So much going on in the world of the Sussexes! Removal of patronages, upcoming interview with Oprah, and Prince Philip's admission to hospital. Here's a new post to discuss.
Recently there was (yet another) post somewhere out in the world about how they will soon divorce. And my first thought was: Haven't I heard this before? which moved quickly to: how many times have I heard this (through the years)? There were a number of questions raised which ... I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. One of the points which has been raised is that KC would somehow be shelling out beaucoup money to get her to go "away". That he has all this money stashed away and can pull it out at a moment's notice. But does he? He inherited a lot of "stuff" from his mother but ... isn't it a lot of tangible stuff like properties? and with that staff to maintain it and insurance. Inside said properties is art, antique furniture and other "old stuff" which may be valuable" but ... that kind of thing is subject to the whims and bank accounts of the rarified people who may be interested in it (which is not most of us in terms of bei
Comments
If this just about next in line wants to have another child, they will need to find a new surrogate as the one they have used previously, no longer wants any part of it.
Prince William/Kate Middleton
Oh yes, trying to smear the Cambridges is all too predictable.
Hide behind the sofa, Royals told
Most sound silly or slanted, basically like weak plants from Rachel with the Hotmail. And remember, Megs is the sort who accuses others of what she is actually doing herself. Ex: Megs batted her glue-globbed, bronzer-ringed eyes hungrily at William, then gave up and made up the Rose story. She did it! Rose did it! Not meeeeeeee!
Fearing the worst.
Yes, I have just seen a comment mentioning Nigel Farage, so it might well be about him.
Who knows though? I've seen PC look sad faced before but never teary eyed.
Hoping I'm wrong.
Charles is an emotional man, for a Royal, and this might be bringing some closure to their often fractious relationship. Bedside reconciliation? Or maybe Philip gave Chas an earful about his rogue kid.
Wishing all the best to PP—he’s got to make it to his 100th birthday and beyond. Cabbage needs him. We do not want to say goodbye either.
CDAN’s quick reveal is silly. Kate had HG and brought a lot of awareness to the condition. Now women that suffer are treated more efficiently.
Meghan really needs to stop trying to bend favor in the blinds. It’s getting frequent and annoying now, and completely transparent. They’re all going to get Markled, as well!
Ugh, I am not ready for a world without the DoE, and I am afraid HM won't last long after him. I still think it was Margaret dying that carried the QM off, even with her bad fall. I think she'd have had a few years left in her, but died of a broken heart.
If Harry is isolating at Mudslide Manor in case he has to fly back for PP's funeral, how did he tape the Oprah interview on Thursday? Was it done on Zoom? Because if it was filmed, Oprah, probably Gayle, the camera and sound people would be there, among others. That is not a quarantine.
It will be another slap in the face to the BRF if Harry waits until PP dies to go back to GB, and he just comes for the funeral. He should be there now to help his family, and to spend some time with his grandfather. Show some respect, Harry, or just some humanity.
Prince Philip has been a tough vital man and lively old buzzard all these years. More years than many! He reminds me of my 98-year-old grandmother, who was stubborn and lippy and flirting with her heart doctors all the way, and resurrecting like a Phoenix over and over. Always arriving home from hospital saying briskly, “Well, doctors are just doctors, poor things, now where’s my tea and newspaper?” A different generation than us with our obsessions over ten thousand ways to die.
In my opinion, we need to send Prince Philip more positive energy, not tears! Energy!
Celebrate his rowdy ways!
I think Charles drove 100 miles because Philip told him to get his pampered flannel bum there or he’d throw him out if succession. Then once there, Philip threw the nurses out, and yelled at Charles for 15 minutes. Phil gave him crackling hellfire for not dealing with Megs and Harry. He told Charles (just as a Nutty suggested earlier) that he is in hospital just to prove Haz has no loyalty and will burn Charles one day too on the orders of Megs. He demanded Charles support Angry Cabbage, period. And ordered Chuck to stop sending the Harkles money and Flake bars. He demanded that Chuck read all of Meg’s file, every page from the Yard, even the bits about her human naked pyramids with portly Saudi businessmen. Charles was shocked! And, Philip then ordered him (1) to tell the press Archie is a fake, and (2) to sign a document agreeing to never restore their titles once stripped by Cabbage. Never, you daft fool! Three, you will be King in name only but Anne, my great gel, chip off the old pile, will really run things, sign here! Finally, send the coppers to pick up the American tart, and send that traitor Harry to an Australian ranch camp until he’s bald or walks funny.”
💫 “When a man opens a car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife.” — Prince Philip 🎩
Didn't even Enty admit that he's not certain about his royal sources?
I'd give a CDAN blind about the Harkles, now that they're in California, a few minutes of my time; but anything on royals who live across the Atlantic, I have to take with a shipping container of salt.
Hopefully PP will pull through this and level out.
Two things that would help him appear to be more dignified:
I wish Misha would sit up straight, rather than slumping in his chair like he's half-asleep or drunk. Secondly, and probably more importantly, is to STOP SCRATCHING YOURSELF when on camera. It is very unappetizing to watch a grown man scratch himself all over his body. It drives me nuts.
Those Oxford shirts that Lady C so admires on him look like he's growing breasts because he slumps in his chair. Even the best shirt will look horrible if you have bad posture, showing gaps between the buttons.
Also, he seems to have a very superior attitude toward others, and sometimes displays an unsavory sneer when discussing the common folk. If he's planning a career in hospitality, he'd better erase that sneer quickly.
If I met him in a bar, I'd think he was a used car salesman. To me, he comes off as being somewhat sleazy and very affected in his presentation of himself as a superior human being among the peasants. He really knows so little about the world, despite his travels.
Now, can somebody explain why he's wearing a plastic headband? Is that an "in" thing with the younger set for men?
I love lady C, but I wish the prince would come back as her side-kick. He had the manners and bearing of an aristocrat.
Charles always looks slow slightly teary-eyed to me. I’m hoping that his appearance at the hospital was due to being summoned by Phillip for a dressing down, and not a signal that Phillip is failing.
It’s so often true that long-married couples die with him a year of each other. I’d hate to see that happen. The Queen is still very much needed. Long live the Queen!
I also worry that HMTQ will go shortly after PP. He, as she has said, is her rock.
1)I think Charles drove 100 miles because Philip told him to get his pampered flannel bum there or he’d throw him out if succession. Then once there, Philip threw the nurses out, and yelled at Charles for 15 minutes. Phil gave him crackling hellfire for not dealing with Megs and Harry. He told Charles (just as a Nutty suggested earlier) that he is in hospital just to prove Haz has no loyalty and will burn Charles one day too on the orders of Megs. He demanded Charles support Angry Cabbage, period. And ordered Chuck to stop sending the Harkles money and Flake bars. He demanded that Chuck read all of Meg’s file, every page from the Yard, even the bits about her human naked pyramids with portly Saudi businessmen. Charles was shocked! And, Philip then ordered him (1) to tell the press Archie is a fake, and (2) to sign a document agreeing to never restore their titles once stripped by Cabbage. Never, you daft fool! Three, you will be King in name only but Anne, my great gel, chip off the old pile, will really run things, sign here! Finally, send the coppers to pick up the American tart, and send that traitor Harry to an Australian ranch camp until he’s bald or walks funny.”
2)💫 “When a man opens a car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife.” — Prince Philip 🎩
1)Oh I hope so! ( and it did cross my mind)
2)Just choked on my wine.
3)Refilled my glass and raised it to the'Iron Duke'in the sincere hope that 'an abundance of caution'will see him calebrate his 100th birthday.
He demanded Charles support Angry Cabbage, period. And ordered Chuck to stop sending the Harkles money and Flake bars. He demanded that Chuck read all of Meg’s file, every page from the Yard, even the bits about her human naked pyramids with portly Saudi businessmen. Charles was shocked! And, Philip then ordered him (1) to tell the press Archie is a fake, and (2) to sign a document agreeing to never restore their titles once stripped by Cabbage. Never, you daft fool! Three, you will be King in name only but Anne, my great gel, chip off the old pile, will really run things, sign here! Finally, send the coppers to pick up the American tart, and send that traitor Harry to an Australian ranch camp until he’s bald or walks funny.”
ROFL! Angry Cabbage!
Overheard in Whitehall: "Deploying Angry Cabbage in 5 . . .4 . . .3 . . 2 . . Stand back everybody, she's ready to blow! . .and 1 . . ! BOOM!
Yes, Anne should be the Queen. Maybe there will be a coup, fully supported by William.
Unbelievable!
One paragraph states:
'The interview promises to deliver the most explosive revelations about the royals since Princess Diana lifted the lid in 1995, with the pair set to reveal exactly why they decided to turn their backs on the family and the UK more widely.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9281963/Meghan-believes-Oprah-interview-loudest-way-shell-voice-back.html
I'm not sure the Queen has finished with them - any more shenanigans and the titles might well go. She did say she had no plans to remove them but maybe that's for now. Who knows if at a later date she won't reconsider.
I’m imagining that Phillip was telling Charles that ‘that woman’ is not allowed at his funeral, should he happen to pass away.
Charles always looks slow slightly teary-eyed to me. I’m hoping that his appearance at the hospital was due to being summoned by Phillip for a dressing down, and not a signal that Phillip is failing.
It’s so often true that long-married couples die with him a year of each other. I’d hate to see that happen. The Queen is still very much needed. Long live the Queen!
I would think that PP wouldn't want Harry there; if he treated him with that much disrespect while he was alive and couldn't even be bothered with PP's military obligations, why would PP want him there after he was dead? If upset with Harry is what caused PPs illness, I hope HRM is busily revising HER will to cut the craptastic clingers out completely.
I'm not a Misha fan, either. My assumption has always been that he was the one setting up the tech, so his kind-hearted mother decided to let him share the spotlight as well.
@Maneki Neko
If the Oprah interview "promises to deliver the most explosive revelations about the royals since Princess Diana lifted the lid in 1995", then the Harkles are digging themselves into an even bigger hole. They cannot see they're making their situation worse.
Agreed! I have to wonder what they were thinking. Did the stripping of the patronages and the military honors come first, making the interview a reaction to that? If so, how can they be so sure the Dukedom won't go next? Someone in the previous thread mentioned that stripping Diana of her HRH was seen as petty and vindictive, which likely influences the tolerance the Harkles seem to be getting. But there are only so many lines one can cross.
On the other hand, whenever I'm bewildered because I can't see the Harkles' long-term plan, I have to be reminded that perhaps they don't have one. They have impulsive decisions and the belief that everyone else around them will let them have their cake and eat it, too.
So far, everything indicates that the interview will air. I can imagine that Oprah is rubbing her hands together in delight at what promises to be her biggest ratings bonanza in a decade.
