Harry and Meghan what they’ll do next

[PelicanPie]

Let’s strive to keep on topic and not engage with posts designed to disrupt.

Agree that they seem utterly unable to understand that if they don't do the job, they don't get the perks. @Packingsoapandwater you sum it up perfectly.

At the end of the day, the RF exist because the public want them to. They are, bluntly, expendable. We could become a Republic.

The Taxpayer can't be expected to pay for their security; Prince Charles and the Queen should cover the costs - they are, astonishingly rich.

They need to stop this 'push me pull me' game over being Royal. If they don't like the deal, walk away from the deal, but they don't get to redefine the role to make as much money from being Royal as possible, and demand that taxpayers pay for it.

The greed and selfishness is staggering.

I still can't understand why it's been so poorly executed, and why there are still so many unanswered questions It’s been poorly executed because it’s being driven by M who hasn’t fully grasped what it means to be Royal. Her ‘treatment’ by the tabloids was entirely foreseeable to anyone who knows anything at all about the British Royal Family (see Fergie and even Diana before she was elevated to sainthood after her death). It’s very likely the reason why the other women H asked to marry him turned him down - they knew what they would be getting themselves into. It only became apparent to M once she had tied the knot and the initial press adulation had died away - there is the telling quote from H when M says she didn’t realise it would be this hard and he says I did try to tell you. She now thinks she and H can just walk away (while still maintaining all the prestige and security) - I imagine the reality of the situation must now gradually be dawning on her. I still think she doesn’t really get it - she can’t understand how a grown man can be so in thrall to his family (she needs to talk to the D of E). H is still desperately trying to ensure that what Meghan wants Meghan gets because he really loves her, but it’s a hopeless situation. I agree that year’s trial is in the hope that she will see how impossible it is.

@LillianGish - That's a good point. She's like a fish out of water, flapping on the dock trying to figure out what to do.

Who did Harry propose to???

If the story about booking the entire train carriage is true (and no-one is denying it) then Harry clearly doesn't 'get it' either. Who paid for the unused seats? His father? The taxpayer? Or was the train company just expected to take the hit? Same as who paid for all those unused seats around Meghan at Wimbledon?

He's either appallingly tone deaf to public opinion or is deliberately giving us all - and especially his family - the middle finger. Sadly, I suspect the latter.

mrscampbellblackagain

So with the continued emphasis on Harry still being in the line of succession, are they basically saying they would come back if the top job became available? So suddenly then they would be able to deal with the press and scrutiny etc

That does seem a good point and I hadn't thought of.

Obviously, they must know that, in reality, there's zero chance of king Henry IX so there's really no point in mentioning it except for kudos.

But yes, if the unthinkable happened, how on earth would they cope with having to fulfil royal duties?

I know princess Margaret would have had to give up the throne if she'd married Peter Townsend; made me wonder if there's any way/precedent for those in the line of succession to abdicate* that responsibility.

*If that's the right word here.

Well maybe "propose" is putting it too strongly, but Chelsy Davy his first great love and Cressida Bonas his other serious relationship both found the media scrutiny hard to hack. I understand that William urged Harry not to rush into things with M so she could see what she was getting herself into, I think H probably ignored this advice because he knew what the result would be if he did.

Re. Peter Phillips:

The Telegraph explained: “Under the Act, Mr Phillips will be required to renounce his right to the throne […] or Miss Kelly will have to formally give up her membership of the Church.” The 1701 Act of Settlement prevented monarchs and their heirs from marrying Catholics, or converting themselves. At the time, Peter was 10th-in-line to the throne but he has since slipped to 15th.

Princess Margaret would have had to renounce her (and her children's) right to succession too if she had married PeterTownsend.

I will never understand why the Royal family pushed Meghan into the frontline so quickly. Catherine spent quite a bit of time in Anglesey and slowly started doing more royal duties (accusations at the time that she was lazy). I really believe that if Meghan and Harry had had time to be a married couple for the first 18 months instead of “hitting the ground running” they wouldn’t be in this mess. After all precedent had been set with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh living in Malta at the beginning of their marriage. But, then perhaps there wouldn’t have been enough interest in them long term.

they don't get to redefine the role to make as much money from being Royal as possible, and demand that taxpayers pay for it

Except they're not .

So with the continued emphasis on Harry still being in the line of succession, are they basically saying they would come back if the top job became available?

sorry I've been away from this thread and in RL so may have missed a lot but who is the they in "are they basically saying "

Dateloaf and Gaslight - great posts! I don't fully agree with your position but they're very measured.

I think one of the problems around the security issue is that it's so tied to people's opinions of the couple as people.

Would people feel differently, or as strongly, if they liked Meghan? The discussion would probably be different in itself.

They must have been negotiating all this behind the scenes for a while, surely? No one in the Royal Family would expect Canada to keep paying if they didn't have to- it won't play well with anyone's taxpayers.

peridito

who is the they in "are they basically saying

I took that to mean Harry and Meghan. I thought the post meant that mentioning Harry's place in the line of succession meant that - god forbid etc - should the top job become vacant, he'd be ready to come back and fill it. Despite all the constraints and press etc that would entail.

