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The royal family

Meghan and Harry Debacle part 2

999 replies

RosesandIris · 10/05/2020 10:23

New thread

Has anyone seen that Lady Colin Campbell has written a book on Harry and Meghan using insider information. Apparently she’s has members of the Markle family to stay. She’s brave!

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caperberries · 11/05/2020 17:28

I read this on another forum:

The story is that their being denied permission to run their own 'court' was one of the triggers of Mexit. There are 3 royal courts - Kensington Palace (the Cambridges), Clarence House (Charles and Camila) and Buckingham Palace (HM and basically all the assorted other royals). All 3 run their media operations fairly independently of one another. Supposedly the Sussexes felt that they deserved their own court (Toad Hall Royal?) but were told that only the heirs got that so... no. They would be part of the BP set-up along with Ann, Edward, Sophie etc.

Naturally that wasn't good enough for the dasterdly duo, so they set up 'Sussex Royal' as their attempt at doing their own thing, even though it never had the status of a royal court. Now, with Mexit, they're being denied the use of that, and rightly so. I also wonder why they haven't got their own social media by now however. Could it be that the palace are keeping them on an even tighter leash than we had supposed?

^The three operations, BP, CH, KP are each a 'court' indeed; each also represents a specific 'arm' of the RF with it's own clear place, function, activities, future. The Monarch, The Heir, The Heir Presumptive. Each is a part of the whole.

And the logic obviously is that - as you said - everyone outside of this is then dumped together, so to speak, in one basket (Anne, Edward & Sophie, Andrew when he was still active etc) which operates under the overall monarchial BP umbrella - but only in connection with their official duties as working royals.

If anyone had been thinking of this - and I mean us 'civilians' - we would automatically have assumed that eventually Harry and his wife would be working under this set-up, just like Edward and Sophie; the two people whose life most closely pointed the way to what Harry could have expected his long-term future to be.

And now, when we look back to what Harry and Meghan were saying, starting with the engagement interview, how they clearly envisioned their future - well, it becomes obvious that this was yet again one thing Harry had never explained to Meghan at the outset.

Or maybe he had his own Cunning Plan, maybe he thought that precisely because Meghan was this Superior Glam Professional Woman, he could use her arrival to subvert this arrangement when it came to the two of them.

'Hit the ground runnin'; 'Voice being heard' blah blah - it's obvious Meghan absolutely thought she and Harry would have an operation within the family that would be a sort of Royal version of the Clinton Foundation. In no way was she aware of the fact that she'd be subsumed into a group of second-or third tier minor royals - and she certainly wasn't going to accept that.

That idea of a 'voice being heard' was I believe, something very concrete for her. She absolutely saw herself standing on some grand stage, spotlights trained on her, giving a speech to some UN-like outfit on Important Global Subjects. And to go together with this life, they would obviously have a social media platform that beat the drum for them, one that would enhance their brand, their position and attract other internationally-adored people of power and influence to them, wanting to work with them, further expanding their reach.

I believe that this was very much the Alternate Court Harry - and Meghan - had in mind, the one that was going to completely overshadow William and Kate, leaving them behind in the dust, looking like two provincials playing around in a very small dated duck pond.

They tried to get all this off the ground in various ways, culminating in the long Vancouver Christmas hols when they wrote the manifesto, thinking they could strong-arm TQ into creating a framework where they could have this Court of theirs slightly outside the family, since they were barred from having it fully inside it.

And here we are, examining the wreckage that is the result. As many here have pointed out, Harry could not possibly ever have imagined how quickly and how thoroughly it would all go to hell in a handcart.^

Viviennemary · 11/05/2020 17:43

Before this CV lockdown it was reported they could be making up to 100 million a year with sponsorships, book deals film and tv rights and so on. I had my doubts but I wonder just how much CV has impacted on their plans or would it all have gone pear shaped anyway. I think they are still bring told what they can and can't do and I wouldn't think that goes down very well with Meghan.

WindsorBlues · 11/05/2020 17:44

@caperberries excellent post. I can remember an interview Harry gave shortly after he left the army where he spoke about how he was aware he had a limited time to raise awareness to causes he supported as the spotlight would shift from him to the Cambridge Children as time went on.

I thought at the time it showed great self awareness and Harry's end game was probably to semi retire somewhere in Africa after a few years. It likely would have been the case if he had married someone other than the cause driven, shine-a-lighter, well known American Actor, business entrepreneur and human rights activist.

Andylion · 11/05/2020 17:49

Oprah is really working this relationship isn't she?

Yes, but it appears that she is still keeping her distance. Has she made any statements in support of them recently?

Maybe she is hedging her bets.

TinRoofRusty · 11/05/2020 17:51

If that's the case then he really fucked that all up, Windsor Grin

Mariposa123 · 11/05/2020 18:01

@caperberries an interesting idea that makes complete sense when you think about it. I did wonder when they talked about hitting the ground running, what they expected that to entail?
Does this link back as well to what some PP have said about Diana bringing the boys up as equal, and Harry expecting that treatment to continue? When you think about it, it seems absurd that he should get preferential treatment over the Queen’s other children when he is really in the same position as them.

TinRoofRusty · 11/05/2020 18:23

It appears likely that Megan had the idea that they were more in line for preferential treatment with the Queen's other children and on par with William and Catherine. Harry seems to have been swept up in that.

