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

[selectabo]

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

@McEwan

Exactly. I think because we are all so used to seeing and thinking of William and Harry as a pair that we forget that to the royals, as harsh as it is, only one of them is really important.

I also think because of the longevity of the Queen, we forget the parallels. Archie is now akin to how David Armstrong-Jones and Sarah Chatto were once (who? exactly!)

Completely agree.

Harry has been hugely high profile his whole life, mainly due to this mother and then her tragic death.

He and William have always been seen as a pair but now that they have both married it is clear that they are on divergent paths as William moved towards being king and Harry is now no longer even the 'spare'.

I assume Harry doesn't like this and feels it's unfair going by his behaviour now, and Meghan has freely admitted she doesn't understand the intricacies of how the royal family works and succession etc so she is railing against it because she's looking at William and Kate - who could reasonably be seen as their equivalents outside of royalty due to similar profiles, age, parents of young children etc - and feeling that she, Harry and Archie have been rejected and insulted.

On the subject of race I think Obama summed it up perfectly in his A More Perfect Union speech.

So less divisive.

In that speech he recognised the casually racist remarks the older generation of his own family had made in the past but that those remarks didn't define them as human beings, those remarks were not the sum of their value as people.

I really encourage anyone who hasn't heard it to listen to that speech.

It is an example of how you can use your platform to try and bring people together as opposed to push people apart.

A massive opportunity was missed.

A massive opportunity was missed to build bridges. A massive opportunity was taken to raise their profile and money-making opportunities...

As for the wedding - bear in mind that Charles and Camilla went more low key with no problems at all.

Hmmm. The couple who had an affair and who everyone had complete sympathy for “the people’s princess” Diana over their treatment? You really think they could have had a different wedding and not been hauled over the coals for it?

And Beatrice and Eugenia - who’s dad has ties to a well known sex offender and paedophile.

Of course these weddings have no comparison to H&M

Eugenie and co. always knew they would have to make their own way in the world. Harry didn't. He's a middle aged man with no career.

But he is the one who is chosen to not do the role he has grown up expecting to do?!? The role his family wanted him to do and would have probably loved if he'd have continued to do.

He didn't need to step back from it. If he hadn't done that then he would have his 'career'.

The time frame is SO short from day 1 with Meghan to where we are now - between their marriage and stepping back it was barely 18 months. It seems they rushed into everything so quickly and made some very hasty decisions which will now impact their whole lives, forever.

Yes to republicanism being on the up. All the young ones in my family are that way inclined.

I believe the Royal household are having meetings to prepare a response. I wonder what that will be? I’m expecting it to be a dignified and truthful response, unlike H&Ms appearance with Oprah.

Meghan said quite clearly that she understood that Archie would not be a prince because he is only a great-grandson of the monarch. Her issue is that she had been told that he would not be made a prince AFTER CHARLES BECOMES KING.

This would mean he would not be treated the same as Beatrice and Eugenie.

It's to do with Charles' "slimmed down monarchy," but I can see why it would upset her.

I also wouldn't be surprised if there was an element of 'let's wait and see if she sticks around first' about some of these decisions.

The bit about Meghan having to endure other people in the room listening in when she spoke to Oprah on the phone before the wedding would have been because they were worried that she might be the type of person to agree to do an interview with Oprah. How dare they! But they were right.

Could be a self-fulfilling prophecy though.

@ShallowCoastalWaters

On the subject of race I think Obama summed it up perfectly in his A More Perfect Union speech.

So less divisive.

In that speech he recognised the casually racist remarks the older generation of his own family had made in the past but that those remarks didn't define them as human beings, those remarks were not the sum of their value as people.

I really encourage anyone who hasn't heard it to listen to that speech.

It is an example of how you can use your platform to try and bring people together as opposed to push people apart.

A massive opportunity was missed.

Obama is class all the way and an exceptionally intelligent and thoughtful person - he really does have all the gifts. With the greatest of respect, I dont think Meghan has the capacity to think or operate at that level in terms of creating a platform for exploring these kind of issues in a measured and nuanced way. Just being a mixed race woman who happened to fall in love with a high profile figure doesn't confer her with any special gifts, she is clever enough to have gotten what she wants in life but the capacity to go beyond that is limited I fear.

Harry didn't. He's a middle aged man with no career.

Thought he was going to be a career soldier?

I can't believe how many people think Meghan should have shut her mouth like a good little girl and not come out against the wrong doings or the lies of the palace.

