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

[Roussette]

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

Ooh, the tiara catalogue! Put me down for a copy.

I am smiling at the thought of Harry secretly knowing about tiara protocols due a love of tiaras... and finding it outrageous that the protocol for him trying on a tiara is different from his fiancée

Awe now I have an image of Harry as a child sitting on his granny's knee and her letting him try on all the tiaras (after he's circled them in the Argos tiara catalogue ).

What we would all give for access to the jewels and tiaras. I would have become Angela Kelly's very bestest friend

@AnneOfQueenSables

I have just read that Times review of Finding Freedom. I remember the Fiji market an at the time it was just reported that the protection officer quickly ushered M out of the market and away. At the time it was implied that the officer was not satisfied that it was a secure or safe place for M.

The Time review uses the word meltdown in referring to that incident but they dont say what they thought it was about or what actually happened. To me 'meltdown' implies a total loss of control. It is as if the review is hinting at a particular version of without spelling that out. I find that a bit unpleasant to be honest

I am not sure what H&M expected to happen when they announced that they would not work with the Royal Rota but reading that review it feels a bit as if the gloves are off

Times review looks a reasonable write up. Yes, I know I would say that.

Meercat I wonder if the idea is we have to buy the book to find out more about the mysterious Fiji incident?

Keep them gagging for more!

I was truly in awe of how M coped on that tour. Just married, just pregnant and being thrown into all that. I remember how bone crushingly tired I felt in the early stages of pregnancy. Being in a hot crowded place and feeling sick and tired, it must have been awful. Not to mention the worlds press following your every move. I don’t know if it was their choice, but not well advised.

The Fiji incident isn't in the book. That's the point the Times' reviewer is making.
Actually I think the Times may be trying to garner favour with their readers. There have been lots of BTL comments about the fact The Times shouldn't have been serialising Finding Freedom in the first place. That it's poorly written and it's a waste of subscription fees, etc.

I’ve been to Fiji and it isn’t the heat that gets to you, it’s the humidity. It is pointless having a hair salon appointment. You can have a lovely blow dry in an air conditioned salon and then as soon as you walk outside to your car, the humidity flattens your hair and your scalp starts sweating. Also, a traditional market will have a wet fish stall. I strongly suspect that Meghan caught a whiff of something and started retching which is a) speculation but b) completely understandable and she did very well not to puke up all over the floor.

Oh sorry. I hadn't realised.

@OVienna sorry I've just read back over my comment and I didn't mean to sound grumpy or short. Multi-tasking and failing miserably!

You didn't, it's fine.

Great to see the thread back Roussette!

I’ll admit I was surprised to see they’d serialised the book in the Times, it seems more like something the Mail/Mail on Sunday would do.

Hi DaveCoaches... long time no see

Funny where you bump into people isn't it... 🤣

@DaveCoaches

Great to see the thread back Roussette!

I’ll admit I was surprised to see they’d serialised the book in the Times, it seems more like something the Mail/Mail on Sunday would do.

Both are published by companies owned by News Corp.

@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.

I've seen that's what the mail are reporting (and it sounds plausible) but Omid is the one that's not giving any explanation about the incident, just accusing AK of dragging her feet but not saying more.

Aside of the practicalities of access to the tiara which clearly would involve an established security protocol and a series of staff, if AK was in Windsor it's rather ridiculous to rock up to Buck House, snap your fingers and expect her to materialise at a moments notice.
Harry could have been expected to work that one out.

Totally irrelevant but only once have I had reason to access the hospital safe (a patient arrived with their life savings in cash in their handbag). That is also a long winded procedure with security too. I was amazed, when we got there - I expected a handful of items in a smallish safe, but it's a big walk in secure cupboard and seemed to be stashed with stuff. I can't help wondering if things get put in there and patients perhaps die or get discharged to a home, and none of the relatives know they have precious items in the hospital safe. Doubt there are any decent tiaras though.

The visit to the market in Fiji was cut short for what was said at the time to be "crowd management issues" - quite a bit was written about it at the time I think because it was about the only point of potential controversy in a very successful tour. Plus the fact that the Personal Protection Officer working with Meghan on the trip resigned shortly afterwards. But I don't think there's anything in the public domain as to the reasons for either, or indeed if they are even connected. It's obviously quite possible that there are stories circulating in the press pack that they don't publish, however!

Is it wrong of me to be hoping that the fracas over a short-notice request for access to a tiara leads to us learning more about how the process works? Because magpie me would love to know more about royal jewel logistics! I can imagine however that the priceless jewels are kept in a very secure location with a lot of access protocols - it's not like going and getting a hat from a box off the wardrobe shelf.

I wonder though if it would be a security issue to know more about the access protocols. Which is probably why we don't know!

Yes, Fanny that would be my view too.

But I find that with US colleagues (and I can be guilty of it myself too): immediate response can be required and it can be considered very professional not to be seen to be breaking a back to accommodate a request. But your "emergency" isn't everyone else's and you can't just assume they will clear the decks to deal with your "urgent matter."

Who knows what really happened but again if it's like what you've described I doubt MM would have thought she was being unreasonable. Palace on the other hand...!!!! Culture clash.

And if for whatever reason there was a little ill feeling towards MM, the delay in getting the tiara for her, well perfect opportunity to put her in her place so to speak whilst saying it was down to protocol.

This all just sounds like normal workplace politics to me, to be perfectly honest!

Marking place but not commenting as my comments don't seem to cut the mustard.