The British Royal Family - news, views, clothes & shoes! #5

[BetteDavisEyes]

View attachment 178286

And he’s orf! Prince Philip, 97, is spotted riding a horse-drawn carriage around Windsor Castle shortly before the Grand National

Prince Philip, 97, spotted riding horse-drawn carriage at Windsor Castle before Grand National | Daily Mail Online

Much safer than driving, and something he loves Glad he has company on the carriage ride.

 

[SeesSeas]

Fun quiz: Which Meghan Markle Are You? I got "Duchess Meghan"

I am usually reluctant to do these types of games, but hey, it's a slow Saturday in sunny Florida.
Curious Me . . . so I suffered through the 50 questions.
Some of my responses would have been None Of The Above (if that was an option).
Results:
Humanitarian Meghan
You are Humanitarian Meghan! Passionate about leading by example and striving for a brighter future, you dedicate much of your time to others. You also thrive on discussing tricky topics and challenging the status quo.

 

[Bravo]

O/T If u want a fun moment in Chicago after seeing all the highlights stop in at Howl at the Moon for a cocktail. Fun and talented young folk. Oh and House of Blues.

 

[gregjrichards]

I am usually reluctant to do these types of games, but hey, it's a slow Saturday in sunny Florida.
Curious Me . . . so I suffered through the 50 questions.
Some of my responses would have been None Of The Above (if that was an option).
Results:
Humanitarian Meghan
You are Humanitarian Meghan! Passionate about leading by example and striving for a brighter future, you dedicate much of your time to others. You also thrive on discussing tricky topics and challenging the status quo.

I don’t have the patience to go through the 50 questions I was shocked there were that many.

 

[Bravo]

I don’t have the patience to go through the 50 questions I was shocked there were that many.

It does go quickly tho if u are ever inclined

 

[mickey2942]

I am usually reluctant to do these types of games, but hey, it's a slow Saturday in sunny Florida.
Curious Me . . . so I suffered through the 50 questions.
Some of my responses would have been None Of The Above (if that was an option).
Results:
Humanitarian Meghan
You are Humanitarian Meghan! Passionate about leading by example and striving for a brighter future, you dedicate much of your time to others. You also thrive on discussing tricky topics and challenging the status quo.

I also received "Humanitarian Meghan".

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

O/T If u want a fun moment in Chicago after seeing all the highlights stop in at Howl at the Moon for a cocktail. Fun and talented young folk. Oh and House of Blues.

DH and I have been to Chicago many, many times. Went several times annually for years. You name it: Been there. Done that. Toronto and Stratford, too, my friend

 

[Bravo]

DH and I have been to Chicago many, many times. Went several times annually for years. You name it: Been there. Done that. Toronto and Stratford, too, my friend

Did u visit the fun venues I spoke of? Yes i know u do theatre in my stomping grounds.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Prince Harry, Meghan move into Frogmore Cottage in Windsor

With the baby due any day now, the soon-to-be parents made the move out of London to their new cozy cottage in Windsor.

 

[Betty P]

I do’t get it. Aren’t any of the Royal properties just as wonderful?

There should be a post on how to achieve the same thing but on a budget like they do with the clothes.

A Holiday Inn with a garden?

I think I'm starting to understand now what Meghan is working on. I don't usually follow celebrities on social media, but happened to read an article recently about Beyonce negotiating some advertising deal with Adidas or somesuch. They don't call them advertising or marketing deals these days, but refer to them as "branding". Pretty much the same thing, though.

Anyway, it looks like the template for these celebrity business plans involves gaining (through various methods) large numbers of followers on twitter, instagram, etc. then use that "following" as leverage to promote the celebrity's "style" or "brand" ie a logo or color graphic design, web site and a couple of specially designed shirts, , tennis shoes, travel mug, etc that are sort of designed around this "brand".

