News on Meghan and Harry

[Viviennemary]

Since they are in the news more or less daily why not a thread on this. Latest I've read over the last few days is that Meghan is going to produce a film from a book. And later this month she is teaming up with Michelle Obama for project on gender equality. Both sound interesting projects.

I must admit i don't fully understand what is meant by Charles' private funds. Am I right in thinking it's the income generated from the Duchy estate? I don't understand how this is his own personal money though if he's inherited this estate purely by position in the RF - which is publicly funded. Apart from money earned from something like a job in the military (which is not a salary in the millions!) I'm not sure how else a working royal can have private income.

Rousette

I really cannot understand how as someone who reads all these threads and comments on them, you would not realise they are not self funding. The main bone of contention all along has been the fact that they have left the RF but are living off Charles. The protection in Canada was not self funded, and their security now is still likely to be funded by Charles.
This is one of the main reasons people are annoyed by them. How could you not be aware of this when you read all the critical posts and often take issue with them?

Blossom

Charles’ money does mostly come from the Duchy Estate. He gives William and Harry several million a year I seem to remember reading somewhere. He must be paying a lot more now .

This is an interesting analysis of the Duchy estate for anyone interested.

https://whoownsengland.org/2017/03/15/what-land-does-the-duchy-of-cornwall-own/

... the Duchy in the twenty-first century is nearly twice as large as it was in the Victorian period: the 1873 Return of Owners of Land recorded it as beingg* just 74,113 acres. And these are just the landward acres: in addition, the Duchy owns around 100,000 acres of foreshore and 14,000 acres of estuarial river beds in Cornwall and Devon... Why does all this matter? Because it’s the private estate of the heir to the throne and the largest private landholding in England; and because transparency and accountability matter in public life. There is little doubt that the current Duke runs his estate on eminently sound principles: concern for the environment, a desire to provide affordable but attractive and quality housing, the creation of long-term value. But what’s to say a future Duke of Cornwall would behave so responsibly?

@Blossom513

I must admit i don't fully understand what is meant by Charles' private funds. Am I right in thinking it's the income generated from the Duchy estate? I don't understand how this is his own personal money though if he's inherited this estate purely by position in the RF - which is publicly funded. Apart from money earned from something like a job in the military (which is not a salary in the millions!) I'm not sure how else a working royal can have private income.

The Duchy was set up by Edward III to provide an income for the heir. It's a private estate, but that doesn't make it private income in the strictest sense. It's very much tied to the job. However he can do what he wants with it, and he chooses to support his sons.

By no stretch of the imagination are H and MM self funding.

It’s my understanding that they way these things go is a celebrity will tell a well-connected friend they’re getting a bashing in the tabloid press, can they do something about it. Sure, the friend says, I’ll call my friend “Editor of Gossip Rag” and ask them to put a piece in April’s issue. What should it say? Some conversation will ensue, not necessarily informed by advice from professional PR pieces. The story is submitted to Gossip Rag, who write it up and send it back for approval. Amendments are made, by celebrity and/or the friend. A copywriter will check it over. It’s printed.

It’s my understanding from second hand experience (note, this is not speculation) that there’s not necessarily any connection between the truth/reality and what’s printed. As long as the printed piece passes the lowest legal threshold to not get Gossip Rag into a law suit, it will be printed. A favour is done by Gossip Rag to celebrity and their friend, the friend has done the celebrity a favour (and perhaps in return gets to enhance their own image by, say, landing a cable TV reality show), clicks are received by Gossip Rag, advertisers pay up to Gossip Rag, celebrity’s public image is improved, everyone’s a winner. Except for those members of the public who consume the advertising or pay to read the piece, and believe anything they might read in Gossip Rag.

My source for this info is a dear friend who worked as a staff lawyer for the Telegraph many moons ago.

Gossip Rag in the US is a celebrity friendly PR magazine. It doesn’t print things without a blessing, whether direct or implied. The editor of said rag at the time the MM story appeared is the friend of an actress who was on Suits.

Is anyone else disgusted by what the five did? They deliberately misrepresented a man, 75 years old, in poor health and without the means to sue for defamation. By all accounts (including Meghan's) he adored her and gave her everything growing up and she lived with him after her parents divorce. Whatever you think of TM, what they did was really unpleasant and I don't think they deserve anonymity.

This is one of the main reasons people are annoyed by them. How could you not be aware of this when you read all the critical posts and often take issue with them?

