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Is This the REAL THING THIS TIME? or is this just stringing people along?

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 being able to afford such a lovely bauble = although we still would like to drool looking at it).

Same holds true for the jewelry.  (still drooling).

In reality, there can be things which are being "sold" which do not meet the minimum which is embarrassing but translates to no one wants this at this price.  So ... it might make some sense to ask for cash ... but ...

But would he have that amount of cash?  Maybe?  He did, after all, need to borrow cash from his mother to be able to pay off Diana. Years later and the Dutchy did well under him, is one thing but hold that thought about Dutchy funds.  

More recently, I seem to remember talk of the Queen Mother leaving debts and Queen Elizabeth quietly paying them off.  But that was her mother, a woman of a different generation where women did not work, they married, men took care of the finances and women didn't get involved with that.  That was then and this is now (pretty much everyone works in some way).  But we really don't know because the estate stuff gets sealed.

Besides, there is rumor that The Queen has lent or given or something money to Prince Andrew so he could pay off Virginia or maybe it was the ski chalet or both.  If any part of that is true, then that is a chuck of cash that isn't available.

I don't get to see the finances of how things roll but my guess is that the BRF are meeting their bills but soaking up a lot of extra is not happening.  Things just cost more (and more and more) plus covid ripples affecting everyone PLUS the whole country is having serious belt tightening.  And, the very public thinning of the monarchy (which actually started years ago).  Or the cutting of the family subsidy (think Prince Andrew and so on).  So ... they too, have been and are looking at cutting costs (which may or may not be sparked by a cash flow situation at the moment but more likely concerns of the potential for one in the future).

And then there is the we don't know the financial details but remember that the King gifted Angela Kelly a house which is not geographically close to Windsor.  No idea about anything about the house but that was a kind thing for her.  Was that cash out for him?  Don't know.

One of the key things to remember (especially when the interest rate on savings is not even covering inflation) is to invest in things which bring you cash.  And, they are usually linked to something people need.  In short, you don't let cash sit around in some account earning pennies when it could be making way more for you somewhere else.  Again, that may still be invested in something which is as illiquid as land once you buy it (think land like a parking lot in the middle of a big city where people always need parking.  Or maybe a laundromat.).

So, when King Charles tried to have a conversation with his son about money (to consider having the future wife continue to work because at some point, the money from him would change) was actually an attempt to let them know (remind the son) that at some point, Prince Charles would be king and the Dutchy (which had been "helpful" to funding the son's needs up until that point) would then be under the control of PW.  And that, would be that.  He was thoughtful, as usual, thinking way ahead and trying to let them know ahead of time so they could plan/adjust now.  The response to that early warning was not taken well or heeded (at that time or down the road as things started spinning out for them).

A question was raised about why would (somehow) legally KC be responsible for being the source of the money?  (but)  The real question is why should he?  (Not like he's the one married to her - for richer or poorer and all that jazz.)

When then PC borrowed the money from his mother to pay off Diana at the time of the divorce, they (he and his mother) both knew that a) he would pay it back and b) that over time, the Dutchy would fund this repayment (I could be wrong about how I remember that explanation).  But the Dutchy goes to the Prince of Wales and therefore is not a source of any money to people who are not in the immediate family of the Prince of Wales.  So if money is borrowed by the son who is not the PoW (therefore does not have that income), what or how would a loan be paid back?  A normal question by any bank loan officer.  Or his father if his father were to bankroll a loan.

Thinking that the just the pure fatherly love would be enough to pay her off (just give her the money)?  I don't think so.  I suspect that the king not only saw how money was being spent on the lead up to the wedding, watching the bills from the first year of marriage, had vivid memories of funding his divorce and has advisors who are keeping him informed about the current and future state of the economy.  We know he loves his son but would it really extend to such a huge financial payout?  As of late, his public comments are few, far between and mainly come off as 'Thinking of you, Hope you are having a happy life over there.'


And, the claim of blackmail.  Eh, yeah.  That is a technical possibility.  The problem with it is that once you pay anything - ever, there is nothing to stop them from coming back for multiple bites of the apple.  And, having seen just the public behavior (not even what has been said behind the scenes, on phone calls, put in emails and texts - all that isn't coming out), would it make a lot of sense for the BRF to open themselves up for more or else I'll ... threats in the years to come?  

The difficulty is having the courage to rip that bandage of blackmail off and release the information yourself, throw yourself on the ground, begging mercy and then ... you release the proof of blackmail (oh, my).  People will gawk, tut-tut but your life will move on without the blackmail threat looming over your every waking moment while the blackmailer gets some tarnish at best and possible legal problems at worst.  

People keep mentioning the need for an iron clad NDA.  Who would really believe either could be trusted to follow an NDA and never talk about "the it" after a payout to go away quietly?  Remember the court case where there were claims she/he didn't participate in the Finding Freedom?  and so on.  What does that past behavior tell us about the potential for the future?











Comments

abbyh said…
Oops, sorry about being asleep at the wheel.
Fifi LaRue said…
IMO the report of Mr. Todger collapsing in a restaurant is believable. It's a private, members only type of place. So the person reporting is either an employee or a member. The person reporting runs the risk of being fired or losing membership.

@Hikari: I'm with you in that Mrs. Todger makes sure that Mr. Todger has all the drugs and alcohol he wants at his disposal. That makes him more controllable.
NeutralObserver said…
@Sandie, LOL. Love your comments about Miss Havisham. Well, she was an unhappy, jealous & disappointed shrew who adopted children who were not her own. Perhaps she strikes a chord with ILBW. I agree that Miss Havisham doesn't seem like a person women would want to emulate.

The WSJ article is worth a read. It looks as though all the gossip on Tumblr & Reddit about how difficult the Todgers are to work with is true.

A few years ago, we were making jokes on this blog about ILBW winding up selling stuff on QVC or HSN. It may be happening sooner rather than later. WME has its work cut out for it.
Fifi LaRue said…
That relentless pounding away with the blaming and shaming at someone, like Mrs. Todger did/does to Mr. Todger is typical of Borderline Personality Disorder. BPD coupled with her extreme narcissism, she is one h*ll of a witch.
Ambulance? Husband got a small cut on his arm from the flume ay Disneyland. Asked for a Band Aid- flume shut down, he got taken to hospital by car, had a few exquisite stitches put in, thought no more about it. Later got a call at work from Disney Lawyers:

`When are you going to sue us , sir?'

He didn't quite say `don't be ridiculous!' and pointed out that he was almost on his way home to UK.

`In tat case ,sir, we'd like to give you a gift that you will treasure.'

`Ok, if you insist...'

What arrived was a Mickey Mouse wrist watch - by Bulova Accutron.

I did something similar in a public pool in UK and all I got was a bit of Elastoplast. Don't think they even dealt with the sharp edge of a tile that had done the damage.
Girl with a Hat said…
CDAN has a blind about * selling subscription boxes:

https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2023/06/blind-item-4_24.html#disqus_thread

some of the comments are hilarious, for example:

That's the second delivery; after the Introductory box. You'll receive a recycled corrugated plastic yard sign frame for "MeAgain's Message of the Month" placard to display in your yard. Give the gift of endless groans and eyerolls as you unsolicitlly deliver MeAgain's Monotonous Monotone woke lecture (included on back of placard). I'm told you'll also receive a limited edition commemorative Band Wagon in a special ad-on box.


or

That's the 4th Box; Holistic Healing. MeAgain's organic cage free, free range, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, sustainable banana bread comes wrapped a special tapestry of assorted memories and vague recollections. Unpack your generational trauma in front of MeAgain's Messaging Mirror and repeat this month's mantra: I know better than everyone else! I am better than everyone else!

Lastly, let go of your unconcious bias. Spread your message with handwritten notes of absurdity on bananas to your family, loved ones, and neighbors.

Make it count! The next box tells you how to ruin all of those relationships while absolving yourself of any personal responsibility.

Remember, You Are Better Than Everyone Else.
@GWAH

thanks for the CDSN link. Comments really are hilarious! My favorite is shirt and sweet: “Can vacuousness be boxed?” 😂
This seems to be a summation of the WSJ article:

https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/126250553.html? P
Maneki Neko said…
Taylor Swift turned down an invitation to appear on Meghan Markle's podcast despite receiving a 'personal letter' from Duchess, it has been claimed.

The pop singer was asked by Meghan herself to appear on Archetypes, but she declined through her representative, the Wall Street Journal reported.

It comes as the newspaper summed up Harry and Meghan's dealings with Netflix as 'big ideas, subpar execution' after executives of the streaming giant and Spotify reportedly said they were 'underwhelmed' by the pair's lack of strong ideas and productivity.
(DM)

The handwritten - probably using her trademark 'calligraphy' letter by * was obviously not enough. How could anyone snub ILBW?

The article also mentions the 'prequel' to Great Expectations. If it's as successful as The Bench then that won't bring home the [vegan] bacon. Mind you, with the title being Bad Manners, the Harkles should have a wealth of experience to draw on.
Subscription boxes - wasn't she supposed to be starting one of these services back in the day, with baby goods, when she was a `new, young mother' as a help for `other new young mothers'? As we predicted, that scheme lay dead in the water
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-12230405/SARAH-VINE-Did-Prince-Harry-really-think-Oprah-interview-Pope.html

It's unbelievable isn't? I doubt if he even knows who the Pope is or what he does.
HappyDays said…
RE: Meghan selling subscription boxes.

What strikes me is that once again, Meghan didn’t come up with anything new. Her buddy Ellen did them them for a long time during the tun of her talk show and is still doing them today, plus numerous other stars and companies have been doing them for years, so once again, she is not able to come up with a new idea.

And she apparently couldn’t muster the energy to copy the idea and do one of her own. The issue she might have had is that as a subscription, she’d be selling a service that promised a box on a monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or some other interval of time unless she decided to do it on a one-time basis to test the consumer response.

Curating the products in the box also takes a lot of time and work. The products generally aren’t items you can pick up at the store. They are often sourced from smaller companies and likely acquired through a discount because it is a bulk purchase at a discount price. Companies whose products are featured in these boxes often receive a bump in sales from the publicity associated with their product appearing in the subscription box, so they have an additional incentive to discount the item.

The packaging has to be designed because you don’t just toss everything into a box and ship it.

Selling a box like this is a LOT of work, and although the celebrity attached to the subscription obviously isn’t all doing the legwork alone, they still have oversee the people they hire to research products available at a price point and quantity needed, come up with a list of possible items, choose the items for each month, assemble all the items, likely at a warehouse, purchase or design and manufacture the box the purchaser receives, and make sure the monthly box is properly packed in an attractive presentation and get it shipped on time.

As I said, selling a box of items like this takes a lot of work, and while the celebrity isn’t doing this themselves, they still have to have someone to oversee a project like this. So the celebrity essentially has become a manager.

I don’t think Harry’s wife has the skillset or interpersonal skills to be a manager of any sort and as a manager, she would still have to put some work into a project like this.

The bottom line is she doesn’t have the management ability (including the ability to get along with the people you hire to work with you) or the willingness to put in the time and effort (work) to plan and execute a project like this on a one-time basis, let alone on a subscription basis.



Martha said…
@happydays. Brilliant summation of these boxes, that work involved and all the reasons she can’t, won’t deliver.
Maneki Neko said…

There's a TV programme on now on the attempted kidnap of Princess Anne.

"On March 20, 1974, Anne was returning to Buckingham Palace by car after attending an evening charity event with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, when their chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce was forced to stop by another car that had blocked their route.

When the driver, unemployed laborer Ian Ball, started firing shots that injured both her chauffeur Alex Callender and her private detective James Beaton, he climbed into the front seat and ordered the 23-year-old royal to get out, to which she reportedly replied, "Not bloody likely.""

Typical Anne, who kept her cool in what must have been a frightening situation, and who didn't make a fuss. Imagine her nephew's wife in the same situation and she and Harry afterwards talking non stop about trauma.

https://people.com/royals/on-this-day-in-royal-history-princess-anne-survived-a-kidnapping-attempt-with-the-best-one-liner/
Sandie said…
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/havisham-by-ronald-frame-8274148.html

Has she purchased the rights to turn this book into a series (about Miss Haversham)? Lightbulb moment for me ... of course it is not her original idea! But, in her hands, a novel that does not quite hit the mark will be a mess as a series.

What happened to the comedy romcoms?
Fifi LaRue said…
Mrs. Todger will not be able to execute the process of a subscription box because she will overrule any ideas/products her managers pinpoint as excellent choices; and, Mrs. Todger is extremely disrespectful due to her personality disorders, and can't get along with other people. Last but not least, Mrs. Todger is lazy. She doesn't want to work.
@Sandy
`Great Expectations' was published in 1861 and Dickens died in 1870 so I think we can be reasonably sure that the book is out of copyright by now and nobody holds the rights to the text. Thus * can do what she likes with it for free.

The BBC has had considerable criticism about some of its versions of Dickens over the last few years, for instance:
at https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1748298/Great-Expectations-BBC-Charles-Dickens

BBC's Great Expectations is 'drivel' say critics furious at new Dickens adaptation

BBC's new adaptation of Great Expectations adds foul language and anti-colonial messaging referencing the British Empire, causing condemnation from some viewers who accuse the show of being "drivel."
By HELEN BARNETT
15:01, Sun, Mar 19, 2023 | UPDATED: 08:24, Mon, Mar 20, 2023

The BBC's new adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations has been condemned as "drivel" after it was revealed to be packed with foul language.
The six-part series also adds new dialogue to include anti-colonial messaging referencing depravity in the British Empire.
Writer Steven Knight, who created the brutal Peaky Blinders series, said he wanted to reference the grimier aspects of Victorian life rather than romanticised sensibilities. Knight called it "stripping all of that s*** away".

Muddy and maggot-infested London streets, violence and even opium are included in the unsanitised reworkings of the 1861 classic.

In one scene lead character Pip, played by Fionn Whitehead, 25, says: "Take your f***ing hands off me."

While criminal Magwitch, played by Johnny Harris, 49 says the British Empire was "built on the lies of privileged white men" in another added piece of dialogue.

Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense Group of MPs said: "The trend amongst clueless politically correct zealots is to bastardise the great canon of English literature either by vulgarising it in this way or sanitising it."

"Classic works deserve to be respected and their authors revered. It is an insult to both the texts and the writers to impose this kind of drivel on them."

The anticipated adaptation stars Olivia Colman, 49, as Miss Havisham and Line of Duty's Shalom Brune-Franklin as Pip's love interest Estella, 28.

Knight hopes his remake of the novel, which tells the story of orphan Pip's rise from poverty to wealth, will make it more accessible to modern and younger audiences.
Defending his changes, he said: "It's everyone's right to react in the way they want to react. But I would say that the book exists, it is still there.

"This is not an attempt to say the book is wrong or this is better."


I see this as evidence of an attempt to corrupt a historical `document'. Far better to see the text as evidence for the attitudes of the time, rather than writing one particular set of attitudes back into original material. Or why not have a `Greek chorus' from a stereotyped OU tutor* on the sidelines, pointing out where Dickens was `wrong'?

*the 1970s image perhaps? Long hair and striped tank top?
It appears someone has managed to Markle her entire neighbourhood.

I was reading an article about Katy Perry's mum comparing the decor in Windsor Castle to an I Love Lucy set and came across this in the comments:

Windsor Castle built 1070 ish. Nearly 1000 years old. Requires classic furniture to fit in.
Katy Perrys Mum, well once you mention “Montecito” any class evaporates.
Magatha Mistie said…

Grate Expectorations

Megwitch performing as
Ms Harrysham
Dickflix posturing from
mendacious madam
Harry’s Pip
identifying as Pippa
Estella being played by
some Tuareg fella…

Sandie said…
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14jbdtr/wme_infiltrators_some_advice_for_you_to_pass_onto/

This long post is brilliant. Anything you could add?

I have so much I could add, but the above post really does cover the basics, without which nothing else can be done.

But, I would say, start quietly and consistently in your backyard. LA has major problems with homelessness, addiction, hunger ... spend one day a week per cause doing hard graft volunteer work for each of these issues, quietly but consistently.

You can restart The Tig. Hire one person to do all the technical stuff and one person to do your merching deals. Focus on food, decor and holidays ... fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Once a month, highlight a charity that deals with homelessness, hunger or addiction with interviews of real people struggling in the real world (shut up and let them speak). If you do speak, be it only to say how admirable and inspiring your brother-in-law is for actually doing something for homelessness, using millions of his own money as a start.

When in doubt, shut up ... always (unless you are saying please or thank you). And get your husband to do the same.
Sandie said…
What William is doing:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12232553/Prince-Williams-ambitious-3m-battle-end-misery-homelessness.html

At least Charles has one son he is very proud of:

"Although there has been no public acknowledgement from his father, sources say the King wants Homewards to serve as William’s legacy in the same way The Prince’s Trust, which helps young people aged 11-30 find jobs, education and training, did for King Charles."
Magatha Mistie said…

Knobnoxious

Let’s open the box
on her whinging ultra vox
As the world rightly mox
Her pox on
pale male cox…

CatEyes said…
Random Survey on MSN...An MSN article had been posted about Meghan and often it happens the media, MSN posted a survey for readers to take..here's the results:

Do you think Meghan Markle is worth the hype?

