Harry and Meghan biography

[sunshinesupermum]

Hasn't Prince Harry learnt anything from his mother's experience of having someone write her biography 'to set the record straight'? Couldn't they have at least waited until after his grandmother's death, however long that might be?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8257071/Meghan-Harry-biography-bombshell-Royals.html

I am wondering if the US charities have been more savvy about the tax benefits of donations than they are here, like beyond Gift Aid. Yes, that question would be a standard one the way it wouldn't be here in completing a return. Well observed.

I mean about 'promoting' the benefits.

I always find it distasteful in the extreme when a wealthy child provides charity to an adult in need

I completely agree. I find it manipulative of W&K too, using a child to make themselves look good (a tactic they seem to have ramped up, of late). I find the whole model of the RF mentally unhealthy at every level and it is perpetuated by them having children and those children being brought up in a unnatural atmosphere, having to do unnatural things - in this case making her the focus of being little miss bountiful to the poor serfs caught on camera. Yuk.

Just to clarify, it was the moment being captured on camera with her hair immaculate and a pretty dress on that makes me see this as more of a photo op and disingenuous. W&K are also playing the publicity game and using their kids for it.

Oh they are all so embarrassingly dim. Denis Thatcher said 'Better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it'.

If she does (write about W&K's marriage) she’ll cook her goose and she’s not that dim. She’ll lose the £2m a year from Charles and even Harry might have second thoughts

As I've said before, we simply don't know what else she's become privy to about Charles or anyone else. To put it bluntly the RF perhaps can't afford to cut her off for fear of what else she might disclose, and frankly I'm not convinced Harry would see through even that

Back with the court case, and whether they've already turned down a settlement or not, I really can't believe Meghan will risk giving evidence in court - whatever her acting skills and no matter what doe eyes and choked voice she conjures up, the MoS's lawyers will simply eat her. There's no automatic deference in court, no running to Instagram and no expecting to get away with a wide-eyed tale ... they'd expect the facts and it wouldn't be pretty

All that said, a part of me I'm not proud of would love to see her try

I always find it distasteful in the extreme when a wealthy child provides charity to an adult in need

My nan has been getting care packages from the local community groups and she absolutely loves it when kids tag along when handing out the packages. They always knock the door then stand outside the garden when she opens the door. She says it reminds her of why shes staying in, to make sure that she's not a strain on the NHS or holding up a bed that could go to one of them.

her the focus of being little miss bountiful to the poor serfs caught on camera. Yuk.

No recipients were in the photos I've seen. Presumably social distancing was observed by Charlotte leaving the food on the doorstep to be picked up.

Also, the Chris Ship tweets referred to this being a food delivery for the elderly. So this is about helping people who are shielding. Not necessarily a rich child / poor adult dynamic. Is it affecting the dignity of all the people who are getting food delivered by volunteers, their neighbours etc at the moment?

I actually think the royals (including the Sussexes in that) should be doing their bit to serve their community. My issue is that it should be done regularly and not only as a photo opportunity. So for both the Cambridges and the Sussexes, these food deliveries shouldn't be a one off - they can and should be doing them each week IMO.

Children have always been involved in delivering food to the elderly. It is a tradition in this country. Remember Harvest festivals of years ago. The Royals are just giving their children an extremely traditional upbringing. I was always turned out in a pretty dress and sandals after Easter. No need to look for the worst possible interpretation of their actions.

It was her 5 th birthday photo.

The point about food banks was that people give who can afford to do so and people receive by turning up and asking for food. Why is it wrong for the better off to give? We do have buildings named after the wealthy. We enjoy using them and thanks very much I say. I’m sure the vulnerable people who recurved lives food from W&K without worrying about shopping were happy to do so and even more if they like nice pasta and children.

Who received nice food....

BlueChangling that's lovely

Sorry it’s from the sun but appears the Royals and their households have been doing quite a bit.

Her parents William, 37, and Kate, 38, cooked the food with help from the kids at their home in Anmer Hall, Norfolk.

They then handed out more than a dozen precious bags to local OAPs and vulnerable people forced to stay indoors.

The family spent two-and-a-half hours doing deliveries, with ­photos showing Charlotte sorting out the bags.

Dressed in a gingham smock dress, she also walked up to doors to hand over the grub.

The pictures, taken by Kate, were released to mark Charlotte’s birthday.

A royal source said last night: “They had a great time but got absolutely drenched in a downpour.”

It is understood Kate and Wills were also joined by George, six, and two-year-old Louis on rounds earlier this week.

Staff at nearby Sandringham have also been preparing and delivering meals for pensioners and vulnerable people since the lockdown was imposed.

More than 1,000 meals were made and delivered in the first week alone. The housekeeping team up at Balmoral have also been making facemasks and laundry bags for Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Meanwhile, staff at Windsor Castle have made scrubs, washbags, headbands and hats for NHS staff at various hospitals, including Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.