As to the Kissinger comment about Annenberg & Prince Charles, I wonder if Kissinger felt Charles might be suggestible & more easily manipulated than others in UK power circles. He was always looking for that angle. Ambassador to the UK has always been a big plum in American diplomacy, only going to huge donors, or those with real diplomatic chops. You might be able to guess which category Annenberg fell into.
how do you feel about all these patronages the royals have? It sounds like there is a major excess to me but then...........I'm in US.
Do all these sports teams actually "need" a royal patron? I just saw over 3000 groups have a royal as a patron.
Thanks for sharing the article.
Normally, an anonymous "friend" in an article about Meghan is Meghan herself. But this time, I wonder if it's Winfrey! (I still have her "You get a voice" speech in recent memory.) After all, she is a "person who knows the couple" and she has a lot to gain from stirring the pot now.
It's the "royal source" who says it's "time to hide behind the sofa at the palace" who might be Meghan! I can't think of any other "royal source" who would already know what Meghan could have said and think it could cause any damage.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/19/prince-philip-set-to-remain-in-hospital-into-next-week
The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to remain in hospital for “observation and rest” into next week, sources have said.
Prince Philip was admitted to King Edward VII’s hospital on Tuesday evening after feeling unwell and walked unaided into the medical centre.
The duke, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on 10 June, was a non-emergency admission for an undisclosed reason. It is not coronavirus related.
Prince Philip to spend third night in hospital for 'observation and rest'
Read more
Sources told PA: “Following consultation with his doctor, the Duke of Edinburgh is likely to remain in hospital for observation and rest over the weekend and into next week. As we have said previously the doctor is acting with an abundance of caution. The duke remains in good spirits.”
Oh, dear, SwampMan corrected me. He said she's a SKANKY lying 'ho. A regular 'ho at least performs a needed service.
I'm struck by how the 'never explain, never complain' tactics of the RF has allowed Megs to build an alternate reality for her sugars, such as they are. According to Megs, the Harkles are this golden couple, who worked tirelessly for the greater good in their brief stint as working royals, but were tragically chased out of the UK by the evil racist Brits. Her stans seem to have a mad fantasy of the Cambridges dematerializing in some mysterious way, so that Megs & plastic 'Archie' can rule as King & Queen Regent. Hegs would be given a gardening job, like the last emperor of China had, since Hegs is a bit, you know, doolally. I become very nervous when UK reporters keep mentioning that if something happens to Charles and William, Harry will be regent for Prince George. Hope the slow moving palace can do something about that.
I like to think Prince William was able to put safeguards in place years ago. If he wouldn't even let his brother, who was supposedly so great with children, to be photographed playing with George, Charlotte and Louis, then he must have known something serious was up a long time ago.
the Oprah Winfrey interview will reveal nothing worth learning
that even if it were juicy which it won't be is only at best hearsay evidence at two removes
that it will not attract a large American audience
once broadcast Markle will return to comparative anonymity
Meghan Markle is a poor man's Kim Kardashian (Mrs West) and at least her husband is both independently rich and so I gather a leader in his field and a distinguished former Presidential hopeful and thus an American and not some limey chancer or interloper.
Is their positive PR working against them? Only those who know what a train wreck they are would care to watch the interview -- and they'd watch just to roll their eyes. Everyone who believes that they're "thriving" with Netflix, Spotify, and CBS probably won't see why they need to be interviewed by the queen of grievances.
I guess British royal scandals still draw readers and viewers. It's the promise of learning something about Elizabeth, Philip, Charles, Camilla, William, Catherine and even Andrew (in short: everyone but Meghan) that is driving all the hype so far.
The way they've behaved, you just know that the Sussexes would have raised an army in an attempt to gain the Throne for themselves if that option were still on the table.
However, given their ineptitude, it would have fallen apart and they'd have ended up in the Tower.
...but serious, remember that the Palace has very publicly said that Queen has no plans to remove the titles because it makes her look vindictive, that's not an absolute statement.
It gives the media enough room to make the case for her publicly so that if or when she moves to do it, it will be applause all round. Just as she did the titles and patronages.
And the media have duly risen to the occasion. I've never seen so many op-eds and think pieces on the subject of removing their titles and from the line of succession. All by reputable people.
The line repeated often is that Harry could be Regent, and appalling prospect and absolutely no one want Meghan to become Queen consort or benefit from his Regency in any way.
I even saw a tweet from a reputable biographer that at best Harry would only be welcomed back without Meghan in his life which Omid responded by calling the thought expressed mean and got a reply that biographer was only repeating what he'd been told.
The Palace has nothing to fear from the Oprah interview. The history of confessional royal interviews on TV is littered with catastrophe and failure. Plus Meghan and Harry have failed at any projects designed to tell their story. If anything it makes matters worse every time and they are despised more than before.
Meghan using PR to threaten the palace with the Oprah interview will only backfire on her because at best no one will care and she'll have no cards left to play and at worst they will force The Queen's hand to follow through on stripping them completely.
We frequently point to parliament as the body to do the stripping, but if The Queen wills it to be done, it will. This is how Charles and Diana got divorced so fast in 1995/6 after centuries of Parliament refusing to allow the heir or monarch to divorce using constitutional arguments to block any attempts.
Or for that matter pushing through the abdication 1936 in less than two weeks despite needing the consent and agreement of all the parliaments plus the senior Bishops of the church across the Empire at a time when information and mail didn't travel so fast across the globe.
I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one. He gives me the heebie-jeebies. Have you seen the reality TV show he was on? I think that's the real Misha. It was about a group of very wealthy (well, their parents were)20-30-somethings living together in a mansion. Misha was the wild party guy, a jokester.
The other young men on the show were far more sophisticated.
There has been much back & forth about the titles. There was one past poster here who insisted that it would take an Act of Parliament to take them away, but it seems to me that Queen can scribble something down on paper, & slam, bang, thank you ma'am, titles & status appears or disappears. That's what she did to put Charlotte's status on a par with her brothers, & that's how she gave the Sussex pair their titles.I read something recently which claimed Parliament. or the Privy Council, doesn't want to get involved in titles & will leave it to the Queen. Wet Charles might quibble over his second son being taken down a peg, but more hard hearted spirits might prevail.
I would hope PP could pass away at home under hospice care, if he is at that point, instead of in hospital. I hope he is not at that point, though. Am pulling for him and hope he makes 100. They sure don't make them like him anymore.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9282203/Meghan-Harry-blindsided-Queen-Oprah-interview.html
"Prince Harry did not inform the Queen about the 'tell-all' interview he and Meghan are to give to Oprah Winfrey, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Her Majesty was 'blindsided' last week when it emerged that the Duchess of Sussex and her husband had agreed to talk to the American chat show host.
She learned of it only when US TV network CBS hurriedly issued a statement on Monday after a producer working for Ms Winfrey mistakenly alerted ITV to the project."
I see that Charles visited his father today and that Prince Philip seems to be ok. Prayers and Best Wishes to the Duke of Edinburgh. He must be excited over his latest great-grandchild!
Ok, I'll just say it about Prince Philip, to me, he's the hottie in the Windsor family, even though he's my late father's age.LOL. I hope he makes it to his 100th B-day. I know the Queen will feel his loss deeply. Charles did look a bit weepy leaving the hospital. He's a sensitive guy, although it probably makes some want to give him a swift kick in the pants.
Jen, looks like all the UK papers are
joining forces to come out and slap ‘em!
They are forcing the issue, BP has to listen,
and act! Otherwise media war on the RF?
.................
@Magatha
All hail the press!
Did you see the many articles for today?
@Swampwoman said:
Oh, dear, SwampMan corrected me. He said she's a SKANKY lying 'ho
The first time I ever heard the words skank/skanky was from my kids and their peers when they were young teenagers and I honestly thought it was a word(s) that had evolved from their generation and was predominantly British.
So they did get this from across the pond? 😄
So much has happened since the Sussexes announced baby no. 2. Maybe I missed it but did the BRF tweet or make any statements about the new Sussex baby. I am probably wrong but I feel like the baby announcement not the Oprah interview was the catalyst for the BRF cutting almost all ties on Friday.
.............
I agree Charade.
There was only a simple message wishing them the best if I recall correctly.
And there were rumblings of discontent after the announcement.
In addition, we started to hear that the palace wanted the suit to go to trial...
It was one thing right after the other in rapid succession - SJ decision, baby, Oprah
You are performing a service to humanity;-)
.
"“Loudest way to get her voice back”
“A voice within in THE ROYAL FAMILY wasn’t enough” - the f@%$# audacity.
B*&%t, you never had a voice to begin with. Who the F*ck are you? Your only real accomplishment in life is tricking a prince with the IQ of a peanut to marry you and pretending to b%$# some guy in a car on film for money. "
.
I am hoping that after this interview with Oompa Loompa the DM, The Sun, all the dailies really let rip on this odious pair. If the press and the public get very angry and really push for the titles to be stripped I think then that HRM may just honour that request.
.
https://twitter.com/RoyalReporter/status/1361055578999652354
“Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the entire family are delighted and wish them well.”
Jen, so many articles/comments!
Fabulous Fleet Sheete Flood! 🙏
I just picked out bits and pieces:
"Oprah Winfrey spent two days interviewing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before their parting shot at Buckingham Palace - and 'gained a unique insight into the rift', it was claimed last night.
The prime-time discussion, which controversially 'blindsided' the Queen after her grandson chose not to inform her of the sit-down 'tell all', will make 'pure gold' when it airs next month, aides told the Sun.
The chat show host prepared for the interview at her home in Hawaii before flying into California, where she also owns a second property a short drive from the couple, on her £50million private jet.
...Oprah, who attended the Sussexes' wedding and has been a firm supporter of their decision to leave Britain, was with the couple just hours before they released their statement, having filmed the discussion on Wednesday and Thursday.
...The interview with Oprah is due to be aired on Sunday March 7, and a person close to the Sussexes told the Sunday Times last night that Meghan believes the prime-time broadcast gives her the 'loudest way she'll get her voice back'.
Another source told the Sun: 'The pair are clearly very close to Oprah and the fact she's been with them at such an intense time has given her a unique insight into the rift with the royals.
'The drama of last week means that Oprah's tell-all show will be pure gold. It's time to hide behind the sofa for the other royals.'
...She is highlighted as the star of the show, with CBS, the American network broadcasting the special in the States, billing Harry as something of a support act."
As for the BRF's stance about wanting the four witnesses to go to court, I don't believe it. The BRF hates making waves and negative press. It's also a bad look for the BRF to be pulling strings in the courts on a critical perhaps transformative legal matter for the self-serving Sussexes.
This new development sounds like damage control and them achieving a win-win scenario. They got the case closed and no more damaging press. Then they claim they wanted justice and they are beyond reproach when it comes to their involvement with the courts and the Sussexes.
