Congratulations to Meghan and Harry - baby no.2 on the way!

[bluewanda]

Lovely news, congrats to them both!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9259925/Meghan-Markle-pregnant-Duchess-confirms-Prince-Harry-expecting-baby.html

I just googled William’s qualifications. He got ABC at A level and a 2.1 Hons degree. So clearly perfectly academically able.

Yes I agree Ricki and I only mentioned Sarah because someone said about Harry.
It's all relative isn't it?
They don't have to keep their fingers crossed to get in to their Universities of choice. They just get in!

There was a story about Eugenie (who got very good A levels IIRC) being initially turned down by Newcastle Uni until a “Do you know who she is?” phone call was placed and - voila- she had an offer.

So, yes, their paths are very greased but at least we’ve progressed a notch or two from the nonsense of Charles and Edward going to Cambridge. That was too much!

I suspect Sarah is dyslexic as is Beatrice. Not a very nice conversation.

Sooo Prince Charles is allowed to flog his groceries, and the whole family is allowed to collect mega money from their feudal property empire, but it's making podcasts and documentaries that precludes Harry and Meghan from "a life of service"? Interesting!

Well, exactly. As pointed out elsewhere the Queen can flog tacky tea towels with little Imperial Crowns printed on them (the very definition of exploiting and disrespecting Royal history and the royal brand) but because she uses the dosh to buy a Turner to stick up in her loo (a painting technically owned by the nation even though she and her family are the only ones allowed to look at it) it's not counted as financially profiting. If anyone else sold PJs on Etsy and used the money to buy an item of home decor, it 100% would be considered financial profit!

Not to mention Peter Philips on a faux-Buckingham Palace set complete with fake royal crest explicitly suggesting official royal patronage saying "As a member of the British Royal family l I drink X brand milk!"

Why the need for the Netflix and Spotify deals?

Because as private citizens they're allowed to pursue whatever work they choose to pursue?

For a year there's been nothing but howling "we just don't want to pay for them anymore, if they get a job we'll leave them alone, promise." They go out and get a job. Then it's "just pay back Frogmore and we'll leave them alone, promise." They pay back Frogmore (even though the only thing the Crown ever paid for was essential structural work, which the Queen received government money for). Yet still the abuse continues? The gateposts just keep being moved to justify the abuse.

I mean, really.

Haters: GO AND GET A JOB GRIFTERS.
Meghan: Okay! goes out and gets a job
Haters: HOW DARE YOU GET A JOB NO NOT LIKE THAT

I always think W&K are very work shy.

But she's so keen!

@derxa

I suspect Sarah is dyslexic as is Beatrice. Not a very nice conversation.

Interesting that the Armstrong-Jones siblings and the York girls all seem so genuinely pleasant and modest.

I do think people with Dyslexia and similar often develop to be very rounded people.

I’m sad for them that their family row is playing out so publicly and while Prince Philip is in hospital which will make it all much more heightened.

Service isn’t universal though. What does that even mean? H&M are not living a life of ‘service’ in the way the RF mean (something lifelong, always non-commercial, always non-political, often boring). There’s nothing wrong with that, I don’t know why H&M can’t just say, they want more control of their lives than that life allows.
It’s fair enough that H&M want to be off doing their business stuff in LA and helping out occasionally at soup kitchens and whatever. If that’s a life of service though, then thousands of us are already living that life.
I hope that as a family they’ll be able to work it out. It puts the RF into a quite wierd position having escapees since it’s all so linked to birthright and I can see being the ‘spare’ is a strange life but can’t see Harry being comfortably cut out for a civilian life either. But hopefully each camp can make it work.

Great post Rose especially the moving the goalposts bit. I wonder what else is going to be demanded of them?
You forgot one though Rose... how dare they expect anyone to pay for their security!!

H&M - pays for own security.

(Unlike Andrew who is also a non working Royal and costs us £300,000 per annum)

Haters: GO AND GET A JOB GRIFTERS.
Meghan: Okay! goes out and gets a job*
Haters: HOW DARE YOU GET A JOB NO NOT LIKE THAT

Exactly 😆

I think what people really want is for them move to New Jersey and get jobs in payroll or real estate or something, without taking on board that literally no one in the aristo/celeb circles that they move in lives like this.

'Haters: GO AND GET A JOB GRIFTERS. Meghan: Okay! goes out and gets a job Haters: HOW DARE YOU GET A JOB NO NOT LIKE THAT'

Yes it is of course fine they have 'jobs' and are cashing in on their Royal connections, as has been said they all do it. The jarring thing with this pair is they won't put in the groundwork to earn the privilege. So they use their titles to get these jobs but then decide they cba doing what is expected of them. They want to be number one and churn out all this 'no one asks if I'm ok' self pity.

