I wonder if reconciliation is possible?

[sunnyblackwidow]

With Prince Philip now gone, the queen not as robust as she once was and grieving her loss, Prince Charles looked distraught today, Harry with a new baby on the way, memories of Diana's funeral today....I wonder if now isn't the perfect time for them to just all get together show their love for each other and clear the air (perhaps without Meghan's presence as she seems to inflame things).

I think it'll be telling how long Harry chooses to stay in the UK before he returns to the US (a clear indication of whether he's willing to hang around for a little while to mend fences or rush back home to Meghan and Oprah and Gail) I really wish the best for them all, family is everything but I'm not holding my breath.

The Willow Crossley wreath?
I felt that was nothing, but hey... I suppose some people did.

@Whereisthewarmth I had a similar conversation with my mum at the weekend-added to that she did a royal tour whilst newly pregnant and then one with a relatively young baby.

I had my first baby at 36 and I thought it would all be manageable because I had worked for years and would be able to organise myself. It wasn’t like that for me and it was like being hit with a sledgehammer.

Not presuming it was like that for her, because of course I don’t know, but it was a lot of stuff all in a short space of time and would possibly take a toll on most people

Whereisthewarmth

I totally agree. H and M are welcome to a free pass to build a new life that isn't consumed by the media. For me, and I'm sure others, the fact they are doing so on the Oprah show stops their credibility having any kind of value.

A leak is a leak and please don’t say that some leaks are more leaks than others in order to fit the agenda.

@Samcro

She was 19/20 he was 32 I cannot get my head around why her family didn't say NO, slow down, at least get to know him first. because she was marrying the future king. it was pretty much a arranged marriage.

I think her family totally let her down. She had a distant relationship with her mother who left when she was young. Her father had a new wife that she didn’t get on with. Her father had been Equerry to the Queen, so probably felt it was huge kudos that his daughter was marrying into the RF. The sisters weren’t much use , one of them being married to Robert Fellowes who worked for the RF. Another sister had been a previous gf of Charles. Her brother was at school I think. She had a few friends but they were very young also, and all seemed to be awe struck. She had no concept what she was getting into.

@coodawoodashooda

Whereisthewarmth

I totally agree. H and M are welcome to a free pass to build a new life that isn't consumed by the media. For me, and I'm sure others, the fact they are doing so on the Oprah show stops their credibility having any kind of value.

Yes absolutely.

@mermaidsariel Thanks for that info. I didn't realise her BIL also worked for the RF.
I kind of understand both families pushed for the wedding and can get the motivation on the RF side, Charles needed to reproduce . I just don't get what her family were thinking.

What is worse is that when things went wrong they just didn’t seem to be there for her.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=robert+fellowes&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

@coodawoodashooda

Whereisthewarmth

I totally agree. H and M are welcome to a free pass to build a new life that isn't consumed by the media. For me, and I'm sure others, the fact they are doing so on the Oprah show stops their credibility having any kind of value.

They lost a lot of support doing that including mine. If they'd gone off to do their own thing, stand on their own feet, nobody would think much off it. But the contractions in what they are saying and their actions is unbelievable. "We want privacy" while telling the world in a talk show about private conversations.

Did nobody tell them actions speak louder than words?

Lovely photo of Prince Louis on his birthday. He looks a very happy little boy off to nursery.

It made me think of the unhappy lives so many royals seem to have had. The Queen's father didn't seem to have a very happy childhood and being King and public speaking seemed a terrible burden for him. The Queen did seem to have a happy childhood but Prince Philip's childhood seemed pretty awful. Charles got pushed to be something he wasn't, he always seemed like a boy who needed a more protected environment than Gordonstoun which might be a wonderful environment for some children but just didn't seem like a good fit for him. William and Harry had a pretty turbulent childhood from what we see on the outside and of course the terrible blow of their mother's death.

Even going back further Queen Victoria didn't get on with most, maybe all, of her children, she had a difficult childhood herself and from what I remember of history the Georgians always seemed to have a bad relationship between the King and his heir.

I hope George, Charlotte and Louis as well as their cousin Archie and his unborn sister get a better deal. It isn't just about money and status is it, a secure happy family life is so important.

@mermaidsariel I think all that was true. Johnnie Spencer was desperate for one of his daughters to marry PC, the Spencer’s are one of the oldest aristocratic families frankly the Hanoverians are blow ins in comparison! And had long had ambitions.

