Harry and Meghan are expecting their second child

[Standrewsschool]

Wishing them all the best

@Thewinterofdiscontent

Cokie3 Why send a “random touching moment” to the worlds public though? Surely that’s saying look at our personal lives which is exactly what they complained about before.

I don’t care about them and don’t give them a second thought normally. However every time something about them gets reported (it’s always stuff they put out) I remember how annoying they are. Hence commenting.

I would love it if they were never heard of again.

Why send a “random touching moment” to the worlds public though?

Why not? What's wrong with that?

Surely that’s saying look at our personal lives which is exactly what they complained about before.

You don't seem to understand that it's about consent, not about their personal lives per se. If you read other posters' comments further explaining consent and that showing things publicly is NOT consent cart blanche, you might understand. They are not annoying at all, in fact, they aren't even heard from all that much. If you find them annoying, that's on you. Not them.

I would love it if they were never heard of again.

Charming. That says it all about you. Not them.

@Motherdare

The photo is cringe worthy because it’s full of artifice, so styled and full of hints at what they want people to think of them. Completely unnatural. This is what people don’t like another them. Every gesture seems false and vainglorious.

@Motherdare It seems a very natural, very captured-in-a-moment-of-time to me. Different from the formal and staged look (which no doubt you and others of your ilk would criticise them for, too). You'll damage your arms stretching and reaching that much and that desperately for something to attack them over. Your post says so much more about you than them.

@DeRigueurMortis Where is the hypocrisy? They never said they wanted to 100% live out of the spotlight like Joe Blow down the road. Your misunderstanding is your doing, not theirs. You don't seem to understand that it's about consent, not about their personal lives per se. If you read other posters' comments further explaining consent and that showing things publicly is NOT consent cart blanche, you might understand. It's about consent, and wanting to share what they want to share with us, when and how they want to. You took that to mean they wanted to live as hermits. It's your misunderstanding, not their hypocrisy.

@DeRigueurMortis @Thewinterofdiscontent As Rtmhwales said, You can want privacy and still announce things publicly.. wanting privacy is more about wanting to keep the things you want to be able to keep to yourself .. private. They're still allowed to release this news to the world even if they want privacy .. especially considering it was bound to be found out eventually regardless. This allows them to release it at a time and in a way of their choosing. The two concepts aren't mutually exclusive. I'm happy for them.

Do you both struggle with the concepts of consent and being in control of your own privacy - in other areas of your life?

How is wanting to be in control of your message 'hypocrisy'? Stuffed if I know, but the reaching to come to that would have the proclaimers of that opinion prime contenders for Olympics contortionists.

@Motherdare

The photo is cringe worthy because it’s full of artifice, so styled and full of hints at what they want people to think of them. Completely unnatural. This is what people don’t like another them. Every gesture seems false and vainglorious.

Just the same as other photo shoot! All those wedding photos, family portraits and baby photos people get done and pass around the family or post on Instagram & FB...

There are too many examples ... Do you think that public figures, famous personalities actually look the same IRL as they do on magazine pages or on tv or in interviews?

Did you want a picture of them both in jogging bottoms with ratty hair covered in Archie’s sick? Would that make you happy?

But why have “a message” at all. What has Meghan being pregnant got to do with their new career in the charity sector? Zilch. It’s just self promotion.

Everyone understands they want to be in control of their own publicity. Who wouldn’t. But that’s what it is, 100% publicity. It’s not some treasured family photo, hence people are allowed to comment.

You’re absolutely entitled to enjoy it Cokie3 just as some of us are allowed to think it’s staged, trite and hypocritical.

@Thewinterofdiscontent

But why have “a message” at all. What has Meghan being pregnant got to do with their new career in the charity sector? Zilch. It’s just self promotion.

Everyone understands they want to be in control of their own publicity. Who wouldn’t. But that’s what it is, 100% publicity. It’s not some treasured family photo, hence people are allowed to comment.

You’re absolutely entitled to enjoy it Cokie3 just as some of us are allowed to think it’s staged, trite and hypocritical.

Why does it HAVE to have anything to do with her career? Why? You are desperately reaching. She is allowed to share her every day life/private life, too.

Who said she only had to share information about her career or charity? Who made up that rule? You? Out of bitterness and spite? Who said she can't share moments of happiness with her supporters?

Lastly, it does not seem staged at all, on the contrary, it's different, so hardly trite, and again, it is not hypocritical in the least, as has been pointed out to you. And you've yet to show how it is in any way remotely hypocritical. Even remotely. Because you can't, and you know that. You are simply desperately reaching. And that, is hypocritical of you. If you look deeper inside yourself you'll see the real reason you are making up things wrong with a simple photo shared with her supporters that harms nobody and doesn't detract from her message at all. The issue you have is within yourself.

The photo and announcement is their choice. Many people will be interested, others will not. I happen to like the photo, am glad of a bit of distracting, happy news and wish them well.

What's so hard about that?

I find all this negativity and nitpicking so exhausting.

People need to get over it and move on.

The issue you have is within yourself.
Er well that’s obvious. I haven’t got my opinion from anywhere else.

Look I’ll leave it as it obviously upsets you and as I said before I don’t really care what the two of them do ( or don’t do). Night.

@Thewinterofdiscontent

The issue you have is within yourself. Er well that’s obvious. I haven’t got my opinion from anywhere else.

Look I’ll leave it as it obviously upsets you and as I said before I don’t really care what the two of them do ( or don’t do). Night.

No, it doesn't upset me, they seem to upset you, clearly as you go to such lengths to find something to pick at them for. As I said, there is a reason for that, and it's usually bitterness and jealousy.

