To be surprised that I see Harry’s point about the security

[Figmentofmyimagination]

Not usually a royal watcher but I watched this as it was on the bbc and I was surprised to feel sympathetic towards his main argument. It’s somewhat crazy that even Liz Truss gets life long security at the expense of the taxpayer, and he was born into this position rather than choosing it, and private security is no substitute if they don’t have arms or access to intelligence. He’s also right that the wider fallout if eg one of his children were to be kidnapped would be something to be seen.

Surely there must be a deal to be struck where he gets high level security provided by the state but contributes to the cost through the tax system. I’m not surprised he’s upset about it and although he was never going to win his case because of the nature of the particular decision making regime, he has put the issue in the public eye in a more effective way than he usually achieves!

Sure - charging the NHS etc is one aspect of the ripoff. Nothing stopping the Windsors from refunding the uk citizens the money they’ve taken from the NHS charities etc . But they haven’t . Just blanked the whole scandal .

Their abuse of their privilege is wider than that-eg taking from the dead , renting out illegally poorly insulated properties
But those issues are for another thread

Windsors are ripping us off and acting like a mafia

The royals control the narrative - what gets put in the media is controlled by them. I really don't understand how people can't see it. Harry and Meghan were loved and more popular than Will and Kate then the media changed. That poor woman was hounded and harrassed

Don’t think that’s true, they have forged a relationship with & garnered themselves a little influence, a little quid pro quo with the press. The way it works is they allow the press access for certain photoshoots, events, exclusives etc. In return for example, they may nicely ask the editor not to print those topless photos of Kate sunbathing etc. They don’t have same influence over foreign press.

Kate Middleton was hounded by press too in her earlier days , the tabloids are like that. They would have eased off if Meghan had stayed in the role and she’d have been celebrated.

Sorry what money did Windsor’s take from nhs charities? I don’t think that’s true…
And It’s the government who take from the dead ( inheritance tax) and allow landlords to get away with poorly insulated rentals etc.
They’re nothing like a mafia.

@JorgyPorgy

You ‘don’t think it’s true’?
Based on what exactly?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4l1lzv2nro.amp

It is true and I’m afraid you are very ill informed . I started a thread on this very topic in AIBU in January.
Channel 4 and the times newspaper journalists investigated for over a year to produce their report . If you go to channel 4 you’ll find the Dispatches programme . It is shocking . But not surprising.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-king-the-prince-their-secret-millions

@JorgyPorgy

Again I’m afraid you are wrong in your belief that the royals don’t claim the assets of the dead . They take the assets of anyone intestate in certain areas. It does not go to the government as it should . Charles said it went to charity but that was revealed to be untrue .

That was another scandal last year .The queen took the assets too of course. Previous royals even took the assets of intestate soldiers who died fighting in wars ‘for king and country’

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/23/revealed-king-charles-secretly-profiting-from-the-assets-of-dead-citizens

So if he turned over the land to the government just how much do you think they would charge to use it? The NHS regularly overcharge there own staff to park in their car parks when there is no local alternative to park in

He left the U.K. to go on a permanent holiday in the US
he lives a life of lavish wealth and excessive consumption.
he wants police budgets to cover 24/7 personal protection on the off chance he pops over to the U.K. while the police are having to cut things like specialist teams dealing with sexual assaults. When British citizens who live and work here can’t get housing or hospital appointments or a police officer to attend after a burglary, he can’t even observe some sensible constraints on security such as giving the police 28days notice. It was a very fair offer but he wants more because he is so extremely special and thinks the country owes him. He would have some sympathy from me if he was living a modest, purposeful life and genuinely wanted to come back to serve the U.K. but it’s all just wanting to live like a billionaire, swanning in and out on someone else’s dime. At least Liz truss keeps a relatively low profile and does actually live here.

So the windsors aren’t “taking” , they are renting out their property to guys st Thomas’ for ambulance storage at fair market value

You seem to be very keen to tell everyone who disagrees with you all ill informed when it’s you that seems ill informed

@Munnygirl
Are you taking issue with the Times and channel 4 journalists who researched this issue ? I have simply linked the facts .
I have noticed that keen royalists don’t like facts but you’d do well to learn as you can’t defend the Windsors if you don’t .

@JorgyPorgy

A fair rent is not the issue . The point was our head of state and head of the Church of England , despite taking in half a billion annually from taxpayers, was further taking from the NHS and charities etc .
William preaches about homelessness yet was renting out houses of such low standard that they were illegal
Remember the Windsors don’t pay all their tax ( if any) they are above the law so they ought to be exemplary in their behaviour
If you think a market rent of millions is fine for Charles to charge the NHS are you also happy for William to charge the RNIB to launch their boat on a rescue mission?
For William to charge the people milllions in rent for the empty Dartmoor prison ?
I assume you have not seen the programme

There is no defence for the greed of the Windsors .
Now we know about their abuses, have they offered to repay what they’ve taken? They have amassed enough wealth surely ? Where is their ‘duty’ ?

