More News on Harry and Meghan

[Viviennemary]

Two little bits of news I read today. First the bells won't ring out at Westminster Abbey for Meghans birthday next month and she'll be devastated. No I don't think she'll even expect them to ring. And I had to smile at Bogart the dog was left behind in Canada because it didn't take to Harry. What else could she do. Hardly leave Harry behind. And it would have been a worry with a baby in the house too. She did the right thing here.

Thanks for the token. It was an interesting article. But I still don't fully understand what it was they really wanted. Was it still carry out some royal duties here but live in the USA for most of the year. Even now will they be back for big royal occasions or not. Will they come back after a year or two and carry on where they left off. I suppose covid has made it easier for these matters not to be decided though it's put their whole agenda of bring global figures and making billions somewhat on the side.

The RF has to position itself within society or they become utterly irrelevant. That is why it is not a brand as such but it has to be aware of public feeling and ensure they are relevant to enough people to continue after the Queens dies. I would not think the Queen sees herself as a brand but the minute you leave the RF, go the the USA, and market yourself based on RF, titles and connections then you turn into a brand. All relevance is lost to people in this country.

it's put their whole agenda of bring global figures and making billions somewhat on the side.

I'm wondering if it's done more than put it "on the side." I'm thinking they've missed the boat of hitting the ground running. And who knows where people's priorities of spending money will be, further down the line when, hopefully, all this has settled down.

That was an interesting read thanks for sharing it.
I'm left with a few thoughts...
Crikey, what scorched earth left behind them so swiftly when you look at the timeline.
The fact they were heavily googled doesn't necessarily mean popularity. I certainly remember googling MM to find out who she was, then googling to follow their romance, then a lot of googling when all MM's various family dramas unfolded prior to the wedding.
I'm surprised - I was expecting a sycophantic love letter to H&M and it sort of is, but there are parts where it seems almost critical?
If true, the level of self absorption is astonishing and the RF have shown great restraint in not having a public reaction to all the demands. The closest we saw was I think W&K looking very tight lipped at the Commonwealth ceremony, but in fairness if that were my brother, I'd be fuming with him and wanting him to just stop with all the drama!

The way I understood it was that they wanted far less Royal duties, be able to market themselves and make money and continue with every advantage the RF confers to 6th in line to the throne whilst living mainly in the USA. This was obviously too much for the The Queen to stomach. It also left Charles and William with much more work and less good exposure for the RF in supporting the military. Philip is giving up his military roles. Harry would surely have taken over.

The book excerpts tell us nothing we didn't already know. What a let down.

As a PP said, this does their new 'careers' no favours. Who would want to be associated with a toxic 'brand'? They should just quietly get on with it, do what they want to do, and stop complaining.

They will get more respect and important roles that way.

She used her own wedding as a networking opportunity. But I haven't really heard or seen anything from Oprah, Amal, George, Priyanka etc about Meghan since the wedding.

If they've got any sense, they'll be keeping a distance.

I think they've now put themselves in a position where they'll have to sue the author. There's so much direct speech direct in the extracts where 'Harry said....', 'Meghan thought....' that he's either interviewed them or has made up the quotes. They've denied the interview so he can't possibly know what conversations took place and must be attributing words to them. I mean how would know that "Harry's stomach tied into the same sort of knot" that it always did when he read unfavourable comments. Some of it is deemed to have come from a friend or source close to the couple but wouldn't it have needed to have been verified before publication?

@Oldbutstillgotit

I understood that some of H and M’s “ people” had been interviewed so am amazed this is essentially another critical book .

Maybe that’s because even many of their original supporters and people have had enough!

I am a bit tired of being told how horrible we all were, how sad the situation is, how racist we all are. I think Meghan was made very welcome in the royal family and by the country. Maybe too welcome, it made the onset of reality and not being the new, fresh face even harder to bear. The novelty wore off, like it always does and then it was just ordinary, dull every day life. The wedding is over, seniority amongst the royals is being reimposed, M&H aren't the centre of attention anymore and reality has set in. I think they got used to being number one and Meghan especially couldn't stand having to take a back seat. It's just not in her nature.

These are perfectly normal emotions and reactions, don't many people feel a bit let down and empty after a big event like their wedding and this one was HUGE and on the International stage . Also she'd moved countries and they do say you need to give yourself two years plus to settle in and mentally accept its permanent and start to build a life. I do think many of these problems are of their own making but on a personal level I can understand why M especially felt deflated and disillusioned and wanted out. I can't say I wouldn't have felt exactly the same. However they can't seem to accept that they can't have a the lucrative public life they want while maintaining complete privacy in their private life. You don't see every other celeb shouting about legal action. They just get keep quiet and wait for the stories to go away or take quiet legal action.

Until they accept this they will be unhappy and resentful and will not be able to achieve what they hope for imo.

Sorry Rousette, I didn't say that it was okay for Archie (or any child) to be papped by drones flying over a private garden. I said it was simply wrong to do it. If anyone has, that is. However, in the absence of any photos being published as per the KM sunbathing snaps (and even taking on board the idea of the pre-emptive strike against all photo journalists) what proof is there that there was a drone and even if there was, where's the proof it was taking or took any photos? It's naive of you to accept the lawyer's statement at face value. Read it again; it's all smoke and mirrors and it isn't evidence of anything having happened at all. And remember, he who pays the piper calls the tune. Clearly M was doing just that in the Mail litigation, until the trial judge took out a red pen to the emotive irrelevancies in her pleadings. The only thing this litigation does is to fire a very damp squib in the general direction of the paparazzi. Even the Torygraph, which still has a dedicated Royal section(!), is wiping away tears of laughter at H&M's self-aggrandising, self-absorption. I'm meh about the Royals, but even I can see that H&M have been a gift to bolstering the country's tolerance for the direct line. or in my case, general apathy.

