Harry and Meghan News ( Finding Freedom!)

[callmeadoctor]

twitter.com/i/web/status/1261788333577056257 This is so funny if anybody fancies a giggle, royals eye rolling!!!

This video is rather funny, Meghan & Harry do seem to have blocked William so they could parade in front twitter.com/julesverne12345/status/1263673121200095237?s=21

It’s a terrible situation for Harry. There’s no way that he’s going to survive in LA for long. For a holiday, sure. But actually living there? I give him a year before he finally realises what he’s given up. He’s given up his family, friends, and country. It’s extremely telling that his heart is in Botswana too. Like it or not, his whole life’s experience has been one of tremendous privilege and upper class (Royal!) culture.

He and Meghan are facing the same challenges that couples from different social classes and cultures face. I think he’s fast learning that you can take the boy out of England but you can’t take England out of the boy.

@caperberries but in that video I can’t see where else Harry and Meghan were supposed to stand. Had they greeted Teresa May and the others already? If so I don’t see where else they are supposed to go. Unless they simply arrived in that position early (ie. they were meant to process in after W&K then I don’t see that they did anything wrong.

Oh, yy, some Californians. All the fluff. No thanks. Never bought all that lovey dovey melting all over each other during their dating and engagement, you'd have to be pretty stupid not to see through that, or foof struck.

So are Californians different from the rest of Americans. Like more over the top and gushy.

@Mariposa123
William is the highest ranking Royal in that group, he should have proceeded first.

It's a huge state, Vivienne, with a population of about 30m and about half if not more are ethnic minority, there's a very big Hispanic population, so it's hard to generalise but, well, there used to be a popular advert shown on telly in the other states to generate tourism to California making jokes out of themselves 'California, it's not just full of nuts'. Says it all really. They do have a bit of a reputation for being a bit OTT and feelings and therapy and that sort of thing.

I think they go in order of succession? Last to arrive HM & first to leave HM. Bit like me on a plane. I’m disabled so First on & last off

Happy to be corrected though.

There does seem to be a twitter debate under the video suggesting they proceed (I can’t remember the right word to use here!) in reverse order in this instance, with the highest ranking last. It must all be a bit of a minefield!
You do see Meghan looking around a fidgeting quite a bit while they’re waiting to walk. Could that be because she’s nervous, or because she knows she’s in the wrong place and wants to see who’s watching?

I think you're right, caniiahaveapenguinolease.
At the commonwealth service at Westminster abbey recently, when there was that palava over H&M not being in the procession, W&K arrived after (and Kate blanked them as she took her seat )
But royal etiquette is often misunderstood. Not exactly etiquette but is anyone old enough to remember the Millennium event at the 02 when the Queen was widely criticised for seemingly doing the hand movements to Auld Lang Syne incorrectly? She began holding hands sideways, changing to the cross-over part-way through, which is the correct way. It's not widely known though.

Yes, there’s a whole list giving order of precedence, which governs who goes where and in what order,

The only anomaly is Princess Anne, who out to be below her brothers wives and offspring, and offsprings wives and children; but isn’t (I think this might tie in with receiving title of Princess Royal, but gossip back in the 1980s was to do with her flatly refusing to go ‘below’ certain of her in-laws).

The seniority/precedence thing is mainly set by traditional usage, succession (and after the Royals by seniority and ancientness of title and importance of rank) but elements of it (like the promo for Anne) are in gift of monarch (within tolerances)

I always thought it goes in the order of succession, William always trumps Harry. it's why we've never seen Charles walk in front of the Queen. I could be mistaken though.

Meghan does have a bit of decorum about her in the above video, it's not like she's pushing chairs out of the way to get in front like she did at the last commonwealth service.