No, I don't think so
85%


Yes, I think so
10%

Maybe, I'm not sure
3%

Other / No opinion
2%

Based on 4,299 responses. Snapshot of real-time results.

Bwwaaa Ha ha ha ha!!!! As one can see * is not worth The Hype!!!
Hikari said…
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14jbdtr/wme_infiltrators_some_advice_for_you_to_pass_onto/

This long post is brilliant. Anything you could add?


@Sandie

I commend the sub moderator that must have spent hours crafting that open letter to 'the WME infiltrators' and their client, Rachel Ragland. It is insightful and thorough. The author could do very well for herself in PR, I imagine. Were Rachel Ragland nee Windsor NEVER Spencer in any way remotely a normal person willing to acknowledge that she's been the architect of her own failures, this advice might actually do some good. I recommend everyone go to Reddit and read it, to see the atmosphere that Ragland goons have created in other forums in addition to this one. The author sounds like somebody I'd like to have a coffee with.

She (using 'she' on the overwhelming probability that this writer and 99.9% of commentators on the Ragland debacle are female owing to the irresistible soap operatic elements of this toxic tale) may has well have pitched some stones down a well and saved herself the time of composition and hitting Post. Rachel Ragland, possessor of a profound cocktail of personality disorders is no more capable of humbly absorbing and acting upon advice for her self-betterment (as opposed to 'self-aggrandizement') than a dog is capable of putting on a suit and tie and graduating from Harvard Business School. Having humility enough to take accountability for one's hurtful actions and profound faults of character is the first absolutely vital step of self-improvement. Without this, no progress can be made. It is the very foundation of 12-step programs--You introduce yourself and publicly, in front of all admit what you are and that you need help. No hiding, no PR spin. Rachel only has PR spin in lieu of a soul, so she can't do it. Won't. Sociopathy has an abysmal rate of success in psychotherapy--it's the inherent arrogance of the sociopath at work. They believe absolutely that they know better and are better than everyone else. Everyone else--even spouses, parents and children, never mind stylists, protocol advisers or therapists--are merely toys to be moved around for their amusement, puppets on a string. They don't respect anyone so it follows that they won't condescend to listen to anyone.

The blogosphere has been trying to 'help' Rachel with well-meaning advice since 2018. It might have done some good then, in the new days of her marriage, had she been able to respond appropriately but the time for restitution, reconciliation and shining up her image has passed. She's going down inexorably but no matter the personal cost, she's gonna do things HER WAY, shaking her fist at the sky as she goes under. What antisocial personality disorder amounts to is a profound learning disability. Her mind became calcified at the age, as a young girl, aged 8, 9, when she learned that she had the POWER to force people to do things for her by being manipulative and nasty. She learned that the great majority of people will not fight fire with fire as they've been brought up to be considerate of social norms and follow rules and will go along and allow themselves to be used and abused rather than make scenes. The person who is willing to defy all expectations for decent moral behavior and social customs and laugh at the prospect of consequences is unmanageable and it's easier to give in to an unmanageable than it is to fight her constantly. Because her internal wiring is not normal, she THRIVES on chaos and drama. That's why she consistently stirs up controversy--without it, she doesn't feel alive.

There is in short NO cure or action plan or help for a person like this. She'll take Harry down with her before she's done. She already has but as long as he's still alive, there's still further to fall.
OKay said…
@CatEyes That's an interesting survey result. Typically, questions about the RF result in a whole lot more Other/No opinion responses. I therefore presume that literally everyone is sick of Madame at this point.
Maneki Neko said…
DAN WOOTTON: Taylor Swift's brutal rejection of Meghan's plea to appear on her podcast proves stars want proximity to real royals, not the bitter Sussexes. That's why I'm told Harry and his wife will be dropped by Netflix next

...
The pop megastar declined, but, significantly, not via a personal note back to the desperate Duchess.

Nope, the rejection came from a representative, as if Taylor was turning down just another interview with one of the countless TV shows, podcasts or tabloid newspapers who make bids on a regular basis.

Since Spotify's $20 million deal with Harry and Meghan came to an end last week, we have learned just how ill-equipped the couple were for a real job that required hard graft, imagination and strong working relationships.
...
Being publicly associated with Harry and Meghan on a work project is not worth the potential brand damage for any bona fide star, especially one like Swift who has spent years building up a working relationship with Prince William, who represents the future of the royals.

DAN WOOTTON: I'm convinced Netflix is now desperate to follow Spotify out the door and sever their formal $100million deal with the Sussexes when it expires in 2025
+4
View gallery
DAN WOOTTON: I'm convinced Netflix is now desperate to follow Spotify out the door and sever their formal $100million deal with the Sussexes when it expires in 2025

Not to mention former allies like the Obamas who still hold genuine political clout in the liberal US circles Meghan, who still has the unshakeable confidence to believe she could one day end up in the Oval Office herself, covets.

That's part of the reason why I'm convinced Netflix is now desperate to follow Spotify out the door and sever their formal $100million deal with the Sussexes when it expires in 2025.

A senior Hollywood source told me: 'Netflix wants out, too. They are envious the Spotify exit could come so quickly. The contract with Harry and Meghan hasn't delivered; it's been a nightmare to navigate from start to finish.'

Etc.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/article-12235423/DAN-WOOTTON-Harry-Meghan-dropped-Netflix-next.html

@Hikari,

Thank you for the kin to those splendid posts on SMM. There's real wisdom there, sadly something for which * has no use.
Maneki Neko said…
@Sandie, @Hikari

A well meaning post re 'WME infiltrators' but I'm afraid the author is pi$$ing in the wind. "More than anything, Meghan needs to see herself through the critical eyes of others if she is going to grow and learn to be a credit to herself". This is very true but * is incapable of seeing herself through the eyes of others, never mind their critical eyes. She is incapable of empathy and does not have the integrity to see her faults. As far as she sees herself, she's wonderful and if some don't like her, then they're racist, in other words it's their fault for not recognising her genius/talent/beauty etc. She's a member of the RF (only on paper) and needs the respect due to her station in life. You know she's vastly superior to us peasants.
She's a lost cause.
Maneki Neko said…
@Wild Boar

Thanks for the article re Great Expectations. We certainly don't have any expectations whatsoever where those two are concerned!
We didn't watch the latest BBC adaptation as these BBC offerings are so 'woke' these days: foul language, references to the British Empire - I'm surprised there was nothing about slavery thrown in for good measure - a mixed race actress etc. Nothing against the actress, we watched her in Line of Duty, a very pretty girl and a good actress but don't transpose current trends and mores to 1861. We know * will modernise Miss Havisham (like she wanted to modernise the RF?).
It is very typical of today's culture that when you lack talent the easiest way to seem intellectually competent is to butcher the classics.

Miss Havisham as a strong independent feminist will be an excellent idea, if the baroness plays the role herself, not in the youth but in the old age.

She has played the roles of a "young wife" and a "young mother" in her forties so maybe Shakespeare's Juliet would be something to consider for Netflix.
Maneki Neko said…
'The Duchess of Sussex has been dismissed as a talentless broadcaster by one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures.

Jeremy Zimmer, who has guided the film careers of stars such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Damian Lewis, gave his withering verdict on the abilities of the American former actress after streaming giant Spotify axed its £18million deal with her and Prince Harry after just one podcast series.

Zimmer, the chief executive of United Talent Agency, said he was not surprised that Spotify had ditched the couple.'
etc. ...

Another ringing endorsement.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12235127/Hollywood-talent-agency-supremo-Jeremy-Zimmer-dismisses-Meghan-talentless-broadcaster.html
Girl with a Hat said…
But the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are believed to have been paid only half of their reported £81million contract.

And they will get the rest only if they produce content of real interest, an industry source has revealed.


I am surprised that Netflix would pay them this much for that little series. But if they have blown through all that money so quickly, imagine what she must need to keep her head above water!

https://dlisted.com/2023/06/26/netflix-wants-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-to-make-more-must-watch-shows-or-they-wont-get-paid/
Sandie said…
https://www.emmys.com/news/awards-news/la-nominations-230606

I have just checked the nominations for Emmys this year and I do not see them on the list. Why are people talking about her winning an Emmy for that whinge series they did? Am I missing something?
Sandie said…
I must have been looking at last year. The nominations for the Emmys will be announced in July and the awards are in September.
-----

Rinse and repeat in an endless cycle. They have hired someone new as head of Archwell scripted content.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12237587/Harry-Meghan-hire-star-Real-L-Word-Tracy-Ryerson.html
Fifi LaRue said…
Mrs. Todger nominated for an Emmy? That would be her PR as usual.

The Todgers blew through $40 million dollars in two years? That's breathtaking! And still they scrounge for free this, free that, lend me your beach house, lend me your private jet, daddy cut off the allowance. Mrs. Todger has private meetings on her knees with rich old geezers to supplement their income. Their lifestyle defies any kind of reason.
Fifi LaRue said…
Mrs. Todger nominated for an Emmy? That would be her PR as usual.

The Todgers blew through $40 million dollars in two years? That's breathtaking! And still they scrounge for free this, free that, lend me your beach house, lend me your private jet, daddy cut off the allowance. Mrs. Todger has private meetings on her knees with rich old geezers to supplement their income. Their lifestyle defies any kind of reason.
Maneki Neko said…
Someone must have it in for *, her CV - an old one - has been resurrected. Curious, she's 5'6" on this one but on another, where she describes herself as 'caucasian', she' 5'7". Must have grown an inch. We have the usual fluency in Spanish etc plus dialects ('French, Spanish, Argentine'). Her training is also listed, e.g. 'theatrical training, voice training, voice for performance' among others. The training must have been brief - there's no time scale (a day? A week?)

https://tinyurl.com/2x7t7cnp




Girl with a Hat said…
@Sandie,

yes, I remember something about an Emmy nomination.
Sandie said…
https://archive.ph/2023.06.27-181253/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2023/06/27/harry-meghan-workshy-entitled/

It is brutal!

And here from Page Six, quoting People magazine:

"A spokesperson for Netflix told People on Tuesday that the pair’s content creation company, Archewell Productions, is currently working on several projects with the streaming service."

https://pagesix.com/2023/06/27/netflix-reveals-fate-of-prince-harry-meghan-markle-deal-after-spotify-dumps-couple/


And more clapback via Page Six:

"United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer may have blasted Meghan Markle as “not a great … talent“ — but a stream of his own agents still tried to sign her, sources told Page Six."

The article then says a number of agents from UTA were actively pursuing her (not them) to sign her up, until recently. But the article also states:

"A source familiar with the situation said Markle never met or spoke with UTA agents."

https://pagesix.com/2023/06/26/uta-was-in-serious-pursuit-of-meghan-markle-before-ceos-diss/
Sandie said…
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14ksnjo/ok_its_time_to_call_in_the_medics_according_to/

According to Tom Bower, TBW is in touch with Diana, who tells her they are on the right path! Tom Bower also predicts in the court case that the judge will find that The Mirror did use unlawful means to get information on one of the 30 claims, because the courts do not like to rule against the royal family.

I think he is wrong. Anne was found guilty when she did not have her dog under control and it bit someone.
GrandGal said…
So I've been lurking around on Twitter, Reddit, etc. and the campaigning is strong against Megalomaniac. Seeing so many photos of her at one time really brought home to me how VERY unattractive she is when she isn't actively displaying her masks of caring, smiling and adoration. She is downright scary with her RBF. The rictus smile is much better to look at than her dead eyes and the elongated full frontal face with her mouth closed. I don't know that I've ever seen a human being with such a controlled face before in my life (and I'm not a spring chicken.)
Martha said…
@sandie…enjoy all your efforts, and thanks for them. I do not understand the Page6;article one bit!
abbyh said…
I was reading the DM article about *'s resume. Screen shot of part which lists roles she had under theatre.

When and where did all that happen?

There always seemed to be a black hole about her participation in the theater department shows at NW.

abbyh said…
The article states that it was from the time at NW.

Just weird that it comes out now. Why not before like when she had the theater royal patronage?
OCGal said…
Good comment on Twitter, and below that is an excellent reply: snipped:

"Lets review. Last week Bill Simmons, a Spotify exec, called Meghan and Harry f***in grifters. Neil Sean reported there was real pain felt in Montecito following the remarks, as they thought Simmons was on their side.

That pain, if accurate as reported by Sean, was before learning of the remarks by Jeremy Zimmer reported yesterday. Zimmer, head of elite United Talent Artists, plainly said Meghan Markle doesn't have audio talent or any kind of talent.

Simmons and Zimmer are not in the business of critiquing Meghan and Harry. They are not focused on royals or ex'royals. They are busy and well-known in their industry. That industry is the Hollywood entertainment industry. And so, it is honchos in the Hollywood entertainment industry who are calling Meghan and Harry grifters and an elite talent agency declaring Meghan has no talent of any sort." - end snip - the poster said more good stuff but this was the gist

And

Here is the super reply, with which I concur:

"A narcissist is not capable of feeling hurt or pain. Neil Sean should do homework. They feel envy, rage, resentment, revenge, and jealousy. Nothing so touching or emotional as pain or hurt--that would compel compassion. Their only talent is playing the victim.
Compassion? Never."

Amen to that! Bravo to both posters.
Maneki Neko said…
@abbyh

I too thought her theatre experience was very limited. I tried to find examples of her work in the theatre but all I could find was a couple of lines in townandcountrymag.com and it was very thin.

... 'her training was initially in theater. She also volunteered at a performing arts after school program for children in L.A., and it is the ability of theater to enhance communities that seems to be how she most hopes to bring together her old world and the new.'

I did wonder if she's trying that angle - 'the ability of theatre to enhance communities - to try and start income generating ventures. Or else she just padded out her CV.

Incidentally, while trying to find any theatre work I came across an early appearance (1999) by * in a Tori Amos video. She's circled on the left in a still at the start and also in the video at 0:35.

This was in the Sun but reported in the Hollywood Reporter.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/video/news/a-young-meghan-markle-appears-in-music-video-for-classic-tori-amos-track-1000-oceans/

* also auditioned for a Shakira video but was not recalled.
Maneki Neko said…
Mirror Group Newspapers said the Duke of Sussex was not a victim of phone hacking and the 'true purpose' of his legal claim was to further his campaign to 'reform' the British Press.

The publisher has accepted one instance of unlawfully obtaining Harry's private information, at a nightclub, for which it has apologised, and today its KC Andrew Green suggested the duke was due no more than £500 in damages for this 'isolated' and 'limited' incident.
(DM)

If true, not quite the money spinner H thought and was it worth it for £500?
Magatha Mistie said…

@Maneki
And no mention of her
nautical skills;
Rolling hitches/double sheet bends
Resuscitation expert for
octogenarian billionaire bends…

Magatha Mistie said…

@abbyh
Her supposed theatre roles
language/dance skills
appear to be figments
of her machinations
One tap and they’d snap!

Thank you for keeping
this blog going 😘



CatEyes said…
YouTuber accuses Meghan, Harry of ‘defaming’ her in Netflix doc: I’ll ‘nail their ass to the wall’

Youtube star Shallon Lester vowed to pursue further legal action against Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, hoping to “nail their ass” for allegedly “defaming” in their Netflix documentary.

In their bombshell six-part series, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex implied that Lester was part of an online hate campaign against the couple.

A video clip from Lester’s Youtube account was highlighted in a montage where it was alleged 70 percent of 114,000 hateful posts directed at the couple came from 83 social media accounts.

She has since called the claims “a festival of bulls–t” in a YouTube video shared with fans Tuesday.

“Believe me when I say I’m pursuing every opportunity to nail their ass to the wall for this,” said Lester, who boasts over 346,000 subscribers on the platform.

“It’s defamation, it’s slander, it’s mischaracterization. And you know what else it is? Misinformation.”

Slamming the recent news of the pair parting ways with Spotify and subsequently losing out on their plush $20 million deal, Lester said the duchess has “a terrible work ethic.”

“The Duchess or reality TV show game show briefcase girl, whatever the f–k she thinks she’s supposed to be, has had her deal with Spotify, the $20 million 12-episode podcast deal, cut,” the influencer said.

“And it seems that now Spotify has cut ties with her, everybody is coming out of the woodwork to denounce this couple’s terrible work ethic, [their] entitled, bizarre, self-aggrandizing attitude, and general unlikability.”

In the bombshell series, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex implied that Lester was part of an online hate campaign against the couple. Netflix

Lester later mentioned how Bill Simmons recently referred to the couple as “f–king grifters,” adding that, “even the UTA, the United Talent Agency, a huge talent agency in Hollywood, the head of that saying, ‘I don’t think they’re that talented.'”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex mutually parted ways with Spotify earlier this month.Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women

“The word talent is literally in the title of the company he runs and he’s like, ‘No, they don’t have it,'” she added.

Lester claimed she was never approached by Netflix for comment, despite her being included in episode 5 of the couple’s Netflix documentary.

New York Post article posted on msn.com

Lester said she’s considering legal action against the runaway royals.Instagram/Shallon Lester
“It is defamatory, slanderous and I am discussing legal action with my team against Meghan and Harry, and Bot Sentinel CEO Christopher Bouzy for his unfounded statements presented as facts,” she said.

