To think Harry/Meghan are coming out of this worse than the Royal Family?

[Bassarid]

Is it just me?

Probably not half as traumatising as reading or being told at school/wherever you went that your father isn't your father and your mother was mental/unstable/a bit of a slapper, whilst your father gets to have his nice life with one of his mistresses once the dust has settled a bit - and even when proof of some of the manipulation, lies and contempt for your mother comes out, when it did result in her getting rid of people who could have protected her right up to the point of never being in a car with a pissed up driver driving too fast in the first place - your brother uses it as a way to reinforce the 'she was mental' narrative.

As unacceptable as the media is, this just further demonstrates that they didn’t single out Meghan. It’s clear that the media has always behaved atrociously towards the royal family.

Why do people keep saying they’ve been stripped of their titles? They haven’t. They’re still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Oh come off it!

Beatrice and Eugene are not paid to work for the RF and they are very discrete in down playing their royal status in their work lives.
Beatrice and Eugenie's private security is paid for by Andrew, which almost certainly means the Queen, since Andrew doesn't have any money of their own. It might be the Queen's private money and not Crown money but Royal finances are so shrouded in mystery (see the Queen interfering in the passing of UK laws to keep her finances secret, and the revelations in the Paradise Papers).

All the security, cleanup, and public costs for Eugenie's wedding, which includes her £250,000 carriage ride, were paid for by the taxpayer. The taxpayer bill for Eugenie's security was £2 million alone. The costs of the actual wedding (dress, flowers, etc.) were paid for by the BRF but where do you think that money came from in the first place?

Beatrice and Eugenie might be discreet in their work lives (or they may not - how on earth do any of us know?) but you do really think anyone who employs them is unaware that they are princesses? You really think they haven't benefitted from their royal statuses? In the early years of their working careers they were infamous for constantly going on holiday and barely working - do you really think their employers would permit ordinary women without royal connections to go on holiday ten times a year?

Fergie doesn't get any money from the state either and can do as she wishes.
Except that she lives in a Royal Residence.

I'm not sure Andrew receives anything either.
He also lives in a Royal Residence, and there have been numerous newspaper articles over the past year claiming he still receives a royal income. Reporters have written about the fact Andrew's finances are "shrouded in mystery" and that no one knows where his money comes from - considering his past history it's certainly unlikely he's keeping himself in the manner he is accustomed without financial support from the Queen.

When exactly did the British press turn on MM? I seem to remember that her joining the RF and the wedding as a v positive time? I don’t closely follow SM or MSM - so maybe my recollection of that time was wrong?

The bridesmaid fitting fiasco I think was only reported 6 months later - why would it have been sat on? And what would have prompted the leak 6 months later?

Why haven't (the RF) stopped the media reporting Harry's constant moaning about them then? If they really control the UK media then why is this shit show being allowed to carry on?

Perhaps they've calculated that Harry's likely to damage himself far more than he does them? Admittedly it takes a lot given their protection of "blood royals", but we're seeing that even one of those can become an outsider and it's not as if they need him for the succession

Whether they'd welcome any possible return is anyone's guess, but if it happened there'd no doubt be a whole load of spin and PR to accompany it. Worse stiil, some would probably believe it ...

Also what were the claims of MM father and step sister - and did their RS only deteriorate when she started dating PH? Did they use the media to undermine her when she was a high profile actress? Or was this new behaviour from them?

I have it on reasonably good authority that it was Andrew who insisted on Eugenie’s wedding being all fancy pants, carriage ride etc. He wanted her to get the same treatment as the Sussexes got. She seems pretty grounded and down to earth, I’m sure she’d have been happy for something on a much smaller scale.

The Queen offered Meghan the chance to continue with her career after marriage. They didn’t have to be working Royals, they chose the role. I find it bemusing that a woman so very keen on women’s autonomy and having a ‘voice’, would want to be a working Royal in the first place. It was their choice to do so.

Beatrice and Eugenie might be discreet in their work lives (or they may not - how on earth do any of us know?) but you do really think anyone who employs them is unaware that they are princesses? You really think they haven't benefitted from their royal statuses? In the early years of their working careers they were infamous for constantly going on holiday and barely working - do you really think their employers would permit ordinary women without royal connections to go on holiday ten times a year?

Since, as you say, none of us know, their discretion speaks for itself. Working for organisations that might be sufficiently royalist that they’re given special privileges is a very far cry from half in, half out monetarising titles and privileges.

So they choose to allow the press to publish horrible things about them to teach Harry a lesson? Seems unlikely tbh. It's more likely that they just don't have as much control over whats published as some people would like to think.

Can you imagine the palace saying "oh years, let that story about Charles wanting to be Camilla's tampon run in the press, that'll teach him a lesson".... it's farcical tbh.

Reporters have written about the fact Andrew's finances are "shrouded in mystery" and that no one knows where his money comes from

Loathsome as Andrew is, he's hardly alone in that - as anyone who's tried to probe the Duchy of Cornwall has found to their cost

Even his sainted mother wasn't above trying to dip into a fund for the underprivileged to pay for palace heating, so let's not pretend any of them are models of financial straight dealing

Prince Harry clearly has issues and I hope his therapy helps. To maintain his USP he needs to talk about his life as a member of the Royal family. He largely sees his experiences as negative, he is allowed to feel that way. He didn't want to leave the royal family for a quiet, privileged life. He instead wants to make big money and to do that he does trade off his title, they both do. If the monarchy was so awful to him and that time adds to his anxiety why does he need to be introduced as Harry the Duke of Sussex and the sake for Meghan?

is it necessary to keep slating his family? He has said his peace but still can't seem to let it go, what good will that do longterm?

www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/a23723800/princess-beatrice-princess-eugenie-jobs/

"Princess Beatrice still receives monetary assistance from her family, mind you. Prince Andrew "supports both of his daughters financially from his private income," according to his website. The Duke earns a Royal Navy pension, but his expenses get paid by the Queen's private income. The Sovereign Grant — a.k.a. the revenue from the Crown Estate, which includes the royal palaces and other properties — funds his official travel within the United Kingdom."

