It's amazing what people will do when offered a huge amount of money.

[TodayIsFridayHooray]

Okaaaaay then. So in episode 3, Harry says

"It's amazing what people will do when offered a huge amount of money to sell photos and a story". This was in reference to Thomas Markle agreeing to have photos taken of himself by the papers, looking excited about and preparing for the wedding, for which he was paid.

AIBU to wonder what Thomas Markle did wrong? I thought he looked nice in the photos? The money was probably helpful for him given we are not all multimillionaires. Not sure what he did wrong? What was so bad?

Also, how is what Thomas Markle did worse than what H&M are doing by selling their life story, videos and pictures to every media outlet going for considerably more money than Thomas Markle got? Plus, H&M are managing to put down their entire family, and the UK, in the process.

Harry, when you said "It's amazing what people will do when offered a huge amount of money to sell photos and a story", did you forget that you said this while accepting $100,000 for selling your photo, and your story to netflix? And also selling family photos and stories about your family and country without their consent, for a netflix deal?

And by “reconciliation” they have made comments that there is still a chance of that if they get an apology and the royal family come crawling to them. Actually very similar to her father who made a comment implying all would be forgiven if she contacted him. Just as Mr Markle can’t see that he is in any way wrong, (I don’t think he was originally, but he should have stayed away from any press interviews later on), H and M can’t see that they are in any way to blame for the rift with his family. Quite unreal that they can’t see the similarity to their behaviour and her fathers.

The accusations that Thomas Markle faked his heart attack were allegedly started by Meg’s friend from a quick google. He later produced a hospital receipt and it was verified in the US media that he did fact have a procedure. What kind of person would let her friend go to the press with an allegation like that about her own father who up until she met Harry she waxed lyrical about!

I read that the photos were an attempt to smarten up his image as the press had descended on this elderly retired man’s home and papped him looking pretty run down. He wanted to project a better image as the father of a royal bride quite reasonably. Why shouldn’t he have got paid for it, whoever printed them would have got paid for it? It didn’t take anything away from his daughter. I doubt Meg ever posed for pics for free. I found the backlash around this boggling. He was completely demonised for nothing basically.

What I find more sinister was who set him up and why?

Remember that he was a respected, award winning lighting director in Hollywood. There’s nothing murky come out on him. Nothing about his being abusive, in fact he still friendly with Megs mum after their divorce and took her flowers. It’s never been explained why Meg reportedly lived with Thomas through her teenage years rather than with her mom.

Its also been reported that Meg cut him off not the other way round. Harry reportedly was rude to him on the phone while he was lying in hospital after the operation so Thomas hung up on him and they never spoke to him again. From googling Meg’s friends leaked her private letter to the press. He then challenged it quite rightly. His interviews after she cut him off were obviously to try to get a reaction from her in the face of a wall of silence. I’ve been in similar situation (not from my child) and the silence is deafening. Being cut off by your own child because your face didn’t fit must feel horrendous and I’m not surprised he was mad with rage and grief. She could have tried to reconcile after his stroke but it doesn’t seem that she did.

I know who I think is the despicable one and it’s not him.

But she did do it.

And earned 100million for her trouble.

I don’t know how anyone can defend Thomas Markle . What he has done to his own daughter is indefensible.
It is obvious that she tried to help her father. She loves her father and was particularly close to him. She funded his lifestyle in Mexico
Unfortunately he allowed himself to be manipulated by the press into taking those staged photos for cash. When his daughter questioned him about this he denied it.
Despite this, Harry and Meghan sought help for him and even offered to get him out of Mexico. He refused and stop taking her calls and responding to her text.
She then found out that he had a heart attack and begged him to contact her because she was concerned about his health. He sent a nasty text back which wasn’t his usual style of writing and in which he didn’t use the name he usually called her.
She found out that he was not attending the wedding through TMZ.
After the wedding she still tried to mend bridges with her father. To add insult to injury he continued to liaise with the gutter press and sold stories about his daughter. At this point she realised that things weren’t going to get better and rightfully cut him off. This is what MN posters advise people to do with family who behave in the way TM has.

I do have a little sympathy for him, because I believe that he loves his daughter but doesn’t love himself. I think that he is ashamed of his lifestyle and didn’t want to attend that wedding. Rather than talk to his daughter about his misgivings , he allowed himself to be manipulated by the gutter press and the odious Samantha Markle( who criticised Meghan for not being there for their father despite not having a close relationship with her own kids).
It is not up to Harry and Meghan to make amends. It is up to Thomas Markle to find some way of regaining the trust of his daughter

Some posters have allowed their irrational hatred of MM to cloud their judgement. Sad

I don't think we'll ever know went on I certainly believe the Royal is institually racist and she was treated accordingly.

