Revenge - by Tom Bower

[TideTimeSea]

As the other thread has filled up I wondered if anyone would like to discuss the book here. I’m listening to it on Audible now.

They really do not.
The "behind the scenes" charity work is always "leaked". It is simply PR.

I don’t care about the royals especially , but I do work in a charity and the royal patron does get involved behind the scenes and it’s not all leaked . I don’t think the one I am involved in has ever been leaked to the press. They do a lot of stuff which doesn’t get noticed except by our staff and beneficiaries and have also completed a relevant qualification.

I think that that under the radar approach just wouldn't have appealed to Meghan in particular, because celebrity is all about boosting your own individual profile whereas royalty is about continuity and the greater good. It was a fundamental mismatch from the off.

I found it a really depressing insight into how ‘celebrity’ works. So much fakery and manipulation. It made me feel quite ill.
Clearly, M had no clue about what the differences were between Royalty and mega celebrity. She was totally unsuited to the life she had married into, yet with a little research and observation she should have understood a lot more than she did. I think it was a case of not believing her luck so turning a blind eye to the downsides.

I don’t think she comes out of the book well at all. Harry is sucked into that world and there will never be an escape for him now. However much he hated being a zoo animal in the RF, he’s a circus animal now , and his wife is the ringmaster. Not sure that’s preferable in any way.

so the Book id factual. did the writer actually meet Meghan?

Why would Meghan come out well in a book where the author plainly states that he hopes his writing bring them down? destroy their reputation in America?

Same man who said Meghan Markle was "nothing"

Same author who called her a brazen hussy for smiling out a car window?

Where was this 'escape' narrative when Harry was falling out of clubs, fighting papz, pictured naked in Vegas and drinking himself silly?

Harry is a circus animal now...this is laughable. We only see H&M when they've got work to do or programs to promote. Polo, Invictus Games, UN speech etc Pray tell where is the circus--ing?

Of course, Meghan is the ring master, the controlling wife, oh misogyny, we can always count on you.

I know it hurts seeing Harry make his own way in the world. The ramblings of Tom Bower may soothe you for a while but that will not change reality. Harry is free.

Not only has he never met Meghan. He openly hates her. If you're going to read the book, do yourself a favour and watch the way he speaks about her. Sickening.

I think it’s a pretty fair and balanced account actually.
Harry doesn’t look either free or happy to me. Being estranged from nearly your whole family doesn’t in general make for happiness.

Nonsense. Harry and Meghan have NEVER sued any biographers. They sue the Daily Mail and Sun types. Colin Campbell's book said she was born intersex, accused her of all sort of nonsense, Meghan paid her dust.

Buckingham Palace and Clarence House have distanced themselves from two claims, that's as much royal attention as he's going to get. He was fully expecting/begging for a lawsuit during his media rounds 😂

He will continue to be ignored. I know it kills him.

An author doesn’t have to meet the book’s subject in order for it to be deemed factual.
if that were the case no history books could ever be written.
The proof will be whether H&M win any legal cases relating to the book. I haven’t seen anything reported yet.

There are plenty of pics of him looking happy, there are also pics of him looking tense. It's the way things go when you're in the public eye. Pics taken in a second can frame whatever narrative you want it to when you cherry pick. Estranged from his whole family? last I heard, he spoke lovingly of his Grandmother, saw her and his Father at the Jubilee, Charles briefed that it was great to see H&M and the kids etc had relatives attend his daughter's one year old party, must be a different kind of estrangement 🤔

Lack of a legal case means absolutely nothing. H&M do not have a pattern have suing biographers, considering the number of books that have been written about them in their short time as members of the RF. You're free to eat up the demented garbage served up to you & confirming your biases.

i can't help feeling that the author is of the piers morgan ilk. just someone who wants revenge on M for some reason.
sad that people are lining his pockets. why not just buy heat magazine.

OP- I don’t know why you are engaging with the MM cheerleaders. They are never going to admit that she’s ever done anything wrong.

I used to really like her. I really hoped she’d bring a new set of ideas and attitudes to the RF. However, the Oprah interview was the end for me. It was the celeb version of going on Facebook and slagging off your entire family. So tacky and thoughtless- especially as Prince Philip lay dying.

I think the Queen’s response hit the nail on the head ‘recollections may vary’. There are always two sides to a story and no one is perfect. I’m always deeply suspicious of anyone who is presented as a saint because it is never the complete truth.

And I think there is something in the fact that Meghan found it hard to subsume her carefully curated brand into that of the RF. If she’d be more honest about it then I’d have more respect for her.