If it was a thread on Mumsnet it would have been full of LTB

The clue was at the end when she spoke about how you tell a story. There are grains of truth in what they said, but Oprah made it all sound way more sensational than it actually was. They should have just left to enjoy their wealth and their growing family under the radar - they would have been happy so would everyone else have wished them well (well, I for one would have). This was all just shit stirring, stuff that you would do far better to sort out within the family. A decent sit down and face to face could have sorted out their issues. That's not going to be possible now. But their money making opportunities have increased. The outcome is usually what someone planned, as my old boss used to say.

And on the subject of security how on earth did they think it would work.

When Oprah questioned him on it - Harry casually mentioned 'my UK security'. As though there was no question in his mind that this security would follow him around the world. These British police protection officers would follow him to where ever he decided to locate himself. What about their lives and their families??

If it wasn't British police what was the expectation. Who did he expect would pay for it?

I think Megan gave such a self- pityting performance. Not sure why Oprah didn't push her on stuff like - " what could possibly be so upsetting about the bridesmaids dresses? What exactly was said?" Or how about, "was there ever a time where you guys got it wrong? Where you apologised? Where your own behaviour could have been better?" They constantly cry victim - so self- involved and self-indulged. Why don't they just live a private life? No need for the theatre. The amount of self- indulgence was incredible - do they have any idea of real hardship in life? I don't believe they are telling the truth on everything - it's a one sided victim version of events by 2 spoilt individuals. Even if everything they said is true - sorry but there are WAY worse hardships and injustices in life than this. I just can't pity the super rich sitting with Oprah in mansion gardens whining about how unfair life is.

I can't believe how many people think Meghan should have shut her mouth like a good little girl and not come out against the wrong doings or the lies of the palace.

I don't think she should have to keep her mouth shut but I do think she shouldn't have lied so blatantly during her interview and expect to get away with no one calling her out on those lies.

Why on earth would people think it must be lies over the truth? Just why? it's like how covid must be fake because oh the truth isn't nice.

@Doris86

I believe the Royal household are having meetings to prepare a response. I wonder what that will be? I’m expecting it to be a dignified and truthful response, unlike H&Ms appearance with Oprah.

Truthful coming from the palace?

Mm.

@Same4Walls

I can't believe how many people think Meghan should have shut her mouth like a good little girl and not come out against the wrong doings or the lies of the palace.

I don't think she should have to keep her mouth shut but I do think she shouldn't have lied so blatantly during her interview and expect to get away with no one calling her out on those lies.

What proof do you have she lied? Apart from surmising that YOU think she has lied.

Why don't the palace come out and tell their side then if they are lying?

I think that there was probably some truth in it, but I also think that a lot was dramatised by Megan. She's very eloquent but seems very insincere to me.

I think she got a certain amount of joy out of doing this interview and she came across as rather spiteful. Harry came a cross a bit better but quite wet.

I can see why they both wanted out of the family and the U.K. though.

@BellamyBells

Why on earth would people think it must be lies over the truth? Just why? it's like how covid must be fake because oh the truth isn't nice.

Why would anyone think it should all be true just because Meghan and Harry siad it is? Some of what they said has already been proven to be either a complete lie or very clearly twisted. By some of it not being true it casts doubt on any of it being accurate.

@tisonlymeagain
My point was that they asked for a blended approach. Price Edward gets money from the Queen AND private ventures. The fact that you have to be fully in or out just doesn’t wash. They could have supported H&M pursuing their own commercial interests but they chose not to.

You could tell as well that Meghan had a tick box of points that had to get covered - as at times she seemingly volunteered very controversial stuff that Oprah hadn't even asked.

The point of Archies skin colour for example - Meghan brought that up in response to a completely different question.

@Curtainsclosedplease

I think Megan gave such a self- pityting performance. Not sure why Oprah didn't push her on stuff like - " what could possibly be so upsetting about the bridesmaids dresses? What exactly was said?" Or how about, "was there ever a time where you guys got it wrong? Where you apologised? Where your own behaviour could have been better?" They constantly cry victim - so self- involved and self-indulged. Why don't they just live a private life? No need for the theatre. The amount of self- indulgence was incredible - do they have any idea of real hardship in life? I don't believe they are telling the truth on everything - it's a one sided victim version of events by 2 spoilt individuals. Even if everything they said is true - sorry but there are WAY worse hardships and injustices in life than this. I just can't pity the super rich sitting with Oprah in mansion gardens whining about how unfair life is.

She didn't push them on anything, I think it was pretty clear it was never about giving a comprehensive interview. It was about telling their side and getting people on their side.

@BigFatLiar

Harry didn't. He's a middle aged man with no career.

Thought he was going to be a career soldier?

Didn't he leave when he couldn't/didn't want to progress any further as it would have involved a desk job?