Why send a “random touching moment” to the worlds public though? Surely that’s saying look at our personal lives which is exactly what they complained about before.

They’re criticised if they do and they’d be criticised if they didn’t.
If they had baby 2 and didn’t announce it with photo AT ALL the tabloid scum would be all over them ‘H&M’s secret child blah blah...’
The day the scummy newspaper editors lay off harassing, lying about and stalking whoever they choose will be a good day. —and sadly will never happen—

Yes, Goodbye2020Helllo2021, it will never happen because women who are each other's worst enemies, women who love to tear each other down and pick each other to pieces are the ones who read those trashy tabloids, who believe the narrative the tabloids carefully spin - in this case H & M being evil - which causes the bullying and the harassment. It's a vicious cycle. Women who lack something in themselves read and indulge in vicious gossip and tear other women down, to the extent that this one in this story had to flee the UK (though I don't see how the US is any better, but anyhow). Women and teens suicide over this type of thing. But sadly it is the women who eat it up and encourage this mass pile on. Tabloids will never go out of business while there are bitter, jealous women who are unhappy in themselves they need to pick at others to make themselves feel better. 2021, and still women, instead of simply being happy for each other, have to look for the most absurd excuses to pick each other to pieces. Diana's death hasn't changed anything, and all the anti-bullying messages haven't helped, either. It's 2021, I would have thought we'd stop tearing each other to pieces by now.

Cokie3 Oh so true.

And hypocritical is such a weird term to use about a picture. Just have no idea what is hypocritical about it. Of course it's staged, every single member of the RF who puts out a picture stages it. Why should H&M be different?

I do hope H&M's baby doesn't arrive within a month of Zara's, imagine the posts criticising H&M for announcing an arrival and upstaging them. Perhaps posters on here could suggest a suitable time for a simple announcement with no pics

That's a general 'you' by the way, nothing personal.

The thread started on Sunday and it's still up, I think that's some kind of record for a Harry and Meghan thread!

As @Thewinterofdiscontent said. The photo screams self promotion. Publicity. The image they want to have. Trying too hard. And trying again. And again. Harry did not learn one thing as a working royal or she is driving the agenda. Let's call things like they are.
If they did not want the attention they would be at home caring about their own. but no, they have to send the photo to ATP and push it to as many places in the planet as they possibly can. An email to friends would have done it to us mortals. But they have their lifestyle to pay for and need to stay relevant.

I totally get what @Motherdare is saying.

It seems to me that they are trying desperately hard to be perceived as 'authentic' but the amount of work and effort that they put into this aim makes pretty much everything they put out come across as the opposite of 'authentic'. It usually feels contrived and staged - and people have an immediate and intrinsic reaction to that.

The worst example of this for me was the grave yard photo shoot.

It is similar to watching performance parenting. Or performance phone calls in public places. There is something inside that cringes and we intrinsically know it is not authentic.

They are not the only celebs/influencers guilty of this but probably the most high profile.

People recognise authenticity when they see it. I think Kate fairs better in the press/public opinion because she comes across as being more authentic.

@SageandBlackPepper oh yes the graveyard photo shoot, what were they thinking. Lamentable.

And I think the great sadness is that Harry used to come across as authentic, probably the most authentic of all of the Royals and that was why people warmed to him and liked him so much. That was probably because he was not trying to be anything else but himself.

It seems to me that they are trying desperately hard to be perceived as 'authentic' but the amount of work and effort that they put into this aim makes pretty much everything they put out come across as the opposite of 'authentic'. It usually feels contrived and staged - and people have an immediate and intrinsic reaction to that.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I think "The Next Step" and working towards how her position can be used rather than lived in has always been very clear to many when observing M and that's why they dislike or have very little time for her. I don't think this makes her a bad person, just one who has been in the showbiz game for a very long time. Unfortunately to many the RF has too much value and ideas of it being an unchanging institution for people to like anyone who has come along and instigated huge change. Harry doesn't get the same opprobrium because he seemed to love us before whereas it was clear from very early on that M didn't - and nor should she. The fact that they keep popping back up just keeps pissing people off. I do think if they'd disappeared entirely for a while and then gradually emerged in a few years doing what they do now things would be very different and received more agreeably. The "hit the ground running" part of M's personality just doesn't work as part of the RF and will keep creating sparks. I'm not sure Meghan behaves badly or wrongly, it just doesn't work in conjunction with the RF.

I hope the interview delves into the reasons for leaving the RF, and is not vague about it. It is clear as day that racism Is at the centre of all this, and people should not conduct racism in peace.

I hope she asks for examples of incidents too. Unfortunately hate crime is not that easy to prove - the the government does give guidelines like treating individuals differently when they are doing the exact same thing. But for H&M it has been sustained for so long, should not be too hard to prove. She can't help what race she is.

@Coronateachingagain

As *@Thewinterofdiscontent* said. The photo screams self promotion. Publicity. The image they want to have. Trying too hard. And trying again. And again. Harry did not learn one thing as a working royal or she is driving the agenda. Let's call things like they are. If they did not want the attention they would be at home caring about their own. but no, they have to send the photo to ATP and push it to as many places in the planet as they possibly can. An email to friends would have done it to us mortals. But they have their lifestyle to pay for and need to stay relevant.

Nah not seeing it at all. I see two people in love and at ease, sharing a lovely moment with each other.

I think Kate fairs better in the press/public opinion because she comes across as being more authentic.

I disagree. Catherine M’s image is very contrived. The public persona is carefully manufactured.