It’s the same with the reason why they left. I would have more respect for them (and speaking to other friends who quite liked her to begin with they agree) if they’d been more honest about why royal life wasn’t for them. They presented it as a need to live a life out of the spotlight and just do charity work (a la Princess Anne) but have instead relentlessly set up deal after deal with major media companies. It makes people feel lied to. I’m not saying that they had no right- it is up to them what they do. But at least be honest about why you left and why you still feel entitled to an official title and money from the RF if you entire brand is based on slagging them off and your own self promotion.

Trying to trade mark Sussex Royal so quickly also seemed like a move that indicated which direction they were going in- tacky self promotion.

I just learned the other day that Harry had the lion’s share of £16 mil left my the queen mother as well as his inheritance from his mother. Surely that should be enough for anyone who actually wanted to live quietly.

@Samcro

i would disagree, he is largely complimetary of her work ethic, looks and intelligence.

Bur he says she would happily destroy the royal family to get what she wants A++ stardom and power. .

The book certainly isn't vitriolic garbage. I found it quite measured. There are some things I raised my eyebrows at - Thomas Markle saying that race was never a problem for Meghan, as if he'd know! - but on the whole I found it very credible. TB is a lawyer and he has sources for what he says. As a PP says, he's complimentary about her drive and diligence. It just isn't a hagiography.

And she is 100% wearing make up in those Rwanda pictures. The one in the school is professionally lit as well and has been heavily edited in post. You don’t get images that good from raw, in the moment footage. To try to pretend otherwise is silly.

But it does make sense that if they were promoting the charity that they would have pro pictures taken. It is a two for one because it helps their image and the charity. They all do it so it is not just MM and PH. So a weird criticism.

The only thing that is slightly jarring is how many of them look deliberately posed. Again, this is about honesty. In the world of Instagrammers people have lost all sense of how many photos have to be taken to get that perfect ‘natural’ shot while also making the subject look flawless. It’s a lot.

I think what people find distasteful is the pretence and untruth. The rest of the RF have never pretended that they aren’t followed by pro photographers whose job it is to make them look good. Or that they are saving the world by merely showing up. As someone said previously- quite a lot of what they do is unpublicised because they don’t need the publicity and it is often counter productive to charity meetings to be trailed by paps- something the Caribbean tour showed well.

I just learned the other day that Harry had the lion’s share of £16 mil left my the queen mother as well as his inheritance from his mother. Surely that should be enough for anyone who actually wanted to live quietly.

There we go 😂It's always about their financial success, just say you are bothered that they live in a house worth over $15 million.

And live quietly where? tell that to the tabloids and broadsheets writing about and hose pip bans for their lawn grass and mountain lions in their neighbourhood 😏

I know the tabloids promised you they would be destitute. Sorry that they're doing well for themselves 🤗

he says she would happily destroy the royal family to get what she wants A++ stardom and power. .

Destroy the royal family 😅

I can't keep up.

He's writing a book and making money off her very own stardom and power. Fuelled by hatred or love, if people weren't interested in her or seeing her taken down, he wouldn't have gotten a publishing contract.

Please apply some critical thinking.

Agree

So did they need such an expansive house? You can buy houses for less money.

And if they had retired from public life and got normal jobs- like a lot of minor royals from European dynasties- then would they need all that security and massive spending. The Swedish royals seem to manage.

He had the larger share of Diana’s estate because William would be the king. The same with the estate of the QM. We also have no idea what endowments they were left by old Earl Spencer or Francis Shand Kydd. So an awful lot of money by anyone’s standard for a family to live on, especially not earned by working at all.

I just learned the other day that Harry had the lion’s share of £16 mil left my the queen mother as well as his inheritance from his mother

Where did you 'learn' that from? There was a tacky article in the Mirror, I presume it was there. As royal Wills are sealed no one knows, and I doubt very much that the QM left Harry the bulk of her fortune... she had enormous debts and set up Trusts for family. Saying he copped the lot is blatantly untrue.

Shock horror... Meghan wore make up when she had a photo taken! Dear god you couldn't make it up.

So did they need such an expansive house? You can buy houses for less money

Do you ask the same of anyone famous? Why is J-Lo in such an expensive house? Or Simon Cowell? Or indeed PAndrew who we actually fund... that's more of a relevant question than querying why someone who we dont pay for, buys an expensive house. It's up to them.

Your post sounds like pure envy that he was left some money.

@Roussette JLo actually does something for her money and is open about selling herself as a product to make that money. Good luck to her.

I’m not envious. Just disappointed. People have the right to live however they like and I have the right to find the wealthy whinging about not having enough money vexing.

And the QM will is a matter of public record, unlike the Will of Prince Philip. Perhaps you should be better informed before you throw stones.

And what I find distasteful is the dishonesty. Are they really any different to Rebekah Vardy or the Kardashians (who I also think are wankers)?

Very much so, in that the author interviewed dozens of people who'd had interaction with Meghan and/or Harry.

As you are very well aware, the writer did not meet Meghan, and also instructed her closest friends not to speak to him.