced.
I am very fond of the 1986 movie '84, Charing Cross Road' starring Anne Bancroft and Sir Anthony Hopkins (long before he was 'Sir'). Do you know it? American Helene and British Frank strike up a correspondence over antiquarian books . .She wants them but can't get them in philistine New York and he sells them. After they've been corresponding for a year, Christmastime rolls around and Helene sends all the denizens of the book shop a crate of fresh food from Denmark. I love the whole scene, from the picking of the items from the catalog to the looks of joy on the recipients' faces when the crate is opened and the contents passed round. One by one, the bookshop employees begin writing to Helene to thank her for their share in the parcels. So she starts sending them for Easter, too.
My other favorite part is when Helene asks her bookshop contacts how to make a Yorkshire pudding so she can surprise her neighbor's British fiance for his birthday. He has been translating British-to-American prices for her.
The best part is, this is a true story! (told with dramatic license. Books and food--nothing is better for me!)
Also...at 11 years old...were the LA Riots going on at that time? Does anyone know?
It's more a quality over quantity proposition, which tends to be the reverse for American commercial networks. 25 episodes of 44 minutes in length on an American series show is kind of comparing a pile of Big Macs to 3 or 4 perfectly curated plates of top of the line filet mignon. You get really hungry waiting for the next serving but you can dine out on the memories as long as it takes.
I think your recent comment about Macron and Meghan was spot on.
Now, juSt think, so many presidents/ prime ministers being thrown in this mix.
Each with their own agenda. Dismissing what they initially came into power for.
What a bag of powerful men, all at the mercy of a 'scorned in public ' woman.
Lemontea
The first report said she'd just written to the soap company. It then gets embellished to include all theses influential women. Another sign of her piggy backing on other people's power and influence, similar to becoming 'friends' with Oprah et al?
Someone also pointed out that Hillary wasn't First Lady in 92, contrary to MM claims that she was when she wrote to her.
What a tangled web.
Sure. She's a savant!!!
Gloria Allred first came to my attention in 1995 as part of the legal team of Nicole Brown Simpson's family in the OJ case. That was three years after Rachel claimed to have known here, so Rachel is much whip-smarter than me, a person 16 years her senior.
>>>Also...at 11 years old...were the LA Riots going on at that time? Does anyone know?
The riots occurred April-May 1992, so the timing fits. Whether 11-year-old Rachel Meghan was searching for Gloria Allred in the light of burning cars visible from her bedroom window is the part that's up for dispute. I myself was in Japan at the time and well away from Watts. Which, incidentally Ms. Allred lived in during the 1960s while she was a teacher for the L.A. school system.
In 1997, while Megs was living it up at her exclusive girls' high school paid for by Thomas, Ms. Allred was defending a model in a breach of contract suit against Dodi al Fayed who broke off their engagement when he took up with Princess Diana. So *here* is when Ms. Allred might have entered Rachel's consciousness. She knew Harry's mum's boyfriend's ex-fiancee's lawyer, but she didn't know Harry, capiche? :p
>>>Does anyone know if Gloria Allred has confirmed MM wrote to her? And why would she know who Gloria Allred was at 11 years old?<<
Sure. She's a savant!!!
_____________________________________
Um … I can see where this is going, sad to say. It is true. The attempt, throughout history, to *defend* and deflect. Hikari is correct. She has correctly connected the dots.
Markle, you are disgusting. Go away somewhere. Please.
@ Murphy
The Larry King interview is a great watch. MM word salad strikes again. She does not, and cannot directly any of his questions. He points out contradictions, and she does not like it. He has her number.
@CookieShark, Murphy, and DesignDoctor:
Here’s Meghan on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson on the CBS tv network here in the US. She is at her fakiness while wearing a dress that looks as if it is going to fall off any moment. Both Ferguson and Markle are weird. I believe it is August, 2013.
https://www.bustle.com/p/video-of-meghan-markles-craig-ferguson-interview-is-creeping-the-internet-out-9194448
Meat rationing – offal was not rationed and our butcher sold it according to surname as per the London telephone directory. One week, it was for people with the initial in the A-D range, next E-K and so on- Oh my mother’s joy when it was our turn and we could have liver & bacon! Once, when I was about 4, a farmer friend in Devon sent us parcel through the post with a large rabbit he’d shot. I was so impressed I insisted on being photographed, cuddling the corpse like a cat. We were so grateful for it.
