Don’t mean to stop the flow of linguistic chat (loving it!) but thinking about the entirety of the Harry & Meghan debacle, where are all the advisers? The couple are behaving like entitled rich people with an inflated sense of importance and relevance, which is what they are and what members of the RF have always been (at best, and with very few exceptions). But in the past a lid has been kept on most of the excesses by the men in grey having told them what they can/can’t do in public in order to preserve the reputation of the institution. Where have these people gone? Are they being replaced by these new advisers we hear of, the ex-Conservative Party PR people, the Hollywood agents, the revolving doors of PAs and whatnot? These people’s priority isn’t to the institution of monarchy.
Now that they’ve been out of the papers for a few days, I think about the engagement shot of MM at the time of the announcement (boobs up and out, high heels, hair flowing in the wind, tinkly little shoulder height wave), the $50,000 dress in the b&w engagement photos, the excessively white wedding gowns, the re-setting of the engagement ring, the emptied out seats in a radius around her at Wimbledon, the Givenchy maternity gowns (maternity!!) - it was all aimed at the LA circus. But what works in LA doesn’t work in Scunthorpe. I wonder if Anne or HMQ herself have ever worn Givenchy, let alone maternity wear.
Then looking back in the High St clothes, the re-wears, the efforts at The Hub, the Smartworks effort - it seemed her heart was in it and she found fulfillment in being truer to herself. She enjoyed it all, as did the people around her seemingly, and the efforts were appreciated.
She’s been floundering, doesn’t know what to do and how to do it best. She doesn’t have anyone watching out for her and who can help her navigate all this stuff (no Carol Middleton, for example). Perhaps Doria is wonderful and loving, but it takes more than that. It’s so unintelligent and short sighted to have come out with stuff like not knowing who H was before she met him; complaining about surviving not thriving on a goodwill visit to the impoverished; nobody asking if she’s OK. A semi-decent adviser wouldn’t have allowed any of this because it’s so obviously wrong. Frankly, anyone who had her best interests at heart would have advised against it. If she were my daughter, I’d be gently setting her on the right path, listening to her vent and suggesting that perhaps she work things out behind closed doors.
This isn’t a criticism of Doria, though, because something tells me MM won’t be told. That she thinks she knows best - indeed better, because she’s hustled and she’s made it. She doesn’t appreciate her own limitations, let alone her husband’s.
As for her husband, where to start. I’m sure he’s gung-ho about it all, perhaps with private misgivings which he’s not listening to or trusting. You don’t wrench yourself away from your roots (and his are deeeeeeeep) easily, under any circumstance. There are always consequences.
I just see a couple who’ve been let to do what they think is right. At touching 40, what can anyone do? But they’re acting like teenagers: think they know it all, no idea of the repercussions for them (let alone anyone else) of getting it wrong, won’t be told, totally lacking in circumspection. If they succeed it’ll only be because there are people watching over them in the background, saving them (and the RF) from themselves. But I don’t think it’ll get that far. She has no idea how clipped her wings are by being married to him, and he’s trying to run away not realising he’s still tied to the RF root and branch.
It’ll be a salutary tale. Harry and Meghan Markle. Just like Charles and Diana.