“I challenge anyone associated with this documentary to prove these claims of a shadow network,” she continued, adding, “The very fact that they assume there’s some sort of global conspiracy against them is exactly why everyone despises them so much.”

Lester said Meghan and “paranoid and self-aggrandizing,” and “can’t fathom the idea that their boring, entitled victim narratives make them grating, cringey a–holes. Simple as that.”

Tensions between Lester and the Sussexes ran high after she appeared in a segment in their documentary about a trolling conspiracy against the couple.

The Post has reached out to reps for Meghan and Harry for comment.
Sandie said…
I think Trevor Phillips hits the nail in the head:

-----
Meghan Markle 'had to learn how to be black on the job' after marrying Prince Harry but 'made a bit of a mess of it', it has been claimed.

Sir Trevor Phillips said the Duchess of Sussex, 41, 'never regarded herself particularly as black' before joining the Royal Family, which he said was 'understandable' due to her privileged upbringing.

But the former politician claimed Meghan then failed to 'take advice' after becoming a princess and 'squandered the opportunity' to demonstrate the diversity of Britain.

The broadcaster and former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission made the series of claims during a debate on TalkTV's Piers Morgan: Uncensored.

He said: 'I think people mistake who Meghan Markle is, she herself said that until she became this princess she never regarded herself particularly as black and that's understandable.

'She grew up in Los Angeles in the most wealthy black enclave anywhere in the United States - Park View, Windsor Hills... she went to a private Roman Catholic school and in a sense race was never really a part of her background.'

It comes after the Duchess last year discussed her mixed race identity on her Spotify podcast, Archetypes, telling guest Mariah Carey: 'I mean, if there's any time in my life that it's been more focused on my race, it's only once I started dating my husband.

'Then I started to understand what it was like to be treated like a black woman. Because up until then, I had been treated like a mixed woman. And things really shifted.'

During his appearance on Piers Morgan, Sir Trevor claimed that 'anyone who came from a black background' knew that the issue of race 'was not her territory.'

He added: 'When she made this supposedly incendiary claim about somebody asking what colour Archie's skin would be, well actually every black family... the minute you know somebody is coming, that's what you're speculating about.

'For white people it's hair and eye colour.'

He continued: 'The point I really want to make about Meghan Markle is that she had to learn how to be black on the job, as it were, and I think she made a bit of a mess of it, she didn't take advice, and that in some sense is why I think they squandered the opportunity to demonstrate something important about this country...

'We have the largest, uniquely mixed race population anywhere in the developed world that has come about through romance rather than coercion and they could have been standard bearers for that.'

Sir Trevor then clashed with TalkTV contributor Paula Rhone-Adrien over whether or not the Duchess was forced to personally confront racism in the UK.

'We know that she was having to confront racists,' Ms Rhone-Adrien said.

'There are people in prison now because of the threats they made to her life.'

Sir Trevor then hit back: 'Who did she confront? Tell me the name of one person that she confronted.'
-----

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12242517/Trevor-Phillips-says-Meghan-Markle-learn-black-joined-Royal-Family.html
Girl with a Hat said…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12242959/Harry-Meghans-cheerleader-Omid-Scobie-announces-new-book-Endgame.html

Omid announces a new book, but this time about the BRF
Maneki Neko said…
@Magatha

No, the nautical skills were not mentioned. On the other hand, ballet was one of her 'special skills' - not that you'd know, she so terribly graceless.
--------
Her work ethic is 'terrible', but remember how she used to bombard her staff (skivvies) with emails at 5 am, thus displaying a tremendous work ethic? Maybe she was suffering from insomnia.
--------
The Hollywood Reporter website I mentioned upthread listed *'s appearances in film, TV and commercials. Some titles were quite prescient.

A Lot Like Love
The War at Home
Deceit
Horrible Bosses
Dysfunctional Friends
When Sparks Fly
Anti-Social
Dater's Handbook
NeutralObserver said…
There have been so many stories about the failure of different media companies to make bank on the frantic & ceaseless antics of the Todgers, I thought Nutties would enjoy this story from Buzzfeed of a beautiful YouTube star who has made a fairly nice living without ever uttering a word, & by just being charming, funny & lovable. Eat your hearts out Todgers, the only way you earn money is from the hate clicks!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/maru-the-interview
I did a quick search to get a feel of how these films were received by the critics. The response was underwhelming.

She was mentioned in 3, presumablyin the other 5. She was the female lead in `When Sparks Fly' and was damned with faint praise: ` ...not bad but not very memorable'.' That was the best of the 3, otherwise no mention beyond the cast list.

Some star career.
Rebecca said…
@Sandie
According to Tom Bower, TBW is in touch with Diana, who tells her they are on the right path!

I just watched the 6-minute segment with Bower on GB News last night. Harry told a friend of his in London (Bower’s source) that Meghan is communicating with Diana, who told Meghan that she thinks they are doing exactly what they should be and that she supports them completely!! Psycho Meghan knows Harry’s weakness and is playing him. Just how dumb can he be??
Maneki Neko said…
@Rebecca

Psycho Meghan knows Harry’s weakness [re Diana] and is playing him. Just how dumb can he be??

How deranged can she be? How sick can she be?
Sandie said…
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14lomok/please_oh_please_paul_sue_his_are/

Paul Burrell is prepared to sue hapless if he does not retract false accusations about him that he made in his trial. I am still bemused that a team of highly paid lawyers did not assist their client in drafting that very long statement, which turned out to be filled with factual errors that could have easily been checked.
-----

@Rebecca and @Maneki Neko
I am as appalled as you are ... but he wrote in Spare how she 'communicated' with his mother when visiting her gravesite, so I can believe this is true. Is it an indication of evil at work, or are the two of them trapped in a mad delusion?

I also wonder if they have hit rock bottom yet or if things are going to get worse for them.
----

Scobie is still backing a horse that cannot win, but this time he is attacking the royal family. What he says does not make sense but it sounds an awful lot like a certain couple living in Montecito. His only source is them unless Eugenie has been talking to him, or Sarah, or some other troublesome royal.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12244463/Omid-Scobies-End-Game-likely-Sussexes-business-affairs-Royals-expert-says.html
Sandie said…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12244655/Convicted-phone-hacker-helping-Prince-Harrys-case-offered-large-sums-witnesses.html

Phone hacking trial: no evidence and hapless admitted that he had not read the articles that caused him such distress ... How can he win, other than a small amount for the one article that the tabloid admits they used unlawful means to get information? How much is this going to cost him?
Magatha Mistie said…

PooP by Megbeth Paltry
“Smells like Blithe Spirit”
Madam Arche & Scowl Coward
#Ghosthustlers 👻

Girl with a Hat said…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12245091/Harry-Markle-finally-vacate-Frogmore-Cottage-return-keys-six-months-notice.html

they've finally vacated Frogmore Cottage
Magatha Mistie said…

Grasper

A remake of Ghost
Madam playing host
A vision in
Séance and Insensibility
Conjuring thoughts
Ectoplasm rorts
Unearthly, macabre
damned trickery…

Sandie said…
Sources close to Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, are giving a little bit of insight into what's going on inside the Sussexes' minds (and hearts) as rumors spread about their current situation at Netflix and their past partnership with Spotify.
According to individuals close to the former senior royals, Harry and Meghan are "sick and tired" of the negative feedback, the exaggerated headlines, and outright rude comments.

“It seems to be one assault after another these days, with people lining up to take cheap shots at them. Quite frankly, both she and Harry are sick and tired of it," a source told Us Weekly. The source added that while Meghan and Harry are well aware of the critics, they're not letting any negativity stop them. Apparently, fans can expect “a ton of exciting things in the pipeline. [They’re] ready to come back stronger.”

Earlier this week, United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer went on record saying that Meghan “was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent.” Additionally, Spotify's Bill Simmons called her and Harry “fucking grifters” on his own podcast.

A second source told Us that there was supposed to be a more gracious statement from Spotify after Meghan ended her relationship with the platform. After Archetypes's last episode, Markle released a statement saying that she and Spotify "have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together."

“Spotify was supposed to release a statement saying how great it was to work with Meghan, but they didn’t,” the source said. They added that the Spotify team “had been pushing Harry and Meghan for more content over the last year.”

https://www.instyle.com/meghan-markle-prince-harry-sick-tired-cheap-shots-spotify-netflix-7554630
-----

I agree that the criticism is relentless and people are really enjoying mocking them ... but they seem completely unaware of their own behaviour and how unacceptable it is, and seem to also be completely unaware of their own lack of talent, work ethic, trustworthiness, and so on. Always the victim, and always so grandiose about their talent and achievements!

So, it seems she gave Spotify a script to follow, praising her ... as a narc, she must be furious that they did not do what she told them to. Narcs hate it when you do not obey them, no matter what they instruct you to do or say or think or feel.

Sandie said…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12246283/How-former-nightclub-owner-Guy-Pelly-maintained-close-relationship-Harry-Wiliam.html

The tabloids love stirring the pot! Royal rift? No! Distance is a wise strategy. The malignant narcissistic grifters cannot be trusted because they are incapable of change. I think there is more than enough love for forgiveness, but trust would be foolish.

I am surprised that she has not appeared with husband in tow, smiling for the paps and sporting another new outfit and more new itty bitty jewellery.
Sandie said…
If anyone is not familiar with The Tig, here is a sample. How would you define the personality of this person? Fabulous me, wine, me, food, me, dogs, me, clothes, me, jewellery, me, freebies, me ...

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14ls549/let_us_not_forget_meghans_instagram_pt_1/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14lsk4l/let_us_not_forget_meghans_instagram_pt_2/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14lslr9/let_us_not_forget_meghans_instagram_pt_3/

Maneki Neko said…
@Magatha

Thank you for injecting a dose of humour and caustic wit into the dreary Harkles' goings-on. "A vision in séance and insensibility"🤣
Sandie said…
This is a bit ironic ... someone using tarot to communicate with Diana about Meganut supposedly communicating with Diana. It is all nutty! But if you take away the 'communicating with Diana and just look at the cards in relation to Meganut talking to Diana, the interpretation is interesting. (My tarot interpretation, alternative, in brackets ... just my own opinion based on my tarot cards.)
-----

Is Meghan communing with Diana's spirit?

7 Cups RX - Upright it is confusion and choice, and the inability to separate reality and fantasy. In reverse it means similar but more intense. I get Diana saying Hell No. I take it that Diana feels Meganut is totally delusional. So these rumours are not to be believed. (Delusions. Illusory success. Drug addiction. Intoxication. Guilt. Lying. Deceit. Promises unfulfilled. Lust. Fornication. Dissipation in love and friendship. Vanity.)

If Diana is communing with Meghan does she agree with what they have done and their strategies?

The Tower RX - Another hell no! Her view is that this has been catastrophic. The image is a squirrel beneath a toppling tree, with two nuts on the ground one of which is in flames... LOL Diana, that is funny... she's saying Haz has lost his nuts... emasculated. (Would Diana approve: Quarrel. Combat. Danger. Ruin. Destruction of plans. Ambition. Courage. Sudden death. Escape from prison and all it implies.)

How does Diana feel about these claims?

7 Pentacles RX - this is a card of being disheartened. I am hearing if Diana is communing with anyone, she is putting her energies elsewhere. In her view hazbeen and meganut are a waste of energy. She does not see any success in the strategies they are employing. The word fruitless comes to mind and waste of time and effort. (How would she feel: Labour abandoned. Sloth. Unprofitable speculation. Promises of success unfulfilled. Hopes deceived. Disappointment. Little gain for much labour.)

How does Diana see Will and Catherine and how does she feel about what they are doing?

Queen Swords - she see them as visionary, honest, ethical and leading with integrity. She is pleased with their success. And she is happy that they do not suffer fools gladly. Her message through this card to W&C is Be determined and Stay Strong. (How would she feel about them: A graceful woman, intensely perceptive, a keen observer, subtle interpreter, an intense individualist, confident, gracious and just.)

Is there anything else Diana would like to tell us about what she would like to have happen with the family Wales?

Ace Cups - Diana is wishing for Cambs/Wales 4. She wants them to have one more baby. This is a traditional pregnancy card. Ironically the image that is on the card is of a fair woman holding a magic cup of love between her hands. You can't see her face, but you can see that her head is tilted down and looking into the cup of love. The blue dress immediately made me think of Diana. An alternative meaning of this card is that she is telling me that she holds Will and his family in esteem and love and that she is watching over them. So for those who are not for another pregnancy, there is the alternate meaning. That Will is indeed the favourite son. (What would she wish fir them: Fertility. Productiveness. Beauty. Pleasure and happiness.)

Underlying energy

Page Pentacles RX - This is the card of unwelcome news. So I am getting that Diana knows that some people won't like what she is saying. It is also a card that says stop taking what is mine. Stop being underhanded and entitled. I am taking this as a message to hazbeen and meganut. That Diana is really sick and tired of being used by them to advance their fortune. I am hearing, let me be frank with you (meaning me). So Diana is holding no punches on this matter. She came through very clearly in the cards, no nonsense. (What Diana would want for her son? Young woman beautiful and strong, as if beholding a secret wonder, pregnant with all life. She is generous, kind, diligent, benevolent, preserving.)
Mel said…
Quite the scam. Con a firm into paying you $, don't deliver on the contract, and then expect them to be gracious to you for causing them to lose money on the deal.
Slimy Scobie strikes again:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/06/28/harry-and-meghan-omid-scobie-endgame-book-royal-family/

From the Telegraph
Meghan’s author to reveal moments Royal family will be ‘ashamed of’ in new book
Victoria Ward
Wed, 28 June 2023 at 8:49 pm BST

The biographer of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex warned that his next book will reveal moments that the Royal family should be “ashamed of”.
Omid Scobie claimed he was one of few journalists writing about the Royal family whose work was impartial and “spin-free”.
As such, he said his forthcoming book, provocatively titled Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, would focus on the negative as much as the positive and would shine a light on “unsolved mysteries”.
“Endgame not only looks at the successes of our Royal family but also the failures; the things to be proud of and those they should be ashamed of,” he wrote in the I newspaper.
“Precisely because this is an establishment that sits at the heart of our society, and a family that has often been held up as role models of civility and decorum, it’s more important than ever we can take an accurate look at whether that still holds today.
“Just like this country’s politicians, the royals are not, and should not be, above reproach – no matter how desperately certain press secretaries may want you to think so.”

Mr Scobie’s first book, Finding Freedom, which he wrote with Carolyn Durand, made sweeping personal revelations about the Sussexes’ private lives.
The Duchess was forced to admit during her High Court privacy claim against Associated Newspapers that she had authorised an aide to brief the two authors for the book.
She apologised for misleading the court and claimed that she “had not remembered” email exchanges in which she was told about a two-hour meeting between Jason Knauf, her communications secretary, Mr Scobie and Ms Durand.
The messages revealed that she provided briefing notes for Mr Knauf ahead of the meeting and that the Duke had offered to tell the authors what his wife had “been through” in the public eye.
Finding Freedom was notably favourable towards the Sussexes and written from their perspective. Endgame is expected to be similar, and Mr Scobie has admitted that he has spent time in California while working on the book.
His second offering will be published in November and has been written during a time of deep personal divide between the Sussexes and most senior members of the Royal family.

Mr Scobie described it as an “unfiltered investigation into the current state of the Royal family” but insisted that it would be impartial.
“In order to tell a full story, it has to be written without fear of favour – regardless of the consequences,” he said.
“At a time when more people than ever are questioning the relevancy, purpose and role of the monarchy in modern Britain, the need for thorough, spin-free, and well-rounded insight and reporting has never been more important than it is now.
“As well as speaking with those involved in some of the most defining and controversial royal moments in recent years, the book also brings new details on unsolved mysteries as well as stories you will be reading about for the very first time.”


To my way of thinking, this confirms the suspicion that bringing down the monarchy was one of their decided aims if they couldn't get their way. Doing it by turning the people against them.
`Unsolved mysteries' - I take it these aren't the unsolved mysteries of how their children were conceived and birthed that they will lift the lid on?

Will it be The Mystery of the Missing Sausage?

Will they tell who shot the March Harriers?

They are taking a big chance here - this is asking to be called out on the mysteries they have created themselves. Are they going nuclear as a result of what's happening to them in the US?
@Sandie

Sounds just like the fabulous Miss Piggy.
I've mentioned before the medium who contacted the spirit of Beethoven, only to have a sceptic question the great composer in German, and find he didn't understand, and who also contacted the shade of old Queen Vic, who proclaimed she was `Victoria Vagina'.

Is Diana really lowering herself to communicate with would-be monarch Queen Meghan Vagina?
Maneki Neko said…
@Sandie

Yes, the Tig is all about ILBW's fabulousness. Any other people in the photos, any food, any landscape, dogs, drinks, clothes, shoes are mere accessories only there to showcase her beauty and skills (cooking, yoga etc). The photos purport to present snapshots of her life but for somebody so 'authentic', every photo is carefully staged and also contrived. It's all 'look at me', which I suppose characterises a narcissist.
Hikari said…
If anyone is not familiar with The Tig, here is a sample. How would you define the personality of this person? Fabulous me, wine, me, food, me, dogs, me, clothes, me, jewellery, me, freebies, me ...