I remember watching a joint presentation with William, Kate, Harry and Meghan for Heads Together. I thought at the time how articulate and professional Meghan was, and what a contrast with Kate. Also the fantastic cookbook she did for the Grenfell Tower women, and being seen cooking with them. So impressive on every level. Oh no, we can't have Meghan and Harry more active and popular than the heir and his wife - it was always not going to end well. I have yet to see any outcome from Kate's work - and please don't anyone say 'Early Years' - nothing tangible or measurable to report.

The media have been an absolute disgrace regarding Harry and Meghan, aided and abetted by sources for the UK royals - stoking hatred. I thought it funny how the BBC have had to put out an apology over the Radio Four interview when someone agreed with Harry's point of view. This kind of proves the point about the connection between the royals and media.

Harry and Meghan should absolutely get security when they're here. Not that I think Meghan will ever visit now, and I don't blame her.

See there you go again thinking that your opinion is the only opinion. What’s slightly odd is that you dislike the RF , which is absolutely your prerogative but you adore Harry who also came from that same stable. Bizarre

To blame the media for their downfall is ridiculous. It’s what’s come out of their mouths that has done the most damage. The days of blaming the “toxic British media” are long gone. It’s media worldwide that is now reporting about them and they have brought this all upon themselves. And if you read the report they would get protection whilst in the UK, they just have to give notice so a risk assessment can be carried out. It really isn’t that difficult to understand

M&H lost their popularity through their actions not the press. The problem is they won’t take the blame in anyway.

@DaphneduM

Harry and Meghan should absolutely get security when they're here

Which of course is what they would get, at UK tax payers expense, under the current/existing arrangement.

I remember watching a joint presentation with William, Kate, Harry and Meghan for Heads Together. I thought at the time how articulate and professional Meghan was, and what a contrast with Kate. Also the fantastic cookbook she did for the Grenfell Tower women, and being seen cooking with them. So impressive on every level. Oh no, we can't have Meghan and Harry more active and popular than the heir and his wife - it was always not going to end well. I have yet to see any outcome from Kate's work - and please don't anyone say 'Early Years' - nothing tangible or measurable to report.

The easy answer to that is just simple bias, but I am assuming you won’t consider that. To take the example you mentioned of Meghan’s cookbook for the Grenfall Tower women. Kate also worked with one of the charities she is a patron of, The National Portrait Gallery, to produce an exhibition of daily life for people in the UK during the Covid lockdown. It became a travelling exhibition, and a book with an introduction written by Catherine. Proceeds of the book’s sale (it was a bestseller) went to both the NPG and the Mind charity. Catherine also spoke with some of the people whose photographs were shown in the book.

There are plenty more examples if you were willing to look.

https://www.npg.org.uk/hold-still/

@Serenster
The previous poster was also referring to the fact that Meghan’s off the cuff remarks on stage were articulate and informed . I have seen that line up H M W and K on stage and the difference was stark. Kate is not a fluent or informed public speaker and 14 years of being on the gravy train has not improved matters unfortunately.
Not everyone is blessed with good public speaking skills but if Kate had done something close to an average work load her inadequacies re speeches would have been overlooked . Excluding her year of illness , Kate has had a woeful ‘work’ record ( no royals does much work ) , William is little better
Both lazy and uninterested in their role .
Can we get a refund of the half a billion ? We could do with it .

Again this is your opinion only

No their ‘work ‘ is publicly available

He will have to give notice to travel. It can't be that hard surely, as presumably it will be school holidays as he wants his dc to meet their gf?

Cheaper flights too, unless he is splashing out on private jets and whatnot. Does he normally come to the UK at a moments notice? To to what? Just ridiculous.

He and his wife wanted to be non royals and live outside the firm. This means he forfeits many things. And gains others. Not quite sure what he has gained and what's so amazing about his life now. He seems bloody miserable to me.

No that’s your opinion

The previous poster was also referring to the fact that Meghan’s off the cuff remarks on stage were articulate and informed .

Having seen and heard Meghan speak in public on a number of occasions, I agree she comes across as articulate - she a confident public speaker with a nice pace and an engaging tone.

What she actually says is a different matter. Regrettably, I find the repetitive intentionality of her purpose-driven speeches to be less impactful in terms of establishing her certainty that representation matters and her authentic, compassionate connection to community than she thinks is the universal experience, and so doubt her self-expressed belief that she is a cultural catalyst for positive change.

Beware the halo effect, basically. Just because someone is good looking and sounds confident does not mean they are worth listening to, or are doing good.

Commonly known as word salad

He does have full security when he’s in the U.K.! He wants security 24/7, wherever he is in the world! He left his public service job, thus his perks.