Diana did grow up in Royal circles, they lived at Park House at Sandringham when she was a child, but it was Andrew and Edward who were her peers not Charles. He had dated Sarah for a while but she already had ED and hated the attention and Jane, probably the most suitable,was also sensible enough to run a mile.

Diana idolised her father and hated Raine ( with some justification) with a passion. Marrying Charles was a way to get her fathers attention. She already had quite a few issues, her mother left when she was 6 I think and her grandmother, the infamous Lady Fermoy, testified against her own daughter in the custody case despite rumours of domestic violence. Apparently her mother was horrified when the engagement was announced.

It was Lady Fermoy who cooked up the marriage with the Queen Mother. Frankly they were both misled and let down by their families.

A leak is a leak and please don’t say that some leaks are more leaks than others in order to fit the agenda.

@Ocsetldil
Please don't do this... I felt this thread was getting good for discussion despite polarised views.

I have not said anything like that. I just said it didn't worry me but it obviously did some other people.

I have no agenda. I just have opinions, like you have opinions.

They came from a different era when it was acceptable to marry for breeding purposes and for husband and wife to go their own ways whilst keeping up the marriage appearance.

This middle class idea of a nuclear family and the couple being friends and in an exclusive relationship was “surprising” to the old guard and I read Mountbatten advised Charles not to worry, he could carry on as before and just knock out an heir and a spare with Diana.

The late 20th century came a-knocking though...

Lovely photo of Prince Louis on his birthday. He looks a very happy little boy off to nursery

It's a lovely photo, he's a smiley little boy. I bet the bike was his birthday present!

There's also a photo of Archie out there too. Not arranged to clash with the Louis photo, but obviously papped. He looks so much like Harry to me from what I remember of him as a baby.

I agree, Rousette, Prince Louis looks gorgeous.

a*ncientgran - "....... a secure happy family life is so important."
*
That's why I was sad when I read about the KM/ RH falling out.
Would William be that stupid ?

@ancientgran what was wrong with the Queens Fathers childhood?
I agree PPhilips was pretty awful, father disappearing, mothers MH. The best summary of it is if he wasn't so well connected he'd have ended up in care.

I can understand why Philip wanted his boys to go to Gordonston. He hoped it would toughen them up. Philip had needed to stand on his own two feet from such a young age and thought they should too.

In recent years Charles really seems to have grown into someone I can picture as King, but he didn't seem in anyway leader when he was in his younger years.

Actually when I saw the photo, half asleep at least, I thought they meant Archie and I thought how grown up he looked for his age. Had a coffee now so that seems a bit ridiculous. I haven't seen the one of Archie, is it on a newspaper site? I'd like to look to confirm how ridiculous my mistake really was.

I'll go and have a google.

I saw a joke online yesterday that said that even if you are the grandson of the queen and son of a princess, you still have to do what your wife says. Might only be a joke but it speaks volumes.

People don't seem to know what leaking is.

A press release or press statement is not leaking. Confirming that you are doing ABCD when the press ask what are you doing for this occasion is not leaking. Anything from the publicity office is not leaking. A named source who directly says something showing a face and name is not leaking.

Talking on the side and saying don't say who said it, just say source is leaking. Showing the press a confidential email / message without the other party involved knowing that you are doing that is leaking - if all the parties involved in the conversation agree to all come out and show the email/communicaiton, that is a statement / press release.

I think I found it, is it the one of him in some dark blue dungarees with a check shirt? He does look like his dad, I love his hair (biased red head strikes again.) I've never searched for a photo of him before and was quite shocked at all the speculation and comments about his eyes. I'd never heard that before. I might be over sensitive, one of mine had eye surgery twice when he was about Archie's age so it touched a nerve.

@Roussette

Yes, the articles say the bike was a birthday present.

Archie looks just like H. The picture was taken on Wednesday, and one of the Murdock rags bought it and made sure to release it today, so the haters can she MM is trying to upstage Louis.

@ancientgran

He is wearing a beanie , so you can't see his hair and he is also wearing a grey jumper and jeans, trainers. No check shirt.

And there is nothing wrong with his eyes

Louis looks very cute on his new bike!

Maybe I'm far too cynical but I suspect sometimes the paps are told where certain individuals will be at a certain time. 🤔