Thread 18?

[Froq]

I go away for the weekend and thread 17 disappears

March isn’t too far away now. Will we see their return for the commonwealth service?

Have they found a new home yet?

Will they make an appearance at Beatrice’s wedding?

don't frighten the horses there's a good chap.

Brilliant Yolo I think that ought to be trademarked. It's right up there with Keep Calm and Carry On.

Do it quickly before someone from Sussex HQ grabs onto it, they need all the merch they can get

If they want to flog tea towels, that's fine, but a) not ones with 'royal' on for the reasons already given, and b) how is that life substantially different from the one they'd have had as senior royals anyway? It just seems a bit of a waste to me to declare you want out, but then effectively do the things you could have done anyway, except that you're now having to put effort into watching the profit margins on the tea towels. I don't honestly see how it's better.

Difference is freedom to spend the money as one pleases I think

I don't honestly see how it's better

No one tells you what to do? Or more importantly what you can't do.

Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom does outrank a non-royal duke and duchess.

Does it?!

But they're not Royal Prince and Princess. I'm confused. I thought Duke & Duchess always outranked?

I thought they wanted out as the press hounded them out? Clearly not as they've not retired from public life and are more exposed to bad press and being hounded than ever. It does make you think the press wasn't such an issue as made out.

It was never about the press imo. It was about the negative press. Positive press that they could control they wouldn’t have minded imo. But it’s not really going that way.

Anyway I hope they do end up happier as what the hell was upsetting the Apple cart for if not?

In the UK, a prince or princess outranks a non-royal duke. So for example, Prince Michael of Kent outranks the Duke of Norfolk (the premier non-royal duke).

Exactly Tiara. If the press was so bad wouldn't you want to disappear rather than putting themselves out there like they are.

Yeah, I'd have stayed within the fold, it would have been far easier and I'm sure allowances could have been made for stuff they didnt want to do.

I really dont think they can come back to the RF now, I would be so embarassed to have to make small talk with any of them knowing that they'd read what my friends had been saying, knowing they thought I'd just had a hissy fit and thrown my toys out of the pram.

I don't think they can come back. M wouldn't want to. H might in future but that would be tough for the public to accept.

I think if they don’t make it big they’ll eventually settle for a low profile life in the US, which will do them good.

M doesnt want low profile though, she wants to change the world! If only they'd gone to Africa, H would have been happy at least. But then M wouldn't... I think they are both between a rock and a hard place. And they've only been together for what 3 years? They have put an awful lot of pressure on themselves.

Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom does outrank a non-royal duke and duchess.

No, Prince & Princess is a job title; Kate had it down as her occupation on her children’s birth certificates. As does Meghan.

But they're not Royal Prince and Princess. I'm confused. I thought Duke & Duchess always outranked?
They are hrh, but are not allowed to use that “honorific” now as they are not working members.

Royal Duke outranks a mere prince.
HRH the Duke of Kent, is the older brother and therefore outranks his younger brother HRH Prince Michael of Kent.

Non Royal dukes are nobility; so their title is His Grace; the Duke of X.

Prince and Princess is not a job title; it's a rank. It's put on birth certificates because "Ribbon Cutter" doesn't quite cover it all. The Queen Mother's birth certificate has her father's occupation listed as "peer's eldest son." That's not a job either.

Royal Duke outranks a mere prince. True, but we were discussing the rank of a non-royal duke relative to a prince.

In H&M's target market though, the US, prince and princess would work fine, if not better than duke and duchess. Not being able to use HRH is not a big deal.

I think they will start doing separate projects, and Meghan will build her own brand.
There’s plenty of Sussex Squad who will buy into the Meghan Markle lifestyle.
The problem is Harry and Meghan are such different people; it is difficult to find a brand which fits them both.

For Meghan, I would associate:
Yoga, Hollywood, wokeness, vegan, fashion, beauty, travel

For Harry:
Africa, Military, Polo, Royal,

Unlike the Cambridge brand, where they have their seperate speheres of interest, eg William: football and conservation; Kate: early years
But they are both into mental health, family, supporting the Queen.

Meghan and Harry are at that stage I their relationship (2 1/2 years after actually living in the same country. Long distance does not count) That they will see each other for who they are, not the first theee years of Limerence and lust.

They need to find at least 2 million a year just to replace the money Prince Charles is funding them by. This is up for review in January next year. They don’t even have a home of their own; as they can never return to Frogmore. ( what a waste)
How long will the mysterious benefactor in Canada fund his squatters for?

Meghan is capable of making money, but not Harry. She will resent having to fund him. He was supposed to be her meal ticket.

@FramboiseRoyale

Actually occupation is the term; not job title.
Helicopter pilot and housewife are their actual jobs

Oh, he'll always be her meal ticket, even after divorce.

My guess is they always intended on eventually splitting their time between the UK and North America. I think it was their medium-term/long-term game plan and to go under good terms, no real drama, with the consent of HMQ. I doubt the press was always their intended get-out, that’s just the way it worked out.

I think they’ve always wanted media attention, it they want to control the narrative. Which having your own Instagram or website is a way to do. It’s the modern way. They want public adoration and interest.

That does not mean that MM didn’t get unfair and implicitly racist press treatment at times, she certainly did, at least in the beginning.

What will H&M do now (assuming the intimate scented candle market is already saturated)?

I can see that being the subject of the next RF meeting.

Re the blind posted earlier, if they do turn this into a legal battle they will have zero credibility by the end of it.

I think they’ll remain silent for now until one of H’s £775,000 speeches where he’ll explain how devastated he is to be treated in such a way.

Speaking of silence, has anyone else noticed the regular trickle of stories on how happy they both are?

E.g.

Prince Harry ‘much happier and more relaxed in Canada’ and has ‘no regrets’ about quitting Royal Family

Meghan Markle is ‘much less stressed’ after quitting royal life & enjoys yoga, long walks and cooking with Harry

And the latest today:

Meghan Markle's 'Californian health habits' are rubbing off on Prince Harry who is 'really taking to the West Coast lifestyle', source tells ET

Call me cynical but past sleb stories like this are usually followed by an announcement of quitting/separating etc. Or in this case perhaps returning to the RF with tails between their legs?

I’m not sure Harry has always sought media attention; he got it automatically, basically from birth.
But the attention he got, yes, he wanted to control the narrative.

For Meghan, media is her oxygen and her payday. Unfortunately she only wants nice things written about her, and therein lies the double edged sword

They created drama though, Dandy. The announcing on their website of what they were going to do without getting the go-ahead for example. The announcement should have come from the RF with the details ironed out. They created a hoohah, but maybe that was M's intention for the publicity. It looked disrespectful to the British public and I suppose a lot of Americans and Canadians although it doesn't seem to have prevented companies like JP Morgan from collaborating,

Oh I agree they created drama annie, I think you list understood me. What I was saying is that imo, their intention pre-marriage, so long before any good-gag, was to eventually be transatlantic whilst remaining senior royals.

‘Good-gag’? I gave no idea what I even intended on writing there.