@Sandie

I remember perusing some of the Tig entries during the engagement. Lots of focus on food prepared by Cory, and other luxury freebies provided by . . ? Mysterious benefactors she met at sea perhaps? Lots of sunbathing photos with clothing optional, lots of open-mouthed laughing--"Look at how fabulous me is having a fabulous time!" . . that white Panama hat practically stapled to her weave.

Food for thought: Photos of the infamous nude pool frolic in Las Vegas show H wearing a very similar white Panama hat. That was in 2012--just a year after Catherine & William's wedding. Do we suppose that the Cambridge wedding really put her into overdrive to target the unattached younger, dimmer brother? Her obsessive use of the panama hat in even inappropriate situations smells like some kind of a signal.

The entries were certainly self-absorbed and engineered to inspire aspirational envy, and the blog certainly didn't paint Harry's bird as a serious-minded international diplomatic brain trust. She was aping Paris Hilton. I wasn't overly bothered by that because I find that most Internet content creators are by default self-absorbed and grafting for freebies. They are churning a living out of filming the brain-numbing trivia of their lives. Most of them are finding audiences/subscribers, so what does that say about the people at home scrolling on their phones . .myself included?

To all outward appearances, she had an enviable life circa 2016 before getting her hooks into H. She had a steady acting job on Suits that paid very well for her actual amount of work, with housing provided. She was dating a local celebrity. She was rubbing shoulders with socialites, fringe Royals and the likes of the Prime Minister of Canada. She had a modeling contract with a well-known Canadian brand. It wasn't Versace, but it would be the Canadian equivalent of H&M, I imagine. She had a great style team on Suits because in those days I would have called her an attractive and stylish woman, when she allowed professionals to help her. Best of all, her shooting schedule was light enough to provide lots of extended free time for luxury travels aboard ship and other and modeling for her little Tig hobby. She met Messica Baloney and was networking.

If only she'd have been content to be a rising starlet in Toronto, she could have continued in this vein, maybe scored a more substantial acting role after Suits ended. But no . . Mugsy was far too thirsty. She shot for the sun . . she wanted to be the Queen of the entire universe. The wax on her sloppily applied wings has melted and she's plummeting back down to her familiar level of begging freebie designer samples and free hotel rooms--and free private jets now that she's 'in the jet set'.

Two things about The Tig I found out later demonstrated her true personality, more than the content:
1. She stole the idea wholesale from another very successful identically themed male-run blog called The Coveteur (not sure about the spelling but that speaks volumes about her value system. She does everything she does because she wants to be envied and rub people's faces in the fact that they aren't her.
2. She modeled for the photos but it's my understanding that she had a team at her PR firm actually writing the copy 'as her' and doing the layouts. So . . .all the work essentially while she just swanned in and out living her supermodel fantasy.

She got into hot water with the IRS over not paying taxes on the revenue generated from the retail side of the blog, so that was dropped. Now she's proposing to resurrect the sales online via TigTots and all. Same old games.
Sandie said…
Mr Scobie has admitted that he has spent time in California while working on the book ...

That is why the publication has been delayed. He spent a lot of time being briefed by the duo. I think this book is going to be really nasty, filled with false stories and accusations against the royal family. Really ugly.
Hikari said…
I wonder if Granny Diana has seen her two grandchildren allegedly by Harry? Somehow, I think since the spirit realm is where I suspect they belong, she'd be the only one in a position to see them.

I personally don't believe that the spirits of the departed communicate with the living; they have moved beyond our ken and are no longer preoccupied with earthly concerns. If the grieving take some comfort in communing with their departed loved ones in ways that are meaningful to them, that is their prerogative. In this case, even though Harry's wife has concocted her own delusional version of reality in which she's the bestest, kindest most beautiful humanitarian EVER, I don't believe she actually believes she's 'in touch' with Diana's spirit. It's what she needs H to believe, however, as the wheels are coming off their faux alternative court and she's failed to deliver on her grandiose schemes she pitched to him. She's scared he is going to leave her and so invoking his ghost mother is the most powerful arrow in her arsenal. Were H sober and living a disciplined life of meaning, it's doubtful he'd fall for this codswallop. But she's manipulated him to doubt any reality except hers and so he falls for it. He's desperate to hold on to a piece of his Mum and his wife knows this and exploits it mercilessly. It's the entire reason she's his wife now. Without the Diana card, he'd have discarded her after a month or two like he has always done with all his lays save two.

Commentators like Tom Bower call Harry's wife 'clever'. If she were truly clever, she'd have made Royal life work more than a year and a half. She'd have overshadowed Catherine and been the star of the family . . if she'd been really clever. She wouldn't have revealed herself so early and so transparently were she smart. She's thrown away unimaginable opportunities to make hundreds of millions, all because she WON'T be 'controlled' by anyone, even those looking out for her best interest. That's not clever; that is the height of egotistical stupidity. What she is is cunnning--she knows how to exploit weakness and manipulate. She's certainly aces at that with Harry. But--let's face it, Hazza must be the softest target, the easiest mark in the entire world. He's so dumb and addled, he'd probably believe that a piece of toast that has his mother's face in it would talk to him and give him life advice. A high-grade Narcissist would cultivate high-grade targets for the challenge of duping really smart victims. Meganut picked H because she's too inherently lazy for a challenge and she's too limited in her abilities even to con.
Sandie said…
https://archive.ph/2023.06.29-071100/https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-real-phone-hacking-scandal/

A fascinating article about the deceit and lies behind the phone hacking trials and why it is proving to be so successful, especially for the lawyers.
Maneki Neko said…
Re Scobie's book, it's supposedly his writing, not *'s or *&H's, meaning that in theory they have nothing to do with it. If there is a backlash, they can always throw Scobie under the bus.
Maneki Neko said…
Prince Harry is forming plans to return to Africa without Meghan Markle for a new Netflix documentary, according to Page Six.
...
However, it appears Harry's proposal for a documentary on Africa might have been listened to. A Netflix insider confirmed to Page Six that it was one of several suggestions that the father-of-two has been talking about, while another source said: 'Obviously, Harry has a lot of roots in Africa and he feels at home there.'

The publication reported that it is unclear exactly what the programme will cover, and that the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike has meant the Duke of Sussex, 38, has not been able to start his ideas yet.


All very vague at this stage and whether the project will ever get off the ground is not certain but it'll do H good to go to Africa sans wife.

https://tinyurl.com/2p8xtp5n

That pompous ass Scobie has been writing his book a very long time now. The information he has is probably totally outdated already. His "royal journalism" is dead because no-one gives a damn what he has to say. When he started as lady dumbarton's court jester he truly believed there is a career and money and status in it for him. The "lady" self has proved him wrong.

The are more and more stories about Archie's and Lili's true parenthood around in the internet's wonderful world. Are the sharks smelling the blood in the high seas, I wonder.
Maneki Neko said…
@Raspberry Ruffle

Are you still lurking?
Hikari said…
Alianor,

It’s what I call the Kraken stirring. As long as the late Queen was alive, A lot of unsavory realities were going to stay buried. She’s gone, and with the crowning of a new monarch, it’s amazing how quickly all the skeletons are tumbling out of Madam’s closet. It is gratifying to see. Karma’s wheel is turning and going to crush the grifters.
Magatha Mistie said…

@Maneki
Moaning Markle
and the Deathly Shallows
Banshee of the Bogs

@WildBoar
Regina v Vagina
Present day
Rex v Hex



Maneki Neko said…

@Magatha

Regina v Vagina
Present day
Rex v Hex

Priceless! It's good to start the day with a good chuckle.
Maneki Neko said…



Excerpt from Jean Moir's article

'The blurb promises it will be a 'penetrating investigation' about the Royal Family's 'fight for survival'. We must prepare ourselves for embarrassing revelations about those rotters the Windsors, who will no doubt be compared unflatteringly to the saintly Sussexes, whom Omid eternally scampers around, like a puppy waiting for a treat.

'Do you know Omid Scobie?' Prince Harry was asked during the hacking trial this month. 'Yes,' he replied, before quickly correcting himself. 'I know of him.''

"I know of him". Pants on fire. I hope Scooby Doo's book backfires.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-12248911/JAN-MOIR-gruel-Sussexes-victimhood-running-out.html
Magatha Mistie said…

Jan Moir’s latest article
Meh’s awards placed on her
‘Shelf of Self’ hahahaha 👌

Sandie said…
" ... if you were looking for a 12-hour portrait of the archetypal narcissist, you could not do better than this."

The end of a long article that explores the failure of their podcasting and why it is all due to their narcissism. It really hits home in a serious and in-depth way.

https://archive.is/2023.06.28-235233/https://unherd.com/2023/06/why-meghans-podcast-failed/
CatEyes said…
Stinginr article on Harry's relationship with KCIII and hios brother....

Prince Harry’s Relationship With King Charles and Prince William Is 'Titanic-ly Worse'

Things between Prince Harry, King Charles and Prince William have yet to progress. Royal commentator Daniela Elser compared their family dynamic to a historical boating accident. "The last two years have seen his relationship with his family go from bad to Titanic-ly worse," Elser told a publication.

Not only has Harry lost the bond with his father and brother, but he's not well liked in England, either. "In short, it’s hard to think of a fall from popularity, adoration and public life more precipitous or dramatic," Elser said. "And still, Harry with his witness statement this week, is ploughing on, demonstrating a dogged, self-destructive refusal."

The sibling rivalry between the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales has made headlines for years. The Royal Observerpreviously reported Christopher Andersen thinks Harry's recent projects only amplified the preexisting tension between him and the former Duke of Cambridge. "William is still simmering with resentment over 'Megxit,' not to mention Harry's unflattering portrait of him in Spare," Andersen told an outlet. "In the book, Harry portrays his older brother as his 'archnemesis' – Harry's words – a scolding, overbearing, brooding and, at times, even violent man."

"Harry is still obviously upset that William was given a free ride because he is the heir – that William got away scot-free with doing many of the same things Harry was excoriated for,"

Andersen speculated. "William is doing a marvelous job of compartmentalization. He seems to have put Harry and Meghan in a box and shoved that box into a remote corner of his mind – all so that he can do the job he must do as Prince of Wales."

Harry and William's issues began to escalate when the veteran began dating American actress and his now wife, Meghan Markle. Katie Nicholl claimed the future king was worried about the pace of the Sussexes' romance.

"William was quite concerned that the relationship had moved so quickly," Nicholl said. "And being close to Harry, you know, probably the only person close enough to say to Harry, 'This seems to be moving quickly. Are you sure?' And I think what was meant as well-intended brotherly advice just riled Harry."

"Harry is hugely protective of Meghan," Nicholl continued. "He saw that as criticism, he interpreted that as his brother not really being behind this marriage, this union. And I don’t think things have been quite right ever since."

Elser spoke to The Courier Mail.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/prince-harry-s-relationship-with-king-charles-and-prince-william-is-titanic-ly-worse/ar-AA1d4rWD?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ffde9b7ffeed49f392bef65ff72ee767&ei=15#comments
Girl with a Hat said…
https://twitter.com/ArabellaRober19/status/1674782839492186116


ArabellaL
@ArabellaRober19
The BRF have the unspeakable photograph. It will ruin her for life if it gets out!
10:11 AM · Jun 30, 2023
___________________________________-


I wonder what this is all about. Any ideas?
Hikari said…
@GWAH

I have several ideas. How about a shot of * giving Jeffrey Epstein a sailor’s welcome on her knees?

I’m not actually sure any such photograph exists, or even if something like it or equally damning does exist, that it would be accepted as genuine. Over these last five years, Madam has given a master class in manipulating imaged to make them seem real.

If the Royal family in fact possesses information that will unilaterally destroy the succubus that has attached itself to H, now would seem to be the time to release it and finish her off. The Queen is gone, Charles has acceded. The Coronation is done and dusted; The Sussex is residential tie to Frogmore has been severed and the sycophantic media has finally turned on the toxic couple. Her reputation is in the toilet because she’s finally been outed for what she is. However, until the Palace Completely repudiates her in no uncertain terms, she retains the titles and the possibility of continued grifting on the Royal association.

Harry is lost to them, so his family must be prepared for him to go down in flames with her. He most likely is not going to survive this relationship, by which I don’t mean only mentally. This is tragic, but the survival of the institution of monarchy has to trump the sentimental attachment to any one member. The Crown must win or the Crown will die. It has come down to the Crown or to his troublesome son for Charles. Does the king propose to sit by while his kid and the bint publish more books attempting to destroy his and his late mother’s legacy, all because they weren’t worshipped properly in their own diseased minds? There has to be an end to this… This simply cannot go on for decades to come.
Fifi LaRue said…
@GWAH: The photo is most likely of ILBW doing something quite lewd, like at the pay-for-porn level, not the free porn stuff.
Press Association Report approx 3pm


`Duke of Sussex entitled to £320,000 compensation in hacking case, lawyers say'

Tom Pilgrim and Sian Harrison Fri, 30 June 2023 at 3:01 pm BST

The Duke of Sussex should be awarded up to £320,000 in compensation over the alleged misuse of his private information by a tabloid newspaper publisher, his lawyers have told the High Court.
Harry, 38, is suing Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for damages, claiming journalists at its titles – the Daily and Sunday Mirror and Sunday People – were linked to methods including phone hacking, so-called “blagging” or gaining information by deception, and the use of private investigators for unlawful activities.
In a court document released to the media on Friday – the final day of a trial in London – the duke’s legal team set out its suggestions for the amount of money Harry could receive if a judge rules in his favour.
Harry alleges 147 stories from 1996 to 2010, published by MGN titles, used information obtained through unlawful means.
The articles cover the duke’s relationship with his family and ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a few injuries and illnesses, his military service and allegations of drug use.
Some 33 articles, dated between 1996 and 2009, were selected for examination during the trial of Harry’s and others’ contested claims against the publisher.
In the document, the duke’s lawyers suggested he could be awarded up to £320,000 if his case is successful in relation to all of these 33 stories.

The duke may also be awarded more if the judge, Mr Justice Fancourt, concludes Harry is also entitled to “aggravated damages”, for additional distress or injury to feelings arising from the nature of the alleged wrongdoing.
Harry has previously told the court that MGN’s alleged intrusion into his life contributed to “a huge amount of paranoia” in his relationships.
In his witness statement, the duke said that he found it “very hard to trust anyone, which led to bouts of depression and paranoia”.
The highest amount sought for one article is £25,000 in relation to a December 2003 story in the People.
The double-page article reported a disagreement between Harry and his brother William, now Prince of Wales, about whether to meet former royal butler Paul Burrell over his “ongoing exposes about our mother”.
Harry claims the article’s author was a “habitual commissioner of private investigators” and that the reported phrase “two-face shit” he used to describe Mr Burrell could have been taken from a voicemail.
MGN has claimed the information came from a “confidential source who specialised in royal matters” and there was no evidence of phone hacking.
Harry’s lawyers also suggest he could be awarded up to £20,000 in relation to a front page Mirror story in January 2002 entitled “Harry’s cocaine ecstasy and GHB parties”.
The article claimed that some of the duke’s friends had taken “hard drugs” in front of him, including ecstasy, cocaine and GHB, reporting that the then Prince of Wales – now the King – was “terrified”.
Harry said in his evidence to the court that “it is not clear to me where the defendant’s journalists could have possibly obtained these quotes from”.
(PA report cont)

However, MGN deny unlawful activity and said there is no evidence of phone hacking.
MGN has told the trial that it denies that 28 out of the 33 articles involved unlawful information gathering and that it was not admitted for the remaining five articles.
The publisher claims the stories came from a range of sources, including information disclosed by royal households or other royals, freelance journalists and news agencies as well as confidential sources with “extensive” royal contacts.

Its lawyers have said the duke should be awarded up to £500 in damages for one admitted instance of unlawful information gathering in February 2004.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, previously told the trial that it “unreservedly apologises” to the duke for this occasion and that it accepts he was entitled to “appropriate compensation”.
The barrister said that it was admitted that a private investigator was instructed, by an MGN journalist at The People, to unlawfully gather information about his activities at the Chinawhite nightclub one night in February 2004.
Mr Green said that there was a People article published in February 2004 “giving the recollection of a woman Harry spent time with” at the club, but later told the court that it was not one of the 33 stories selected for the trial of Harry’s claim, “so it is not alleged that this instruction led to the publication of his private information”.
The barrister also said MGN had set out the “appropriate award” should the judge find any of the articles complained of were the product of unlawful activity.
According to Harry’s lawyers, MGN had suggested a potential total figure of £37,000.
MGN lawyers have also argued that there is “nothing significant” in Harry and others’ claims “to warrant any award of aggravated damages”.
In written arguments they add that the court should ensure any award is “proportionate”, saying that figures proposed by the claimants “would be grossly disproportionate given the absence of evidence and relatively limited interference in their private lives”.
Harry’s case is being heard alongside similar claims by actor Michael Turner, who is known professionally as Michael Le Vell and best known for playing Kevin Webster in Coronation Street, actress Nikki Sanderson and comedian Paul Whitehouse’s ex-wife Fiona Wightman.
MGN is largely contesting the claims and denies that any of the articles complained of resulted from phone hacking, while contending that the vast majority did not arise from any other unlawful activity.
Girl with a Hat said…
Blind Item #9
For the first time that I have heard, the ginger haired one spent two consecutive nights away from the marital home in his local hotel suite.

over at CDAN
Maneki Neko said…
The DM reports the following.

