The British Royal Family - news, views, clothes & shoes! #10

[Herat]

I think they should fly under the radar but for some reason PH and MM have to have exposure media wise. One of the reasons, I think MM will be on Ellen's show.

I think out of sight, out of mind would be the best option for them but hey they don't listen to me!!!!!

The tabloids are absolutely running rampant with this story and associated sideline stories ( William & Harry not on speaking terms, etc)

They have ALL the resources money can buy ( including at least 2 companies paid to do PR and a retinue of private secretaries and advisors) yet neither of them can get it theough their heads that they cannot win this tabloid frenzy by responding at all.

The very best PR companies for important people and corporate messes know to issue brief, factual statements and then stop responding.

 

[Elley Mae]

I just can’t accept this statement.

Diana’s death had absolutely nothing to do with her ex-husband.

She was killed by a drunk driver and lack of proper use of a seat belt.

This is what I mean by blame dad.

 

[Amonet]

Here's the full doc. Sorry, but this woman does not fool me--she's beyond disingenuous

I didn't find it half as whiny as some people have. And the personal parts seem to be coming from the filmmaker's desire to bring those things out into the open. I know Harry and Meghan could have said 'no' to those type of questions, but I think there are deeper points here .... that it's okay to say you're struggling, and that saying about Be kind, because you don't know what problems someone is going through, and I think that should go for everyone as we are all human.

The spotlight on the charities in Africa was fantastic. It's an amazing place with amazing people, and some of the most stunning natural beauty and wildlife on the planet. I hate that people are still suffering due to apartheid and mines left over from wars. It's great that the Royals are working on these issues in Commonwealth nations. Harry really manages to get across a message that the Commonwealth needs to be about connecting people across diverse nations and across diverse situations for the betterment of all. I hope he and Meghan can continue with all this work long into the future.

I especially loved little Archie's appearances in the documentary! What a darling little boy with a wonderful smile!

 

[oviedo]

This is what I mean by blame dad.

I believe if they had stayed together (without the influence of Camilla) she would still be alive today. so I see and agree with your point. JMO

 

[Herat]

I believe if they had stayed together (without the influence of Camilla) she would still be alive today. so I see and agree with your point. JMO

But you could also postulate that if she had married Dr Khan and movie to Pakistan, or married Dodie Fayed she’d still be alive.

 

[Herat]

I have to note that Harry was also deceptive in his well-photographed walk in the Angolan mine field mimicing that famous photo of his mother.

This was not the first time he had done this. It was a total publicity set-up.

 

[Elley Mae]

I have to note that Harry was also deceptive in his well-photographed walk in the Angolan mine field mimicing that famous photo of his mother.

This was not the first time he had done this. It was a total publicity set-up.

Totally agree.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

So what though? So what if his minefield walk was set up? So what if ANY of it was set up? He's still there, he still did it. He's trying to raise awareness and funds for these projects, that's what the whole tour is about. Why WOULDN"T he?

Can we please STOP with all the nasty Harry and Meghan bashing?! Aside from it being divisive, tedious and at times offensive, it's actually showing some of you in a really bad light.

 

[Herat]

I’m trying to point out some of the hypocracy of using the media.

There are several examples of both William and Harry photographed in Africa with elephants, I believe. The cropped photos make them look very personal in the way they were interacting with these large mammals.

The larger scene photos show the elephants in considerable restraints that show there was force used and show it was all a set-up. It made me angry that someone was using these animals like that

 

[oviedo]

But you could also postulate that if she had married Dr Khan and movie to Pakistan, or married Dodie Fayed she’d still be alive.

Yes, this is true. but the OP mentioned Charles....

 

[Simply Southern]

So what though? So what if his minefield walk was set up? So what if ANY of it was set up? He's still there, he still did it. He's trying to raise awareness and funds for these projects, that's what the whole tour is about. Why WOULDN"T he?

Can we please STOP with all the nasty Harry and Meghan bashing?! Aside from is being divisive, tedious and at times offensive, it's actually showing some of you in a really bad light.

I am compelled to response to your comments.

Megan and Harry can bash the press all they want but when they drag William and Catherine into their drama, I draw the line.

Megan and Harry are suffering from being called out on not following what they preach to the public. Megan craves the press, it's clear from the baby shower, secrecy surrounding the birth and photos of the baby and most of all the neglectful way she and Harry treated her father. Yes, he spoke to the press, I may have as well, after orders from Harry speak to no one and he was completely ignored. Yes, TM just wasn't good enough to meet Harry or to attend the wedding. I don't blame him one bit for releasing the letter publicly. Who sends a letter to their business manger to forward to their father? He worked hard, paid for private school, her college education, pay and attended her first wedding. Megan ghosted her friends and family.

