Harry & Meghan - watching and waiting (no.13)

[yolofish]

A new thread in which to discuss what happens next in this saga.

And best wishes to mustress and thanks for her excellent thread titles.

Sorry about that Encyclo. That's awful

I shall say nothing after this: But I know what it's about and I think it's a crying shame and quite disgusting that Mustress felt stressed into leaving the thread.

I will say again there's a button called HIDE THREAD for posters who have a problem with the subject matter that GROWN UP women wish to discuss. Mature adult women don't need to be told they're 'mean girls' or lectured about the morals of the situation.

Through 12 threads there have constant interruptions from people who feel it's their place to police what people talk about on MN. Some of these people just cannot admit to themselves that they are enjoying the threads, instead they wait till comment 987 of thread 6, 9 or 11 to post and air their disapproval, as if anyone has forced them to read through over 10,000 comments.

They've even had posters demanding other posters stop posting banter or side subjects. The cheek from people who are not even regularly posting but lurking to complain they don't like how the thread is progessing and leaving sarcastic personal comments.

All this nonsense makes what would have been an interesting commentary sprinkled with some light hearted banter a stressfest. So I can see why TheMustress is gone. I hope she returns, but can understand why she might not.

I've been on MN more than 10 years. This penchant for jumping on threads and trying to shame posters into shutting up because the subject matter doesn't agree with their personal politics, trying to start an argument with posters using hyperbolic terms like racism, bullying, mysogyny etc to get the thread pulled is putting me off MN.

I'll ask MN to remove this post soon

My demographic info - I'm Australian, think we should be a Republic, think Brexit is a tragedy, have enormous respect for the Queen and think Harry and Meghan have behaved badly.

Encyclo

Guys, I’m stepping away.

I just find that the tone has lost its charm.

I feel that the use of nicknames, and the constant spamming and trolling is unhelpful, and now has had RL implications for one poster.

I thought these threads might be a useful lens to examine relationships with narcissistic tendencies, but I find the posts of some to be increasingly inflammatory and goady on balance.

The fact that these posters have had to claim not to be mean to a person on the thread, or that they didn’t send her hurtful messages, means to me that they know they’ve crossed a line themselves.

Maybe it’s time for everyone to chill out, and take up another, or even a secret, hobby.

Hope everyone is OK?

I’ll see you round.

I agree @CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook. There have also been lots of really interesting contributions on these threads and some lighter moments. Long may they continue.

Happy not to refer to people as SCOLDS, (only ever thought of it as a lighthearted term) but if they could play nicely that would be appreciated too!

So, what do we think is happening with the Sussex Royal trademark?

@Catherineofaragon

You're on a public forum and people can and will disagree with you. Labeling anyone who does so as trolls, or other silly nicknames is, is just another form of trying to silence other opinions. If you want to be able to control exactly who can contribute you need a private Facebook group or something. I've seen lots of horrible comments from the 'anti-Meghan' crowd for want of a better word. It's pretty stressful to have people suggest you should be banned/ ignored without proof, or that you would mock cancer. There have been some horrible posts among the 'light hearted banter' and I wouldn't hesitate to call it out again.

FWIW I am a Remainer, don't love the Royal Family but respect the institution for what it is and for its history, and think that H&M have behaved very badly

The fact that these posters have had to claim not to be mean to a person on the thread, or that they didn’t send her hurtful messages, means to me that they know they’ve crossed a line themselves.

See, this for me seems goady!

I was personally accused of sending a mean message/ post.

1. I let it stand and slink off as guilty, when I'm not.

2. I point out I didn't, and this is used as 'knowing they've crossed a line'.

This thread has been derailed by the people making the accusations, not by people defending them. Like I said, I've seen lots of hurtful stuff on here, and it wasn't targeting the original OP. I wish her the best with her health, but anonymous allegations aren't fair.

They were way too hasty in moving to Canada.
As the poster above said, they should have laid low in Frogmore and then made a decision in 6 months or so.

My demographic information. Irish, 50, can't vote on Brexit but sorry to see the UK go.

Lived in London for 15 years and grew to love the RF. especially HMQ, Diana and her boys.

So sorry @Encyclo. Puts things in perspective somewhat.

In the interests of returning to a happier tone, we are still working our way through the Christmas food I overbought.

Last night I found a stash of Stollen bites in the Christmas cupboard.

This morning I found some sprouts lurking at the back of the fridge.

The fact that these posters have had to claim not to be mean to a person on the thread, or that they didn’t send her hurtful messages, means to me that they know they’ve crossed a line themselves

whoa there @FlickingVees that's some assumption ! Of course it won't be backed up by any examples of lines being crossed ..