We almost got into trouble with the law on a holiday trip to Devon in 1949. My parents, with an uncle and aunt had hired a car and visited the farming friends. We came away with a modest quantity of butter, eggs and bacon on the back parcel shelf - whether or not money had changed hands I don’t know, they probably weren’t supposed to have given to us, let alone taken money
Tragedy almost struck. A motorcyclist overtook us at speed on a bend and the rider hit the ground. I don’t think he was badly hurt but the village bobby came cycling up and Mum was in a panic - `Quick, grab the beach towel, don’t let him see the food!’ – oh dear, all black-market stuff. All was well. The bobby didn’t look into the car and the rider wasn’t badly hurt.
Still, times were hard, Dad wasn’t above a bit of poaching with his service rifle; his Canadian cousin was said to have been on a schooner running gin down from Vancouver to Seattle during prohibition…
The Great Escape was mentioned. I taught at a VIth form college near Southampton where the Chemistry Dept lab technician was one Mr Fripp , who had also been part of the support team making equipment for the escapers. We knew him as Bill but I think the family called him Fred. He died about 10 or 12 years ago. I only heard about his wartime experience when it was featured on TV.
Hilkari _
It's more a quality over quantity proposition, which tends to be the reverse for American commercial networks. 25 episodes of 44 minutes in length on an American series show is kind of comparing a pile of Big Macs to 3 or 4 perfectly curated plates of top of the line filet mignon. You get really hungry waiting for the next serving but you can dine out on the memories as long as it takes.
True. The tiny details in a show like Midsomer Murders ... I am kind of reminded of the US show Hill Street Blues which was more about the people, how they were connected and interacted with each other than about the crimes.
Cookie Shark -
If the Firm is so toxic, why does she want a title associated with it?
Duh. Very good question.
Also, I read Rach has Doria's recipe for greens, too, and guess what I want to say to them: If you're using a recipe, you do not know how to make greens lol. Probably using Minute rice, too. Next thing, they'll be trying to say baked sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and candied yams are all the same things and/or only one should be served at holidays. SMDH.
You've just reminded me of an article I read a while back that caused me to facepalm so hard I swear it left a bruise. It was during the run up to Thanksgiving I think, and the Express was having a run of "Meghan cookery" articles. In one, it was reported that she'd said to cut carbs in your Thanksgiving meal all you need to do is swap the turkey for a chicken.
How on earth does someone who's supposedly such a "foodie" not know that swapping turkey for chicken does absolutely nothing for the carb content of the meal because they both have the exact same amount of carbs - zero. It's all the various trimmings that potentially contain the carbs, meat has none in itself. I've been vegetarian for 30 years and it seems even I know more about the nutritional value of meat than Meghan lol
I'm not sure if I'll be able to find the article now, but if anyone wants me to try I don't mind giving it a go tomorrow.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/royal-divide-harry-meghan-crown-airs-wednesday-109c-68513776
Whether those of outside USA will be able to/will want to watch it (Omid Scobie Speaks!) I don't know. Nor am I sure how balanced it'll be... Am I right in thinking ABC is connected with Disney?
I have a terrible habit of reading comments before watching videos and I couldn't bring myself to watch to it.
I felt as though I went through a parallel universe. The comments are so gushing- extolling her talent,intelligence and sophistication in the interview. Some people seem to lose all sense when they hear or read about famous people it is curious. They see the (PR)image and choose to ignore any reality that may conflict with that image.
I will pause for a moment and appreciate that, at 11 years old, MM's letter prompted a dishsoap company (do we know which one)? to change its ad.
Now, to use a phrase from Southern Charm, SO WHAT. She keeps mentioning this accomplishment. I would submit that it is fine, but not something I would bring up for years.
An ad was changed. I personally don't care at all about ads. I don't look to them to tell me what to do. I don't drive a car fast because I see it in an ad. She appears awestruck that the ad was changed. I would hope that people are not so easily influenced by TV ads anyway. I DON'T CARE!
The one thing about this catastrophe that just doesn't make sense is Baby Archie. I can't even imagine the whys and I want the TRUTH to come out sooner than later, because Archie and the litigation feel like big red herrings.
