Harry & Meghan, all welcome (aka positive thread, now renamed!)

[Roussette]

Here we are, let's inform, discuss, share and respect.

[FannyCann]

wonder what will happen when old Murdoch (89 years old) moves on.

Is he still married to Jerry Hall? Maybe divvying up the estate will be interesting...

[SunbathingDragon]

Apparently, M did not acknowledge TM’s recent birthday

Has she acknowledged them for the last couple of years though? Regardless of the belief about everything that has happened between them, I think it’s clear that there is a rift there so not really a surprise that a birthday acknowledgement hasn’t been made.

[YouSayWhat]

Thanks for the new thread Roussette 🙏

Wow - that DM article

[TofinoSurf]

I wonder what Omid will have to say about that article as he furiously denied the previous tiara article.

The extract so far only points the finger at AK for 'dragging her feet' but doesn't elaborate on what exactly she was dragging her feet about. If it was a minor misunderstanding you would think it would be explained better and also not put blame anywhere.

I appreciate we've only seen extracts so far though and there may be further detail in the book.

[StartupRepair]

Rupert Murdoch has done incalculable damage to individuals and governments over decades. One son stepping away means one potentially dissenting voice has gone from the top table.

[StartupRepair]

I know it is the DM but I think their version of tiaragate sounds the most plausible. More likely than Meghan insisting on an emerald tiara that no-one else knew about.

[AnneOfQueenSables]

I wonder if there is something going on behind the scenes in the US media and social media. First, Serena's DH leaves Reddit. Now, James leaving NewsCorp. It's as though they're admitting they can't stop the slide to the right or that they can't be bothered trying.

[ButteryPuffin]

Oof. I doubt they have convinced anyone that they had zero involvement in this book.

[AnneOfQueenSables]

I agree with the last line. From reading extracts, Finding Freedom reflects poorly on everyone.
I've been thinking about my dream author for a biography of H&M. I'm opting for Chris Heath - who wrote Robbie Williams' biographies. His biographies are some of the best I have read. He has a real knack for detail and for covering different views.

[GlorianaCervixia]

Chris Heath is fantastic, I loved his books about the Pet Shop Boys. He’s never afraid to let his subjects look ridiculous when needed.

The Times review is interesting. I agree that there was plenty of good will towards the two of them in the beginning. I don’t know what the reference is to a meltdown in Fiji, though? Is that a real story or just internet rumour?

[YouSayWhat]

Meghan was whisked our of a Fiji market suddenly and very quickly. At the time most of us assumed it was a) the heat b) an attack of mosquitoes (don’t forget zika virus) c) morning sickness.

[GlorianaCervixia]

Ah, thank you. Yes, I’d guess morning sickness too although it could be a thousand other things. Doesn’t seem like a big enough deal to make mention of in the book or the Times review.

[GalaxyCake]

I find the reference to Fiji quite petty and strongly wonder if the reviewer was a man! She was in the first trimester, the market looked like it was 40C and she did try to leave as discreetly as she could. It was hardly a “meltdown“ which sounds like she threw a tantrum or something. I was impressed she pulled through the tour at all. There was another morning event that she stayed home for, which indicates she wasn‘t 100% well at the time.

However that trip proves that M&H are not total hypochondriacs. They were ok travelling to a country with a controlled risk of Zika despite being in the early stages of a first geriatric pregnancy. The quality of healthcare was probably not as good at the UK and they took all that into account.

So that‘s what makes the fact that Archie has been kept home for 8 months more puzzling. Yes people can argue that there‘s a pandemic going on but everyone knows you won‘t drop dead the moment you breathe air outside your home, which is what some are making it sound like. H&M are seasoned travellers and never avoided countries where the risk of getting infected with other viruses were quite a bit higher.

Anyway, writing any more will most likely be deemed as speculation and/or racism by MN so I just wanted to leave that as an observation.

[YouSayWhat]

I think it is a privacy thing about Archie. I suppose (speculatively) they think that they are fair game for the paps but they don’t want a child papped. They don’t have the huge security and car convoys that they once had and I suppose they are not prepared to take the risk of a pap attack or a kidnap attempt. I don’t think this is about coronavirus at all.

[trixiebelden77]

I don’t understand why Harry would be involved. It reminds me of when I was a kid (as was he) and books about his parents were being released with varying degrees of cooperation from both.

He must remember that, and what a mess it was. Why head down the same path?

I felt really positive about them previously - some of the charitable stuff they did seemed so fresh and involved some groups not previously embraced by the royals. But I can’t understand this.

[Roussette]

I agree, Ithink it's a mixture of reasons. And who knows, maybe they have been out and not been papped?

*clearedfortakeoff' no I didn't see that documentary about the Murdochs, I see there's 3episodes, I must watch.
As far as James leaving, his wife is an enviromentalist and I read that Rupert used to be a climate change denier, even though he did soften his view in latter years.
In his resignation letter (which apparently was out the blue) he wrote.. 'My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company's news outlets and certain other strategic decisions.'
Not surprising.

That Times article is quite caustic isn't it... but then it is an opinion on a book that gives an opinion.

[AnneOfQueenSables]

The Times has very traditional views about how people in the 'establishment' should behave. It's quite comforting in a way but it does mean that they are big on protocol, tradition and the RF. It was supportive of H&M when they married but seems to feel H&M have not managed their departure well.
The Fiji reference implies there is a story that everyone in the media knows but that didn't make the pages.At the time, I thought it was just security considerations that made them sweep M out of the market - not a threat to her but her feeling overwhelmed by how busy and crushed it was.

[Roussette]

I agree Anne, yes a very traditional view so it will appeal to it's reader base.

[mrscampbellblackagain]

I read that review in the times yesterday and wondered what the fiji comments were about, sounds definitely like something happened that wasn't reported at the time. Although that may well just have been that she felt like she was going to be sick being as she was pregnant.

I do think Harry going after Angela Kelly was stupid. The latest version of tiaragate also just shows how Harry wasn't guiding Meghan. I can see she would have thought it was perfectly reasonable to ask to see the tiara with her hairdresser and wouldn't have known all the protocol involved. Harry would have known it doesn't work like that and should have advised her. If the story is true of course.

[KatherineParr4]

The extract so far only points the finger at AK for 'dragging her feet' but doesn't elaborate on what exactly she was dragging her feet about.

Apparently M flew her hairdresser in from Paris at short notice, then phoned AK to ask her to come down to Buckingham Palace right away to produce the tiara. AK explained that she couldn’t get away immediately and that the process for unlocking the cases etc had to be organised in advance. She needed to make an appointment. M was apparently not happy with this.

[AnneOfQueenSables]

Harry would have known it doesn't work like that and should have advised her
In lots of areas I think this is true but I'm not sure 'how to get a Royal tiara out of vault' is one where Harry would have lots of knowledge about the protocol.

[mrscampbellblackagain]

I would imagine Harry knew things move slowly at the palace and you just don't phone up and expect a tiara to appear in 30 minutes. Am assuming it doesn't work like argos click n collect

[AnneOfQueenSables]

I am enjoying the image of it working like click n collect. No need to cancel the RF tiara catalogue like they have done with the Argos one.