'The Harry and Meghan 'double act' could be coming to an end as the Duke and Duchess may embark on more solo projects to 'play to their strengths and 'avoid ridicule', PR experts claimed today.
. . .
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline that Meghan and Harry may increasingly do solo projects to avoid 'ridicule' that some of their other projects have suffered.'

The beginning of the end? Does solo projects herald solo lives? Of course not but it's difficult not to wonder.
I don't know what their supposed 'strengths' are. I can't think of any. As for avoiding ridicule, I'd say it's a bit late for that. And we need PR experts to tell us. In any case, * is totally impervious to ridicule.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12251649/Could-Harry-Meghan-double-act-PR-experts-say-embark-solo-projects.html

GrandGal said…
The only thing that comes to my mind that might not be ridiculed is Harry moving to Africa and donating his time and efforts to big game conservation (without any media coverage). Don't ever let him or his claw around small animals or children. Ever.
IIRC, there was a rumour reported here that the Firm had `the film' that would shoot her down once and for all. Supposedly it was a 3-some but there were no other details.
A great deal of inconclusive chat here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14mvif4/allegedly_the_sex_tape_is_real/
Maneki Neko said…
@GrandGal

I think Harry would be in his element working in big game conservation in Africa, although I think he's been there on hunting trips. But Africa would be more 'authentic' (one of *'s favourite words) than California and tme without * should be beneficial.
CatEyes said…
Her is a thought provi=okinmgnarticle that features that William indeed may be more like his mother (while many use Diana as the 'awful excuse' why Harry is the way he is)

'If I become KING, I will let the homeless live in our PALACES': William's words to Diana at just 13 reveal why his crusade to end rough sleeping is inspired by his mother's compassion, writes RICHARD KAY

Prince William was not yet 14 and still wearing dental braces when he and his mother sat down to talk. They were in her first-floor sitting room at home in Kensington Palace, side by side on the sofa — chatting, as they often did, about life.

Mother and son enjoyed these cosy heart-to-hearts. For the teenage William, it was a rare moment without brother Harry, when he had Diana to himself; the Princess would later proudly tell friends how her 'baby boy' was growing into a thoughtful young man.

Often, these fireside conversations were light-hearted and gossipy. But on that spring afternoon in 1996, William was unusually philosophical as they talked about one of Princess Diana's favourite causes — the homeless.

She had just returned from a visit to The Passage, a hostel run by Catholic nuns near London's Victoria station.

A few years earlier, Diana had taken William, then 11, there for the first time. He had since accompanied her on a number of occasions, when they would drop in privately to see its redoubtable principal, Sister Bridie Dowd, and help night-shift staff prepare for that evening's rough sleepers. The Prince has remained a visitor ever since.

What William said to his mother that day may well have played a crucial role in his extraordinarily bold announcement this week that he intends to make ending homelessness a lifelong ambition.

'If I become King,' he told the Princess, using the deliberately cautious language of Royal Family members, 'I will let the homeless live in our palaces.'

Diana was certainly struck by such an imaginative — if improbable — suggestion to solving a social crisis that is now many times more urgent than it was then. It was, she said, just the kind of unorthodox idea she might have come up with.

But more than a quarter of a century later, that youthful remark offers a fascinating glimpse into the kind of monarch King William V will be, and the influences that are shaping him today.

For years, his somewhat guarded and watchful approach to his royal role has been contrasted with Harry's outspoken, hot-headed, cavalier style. Insiders have long considered that while he physically resembled his mother, William was in temperament more a Windsor: wary like his late grandmother and stubborn like Charles.

Yet, increasingly, it seems Diana's influence on him outweighs that of his father. Indeed, as he gets older and moves closer to the throne, his outlook appears more than ever to resemble the mother he lost.

In an interview, William has indicated that he is itching to give his children, George, Charlotte and Louis an introduction to the issues that he first confronted as a boy of 11. Prince George is still only nine, but Harry first accompanied his brother and mother to a Soho hostel when he was that age.

When Diana took her sons to The Passage and other centres, royal officials were sniffy and dismissive. Courtiers working for the then-Prince Charles complained that such visits were 'interrupting' the brothers' childhood and that they were being 'used' as a PR weapon in the couple's bitter separation battles.

The evidence of this week is that not only did those mainly private encounters serve William well, they have remained with him ever since. As Diana herself told me, she wouldn't have taken them unless they found the experience deeply rewarding.
CatEyes said…
Part II of the Daily Mail article...

Countless visits never appeared in the media. She frequently went to 'Cardboard City', at that time a notorious homeless encampment near Waterloo station. It was potentially dangerous and unpredictable, with violent residents often drunk or high on drugs.

At that time, many of those sleeping rough were former soldiers, and Diana frequently complained that more should be done to help those who had been willing to give their lives for their country.

In the same way, William has made several unobserved excursions on to the London streets, on one occasion being spotted selling the Big Issue (the newspaper which campaigns for the homeless) and delivering food during the pandemic.

He has adopted Diana's approach to these under-the-radar visits: no fuss, no frills and no formality.

Of his plans for his own children, he says: 'When I can balance it with their schooling, they will definitely be exposed to it.'

Revealingly, he has conversations with his children just like those Diana had with him. 'Why are they here?' he asks them when they spot homeless people on the streets. 'What's going on?'

He says, proudly, that his children will grow up understanding that 'some of us are very fortunate' and others 'need a helping hand'.

How similar this sounds to the message Diana liked to hammer home to her privileged boys. 'I repeatedly tell them that not everyone lives in palaces with chauffeur-driven cars and has holidays several times a year,' she would tell me.

William's language is also strikingly familiar. When mother and sons once spent a weekend at the home of a wealthy art collector, William was dazzled by the luxury of it all. Gazing at the priceless treasures and furnishings, he said: 'Mummy, whoever lives here must be really rich.'

Diana replied: 'Not rich darling, fortunate.'

The Princess was frequently mocked for showing her sons a life beyond palace walls. Yet whether it was queuing for burgers or simply travelling on public transport, she was determined their eyes should be properly opened to the world in which they lived. These were real-life adventures — and something they could not experience with their father.

And yet, in the years after Diana's death, it seemed at times as though her part in the Princes' lives was being airbrushed from royal history. We now know that was not the case. As the 20th anniversary of the Princess's death approached, both William and Harry spoke movingly of memories of their mother and the debt they owed her.

Sadly, as the relationship between the brothers deteriorated, that affection for Diana turned into a tussle over her legacy. Who truly was Diana's heir? The impulsive Harry, or the dutiful William?

Harry has chosen a grievance narrative, using it to cloak himself as his mother's true son. He has cast Meghan as a victim of an unscrupulous Palace just as Diana was. In his book and in interviews he has often invoked her name.

William, by contrast, has staked his claim by choosing his official priorities. Aged 23, he took on his mother's patronage of Centrepoint, the homeless charity, and later succeeded her as president of the Royal Marsden Hospital where she did so much to highlight the fight against cancer. These were two of his most significant causes.

Meanwhile, he allowed his children's hand-drawn Mothering Sunday greeting cards — written to the grandmother they never knew — to be published on the Kensington Palace Instagram account. The message was clear: Diana was his mother, too.

CatEyes said…
Part III of the daily Mail article...

Sadly, as the relationship between the brothers deteriorated, that affection for Diana turned into a tussle over her legacy. Who truly was Diana's heir? The impulsive Harry, or the dutiful William?

Harry has chosen a grievance narrative, using it to cloak himself as his mother's true son. He has cast Meghan as a victim of an unscrupulous Palace just as Diana was. In his book and in interviews he has often invoked her name.

William, by contrast, has staked his claim by choosing his official priorities. Aged 23, he took on his mother's patronage of Centrepoint, the homeless charity, and later succeeded her as president of the Royal Marsden Hospital where she did so much to highlight the fight against cancer. These were two of his most significant causes.

Meanwhile, he allowed his children's hand-drawn Mothering Sunday greeting cards — written to the grandmother they never knew — to be published on the Kensington Palace Instagram account. The message was clear: Diana was his mother, too.

The truth is that both brothers have manifestly inherited much from her. And what is particularly intriguing is that with so many new responsibilities as Prince of Wales, William is declaring that what is motivating him is his mother's unfinished business.

Courtiers question whether he will display quite the same level of attention to the huge portfolios he has taken on from his father — such as the Duchy of Cornwall — that he is currently showing in his plans to eradicate homelessness.

Perhaps because it had been such a large part of his own life for so long, Charles obsessed over every detail of the 130,000-acre estate, with its vast holdings of agricultural land and residential and commercial property, including London's Oval cricket ground.

When he was Prince of Wales, Charles knew all of his tenants by name and regularly dropped in on them for a cup of tea and to learn about their problems, from ringworm in cattle to collapsing drystone walls.

It is, to be fair, a well-run and lucrative business which may allow William more time to pursue other interests. And, of course, it is on Duchy land that William wants to experiment with building social housing, part of his drive to address homelessness; a refinement of that teenage suggestion of opening up the palaces to rough sleepers.

Might there be some royal tension in all this? As the Mail reported this week, Charles's The Prince's Foundation pointed out that four years ago it launched a 'call for action' on housing, including a 14-point blueprint on how to achieve mixed-use properties for the long-term, rather than for short-term profit.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12252687/Williams-crusade-end-homelessness-inspired-mothers-compassion-writes-RICHARD-KAY.html
Sandie said…
Further incidents of so-called bad timings that include the launch of Meghan's podcast - publicity for which is said to have been impacted by the death of the Queen in September.

The couple are also said to have felt that their explosive Oprah interview was overshadowed by the failing health of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died soon afterwards.

A source in Los Angeles said: 'The word is that they think they've been really unlucky.'

https://archive.ph/2023.07.01-104415/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-12253755/Meghan-Harry-believe-repeatedly-unlucky-amid-flagging-fortunes.html

Unbelievable!
Sandie said…
https://archive.ph/2023.07.01-055318/https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/meghan-harry-separate-paths/

The insider says, “Meghan is distraught over this Spotify snub and the fallout that has followed. It’s totally knocked her sideways. She can’t believe she’s been attacked so viciously and so publicly by one of their execs, and to be labelled ‘grifters’ is an utterly humiliating and gut-wrenching all-time low – it’s served as a brutal reality check that things really do need to change to save their popularity.

“Her team have warned her that there’s ‘no future’ with Harry and that she needs to start working on her individual projects rather than being seen as one half of ‘Brand Sussex’. They feel that if Meghan does more on her own, she’ll have more opportunities to save her career. It will give them breathing room and restore confidence – or at least that’s the hope.”

To make matters worse, insiders say Meghan has been left even more humiliated by reports that Spotify are believed to be considering brokering a deal with an even more prominent royal – Meghan’s “nemesis”, Kate Middleton.
-----

When have we seen such a perfect example of karma; reap what you sow ...

As for Catherine doing a Spotify podcast ... Of course Spotify would walk barefoot across broken glass to get Catherine, and William, on their platform, and any and all earnings would be given away. But I am not sure that either would be that keen as they already have plenty of platforms for their causes. But, maybe a podcast from Catherine about early childhood development? It would be interesting ... she has a huge depth and breadth of knowledge, and has superb connections with experts at all levels.
I suppose the parting of the ways from Spotify is the first criticism om * that's really hit its target - her belly-aching about previous criticism shows she was a bit hurt, but not enough to do more than complain. She could rationalise it away by saying `They're jealous/racist/ blind to my wonderfulness' and has continued on her merry way.

If this has taken the wind out of her sails/put her gas at a peep it's because it struck her in her most sensitive part - her pocket.

Such a pity, the puir wee lamby... or rather, `Hah-Bloody-Hah! About time too.'
Hikari said…
The couple are also said to have felt that their explosive Oprah interview was overshadowed by the failing health of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died soon afterwards.

A source in Los Angeles said: 'The word is that they think they've been really unlucky.'


Really, how very inconsiderate of Prince Philip to have the audacity to be dying of a very painful cancer and overshadow his grandson's interview on American television, riding shotgun next to his 'heavily pregnant' wife. The Iron Duke could have had the decency to not be in hospital with a terminal illness whilst being slagged off by the Sussexes for a grandiose sum of money.

Wow. What a pair of completely irredeemable GARBAGE HUMAN BEINGS.

If this is the kind of thing Scabies's screed is going to be full of, I fear for the King's continued good health. This is the kind of thing that might catapult a 74-year-old father with a stressful high-profile job right into a stroke. William isn't too young to have a stroke, either, particularly since his baseline of incandescence appears to be a lot lower than his father's.

Not since the height of WWII, when the exiled Duke of Windsor was colluding with Herr Hitler from the Bahamas to retake the throne he threw away in exchange for installing a collaborationist government with the Third Reich, when it was revealed that he egged Hitler on to continue the Blitz and potentially kill his brother the King, his Queen and his two nieces has a fringe member of the Royal family plotted so actively to destroy the very institution he allegedly walked away from. This makes the War of the Waleses in the 1990s look like two kids fighting in the back seat of a car by comparison. Despite the very ill-advised soul-baring to the manipulative Martin Bashir, Diana's jabs at Charles, while wounding, were not fatal. Everyone knew that despite his flaws of character or marital infidelities that Charles WOULD be the next monarch despite the failure of his marriage.

If the 1992 book by Andrew Morton and the Panorama interview were Diana's revenge against Charles for his infidelity, Harry seems to be her lasting legacy of revenge against Charles and the entire institution, even though I doubt that's what she would have wanted to happen. What H is doing, goaded by his wife is next-level. Beyond the pale. But this is what Narcs do when they are steadfastly ignored and denied what they demand--they escalate. Every time we think they can't possibly get worse or more outrageous . . they do.

Just like with the Abdication, the RF is facing another unprecedented crisis situation. There have been plenty of renegade traitorous Royals in the past who mounted insurrections against the Crown and tried to seize power, with varying degrees and durations of success. Henry Mountbatten-Windsor is no Henry Tudor. Methods of putting down insurrectionist traitors on a permanent basis which were available to Charles's ancestors are no longer the done thing. H and wife have launched an all-out media war against the Crown. How this is all going to end we can only guess at. I'm confident the Crown will prevail, but at what cost of casualties?
Girl with a Hat said…
really unlucky? it's called karma.
Sandie said…
https://youtu.be/FX4aIQmh91Y

Interesting video from The Vintage Read Show ... I wonder why the legal team for The Mirror did not submit this as evidence. Piers Morgan at least twice had lunch/dinner with Fergie where she drank at least two glasses of wine and became very indiscreet. And, when he was editor, they 'planted' a junior reporter as a footman (fascinating story). That is how they got the information about the late Queen keeping her breakfast cereal in Tupperware - this 'fake' footman was tasked with serving the Queen her breakfast. Of course, this does not mean phones were not hacked but it certainly plants doubts that illigal means are always used to get information. And the footman was served with an injunction to stop him from talking after he left BP, but by then he had shared all and The Mirror had published. (No scandals or great reveals other than Tupperware it seems.)
Elskainga said…
Sandie:

As many other posters said on Reddit, the only reason * ‘s PR included the comment about Princess Catherine is to reconnect her link to PoW and the Royals. Megsy is so desperate for an iota of Catherine’s charm, integrity and shine to rub off on her (of course without doing any work). To think the Monteshitshow all distills down to Harry’s envy of William and *’s envy of Catherine. Smh.

The Royal family has moved on, they are thriving and are much better off without the toxicity ALWAYS brought to play by h&m!
BBC has reported that H wants Almost half a million in damages- £440, to be precise,-
Girl with a Hat said…
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2023/07/blind-items-revealed-3.html#disqus_thread

follow up reveal of the blind item about * trying to sell subscription boxes.

Some hilarious comments
Girl with a Hat said…
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2023/07/blind-item-3.html#disqus_thread

SATURDAY, JULY 01, 2023
Blind Item #3
Bookmakers are about to set some odds as to whether the ginger haired one ever returns to the marital home after he films his documentary overseas.

SwampWoman said…
abbyh said:And, are women really really being held back in today's first world? Woman used to not be able to have a credit card in their own name. Having a woman in a law school class was rare. Women went into dermatology and not heart surgery. Women on a board of major corporation (unless it was a make up company)? Pff, make me laugh. Women have been making progress for decades now. The Mrs. Degree is no longer the top goal of college women the way it used to. We aren't still living in the 40's and 50's. We have come very far.

So, are women still really being held back the way it used to be ... or is it more of a matter perhaps of not to the degree some people might want it to be? That would be a different conversation.


