To think Kate and William saw Harry and Meghan as a real threat to their image?

[BluntPinkNewt]

From the moment Harry and Meghan got together, the media attention was huge. Meghan was glamorous, charismatic, and had a strong public presence - something the royal family hadn’t seen before from an outsider. For a while, it felt like they were the most exciting and modern part of the monarchy.

Kate and William have always been the “stable” and “traditional” royals but suddenly, Harry and Meghan were drawing attention in a way that might have made them seem more relatable and interesting in comparison. The shift in public perception (and maybe even palace dynamics) must have been unsettling.

Obviously things have played out the way they have but AIBU to think that, at least at the time, William and Kate felt genuinely threatened by how much attention and influence Harry and Meghan were gaining?

What established career? She was the last on the call sheet on Suits (some episodes she had five minutes of screentime, and that series was a glorified soap at best) and was being written out the show because her love interest wanted to leave. She is a mediocre actress at best and was getting too old for the hot chick roles. The day she met Harry she won the lottery.

I am not going to go into the activism part because is laughable.

I don’t think either are glamourous. Kate always looks very well turned out but that’s not the same as being glamourous. Meghan doesn’t have the pizzazz to be called glamorous either. Princess Margaret, although a bit of a snooty one, was glamourous.

To me there are three things that have happened to the H&M supporters:

When they first left the RF H&M jumped on an anti RF bandwagon. And it brought them money and fame. But quickly realised it was double edged and have now spent some time distancing themselves from version 2020-2021. No more mention of Archie’s skin colour or why he didn’t have a title (which a Google search could have answered). Harry then said, ah they are not racist. Just a bit of unconscious bias (over the Lady Hussey incident which even Buck Palace thought was egregious). Now the recent BBC interview by Harry etc. This is a very very different narrative to one they started out with.

So the Sussex Squad are a bit stuck. They reserve their ire for W&K but are a bit careful about the RF because it is clear that H&M do want a piece of the pie.

When H&M left their supporters said, just you wait. It’s a matter of time till they do great things. They got a Netflix contract. A Spotify one. A book deal. An Oprah interview. And one by one all of it has basically fizzled out. With no ‘help’ from the RF at all. All of their own doing. So now we are left with: ‘they are living their best life’ rhetoric rather than H&M are going to be global superstars who will eclipse the RF.

The Sussex Squad also spent a LOT of time talking about poor Meghan and the media. And then totally lost their moral high ground over Kate M’s illness. (If we accept for a second they did have the high ground up to that point). From allegations of domestic abuse to body doubles, eating disorder, there was all of it.

The Firm has always cared about public perception

Considering how unpopular Harry and Meghan are on both sides of the pond, the Firm have had a lucky escape. William and Catherine are consistently the most popular royals.

Don’t be ridiculous. Harry and MeeeAgain Meghan are self centred, nasty and spiteful. There is nothing glamorous or charismatic about MeeeAgain Meghan. They are no threat to Kate and William’s image. None whatsoever!

Absolutely true!

Didn't you think that Diana had got something about her in her first appearances - I mean as they appeared on the tv and newspapers? To say no-one had come along that was different before as an outsider I find odd - when it was only the generation before that had this very thing happen. Whatever we all thought about Diana she brought a difference to the family

I will add there was a lot of talk before news from within that Meghan was a poddle princess, a difficult character thats wasn't popular - a bit like Princess Margaret

I visited madame tussauds in London last week mayor or London and harry and megan were only ones who didn't have people queuing up for photoes

A bit of a sad image.

She was always quite far down the line though, as I think the rules for female succession only got changed after Charlotte was born.

I suppose you could argue the same thing about Margeret being nowhere near the throne but at the time of their growing up, she was Elizabeth's only spare.

If I could see from the engagement interview that Meghan was trouble (the family she never had) then I’m sure the RF could see.

If you fall out with both sides of your family then maybe the problem is you.

This. One family member at your wedding, and a load of celebs you’ve never met is the biggest red flag. And now he’s done the same with his family.

They’re really irrelevant now though. Nothing has an impact now

Well the Royal family do like to allow talks from within, drip into media, especially if they need a wee distraction, stop the media focusing on sweet Andrew, the Royal perverted Prince.

Poor bloody Margaret had a wee break from the family scapegoat, while Meghan was the target.

No. From her mother's accession in 1952 until the birth of Andrew, she was the Spare. Second in line.

It was clearly the other way around

Princess Margaret who died in 2002? Shows what you know about the Royals!

It's true anyone with eyes can see that Catherine's perfect composure and effortless elegance compared to the twerking embarrassment of a ballgown clad wannabe sitting in the third row of a Jamaican cinema can't compare

Hahaha, you have me there. 😅
Replace Margaret with Anne and the rest stands.

It's true anyone with eyes can see that Catherine's perfect composure and effortless elegance compared to the twerking embarrassment of a ballgown clad wannabe sitting in the third row of a Jamaican cinema can't compare

There is something seriously wrong with you. I hope you find some happiness & peace.

I don't think William and Kate necessarily saw them as a threat, but Queen Elizabeth might have, as well as Charles. I think William and Kate might have had the role of flying monkeys. But who is to say? They will never tell. 🤐

That whole family sounds toxic AF.

Goodness me, why do you care so much where they sat in a cinema or what they did in their labour room?

They can do what they want. You can avoid them

From what we see, it's hard to imagine a more ideal queen-in-waiting than Catherine. She is discreet, prepared to tow the line, devoted to her husband and children, interested in the topical but non-controversial, and can wear pretty much anything. While I agree that she and William are not hard workers, I can also see that focusing on their children is their way of trying to future-proof the monarchy against the spare syndrome that has threatened the monarchy for generations.

Just out of interest, when do you think they should step up? Especially as W's dad is shouldering most of it. Along with his 75yo sister. And 78yo wife. Why can't they pull all the stops out when the children are at school, why can't they 'focus' then?

Someone on mumsnet once said they wouldn't expect William and kate to do much until Louis was 18 !

Not really, Anne’s had national treasure status for quite a while now hasn’t she?