I retain my opinion that Warby might be cut from Harkle shyster cloth after all, and on the same paid-to-play team. Media silencing, useful in the future perhaps for further changes to come. He snatched up a promotion, calmly shamed his court and smudged his reputation to satisfy the demands of a low-priced troublesome yacht girl who got around a lot, and doesn’t work but has millions coming of her ears while plotting, in all seriousness, her Presidential path. Do the math.
Anyway, Harry Markle makes good points about the case and why is decision was a wrong one, and why it sets a dangerous precedent.
To deny Thomas Markle and four royal staffers the right to provide defense in such an odd public case is bizarre. And to brush aside impact of FF and Scobie’s taped admission after allowing legal teams time (at high cost) to prepare for the admission of FF, tells me something strange is afoot. The mere perception that Megs had her private boohoo with a judge and batted her eyes and got him to delay then rule in her favor is outrageous. It makes the public fume about two kinds of law, and even shocks the BRF?
Something else is at play here, in my opinion.
The fact she wiggles out of providing evidence is outrageous as well. That also looks extremely bad for the court system, and this judge. It set another precedent. I hear several barristers feel it sullies the reputation of their field, weighs on future cases, and the whole mess is said to be the subject of private conversation among some judges.
It wasn’t just a win for the smug invincible Megs, it was a wrench tossed into a system by a newbie, with serious repercussions.
My contact I have mentioned pronounced W a “wet little b******” back in Dec — but still says sit tight, there is more to come. I am wondering yet again who benefits if a judge makes the royals look above the law. Make the sitting BRF look bad is the current sport by some group. But in this case I think the blowback will hit only Warby and Harry. Depends what Oprah does, and if she is part of the Sussex Elevation game.
Universal Pseudios
The Fleet street uprising
Is hardly surprising
Megs in-service tricks, universal
The press hounds of hell
Will print her death knell
As we savour her fortunes, reversal
🤮🤢🤮
Caitlin Moran’s Celebrity Watch: Harry and Meghan’s ‘Daddy or chips’ moment
Surely everyone knows you never make the kids choose
If your business had enjoyed a total monopoly for more than 1,200 years, and was — as a fairly inevitable consequence — astonishingly successful, would you suddenly, in a fit of pique, force a rival brand to start up business, with maximum global publicity? Especially if your business was soon due to be taken over by a new, elderly CEO with a decidedly “meh” public approval rating — while your rival was headed up by two of the hottest celebrities in the world, who cause headlines wherever they go?🤮🤢🤮
This is, essentially, the position the British royal family has put itself in with the news that Buckingham Palace is to strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of all their royal appointments and patronages. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s status has apparently been “under review” during the year they relocated to America — and a forthcoming TV interview with Oprah Winfrey is alleged to be the last straw.
Due for the axe are Prince Harry’s patronages of the Rugby Football League, the Rugby Football Union, the London Marathon and the WellChild charity, while Meghan is up for losing her roles at the Mayhew Animal Welfare Charity, Smart Works, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the National Theatre.
“The Queen is expected to ask the couple to relinquish all links with organisations passed down through the royal family,” as the MailOnline put it — implying that the 94-year-old monarch imposed some kind of “It’s either me — or Oprah”-style ultimatum.
Well, the Sussexes chose Oprah. Who knows what it’s really like to spend time with the Queen — The Crown suggests that, even when she’s played by adorable Olivia Colman, it’s a pretty uptight affair, centred around wellington boots and stag massacre. But we know what it’s like to spend time with Winfrey: she’s got a massive house in Hawaii, loves a cocktail party, and in 2004 gave every audience member at her TV show a car. As a gift. It looks like the Queen had a “Daddy — or chips?” moment and the kids chose chips. Never make the kids choose between Daddy or chips. That’s 101.
And now the element of choice has been brought into the fray, the comparison and decisions have only just begun. Should the Queen “strip” the Sussexes of their royal patronages ? The organisations involved have two options. The first will be to accept whichever lower-wattage royal replacement Buckingham Palace throws at them — presumably Prince Edward, if he’s not busy being shunted up to Scotland, to stop what we might term “the Braveheart Situation”.
The second is to ask the Sussexes to stay on anyway, as patrons, in a non-royal capacity — figuring, correctly, that the couple will bring just as much awareness, publicity and glamour, whatever their “status”. Perhaps more — after all, freed from the constraints of royalty, Meghan can turn up in whatever tights she wants, say whatever she wants, and maybe bring a cool friend along, such as George Clooney or Serena Williams.
And herein the danger lies for the royal family: for by stripping the Sussexes of all their royalness, they will reveal that . . . none of it matters any more. Meghan and Harry will still be just as much in demand — from charities, by the media, and at public events. But now — in a totally avoidable situation — they’re a rival patronage facility to the royals. The monopoly has been broken. The state-subsidised British monarchy has just opened itself up to market forces, for the first time in centuries, against a product flogged by Oprah Winfrey. I don’t want to overstate this, but I think this is even bigger than when the BBC let Ant & Dec leave for ITV.
Personal Services
A life on her knees
From the madam of sleaze
Is the only service she knows
As the spit turns
And despite carpet burns
Serves herself right, there she blows
I hope I didn't cause any confusion.😁
@Maneki
Thanks for letting me know about that LSA link and for reposting a proper one.😁
My deepest gratitude as well to those of you who post articles from various sources; even with an ad blocker, my internet cannot handle the DM, especially. Your time and efforts are very much appreciated!
Interesting thought about this being Oprah’s revenge. Never thought of that, She is a narcissist after all, so, yes, it might be her get-even moment. Now I am intrigued.
@JennS,
I read the Times piece you posted a couple of times (and thank you for taking the time to post it).
I keep feeling like it sounds childish and ridiculous. The “oooh, better hide behind the sofa” bit, and the excessive gassing about how this is it, the big boom, and it will be loud and shocking! Talk about sounding like a cheap tawdry tabloid.
In my mind, the BRF are sitting pretty, and I hope they know that. Oprah is ancient history. Americans have very serious problems and issues to deal with, there is a backlash against celeb culture, and listening to smug gold digging fake screech that palace life was no fun is going to leave people cold. Megs is at best a hectoring bore, with a manic laugh and distracting denture issues. She is too old, too used up and too angrily brittle to play poor young tearful princess.
People are dying in Texas, thousands died in NY nursing homes, Americans are losing homes and jobs, fleeing cities and states, division is high, and children missed a year of education, but these two rich smug chorteling nitwits from the 1990s think Megs’ need to be heard loudly is going to matter.
This 40-year-old, yacht-toughened faux feminist z-lister, whining about how Catherine didn’t call her up, sniffing to loud pushy rich lady Oprah is going to move the hearts of who? It is a joke, but these two revolting, spoiled narcissists won’t know it. It will be the deadly engagement interview all over again except worse, because lots of people already think she is trouble, a greedy resentful nobody who threw it all neutered the funny prince, and complains a lot. They would only watch to mock her and Oprah at this point.
Finally, I think it will be Harry hiding behind the sofa. His unappealing mad-eyed wife lashing out at the beloved old granny queen with the sick or dying husband, and a brother with young family, is going to have one effect. No matter what she says, people will think she is a bitch, and pity the royals, and think Harry was an arse to marry her, and that he is a jerk who needs to be punched for being a d*** to Granny.
Once Megs is done shooting flames and spewing secrets, and the press comments roll in, the Harkles will be radioactive in Hollywood.
And if it is bad enough, mean enough, this will be the moment nice people from her past finally think enough is enough, and start spilling all they know about this possible 43-year-old, thrice-married granny beater who never has diapers or baby supplies delivered to Mudslide Manor.
At best, America has been overloaded with too many repellent Real Housewives dripping with greed, who also rant and scream and pose. The saturated public will, in my opinion, view Megs as just one more hungry, ridiculous, botoxed fast-talking future divorcee in a silly wig and click past.
In my opinion, the BRF has nothing to worry about, and should concentrate on what matters: Philip and August.
https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/whats-new/posts/11682297/
"hottest celebrities in the world" ?! My God, really? That has to have been a paid endorsement. Possibly in the finest Cali weed, because who could possibly think that?
.............
Wasn't that indeed vomit-inducing? I don't think it was a paid ad though. It was actually part of a much longer article that snarked on a number of celebs/royals/situations with the Sussexes being the main portion. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who do not follow the story very closely and see them as very exciting, romantic, or as victims, and many also still like (the old) Harry.
Here is another part of that snarky article that is royal related!:
"This week, the nappy brand Pampers gave us an unusual lesson in how you can be so ardently royalist that you accidentally become a republican, by mistake. How? Well, to celebrate the latest royal birth — a son, to Princess Eugenie — Pampers took out a full-page advert in OK! that we might best describe as “slightly toadying” that read: “PAMPERS: the loyal subject of every baby.”
The intent, I’m sure, was to imply a cosy, brand-aware combination of “Maybe the royal baby wears Pampers?”, “Every baby feels like a little prince or princess to their parents,” and “Pampers is here to serve every bottom.”
However, if you break the sentence down literally, it’s saying that nappies are like peasants and babies’ bums represent the royal family. And when one considers what a baby’s bum does to a nappy, suddenly, this looks like copy written by a furious Robespierre."
A senior CBS source said they taped “charming” footage of Archie. “We’ve only seen glimpses of him so far, so viewers are going to be delighted.” In other words, she is “serving him on a platter” for media attention after all. Privacy!
....and M will use the interview to “launch her liberal manifesto” for politics. She wants a big political career! Send donations now, sugars!
Imagine that. A Suitcase girl Z-lister from Canadian cable tv with a manifesto. Meghan’s Manifesto! Dance, Snarchie, dance!
Viewers will last about eleven of the ninety minutes.
Prince Philip & Fergie
Chuck & Oprah
Oprah & Fergie
Prince Philip & Fergie AFTER Oprah
Oprah & Markles
Prince Philip & Markles & back to Oprah
I pray he pulls through & it's more like the image I posted earlier. I cannot imagine Prince Philip not being stressed considering results of past TV interviews of royal family members. Those fool's better start praying he comes home. I fear for the Queen if the worse happens.
Baby Krakens are now loose. Much bigger Krakens at the ready. The biggest Krakens are at the ready.
@Ant, I agree with you re the tooth sucking, wig wearing vampire that is Megs. I see where the Daily Express says she will be releasing her manifesto (political) during the Oprah interview. God, no wonder the show will be 90 minutes.
If you look at the UK DM, all things Royal and Royale at top of the page.
On the US DM, let's see: Boeing jet engine failure, politician's wife returns to Texas, hostage Brittany, Ivanka reads a book in Miami, TN man gets sent back to Germany for being a Nazi. All this and more before you even get to Manifesto Megs and Hostage Hairy.
I think O and M are both dreaming.
