A positive thread on Harry and Meghan (aka Thread 6)

[Mummy195]

@rousette

I'm sure you won't mind that your excellent link gets 'pinned'.

Some of the things MM did before marrying H.

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1282990766097301504.html

Oh yes Sophie too. She’s wonderful.

I think Catherine is amazing. As a role model, she's right up there with Anne and Camilla as my favourite royals, although Sophie's earned her spurs too.

The media were just as horrible to Kate, especially before they got married.

I remember all the headlines of 'waity Katie', the digs about her not having a proper job, the constant harassment by the paparazzi hanging around outside her apartment. I even remember them slagging her mum, stating she was a social climber who purposely put Kate in William's way so she could make her daughter the future Queen (and how she was plotting to get Pippa with Harry).

But Kate kept her head down, worked hard and rarely complained and by doing so won the hearts of the general public. A lot has leaked about Meghan, whether it her own family, friends or courtiers, which shows she isn't being discreet. Then she publicly complains and files lawsuits against people/establishments. If she would have kept her head down and 'hit the ground running running' like she said wanted to, things would have blown over eventually. There was enough good will to keep public opinion of her fairly positive of she had weathered the storm.

@MeghanSussex

I think Catherine is amazing. As a role model, she's right up there with Anne and Camilla as my favourite royals, although Sophie's earned her spurs too.

Yes I feel the same 😉

I just commented on the Anne thread how she carries out her duties perfectly. She understands that her role is to bring attention to the events she attends and the organisations behind those events. There’s no attempt to court attention herself.

I think she’s the royal I’d most like to meet.

Kate has really grown into her role. I still think public speaking intimidates her - but that isn’t unusual.

When you consider all the dreadful things that were written about her (Hilary Mantel springs to mind), her family and her relationship you really do have to take your hat off to her.

I especially respected that they invited Uncle Gary to the wedding even though he had an unsavoury reputation.

Or it could be that some posters just get so cross that they for the purpose of discussion take a more extreme position than they actually hold....

I think that is the case with both sides of the fence actually. Good point.

Well said Rousette 👏🏼

I wonder who guided Kate when she joined the Royal Family? Obviously she had a lot longer to get to know them, but she must have needed some tips. Sophie? Anne? She certainly doesn't seem to have put a foot wrong - even when people are spreading vicious and unfounded rumours about her DH.

Yes , rumours about Edward circulated for years!
Wasn't she accused of being a sham bride?

i always have an image of Kate that she get home, changes into comfy clothes and gets down on the floor with the kids.
I think she does her "job" well.
but truth be told I don't think any of the royal actually work hard. its not like they are working 8-6 every day.

I just watched the Anne at 70 documentary and she said there is no such thing as training to be a royal. It’s all about observing for several years and learning from those who’ve been doing it longest.

I imagine William had a few years to prep her whilst they dated. Then from the engagement onwards she’s had the help and advice of courtiers and personal staff. The royals do seem to have a person for everything.

Dusting those enormous mansions must be a bloody nightmare, though. And I bet they are full of spiders. That’s a full time job in itself.

OS kept retweeting his frustration that ppl thinking this is an H&M autobiography

If it helps, an autobiography is what someone writes about themselves (hence the "auto")
A biography, on the other hand, is what an author writes about someone else

Hence this tawdry tome can't be an autobiography, because H&M didn't write it

@alliwantisagoodnightssleep

Kate has really grown into her role. I still think public speaking intimidates her - but that isn’t unusual.

When you consider all the dreadful things that were written about her (Hilary Mantel springs to mind), her family and her relationship you really do have to take your hat off to her.

I especially respected that they invited Uncle Gary to the wedding even though he had an unsavoury reputation.

Again, I'd forgotten all about the Hilary Mantel comments, horrible Uncle Gary. There's loads of other examples to! How the media blew up the nurse's suicide after Prince George's birth (this must have been really difficult for them personally), digs that the royal family mocking her for being common which includes 'toiletgate', people criticising her weight and speculating she suffers from eating disorders.

She has done very well in overcoming it all with such dignity. And it goes to show that if you ignore things, despite now hurtful it all is, it will all blow over eventually.

I especially respected that they invited Uncle Gary to the wedding even though he had an unsavoury reputation
Yy I always thought that was a very good decision.
The European royalty that have a Princess/Prince bootcamp for new members is also a great idea.It's such a steep learning curve to join the RF.

@YouSayWhat

Dusting those enormous mansions must be a bloody nightmare, though. And I bet they are full of spiders. That’s a full time job in itself.

i would be no good. I hate dusting.

Uncle Gary...the Uncle Knobhead of the Middleton family 😆

...well the Middleton children

What was toilet gate?
Kate did put up with a lot, looking back. I guess perhaps having such a strong family behind her helped.

Ah, Hilary Mantel. I acknowledge, in line with her then supporters, the piece was more nuanced than the tabloids made out.

However, I'd still not relish, if I were Kate, the summary of my life she'd drawn up and published not in a tabloid, which most people would write off, but in the London Review of Books, with its gloss of credibility. Yes, I'd have been tearful, esp when followed up with the headlines.

Those with the desire to do so can read for themselves whether it's reasonable:

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v35/n04/hilary-mantel/royal-bodies

I wonder if Harry thinks that William should have gone to bat for Kate with legal writs here and there around waitey katey, doors to manuel, etc.

OS kept retweeting his frustration that ppl thinking this is an H&M autobiography

I’d be surprised if he really is frustrated since publicity and speculation is undoubtedly helping to sell more copies and earn him money. I think if he hadn’t want to trade on the speculation about the book he would have been categoric from the start instead of using clever phrasing that could imply some form of cooperation. Ultimately though, it’s completely understandable as he wrote the book to be able to sell it and this is how to make something more sellable.

I would like to know whether he genuinely believes he has written something positive and favourable, as was often frequently touted, or not.

Camilla Long is utterly vile in The Tines about the Middletowns.

Toiletgate was a ribbing that Carole got for saying THE T word when she should have said Loo, or more preferably, the Lav.

@AnneOfQueenSables , Sweden has that. I believe it is some etiquette, but also some constitutional law and the place of the monarchy if I remember correctly. The wife of the prince Carl Philip (second in line like Harry) did that.

She was the one starting out as a tattooed glamour model and reality show participant with horrendous press coverage.

Last thing I read, she was volunteering at a Swedish hospital (were she is a patron) during the coronavirus pandemic. Volunteering as a help to the nurses (took a short course to do that), so nothing glamorous. She gets a lot of good press these days.

Ah yes. Actually doing something instead of talking about wanting others to do something : aka give money!