Hmmm. This is probably going to sound misogynistic, but it isn't meant to be that way. Women's priorities in life may be different than men's. I know, shocker. We may value family time and free time more than being the richest person in town. Men have abandoned college in droves in favor of certifications/skills gained through non-college venues. Women are overrepresented in degrees and fields that pay poorly but have regular hours and safety. Men are overrepresented in fields that pay well but may have uncomfortable to hazardous working conditions and have hours that may be long.
Maneki Neko said…
I was out all day and have just seen this on a few websites

Meghan and Harry 'believe they have been "repeatedly unlucky" and blame Covid, economic woes, the death of the Queen and the failing of Prince Philip's health for their faltering attempts to launch post-royal careers'

In other words, none of their current lack of contracts is due to them/their attitude/lack of talent. No, no, no, not at all. I'm surprised they didn't add Brexit and Ukraine to the mix. It's hard to believe they could have such a lack of self-awareness. How could Spotify etc not see their unrivalled genius, their brilliance, demonstrated with such finesse and panache? Woe is us. Frankly, I find this attitude and their negativity very draining.
CatEyes said…
Princess Diana 'Wouldn’t Have Been Good Enough' for Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry often compare the Suits star to Harry's late mother, Princess Diana — but one royal expert thinks the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales wouldn't get along if the blonde beauty were still around today. Angela Levin told an outlet that Diana "wouldn’t have been good enough" to Meghan "if she was still alive."

Levin later accused the Sussexes of attempting to control the narrative about their lives. "When something's on the front pages about them, they come up with something else," Levin claimed during a GB News appearance. "So that they can, you know, divert the discussion… I think it’s nonsense, I think somebody’s just spreading something."

"She’s never seen Diana, she’s never known her," Levin explained. "She did lie flat and pray to her once when she went to visit her grave, but that’s about it."

Levin later alluded to Diana being a monarchist, adding that she wouldn't approve of Meghan and Harry's urge to abandon their royal duties.

"She’s very much supported the monarchy, she lived very near in Sandringham, and she used to go and have tea with the Queen, the family did, and she went along and she said to both her sons, 'You know, this is very important that we keep this going, I want good manners, I want you to like it, I want you to take part in it.'" Levin said on-air.

Not only does Meghan remind Harry of his mother, but the Duchess of Sussex could become Mrs. Spencer one day. The Royal Observerpreviously reported Tom Bower claimed Meghan and Harry would drop their royal titles and take on Princess Diana's maiden name.

"What’s really interesting in the rebranding of the Sussexes, is that Meghan decided her real object in life was to be Diana," the author said in an interview. "That has always been her passion, that has also been Harry’s passion and Meghan went to the extent of suggesting that they should drop the name Windsor and take the surname Spencer. So she’d be Meghan Spencer — the new Diana."

Magatha Mistie said…

Tripdych

Could haz be headed
for a conscious uncoupling
Finally awoken
from a long one night sting
Bi-assed, nailed, for his soho fling
Forced to ring
tri unconscious throuple-ing…




Magatha Mistie said…

@CatEyes
The thought of the
boss-eyed bovine
lying prostrate at Diana’s grave
leaves me speechless!!


Magatha Mistie said…


Back in the day I served
eight years in the Army.
I never felt compromised
at risk.
Plenty of banter
fully reciprocated.






As for their present misfortunes being down to `bad luck' , certain pairs of words come to mind, such as `sow and reap', `just desserts'



They clearly have never examined their schemes with a SWOT analysis- They believe that TW has all the Strengths necessary and acknowledge no Weakness, they see how to exploit the most unlikely Opportunities but perceive no Threats beyond their control. Blindingly obvious factors which could derail their plans never occur to them. elude them.

Louis Pasteur was of the opinion that `Chance favours the prepared mind' but their `misfortune' is evidence of how inadequate are their thought processes. I laugh like a drain every time we are told how `smart' TBW is, or how she claims to be better educated or have a superior intellect to the rest of humanity when she screws up like this yet cannot see that it is she herself who is the common feature of all her failures.
Sandie said…
"Harry is a hothouse royal who is learning too late that he has nothing to offer the world but his royalty. Meghan is a product of her own era, in that she has the entitlement of a celebrity but the talents of a nobody."

I dare you to find a better description of these two! Also, THIS.

"The great tragedy is she believed she could do better and walked away. The best she can hope for is that her truth blinds her to the reality of how wrong she was."
-----

Great comment about this article:

https://archive.is/2023.07.02-102633/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fe94d138-1841-11ee-87bf-4c05f9202e96?shareToken=c34add47c944d5a5e9ec102b7eeaed39

From https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14olnp1/meghan_had_an_ocean_of_goodwill_and_drained_it/

That final paragraph is interesting ... if that toxic malignant narcissist ever is able to face the truth about herself, she would fall apart, unravel ... and I do not think all the best therapy in the world could reconstruct a real and honest version of herself that is sane and stable.

Many rumours of him ditching her, but I see nothing in his behaviour to support this. This very public downfall will cause them to cling more closely to each other and their delusions.
Sandie said…
The talk of him proposing an 'African' (huge and very diverse, in every way, continent) documentary is quite sad. How has it taken him so long to realize this? I thought this would be one of his Netflix projects from day 1 ... he certainly has many connections in Africa. But is he capable of convening the right team with interesting fresh ideas and the ability to film wildlife and on the African continent? And will she really allow him to have something without her? Will he only be allowed to head off to 'Africa' for days at a time for quick filming and then rush back to her? Wildlife does not appear or perform according to your schedule ... a really good documentary including wildlife takes time to film.
Fifi LaRue said…
CDAN is reporting that Mrs. Todger met with people to develop a subscription box, as her latest attempt to rake in some cash. There is only one very unique subscription box that Mrs. Todger could effectively hawk, and that is selling children's toys, games, clothing, snacks, etc. using Archifake and Lilliain't as the faces of her product. That can never happen because there aren't any children. It's not because Mr. Todger opposes the "children" being exposed, it's because the children don't exist. Mrs. Todger doesn't have a ready set of children that can be progressively photographed, full face on for any reason, family portraits or merchandising.
Mel said…
Mrs. Todger doesn't have a ready set of children that can be progressively photographed, full face on for any reason
-------

As time goes on, one does wonder about that. Starting to look more and more that that's the scenario.
A short while ago, we were discussing presents given to * ; I found something intriguing a couple of days ago:

-the assertion that she had been `given' a new E-type jaguar ($470k) as a present but it's not clear what happened to it.(It's what they drove to the reception in) The link's a bit crazy - it's a `Healthy George' one which brings up different images.

Any ideas about it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z8QBlSdUZs

Now this is interesting - how Meghan Markle got into the SoHo House set and how she went on from there. Found on SMM
OCGal said…
@Fifi LaRue,

You wrote "There is only one very unique subscription box that Mrs. Todger could effectively hawk, and that is selling children's toys, games, clothing, snacks, etc. using Archifake and Lilliain't as the faces of her product." WRONG!

I am being waggish but on the square. I submit that her best chance of success with a subscription box is to entitle it "Target: Lover"...

...and watch the money unceasingly roll in simply by following some of her own - and some of other famous women-through-history's-shenanigans' playbooks. Sign-ups and cash will roll in from sugars, disbelieving-but-hoping-for-a-miracle women and men of all ages and persuasions, journalists and more. As one knows, once one signs up for a subscription of any sort, it is seven circles of hell trying to cancel the subscription. No one will ever figure out how to cancel, so she will have a permanent stream of income.

She has always wanted to tie herself in with brands. This is her main chance!

Monthly she will send products and helpful hints supporting the changing Lover theme:

- Woo A Lover Box - perfumes, todger creams, make-up to darken or lighten skin as one sees fit to woo their target, fake hair, fake teeth. Never-ending source of box goodies, and partnerships with high end, and low end, brands

- Keep A Lover Box - sexy lingerie, ball gags, plugs various sorts, naugahyde vinyl naughty outfits with accessories, recommended surgeons for inflating certain body parts then later deflating same, inflatable-by-blowing rear ends for those who think a bodacious rear end is enticing, and so on. You get my drift

- Scam A Lover Box - how to get or appear pregnant so as to keep lover on the hook, discount on attorneys to advise on real estate, what state gets one best alimony or palimony, etc...

- Trap A Lover Box - discount on listening devices, discreet (hidden) security cameras, private investigators, automobile trackers, advice on what to do, and so on

- Confuse A Lover Box - advice on how to distance one's target from all their friends and loved ones so they must rely upon only you, advice on how to publicly announce things that one's target doesn't remember ever being discussed and how to make one's target think they're going mad by not remembering, etc...

- Destroy A Lover Box - instructions will be sent in code so the whole world won't be privy to the increasing-pressure game plan

- Bonus Lover Box - her Global International Personal Assistant will write and print on majestic letterhead an encouraging misaligned and unsigned note to the subscriber saying that if the monthly succession of Lover Boxes hasn't yet produced satisfying results, take a secret bonus lover as a side piece to get the pleasure of putting one over on unaware target, or if all is lost, simply dump the original target and zero in on a new one

- VIP category - for an extra $100K per month, lucky VIP subscribers will get some actual personalized hints like how to find a lover by hanging out at specific luxury hotels, how to score unlimited free use of private jets, how to yacht, where exactly to buy a special hat to signal availability, how to communicate via spooning bananas, recipe to have one's minions bake olive oil lemon cake, and other secretive handy hints

Life will be good when all this is put into place.
Sandie said…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12256397/Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markle-hold-hands-share-laugh-joke-Santa-Barbara.html

She called Backgrid again! They may have been holding hands when they left the building but not on the walk to the car, with her putting on her 'fabulous' grin and him looking pretty glum.

Supposedly, this is the building they were visiting:

"It is unknown what business the pair had been visiting in the complex which houses several firms including a karate studio, hair salon, pilates studio and the Self Enquiry Life Fellowship which promotes higher yoga and Himalayan meditation."
Maneki Neko said…
@Sandie

I've just seen the headline and came here to see if anyone had posted about it. The photo of * seen from the back is most unflattering. She's wearing a wide white shirt tucked into brown shorts that accentuate her skinny legs, either because they're a bit wide or because she's got her hands in her pockets. Does she look in the mirror before she leaves the house? And of course she's wearing the ever present white Panama hat.
Maneki Neko said…
@OCGal

Very good list of boxes. To the last one, VIP category, may I add how to score free use of a mansion (e.g. California) for at least half a year or perhaps free hotel rooms (5* only) in NYC.
Maneki Neko said…
@Wild Boar

Interesting about the E type Jaguar. All I found out is an article dating back to the Harkles' wedding. Jaguar had 'electrified the vehicle to create what it called the E-Type Concept Zero, a zero-emissions version of what Enzo Ferrari once dubbed “the most beautiful car in the world.”'
...
'Whether the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex get to keep the Concept Zero remains to be seen, but here's a sweet suggestion that it's theirs for good—its license plate features today's date, which will, of course, be the date of their anniversary in the future.'

I didn't realise they had a personalised number plate - the date of the wedding! I can't find any information about whether they still have it or not. It would be a bit difficult for them to protect their privacy driving around in that car.

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/a20759902/royal-wedding-car-vintage-jaguar-e-type/
OCGal said…
@Maneki Neko, you are so right.

How could I have forgotten such an essential skill as grifting of a free mansion and free luxury hotel stays for 'Target: Lover' VIP box?
I'm wondering about the `special hat to signal availability' from OCGal's hilarious suggestion
- has anybody got anything specific on the appropriate headgear for soliciting punters?

I recall Yankee Wally (bless her!). yonks ago, speculating that this was a signal.

That rear view is not a good look - is she really that broad in the beam? Ozempic or not...she suggests a toffee apple, with 3 extra sticks.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14osk56/smirking_before_the_coffin_of_her_majesty_queen/

A very strong post at SMM
Fifi LaRue said…
@OCGalL. LOL! Brilliant!
@Maneki Neko

Thanks for that bit of sleuthin', as Lord Peter Wimsey used to say (IIRC). `Sweet suggestion' (yuk!) that it's theirs for good' notwithstanding —its license plate may feature the wedding date but it's not in accordance with the law . They are on private property so it may be OK for pootling around the Great Park b-term loan but not the highway. Just a joke one for the occasion.

This may be the same vehicle on what does not look like a public road -

https://www.jaguarownersclub.com/news/articles/jaguar-e-type-concept-zero-r27/#:~:text=Engineered%20by%20Jaguar%20Classic%20at%20Classic%20Works%20in,based%20on%20a%201968

Note the date of the article. I bet it was just a very short term loan from Jaguar.


BTW: It reminds me of trying to amuse a couple of husband's Kiwi rellies decades ago when we lived in Hampshire. I suggested having a look at Winchester Cathedral (building began in 1079) but they said `no' because `they'd seen a cathedral on the Continent'... (bloody cheek) So I suggested visiting the Round Table in the Castle Great Hall (built a mere 800yrs ago).

As we left the Hall, a truly old car came buzzing around the West Gate and turned into the Upper High St. I immediately spotted the number plate, AA 1, on this 1905 Renault. The plate was from the very first car registered in 'Appy 'Ampshire. The AA (HQ in Basingstoke) had already bought the registration and put it on the old Renault. (Photos on line - search `registration AA1')

I barely glanced at the passengers - a youngish nice-looking couple, but the cousin was jumping up and down with glee. It was the Wessexes, as they then were, and I'd been too interested in the car realise it was them.

I doubt if the rellies realised quite what an outing that was - in the capital of Wessex, seeing a 13thC `Round Table', painted up by Henry VIII to impress the French at the Field of the Cloth of Gold (1520),( wih Enery as Arthur!) followed in quick succession by seeing the first Earl of Wessex since 1066.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14p0pah/someone_explain_to_me/

Not one soul of the many who have commented on this post seems to have thought of one big reason why * wanted children.

In 2 words: `Child Support' - she could divorce H and still expect a flow of cash from the Royal family for years. At a regal rate.

A lot of these sinner still think she was genuinely pregnant - why would she spin a lie that she'd have to maintain for the rest of her life?

My answer: she genuinely believed she'd end up as Queen Regnant and would be able to do what she liked. She probably doesn't give His Majesty long to live; she could have relied on so discrediting William that, by then, the People will want H, who she can then destroy as well. Then she's be the obvious successor.

Simples.
@Maneki Neko

Thanks for that bit of sleuthin', as Lord Peter Wimsey used to say (IIRC). `Sweet suggestion that it's theirs for good' notwithstanding —its license plate may feature the wedding date but it's not in accordance with the law re spaces etc. They are on private property so it may be OK for pootling around the Great Park but not the highway. Just a joke one for the occasion. I've tried checking it out for tax & insurance on the Govt.site and it came back as `invalid registration'.
Maneki Neko said…
@OCGal

ILBW has so many skills and talents, it's hard to remember them all. I must say your list is very impressive! Special discount for Nutties??
Sandie said…
This article is dated 17 July 2015, so they were in a committed relationship by then (she locked him down after the second date, which was supposedly about 2 weeks before this article):

-----
Prince Harry’s conservation efforts in Africa have been dismissed as nothing more than an "adventure holiday" and compared to a PR stunt by members of the press and officials in Namibia.

The 30-year-old left the army after ten years of service in June to begin three months of work aimed at protecting endangered rhinos and elephants from poaching in Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Botswana.

Kensington Palace said the Prince would also be learning about the sustainable development of communities living among wildlife, as well as working with rangers in the field.

But Namibia’s Minister for Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, was sceptical about what effect Harry would actually have on conservation, according to The Nambian Sun. Mr Shifeta also stressed that trophy hunting was legal in Namibia and urged people to understand that hunting these animals “is completely within the framework of our laws”.

“We receive a lot of prominent people," he said, "but they are usually in their private capacity and they want to join in our conservation efforts and assist. We welcome this, but we do not want it to turn into a public relations exercise.”

Another newspaper columnist ridiculed his efforts on the ground in a column by asking: "Seriously, what do you bring to this miserable party? Can you out-track the local trackers? Can you live for two weeks longer on only pap and potatoes?

“I doubt much saving of rhinos will be done. The illicit trade of rhino horns and other animal products is a little more serious and complicated than what could be solved during three-month summer working holiday; even if it is a royal working holiday.

“His royal highness is here for an adventure holiday. He or his visit will not save one single rhino.”

A Royal aide said the Prince had thought "long and hard" about his decision to leave military service shortly after news of his departure was announced.
-----

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/prince-harry-s-conservation-efforts-in-africa-dismissed-as-an-adventure-holiday-10397317.html

The above article is an eye-opener ... as is this comment:

"A source of conflict between William and Harry, prior to Megain, was precisely the fact that Harry has a “I know what to do and it’s just the way it is” mind. Versus William’s position that it is necessary to let the communities indicate what their needs are and what their potential solutions are. This was a serious problem, especially in a Foundation project that they had together on how to provide drinking water to an African community. William got upset because Harry wanted to impose a way of doing it. That was, if I remember correctly, shortly before Harry started Invictus, after not having (being given) an elephant patronage given to William by the Queen. The situation worsened between them when William began to gestate Earthshot. We know that Harry underestimated his brother’s project, claiming that the prizes don’t help at all and mocking him in the call from the fake Greta."

https://the-cat-with-the-emerald-tiara-1.tumblr.com/post/721770622759387136/anon-submission
https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/uk-news/2023/07/02/64a19ab8ca47418a5d8b457e.html


Meghan Markle's astronomical divorce fee from Prince Harry revealed
Rumours of a divorce in the British press

The problems between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are gaining momentum in the British media, there is talk that they are going through a strong economic crisis and that they are going through a bad time in their marriage, even a possible divorce is being rumoured.