Lol! “...copy written by a furious Robespierre”!
When I came across the articles today, the Times above (thanks Jenn) and other placements about Oprah’s *interview was only hooooours* before the BRF patronage’s release, Meghan *finally has the voice she didn’t in the BRF*, all I could think of was, “And?”. Why should anyone care what this delusional drama Queen thinks?! She married into extreme wealth and all she wanted was a *voice*? Yeah, right. She wanted No Rules. Completely different issue.
So while the PR HYPE and sympathy train will continue, in the midst of Covid-19 and other weather disasters/crises, over 18 MONTHS after these grown adults QUIT their job and left...why would anyone care?? The fact is, she is self absorbed and it is beyond obvious to even a passerby paper reader now. Again, all I’m thinking is I’m not alone in looking at the coverage and going,
“And?”
A woman who married into money and the conservative BRF is going to keep trying to convince us she is a feminist liberal? LOL, good luck.
We all know she spouts platitudes of the day, spouts thebuzzwords, and is ever so kind, and deserving of kindness.
In addition to being an abysmal conversationalist, she has done absolutely nothing. Not a single thing worthy of note..towards anyone other than herself. How her world salads are tolerated, blows my mind.
The RF possess dignity. It is this, I believe, that is their mystique. Markle is far less than a hostess at a restaurant who,pretends to have manners. She cannot even pretend. I don’t believe she recognizes dignity, morality, hard work, devotion...
She believes solely in herself. I believe she is evil.
Thank you for posting the Express article. I agree with your comments, and you raise an interesting point about her possibly violating a past royal NDA or privacy agreement. I wonder if they had they foresight to make her sign one, or would she have refused and screamed at them about it. Knowing even back then she planned to spill everything she could about the BRF for cash, she probably signed nothing.
@Constant Gardener,
Yes, you are probably right - they won’t want to risk the child actor not knowing them, so would film him on his own, maybe even at another location....maybe they rented time at the mansion for that Wendy House! how big will he be? I expect a four-year-old speaking fluent French, or filmed at an enormous distance in a red wig.
Just bring in a few talking heads (journos, diplomatic experts or Lady C) about the misadventures of Meghan abroad from disrespecting royal families in other nations to making women sit on the floor while getting second hand baby clothes and the laying of kitchen wreaths in foreign cemeteries.
It would lend credence to taking away patronages and perhaps titles and highlight the utter fantasy world of Manifesto Megs.
Since Meg thinks she is Diana, I predict that she will wear the same clothes and colors as Diana wore for her Andrew Morton interview. She'll also try to use Diana's facial expressions and gestures.
What really gripes me at Orpah about this interview is the biased, sloppy, one sided, hack this will be if she doesn't give BP a respectable chance to tell their side of the story, be it through press release, spokesperson, etc. But what else can we expect with someone saying stupid threats ahead of time like "hide behind the sofa" royals. So immature.
Some of us who can stomach watching such a narcissist gorging herself on super sized supply might want to use a clicker counter to count how many times Megs says, I and Me throughout.
I sometimes wonder what I would do if I was queen. I would probably go full on Popeye and say "I've had all I can stanz and I can't stanz no more!" eat my spinach and expose that selfish cow by revealing when and how I found out about the fake baby/surrogate. I'd just nuke her with that truth. Then I'd take away funding and strong hints that titles will be removed. Hold that over their heads like the Sword of Damocles if they make one more threat in word or deed against anyone in the royal family ever again.
Yes, this is the time for those times of shows to hit our screens. I think Piers would be great. He is loud and not afraid of using his voice.
As we have seen already, Manifesto Megs has already trotted out some friend to clarify their statements. How many more friends can they find to do their bidding--especially in Hollywood. Perhaps, Messica will suddenly be brought in from the wilderness.
Regarding the so-called "not being paid for the interview" schtick, as they say in Hollywood. No, indeed, the Harkles will not get paid for the interview BUT they have no doubt received a very handsome payment for the video of Archie, for using their house as a set, for the Oprah to have a parking spot.
During the interview, they'll insist they didn't receive a penny for the interview, but just want their story told. So they're not lying, but the truth is they will have negotiated millions for the interview.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-9282159/SARAH-VINE-laughable-lecture-Queen-duty-wrote-book.html
"The idea that jumping on the occasional Zoom call, spouting empty platitudes to galleries of carefully vetted star-struck onlookers or issuing lofty statements to social media constitutes ‘duty and service’ is, quite honestly, laughable."
As we have seen already, Manifesto Megs has already trotted out some friend to clarify their statements. How many more friends can they find to do their bidding--especially in Hollywood. Perhaps, Messica will suddenly be brought in from the wilderness.
.................
Oh I missed this - where did you see their friends speaking for them and who was it?
Unless you are referring to past examples like the People article? Did any friends speak out recently in light of the trio of bombs dropped: SJ decision/Pregnancy/Oprah?
And I bet she lies under oath.
There are Liars, Damn' Liars and Pathological Liars.
Love all of the hairy Harrys!
The friend, an old army buddy of Hairy. DM headline "Harry and Meghan's friend claims 'service is universal' parting shot at the Queen was 'taken out of context' and says Megxit will allow the pair to do more charity work."
What Charity work couldn’t she do in the BRF? She was pregnant and on mat leave for at least 15 out of the 18 months she was apart of the Firm.
What else could she have done?
She’s so full of BS. Another thing, for someone who hates not having her own voice why have so many people speak for her? Who are these losers? Let the woman speak for herself to the papers. I can’t imagine getting the call... “hey jessica, it’s Megs, could you call DM and tell them you are a source who knows things about me, make sure to say XYZ and stick up for me please. My agent will send you the talking points. Thaaaanks!”
Does anyone have any guesses as to what he is getting out of his current life? I don't see any positives whatsoever!!
-His wife is a monster and even if he doesn't fully realize this, he must feel the sting of her scorn and derision and all of the other horrors that whirl within her.
-Are his children real? If so why does he not show his love of his first child with a handful of engagements - father and son? Surely that would not have been too difficult to do since he was born nearly 2 years ago. Unless of course, he doesn't exist.
-His wife still wants a life in the public so he will not have escaped that goldfish bowl.
-He MUST have feelings for his family. How can he stand to ghost them unless she has manipulated him? His grandfather is in the hospital at age 99. What is wrong with this guy? I don't believe he was callous like this before MM.
-He's lost all his lifelong friends. Who is his friend in CA? He is never seen. If HotRob can't find him other than a brief glimpse at a traffic light, then Harry is not around. Where is he?
-I'm sure the RF could have carved out a role for him sharing time between England and Africa. He didn't need this succubus to redefine his life within the RF.
-How much more money could he possibly need? I'm sure he had plenty to be happy with prior to MM. WHY does he suddenly need to have a life of PAID service?
-How can he stand to have lost his identity to a succubus? Everything is all about MM and what SHE wants. And how can he face anyone after losing his masculinity to the vile one?
..............
Regarding the interview:
Knowing MM I don't find it surprising that she is taking center stage and not allowing her husband to come on camera until later in the show.
But I do find it odd that this is acceptable and desirable to everyone else including Oprah and CBS. Harry is the ROYAL and the real draw. Why is he billed as a second act?
I think Meghan tells Harry that Charles didn’t treat Diana right and put her on the protective pedestal she deserved. He *let* Diana be manipulated by the media, disregard protection officers, and flail around until her death (caused by the media). Diana would be alive if your dad protected her, as all good husbands do for their wives. I would know, I’ve been married three times. Could you imagine William treating Kate that way? No! Therefor you do everything I need forever. Repeat after me, “what Meghan wants, Meghan gets.” Diana 2.0.
That’s the only explanation I have for Harry’s desperation around this woman. She constantly compares Archie to baby Harry and herself to Diana. She is soulless so she has to narrate for Harry to make him *feel* like what he is doing is normal and worthy. I’ve pegged Harry as an ISFP. They tend to be in their own world, focused on themselves, loyal to their lovers or when they find *the one*, and you guessed it- easily strayed and manipulated.
My own husband is an English ISFP, and his sister has MM’s personality, so I’ve seen this up close and can see how Harry went off the deep end for someone he felt he cared for who is an expert manipulative shrew. My life has actually been led astray before when the two of them got together and she started calling the shots. Luckily, I’m not an idiot. :) MM’s just can’t help themselves if they are values/morally/or ethically compromised. They will always say they are taking the actions IN the Victim’s best interest.
I think Harry chalks up her social faux pax’s and idiosyncrasies to ‘Americanisms’ I.e he’s not paying attention, doesn’t have the attention span, and doesn’t care how she behaves, and is culturally unaware of the gap between them, so goes along with it.
I hope Harry is met with flying angry cabbages - rotten skanky stinky loud cabbages- when/if he dares show his smirking face in England. His growing bald head makes a wonderful target.
Both 60 minutes and Oprah have lost American interest and ratings. More people will be watching the 90 day fiancé show on TLC than the Meg show. How ridiculous to start the show with loud Meg word salad followed by a former royal puppet show. Harry speaking alone would draw better ratings.
I hope some enterprising soul got DNA samples from M, H and “Archie”. THAT is a story I would watch.
Meghan seems to alienate people wherever she goes. LA is full of greedy people with tabloids on speed dial. Someone will dish some dirt on the soon to be former duchess eventually.
Perhaps William’s friends at M16 may spring a few well timed leaks as well.
* The Duke of Cambridge has been 'shocked and saddened' at his brother's behaviour towards the monarch the sources told the Sunday Times
* They said William believed the Sussexes statement was 'petulant and insulting to the Queen'.
* The Queen 'blindsided' by the Sussexes' interview with the US talk show host, which has already been filmed
* It also emerged that Oprah was with the couple immediately before they responded to monarch's statement
* The host took her £50m Gulfstream jet to Santa Barbara, where she owns a home a short drive from the pair
Prince William was left furious and saddened by Meghan and Harry's parting shot at the Queen and believes the couples' final statement was 'insulting, disrespectful and petulant', it was claimed last night.
The Duke of Cambridge has been 'shocked and saddened' at his brother's behaviour towards the monarch the sources told the Sunday Times - after Harry and Meghan were stripped of their royal patronages and Her Majesty suggested a 'life of public service' is not compatible with the couple's lucrative new career in America.
Courtiers and other members of the family were equally upset by the tone of the pair's response - released just minutes after the Queen's announcement - in which they argued 'service is universal'.
But the row has now placed even further strain on the relationship between the brothers, with some in the Palace claiming it is the most serious royal rift in decades.
As Prince Charles yesterday made a 200-mile round trip to be by poorly Prince Philip's hospital bedside, it was also claimed that billionaire chat show host Oprah Winfrey spent two days with the Sussexes last week filming their prime-time interview on Wednesday and Thursday last week.