It brings to mind, for example, the "pink ribbon" cause marketing campaigns used to promote "breast cancer awareness" when every big charity had their own special pink ribbon design and logo and used it to raise money and sell some nick-nacks with their pink ribbon "brand". You hired a graphic designer and marketing firm that put your unique cause ribbon design together and promoted it. There were teams of consultants who specialized in doing just this.

The celebrities today are doing the same thing, only for profit. They negotiate deals with big companies to market their products using the celebrity's "brand" via their big social media accounts. They mix lifestyle advice, personal "insights" into their private lives, etc. all while getting you to buy their latest CD, tshirt, tennis shoes, make-up line, whatever. It serves the celebrity several ways: 1) enhances sales of their entertainment product, whether music or the latest movie or tv show; 2) it makes them a tidy profit on selling merch or getting big promotional contracts with retailers or manufacturers and 3) it's a great vanity project to boost their ego and get their name in the news and around social media. It expands their fan base, helps their entertainment career, etc.

I suppose this is what MM and Harry are doing, because it appears so similar to the bit of Beyonce "branding" and marketing/messaging that I saw online. Same business/PR template. Of course Meghan and Harry technically can't profit from any ventures, but there are doubtless many other perks available to them. If they follow the typical brand/cause marketing template as other celebs, we can expect them to use their child as part of this campaign.

Intersting, but not original. It's a tried and true business plan that has just been updated to accommodate social media. That's why MM wanted separate PR office, staff, etc. Everything has to be tailored to MM and PH's brand. There's no room for other members of the royal family.

 

[mickey2942]

I think I'm starting to understand now what Meghan is working on. I don't usually follow celebrities on social media, but happened to read an article recently about Beyonce negotiating some advertising deal with Adidas or somesuch. They don't call them advertising or marketing deals these days, but refer to them as "branding". Pretty much the same thing, though.

Anyway, it looks like the template for these celebrity business plans involves gaining (through various methods) large numbers of followers on twitter, instagram, etc. then use that "following" as leverage to promote the celebrity's "style" or "brand" ie a logo or color graphic design, web site and a couple of specially designed shirts, , tennis shoes, travel mug, etc that are sort of designed around this "brand".

It brings to mind, for example, the "pink ribbon" cause marketing campaigns used to promote "breast cancer awareness" when every big charity had their own special pink ribbon design and logo and used it to raise money and sell some nick-nacks with their pink ribbon "brand". You hired a graphic designer and marketing firm that put your unique cause ribbon design together and promoted it. There were teams of consultants who specialized in doing just this.

The celebrities today are doing the same thing, only for profit. They negotiate deals with big companies to market their products using the celebrity's "brand" via their big social media accounts. They mix lifestyle advice, personal "insights" into their private lives, etc. all while getting you to buy their latest CD, tshirt, tennis shoes, make-up line, whatever. It serves the celebrity several ways: 1) enhances sales of their entertainment product, whether music or the latest movie or tv show; 2) it makes them a tidy profit on selling merch or getting big promotional contracts with retailers or manufacturers and 3) it's a great vanity project to boost their ego and get their name in the news and around social media. It expands their fan base, helps their entertainment career, etc.

I suppose this is what MM and Harry are doing, because it appears so similar to the bit of Beyonce "branding" and marketing/messaging that I saw online. Same business/PR template. Of course Meghan and Harry technically can't profit from any ventures, but there are doubtless many other perks available to them. If they follow the typical brand/cause marketing template as other celebs, we can expect them to use their child as part of this campaign.

Intersting, but not original. It's a tried and true business plan that has just been updated to accommodate social media. That's why MM wanted separate PR office, staff, etc. Everything has to be tailored to MM and PH's brand. There's no room for other members of the royal family.

Geez, don't they have enough money?!

 

[Laughing]

DH and I have been to Chicago many, many times. Went several times annually for years. You name it: Been there. Done that. Toronto and Stratford, too, my friend

Among my Chi-Town recs:

Superdawg® drive-in

One end of Route 66 as well!

Enjoy your trip, BDE!