@Myimaginarycathasfleas I've been referred to as a scold many times ,the term might have started off in a light hearted way but posters like Mustress urging people not to respond to posts ,congratulating posters for ignoring ,is not light hearted .Plus accusations of trolling ,spamming , bullying .

And where have scolds not "played nice " ?

Has it been pointed out yet that if any of us plebs wished to incorporate the word royal into a trademark in the UK system we would find it more tricky than other standard English words?

General things not likely to cause confusion (like insurance say) would likely be considered ok but souvenirs, charities etc would not be likely to be granted.

If anyone's interested, there's a two part documentary about the Queen Mother on channel 5 on demand. It's a very interesting watch. She was an incredibly charismatic figure and wasn't prepared to give up her place as Queen easily when HMQ acceded to the throne.

HMQ managed that situation very well, so it should be no surprise that she has handled the Sussexes' departure from public life with diplomacy and a light hand.

@peridito I think Mustress wanted to keep on topic and for people not to get diverted into squabbling on the thread. That's my preference too. So please don't be offended if I don't engage with you on these issues and stick to royal talk. It's not personal in any way.

Have lurked on the threads and never posted. In my friendship group, the three most vocal pro-H&M are also indeed very ‘woke.’ I am a Remainer and a Labour voter and I think this is all ridiculous.

I think if their argument is ‘we have been hounded by the press’, then fair enough.
If their argument is ‘the coverage has bordered on being racist’ then I can’t disagree. (I am Asian myself).
If their argument is ‘no one from the Royal Family spoke out about some of the truly horrible stuff like Danny Baker’s tweet’ then okay.
If their argument is ‘Britain is racist and not somewhere I want to bring up a mixed race child’ then I don’t personally agree but to each their own.
HOWEVER, then don’t claim a British Royal title, money from the taxpayer for your security and several million from the Bank of Dad to fund you. It’s the hypocrisy that irritates me.

It irritates me more because Meghan is in a position to begin some fundamentally important conversations about race in modern Britain. But by making it entirely about money (I remember reading the first version of the Sussex Royal website and thinking there is nothing but money in this), they are acting like privileged brats.
You can always be the victim of racism AND be a privileged brat at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive.
But the brattish behaviour then takes away from some of the bigger questions that they could have highlighted.
Imagine a carefully worded statement saying that the media has hounded them, and made racialised remarks and they wish to withdraw from public life because they want a more inclusive upbringing for Archie and then they do that. They give up their titles, do some modest charity work and disappear.
I suspect the reaction would be MUCH more favourable.

The planned pap shots and the targeted IG posts and the really badly written website however has stripped away all their dignity.

Has it been pointed out yet that if any of us plebs wished to incorporate the word royal into a trademark in the UK system we would find it more tricky than other standard English words?

That's true for the word "charity" too, for obvious reasons.

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts. Harry and Meghan have been invaluable to me this past few days.

Out Christmas cheese seems to be neverending! Found another lump of it in the back of the fridge today.

The Queen Mother was a piece of work by all accounts. I'm sure HMQ uttered the words "Mummy must be indulged" with regards to her living situation after her husband died.

De-lurking to wish @TheMustressMhor good luck today, and peace and love to all. These threads are epic!

@JulietJanuary I only realised the issues about trademarking anything with Royal in it this morning. To me it seems archaic, but then I think most of the institution is!

I still think the Queen could let them have it, as a way of helping Harry become independent from an institution he had no choice over joining. Cheaper in the long run for us if it helps them need less money!

Maybe, the random Australian doctor objecting, is working for the true heirs to the throne, The Abney-Hastings (featured in the documentary, Britain's Real Monarch). The current Earl of Loudan's father was born in Sussex, so maybe they want the name for a rival firm?!
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Abney-Hastings,_14th_Earl_of_Loudoun

Lots of love to Mustress and Encyclo.
Next spot of H and M will be one of them popping to the supermarket or some such I think...normal now innit?

I'm sure HMQ uttered the words "Mummy must be indulged" with regards to her living situation after her husband died.

She was very peeved at being expected to move from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House.

I wonder how much say the royals have in where they live? It seems they don't get to choose for themselves. It must be hard to really feel at home anywhere if you could be moved on at any time.

no offence @Myimaginarycathasfleas. By the same token I hope you won't be offended if I feel the need and respond to remarks about scolds .

My demographic profile: in my sixties, strong Remainer, was very happy for H&M to start with, now feel they have treated the Queen abysmally, and they could have tried a lot longer to make a go of things in the UK. As a married couple they’ve not even been here for two years!

I may be wrong now, but I read many years agi that the only word you couldn't copyright here was Crown.. The guy who founded Crown paints got an exception to the rule because his surname was Crown!

Just chucking a random 'fact' in....