She flew into California on her £50million private jet and was with the couple hours before they released their statement on Friday. Sources claimed to The Sun that the chat show host's 'intimate' access gave her a 'real insight' into the rift with the Royal family and they believe her interview to be broadcast on 7 March will be 'pure gold'
William, 38, has struggled to accept the concept of Megxit and now feels there is added pressure on him with Harry turning his back on the UK.
The Times sources said William believed the Sussexes statement was 'petulant and insulting to the Queen' and he was left 'really sad and genuinely shocked' and is 'very upset by what has happened'.
While other Royal sources said: 'Don't disrespect your granny, Harry' and 'You don't answer the Queen back — it's just not done.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9282531/Williams-fury-Meghan-Harrys-insulting-disrespectful-petulant-parting-shot.html
His titles are ironic and suitable, best royal trolling ever: Dumbarton & Sussex. It's brilliant.
If she removes them, then he will revert to Prince, and more importantly, Meghan will be entitled to use 'Princess Henry'. No farking way should that happen. Let them stay the Dumbartons and the Sussexes.
Article 1, part 1
Melanie McDonagh
Harry, Meghan and the nature of public service
Well, the ways have parted. That 12-month revision of the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for California (via Canada) has been expedited by, it would seem, the decision of the couple to share all with Oprah Winfrey. There was, according to the Mail’s well-informed Royal correspondent, Richard Kay, an hour-long conversation between Her Majesty and Harry, which ended with the sentiment: sorry, it’s in or out mate. Remarkably the two parties couldn’t even come up with a joint statement to give the illusion of amity.
The Queen’s statement is especially choice:
“
Following conversations with the Duke, the Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.
Responsibilities. Duties. A Life of Public Service. I think the dimmest of us can see that she’s drawing a comparison between all of those things and the life of her grandson and his wife in Los Angeles. And it was that, according to Kay, that meant Harry and his lovely wife ‘hit the roof’.
The reply came swiftly from California:
As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role. We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.
I don’t think HM is going to be terribly impressed by that bit about ‘their work last year’
Ooof. We get the message: that painful programme by the couple on Spotify to send out the message of the Archewell Foundation about being Kind and Nice and Mindful – that was service. The interview with Oprah, which I am keenly looking forward to, about the reasons why the couple felt compelled to leave – that’s service. Their video appearance to intervene to (all but) tell Americans to vote Democrat…that’s service. Really?
You know, I don’t think HM is going to be terribly impressed by that bit about ‘their work last year’. If anything, the record of this pair – who followed that extraordinary court case to keep correspondence between Meghan and her father out of the public domain, with the release of a picture of the two of them under a tree somewhere so that he could let us see his terrifically informal bare feet – has demonstrated how very wise it was to for HM to cut the connection altogether.
Service? I think in the context of the Royals, that means turning out for the occasional royal gala at the National Theatre in Meghan’s capacity as its patron. Or for Harry and the Marines, turning out for their commemorations in uniform. Not what you’d call demanding, but it meant a lot to the servicemen. Turns out you can’t do all that from California.
And then there were their roles in the Commonwealth. Harry and Meghan were president and vice-president respectively of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, while Meghan was patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. So, they’d have to do the occasional royal tour, like that one in South Africa before they bowed out, during which they were treated with respect and made welcome. How hard is it to smile, chat, say something kind to children, look interested when people tell you what they do? The Queen, it seems, went out of her way to try to show Meghan the ropes and make her feel welcome. That’s not exactly being frozen out, is it? Well, we’ll find out, when they bare their souls to that Titan of public service, Oprah Winfrey.
I was sent by some fatuous children’s publisher a children’s book about Meghan marrying into the Windsors at the time of the wedding which suggested that this heartwarming event was like a fairytale…the lovely girl and her prince etc etc. Well, Meghan has tapped into a newer trend in children’s publishing – giving a feminist take to the fuddy duddy old fairy tales – in the way she’s interpreted her role. It was she who has hauled an admittedly pretty dim prince onto her horse and taken him off to her own stamping ground, where royalty usefully enhances celebrity, amplified by global corporate promotion. The Queen may not know who Spotify is when it’s at home, but she is shrewd enough to see that her grandson is making himself look a bit of a fool. She may even, who knows, feel sorry for Thomas Markle who last week pleaded with his daughter to see his grandchildren.
Meanwhile, one can only hope that the rumours are true that it will be Princess Anne who takes over the honorary role with the Marines from her nephew; she lacks Meghan M’s loveliness and Prince Harry’s matiness, but she’d frighten the other side. I wouldn’t set too much store by the assurance that 'the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family' myself.
@Superfly
"The Queen will not remove their titles, for a simple and logical reason: Harry was born a Prince, and that can not be removed.".
Actually Queen Victoria removed the title of "Princess" from one of her own daughters, and instead bestowed the title of "Lady" upon her. I cannot remember the exact circumstances, but it had to do with the daughter I believe wanting to marry a commoner. It was done at the daughter's request, and was amicable.
Queen Victoria effected that change simply by issuing Letters Patent, i.e. simply writing a document and signing it.
If Harry has his title removed, he can always correctly state he is the son of the Prince of Wales, or (eventually) the son of the King, or the brother of the King. But he is not then entitled to claim the title of Prince once it has been taken from him.
The title of Prince is always in the gift of the Monarch, and can be removed by the Monarch.
Let's just put it this way: there is not 1 terrorist organisation on the planet, the BBC has not embraced enthusiastically and called 'freedom fighters'. Let's leave it here.
Article 2, part 1
Peter Hunt
The monarchy failed Harry and Meghan
It will be a saddened Prince Harry who will digest the verdict of much of the British media on the denouement to Megxit. In the eyes of most of those who write about the Windsors, the Queen is above reproach and the couple who exiled themselves are once again found wanting. Their West coast inspired talk of service being ‘universal’ is the latest entry on a charge sheet of sins they’ve committed against a venerated institution.
To Harry and Meghan’s critics – and they have plenty – the equation is simple. If millions of Netflix and Spotify dollars are pouring into your bank accounts, you can’t be opening fetes in Chipping Sodbury; not that such an opportunity was likely to have ever been high on their royal to do list.
This analysis is compelling but misses a painful element of the sorry saga. A family has rejected one of its own. The matriarch ensured all olive branches were severed from the Megxit tree.
The Windsors could and should have left the door ajar
When Megxit was first added to our lexicon, the Sussexes were naively seeking to have their cake and eat it. A year on, they were just looking for a few crumbs. None were offered.
As a family – dysfunctional as so many are – the Windsors could and should have left the door ajar. They could and should have facilitated a future where the couple would return for Trooping the Colour; Harry, who served his country, would lay a wreath on Remembrance Sunday each year; and they would continue to represent the Queen at some future Commonwealth events.
The royals are superb at making it up as they go along. When the Queen was at an engagement last year and clearly didn’t want to be seen wearing a mask, her officials came up with the wheeze of Covid testing all those she would encounter. Instead of doing the right thing – a head of state leading by example – they avoided a confrontation with a 94-year-old and opted for the easy option.
Despite abandoning his training as a Royal Marine, the institution has managed to find a uniform that fits, so Prince Edward can lay a wreath at the Cenotaph. While the family even changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor at the height of anti-German sentiment during the First World War.
The royals have shown that they can adapt and accommodate. They’ve chosen not to do so for someone who is a grandson, a son and a brother – someone who has been damaged by the ties that bind him. At the behest of his family, aged 12, Harry walked behind his mother’s coffin; something he once said ‘no child should be asked to do’.
The talk and the hope now in royal circles will be of moving on and consigning Megxit to the footnotes of royal history. They can’t see that future accounts will, I believe, record the Queen as having acted poorly when responding to a grandson who adores her. Mean spirited over magnanimous won the day. History will also reflect on how the painful lessons inflicted on the royals after Diana’s death have been forgotten. ‘Show us you care’ would be a fitting lament for Prince Harry.
The royals, and those who surround them, still can’t see what they have jettisoned. It will be on display when Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah is broadcast. The monarchy failed, in the 21st century, to embrace a woman of African American heritage. They have reverted to being white, predominately male (only three out of the first ten in the line of succession are female) and, as things stand, a tad stale.
Commenters are suggesting that Royal wives should immediately abort male feti so Mr Hunt can sleep in reassurance knowing that the succession will remain female Lol
Absolutely pathetic, wokist, race-baiting, low-IQ drivel. The melanin-genitalia-talk that I personally, have grown so tired of.
Me neither.
This at least, is my understanding as a Brit. I can be wrong, don't care either way, but it's much better who have dim Harry won around LA as Dumbarton. That's quality trolling. So simple, yet so brilliant.
It's not like Harry is asking the Queen to remove his title, and they are coming to an amicable agreement. I would imagine he'd throw the mother of all hissy fits if she'd so much suggest it.
And then of course, he'd have to face the stratospherically deranged Meghan...
Parliament can act and remove Harry from the line of succession. There have been thousands of letters written to MPs and BP requesting such action.
Harry has brought shame to the country, and I doubt they will allow it to continue in this day and age. They can make them regular people in America. I expect they intend to do so, so Meghan leaves him. He will then be welcomed back and William or Charles will rehab his image and help the kid(s).
Martha asks why she needs a loud voice. Indeed, but I'm asking why she even needs a voice, never mind a loud one. She never really had one but thought she had one (starting with the Unilever ad). She may have had a 'voice' with the Tig but it seems to me as if she is getting more and more delusional and unhinged. Being in the BRF with a wedding broadcast to the whole world definitely went to her head. Harry would never had done what he has without her but she is taking him down with her.
I wouldn't take her article seriously on the topic of the royals because she automatically and thoughtlessly takes the side of anyone giving them a hard time, no research needed.
That said, she's a card carrying old school feminist who has written many amazing books on the subject that i recommend. Based upon her books, she's intelligent, witty and good fun.
The Queen didn't give her that one tiara, Kate did not invite her to go shopping, Wills asked Harry not to rush into marriage, Lady so-and-so was cold, and British people such waycists, waa waa waa. All of this on steroids, but with no actual substance.
At the end of it all, they will have shown the world that they will do and say anything for money and fame and that they truly belong in Los Angeles, being instagram influencers. Their calling.
But I guess I'm expecting too much. My personal opinion of ten BRF, especially the Queen is that she's a very mediocre leader with great PR.
Meghan's coming into the BRF has shown me that it isn't as powerful and efficient as I used to think it is, if not, someone like Meghan should not be able to shit all over them like that. They would have also dealt the the Harry problem.
Just see how the Sussexes are disrespecting the Queen and the monarchy with no severe repercussions.
The US media has concluded that Britain is racist because Meghan said so and it's so sad that no MSM in the US have bothered to carry out an investigation into Meghan's life to know if what is written about her is true or not.
