'Courtiers' by Valentine Low

[RandomPenguinHouse]

Extracts of this were being discussed on a previous thread ('The Times) which just finished.

I'm interested in buying this book, despite never having ever bought any other book about the Royal Family and never having watched The Crown.

I'm interested however in the archaic rituals of the Royal Court and how it works as an employer, and also how the courtiers advise.

Yes the excerpts were focused on Harry and Meghan but presumably that's just for clicks given the relevant timing, and that the book goes well beyond that.

Poignant that in the synopsis for it on The Foyles website it says:

The Queen, after a remarkable 70 years of service, is entering the final seasons of her reign without her husband Philip to guide her. Meanwhile, Charles seeks to define what his future as King will be, with his court wielding ever greater influence as he plans for his imminent accession.

www.foyles.co.uk/witem/biography/courtiers,valentine-low-9781472290908

Anyone else thinking of buying this?

Diana was of the Royal world. She enjoyed the celebrity elements but she wanted to be ‘above’ all of that. There is no way she would have done a fergie and was never articulate enough for a talk show

I agree.

She flirted with celebrity but ultimately she was a creature of the old English aristocracy. She very much wanted her son to be king and would never have done anything to put that at risk. I suspect that over time she'd have 'calmed down' and been quietly supportive of her sons, possibly mending relations with the royal family. Friends said she quickly regretted her divorce and was on good terms with Charles that last summer.

Exactly.

@DFOD

i would disagree with some of your numbers eg Netflix deal

These are usually cost plus deals, you get a profit on top of your production costs (between 10 and 20 percent)

They’ve not produced anything yet so would have have gotten much apart from an advance from Netflix . If they made 80m worth of programs they’d get 20m profit, but importantly from their end (20m) come the marketin, promotion and distribution costs which would probably cost a lot of their profit as one off style programming is far more expensive to promote than series.

netflix also ‘owns the rights to the programmes’ too.

they can’t afford super expensive PR like sunshine Sachs any more, I’d read the bill was 2m so they’ve had to use the Spotify money to pay them off

I guess we'll get more of an idea when the reality show, sorry, 'documentary' drops, but even if it's a ratings success, that wouldn't necessarily indicate that people love them. Tiger King was a huge success after all.

As long as Netflix get the viewing numbers they won’t give a shit if they are made up of adoring fans, royalists, indifferents or haterz. It’s a bit like watching Trump - sort of voyerism as to what nonsense is he going to come out with next.

Thanks for the insight - I have no idea of the structure of media deals - but still 20% of multiple millions of $$$ is significant but maybe not enough to keep them in the lifestyle bracket they have put themselves in. I suppose that deals / projects could also be trimmed at anytime……and there seem to be a lot of people taking a fee or a cut from profits to keep the show on the road - agent, business manager, lawyer, PR etc.

Sounds like a lot of headache.

@DFOD

if they are costs plus model - a cheap documentary won’t cost a lot so you only get 20% on top.

For example, Harry’s invictus documentary costs 5m to make. They would be refunded their $5m costs and get $1m profit (20%), but Netflixkeeps most of the $1million for marketing and distributing on its Netflix platform, the Sussex’s can’t sell it to anyone else as they don’t own it.

And they’ve produced nothing for Netflix yet, so no money for them yet. They don’t get much up front, maybe a signing on bonus, but it would only pay security for a year or two max

Sure, but is that what they want for their 'brand' long term?

TRH Harry and Meghan Exotic, Chicken Coop King?

The other point to note is that Meghan and Harry’s costs are constant, whereas they will need to keep producing content under these deals to keep revenue coming from them. And they will be vulnerable to being dropped if either of Netflix or Spotify decide that they aren’t happy with the returns on their investment (this applies to everyone, not just them!).

Netflix in particular is well known for not renewing shows with what seems to be large fan bases because the numbers don’t work for them. And while it’s all kept purposely dark, they are said to pay particular attention to how their content does at maintaining an audience - not just how many people watch the first show, but how many then go on to watch all the shows in the series, and how far watchers who drop off get before they decide to stop watching. So it’s likely Meghan and Harry’s shows will have to demonstrate a large and committed audience to do well.

It’s obviously not H&M’s aspirations for their brand but Netflix might be happy with tabloid TV if it brings in the volume viewers.

I can’t see how they can monetise their humanitarian / compassion in action efforts - as it’s the other way round.

If they surround themselves with bright creatives they could maybe use others talents and ideas and just front out as presenters or production company?

Yes, I don't really see how their 'brand' can work.

As you say, the 'humanitarian' stuff is what people do once they've earned their money, not the other way round. They're simply not rich enough to be full time 'humanitarians' and in any case, I think recent revelations and their own behaviour have sullied their 'compassion in action' brand. Nor do they have any real marketable skills other than trading on their royal connections, which are becoming more devalued by the day.

I really don't think they had any plan other than creating a 'royal court' in California. And that was never going to be accepted.

Exactly, they haven’t attracted any big money to be full time humanitarians, it makes them look like they’re using causes for publicity and to grow their brand. They’ve employed a scatter gun approach too so chasing causes rather than following a clear strategy

things like the 40:40 there hasn’t been any follow up so make it look like it died a quick death

www.forbes.com/sites/guymartin/2021/09/30/the-archewell-scramble-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-shore-up-their-foundation-by-making-the-charity-rounds-in-new-york/amp/

To your point this was written a year ago - not sure if we have seen any consolidation since.

I really don't think they had any plan other than creating a 'royal court' in California. And that was never going to be accepted.

I agree that was a grandiose delusion when the shoe is actually on the other foot and instead it’s H&M knocking on the door on that side of the pond.

The US elites are laser focused to protect their hard earned reputations, who they associate with and who they let into their closed and privileged social circles.

They are trained to sniff out flakiness as they will have had a lifetime of brown nosers.

They will be looking to make new connections only with others who have achieved to their level or with whom they can collaborate.

H&M not only just don’t make the cut, but they are a reputation risk as their only associations are increasingly and consistently negative - constant conflicts and fall outs with close friends, family and colleagues, loose lips, spiteful accusations, deceptions, lies and exaggerations.

😆😅The only thing we know for sure is that Harry and Meghan have a lot more money and the means to make more money than most people on MN. They're probably also a lot busier... and happier.

I really don't think they had any plan other than creating a 'royal court' in California. And that was never going to be accepted.

Agreed remember they trademarked Royal Sussex.
The RF told then no they weren't trading off the Royal name. Probably in exchange for the support from Charles for the year to get themselves established.

Did they really expect they'd be funded by the British Public while they lay on a Californan beach ⛱️.

Kevin Costner wanted to make the Bodyguard film with her.

Don't know about busier. They don't appear to be that busy to me.

You're probably right so therefore they won't care much who's talking about them on the internet will they?

I’m sure they don’t know any of you exist. They are a young couple raising a family. They also have business, charitable and social interests so they are unlikely to know or care what a few folks write about them on MN.

I agree 100% and said so earlier in the thread that at the One Young World Conference she was delighted with herself - she has her Prince, her babies, her projects and her “cash” - whether she has sustainable “cache”’ remains to be seen - but in her own eyes she always will.

Why on earth do people call them a young couple ? I know a couple of grandparents the same age as Meghan !

I have a feeling that they do care, quite a lot, what people on the internet think.
Harry famously scoured the comments section of the Daily Mail

Yes and it’s said in one of the extracts of this book I believe that Harry would avidly check Twitter.

Not that I think they’re personally checking MN. It seems odd you think it’s necessary to tell us that!