Neither of them nor their family have spoken out on this issue, but the media continue to publish more and more news about it.

All these rumours have arisen due to the non-celebration of their fifth anniversary. The Telegraph reported that their relationship was deteriorating.

They have been able to speak to Markle's make-up artist and friend, and he has expressed that Harry misses England: "He has definitely found his place and is very settled in California, but he misses home".

A British journalist expert on the royal family, Tom Bower, has pointed out that "they have started to live separate lives and Meghan is getting tired of Harry". He also claims that the professional failures they are going through are affecting them, and that Harry would have an option B of where to live if he were to separate from the actress.

The latest reports say that Harry is staying at an exclusive hotel two hours away from the family home. The accommodation requires a membership fee of 4,000 dollars to gain access to their rooms....

.
...Adding to all these rumours, the British press is also reporting that Markle has filed a financial demand for 80 million dollars to sign the divorce papers, as well as demanding sole custody of their two children.

Harry and Meghan were married on May 18, 2018. The ceremony was widely followed by British society and took place at Windsor Castle, but now, six years later, it could all come to an end.


Which, being interpreted, means unattributed rumour that she's stated her terms and conditions for letting him go.

That would, in England, be a response to the other party sending a solicitor's letter ie he's the plaintiff, she's the respondent. Has H actually made the first move? Best response for him would be something like `That would be something for the Court to decide'.'

She needs him more than he needs her - in his place I'd say, `Great! You won't be able to marry your next rich old man you fancy. Hard cheese. (BTW, Pa will want to meet the children, and get DNA tests, before he pays a penny to support them.) '
CatEyes said…
Google search results claim TBW and Harry are "Most Popular Royals among Americans! OMG!!

The Real Star of King Charles’s Coronation? Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Prove To Be the Most Popular

The Real Star of King Charles’s Coronation? Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Prove To Be the Most Popular

As the TV coverage of King Charles’ coronation on Saturday was watched by an estimated 11.7 million households in the US, it was interesting to check how fascinated Americans are with the royal family. Who was the most popular Royal?

The team at SuperBettingSites looked at Google search volumes for several members of the British royal family, including King Charles, William, and Harry, as well as Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. After analyzing the data, they found that, unsurprisingly, Meghan Markle, the only American member of the royal family, was the top searched royal in the United States over the past year.

Interestingly, her husband, Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is the most searched-for member of the royal family in half of the states (exactly 25). Meghan, in comparison, is the top searched royalty in 18 states, while Prince William was the top result in two states. King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Princess of Wales do not appear on the map at all since their names were not amongst the top search terms for the time period.

Former actress Meghan Markle is the most searched-for royalty on Google in the United States in terms of overall search interest, with a search volume index of 18.1 against her husband’s index of 18.

In terms of search interest by state, Prince Harry is the most popular member of the royal family. He is the top searched term (compared to the others) in 25 states, while the overall index (18.0) for his name nearly reaches that of his spouse.

Over the past 12 months, Prince William was the most searched member of the royal family in only two states, namely Virginia and Alaska. The elder son of the King, who is also the heir apparent, is not very popular among Americans, at least compared to his brother and sister-in-law.

According to the Google Trends data for the past 12 months, Kate Middleton is not very popular among Americans.

Interestingly, when we look for search volume data for King Charles III, he does not even make the top 3 most searched royalties in the United States.

[What do you Nutties make of this? I kinda think people use Google to look up scathing articles about TBW and 'H', which I admit I do.
Sandie said…
@WBBM
There is so much to love about the UK, but the living history in its abundance is top of my list. In my time living in the UK and a visit before and after that time I only visited one great estate (full day at Blenheim Palace), but never felt I was missing out because there is so much to explore just about everywhere.
-----

I still do not know what her motives were of the following possibilities, but perhaps they all played a role:

Fame - she wanted to be papped and have constant media coverage. (Note that the UK does not have the same level of intrusion as America, and especially LA.)

Wealth - she wanted the luxury estates, private jets, numerous hilidays in the sun, most expensive designer wear, and access to whatever she wanted. (I bet she is still livid that she was criticised for her excessive spending in her very short stint in the royal family. And sod the rules, she was going to continue merching etc.)
Control - she wanted to do and say whatever she wants, where and whenever she wants, and for everyone around her to be hers to command. (Complete opposite of the hierarchy of the royal family, and the system of respected courtiers.)
Husband and children - she wanted the perfect adoring family that she could control, dominate, and use to promote herself and prop up her image and sense of self (loving, nurturing, best of the best).
Philanthropist/humanitarian - I still can't work out why she latched onto this.

I think, once she locked down the prince, the line between fantasy and reality (always blurred for her) completely disappeared. In her fantasy, she was given Windsor Castle, to renovate in Soho decor, hold court, and it all would be hers. In her fantasy not only were her children given HRH princely titles immediately, but she too was created a princess. In her fantasy, some awful tragic accident removed William and his family, and all in the royal family would bow to her and pay homage and obey her. Who knows how far her fantasies went, but it became clear by the time of Megxit that she could not distinguish between fantasy and reality. Neither can her husband.
Sandie said…
H G Tudor always highlights two dominating motivations in a narcissist (at any level):

Control
Fuel (external validation, primarily in the form of attention)
Teasmade said…
I don't believe he has the intelligence, the discipline, the empathy and CERTAINLY not the concern for animals that would enable? qualify? lead him to work in wildlife conservation in Africa. What a farce, like all of the proposed make-work projects we've heard being invented for him lo these many years.

Sorry if this seems out of the blue but I'm working today and not quite following all the postings!
Sandie said…
@CatEyes

popular (def.): liked or admired by many people or by a particular person or group

That more people take an interest in her does not mean she is the most liked and admired (popular). Whoever wrote that Google article is illiterate and stupid. And, this level of interest in her has not manifested major brand deals for her because clicks do not equal sales.

Opinion polls who actually measure attitudes consistently give her low/negative scores.

However, that level of attention will provide plenty of narc fuel for her gigantic ego.
CatEyes said…
@sandie

Yes, the google article is terribly written as the word "popular" Is misused in her case. She is definitely not "liked" nor "admired" by a majority of people per your observation about the many polls done on the BRF. That is why I seriously doubt she will land any significant brand to be "the face of".

Many search articles about her, because we want to see the "Dirt" on her because we are so digusted with her and are eager to see if she will get her just deserts.

I posted the article here because I thought it was so biased I suspect it might have been planted by her new PR efforts.
abbyh said…
I don't recall anyone mentioning her but really funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz2tEh5XElc
Girl with a Hat said…
https://twitter.com/Maryann49479023/status/1676020831795957760

The Oprah interview made the Queen cry, according to Neil Sean.
Maneki Neko said…
@abbyh

Thanks, very funny song and video re the 'near catastrophic' car chase. Great music and singing too.

@Girl with a Hat

I tried the link but it didn't work. I don't think the Queen was somebody who cried very often and if the Oprah interview made her cry, then it's beyond despicable. I hope the 'evil' * is not aware of it, she'd probably rejoice.
Sandie said…
Supposedly Twitter has suspended the Spoutible and Bot Sentinel accounts - both run by Christopher Bouzy. I wonder what the story is behind this.
Sandie said…
@CatEyes
Re. TBW being the most Googled member of the royal family (I think just in America): I suspect it is a double edge sword for her. She thrives on the attention but she hates anything that whiffs of criticsm, and there is a lot of that around. Of course she thinks it is all nasty and untrue, but I think she has run out of willing psychophants who will shut all criticsm down, and severely punish offenders.
-----

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14q8pyy/meghan_has_been_copying_the_kardashians_since/

A post about her copying the Kardashians. What is interesting is there are photos of her trawling for freebies. I think she did a lot of that and has never lost that urge to make a grab for what she can (hence she accepted all the freebies she could get when she was a working royal even though it was specifically against policy). The photos are from 2010, when she was with Trevor.
VetusSacculi said…
@abbyh - thanks for the link to the parody song and video, very clever and funny!
My definition of `popular':

-`Term often used wrongly by surname websitesfor `common': eg `Smith, Taylor, Turner and Williams are in the top 5 most popular surnames in England & Wales'

Nowadays, one `inherits a surname from one's father usually, choice doesn't come into it. The first 3 were some of the most common trades of medieval England, when sons followed fathers into the same trade. The fourth reflects how the patronymic system was used in Wales, when `William' was a popular (correct use!) choice for a given name.

Another irritation from the Net.
Sandie said…
https://youtu.be/6ta0T8aS7p4

Piers Morgan actually met Fergie monthly for lunch. Interesting account in above video of Piers Morgan and his team trying to get a scoop from James Hewitt and being completely outwitted by the man. Also, I did not know that James Hewitt was engaged, much later, and his fiancee took love letters from Diana our of Hewitt's safe to sell to Piers Morgan (I think he was at The Mirror by then). Piers offered an eye-watering sum but wanted all the letters. The fiancee complied. Piers Morgan handed the letters over to the royal family, who kept them for a while then gave them back to Hewitt.

I bet there are some really juicy stories about the duo that have never come out because the tabloids don't behave as if they are in the Wild West anymore. But I am sure buts and pieces will emerge in memoirs! I am hoping that Angela Kelly spills some beans in her third and last book about the Queen, or is it just a chapter or two that she is adding to her second book?
Girl with a Hat said…
@Maneki Neko

try this link for Sean Neil's claim that the Oprah interview made the Queen cry


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egN_Z_-kpA4
Hikari said…
@Sandie

Interesting story about Piers Morgan and James Hewitt I had not heard before. How reprehensible of Hewitt’s fiancée to steal his private correspondence from Diana and sell it to a tabloid journalist. If I were he, I certainly wouldn’t have gone through with the wedding after that. Presumably the letters were taken and sold without his knowledge or permission, unless this was cooked up by the two of them together to make themselves a tidy little packet. Did those letters ever end up seeing the light of day in the Mirror? If they were in fact stolen property, they would’ve been unpublishable. Did Pierce pay an eye watering sum of money to ransom those letters only to give them to the RF? It was quite sporting of them to then return the letters to Mr. Hewitt, though it was the right thing to do as they had no claim on his personal property. The only party who really lost in the end was Mr. Morgan’s newspaper. I suppose he was trying to curry favor with the Royals by handing over the letters, but the most honorable thing would have been to refuse to buy them in the first place.

I bet those monthly lunches with Fergie over the years were a highlight of his calendar. Who knows what she said after a few drinks? I liked her bouncy spirit when she first appeared on the scene. Unlike Charles and Diana, Andrew and Fergie seemed to be very well suited. But she turned out to be shockingly indiscreet, classless and I’d say, dumb as rocks, though calculating when there was a deal to be made to elevate her family fortunes in some way. Not unlike Harry’s wife in that regard. The Queen evidently thought highly of her as a mother.

In regards to Angela Kelly’s book deal, it seems that Charles may have quietly made sure a third book wasn’t going to happen in exchange for a handsome severance package including a house in Yorkshire where Angela is from. Does he perhaps fear that Angela would spill tea about Camilla? As with most royal rumours, it’s impossible to know if this is 100% true… Apparently Angela had a social media account where she was posting things about feeling ill-treated by the new regime for being kicked out of Windsor, etc. and in response to this, she was made to sign an NDA to prevent further negative commentary about the new monarch and his consort, with the final book being under this injunction. I don’t really feel that slagging off her longtime employers on Instagram sounds like Angela’s style. She would of course be missing the late Queen very much, And with the passing of her Majesty, Angela’s status at court is also a thing of the past. Charles honored his late mother’s wish that her dresser be provided a home for life, albeit not in Windsor. Her new accommodation sounds lovely and it’s near her family. I don’t know why she would want to stay in Windsor particularly where her obsolescence could only be a daily painful reminder. That seems to have been a sticking point though. I am tempted to relegate this rumor to the same place as “king Charles is refusing to give Duke of Edinburgh to his little brother because he is jealous of Edward’s popularity”. That rumor was demonstrably wrong by 100% so I am circumspect about this other thing.
Maneki Neko said…
@Girl with a Hat

The new link works, thanks. As I said before, if true then * is evil, to use the Queen's words (allegedly). Harry is no better, he is complicit in all this. This is absolutely despicable and unforgivable.
Ian's Girl said…
I suspect Piers bought the letters partly to curry favor with th RF, and also to stop another paper getting them, which us what would've happened.

What the Todgers did to the entire family, let alone Her Late Majesty, as Prince Phillip lay dying is unforgivable. I was hoping the worst was kept from her.
Maneki Neko said…
I never heard that James Hewitt was ever engaged. I watched the video mentioned by Sandie and apparently he was engaged to an Anna Ferretti. "I looked her up and she seems to be a price of work.
A Sunday Mirror investigation has revealed that James Hewitt's 39-year-old fiancee has left debts on the continent and is sharing her home in Italy with another man.

And yesterday the family of Anna's late "husband", millionaire industrialist Angelo Ferretti, revealed they were never married." (thefreelibrary.com)

"Ms Anna Ferretti (39), was arrested and taken to Waterloo International police station in London when police officers believed she was about to leave Britain for France." (The Irish Times)


Fergie was indeed indiscreet at one time but I think she's redeemed herself. As for Angela Kelly, I don't think she'll reveal any personal information or anything contentious, NDA or not.
Maneki Neko said…
Oops! Typo. a piece of work, not price!
CatEyes said…
Oh brother, this has to be new PR for *, just unbelievable...I'm going to be Sick!!

'Duchess of people's hearts': Meghan Markle given a special title as Spotify deal ends

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry saw their commercial deal with Spotify come to an end last month. Meghan's podcast, Archetypes, was dropped by the streaming giant after 12 episodes.

But one commercial relationship that seems to be going strong is with Netflix, and the platform has recently given the royal a sweet nickname.

Meghan has been dubbed the "Duchess of People's hearts" multiple times by the streaming platform's South African Twitter account. The streaming giant responded to a number of comments gushing over Meghan.

To one fan, Barbara T, who wrote: "I miss her so much." Netflix responded: "She's the Duchess of people's hearts."

Another fan, Lili, wrote: "Suits is really an awesome show, with a fantastic cast. The things we do for Meghan."

Again, the platform responded: "She's the Duchess of people's hearts."

Twitter users seemed to agree. One responded: "She is! I love her so much."

Another said: "I like that. It's a nice take on the Queen of People's Hearts (her mother-in-law)."

"You can say that again," another wrote. One said: "Yes she is definitely."

The nickname is similar to the one given to the late Princess Diana after she told the BBC's Martin Bashir in 1995 that she wished to be a "queen of people's hearts."

https://www.the-express.com/news/royals/104594/meghan-markle-news-duchess-of-hearts

[My Prediciton: Next thing you know, she'll probably claim she diana reincarnated!]


CatEyes said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hikari said…
Fergie is the kind of verbally incontinent good time seeker who’d be vastly entertaining at a party, but who you certainly shouldn’t trust with any confidences. I think at first Diana was happy to have a mate her own age at court, another mum with 2 children, but by the time Fergie joined the family, the Wales marriage was already publicly cracking only 5 years in. The cracks had been there since the wedding but that wasn’t public knowledge. The tabloids latched onto the new bride and suddenly Diana had a rival. Fergie was jolly, liked to eat, liked a laugh. Diana suddenly became the high-strung too thin neurotic clotheshorse. Duo got in trouble together like when they whacked a policeman with an umbrella, like 2 naughty escapee schoolgirls from St.Trinian’s instead of Royal mums in their 30s. There was a time when Fergie foolishly mentioned in an interview that she and Diana had visited a fortuneteller for a lark, and the woman had told her that she had a vision that Beatrice would one day be Queen. Of course she ran home and told Andrew this. Of course it was malarkey because the “psychic“ knew exactly who her clients were and was telling each what she most wanted to hear. To publicize this particular tidbit which, if it were to come true, would by default mean that both of Diana‘s children had not survived childhood… Just a really dumb and thoughtlessly indiscreet thing to even mention. Then of course the end of the friendship was when Fergie announced in print again that she had gotten planter’s warts from a pair of shoes Diana had lent her. I have a hard time imagining that Fergie would’ve had to borrow shoes… If she liked a pair Diana had she could easily buy herself the same instantly. But I find it even harder to believe that Diana had a contagious foot fungus. Once again Fergies verbal diarrhea… Talking just to get attention was costly as it cost her the friendship of Diana. With Philip and the Queen both gone, her past indiscretions are basically irrelevant, And I’d say that she is less redeemed than obsolete. She’ll never escape her association with her ex-husband and he is certainly as deep in the doghouse as you can get. Eugenie is tainted due to her public association with her renegade cousins. It falls to Beatrice to redeem the House of York. She has blossomed since her marriage and is making a very good showing. She won’t be Queen, but she may have a higher profile role to play in the near future.
Martha said…
@ cateyes..such drivel. I’m appalled at people.
Maneki Neko said…
The "Duchess of People's hearts"!!
'The nickname is similar to the one given to the late Princess Diana after she told the BBC's Martin Bashir in 1995 that she wished to be a "queen of people's hearts."' This is exactly what I thought. How did they come up with such a farcical moniker for *? 'Meghan has been dubbed the "Duchess of People's hearts" multiple times by the streaming platform's South African Twitter account.' They must either have been paid off or leaned on.