William and Catherine have presently themselves with the up most dignity and respect, even in the most troubling times with the press.

This is a JOB for Megan and Harry. They are waited on hand and foot, fly in private jets, 300k baby showers and refuse to be photographed in public during their "private times".

If anyone else behaved this way and spoke out against their employer this way, we would be fired on the spot.

Many of Megan's family and friends warned us in advance, she had two sides. Yes, and we wrote it off as "her crazy family".

This will not be a popular post for most, but Megan and Harry are reaping what they sow. We all have problems, we are all treated unfairly at times, we have all lost family members but most of us don't blame others.

The saddest part... I fear this will end badly for Harry.

MOO...

 

[rosemadderlake]

I believe Harry’s intention was to rhyme with the photo of Diana in the mine field. Revisiting was part awareness, part homage.

And the elephants might be restrained as a matter of course when there are visiting states people in a reserve. Elephants can be unpredictable.

I haven’t watched the whole documentary yet but am glad to read that some of it was interesting and even uplifting.

It’s really unfortunate that the “cray, we are not happy” segment is the top of the news for this documentary. There are blanket statements in there. I’d say to Harry call your bro, bro. To Meghan, maybe some patience and time, try to know the BRF a little better. Find some humor in your predicament. Lighten your load.

If some are interpreting their words more softly that’s good too.

But there’s a lot of negative blowback.

So, for H&M I have to say maybe take a step back, take a break from the crusade, you are fine as you are, work on feeling that the charitable work the BRF is entrusted with is good enough. Do that work. And build from there.

And get a much better PR team.

 

[mcluver23]

So what though? So what if his minefield walk was set up? So what if ANY of it was set up? He's still there, he still did it. He's trying to raise awareness and funds for these projects, that's what the whole tour is about. Why WOULDN"T he?

Can we please STOP with all the nasty Harry and Meghan bashing?! Aside from it being divisive, tedious and at times offensive, it's actually showing some of you in a really bad light.

Thank you for this!

 

[Oregonmama]

So what though? So what if his minefield walk was set up? So what if ANY of it was set up? He's still there, he still did it. He's trying to raise awareness and funds for these projects, that's what the whole tour is about. Why WOULDN"T he?

Can we please STOP with all the nasty Harry and Meghan bashing?! Aside from it being divisive, tedious and at times offensive, it's actually showing some of you in a really bad light.

They are opinions, just that. Its sad because H was very lonely and I'm sure M was lonely or whatever she was feeling but there are so many dynamics that will unfortunately make this union very hard to survive. No one wants to see a broken marriage, especially when there is a child involved. I just strongly feel some of their personal issues should have been worked with in a professional manner before they got married. Many couples go through pre marriage counselling. We all need help from time to time. What makes this situation different from us is that this marriage is just not between 2 ppl but are also held accountable with a country with its historical ties.

 

[PinkPrincessPoop]

So since we are on this topic of perhaps Harry & Meghan having problems, I guess I will use this space to truly say what I feel. (I feel I always have to put this disclaimer but I am an American lol).

I've always liked Meghan and I've always liked Harry, I've thought they were cute as couple. HOWEVER, when they announced their engagement, my mom and I placed bets. "When will they get divorced?" My mom guessed two years, I guessed five.

Here are my problems with the whole situation despite liking these two and tending to want to defend them.....

Let's first tackle Meghan. I don't know if Meghan is genuine towards Harry or not, I don't know her heart. But I will note that a lot of what she does and says can come off as extremely fake and off-putting. I actually have quite a few friends who are professional actors (not famous yet! lol) and they train themselves to talk in a media sounding voice. You will be out to lunch with them and they'll have on their "HELLO AMERICA, THIS IS THE MORNING NEWS" type of voice on during normal conversations because they want to make sure it becomes more natural and automatic to speak that way. This is fantastic for the stage and for tv shows.....not so great for things like, normal every day talking, documentaries, expressing heartfelt emotion, etc. This is just one example. So I think Meghan, as an actress, has trained herself in some many ways specifically for a career in acting on the tv screen that it comes across as off-putting in many situations even if she is not actually fake. That is absolutely a terrible habit to have developed when you are in a position like royalty.

I also believe that when Meghan initially got into this relationship, she simply envisioned what her current life was like, only times a hundred. Which is fair, that is her only reference of the media. I think she did not realize how hard being a Royal would actually be and that no matter what she did, the media would find some flaw about her. She probably thought she was very prepared for this life, but she really wasn't. It wouldn't simply be an amplified version of her former life, it would be a totally new world.