That timeline mentions Frogmore Cottage in a couple of places when I didnt think they were living there? Maybe I am wrong. I wondered about basic fact checking though. And I agree completely, all the "Harry said, Meghan thought" blather- will they sue this pair or suddenly embrace the "no comment" approach.

I think another litigation case will be forthcoming if the book shows them in a poor light. But the book only seems to confirm what we have already heard. Whether true or not. At first it was marketed as their side of the story. Why didn't they speak out then. That was months ago.

Very rude of them not to let HM know they weren’t going to Sandringham for Xmas too. Forcing her to phone them to get confirmation in November!!

Considering this was touted as a book that was favourable towards H&M either the writers have read the public mood and rewritten or else they are as deluded as their subjects if they think it’s flattering.

If anyone has, that is. However, in the absence of any photos being published as per the KM sunbathing snaps (and even taking on board the idea of the pre-emptive strike against all photo journalists) what proof is there that there was a drone and even if there was, where's the proof it was taking or took any photos?

Because there is a photo out there of Archie and Doria in the garden of their house, it was a pic from above looking down, it was not a pic released by them to the press?? It's been in a German magazine, what more do you need to actually believe them ?
I don't understand what you mean. I've seen it, others have seen it, are you saying it's a fake photo planted by them into the German press?

I'm at a loss here...

@noimkaren

Sorry Rousette, I didn't say that it was okay for Archie (or any child) to be papped by drones flying over a private garden. I said it was simply wrong to do it. If anyone has, that is. However, in the absence of any photos being published as per the KM sunbathing snaps (and even taking on board the idea of the pre-emptive strike against all photo journalists) what proof is there that there was a drone and even if there was, where's the proof it was taking or took any photos? It's naive of you to accept the lawyer's statement at face value. Read it again; it's all smoke and mirrors and it isn't evidence of anything having happened at all. And remember, he who pays the piper calls the tune. Clearly M was doing just that in the Mail litigation, until the trial judge took out a red pen to the emotive irrelevancies in her pleadings. The only thing this litigation does is to fire a very damp squib in the general direction of the paparazzi. Even the Torygraph, which still has a dedicated Royal section(!), is wiping away tears of laughter at H&M's self-aggrandising, self-absorption. I'm meh about the Royals, but even I can see that H&M have been a gift to bolstering the country's tolerance for the direct line. or in my case, general apathy.

As I understand it there has been a photo published abroad (Germany?) of Archie that was taken by a drone. However, I completely agree with you that it isn’t out of character for H&M to perceive things in a different way to others and believe that or issue a blustery long winded defence that has no relevance to an issue.

I could also well believe that if for example drones were circling their neighbours’ houses trying to get pictures of them that H&M could believe they were the targets and start legal action.

Thanks for the article. Oh dear. They do come across as being utterly convinced of their own importance and popularity, so it must have been a shock when they were let go without much of a fuss but with considerable financial support

IMO they did have oversight of the book but they won't sue because otherwise the authors will say in court that they knew and contributed or authorised their leaky friends to. Pretty bad timing for it to come out when they have a case against a paper based partly on leaky friends talking to a magazine.

It is such a mess, and such a shame. It didn't have to be like this. A little more patience and reflection would have got a similar result with less bad feeling all round (the negotiations to leave the Royal Family). I think they'll realise this themselves if they haven't already given time, and will regret their haste. Whether that makes them think before acting in the future is to be seen.

It didn't have to be like this I think this sums it up in a nutshell for me.

I used to work with a young (now not so young) Omid. I don’t know anything about his royal connection, but in general terms, I would take a lot of what he says with a pinch or two of salt.

*I could also well believe that if for example drones were circling their neighbours’ houses trying to get pictures of them that H&M could believe they were the targets and start legal action"

Gosh. So now it's possible the drone was circling their neighbours and not them. Where are the photos of the neighbours and who are they? Because the one pic we know of is of Archie

Will be interesting to see if they sue then, Hello.

I think I have officially reached peak Meghan & Harry with this garbage. How can I hide coverage?????

I agree with Roussette on that one - I think it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that the drone footage was meant to be of a neighbour, but they accidentally got Archie and Doria and sold/published that abroad!

I've seen the pictures concerned, and they're exactly the same sort of grainy blurred images that paps with long-distance lenses get.
Not acceptable.

Re: drones

They are very difficult to,shot. Firstly they are small, so you have to be a pretty damned good shot, they can be very hard to see (depending on angle of sun) and they can change course rapidly no very irregularly - so unlike shoring down something moving in accordance with the laws of physics, or a bird (which can turn but does so in bigger arcs) you can't aim just ahead of its path in order to hit it. But you may well damage one if you fire pellets and get the shot near enough (which is not a given, if it is deliberately being flown erratically and is coming in and retreating rapidly.

Also, the bullet you fine has to come down somewhere. It'll have lost lethal force after time in the air, but could still graze badly or damage property.

And I think (but am not sure) that it's a Federal crime in the US for anyone except authorised law enforcement or military personnel to shoot as a drone. And their security team is a private hire these days, isn't it?