 

[Betty P]

Geez, don't they have enough money?!

Compared to the growing worldwide class of billionaires, probably no. Sadly, its an artifact of modern society. Hyper-accumulation of wealth and material goods. Conspicuous consumption on steroids.

But a lot of it is a craving for greater and greater "celebrity" and some power. JMO, some of these celebrities feel powerful and maybe they are in their own corner of the universe, but really, how powerful is Beyonce or a Kardashian, etc. It's a minor sort of power that allows you to go to special private resorts and clubs, get tables at the best restaurants, etc. People have been doing that for hundreds of years. It's somewhere between the bourgoiose and aristocracy. Upper classes that have no real power.

 

[Laughing]

I think I'm starting to understand now what Meghan is working on. I don't usually follow celebrities on social media, but happened to read an article recently about Beyonce negotiating some advertising deal with Adidas or somesuch. They don't call them advertising or marketing deals these days, but refer to them as "branding". Pretty much the same thing, though.

Anyway, it looks like the template for these celebrity business plans involves gaining (through various methods) large numbers of followers on twitter, instagram, etc. then use that "following" as leverage to promote the celebrity's "style" or "brand" ie a logo or color graphic design, web site and a couple of specially designed shirts, , tennis shoes, travel mug, etc that are sort of designed around this "brand".

It brings to mind, for example, the "pink ribbon" cause marketing campaigns used to promote "breast cancer awareness" when every big charity had their own special pink ribbon design and logo and used it to raise money and sell some nick-nacks with their pink ribbon "brand". You hired a graphic designer and marketing firm that put your unique cause ribbon design together and promoted it. There were teams of consultants who specialized in doing just this.

The celebrities today are doing the same thing, only for profit. They negotiate deals with big companies to market their products using the celebrity's "brand" via their big social media accounts. They mix lifestyle advice, personal "insights" into their private lives, etc. all while getting you to buy their latest CD, tshirt, tennis shoes, make-up line, whatever. It serves the celebrity several ways: 1) enhances sales of their entertainment product, whether music or the latest movie or tv show; 2) it makes them a tidy profit on selling merch or getting big promotional contracts with retailers or manufacturers and 3) it's a great vanity project to boost their ego and get their name in the news and around social media. It expands their fan base, helps their entertainment career, etc.

I suppose this is what MM and Harry are doing, because it appears so similar to the bit of Beyonce "branding" and marketing/messaging that I saw online. Same business/PR template. Of course Meghan and Harry technically can't profit from any ventures, but there are doubtless many other perks available to them. If they follow the typical brand/cause marketing template as other celebs, we can expect them to use their child as part of this campaign.

Intersting, but not original. It's a tried and true business plan that has just been updated to accommodate social media. That's why MM wanted separate PR office, staff, etc. Everything has to be tailored to MM and PH's brand. There's no room for other members of the royal family.

BBM

Yes! Didn't the attempt at the separate household refer to the "Sussex brand?"

Swiped a fan's Instagram 'handle' on the way, JMHO.

YMMV

 

[Laughing]

Baby arrival possibilities:

Inside royal baby hospitals: where Kate Middleton and the Countess of Wessex gave birth

Didn't know our stalwart HRH Princess Anne actually started the birth-in-hospital for the BRF!

Looks like several options available.

 

[Betty P]

BBM

Yes! Didn't the attempt at the separate household refer to the "Sussex brand?"

Swiped a fan's Instagram 'handle' on the way, JMHO.

YMMV

Yes, in the "breast cancer wars" getting just the right URL address was very important, too. Big part of the marketing, being able to connect social media accounts and have that uniformity of appearance, design, messaging, all run past "focus groups". It all has to fit together seamlessly, since many kinds of social media accounts (twitter, facebook, instagram, you tube, etc.) have to be coordinated simultaneously. It's a big part of messaging. Organizations used to fight in court over their copyright of a specific shade of pink, shape of the ribbon, tag line, etc.