Rainbunny · 11/05/2020 18:35

Before this CV lockdown it was reported they could be making up to 100 million a year with sponsorships, book deals film and tv rights and so on. I had my doubts but I wonder just how much CV has impacted on their plans or would it all have gone pear shaped anyway. I think they are still bring told what they can and can't do and I wouldn't think that goes down very well with Meghan.

Yep it's not going well and frankly H without the royal title is now being shown to have little else to make himself bankable. We're going to emerge into a very different world after this and the movie industry won't escape unscathed - who's going to want sit in a movie theatre sharing the same air as a hundred strangers over the next few years? The entertainment industry is going to be forever changed by this. M will find competition for post-corona virus acting work to be very competitive.

I just don't think there will be a market to splash multi-millions on speaking engagements and philanthropic ventures the way there could have been only a few months ago.

I actually think now that if opportunities don't start happening for H&M by the end of this year, some big decision will be made. They can't keep freeloading off of wealthy strangers - well of course they can, but it's not a good look for their brand though is it?

I honestly didn't think M would ever consider returning to the UK but if she and H don't see any big offers coming their way or income they need, I think she's got a thick enough skin and the brass balls to return back to Frogmore Cottage and royal duties with a ''fuck you all'' smile on her face.

EthelMayFergus · 11/05/2020 18:38

caperberries that's really interesting and the book synopsis makes a bit more sense in that context. 'The making of a modern royal family' when they're leaving the royal family made no sense, but the idea for the book was obviously at a time before they'd been scuppered, when they still thought they'd be a large branch of the existing family.

Oldbutstillgotit · 11/05/2020 18:41

I have just read that a film is to be made - Harry and Meghan , Escaping The Palace.

TinRoofRusty · 11/05/2020 18:43

They both come across as really jealous, particularly of the Cambridges.

Oldbutstillgotit · 11/05/2020 18:49

I said on another thread that I read somewhere that M had a huge problem having to defer to Catherine . A “ friend “ - allegedly- said that the RF were failing to recognise H and M’s star quality .

TinRoofRusty · 11/05/2020 18:51

No one can be so deluded as to think marrying the 6th in line to the throne puts you on par with the future queen, surely? I mean, seriously!

Rainbunny · 11/05/2020 18:52

They both come across as really jealous, particularly of the Cambridges.

I wonder if M truly didn't understand how big the difference between Harry's position and William's postition is. So many reports mentioned that H&M viewed themselves as the most popular, glamorous young royals and it does almost appear that they conflated popularity, news coverage and instagram likes with importance. They were ''too big for the band'' so to speak.

TinRoofRusty · 11/05/2020 18:54

Young royals? She's older than both Catherine and William! H&M seem deluded.

WinnieTheW0rm · 11/05/2020 18:54

the RF were failing to recognise H and M’s star quality

That must be a misquote - look at the tours and how she was given the National Theatre and he was given the Marines.

Viviennemary · 11/05/2020 19:10

I agree that Meghan has got the nerve to come back next year as bold as brass as if nothing has happened and be all smiles and waving. But I don't think it would go down well with a lot of the other Royals though. She'd want something a lot more upmarket than Froghouse after the accommodation she has become used to.

Ihavenoidewhatsgoingon · 11/05/2020 19:27

I think they will come back - at the end of the year they will realise the idea they had is not going to work in todays world and will have no way to sustain the income for the lifestyle they want

It will be spun that they are doing the RF a favour in coming back, Harry missed his mates etc

RosesandIris · 11/05/2020 19:31

@caperberries

Brilliant summary.

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RosesandIris · 11/05/2020 19:32

I can’t quite believe he’s used the surviving & thriving sentence when we have the highest death toll in Europe. And I don’t care who he addressed that video to, it’s completely tone deaf imo.

Yes, it’s completely insensitive. He clearly doesn’t have a clue about the mood in the UK.

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Mummyoflittledragon · 11/05/2020 19:32

caperberries
Very interesting post. I also don’t think Harry explained the role to her either. I presumed the hitting the ground running comment was that Meghan was eager to start the role of working royal spouse when in fact she meant to be stars in their own right following their own agenda. Looking at it in this context, H&M have tried provoke a modern day War of the Roses fought out on Instagram instead of the battlefield.

RosesandIris · 11/05/2020 19:37

I personally think that Harry didn’t explain a lot because he has grown up with the institution and to him a lot of the rules and expectations are just ingrained in him. He may genuinely not have realised the chasm in her understanding of what the expectations and hierarchy of her position would involve. I think a lot of the problems between C and D were also to do with his lack of understanding of how extreme the shock is of coming from a relatively normal life into a gilded cage where life is no longer your own.

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Rainbunny · 11/05/2020 19:51

I think the way they both behaved from the start showed that H doesn't really understand the duties and constraints on senior royals' behaviour himself. He only started fulltime royal duties in 2009 or 2010 I think and before meeting M he wasn't anywhere near as ''woke'' as he is today.

I think when he and M came up with all their wonderful plans and dreams to champion causes, be political and tell the public how to live and make money doing so, it didn't occur to him that they couldn't do these things and retain royal status.

MissEliza · 11/05/2020 19:55

That's a good point @Rainbunny. I think he actually started full time royal duties even later than that.

TimeLady · 11/05/2020 20:04

I didn't watch it, but it appears H was back in the basement

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8308577/Prince-Harry-appear-BBCs-One-tonight.html