Actually I think in that video she's looking a bit worried and lost. I certainly don't think she is looking round to see who is watching, she is way more professional than that and would have been posing beautifully. Instead I think she's anxiously wondering if she got it right and whether she has or not William does not try to correct it (no idea whether she did). Whether you like Meghan or not, anyone coming in to the RF, especially someone who isn't British and at least grown up seeing some of the stuff that goes on, it must be pretty daunting.

I'm not sure if I've ever seen any family members walk directly in front of the Queen but they may arrive first and once they're in their seats then she arrives afterwards.

Thanks highmarking. It does sound a nice place though with the climate and so on.

The only anomaly is Princess Anne, who out to be below her brothers wives and offspring, and offsprings wives and children; but isn’t (I think this might tie in with receiving title of Princess Royal, but gossip back in the 1980s was to do with her flatly refusing to go ‘below’ certain of her in-laws).

Yes, I’ve heard of this as well. It contradicts with her image of being down to earth and refusing titles for her children (not that they would have received them unless her husband had one) because her own seniority and place in the family is deemed so non negotiable even though she theoretically should be ranked so far down that she would need to curtesy to every other senior female royal (as long as their husband is with them) but she doesn’t to any of them.

She’s retained the seniority she had at birth (the Queen’s DC don’t bow/curtesy to each other, even though Charles is primus inter pares).

So I suppose you could flip that around and say she’s ossified in the 1950s!

I read somewhere that Anne and PA put pressure on HM about the whole priority thing . PA did not want his daughters having to curtesy to Kate as they are blood princesses ( as he keeps reminding everyone ) and Anne seems to have agreed . Princess Alexandra also has higher priority than her place in the order of succession would suggest .

So are Californians different from the rest of Americans. Like more over the top and gushy

Think of every stereotype about we Brits - stuffily polite, class ridden, rude to foreigners, drink only tea and (far too much) alcohol, etc - and consider that while there may be a kernel of truth in them, not all folk are like that by any means

Californians are just the same; the in-your-face gushing types exist - and of course are more noticeable because of it - but most are just regular folk exactly like the rest of us (though perhaps with a nicer accent!)

As highmarking noted above, California is huge, much bigger than the UK, and with a large population. Northern California is a very different culture, and climate, to Southern California. In addition to the Latino & Asian population there is a large white working class population in all the cities (of course, as everywhere), Bakersfield for example having an economy based on oil and farming. Farming is huge in Southern California.

When people say Harry won’t like California they are thinking of the upper middle class to stinking rich minority and their in touch with their feelings ways. Well, loads of British show biz people love it there, so maybe he will hate it, maybe he won’t, but being British does not preclude enjoying it. I’d hate the heat and the smog & wouldn’t want to live in America, but if you like the heat LA has a lot to offer (amazing food scene for one thing, even for average incomes).

I would think if he’s disatisified it might be due to missing friends and being deferred to and being bored to death.

Anne insisting on not curtsying to incomers isn’t, I think, an expression of her personal standing. It’s an expression of the role she occupies and the work she does, compared to Fergie/ Kate etc.

Found the article :
In 2005, Elizabeth II changed the order of precedence for private occasions, putting Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, fourth in the order of precedence, after herself, Anne, Princess Royal, and Princess Alexandra, contrary to the usual position of the heir's consort. Charles's first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, had ranked above the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra.[3] The Duchess of Cornwall continues to rank second in the order of precedence at official occasions, such as state dinners.
Princesses of the Blood Royal, such as Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie, rank above Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, when the latter are not accompanied by their husbands. When the Duchess of Cambridge or Duchess of Sussex are joined by their husbands, the roles are reversed with the duchesses outranking the princesses.

Separately, marriage to MM and living in California is going to teach H, the hard way, who he is. And who he isn’t.

William has had no choice or doubt, but H has always thrashed about a bit. Time will tell if this is really who he is.

I got the box set of Downton Abbey for Christmas (having never having watched a single episode) and started viewing it this week. This all reminds me so much of the life and times of the Dowager Lady Grantham, played so magnificently by Maggie Smith.