Because this is something Charles chooses to do from his private income. No different to trust fund children who live a certain lifestyle funded by their parents. And they are privately funding their security. Now whether that is from their own wealth (could be) or Charles, I don't know.

The Duchy of Cornwall is only POW's to live off, because he is next in line to be head of state.

It's not his in the fully private sense of an individually owned trust fund. And it doesn't behave like a trust fund - it ultimately vests in the Crown, as it is the monarch who appoints/invests the POW. Indeed there wasn't one between 1936 and Prince Charles.

Indeed there wasn't one between 1936 and Prince Charles.

I've never thought about that before Winnie

I wonder who the beneficiary of the Duchy was during those years? The crown presumably?

Yes, it merges with the Crown when there is no Duke.

Prince Charles was born heir apparent, and I'm nor sure whether he got the Duchy at birth, or only when invested as POW.

From a US perspective: nypost.com/2020/07/11/why-meghan-markle-should-think-twice-about-that-libel-lawsuit/amp/. Ouch.

My favourite bit:"We keep hearing how media-savvy Meghan is, that her time in Hollywood made her a master at manipulating the press. But this decision to sue for libel makes no sense. Perhaps she’s confused her time on a basic-cable legal drama with actual legal expertise.

Meghan can’t have it both ways. She can’t sue for intrusion of privacy while doing everything she can to stay in the spotlight. And if she really wanted to retreat, no better time — we’re all under lockdown, preoccupied with our own pressing real-world issues."

Hear Hear (coming from someone who couldn't care less about the whole, tawdry mess or the RF in general).

If they are being funded by Charles they are not self sufficient or privately funded.

@Mominatrix

From a US perspective: nypost.com/2020/07/11/why-meghan-markle-should-think-twice-about-that-libel-lawsuit/amp/. Ouch.

My favourite bit:"We keep hearing how media-savvy Meghan is, that her time in Hollywood made her a master at manipulating the press. But this decision to sue for libel makes no sense. Perhaps she’s confused her time on a basic-cable legal drama with actual legal expertise.

Meghan can’t have it both ways. She can’t sue for intrusion of privacy while doing everything she can to stay in the spotlight. And if she really wanted to retreat, no better time — we’re all under lockdown, preoccupied with our own pressing real-world issues."

Hear Hear (coming from someone who couldn't care less about the whole, tawdry mess or the RF in general).

Exactly. They said that they wanted privacy but have done a lot of things to stay in the public view. They could have gone to Canada/LA, gotten jobs, financially supported themselves and went on with their lives.

what job could Harry do? M could go back to acting, but I can't think what H would do. maybe a SAHD

Harry could be a SAHD, and could perhaps do something with charities (covering expenses and perhaps with small honorarium) but that would not find current lifestyle.

Ex-military have quite a lot of useful skills (not just how to fly a helicopter) so for most leaving the Forces, there are quite a lot of options. It would really depend what he wanted to do - I suspect he would need to retrain, if he wanted to fly again.

They have got limitless resources. Harry could use his helicopter training in some way. He could work for a charity in a paid capacity. He could spend his days volunteering if he can’t get a job. He can retrain as a therapist or anything else for that matter. Meghan could get a job doing any number of things, or retrain herself. There is no reason at all why they need to be taking up an enormous free mansion, doing nothing worthwhile and living off Charles. Or they could use their own private money which is millions of pounds.
What is the evidence they now fund their own security?

Sorry winnie didn’t see your post before I posted! Making many of the same points.

If Harry can’t tell his past from his elbow, he shouldn’t enter the Commonwealth shames

Clarkson from the Times today.. sorry, I don't think I can do a share token off my iPad.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/if-harry-cant-tell-his-past-from-his-elbow-he-shouldnt-enter-the-commonwealth-shames-z0tdmkx83

Harry could set up his own tourist business flying helicopters and punters over celebrity houses. For an extra $100 he could fly over his own house, buzz it, and Meghan could bring out Archie for a photo op.

A while back there was discussion of Meghan urging people on Instagram to do an online counselling course if they were ‘bored’ during lockdown. I’ve actually just seen one online for £12. It claims to issue a certificate for Level 3 training. Gob smacked. It’s one of these discount voucher sites.

That looks an interesting article in the Times. Nobody seems to have any positive things to say about them. Not even MN. The nice thread hasn't had a post for ages.

A constructive discussion thread is much more interesting viv!

Harry using his helicopter training to find a job is a great idea. It was good enough for his brother.