The jarring thing with this pair is they won't put in the groundwork to earn the privilege

Well... Harry was born into the RF, known as Prince Harry and there's no getting away from that! He was born into privilege
Number one in what?

Number one in what?

Yes exactly. What?

So they use their titles to get these jobs

I doubt Netflix gives a flying fuck if they call themselves Duke/Duchess or not. They know they’re a good commercial bet.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'Haters: GO AND GET A JOB GRIFTERS. Meghan: Okay! goes out and gets a job Haters: HOW DARE YOU GET A JOB NO NOT LIKE THAT'

Yes it is of course fine they have 'jobs' and are cashing in on their Royal connections, as has been said they all do it. The jarring thing with this pair is they won't put in the groundwork to earn the privilege. So they use their titles to get these jobs but then decide they cba doing what is expected of them. They want to be number one and churn out all this 'no one asks if I'm ok' self pity.

They don't need to put in groundwork to earn any privilege (however wrong that might be). Harry was born into the royal family and that brings with it immense privilege as a birthright. Meghan is married to him and therefore is also part of the privileged family.

When you say 'these jobs' they used their titles to get, which ones do you mean exactly? And which ones can't they be arsed to do?

What are these jobs they've gone out and got, and are currently doing?

I always think W&K are very work shy

So do I, though again they're hardly alone in that

Over the years there have been various remarks about them being busy with their young family, growing into their new roles, etc, but to me it sounds like "you can have anything at all you want; just for god's sake stay together and don't frighten the horses, because we can't afford for another one to go wrong"

I agree

I think it is cheeky (deluded?) for the RF to say they do public service. They don’t work in soup kitchens, house the homeless, teach underprivileged children, or work as a volunteer in a hospice.

They simply wave. Sometimes on an expensive train. Sometimes when it is cold, although I’m sure they wear good coats. And get massive homes and public money. At worst it is cold and boring. How is that a public service?

I think public service is universal. It is what many of us do, while holding full time jobs. Just going out to help others without anyone paying us deference or monetary rewards. So I agree with Meghan that service is universal and not something that the RF have exclusive dibs to, despite their patronising beliefs.

I think that’s partly why meghan rubs some people the wrong way. She’s unwittingly holds a mirror to the monarchy and you see how pointless and irritating it is 😃 very hard for the royalists to square 😃

Except she’s doing absolutely nothing herself which constitutes public service. A few photo ops at soup kitchens after being flown in at great expense. What are the two of them planning exactly which isn’t designed for publicity or to line their own pockets?

@BlushingBrightly

What are these jobs they've gone out and got, and are currently doing?

From the bbc;

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reached a deal with streaming giant Netflix to make a range of programmes, some of which they may appear in.
"Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope," said Prince Harry and wife Meghan.
^"As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us," they continued.
Netflix chief Ted Sarandos said he was "incredibly proud" the royal couple had made the company "their creative home".
The multi-year deal will encompass documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows and children's programming.

So inspirational content creators and hope givers?

Not normal for the industry. Not even precedented in the industry. It’s the names, the royal connection, the Diana connection that’s drawing the big bucks.

All slightly reminiscent of Dodi the movie producer.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Harry had picked up some odd ideas about job roles during his childhood.

The reality is the rf do very little. What service do any of them really perform?
I can't help think that the pandemic has shown us who the real service givers are.
During this whole thing the rf have been absent, whilst normal every day folk have been doing amazing things.

I do agree. I was surprised to see the 'public service' comment on the Queen's statement.
It's not what I class as 'public service' but I know people who undertake the most extraordinary amount of public service

The reality is the rf do very little. What service do any of them really perform? I can't help think that the pandemic has shown us who the real service givers are. During this whole thing the rf have been absent, whilst normal every day folk have been doing amazing things

Fantastic comment, so agree Samcro

@Roussette

I do agree. I was surprised to see the 'public service' comment on the Queen's statement. It's not what I class as 'public service' but I know people who undertake the most extraordinary amount of public service

Yes, this! 😊

I think that’s partly why meghan rubs some people the wrong way. She’s unwittingly holds a mirror to the monarchy and you see how pointless and irritating it is 😃 very hard for the royalists to square 😃

I think that is an incredibly astute take.

The tribe who are die hard monarchists and hate MM can’t bear to see H&M embodying the privilege without the pomp and circumstance removed because that’s just wrecking the carefully constructed illusion.

MM might yet bring down the monarchy.