And I bet they show up invited to the Academy Awards as presenters and that's why she's been so quiet this week.
On another note criminals are supposedly using it see your pin at the store after you walk away. Heat transfer from your fingers lingers momentarily. Useless without the card but still... Wierd.
Fox has one on at 7:00 pm CST (not the political Fox, the entertainment Fox)
And the ABC on at 9:00pm CST
Lurking with spoon- i’ll look for the turkey/ chicken carb article because if true, whatever publication that published it shouldn’t have done so. Thats blatantly wrong. And MM being supposedly ‘smart’ should know that. If they are raising Archie as a vegetarian or vegan, their lack of nutrition knowledge is scary. A lot of the young trendy vegans are clueless about nutrition and they make the news every so often when their vegan babies are malnourished.
Oh my gracious, I hadn't thought of that. Every point you make is very true; in fact, there have been infants starved to death here because their clueless vegan parents were feeding them high carb low fat low protein diets that could not sustain a growing brain and body.
The more I see the more I am wondering if she is a full loaf of bread.
At what point did he challenge her or point out contradictions and she didn't like it?
It's been a long day, but I didn't see anything off-putting in that interview. She was there to pitch UN Women, and besides dragging out the dish washing soap letter again, which was a class project but she claimed was 100% her solo effort, where was there contentiousness between Larry and MM?
***************************
This dum-dum American can only say yes, and AMEN, and please God. (And I agree with everything else you wrote, as well)
Thanks for the link to the Craig Ferguson interview. I always enjoyed his show.
MM is cringeworthy in that interview IMO. With her overt flirting, lots of sexual innuendos, and the dress up to there--and barely covering her side boob. She comes off as very cheap, IMO.
@Mischief Girl I agree--she was much bettered behaved with Larry King but tried to give the impression that she was very active in UN Women, which I don't think was the truth. I think she went once or twice for publicity--contacted her agent to get the gig--putting herself out there as a humanitarian.
@BlueBellWoods I recall the soap story as you do--part of a school project--not originally her idea alone. According to one of her interviews the company, I think Proctor and Gamble did not reply to her letter.
It's like the smallest thing morphs into a shining glory all of her own.
Pure narcissism!
Like setting off fireworks everytime you make a fifty cent donation.
They are all cheap and empty. She doesn't stand for anything. I honestly believe (I've never watched a single episode of KUWTK) - I honestly believe Kim Kardashian could probably have a more nuanced conversation about prison reform with relevant answers to specific questions, than Meghan could discuss any of her causes without lapsing into motivational salad.
@Elle, do you find it interesting that all of these stories are coming out about her "secret" charity work before Harry (the only charity work I see happening is her charging a client for 1 hour instead of a hour and a half). You would even not realise they are still married with the focus of most of these being her her her. There is something to this that I cant quite put my finger on.
Have fight brewing over on Reddit on the tab and the karma points are adding up, girl! Gonna have to start taking names. Lol. Again my deepest apologies for my sloppy scrolling.
And wouldn't it be great if PP did live another ten years? If for nothing else but to crush the stupid pc woke brigade that I, and millions of others, find so hypocritical and disgusting.
Wokeness is a millennial thing and under-35 thing. Lets hope they grow out of it. Bernie is too old to be woke but he is a socialist. He has a large following among the young, maybe he is a substitute father figure, or grand father figure.
Either way, their high school and college teachers have done a good job in making socialism and wokeness something for these young skulls full of mush to be proud of.
Elizabeth Warren is a socialist too but never uses the word.
I think that Harry FKAP is going to have to go home soon:
https://twitter.com/PatriciaTreble/status/1221888724600020999
Not sure that Justin T is going to fall on his sword for them.
The soap company was Proctor & Gamble. There is video on YouTube showing her and her classmates. A local TV station did a report about it. It was a class project and she is interviewed.
Comments the last couple of days have been terrific. Thanks Nutty and Nutties.
I'm on week two of a nasty chest cold and the bourbon helps. I usually stick to ipa's and Chardonnay's!
Unsure what but maybe Markus is sick of waiting and is deciding to release that book? He is being very very quiet and he would know a lot - I think that he is now realizing he won't get the payoff so unless they cut him a huge cheque, he is going to speak up soon.