I could be completely wrong and perhaps MrsCBA's post wasn't as easy to understand as I thought.

Her ‘treatment’ by the tabloids was entirely foreseeable to anyone who knows anything at all about the British Royal Family

The previous precedents of women marrying in were bad, but Meghan faced worse, not it was expected to be bad, maybe not how bad.

Are people really arguing she should have looked at the press, and decided whether to just put up with it, or not marry Harry?

Not knowing much about her, it is one of the things I found most appealing, that she wouldn't put up with it. I do agree he loves her and she loves him.

Harry is recording with JBJ today.

Coronavirus continues to rule headlines, let’s see if any Royals manage to snag the top spot today.

“Not knowing much about her”.

I think that’s key to your perspective Rocking, and I mean that matter-of-fairly not snidely. I have known of her since Suits started, through the times she set up the Tig and was regularly hanging out with people from Made In Chelsea at Soho Farmhouse, so I have a different perspective.

Quote of the thread:

She is like Donald Trump now.

Yes, increasingly.

No, I agree, Dandy!

I think the level of exposure we've had to press about Meghan will definitely affect our perspectives.

I don't think you're snide but I'm curious. What did you learn that you think I missed out on? I knew of her in Suits (watched the most of the first series) but never any celebrity gossip.

I've also just read that blind- are they all like that?! I thought there would be some sophistication or something new. I got that I was supposed to be appalled at what a spoiled brat she was, despite it's subtlety, but I just thought how normal her opinion of Trump was!

As for the prince and his muscle men booking an entire train carriage - First, natch - on his way back to London following the Edinburgh gig - words almost fail. Those people really don’t do irony, do they?
Seems the happy Harry, awwwww, bless him - pics we’re PR after all. I never doubted it.

were PR...

Quote of the thread:

I suppose its sums up the irrational outrage from some of the posters on the thread.

She is like Donald Trump now.

Yes, increasingly.

Trump and his administration are so dangerous. What are the similarities?

I’m curious about The Tig, which had been deleted by the time I’d ever even heard of MM. Was it actually any good? There’s some other, rather more controversial, blog that she allegedly was behind about the life of an aspiring actress I think. Was that her too, or have I been reading too much crap on the internet?

Would the Queen have actually been involved with the energy bills for the palace, or would someone on the palace staff have just enquired about it? It was ill judged though for sure

I find, in most organisations, that the tone tends to come from the top; of course the palace blame "poor advice" when it suits - while grabbing any credit available - but is it really likely some flunkey would apply if they knew it would draw royal ire?

As I've said so often, in spite of some very clever PR the RF rot goes right to the top

Are people really arguing she should have looked at the press, and decided whether to just put up with it, or not marry Harry? I think she should have thought about what was really possible - I was really responding to a PP's question about why it had been so poorly executed. I think it has been badly handled because she has been trying to drive it without really understanding how the RF works. Fine for her to say "I don't like it, can I have my old life back" not so straightforward for H. I think one of the biggest differences between her and Kate is that K and W met as teenagers - K left boarding school, went to uni, met W and slotted into his life. She has always been happy to metaphorically walk two steps behind - an essential requirement of Royal wives. The RF is not a place to be a feminist - indeed its ancient hierarchy is the very antithesis of feminism. M was an independent woman of independent means with forceful views and opinions - that's what H fell in love with - all great in normal circumstances, but not particularly compatible with life in the straitjacket of the RF. "Call me Harry" is easy enough to say in the real world, but it will take more than that to change centuries of etiquette in the RF which dictates what order members of the family may enter a room. Thinking you can waft in and sweep away centuries of tradition from the lower rungs was fanciful to say the least. Why does she think the British RF are still sitting pretty while other Crowns have been swept away? I should add that I don't dislike M, far from it, but I do think this was entirely predictable from the moment they got engaged. She thought she was in control in their engagement interview - anyone who knows anything about the British Royals knew she was very much mistaken.

I understand the point you're making, but it's based on the assumption that she was trying to waft in and sweep away centuries of tradition from the lower rungs - this has been pushed by the media to discredit her.

So what was possible? What were her options?

And change is needed - metaphorically walk two steps behind - an essential requirement of Royal wives this needs challenging for a start, and I'd have cheered her on, but where is the evidence she was trying to?

I think the way the RF have handled this situation may well backfire on it. They've opened themselves up to a lot of scrutiny. Which (if done civilly, and not led by the DM) could be a good thing overall.

I will never understand why the Royal family pushed Meghan into the frontline so quickly.

To be fair we don't know who pushed who, or if anyone pushed at all. I can't imagine it would have gone down well if the RF held her back against H&M's will.

metaphorically walk two steps behind - an essential requirement of Royal wives

I think it's spouses rather than wives, look at Prince Philip. It's just that at the moment the line of succession is predominantly male, Charlotte is 4th in line, then Beatrice is what now, 9th? (I do think there is an additional layer of sexism but I don't think it's solely that IYSWIM)