So, do you believe the royal couples revelations made tonight?

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I did. felt more authentic than I've expected. You?

@TorringtonDean

It’s OK for Meghan to sell her story but not her dad? Would anyone be interested if she hadn’t married a Royal.

I can imagine the older generations of Royals would have taken a few deep breaths about her at the start - underlying racism, maybe. But they also work with people of all backgrounds and as she is/was so personable must have adapted quickly.

I think the real suspicion is she is a gold digger. She wanted a rich husband and celebrity and she got it. I can’t imagine dowdy, fusty palaces and the British weather are her style. She wanted the villa and the pool and now she has it all and a way of milking it for the rest of her life. Maybe Harry did want out and she was her ticket. But they do both seem very isolated now from family. Who are Harry’s friends now and what does he do apart from interviews? He was so close to his brother and that relationship is destroyed.

Lots of things were not true. He said he wasn’t allowed to ride a bike as a kid. But he did and there are pictures.

She DID NOT sell her story.

I believed Harry.

With Meghan, I think it was her version of the truth. So for example she said they got married three days before hand, they didn’t they exchanged vows, they were not legally married. The words she uses shows her perception, but the reality can be quite different.

She intimated that Archie wouldn’t be a prince because of his skin tone. But she failed to mention Archie was never destined to be a prince on birth due to laws that George put in in the early 1900s. And for him to be made a prince the queen would have to have stepped in and changed that law.

She failed to mention that the monarchy is running a veryslimmed down model, or that she snd Harry are worth over forty million and could pay for security had they chose. That none of the queens great grandkids get security paid for other than Williams.

She talked about the palace not providing a therapist when she needed help. But she failed to mention Harry was in therapy for his mother. Thsy they had access to that therapist. That they had their own home snd money, their own offices snd staff.

So I think what she presented was exactly what Oprah said, it was her truth, but it doesn’t mean it was the whole balanced truth. Because it wasn’t. It was meghans truth.

Everyone from Charles downwards bows/curtseys to the queen even in private when they first come into her presence on that occasion. Harry would do, so there is no excuse for him not telling Meghan if she didn't know....

The naivety was breath taking.

MM seemed to think that joining The Firm meant she’d just be a sparkly princess living her best life.
She apparently didn’t notice that Kate’s entire life is dressing like she’s 55 while smiling.
The rest of the time she’s under house arrest.

She also apparently didn’t appreciate how vicious and uncontrollable the press can be.

@HoppingPavlova

I had no idea that you had to curtsy to the Queen in private

You mightn’t but hard to believe Harry didn’t know after all those years. I’m betting he did. It’s really odd that he didn’t mention this to Meghan before she met granny. So either he didn’t mention it - in which case, why she’s not angry with him about it is odd. Or, he did and she didn’t want to tow the line. Or, he didn’t mention it because he thought he was so special that, while the rule applied to absolutely everyone else, granny would let his partner off the hook and have a tinkly laugh with her instead. None of those possibilities paint either of them in a good light.

There was even a bit of coverage of it when Kate joined The Firm - if I remember correctly, she has to curtsey to Beatrice and Eugenie as they are princesses of the blood and she isn’t, unless she is with Prince William in which case B & E curtsey to the Cambridges.

No, I don’t.

What the Royal Family need to do is to address the ‘issues’
Meghan and Harry have a great deal of support stateside, even President Biden has praised them
It would not be wise for the Royal Family to attack this couple

Also, silly point about the national anthem. If I married a US senator or something and suddenly had to go to things where they sang the anthem I’d either a) sing it off the hymn sheet or b) look it up and learn it. I wouldn’t expect to be spoon fed it! I expect there are hymn books at the palace and of course there is Google.

She DID NOT sell her story

She wasn’t paid for the interview itself. But this doesn’t mean they didn’t get royalties from the sale of it. Again it’s down to language used. What’s not said. That interview was sold to 49 countries for a millions and millions.

So as much as it’s factually correct they were not paid to do the interview I’d be very surprised if they didn’t receive royalties from it being sold. It’s semantics. And it’s how things are presented. It’s a version of the truth. But not necessarily the whole picture.

@Poorlykitten

I don’t understand why people are so anti Megan and Harry. They have obviously had a terrible time with the press. People should just leave it be. It’s none of anyone’s business how they lead their lives. I imagine Harry is massively scarred and therefore hyper-sensitive about what happened to his mother and probably panicked at seeing history potentially repeating itself in some way. Yes they are privileged but that doesn’t stop them feeling or hurting or having MH issues. No one here can understand what it’s like to be in that position. Lots of bitter, nasty people passing comment.

But h&m are not leaving it be, they have made it everybody's business by doing an interview with Oprah.

Something should be done about the press . It’s not just the RF it’s anyone remotely news worthy and there are also now so many outlets for people to vent their racist or nasty views.

I think by the time Williams children are of age to take the throne they will probably not want to so eventually the monarchy will fade out. The RF is not like being a celebrity it’s seems to me a tough gig.

What was with the chicken footage !?!?

There is absolutely no way she hadn't watched documentaries about princess Diana. Which would have told her everything she needed to know. Unless she assumed the palace had dropped all these protocols. Why woukd you think that? Without checking? Seems unlikely. Again she could have checked with Harry.

Ironically the RF come out of this looking better. The H&M interview was so clearly lies and a calculated launch of that reality TV star "story" that you end up feeling sorry for Charles and William (shudders, never thought I'd say that).