My opinion is that after the interview, the reputation of the monarchy will take a hit in the US especially because the media over their have already formed an opinion. To them, Meghan is a harmless biracial woman that was hard done by the British establishment.
Finding Freedom may not have caused much damage in the US because many may not have been paying attention and she isn't the one who wrote it, even though she dictated it.
But this is an interview in her own words and anything she says against the BRF will be believed by the US audience without push back. I'm basing my opinion on the fact that the US media has never bothered to fact check her allegations and I doubt there would be any push back from them.
It's unfortunate. Anyone with a contrary view can prove me wrong.
I agree with the poster that commented earlier thread about Meghan having a chip on her shoulder about being from middle class LA.
I think Meghan is far overestimating her importance and relevance in the USA. She thought it would be easy and she would be adored here. Hasn’t happened. Hot Rob and his A-list friends haven’t heard anything at all in the grapevine of who’s-who in Hollywood (what great tea was that!).
The titles are not used by Eugenie and Bea in their respectable lines of work. Why? Because they respect their family.
Who does Meghan respect?
"The Queen will not remove their titles, for a simple and logical reason: Harry was born a Prince, and that can not be removed.".
Actually Queen Victoria removed the title of "Princess" from one of her own daughters, and instead bestowed the title of "Lady" upon her. I cannot remember the exact circumstances, but it had to do with the daughter I believe wanting to marry a commoner. It was done at the daughter's request, and was amicable.
Queen Victoria effected that change simply by issuing Letters Patent, i.e. simply writing a document and signing it."
Thanks for reminder. I forgot about this.
I don't think it was a daughter, but a granddaughter though i can't remember which one. Do you remember her name?
Precedent for removing 'Prince(ss)' was set with her demotion to 'Lady'. The marriage was a happy one.
HRH Princess Patricia of Connaught, daughter of Victoria's 3rd son Arthur.
She married a man without any royal blood or connections, one Admiral Alexander Ramsay. Here is the wiki entry about her downgraded status:
On the occasion of her marriage, Princess Patricia of Connaught was permitted by Royal Warrant to relinquish the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland[1]
She was granted by Royal Warrant of 25 February 1919 the style of Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay, with special precedence immediately before the Marchionesses of England.[1]
Since the Royal Warrant stated that her change in style took effect only upon the solemnization of her marriage, she entered the church as a Princess and Royal Highness and left as a Lady, a daughter of a royal duke.
Cdr Alexander Ramsay and Lady Patricia Ramsay had one child:
Alexander Ramsay of Mar (21 December 1919 – 20 December 2000).
You could be right. In any event, I certainly can't prove you wrong.
These days if you disagree with a Black politician's ideas, you are a racist. If you disagree with a female politician's ideas, you are a misogynist. If you disagree with a gay/lesbian person's ideas you are homophobic. And so on. So it's not surprising M has been able to cause havoc once she stopped being Caucasian.
While M may be able to make the RF and even the whole of the UK look bad, I'm not sure how that makes her look better. She's still a rotten actress, even with plastic surgery she is hitting a bad age for Hollywood, she doesn't seem to have an ounce of maternal skills (maybe they'll have trained the child better to cover for that), she's a hypocrite preaching to the masses (that is, when she's not whining about her hard life), she can't get along with her US family except her silent mother, and she is married to a dim-witted but wealthy prince. Why would that make people want to give her money?
@Acquitaine
Thank you for finding and sharing that information, you are correct it was Queen Victoria's grand-daughter and not daughter.
Such an interesting story!
It is clear that Queen Elizabeth II could do the same to her grand-son Harry, should she wish to.
Maybe she is waiting for public sentiment against Grip and Drip to reach a boiling point after the Oprah interview, and then may act. I personally believe it is inevitable, because they will just keep on doing more and more outrageous things.
Maybe MeAgains bitterness is actually attributed to How she is famous. Maybe she actually loathes the fact that she is only infamous due to Harry. She feels she deserves fame on her own merits, and it’s just not happening for her. So she needs to take it out on everyone that made her famous. She has to have a complex around this. Hollywood doesn’t accept her because she doesn’t have any discernible skill as a star. There’s literally no star power with Megs. She’s devalued Harry’s star power into dust. This must drive her to rage. She was meant to be on the arm of a wealth foreign man, who wouldn’t lose anything, be adored and come back with the right connections to boost her job offers to continue her career. She wanted A-list Oscars and it seems all the is doing is trying to right an image created of a philanthropist. She doesn’t want that at all. She’s having to deal with it.
"do you think the Queen still has an ace to play regarding their titles? I would prefer her to order that going forward all non working royals should restrict the use of their titles ( York's, Sussexes, Gloucesters) to only family events. Titles should not be used for work or commercial activities."
Yes she can.
All the other royals don't use their titles for commercial activities and those that do aren't deleberately exploiting them in a way that blows back on the Queen.
Only the Sussexes do this.
In his commercial activities, Andrew uses Andrew Inverness (2nd title as a surname) while his daughters use York as their surname - assuming they haven't switched to married names. Edward used Edward Windsor in his commercial activities.
Ditto the Gloucesters and Kents.
Infact the wider damily tends to go with Windsor rather than their family title with exception of afew grandsons who use their courtesy titles as surnames eg Alexander Ulster ( duke of Gloucester's heir, The Earl of Ulster)
Fergie uses her maiden name and her title interchangebly, but she relied more on her maiden name when signing commercial deals even though she used her title to open doors.
However, in her case, her maiden name was so publicly ingrained as was her relationship with the royals that she genuinely didn't need to lead with her title anywhere.
"Maybe MeAgains bitterness is actually attributed to How she is famous. Maybe she actually loathes the fact that she is only infamous due to Harry. She feels she deserves fame on her own merits, and it’s just not happening for her. So she needs to take it out on everyone that made her famous...."
Makes sense to me.
Unfortunately for M though, she can't force people to like her. And Harry can't make people like her. (Remember that appearance before they married when he tried to make everyone come and hug M? That was cringe-worthy.)
And while throwing others under the bus may affect others negatively, it still doesn't make her look better, at least IMO. An awful lot of media folks who will seem to buy her racist rants will be chasing other stories two days after her special with O. She's just not that important or that interesting.
True. Meghan's bitterness and complex come from being a total narcissists. They are never happy, nor are they ever grateful.
Deep down inside she knows what she is: a slightly above average-looking, mediocrely talented, small-bit actress from LA, from a simple background, who isn't really polishable.
She tried very hard to sell the world an image of herself, being a worldly, sophisticated, couture-wearing, uber talented, borderline intellectual, and the world laughed in her face.
She looks best in torn jeans, because that is her natural style, she sounds best speaking to teens, because that's her natural level, and she fits best into Los Angeles, because that's her natural essence.
She would have never fit in with the RF, because she's so out of her depth, and unwilling to learn, lacking humility, interpersonal and intra-personal intelligence. She's a very very simple person. The type who repeats big words ad nauseam, desperate to impersonate someone she will never be. There is absolutely nothing wrong with coming from nothing, one can be a highly intelligent and sophisticated person. It is usually those who embrace their roots, and take pride in using their humble beginnings as their jumping board to greater knowledge and success, instead of desperately burying it, hiding it, deleting it.
She's a con artist. Her problem is that she did not try to con a few Johns or some gullible idiots on the internet, she tried to con the entire world, and only succeeded in conning Harry.
From The Sunday Times: "Treasury 'velociraptor' to claw back prince's spending"
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/treasury-velociraptor-to-claw-back-princes-spending-vzqtk2wlf
The Duke of Cambridge has hired a Treasury cost-cutter, who worked with David Cameron and George Osborne during the austerity years, as his private secretary.
Jean-Christophe Gray has a reputation as Whitehall’s most assiduous bean counter. One of his former roles was to head the Treasury’s public spending committee, an internal chamber of officials who say “no, minister” to protect civil service coffers.
A Whitehall source said: “That is the home of the ultra-hawks who regard all the spending departments as useless muppets.
“Because he was so mild-mannered, no one ever really noticed he was a Whitehall velociraptor intent on kneecapping anyone who wants to spend money.”
Known as “JC”, Gray, 45, worked with several chancellors, including Rishi Sunak, Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown . . .
The rest is behind a paywall.
But what else do we need to know? The purse strings have been cut for the Harkles. And it was Prince William who did it. I knew I loved that man.
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20210221107359/prince-william-makes-big-change-to-team/
Oprah will be smart enough to manipulate the Gruesome Twosome into badmouthing the Royal Family, the restrictions they had to face, the loss of freedom of speech, the unrelenting publicity. For the public, after a year of Covid, of job loss and money worries, of not being able to see family or friends, especially at end of life, of small businesses dying at a rapid clip, after more than two weeks of unrelenting cold and worries about not freezing to death in your home (Texas, I'm looking at you, God bless you all)--the Sussexes are going to whine and wail about how unfairly they have been treated while landing in three separate McMansions, within the same time frame.
I don't believe the public will be receptive to their difficulties.
Never forget, Oprah interviewed Lance Armstrong after his initial shaming, and she led him on a merry dance where he happily put the proverbial noose around his neck and then pushed himself off the platform.
She is a master. Oprah isn't as relevant as she was in her heyday, and she is interested in some "free" publicity herself.
Oprah is the chef. Grip and Drip will willingly jump into the word-salad bowel as Oprah adds another carrot here, some diced red onion over there (best to bring out the fake tears the viewer is sure to see as MM talks of the unrelenting prejudice she has faced in her life). The Douche and Douchess of Montecito will happily toss the word-salad around themselves--do they ask for some sliced roasted chicken to be added into the mix?--and they will end up in a condition they will not be able to get themselves out of.
I won't watch the interview, as I don't want to give either party the satisfaction, but it takes an Olympic level of hubris on $mirkle's part to think she can "win" this engagement.
Do these two really think anyone will watch other than for knowing a car crash is about to happen and wanting to be able to say "I was there to see it"?
I was teased myself! I'm hoping someone here can get us the rest that's behind the paywall!
Don't worry, the Oprah interview will be a car crash no matter what Oprah does. Megs doesn't have the acting ability or the innate personality to be likeable in a lengthy interview. (I've been enjoying the series Call My Agent, & 'calmez-vous' is a favorite phrase of all of the characters.)
@AnT, your 'angry cabbage' post is a classic, & is up there with the one you wrote a while back, I think, on Megs & her Montecito bench. (Sometimes I wish we could easily access past posts on this blog. The Guardian lets you do that, or did. I haven't read much there for a long time.)
The Oprah interview is stirring the press pot, especially in the UK. I don't think the US is that interested, or only people like us, who want the distraction of a metaphorical train wreck. I come to this site after I've read a depressing article
on the power failure in Texas.