Both Andrew and Fergie live in a Royal Residence, and both the York girls do (or did) live in royal properties which their father pays only a peppercorn rent for.

Of course Eugene and Beatrice have benefited from being Royal, of course people treat them differently, no one can help that but they don't trade on it.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

Why haven't (the RF) stopped the media reporting Harry's constant moaning about them then? If they really control the UK media then why is this shit show being allowed to carry on?

Perhaps they've calculated that Harry's likely to damage himself far more than he does them? Admittedly it takes a lot given their protection of "blood royals", but we're seeing that even one of those can become an outsider and it's not as if they need him for the succession

Whether they'd welcome any possible return is anyone's guess, but if it happened there'd no doubt be a whole load of spin and PR to accompany it. Worse stiil, some would probably believe it ...

I don’t think the RF can simply stop the media reporting unfavourably on them. If they could, there would never be any negative press, would there? If they print things that are absolute libel and defamation, yes, but they can’t do anything about the rest of it. Free speech and all that.

If you represent the monarchy in any way you are categorically not allowed to be political or promote brands of any kind.

Except for all the times senior royals have been political.

And all the times they've sold their own branded items, or accepted money to promote other brands.

Remember when Meghan was accused of rule-breaking and being political by releasing a PSA asking people to vote? Then it came out the Queen had once given a near-identical speech during a visit to the Welsh Assembly lobbying people to vote?

One rule for Meghan, a different rule for everyone else.

I do not believe for a second that Kate cried. I believe Meghan was completely telling the truth: Kate was upset and hormonal, ended up making a fuss about something, made Meghan cry, and later Kate apologised for her behaviour and accepted that she'd behaved badly and they made up.

That's lovely but carries no more weight than someone else saying they believe that Meghan made Kate cry. We don't know. Kate hasn't said anything either way so we just have one version and Meghan didn't exactly come across as completely reliable in that Oprah interview.

The BRF and especially the Cambridge household (home of infamous past leakers Knauf, Jones and Touabti) are the ones who leak every single thing to the media.

I doubt they leaked that conversations were unproductive to Gayle King. I imagine this is what might worry Charles and William.

So they choose to allow the press to publish horrible things about them to teach Harry a lesson?

Who knows? I certainly don't, which is why I merely said "perhaps"

That said, if they wished to distance Harry from the circles he's moving in, it would be one way of attempting it. Initially he may dig his heels in even further, but I'd have thought Harry - a vulnerable man by his own admission - could only endure the tsunami he's created for so long

@Flashinggreen

I am concerned history is repeating itself. Harry being interviewed and giving away too much. I’ve had episodes of poor mental health and am open with most people about it but I feel he’s putting himself in a vulnerable position and being exploited.

The Royal Family are being their usual poised selves. William’s statement was very good.

Yeah this. They should have just left, stayed private and ignored the rest of the world. By doing this, it's just a rerun of history. They've done themselves no favours, but it's their choice.

Expenses incurred whilst representing the RF. Security they wouldn't need if they weren't royals and homes that would otherwise lie empty and are safer by being inside a royal compound.

None of that is remotely the same as being a senior (working) royal who is making a living from working for the RF.

H&M would have been treated exactly the same had they chosen to stay in the UK and not trade on the fact that they're royal.

@Cinclus

I do not believe for a second that Kate cried. I believe Meghan was completely telling the truth: Kate was upset and hormonal, ended up making a fuss about something, made Meghan cry, and later Kate apologised for her behaviour and accepted that she'd behaved badly and they made up.

That's lovely but carries no more weight than someone else saying they believe that Meghan made Kate cry. We don't know. Kate hasn't said anything either way so we just have one version and Meghan didn't exactly come across as completely reliable in that Oprah interview.

I agree. Unless the poster has some form of insight it’s totally irrelevant what she believes. I’m sure something occured and they had a fall out of some form, but even that’s irrelevant as I wasn’t there.

Both Beatrice and Eugenie are permitted to work and earn money off the back of their royal titles, while also sometimes representing the Queen at official events and having their weddings paid for.

How do they earn money off the back of their royal titles? They both have normal jobs.

The security at Eugenie's wedding was provided by the Met, so paid for by us. Beatrice's wedding was funded privately.

I don’t think the RF can simply stop the media reporting unfavourably on them

Maybe, maybe not - though they can certainly do "trades" and offer up what they want in return for silence elsewhere

As said though, it might suit them for now to chuck Harry to the wolves up to a certain point. In fairness he's making a pretty good job of this all by himself, but from the family's POV him getting the heat means others aren't

That's lovely but carries no more weight than someone else saying they believe that Meghan made Kate cry. We don't know. Kate hasn't said anything either way so we just have one version and Meghan didn't exactly come across as completely reliable in that Oprah interview.

How do we only have 1 version? Until the OW we had 1, now we have 2. We don't know which version is correct however when we had the first 1 it was accepted & no one was lying. Now we have 2 versions, Meghan must be lying because of 'X' or 'Y'.