@Sandie

Is this now 'trending' in SA or just PR guff?
Sandie said…
I find this so bizarre ... that she thinks it is all his fault (and the Kate Queen and Prince Phillip for dying at the wrong time for her and ...). Surely the majority of people have woken up to how toxic and talentless she is? But here it is:

-----
Meghan Markle has been left "distraught" over a Spotify executive's criticism that her and Prince Harry are "grifters", according to an inside source. Following the end of their partnership with the audio streaming service the Sussexes are continuing to produce new content with Netflix, however the source added that the couple may need to rethink their approach as a joint brand if they want to keep making money.

In a statement both Spotify and Archewell Audio, Harry and Meghan's production company, said they had mutually agreed to part ways, but there were soon concerns that the streaming giant had been unimpressed with the couple's lack of output, as only 12 episodes of Meghan's podcast Archetypes were ever released.

In another podcast episode one Spotify exec said of the pair: "I wish I had been involved in the 'Meghan and Harry leave Spotify' negotiation. The F***ing Grifters. That’s the podcast we should have launched with them."

In the US "grifters" is a term used to describe someone who engages in petty swindling or low-level deception.

Meghan was less than impressed with a source telling Closer magazine: "Meghan is distraught over this Spotify snub and the fallout that has followed. It’s totally knocked her sideways.

"She can’t believe she’s been attacked so viciously and so publicly by one of their execs, and to be labelled 'grifters' is an utterly humiliating and gut-wrenching all-time low – it’s served as a brutal reality check that things really do need to change to save their popularity.

"Her team have warned her that there’s no future' with Harry and that she needs to start working on her individual projects rather than being seen as one half of 'Brand Sussex'.

"They feel that if Meghan does more on her own, she’ll have more opportunities to save her career. It will give them breathing room and restore confidence – or at least that’s the hope."

The couple are still producing new projects with Netflix following the huge success of their docu-series Harry & Meghan last year, although some claimed they had "ruffled feathers" with the platform's bosses.

The Duke and Duchess's long-awaited documentary Heart of Invictus is scheduled to be released on Netflix in August, following wounded and sick Armed Forces members as they compete to take part in Harry's beloved Invictus Games.

A new series called Bad Manners, a prequel to the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations focusing on the character Miss Havisham, is also thought to be in production with Harry and Meghan at the helm.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1787672/meghan-markle-distraught-spotify-snub
Sandie said…
Archetypes was her exclusive project, yet the contract was terminated with Spotify. That was her failure.

Invictus Games is his project, established before he knew of her existence, yet she has inserted herself and is all over it like a bad rash.

Make this make sense!

I can imaging her collapsing on the steps, the floor, in floods of tears. Channelling Diana, buying more meaningful good luck itty bitty jewellery ... I wonder if he still falls for the BS manipulation.

He won't leave her because he will lose his children. But he does have an exit door... his father, the King, will find and give him a home on one of their privately owned estates and give him a stipend to live on, and some measure of protection. She has no safety net other than her compulsive grifting ways and what she can extract from him. A divorce would give her major global attention (all those interviews!), which she loves, but she does not have what it takes to actually earn a huge income on her own. Find a very rich old man and then get in a trashy fight with his children over his inheritance?
Sandie said…
@Maneki Neko
She is not trending on twitter in South Africa, at all. The country has brainless idiots just like everywhere else so there are probably some South African squaddies here. This is her PR ... find anything positive and then blow it out of proportion. I wonder if she is paying for these media praise pieces?
Maneki Neko said…
@Sandie

I don't think any man, old or not, would touch * with a barge pole. Her reputation precedes her.
VetusSacculi said…
Rachel will be raging that, despite everything, Harry is the draw of "Brand Sussex", not her. Never was, never will be. And she will be blaming him for everything going pear-shaped. As Sandie said, Invictus was his thing - she clearly has no interest in sport or service and made the last games look ridiculous by swanning around in designer clothes on a sports field. He may have even managed to trash his own future involvement in it through his admitted drug use that included the period he was in the Army. It's not really a good look.

I wouldn't be surprised if her "people" are advising her to branch out on her own, but she has proved herself so thoroughly unlikeable and untrustworthy that I can't see anyone wanting to cosy up to her, either personally or professionally.
Opus said…
I see that the King is in Scotland. Is he Charles VIII of that country? This is the sort of question as a starter for ten that I expect to be answered by WBBM.
Sandie said…
"The thinking on Meghan's part is that they owe it to themselves to fight back and make a success of things, however much that costs and however challenging it may be in some cases," a source told Closer magazine.

"She's told the team that her new plan simply can't fail."

The source claims that Meghan is now determined to "prove the haters wrong" and come back swinging.

"She feels she's been backed into a corner - her next move will be explosive to say the least."
----

From a Mirror article.

https://archive.ph/2023.07.04-180700/https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/us-celebrity-news/meghan-markle-determined-come-back-30387938
OKay said…
@Hikari Very curious as to why you find it "hard to believe" that Diana ever had a foot fungus. Bacteria don't discriminate, not even in favour of the beloved Diana.
Hikari said…
@OKay,

It’s not so much I’m surprised that Diana could’ve had a foot fungus, but it is puzzling to me that she would’ve delayed getting it treated, and then lent contaminated footware to her sister-in-law. Frankly the whole scenario sounds rather implausible. Diana was fastidious about her health and beauty regimens; maybe too fastidious to be lending out shoes. Shoes are a lot more personal than a handbag. We only have Fergie’s word this occurred. How could she even be sure the shoes were to blame? Presumably the warts were cleared up by the time of the toe sucking incident… but Diana’s reaction was to basically never speak to Sarah again. Obviously Incandescently angry about it, unforgivably so. Was that because Fergie told the truth or because she made it up? With Fergie’s record, either is equally possible. Foot warts are embarrassing for sure. Diana had Narc tendencies so anything unflattering to her image would have been met with retaliation, even if it were true. Fergie paid a high price for blabbing regardless of how she got foot warts. What sensible person would even mention that for publication? Fergie seems to be something of a slow learner because she keeps getting into the same scrapes.

@Opus - In short, yes. We didn't have any King Charleses before James I & VI came to the throne, though early kings of Scotland had some unfamiliar names - Lulach, for example, in 11thC. So I don't expect any post boxes to be blown up this time.(see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillar_Box_War ) - in the 1950s, Nats took exception to the ERII cipher because they hadn't had an ERI and they wanted special Scottish post boxes with only ER or ERI.

James I & VI spoke Braid Scots (ie broad Scots, the Scots language being derived from the Anglian English of NE rather than Brittonic or Gaelic, or English as it developed further south - Edinburgh = Edwin's Burgh (he was King of Northumbria).

Charles I spoke with a Scots accent , until his head was removed, (btw Victoria had a German one, for all that she was born here.)
@Opus:
Whoops, I see you typed Charles VIII - we haven't had 7 previous monarchs called `Charles', just a surfeit of Henries & Edwards. Perhaps VIII is an unlucky number?
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/harry-s-claim-about-secret-buckingham-palace-deal-is-alice-in-wonderland-stuff-high-court-hears

How appropriate - the `Alice' stories suggest strong hallucinogenic influences. Is a hookah-smoking caterpillar so different from a chatty waste bin?
Ian's Girl said…
Apologies if this has been posted, but it's worth a read! A nice takedown of * :
https://unherd.com/2023/06/why-meghans-podcast-failed/
Maneki Neko said…
Princess Lilibet has been pictured with Prince Harry at an Independence Day parade in Montecito just hours before her grandfather King Charles III attended his second Coronation ceremony in Edinburgh.

The Duke of Sussex appeared to underline his retirement from The Firm as he took her to the California celebration on July 4, as the US marked its independence from British rule.

But as he was showing two-year-old Lilibet the Montecito Association’s Village Road Show, his father King Charles was preparing for one of the most important moments of his rule: a second Coronation in the country his beloved second son once called home.
(DM)

Was this a big FU to Charles, showing H just doesn't care? There are photos of him holding a little girl with red hair, her face pixelated. I just read the headline and the first few paragraphs but I don't think Archie was there - I refuse to call them Prince and Princess - neither was *. I suppose H has gone full American now. I don't think he needs to visit the UK now.

Sandie said…
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14ro3xx/miss_lilibet_is_harry_is_a_dress_with_mothers/

A couple of photographs of Hapless with Lilli. Supposedly at a July 4th parade. No sign of wife or Archie. Hair a mess but dressesd like a royal, and not for summer - Lilli, not Hapless. Sweet photographs nonetheless.

Sandie said…
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14rj8c9/harold_in_court_again_today_prince_harrys_claim/

Is this another court case? It all sounds so messy ... wild contradictory claims with no evidence ... and contradictory.
Girl with a Hat said…
https://twitter.com/storiesbyjemay/status/1676731127036534784

here is an unpixelated photo of Lilibucks

Of course, Harold would want to upstage his father by releasing a photo of his alleged daughter

the Daily Mail only has a pixelated version

Girl with a Hat said…
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2023/07/blind-item-12.html#disqus_thread

WEDNESDAY, JULY 05, 2023
Blind Item #12
The alliterate one sent her husband home from a party early because he was annoying her.

POSTED BY ENT LAWYER AT 11:30 AM


@GWAH
Thanks for the photo - SMM won't show the pics.

My first thought was ` looks like *.' Hope it's only the looks that she's inherited


Yesterday was not a coronation.

CRIII was crowned King of Scotland in London on Coronation Day. He was sitting over the Stone of Scone, the ancient Coronation stone of the Scots. That’s what mattered. The Stone was present yesterday but played no part in the ceremony.

I expect H was happy not to be there – he’d have been referred to as the Earl of Dumbarton.

There was a `Not My king’ demonstration but what struck me was that the crowd sounded English, not Scots…
Opus said…
@WBBM


Sorry, for my stupidity in confusing Charles and James.
Magatha Mistie said…

Scar Scandal Spanner*

Displayed in red white
and blues
A’parent merching
Lils dress and shoes
Desperate for correlation
to the Scottish Coronation
He’s flying both flags
Interdependence
And trying to prove
Antecedents…

*No disrespect to American Nutties
Scar: Lion King



Sandie said…
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1788093/prince-harry-prince-william-polo

An article about the two different styles as polo players ... nonetheless they are both very good players. Their differences do show up in the game. William is left-handed and had to teach himself to use his right hand; he is the better rider; he basically has better manners and self-control. Hazmat is very vocal and more fiery.
Sandie said…
https://youtu.be/P3jEEtCO4oM

The newest video from Taz is well worth watching. Remember that wedding where she flew in on a private jet to join him? At the time all those photos emerged I was open to not jumping to conclusions. I am still not convinced that she gatecrashed, but ... it is crystal clear that he was blind drunk at the wedding; that they were sitting on their own apart from everyone; that she was not happy with his friends trying to interact with him, and those same friends, and others, were giving her a wide berth; that she was staking a claim on him and trying to force the so in love story (but he spoilt that by getting more and more drunk). That woman has immense determination and is relentless in getting what she wants. No way did she like him getting drunk, them being shunned and ignored, but no way was she letting that prize go no matter what happened. She has nerves of steel.

Check out my next post for more of an insight as to what he was like when she met him. She was a woman begging to be papped and for tabloids to cover her ...
Sandie said…
In her book The Palace Papers, Tina Brown writes about Harry's behavior after he left the Army (pre-Meghan). He was all too often out of control. ...
Brown reported two incidents, while he was dating Cressida ...:

He'd set up a dinner date for them at a London restaurant on Valentine's Day. They were en route when Harry got word that ONE photog had been seen waiting outside the restaurant. He blew up in a rage, turned the car around, and they ended up having pizza alone in Nott Cottage. Yeah, one photog. Who would have snapped them from a reasonable distance arriving and probably gone home to upload the images and left them alone. But Harry was sent into a rage by the very idea and ruined their evening out.
He and Cressida spent a New Year's holiday with her family somewhere in the country. On New Year's Day the group went to a nice local pub for lunch; it was quiet and nobody bothered them. As they were leaving, an old gentleman approached them. He politely said words to the effect, "I'm sorry to bother you, but my wife is home ill, and would be so sorry not to have seen you here today. May I take a photo?" Everyone else in the party was forming a polite agreement. But Harry turned red, burst out with "Get out of my way!" and pushed past the old guy. As Brown said, "Cringe de la cringe."
Brown also writes of Harry at that time: "Without his Army mates to cut him down to size, his sense of entitlement was out of control. His outbursts were ever more frequent and childlike."

She said Cressida was the one who finally persuaded Harry to get therapy. For recommendations, he turned to an old friend of his mother's who worked as a bereavement counselor, and also to the resources of the British Intelligence Service MI6. A friend of Harry's was quoted as saying he needed a therapist "who would be incredibly discreet and who understood what it's like to have a public version of your life and a private version of your life. Therapists at MI6, that's what they do."

https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14rxev4/a_new_video_from_according_to_taz_one_of_her_best/
Sandie said…
The combination of those two personalities is a recipe for disaster, but they will cling to each other, even if she is now blaming him and his family (you know, Elizabeth and Phillip dying at such inconvenient times) for her failure to have become the most popular, most successful Hollywood A-lister ever. Without him and what she can extract from (how long before she spends it all?), she has nothing but her grifting and lies and manipulation and grubby grabbing of freebies. He has a family that will ensure that he always has a home and is taken care of and protected to some degree, but he would lose his children if he left her. They are both desperate to make more money and get awards and fawning positive media coverage. What will they do in their desperation? How dangerous will they become? Will they get to a stage where they hate the sight of each other and turn more and more to substances to escape the misery (and shopping for her)?
Sandie said…
https://www.reddit.com/r/SaintMeghanMarkle/comments/14rnt35/maybe_the_kids_are_real_harry_and_princess_lilibet/

There are numerous posts covering this at SMM, but at least this one shows large unpexilated photos. I am not sure if Lilli looks like her father when he was a toddler or if she is pure Markle. They are sweet photos of father and daughter, but she is dressed like a British princess, cosplaying how Catherine dresses her daughter. I find that odd. Maybe photos of TBW and Archie will emerge, if they were there.
Maneki Neko said…
@Sandie

I don't know if H would lose custody of the children. The mother usually gets custody/shared custody but H is the King's son and, whether we like it or not, both children are in the line of succession. They're a very long way from the throne, granted, but because they're in line of succession, I don't think they'd be allowed to stay in the USA in the case of a divorce. On the other hand, Charles might be soft and let them live with * but in any case, the witch wouldn't have the financial resources to fight a custody battle.
OKay said…
@Hikari All very well put, and too true. Perhaps I'm too simplistic (or naive!) in my thinking.
OKay said…
GWAH said...
Of course, Harold would want to upstage his father by releasing a photo of his alleged daughter

the Daily Mail only has a pixelated version

Yes, because children are protected from public scrutiny in the mean old UK, whereas in the perfect US their privacy counts for nothing. Harry truly is an idiot.
@Opus - It's easily done!
Sandie said…
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/497081/princess-lilibet-looks-like-princess-charlotte-blue-dress-socks-shoes/

Princess Charlotte's double? Really?

They really are pushing the royal connection. Yes, in the latest outing they dressed Lilli in a similar style as Charlotte to 'make her look like a princess of the UK', but she does not resemble Charlotte at all ... Charlotte who strongly resembles her father, who strongly resembles his mother. In character though, Charlotte seems to be a mix of her great-grandparents, with more than a dash of Phillip/Anne.
Sandie said…
My opinion: she should go full throttle on merching the children ... clothes, toys, books, cooking with mommy, bike riding with daddy ... she would mess the kids up completely but she would make a fortune and she could really capitalize on the titles (HRH Prince Archie and HRH Princess Lillibet, 6th and 7th in line of succession of the British monarchy). She would make a fortune as their 'manager'. I suspect that he stops her from doing that, and Charles/the UK government would strip those titles if she did. Of course, she would justify the crassness of it with heaps of word salad! But, she could make a fortune and hitch a ride on the success and sell herself through the children (mommy clothes, baking, decorating, values, campaigning, merching ... ).
Sandie said…
Talking of polo ...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12270651/Royal-polo-WAG-Kate-looks-dazzling-joins-Prince-William-cheer-match.html
Sandie said…
@Maneki Neko
I am reassured to hear another perspective about custody and control of the children in the event of a divorce. Hapless himself may be cocksure that in the event of a divorce he would prevail and 'get the children'. (It would require a brilliant lawyer to use his family to his benefit in an American court.) She thinks she knows everything but almosr always over estimates her own abilities and gets whatever it is wrong. However, she has plenty of evidence that is out there in the public domain of his drug use and temper, so those are cards she could and would play.

However, I do not think they are anywhere near divorce, for many reasons.

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