"@portcitygirl...how can Prince Phillip live another 10 years and add any value..he is 98,,it is hard to respect your opinions when they are sooooo biased...mate...he is almost 100 years old and yet you are asking him to have influence..."
PP can add 10 years of his already knowledgeable insight, wisdom, experience, love of country, loyalty to the Queen and the UK, etc...I hope you get the drift, although if you are naively young or unappreciative of the wonderful attributes elders can impart, maybe you can't. BTW we were discussing PP in relation to the BRF summit that occurred recently. I appreciate @portcitygirl's comment on PP as I did to the others who mentioned him. Throwing mean comments sounds like censorship to me.
@portcitygirl Thank you for your words of support for PP and the Queen. Your words were appropriate and it is refreshing to read something positive about a member of the BRF for a change.
I hope you get well soon!
This is first I could find>>>>
Prince Harry spotted holding hands with Meghan Markle | Daily Mail Online
Feb 3, 2017 - Hand in hand, Prince Harry and his actress girlfriend Meghan Markle walk ... One source said: 'She is beautiful, accomplished, whip-smart and ..
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4189660/Prince-Harry-spotted-holding-hands-girlfriend.html
She left high school to work on her family's small rural Louisiana strawberry farm after her father died and got married at about 16...later moving to refinery area of SE Texas.
She was also quite "famous" for her Jambalaya, which oddly, did not like.
"deflates the pan"....lol...that is some strong roux, whew!
https://www.google.com/search?q=dark+roux+paul+prudhomme&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS698US698&oq=dark+roux++paul+prudhomme&aqs=chrome..69i57.12723j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_eL8vXquaKqi60PEP3vm50Ak34
In a very large bowl combine 7 cups flour, 1 lb grated cheddar cheese, 3/4 to 1 cup minced jalapenos (I recommend strongly wearing gloves), 7 tbs sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and mix well.
In another bowl combine 2 cups warm water with 3 packages dry yeast and 1 tbs sugar. Stir it up to get all the yeast wet and dissolved and let sit ten minutes. Add 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or 2 2/3 tablespoons), stir together to mix.
Add 1/2 of liquid mixture to the dry bowl and mix together by hand until all dry stuff is wetted. Add remaining liquid and mix all together. Knead 15 minutes on floured surface until smooth and elastic, add flour as necessary to keep from sticking.
Put in a greased bowl, flip over so all sides of dough get greased, and let stand in warm place until it doubles (1 hour).
Punch down dough, either split into three loaves or pinch off 1 1/2 balls if making rolls and place in bread loaf pans or on a baking pan with rolls touching each other. Cover with towel and let rise again until double (1 hour)
Bake at 325 for 1 hour until dark brownd (rotate half way through). Remove bread as soon as possible (5 to 10 minutes), let cool 1 hour before slicing.
Incredibly good.
Taken with only reverence and respect from Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen, a book every food loving cook should own and explore.
Ingredients
8 cups flour plus some
1 lb cheddar cheese
3/4 to 1 cup jalapenos minced
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tspns salt
2 cups hot water (really just warm, you don't want to kill the yeasties)
2 tablespoons plus 2 tspoons (aka 2 2/3 tablespoons, or 8 teaspoons)
Prince Charles has proclaimed to the world that he is the only person, sanctified by all the hundreds of millions of jewels and cash from his overseas visits to terrorist countries in the Middle East, shunning Israel, says that only he can make peace between Israel and the Palestinians, calling for a State of Palestine, and the boundaries and Jewish lives , in Israel, will someday be taken into account once they are no longer living. Charles also called on much higher taxes on the people who pay for his billionaire lifestyle. Taxpayers are of no interest to this Sausage Father of HAMS.
Charles, of course, had three Nazi highest ranking uncles who murdered millions of human beings; his father’s family, with the exception of Philip’s mother, being among the most terrible of humans that ever existed.
It is beyond my ken that these idiots, calling themselves royals, can go around and interfere in anything more than family drunks, drug addicts, pedos, thieves, and animal killers.
I hope that Chuckie Boy has the guts to quit.
1. When Laurence Fox is playing him 🦊
2. During 2013 coronation (the year Queen Beatrix abdicated) because everybody was cracking "poor Chuck" jokes and snark were eff-ing HILARIOUS 😂😂
3. When I hear the stories about how nice he is to the squirrels 🐿
I'm neutral/Swiss on Gaza strip issues (I just side with *civilians* for the most part), everybody has the right to live peacefully & religion shouldn't be a factor. Human rights are human rights no matter what you believe.