On that note, let's move onto Harry. I remember being shocked him and Meghan got engaged so fast - especially when thinking back to interviews when Harry said he wanted to be very careful about choosing a woman who would be right for the job. I don't think Harry took enough time to truly determine if Meghan would be a good fit. Here is what I think happened - Harry saw that Meghan (besides obvious qualities like beautiful, polite, etc) was used to public speaking, used to cameras, and liked to travel; so he automatically thought, "Oh, someone perfect for the job!". Which is incredibly naive of him but I think that is exactly the mistake he made. It takes more than public speaking, being in front of cameras, and a love of traveling to be a good fit for royal life. It takes so many other qualities (including many inner qualities like a natural good self-esteem, a sense of strong boundaries, etc etc) to fulfill this role. Meghan is missing a lot of these. It doesn't make her a bad person, but it does make her unfit and at the end of the day, that is not her fault - it is Harry's for deciding she was ready.

Third, I want to talk about Kensington. I think KP was totally unprepared for the whirlwind that was Meghan and Harry. They still are not doing a good job in my opinion. They should have been the final stop at making sure Meghan was fit. Of course they can't say, "Harry, pick another girl!" but it should have been their responsibility to make sure Meghan is at the top of her game. This contrasts with Catherine and William. At the time, Kate got a lot of "bad" press for being "Waity Katey" for it taking 10 years (?) to be engaged. But man, think of all she learned and endured during those 10 years! She was practically a knowledgable pro when it came to royal life, etiquette, and duties by the time they finally got engaged. Kensington had a big build up with lots of time and research to prepare Kate. Meghan didn't get the chance, but we can also shift htat blame back onto Harry and Meghan for wanting to get married so quickly.

Overall, I think Harry and Meghan might be genuinely in love for each other but they made a lot of naive mistakes in their relationship. They thought they were ready for royal post-married life, but they really weren't. I do think people are a little too harsh on Meghan when a lot of things happening about/around her right now aren't really her fault. However, I can't blame the UK public because at the end of the day, they are the ones that need to be happy. I do think Harry & Meghan will get divorced. I hope this is a good learning lesson for Harry that he needs to 1) sort out his mental health; and 2) be much more careful about "choosing a woman for the job."

MOO.

 

[firebird]

So since we are on this topic of perhaps Harry & Meghan having problems, I guess I will use this space to truly say what I feel. (I feel I always have to put this disclaimer but I am an American lol).

I've always liked Meghan and I've always liked Harry, I've thought they were cute as couple. HOWEVER, when they announced their engagement, my mom and I placed bets. "When will they get divorced?" My mom guessed two years, I guessed five.

Here are my problems with the whole situation despite liking these two and tending to want to defend them.....

Let's first tackle Meghan. I don't know if Meghan is genuine towards Harry or not, I don't know her heart. But I will note that a lot of what she does and says can come off as extremely fake and off-putting. I actually have quite a few friends who are professional actors (not famous yet! lol) and they train themselves to talk in a media sounding voice. You will be out to lunch with them and they'll have on their "HELLO AMERICA, THIS IS THE MORNING NEWS" type of voice on during normal conversations because they want to make sure it becomes more natural and automatic to speak that way. This is fantastic for the stage and for tv shows.....not so great for things like, normal every day talking, documentaries, expressing heartfelt emotion, etc. This is just one example. So I think Meghan, as an actress, has trained herself in some many ways specifically for a career in acting on the tv screen that it comes across as off-putting in many situations even if she is not actually fake. That is absolutely a terrible habit to have developed when you are in a position like royalty.

I also believe that when Meghan initially got into this relationship, she simply envisioned what her current life was like, only times a hundred. Which is fair, that is her only reference of the media. I think she did not realize how hard being a Royal would actually be and that no matter what she did, the media would find some flaw about her. She probably thought she was very prepared for this life, but she really wasn't. It wouldn't simply be an amplified version of her former life, it would be a totally new world.

On that note, let's move onto Harry. I remember being shocked him and Meghan got engaged so fast - especially when thinking back to interviews when Harry said he wanted to be very careful about choosing a woman who would be right for the job. I don't think Harry took enough time to truly determine if Meghan would be a good fit. Here is what I think happened - Harry saw that Meghan (besides obvious qualities like beautiful, polite, etc) was used to public speaking, used to cameras, and liked to travel; so he automatically thought, "Oh, someone perfect for the job!". Which is incredibly naive of him but I think that is exactly the mistake he made. It takes more than public speaking, being in front of cameras, and a love of traveling to be a good fit for royal life. It takes so many other qualities (including many inner qualities like a natural good self-esteem, a sense of strong boundaries, etc etc) to fulfill this role. Meghan is missing a lot of these. It doesn't make her a bad person, but it does make her unfit and at the end of the day, that is not her fault - it is Harry's for deciding she was ready.