However I also think that those who have different POV aren't going to be sawyed

The obseissive vitriol aimed at people you do not know is really confusing.

I'd agree with this if he was just doing a Peter Philips and saying "I'm Prince Harry of the royal family and every morning in my castle I drink a big glass of x brand milk for breakfast. Spiffing." I'd think it was a bit class-less but ultimately it doesn't harm anyone but himself. He's going a bit further than that though!

It's hardly vitriolic to point out that someone is being a bit hypocritical!

Well she can then that if she wants, she can mock if she wants. But yet they do that, whilst clinging on to their own titles and moaning about their children not being titled. Hypocrites.

She has:/had her father’s nose. So she certainly wasn’t erasing her blackness. She would have been erasing her Markleness..
Many celebrities get nose jobs and you can’t accuse the white celebrities of erasing their blackness, can you?
I also see no evidence of her bleaching her skin. In fact, I think she uses a little too much bronzer at times.
Being ambiguous may have helped her to an extent. However, she is a biracial woman with a black mother and has always been proud of this.
Furthermore, Harry may have gone for her if she was an unambiguous black women, but he may not have been allowed to marry her.
That is another thing .Some racists want Harry to walk away from his marriage . If he and Meghan were to divorce he may end up with an unambiguous black woman . Then the racist will really have something to be angry about

I don’t think they slagged off anyone. The courtesy was her mocking herself and her misunderstanding of how to do it. It seems like people are absolutely determined to take everything they do or say as a ‘jibe’ or insult but as far as I can see, it’s nothing of the sort.

But she did do it.
And earned 100million for her trouble.

eh? i know my post was rambling but I'm lost. Or do you mean she married into the family so she could make money of it? meh. Good for her. Catherine, IIRC, deferred just the right university for just the right amount of time and angled herself a prince. Good work. Good for her.

I'm intrigued about "clinging onto their titles" do we have evidence for this? I mean, it's kind of tied to "their brand" and probably worth the money that they have/want to earn. It's fine.

ok, so I'm wrong & they aren't slagging anyone off. They are perfectly complimentary.

They are still promoting their own history, focusing on it, selling their personal story for money. Repeatedly. They aren't out doing regular jobs for money. Most people don't make money by selling their own story. Even aristocrats and indeed most Slebs can earn a crust without telling stories about their relationships with others. I just wonder when H&M will find away to earn money that isn't from talking about themselves & other people.

Royal Kardashians?

Honestly. I mean this gently but if literally everyone thinks one thing and you think another, then I would consider the fact you could be wrong.

there is no doubt they are making digs and accusations at many people. As much as that curtsy was mocking her own aapparent lack of knowledge on how to curtsy , she was also clearly mocking the tradition. We also all know she didn’t curtsy like that.

there is a lot of nuance in what she says though so I understand why you could be confused.

This. And the look on Harry’s face said it all.

I just don't see how they can be ok with their titles (actively use them, in fact) but so vehemently against the institution that bestowed those titles on them. It's like Jeremy Corbyn accepting a knighthood and calling himself Sir Jeremy whilst saying that we should be a republic!

He's so thick bless him. He just won't see the irony.

Yes, they tried contacting him when it all came out and when he was in hospital but he ignored their messages.

If you don’t like them ignore them.
The more publicity they get, the more people talk about them, the more money they make.
If everyone just said “Whatever!” They would fade into well deserved obscurity!

Having said that, I MUST remark that I doubt that Meghan’s race heritage was the main beef that the royal family had with her.

I'm intrigued about "clinging onto their titles" do we have evidence for this? I mean, it's kind of tied to "their brand" and probably worth the money that they have/want to earn. It's fine.

Brefugee considering your strong opposition to ‘highness’ & ‘majesty’ etc how can you possibly think inherited titles are ‘fine’?

But he would not do that in a million years. I may not agree with him, but I respect that he is a man of principle. H and M have none. People only listen to them and pay them attention because of their titles.

I was discussing this with someone whose home is so cold I couldn't bring myself to take my coat off. The outcome of the discussion was we would like to have a few of their problems. I'm pretty sure they are all warm and have access to really good healthcare. They are not worried about the price of Lurpak! Not a luxury most of us have got right now.

Well said.

I'm interested to hear this too!