Now if we could just find my lost cheesecake recipe (really thick, NYC style, the melba sauce recipe followed and I can't for the life of me remember the cookbook!) and my most decadent pasta recipe (whipped cream folded in).
@Ozmanda you're right about the white board and the martinis :) First thing we'd have to do is sort out what is Rach's BS PR and what is the BRF closing off the escape routes. And then there are the drops of information. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, and third time is a pattern. For example, I've noticed again today that the DM is referring to Archie as a year old. That's not a mistake. That's the BRF giving the ok and DM starting to drip what they know. But in other cases, it's not so clear. Once we had those pieces IDd, I think we'd have a much better picture of the board. We also need a detailed timeline. We're talking a lot of martinis lol.
and @Trudy Blue and Design Doctor, I don't think she cares if some people know that she's a liar. She's banking on most people not knowing. Most people skim the surface, and that works for her. Also, she only has so much to strut out, so it has to be the further-embellished stale stuff because there's just not that much. It's like Harry FKAP being close to Doria. All the stories about how Kate is close to her family, Rach does the Harry + Doria sitting in a tree bit. Then, there's talk about how close W&K are to the Tindalls, and Rach does the Harry + Doria are BFFs, too. She has nothing else, so she's got to trot it out there, and the silence from the Clooneys and the rest of Rach & H's fab friends is one heard round the world. So, she's got to trot herself out. Only question is, why is she flying solo on a lot of this?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7933217/Thomas-Markle-says-hes-embarrassed-Meghans-decision-quit-Royal-Family.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK
Thomas Markle threatens to give an interview every 30 DAYS until Prince Harry or Meghan call him as he says: 'I can't sit in silence for the rest of my life waiting for someone to get back to me'
Thomas Markle has spoken to top UK breakfast show Good Morning Britain and reacted to Megxit crisis
Mr Markle claims Meghan is not being bullied and is not a victim of racism over 'embarrassing' decision to quit
He said: 'I'm having trouble buying that. There's never been a problem with Meghan in terms of her race'
75-year-old insists he is willing to face his daughter as witness in court case over her letter to clear his name
In message for Meghan he said: 'I love you, let's work this out' and urged Harry to 'man up' and meet him
Madame will come to rue the day she decided to play mind games with her father in a very public manner.
She can't allow her father back into her life, because the evidence will be right in front of Harry that he is a loving, supportive and kind father. She sold Harry the fairytale of her not having a real family so she would gain his sympathies. She's strung him along that she's raised herself, paid for everything herself, and is a trooper. The truth is far from, and she can't allow him to see any of that or be branded a liar. Once Harry figures out she lies to get her own way, that will be a good start.
The only people who constantly talk about her skin color are her fans and friends because they don't have any good arguments to defend her so they go this lame, lazy road. Many people don't like her because of she's an arrogant narcissist who only cares about herself.
I like him because he's standing up to her. And as her father, he is really the only who can do so, out of everyone in her life she's ghosted. The ex husbands don't have a leg to stand on, neither do the friends like Piers or long standing friends from childhood (she's ditched them all too) and everyone else she's treated badly such as the RF. Her father has her gumption, and I love he's being an equal thorn in her side that she was to the RF and everyone else!
I like him too and also Samantha. It's funny how so many, even some of the anti Meg peeps all of a sudden start clutching their pearls and act all self righteous whenever Tom Sr. or Samantha speak. They are just saying what we, DM commentors, have been saying since this whole thing started and being her fam, they know her best.
Does your melba recipe use peaches or another fruit? Maybe I can find it for you if you give me a little more info. I love searching things out online.
Here's to our Bellinis! Cheers!
@Bluebell, Thanks for speaking up. Those kinds of comments are not what this blog is about.
In her astrology chart, the planetoid Eris sits right on her Midheaven. The Midheaven is the most public point in the chart and rules fame, reputation and success.
Despite her aspirations, she will most likely be remembered mostly for being the audacious trouble-maker who launched the war of the Windsors...
All, I hope it is ok if I go off topic a little bit, the bushfires here aregettigvery close, southern suburbs have to evacuate and I don't mind admitting I am properly scared. :(