The Times

[Rushingfool]

Anyone else think The Times should not be printing extracts from this new book about Royal Courtiers at this time? Incredibly stupid given that H&M are trying to mend fences? I feel really quite cross for everyone involved - William's efforts to build bridges etc, all going to be in vain now. Very naughty.

Quite.

And a few of those senior staff members weren't British and/or in one case I think hadn't even been working in Britain just prior to taking the job.

It was three episodes on The Rest Is History @GoodbyeLilibet - the presenters had read and really enjoyed this book (which is on my Christmas list now!).

www.amazon.co.uk/Tourists-Lethbridge-Lucy/dp/1408856220/ref=asc_df_1408856220/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=606748530890&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4549324255185935370&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044972&hvtargid=pla-1731430838075&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Since you were told in detail about this function only yesterday and on this very thread it was evident that you did know today.

Nope. No one said it was a feature of premium that you could do this. I had no idea.

I for one appreciated the support your comment gave.
No need for you to creep back on, come back loud and proud

We all know how litigious these two are. If the allegations were untrue you can bet they would be all over it like a rash. They’re not so far - not Bowers book and not this one. No comment, not even a guttural noise.

'it’s best to identify and note the few distracters and talk over their heads and ignore their attempts to derail in order to have an informed intellect balanced adult discussion'

You're right. The constant 'yeah but Fergie', 'you're all racists', 'the Sussexes haven't behaved badly at all' it's all so tedious and predictable. The evidence is mounting, his book will be the final nail in the coffin.

It will dawn on Prince Harry at some point that he has dug himself into a massive hole and I'm not sure he has the mental resilience to handle how this will continue to escalate. I wonder if that is why the rf are seeming to not retaliate, they love him and they know he'll need a way out at some point.

I would like to ask if any of the long standing supporters of M and H are beginning to have second thoughts about the couple’s behaviour given the shocking ( but not totally unexpected) details in VL’s book ?
Or is it all racist abuse ?

Rousette check your own post yesterday at 22:51 where you clearly do know that there is an automatic count of posts available no need for a manual "tally"

I think you have made a good point . There will always be a place for Harry but I do think his MH is fragile .

No wonder they have had to take to their beds

😂

I have also read that Harry is trying to alter his book of memoirs in light of the Queen’s death because he is worried it will now reflect badly on him. I also read that the first draft of the book was rejected as “too touchy feely”because he talked a lot about his mental health and the publishers wanted more “scandal”, which obviously they would. I have no idea if all this is true, but if it is, I wonder how he feels about it all now?

I do get the impression that Harry sleepwalked into all this. No thought, no plan, no nothing.

I think Meghan got a genuine shock when she grasped the reality of Royal life and how little control she would have around things. The whole thing seems to be a mess now and they have made a lot of enemies.

I'm not sure how they can mend things going forward. But constant books, interviews etc isn't the way. It will just turn into an endless tit for tat.

@Serenster Thank you! I will check out the podcast and the book.🙂

I read that too @smilesy and from memory, it wasn't that they wanted more 'scandal' per se, but more facts and details generally as opposed to introspection and naval gazing from Harry. It could actually be that the 'touchy feely' draft was more 'scandalous' in that it wasn't fully rooted in reality so was making claims that were potentially inflammatory (to borrow a word from this thread ).

That's the problem. I think Harry is just being used by people but is under the impression they're genuinely interested in him and his views. I hope he realised the truth and starts to pull back and build bridges.

They must be but they'd never admit it. They will stick to the script, which is we're racists. They will ignore Low's book, they'll ignore criticism from people of colour regarding the crass Mandela comments, they'll ignore the rude 'the housing unit they put us in' comments. They will never admit that they are a pair egotistical money grabbers with chips on their shoulders who apparently treated their rf staff appallingly. Nice.

I disagree that Harry is 'just being used by people'. He's a grown man who has always wanted to do his own thing and have his own voice (which is fair enough). I don't get why some posters constantly see him as a victim. He's very much done what he wants to do.

The problem is that they need the money . Does anyone seriously think that Netflix and Spotify will renew contracts ? Their outgoings must be massive - security, staff , mortgage , travel - and will need an ongoing income .

I think Harry is just being used by people but is under the impression they're genuinely interested in him and his views

makes me think of Stockholm Syndrome

I think he's totally out of his depth out in the real world. He's used to having lots of people around him making decisions and looking after his interests.
This world of hustling and dealing and looking for opportunities to make cash is alien to him and he just doesn't have the street smarts to deal with it.

Good post. Constant theme on these threads is that - loved H&M - thought they would be great for RF / breath of fresh air etc - but opinion changed due to their own unfiltered direct words and behaviours - not some racist shit from SM / DM - the latter is deplorable and shouldn’t happen but most posters don’t access this and therefore didn’t change their positive opinions to negative because of this.

They made their own minds up observing and evaluating the behaviour over the last 4 years.

I agree @Arbesque that he's probably out of his depth in the real world.
But I believe that regardless of the cash, he wanted to tell his story.
Not to say that he hasn't perhaps been manipulated by people. But I think one of the big problems is that he hasn't listened to advice or understood that certain people did have his best interests at heart. He thinks he knows better.

*TrashyPanda · Today 09:14
I think Harry is just being used by people but is under the impression they're genuinely interested in him and his views

makes me think of Stockholm Syndrome*

Or coercive control.

For me it constantly returns to the same thing, over and over again. Without their USP as part of the British Royal Family, they have nothing of particular interest to offer. They can't effectively use the Diana playbook (insofar as she had one) because she did become intrinsically interesting by virtue of her unique journey from Sloane to superstar.

Books like VLs engender publicity for their brand, but ultimately if enough of it is found credible, that brand (which they seem to se as philanthropy) will be damaged by sitting with accusations of bullying.

I get that Harry was struggling to carve out his own niche within the RF, and that at times he felt he was being side-lined on issues such as the environment to make way for William's interests.

But the Queen then gave them the prestigious roles with the Commonwealth Trust where they could have done such good work - promoting young people, education, equality, the environment, conservation etc. Initiatives from Commonwealth countries that were highlighted in the Earthshot prizes could have been rolled out, strengthening links with other RF ventures. It would have been a fine line to not be overly political but there was scope for them as people with passion and energy to really expand that role and make it their own.