Harry and Meghan and the intricacies of the Monarchy

[PelicanPie]

Here's a follow on to the last thread, which was really enjoyable.

There's a really good article in the Mail about the estrangement between W and H which basically says it all boils down to Harry feeling sidelined and realising his role will diminish. When H left the army, I thought he was mad and I think I've been proven right.

I think the "swipe as she went out the door" was the story leaked by Meghan's friends (?) that Kate was "uptight". That the Royal family were cold and that she wanted Archie to know love and hugs. For me I only felt reminded of how hands-on the Duchess of Cambridge is with her children. Baking, gardening, taking photos, shopping for books etc.

If I were Kate, hugging Meghan would be the last thing I would want to do. In two short years, her husband’s closest relationship has been decimated, her children have lost a favourite uncle to go off and witter at JP Morgan about very personal feelings, and she has had rumours of infidelity unleashed as revenge for generally doing her job the ways the taxpayers want it done. Her workload will go up and her friendship with Harry looks to be scuppered and they can’t have that many friends they can truly be open with. When the Queen and the DofE die, there will be a lot of anger from one side and guilt on the other.

Thank you to everyone for their good wishes and from one 🐧 to the other 🐧🐧🐧 we will need it over the coming weeks.

I just read that MoS article. A lot of it was rehash of old stuff, but what it boils down to for me is that H couldnt cope with being sidelined (as he sees it). M was the perfect catalyst for his dissatisfaction.

And I was K&W I'd find it bloody hard to put on my game face and make nicey nicey under the circumstances, I thought their church behaviour was totally appropriate.

God, with all the covid shit going on I positively welcome a bit of SussexRoyal and 🐧 distraction. PenguinPlease look after yourself

Best wishes, Please.

This is an opinion piece by an American journalist. I don’t believe MM owes anything to anyone, as she should live her life as she pleases. But he’s probably correct about the diminished platform.

nypost.com/2020/03/14/megxit-is-a-major-blow-for-biracial-people-who-saw-meghan-as-a-role-model/

When H left the army, I thought he was mad and I think I've been proven right.

I don't know that he had a choice, Eliza, wasn't it down to his deployment being outed by the media? I might be wrong.

It is sad that H couldn't do the thing he most wanted to, but then lots of people find themselves in that position: would-be pilots whose eyesight isn't good enough, actors who can't get a break, in fact a lot of people in the arts field.

Life is like that for a lot of 'normal' people.

I think the next issue will be the protection team and Coronavirus, how do they fly home to sick relatives/ just do a regular shift change in the coming weeks? Flying is increasingly being cancelled and I would imagine morale is falling as fast as the stock market on Vancouver Island

• Nanamilly I think it is the one about William having an affair with Rose Hanbury (?) - which I cannot believe for a minute*

Thank you for that.

And like you I don’t believe it for a minute.

It's a shallow existence but I don't see either of them as having great depth. It could be exactly what they want

It's a fair point, Myimaginarypenguin, but I'm not convinced that kind of existence is enougn for even the dullest human. There surely has to be more purpose to life, and if there isn't that can be where the search starts for new experiences - or even just someone else to blame - to sting jaded senses into fresh life

And that, of course, can be where an awful lot of problems start ...

winter I thought that was a very balanced article actually. I think if you choose to marry into the RF then you do owe the 'people' something; and I keep coming back to the fact that they are both grown adults. If she could have stayed the course, worked within the lines rather than outside them I think she'd have been very much loved.

I read that Charles advises Harry not to leave the army, he thought that was a mistake.

^advised

H could have stayed in the army and done a desk job, he chose not to.

cassini very good point about the impact of covid19 on the security team, flights, etc etc. Poor sods, I bet they didnt sign up to a bit of nursemaiding on an island with only one road - it must be really boring, and I am sure they want to see their families too.

@CanIHaveAPenguinPlease

Best of wishes.

For you...

I thought that I read somewhere that Harry had gone as far as he could with his Army career?

I would have thought that it was always on the cards though for him to be a full time Royal, bearing in mind that his dad is next in line?

I think they’ll be back sooner than we think. Can’t be much fun being quarantined on Vancouver Island.
people.com/royals/meghan-markle-prince-harry-archie-spend-time-queen-elizabeth-summer/

I read years ago that Harry resigned from the Army in a strop, when told he wouldn't see active service again, and would be given a desk job.

Ah yes I think that that was it-desk job or nothing.

Apparently Meghan saw Giles Coren in Paris (I think) and when he came back he posted about the rumour of an affair, although he deleted the post fairly quickly. I understand that this is where the gossip started

Fake news. The DM and another outlet (the Independent?) reported on the alleged affair (saying Kate banished Rose from their circle) long, long before Giles or Nicole Cliffe tweeted anything. It wasn’t started by them.

I highly doubt that the story came from Meghan.

If William has had an affair with anyone, Kate is a far better actress than Meghan could ever hope to be! IMO

She’s probably just resigned to it. He was papped a few years ago with his hands on a pretty blonde while on a ski holiday with the lads (and Kate was home with the kids).

Er, yolo, what do you mean “an island with only one road”?!! Would people please stop saying this. Vancouver Island is a lot longer than it is wide, so yes, there’s one highway (motorway) up the eastern side. There’s a different highway from Victoria to the ferry/airport. Other highways out to the eastern towns. And of course in the towns and cities there are many, many streets, roads, avenues, cul-de-sacs, lanes, terraces etc. The estate they are staying at is about 20 minutes drive (along one of our many roads) from a city of half a million. I know you all may wave your hands at these details, but it’s exasperating. There are 5 million people in this province, they’re not in the middle of nowhere.

I’m totally of the view that they’re shirking their duty and expecting ordinary people to stump up for their choice to live abroad. But if we could stop painting Vancouver Island as a vacant, almost roadless, frozen landscape it would be nice (climate is much like souther England).

The thing is, I would imagine H's skills would not be best suited to a desk job in the army. We know he's not very academic and it was clear when he was interviewed in Afghanistan that he was as happy as a pig in mud. Perhaps the resentment he wasn't able to follow his own path in life yet will still play second fiddle has just become too great. I do feel sorry for him in that respect.

That’s interesting aj - if so then this flounce (for want of a better word) is not that uncharacteristic.

I think they may find the coming months tough. A lot of The world is on lockdown & for their brand they need to be in the public eye which they can’t really do in this current climate.

Sorry Rita ! I am sure Vancouver Island is lovely. I think l mean for 2 cosmopolitan people it may be a quiet place to be. It’s not Toronto, London or LA. I would love it though.
This below is very a very well written think piece.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/princess-problem/608032/