The British Royal Family already has it's own "brand". They've had it for centuries. It has a great reputation and garners respect everywhere. It takes a lot of work to build a "brand" like that. JMO, I don't see Meghan or Harry's "brand" coming close to overshadowing it. Just a passing fad.

ETA:
<modsnipped off topic information>

 

[gregjrichards]

Meghan Markle 'snubs the Queen's doctors for her birth because she doesn't want "men in suits" delivering her baby'

The Duchess of Sussex has delivered an astonishing snub to the Queen’s highly-regarded doctors, insisting she doesn’t want ‘the men in suits’ to oversee the birth of her first child.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that, in a significant break with Royal tradition, 37-year-old Meghan has appointed her own delivery team, led by an unnamed female doctor.

Royal Household gynaecologists Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston – who is a specialist in high-risk births – attended at the arrival of all three of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children. They are among the best in the world but neither has been given the leading role in Meghan’s care.

Meghan Markle 'snubs the Queen's doctors for her birth because she doesn't want "men in suits" | Daily Mail Online

You can’t blame the Duchess of Sussex if she wants a female doctor.

 

[gregjrichards]

On Granny's secret service! Prince William does work experience with MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to learn more about national security

On Granny's secret service! Prince William does work experience with MI5, MI6 and GCHQ | Daily Mail Online

 

[mickey2942]

Meghan Markle 'snubs the Queen's doctors for her birth because she doesn't want "men in suits" delivering her baby'

The Duchess of Sussex has delivered an astonishing snub to the Queen’s highly-regarded doctors, insisting she doesn’t want ‘the men in suits’ to oversee the birth of her first child.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that, in a significant break with Royal tradition, 37-year-old Meghan has appointed her own delivery team, led by an unnamed female doctor.

Royal Household gynaecologists Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston – who is a specialist in high-risk births – attended at the arrival of all three of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children. They are among the best in the world but neither has been given the leading role in Meghan’s care.

Meghan Markle 'snubs the Queen's doctors for her birth because she doesn't want "men in suits" | Daily Mail Online

You can’t blame the Duchess of Sussex if she wants a female doctor.

I had a female doctor for all of mine. Best decision ever. No gender bias, just my own preference. Women should be able to choose their own birth plan. If Meghan wants to give birth in a wading pool in her bedroom, let her...this child is unlikely to be heir to the throne. What business is it of the queen? Granted, she has legal custody of the grandchildren, which I think should be changed! But not until the kid is born! Queen Elizabeth Has Custody Of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Children for This Strange Reason

 

[Betty P]

Meghan Markle 'snubs the Queen's doctors for her birth because she doesn't want "men in suits" delivering her baby'

The Duchess of Sussex has delivered an astonishing snub to the Queen’s highly-regarded doctors, insisting she doesn’t want ‘the men in suits’ to oversee the birth of her first child.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that, in a significant break with Royal tradition, 37-year-old Meghan has appointed her own delivery team, led by an unnamed female doctor.

Royal Household gynaecologists Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston – who is a specialist in high-risk births – attended at the arrival of all three of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children. They are among the best in the world but neither has been given the leading role in Meghan’s care.

Meghan Markle 'snubs the Queen's doctors for her birth because she doesn't want "men in suits" | Daily Mail Online

You can’t blame the Duchess of Sussex if she wants a female doctor.

Interesting. The estimated due date has changed again. Now it's in May?

It is understood that meetings to discuss the birth will be held as the due date approaches, with the baby expected next month.

JMO, if the quote from MM is direct, it seems rather insulting to the Queen. Disrespectful and insulting tone. What's wrong with her? Why is she so angry and mean towards the Queen and other family members?

Most people would understand a desire to do things your own way and break with tradition, but why do it in such a nasty way, especially after the Queen and Charles authorized spending tens of millions to refurbish and decorate a beautiful home for them? They've been nothing but kind, considerate and extremely generous to MM.