I know there have been some articles warning the Queen to tread carefully on the Harkles in the UK, but I think the Queen can do what she thinks best for the institution. It'll be a big story for a bit, & then people will get on with their lives. I don't even think the younger generation in the UK have much interest in Diana, & certainly have no memory of her. The RF may have to face some tweaks in their public funding. It's happened before, & under a Tory government. What people don't understand is the difference between their private wealth & the Crown. The RF are basically aristocratic curators of national treasures. How those treasures are preserved is up to the British. I hope they don't get sold to billionaires scattered around the world, although I know there are some who would enjoy seeing that kind of humiliation of the UK.
So many interesting posts, I just want to go silent for a bit & read everyone's contributions. Apologies if I ever overlook anyone.
Is it not human trafficking? Really?
Hope I can stay quiet now!LOL
One of the basic misunderstandings about Great Britain in my view and not withstanding Dicey is the common notion that there is a constitution. I don't agree: we have instead a series of conventions which can be changed at a moments notice. I might just slip in here that if we had a Constitution the Prime Minister would find it far more difficult in these Covid times to rule by diktat. We have strong government - sometimes a bit too much so. Democracy? - whatever that might be; never heard of it.
I now want to put my boot into the PoW. I think he has had a very difficult life: first living under the father from Hell and the misery of Gordensten, then the marriage which failed and where everyone apparently rooted for his wife, now his unpleasant second son and he is still at seventy-two waiting to start work. He lacks charisma and good-looks - no wonder he hates Prince Andrew. Such for some is life but in my estimation he has only made matters worse as follows: attacking the architectural profession, and in the same vain promoting Poundbury a village charming as it might be (if you can afford it) that seems as fake as Disneyland, and likewise his wokeness makes him only a lesser version of his younger son. Saving the planet (an impossible and in my skeptical view unnecessary action) is a cover for an attack on the lives of normal people. By drifting into that (a bloke has to do something whist waiting for a job I suppose) he has drifted into political matters which is something The Queen has avoided. As I say I feel some sympathy for him: he is desperate not to make the same mistakes as his parents, but those Harkle titles will have to go otherwise the forces of Republicanism will rise. One cannot have the Harkles sitting in idleness in California insulting the people of this country and his own family and spending money like water and pretend all is well. Not to take decisive action means that before long the anger which seems to be real will transfer to the Monarchy itself.
Still, I have a friend who when I mentioned the unpopularity of the Sussexes was much surprised; he had no idea, so perhaps we here live in a bubble, and someone else I know e-mailed me that actually (in response to something I had sent him which I thought would be of interest) his interest he said in the Harkles was, nothing.
Cos, again, who’s next?
Andrew:(
I spoke to my best friend last year about Meghan. She had no idea. It prompted her to watch ‘suits’ from beginning to end with her husband. LOL. They had to know who this woman was. Sadly, at the end of their several week binge, she called to let me know the show was Ok, and ‘Meghan’s, um, barely in it though.’ She was pretty disappointed! She then called her friend, a doctor in Miami, and this friend knew of the issues regarding Meghan but was more lenient to Meghan’s cause. ‘Well, she had no freedom.’ Which is a very pro-American stance and cover-all. Which is why Meghan hits that marketing bone home ‘we had no freedom, the UK is not free.’ I responded, “ well I have an unofficial Ph.D in all things Meg and Harry, so trust me when I say- it’s not what you think.” Doctors listen to other doctors. What can I say LOL.
Anyone else I’ve broached the subject with could not care less. Pretty funny, if you ask me.
Meghan would be far more compelling if she was 24 and going through all of this. Post 30, people generally need to have their shit together. Maybe that’s what scares her fans with low-IQ, that they will need an ‘out’ and victim narrative as well when they approach 40.
Sigh.
Maybe they will remove both of them in one fell swoop, or Andrew later on. The optics of removing Andrew may look like they accept guilt for his actions, though. I agree that it would look bad; but the threat and actions of Meghan and her US destruction is no where near ‘Andrew’ place-holding for a few years. Plus they could always remove Andrew at that point. Then it would be Anne, right?
No, after Andrew and the York sisters comes Prince Edward and his two children, James and Louise. After them comes Anne, who is currently 14th in line.
Tightening one's belt? Prince William hires David Cameron's former 'Treasury cost-cutter' who would 'kneecap anyone who wanted to spend money' as his new private secretary.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9283703/Duke-Cambridge-hires-David-Camerons-former-spokesperson-private-secretary.html
Dear Ma’am,
I thought you could use a little cheer up this Sunday afternoon, with your Philip on the mend in London, and your grandson off in the states ironing the square hemp knickers of a minor cable hooker and raising a plastic doll.
Ouch, am I right? No worries, Ma’am, I bear a few good tidings!
🧚🏼♂️ Some have noted the woke US media will not dare say anything but lovely things about MM and her Oprah telly interview. Who would dare point out the lies and rot if this female, Black, woke, activist mum? No one! Everyone weeps. She will get away with it as the woke media throws gold and roses. She wins again! Untouchable! Dancing yet again on the bones of the innocent in her large, bent footwear! We must beat our breasts now, as the already vanquished! "....Ah....not so, Ma’am. Not so! Be of faith, and hope, as always, in the power of the unexpected. America has your back. When the Armada known as MM sails toward your harbor, heaving with cargo of insults, rats and wig-wrapped brickbats.....out from the shoals comes your salvation: two fearless witty Black women and mothers with actual credentials who have spoken out cuttingly about old Armada Megs before: Wendy Williams, and Candace Owens. Even those who don’t care for them gets lots of clicks by quoting them, and giggle appreciatively at their truths. Wendy knows things, too! So call your dear husband and tell him to mind the nurses and hurry home, because there will be much to celebrate in March.
🧚🏼♂️ My husband Mr AnT, a legal ace in his own right, tells me liars and imposters always slip up the more they talk. It is one of life’s few guarantees. And, that even carefully selected juries never, ever like the smug cow on the stand. Look up “unlikeable perp” in the morning.
🧚🏼♂️ A friend’s mother is a psychologist who works with women. She once told us of the phenomenon in which a woman whose lifelong partner is indisposed often suddenly seems to absorb the ferocity of a female tiger. Even mild, polite women will suddenly stand find the fire to defend the family and castle, and find sudden joy in swinging the sword. “You were rude to my husband Sir Stonepickle, Meghan, and to our eldest son and his darling wife? Take that!” She said it is healthy, a good stress release and way to use untapped stores of personal power. So know you are in good company, and being healthy, if you feel like stripping titles, lopping off payments, ordering Catherine to tell her side of the story to Dan Wootton, or letting Charlotte’s drawings of green-spitting Aunie M be printed and sold to raise money for the NHS. Isn’t that nice to know? A Zoom call introducing Andrew Lawrence as Harry and Meggie Foster as Megs for an ITV Sunday night special in early March would also brighten the nation’s spirits! Use your tigress, Ma’am! You know you’re itching for a kneeslapper laugh!
🧚🏼♂️ There are probably fifty jillion people on both sides of the pond who wish you could take a swing at MM with your handbag and knock her hat and smirk right off. Certainly a royal fencing instructor could arrange a dummy and the York girls could supply some old hats. It would be fun for you and an adorable Zoom show for the grandchildren! Bust that stress! You will be glowing by the time your husband returns home. And you can release a little video of you smacking off a new hat every time Drip of Grio release another statement.
🧚🏼♂️ You have the power to arrest for questioning Scoobie, on charges of impersonation. And didn’t your guards find him peeping through a window? Of course they did.
Lots of love and good wishes!
Your fairy godmother
👏 I definitely went and googled, ‘unlikeable perp’ and this appeared:
https://medium.com/on-the-couch/9-habits-of-highly-unlikeable-people-bea8342e4bf4
9 Habits of Highly Unlikeable People
Lessons in what not to do.
Every single one is Megs. Every one. Kind of shocking.
"do you think the Queen still has an ace to play regarding their titles?
*
I did some reading at LSA the unpopular thread 2. It seems there is a back story that maybe the titles were given specifically to prevent them (especially La Markle) from being called Prince and *Princess.
Oh gawd she would have soiled herself with the excitement from knowing she scored a "Princess" label (as she has dreamed from her spawnhood) even though it means nothing in the UK...she is after all in her mind, married to a REAL born Prince of the realm not some dusty title from some obscure place.
If true then La Markle really was Queened back when she received the unfortunate title of DoS. HM pulled that title out of mothball history, sent her to her fate in the same car which drove Wallis Simpson to the edge of River Styx at Frog Bog, to her David's burial, and now waits and watches as H$M flub up even the simplest of tasks. Did the Queen intentionally prevent Megsy Baby from calling herself a Princess by giving her a Duchess title? Or was it just protocol to give them the D&DoS titles?
As someone stated here recently (hard to keep up w/o the emails) Harry can be extracted from that mess and still be a Prince with his auxiliary titles and a new Mrs. Harry can be The DoS. La Markle will be left with a tarnished, dusty title (DoS) that merely points to her failures, which is not good even on paper. She can never be a Princess. Oh snap...
What is the benefit of being called a Princess in the UK if most of the British citizenry hate her? She can def makes some coins in Merica with a label like that.
This is how it came across to me. Maybe I'm not understanding it right, but it most certainly seems like the Queen may have dealt her ace. In advance!
She's a little badass. It wouldn't surprise me one bit.
------------
Well...That sounds like a plausible theory.
I always wondered why it was done, it seemed so premature. I always felt like they should have waited a few years (like 10) with that, to see how things went.
But you're right that it was all about being called princess for mm. Sounds like the Queen cut her off at the knees, eh?
ha ha, considering Nitwits mental age ,around 15, it could be called child trafficking!
The original was @Jessica's pithy comment rather than my own -- but I was actually just about to riff off of it as well!
My note is a bit more sombre, though. We write about Meghan "acquiring" a baby whenever she needs to show off an "Archie," and we usually mean a child actor whose NDA-signing parents will be fairly compensated and "on set" at all times. But if she genuinely could have ordered a red-haired child with strabismus and provable African ancestry on the black market, would she have paid good money for him? The decent mind recoils at the idea . . . but the narcissist mind likely doesn't see an issue.
Narcissists do exploit people as much as they can and only the victim finally learning to set up boundaries can stop them. They share the cold mentality of human traffickers when it comes to other people, even if they don't actually buy and sell them.
Yes indeed! Kind of amazing, isn’t it? And I suspect some of that will ooze out of the screen on 7 March.
@LL,
Good points, and I am laughing at your “she’s a little badass” because really, she is! She is going fix the Harkles’ clock the way she fixed that Army Jeep in WWII. With a big wrench and a smile.
Yesterday on another blog, largely, as they tend to be, inhabited by American males, which turned to the subject of the Harkles I felt compelled to comment and set out four or five misapprehensions about this country which the other commenters there had wrongly been asserting.