I wonder if a lonely, isolating pensioner might not be quite touched to see a little girl hand over homemade produce (whether or not she's actually made it herself). They might well be thrilled to see a royal child in the flesh, bit of a morale booster in these times. Isn't that why so many people flock to see the royals, flags in hand, when they're doing walkabouts - because people like to see the royals close up?

These people they're delivering to are apparently local to them in Anmer, so perhaps it's also about joining in with the community spirit. W&K were certainly part of the community when they lived on Anglesey, they never hid themselves away and were often seen at the pub, walking the dog down the beach and doing their shopping.

Even so, they're dammed if they do and damned if they don't. They're far from first to be seen doing food parcels: Andrew & fergie and H&M have been at it too. But somehow with W&K, it feels less of a pure photo op and also about cheering people up. Or maybe I'm just biased against PA, PH and MM

Children have always been involved in delivering food to the elderly. It is a tradition in this country. Remember Harvest festivals of years ago.

They still do this round here. My DCs' primary school visits nursing homes with food hampers every Harvest.

On the US/UK charity giving differences, I lived in the US for a while and I always thought it similar to our differences in tipping. In the US serving staff are paid such poor wages that they rely on the generosity of their customers to make sure that they earn a living so they get to be generous and be thanked and feel superior and good about themselves whenever they pay for service and like someone deserved not to earn a decent days pay if they decide not to tip, I much prefer the UK where its a bonus rather than a base pay when you tip. No one is going hungry if you choose not to tip in the UK and I'm glad we don't allow people to have that power.

I think the same with charitable giving versus the UK's higher taxes and social safety net. No one names a building after me or talks about how generous I am for paying my taxes which support less well off people, nor should they. When I lived in the US I was shocked at how little tax I paid but also those taxes really only covered the barest minimum, thats why top ups are needed but also you can put caveats on who gets it

Looks like one of the Markle 5 could be about to break ranks.

I'm in my 60's, and remember as a child of 6 being asked if we had any sick or elderly grandparents, who may like a Harvest Festival box. My grandad was in the terminal stages of cancer, and I can remember being so proud to give him the box, and my Granny telling me that he ate the tinned strawberries that were in it!

I see this as being nothing to do with a rich/poor divide, more a case of those able helping those less able - particularly at the moment.

Looks like one of the Markle 5 could be about to break ranks

Any links?

If you read the full judgement of the striking out case on Friday there are strong pointers to the judge wanting evidence and facts. Not woolly feelings and unsubstantiated claims. That’s why the defendants won the strike outs. They clouded the main case and the legal arguments. Tittle tattle and feelings wont come into it.

Madasahattersteaparty1749 thats very nice, thats what i would expect of RF.

Charlotte looks gorgeous. she will be a very fine lady. there is a very good future with her.

Faced with the prospect of having friends and family giving evidence which is likely to show MMin a poor light, it will be interesting to see whether she attempts to settle out of court. I suspect that AP would refuse - even if they end up losing, the coverage resulting from the case would be priceless to them. And there is always the chance, however slight, that they could win.
Whatever the outcome, I think MM will end up the loser. For a start, as others have already said, a lot of her so-called friends will be unimpressed with being called liars and being put in an awkward position by the case and are likely to withdraw from the friendship. She's already burnt her bridges as far as her family are concerned and I think the rf will be watching with interest. They could easily decide to discontinue funding beyond the yearly review.

Charitable donations are deductable on US taxes. You have to make sure to get a reciept and keep them safe to use the deduction.
We donated a car one year (to an education program) that we were getting rid of, it was collected and sold at auction, we recieved a reciept from the charity and use dthat in our tax returns.
Dh used to deal with Boat donations occasionally at his job, he did the servicing before or after the auction sale

Yes Miri that was what worried me about the Cameron Conservatives’ ‘big society’ ideas at a time of them making savage cuts to taxpayer-funded public services and slashing local authority budgets- obviously its always great to encourage charitable volunteering and giving. But what about the communities where most people have no time and money to offer to others? And what about the many boring, complex, unpopular, unsexy, ‘undeserving’, ungrateful, unresolvable, non-cute, non-tear-jerking, non-photogenic issues? Who would look out for them?

Also (sorry this was from way back in the thread, I think) talking about LA, I agree, IME the utterly desperate destitute homelessness is everywhere and right next to absolutely gross and completely needless consumption. it’s brutal and a big culture shock to witness even if you are used to seeing homeless people sleeping rough in big UK cities.

If you’re charitably-minded and living in LA surely you would need to overhaul the whole system locally which would basically mean running for public office. So I do wonder what is next. Being based in LA with a ‘global’ charitable outlook is to me a curious priority because the social system you are living in is so patently broken.

With no realistic money spinning potential I am just increasingly cynical about the charitable motivations (as opposed to vanity project/PR gloss) and see entrepreneurship at the heart of the move to LA. That’s fine nothing wrong with it but they must give up all the birthright titles and just be private and independent business people in that case.