Just a point on the passport and keys thing. Of course these were taken from her, think about it for a second.

The passport of a senior royal is a very sensitive document. The keys to Kensington palace are also quite important and a massive security risk if lost.

I think one of the things she really didn't grasp was that being royal isn't being famous. Her every move requires some security concerns which means they can't be spontaneous. I'm sure it's super annoying having to ask if you can go anywhere but it's for their protection.

She could still access her passport as shown by the NY baby shower trip.

Something should be done about the press? Like have one state-owned media and block off all social media. How about MumsNet? Should be we allowed to discuss this big interview which was on TELEVISION. If the Royals were private individuals there wouldn’t be the interest. But they are not. They reign over us and we are a democracy so people have a right to opinions.

@ZenNudist

There is absolutely no way she hadn't watched documentaries about princess Diana. Which would have told her everything she needed to know. Unless she assumed the palace had dropped all these protocols. Why woukd you think that? Without checking? Seems unlikely. Again she could have checked with Harry.

Ironically the RF come out of this looking better. The H&M interview was so clearly lies and a calculated launch of that reality TV star "story" that you end up feeling sorry for Charles and William (shudders, never thought I'd say that).

Which bits are lies? Is it her mental health you don't believe? Or is it the racism you're denying?

@Henio would you not want to try and speak out after being ripped to shreds constantly? To try and tell your side of the story? You can’t possibly blame them for that. I’m pretty anti-royals generally and think they are a waste of space but the negative press this couple have received has been absolutely bloody diabolical. I’m ashamed of the British press, it has hounded her and hounded Harry’s mother. Misogynistic and racist. Why does anyone really give a shit what H and M do?

Why didnt Harry teach her the national anthem and how you act in front of the queen.

They have obviously had a terrible time with the press. People should just leave it be. It’s none of anyone’s business how they lead their lives

But it’s then that did this massive interview. It’s been sold to 49 countries, they chose the biggest platform they could, and they even finished it with a video of their child, they were the ones who broadcast their lives. No one asked them too

It fits with my opinion of the family... what sort of family gets a 13 and 15 year old to walk behind their dead mother's coffin in front of huge crowds and international film crew? They only care about how they look and so I'm not in the least surprised.

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-9340079/BEL-MOONEY-pity-sad-naive-damaged-souls.html

I think this is a very good analysis

Answering the original question, I think they believe what they say to be true. But they seem to be a classic couple who exist in such a tight bubble that what they perceive to be true becomes true. And the more they say it to each other the more they believe it.
I'm surprised they were not more careful with the things that can be checked.
Holes have already been picked in their narrative and by not making a proper allegation relating to racism which can be investigated and substantiated it leaves it wide open to speculation.
The media were tough on them at some points, but they also got bad press for things that they chose to do (private jets and plush baby showers).
The comments in the press were by far the worst part of it, and social media even more toxic.
I struggle like many to see why I and the rest of the British tax payers would continue to contribute towards the security of the child of a US based multi millionaire couple. They wanted financial independence wasn't that very clear? And they seem so self aware but so jarringly naive about their privilege.
A bit like 'I'm not okay' within the context of the backdrop of the African poverty. And 'we were cut off without a penny' against the backdrop of the financial and personal devastation of the pandemic just seems very Marie Antoinette. Delusional.
And Prince Harry was a bit Les Dennis having a public breakdown on Big Brother with those chickens 🐓
They are bound together by their angst; I wonder how they are feeling today. Triumphant? Happy? Satisfied? I can't shake the feeling that Harry may be feeling a bit sick at what has just happened.

The monarchs children and grandchildren, and whoever is prince of Wales at the time eldest grandchild at the time are entitled to HRH and prince/ princess etc. Princess Anne chose not to have titles for her children. Those rules were laid down in 1917. The rules were adapted in 2012 (so before Charlotte was born) to allow girls to be part of lineage.

It’s not about being a prince when it comes to the public paying for security- it’s about being a working royal. There are around 8. H &M stepped down so wouldn’t be considered working royals and therefore not eligible for security paid for by the public. There is nothing to stop them paying for security themselves though.

The security etc provided for royals was scaled down due to public pressure over the amount of people in the family who were getting money from the public purse. This was long before H&M met.

It does not make people racist to state what the protocol is. Archie had a number of titles they could choose from (until he becomes prince) including Earl and Lord. They said they wanted him ‘to be as normal as possible.’

The passport issue I’ve heard mentioned before- however, I’m not 100%. She has travelled since living with H so I’m not sure.

So I think what she presented was exactly what Oprah said, it was her truth, but it doesn’t mean it was the whole balanced truth. Because it wasn’t. It was meghans truth

You can't believe Harry but doubt her version, they are a couple and he seems able to make his own decisions etc.

But of course it wasn't balanced, its their perception of what happened, it was however a joint interview.

Agree on the 'press, they are feral and because of little or no legal aid, only the wealthy can take court action against them, we aren't talking about news but pure vicious gossip.

And the tennis match she attended in America. Plus her trips to see her mother.

If their allegations had been put into aibu , they would either have been laughed at ( my dad won’t fund my expensive lifestyle) or they would have been told to go NC (racism) If they asked if they should air their grievances over Facebook they would have been told absolutely not.

This is all so sad and could/should have been handled differently by both sides.