My dear Lord Opus, I think I know exactly which blog you mean! It's a regular read of mine as well, though I've never commented there. I'm a little embarrassed I didn't recognize you earlier.
It has been a while since I've had to explain some very basic things about my own country to foreigners who think they know everything about it because they read a book about a war that ended many years before they were born. And of course I was the one who had everything wrong. Some women call this "mansplaining," but that's not fair to men who are on the receiving end of it and who don't seem to do it themselves.
@AnT said…
"Good Tidings for our beloved Angry Cabbage".
Exceptionally well written, a very enjoyable read.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14111558/prince-harrys-pal-fears-live-regret-decision-halt-duties-2/
Snipped:
As Prince Harry’s friend and someone who has served alongside him, I’m shocked and amazed it’s all come to this.
I genuinely hope the interview with Oprah Winfrey and all that goes with it is worth it to him as this is a very high price to pay.
I don’t know what he’s getting out of it, perhaps it’s getting something off his chest. But with high-profile deals, including Netflix, what I do know is that no royal should ever be seen to be cashing in.
No one knows his motives apart from Prince Harry in agreeing to do this interview. But I really hope he has given himself the time to think it all through.
For someone who has done so much for veterans and soldiers, I hope it’s not a decision he comes to bitterly regret.
"....I did some reading at LSA the unpopular thread 2. It seems there is a back story that maybe the titles were given specifically to prevent them (especially La Markle) from being called Prince and *Princess."
It's been the Queen's habit to give titles to her relatives as a wedding gift. In this she copies her father and grandfather. She's never withheld titles if it's in her gift to grant.
There is no conspiracy here.
I think people are creating fanfiction backstory to explain the Queen's gift to Harry because they can't explain why she would go ahead and give it to him when she already knew that Meghan was trouble.
The same fanfiction could be applied to Diana and Fergie.
We forget that at the time of the wedding, regàrdless of their personal feelings, the royals were using Meghan's black card to paint themselves as finally multicultural. The specific dukedom given referenced slavery ie 1st Duke's support for it's abolition. All the PR focused on these 2 points rather than the fact that the 1st duke of Sussex was just as much a problem child with unfortunate marriages as the current Duke is.
To deny Harry any dukedom at his wedding when everyone else had received one would have required extra spevial PR to counter the R card that would have been thrown at the family.
Plus publicly Meghan was saying all the right things about her intended service to Queen, Country and commonwealth. Only a crazy person or politicians makes promises on a global stage without intending to keep them or intending to break them.
Heck she showed up on her wedding day wearing the flowers of the CW on her veil.
Whatever problems were happening behind the scenes, it could neatly be described as teething problems of joining the family and wedding jitters which would settle post-wedding.
It seems there is a back story that maybe the titles were given specifically to prevent them (especially La Markle) from being called Prince and *Princess.
My understanding is that she can use the Princess title, but it has to be with her husband's name. She's Princess Harry. (I used to like calling her that myself.) Of course, the international press might have run with that and called her Princess Meghan, the way they used to say Princess Diana. And although a PR campaign from BP explaining proper titles and styles, with Princess Michael of Kent as an example of someone Meghan is "copying," would have been delicious, it would have been much shade and little effectiveness.
But I do agree with your point that making her a Duchess rather than a Princess provided some preemptive damage control, whether they intended it that way or not. Never mind that duchesses rank higher than princesses. How many other people know that?
@LL,
Good points, and I am laughing at your “she’s a little badass” because really, she is! She is going fix the Harkles’ clock the way she fixed that Army Jeep in WWII. With a big wrench and a smile.
*
Great way to put it about the Jeep & the wrench. You surely do have a way with words. I don't say it enough how very much I enjoy your posts!
"Kate is not called a Princess though either so I am having trouble understanding the theory that Meghan was deliberately not given the princess title. Also Archie's birth certificate did have her listed as a Princess iirc"
Not sure I'm buying the LSA theory.
But Kate is called duchess and Will called duke because those are "higher" titles.
Kate's occupation on her children's birth certificates was listed "princess of the UK" the same as Archie's for Meghan.
I agree with @Acquitaine it would have been decidedly odd for Harry not to be given a dukedom upon marriage. What official reason could have been given? That M wasn't a citizen? Would that have worked?
I don’t know what he’s getting out of it, perhaps it’s getting something off his chest.
That's what good friends are for! Friends who will let you vent and keep your secrets because they love you! Not Oprah! She's more of a "friend" who will let you embarrass yourself on an international stage for her ratings because she loves herself.
Having said that, it's interesting that the friend is also speculating about Prince Harry's motives and doesn't seem to know what Harry may want to get off his chest. Perhaps there really is nothing. What if the traumatized little boy who, now as a grown man, still can't bear the clicking of cameras is a complete fiction made up by the Harkles? Meghan lied her way through the documentary; Harry could have paced her step by step. Playing the Diana card would have been bad enough; the Harkles conjured a non-existent Diana card out of thin air and gaslighted us into believing it had always been there.
She once told us of the phenomenon in which a woman whose lifelong partner is indisposed often suddenly seems to absorb the ferocity of a female tiger. Even mild, polite women will suddenly stand find the fire to defend the family and castle, and find sudden joy in swinging the sword.
Two friends of mine have noticed a similar phenomenon . . . in themselves! One of them says that she has unusually strong hands for a woman and used to be able to open any jar or bottle she pleased. Until she married. Now she has to depend on her husband like regular females. The other said she once shoveled so much snow (one of "his" tasks) on a week her husband was away that she wanted to show off her prowess when he got back. She didn't last five minutes. We talked it over and our working theory is that women's bodies can tell when a strong, dependable man is around and conserve their energy accordingly, making us appear "weak." But when we're suddenly without him -- or when a baby is trapped under a car -- we have strength beyond our own imaginations!
In Queen Elizabeth's case, I hope her tigress strength is all mental. I'd love to see the Sussexes go up against a mind like a bear trap that also happens to be wearing the Crown!
The kind of Duchess title enjoyed by Kate is a higher rank than Princess, as I understand it. The question I keep struggling with is this: Megs never became a British citizen. At which point do they shave the titles off her for that alone? I think the Queen can indeed invoke Letters Patent to restrict use of the title of Princess and Royal Highness, because:
* George V in 1917 created just such a new restrictive Letters Patent regarding the use of Princess and Royal Highness
* the Queen herself on the last day of 2012 issued Letters Patent that allowed all children of the Prince of Wales to be titled Prince or Princess, and be styled HRH — not just the eldest son. So I guess Harry has only been rolling in HRH clover for 8 years?
This tells me that what can be done can be undone, particularly to undo the 2012 letters patent would strip Harry of Prince, and thus his wife would no longer be able to call herself Princess Henry.
Most appalling of all, on 21 January 2013, just dats after being made HRH, an angry Harry was quoted in the Guardian saying, “I have killed in Afghanistan but my father wants me to act like a Prince.” He also revealed his disdain and distrust of some sections of the media. The prince also explained his “three mes”: one in the army, one socially in my own private time, then one with the family and stuff like that. So there is a switch and I flick it when necessary.” He also faux apologized for his “laddish” behavior as being “probably too much Army and not enough prince.” Apparently he equates being a jackass with being a soldier? As to stories written about him, “Of course I read them.”
So he doesn’t even seem to like the job and title of prince? Since, he was such a soldier? Bitching three weeks after he got HRH?
Strip it.
See: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/21/prince-harry-afghanistan
This is just what I have been able to unearth this weekend, but others will likely have more knowledgeable information.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9283645/Queen-wants-new-start-magnificent-seven-senior-royals.html
She's moving on...
That is fascinating! Now I want to go open a tough jar again and see where I stand!
My mother mentioned the same sort of thing, in a way — she was a little dynamo able to take care of things, then married and let my father handle things more and more. But during his long illness, she gathered up her forces again.
What is the opposite of love? Not hate, but indifference. Americans do not care about the two, and the few who indulged me said they are dumb, or stupid, or mean to the Queen. And the burning question: why would Harry leave all he had, including “the family Meg never had” and the respect of the world, the love from many British, and everything that made him different from the average, even below average, Hollyweird trash celebrity. Who wants a Prince who became a toad? Glitter is not gold. Harry was gold, now he is competing for the few people who still watch 60 minutes and automatically keep the channel on, whilst looking for something else to watch. Bet the elderly audience of 60 Minutes does not want to listen to more boring woke talk with Huge Oprah and a woman who dragged poor Harry away from a billionaire’s life, to now hawking themselves to people who do not care. Nobody watches t.v. anymore, including me, unless I am streaming a movie or tv series.
She certainly is! And the DM is there for it! Thanks for that link!
The palace use of “Magnificent Seven” is fun, but also is it a super snarky Palace kick at the “7” date March interview? I love it. A “new beginning” indeed!
The Harkles are yesterday’s burnt toast crumbs.
👏👏👏👏👏
The more I think about it, the more it seems like their special is just going to be required viewing of “Dear Leader At the Zoo” in North Korea for a small audience of disciples.
I think people are creating fanfiction backstory to explain the Queen's gift to Harry because they can't explain why she would go ahead and give it to him when she already knew that Meghan was trouble.
*
To me, much of the speculation everyone does on all the Harry and Meghan sites are fanfiction. That's a big part of the fun!
Since we really don't know 100% what is really going on...
Your comment reminded me of the brilliant original “The Manchurian Candidate.” M tries to character assassinate everybody who has said “no” to her, but in the end, instead of literally dying, the befuddled and nasty Just H suddenly realizes he has been brainwashed, and dumps her. A fitting last scene is Just H, on a private jet flying back to Great Britain, with his just two children (if they are real), and his dogs, leaving the private airport and in the air as a massive earthquake hits Montecito, swallowing up his home and playhouse. M is okay, but learns they never had earthquake insurance, and thus loses everything, including her Diana stash that JustH forgot about, in his haste to leave his prison.
The palace use of “Magnificent Seven” is fun, but also is it a super snarky Palace kick at the “7” date March interview? I love it. A “new beginning” indeed!
Probably a snarky DM kick! :)
Incidentally, I hope that William hangs on to what's left of his hair, else they'll be calling him Yul. lol
BTW - Am loving your amusing posts. They give me a good old chuckle!! 😆
😂😂😂👏👏👏👏😎. Oh your scenario is brilliant. Can you imagine? Oh my god, I love it. I is now my most fervent wish. To see that happen. Yes, total Manchurian Candidate vibes!
Harry glances out of the plane window at Mudslide Manor disappears and the mother of two of the child actors (who he has agreed to drop off in Oklahoma with her kids) asks Harry, why are you smiling? And Harry replies, “Well, I’ve just lost a bit of baggage but the life insurance policy is spectacular. Remember, contact me when little Jethro Bob and Tiffany Kate are ready for college.”