Third, I want to talk about Kensington. I think KP was totally unprepared for the whirlwind that was Meghan and Harry. They still are not doing a good job in my opinion. They should have been the final stop at making sure Meghan was fit. Of course they can't say, "Harry, pick another girl!" but it should have been their responsibility to make sure Meghan is at the top of her game. This contrasts with Catherine and William. At the time, Kate got a lot of "bad" press for being "Waity Katey" for it taking 10 years (?) to be engaged. But man, think of all she learned and endured during those 10 years! She was practically a knowledgable pro when it came to royal life, etiquette, and duties by the time they finally got engaged. Kensington had a big build up with lots of time and research to prepare Kate. Meghan didn't get the chance, but we can also shift htat blame back onto Harry and Meghan for wanting to get married so quickly.

Overall, I think Harry and Meghan might be genuinely in love for each other but they made a lot of naive mistakes in their relationship. They thought they were ready for royal post-married life, but they really weren't. I do think people are a little too harsh on Meghan when a lot of things happening about/around her right now aren't really her fault. However, I can't blame the UK public because at the end of the day, they are the ones that need to be happy. I do think Harry & Meghan will get divorced. I hope this is a good learning lesson for Harry that he needs to 1) sort out his mental health; and 2) be much more careful about "choosing a woman for the job."

MOO.

I think they got married faster than they might otherwise have because of her age and their desire to have children. As much as the monarchy has changed, I think we're still at least a decade away from a royal baby before the wedding lol

 

[Gardenista]

Duchess Kate: The Duchess in Ghost London Dress for Private Pakistan Engagement

 

[AllyBeeUK]

I think a lot of people are still viewing Harry as a little boy when he is not. He is a full grown man, has been for quite some time now. In fact he is only a year or two younger than me and one of my friends has just become a grandmother (yes, really! She had her 1st baby at 19, said baby has just had her first baby at 16). Meghan is almost 40 so to portray her as a naive young girl like Diana is disingenuous.

I have to keep pushing back on this bullying narrative. I've just read elsewhere that H and M need rescuing from "racist, British bullies" because we don't deserve them. This is offensive, not to mention untrue. Having an opinion on a public figure does not make someone a bully. Public appearances and interviews are just that, public. They invite scrutiny. Of course nobody should be over-personal in their criticism and racism is completely unacceptable in any form, ever. But, I'm genuinely not seeing that here. ETA: I mean on this forum specifically.

There are some really disgusting comments doing the rounds about William and Catherine as a direct result of this feud or rivalry or whatever it is. William and Catherine have been accused of being racists and there are fans of Meghan desperate to start a rumour that William cheated on his wife. A rumour that allegedly started as a tweet sent by somebody known to be close to Meghan. I can't help but feel that they have thrown petrol over an already raging inferno. I really wish that Buckingham Palace could obtain some kind or gag order for the next 6 weeks because it is all getting incredibly out of hand.

 

[gregjrichards]

I just can’t believe the difference between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who are excelling at their royal roles and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who seem to be making a mess of things. I really hope they can get it together and most importantly be happy.

 

[Amonet]

I think a lot of people are still viewing Harry as a little boy when he is not. He is a full grown man, has been for quite some time now. In fact he is only a year or two younger than me and one of my friends has just become a grandmother (yes, really! She had her 1st baby at 19, said baby has just had her first baby at 16). Meghan is almost 40 so to portray her as a naive young girl like Diana is disingenuous.

I have to keep pushing back on this bullying narrative. I've just read elsewhere that H and M need rescuing from "racist, British bullies" because we don't deserve them. This is offensive, not to mention untrue. Having an opinion on a public figure does not make someone a bully. Public appearances and interviews are just that, public. They invite scrutiny. Of course nobody should be over-personal in their criticism and racism is completely unacceptable in any form, ever. But, I'm genuinely not seeing that here. ETA: I mean on this forum specifically.

There are some really disgusting comments doing the rounds about William and Catherine as a direct result of this feud or rivalry or whatever it is. William and Catherine have been accused of being racists and there are fans of Meghan desperate to start a rumour that William cheated on his wife. A rumour that allegedly started as a tweet sent by somebody known to be close to Meghan. I can't help but feel that they have thrown petrol over an already raging inferno. I really wish that Buckingham Palace could obtain some kind or gag order for the next 6 weeks because it is all getting incredibly out of hand.

There isn't racism and bullying here, thank goodness. But the comments on some of the tabloid articles? Anything relatively nice is thumbed down and anything rude is thumbed up. I guess in some ways it is a game to people as they don't really feel that Royals or celebrities are reading their comments so they be as rude as they want. I still don't like it, and I think some parts of the media purposely stir it up in order to get page hits. And these attitudes of making rude and cruel comments don't stop with royals and celebs, some people seem to think it's acceptable anywhere and to anyone. I think it becomes a frame of mind, and one that spreads virally and some people don't seem to know how to stop.

This is a conversation I think we really need to be having as a society.