Any Americans on Here? What is the consensus in USA on Harry and Meghan?

[Geebee12]

In the UK the media seems mainly 'against' and aghast about H and M (as are all my friends and family - even the anti royal ones). What is the mood in America - is the media/public starting to turn against them, or do they still have strong support?

Also there’s a big overlap of people who go nuts over H&M, watch Corrie and Eastenders religiously, get over invested in the characters and read publications like Take a Break magazine. This is like a real life soap opera to them.

I'm in Denmark and haven't head anyone talking about it. Nothing in the news either. We also have a much loved queen and royal family who are related to the UK royal family and would hate the thought of any member of the family bringing such embarassment on the institution and to some extent, the country. Also, the war, Putin, the plight of the Ukranians, the cost of living and energy crisis, and climate change take precedence. There are so many real human suffering going on which makes the complaints of a prince about having a small bedroom in a palace or even a duchess being asked what colour her baby might be seems extremely trivial and self-centered. Most Danes would find this too distasteful to bring up in conversation.

Like you menstrualcycledisplayteam I’m pretty much waiting until I can read the book, now. I don’t think the tabloids and sky media etc are giving us full descriptions. Just bits ‘n pieces.

e.g. I read a tweet by a BBC journo -I think his name was Peter Hunt. He tweeted out 4 paragraphs from the book -the part where the Taliban are mentioned -and it’s not as the tabloid paper would have us believe.

I had to look under ‘trending’ for the tweet. Because only one person I follow on twitter has mentioned it.

When I lived in the united states I never paid attention to nor heard about the royal family. We just don’t give a shit about them. Ever since the Boston tea party the USA has been happily independent and forgot about their existence. I now live in canada and the people heard seen to be a mixed bag. They seem to quietly respect them outwardly while keeping their opinions generally to themselves. It’s clear that many don’t like the drama unfolding but they just brush it off and carry on. But Americans? Pf They probably heard the Queen died. Made some memes, and perhaps watched the funeral (or just part of it) out of curiosity and nothing else and then moved on with their lives. We are largely unaffected.

Yes it does.

two pronged I have American family. They’ve not once mentioned it to me like PPs H&M just don’t really matter so much.

Ive spoken to DH about it briefly more it came up in a mental health conversation and I suggested perhaps Harry is speaking because of his therapy. Then we talked for about 30 seconds and moved onto something else so no one else in our family is talking about it here.

I don't need to 'pretend' - I simply couldn't care less about either of them.
But I find the circus around them mildly amuzing. Like a posh version of the Jerry Springer show revisited. Showing on all chanels, easy to find if you're bored.

My American SIL is very much in the "soccer mom" type groups (well baseball) and she has very strong feelings (pro Meghan) and it's clearly something regularly discussed with her friends as she keeps asking me about it.

I think the dynamic between the US and the UK is really complicated. There's definitely an element of the US that wants to be all "the UK is totally irrelevant to us, we are way more important and global etc" but the viewing figures for things like royal weddings, the Queen's funeral etc tell a very different story. I visited my American family and in laws not long after William and Kate's wedding and the main request when I asked if they wanted anything was for Royal Wedding tat - not necessarily for themselves but for other family/friends etc

I also think the American thing plays just as much into the UK view of Meghan as race, I think British people have a weird superiority/inferiority complex about the US, I think if H and M had stayed in Canada or gone to Australia or somewhere else, British people would be a little less down on them

This is so well written by Reagan’s daughter, Patti Davies

www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/opinion/prince-harry-and-the-value-of-silence.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytopinion

Unfortunately it’s behind a paywall.

TBF I clicked on this thread because I could only see up to "what is the consensus in the USA" and thought the rest might be about the speaker of the house.

I'm in the U.K. and following the whole car crash with a detached yet appalled fascination. The only person I've talked about it with is an Italian friend who is a huge fan of the U.K. royal family but still 100% team HM. She was urging me to watch the Netflix series but I CBA. I read The Times which gives me the highlights so I don't have to waste 6 hours of my life watching a pity party.

it's such a shame it came to this. I was so happy on their wedding day - I thought it was a new era for the RF but it's just the same old, same old.

The topic is RF though

Re pp saying not many talk about it irl tbh the same here. Even though it’s everywhere online it doesn’t mean that at a social event people are talking about it

I am in a close work-related group of about 20 people, around half are American. Mostly middle aged women from the more conservative end of the spectrum.

They are all horrified by Harry and Meghan, lots of comments about how blessed they are to be living a lifestyle they could only dream of, with good health, lovely home, two healthy children, and that all they do is moan and stab Harry's family in the back.

You don't see the topic when it's listed in Trending.

I live in the USA - since the Oprah interview I would say about ten percent or less of Americans I talk to mention H&M - most have been negative towards them.

Loads of people sent me messages of condolence about the Queen though!

The New York Times has run a few articles on Harry’s book - about 90% of the comments were negative.

What is the US read on the kill count I wonder, is this playing as Harry is a hero?

The upshot of this is that if this general US indifference towards H&M continues they have a problem. Because they've more or less burnt their UK bridges. The Commonwealth is not hugely favourable to them (for eg the dominant story I heard in India was that they were quite spoilt and 'disrespectful to elders'- obviously the cultural connotations of this are different in different places). The Caribbean might be more favourable? BTheir race based claims in the Oprah interview were significant both in the US and elsewhere but the whole 'Willy doesn't like me' and 'the media was biased and the Palace briefed against us' narrative has less potency in these particular circles.
Which then leads me to what their game plan can be. The thing with the A list is that they thrive on discretion. There are only so many more revelations there can be about Meghan's brief stint in the RF. I'll be very interested to see how they can maintain long term relevance without still talking about the Royal Family.

I think the one thing which would work in the US is if they do a massive mea culpa - we’ve had an emotional breakdown - rehab - we are sorry - we realize our mistakes etc etc.

Americans love a good redemptive story arc more than anyone.

Then they move on to do some kind of VIP wellness retreat in the Colorado mountains - stay away from the toxic LA and reinvent themselves as healthy lifestyle gurus.

It will not, with our military and not with our public. It’s really crass.

Hi yes I’ve heard some discussions on this. (Im from the U.K). I’m fed up of it really. I think it’s pretty shameful to air your dirty linnen in public and then profit from it. I’m all for ‘an independent private life’ but not this relentless rampage on others in the process. It’s really sad watching our prince self destruct in front of the world. This is no where near the experience what the royal family are going through, but having been stalked by two ex friends on social media who publicly tried to humiliate me and made me ill. It was a horrific and awful experience. I can somehow relate on a much smaller level to the RF. People like this are bitter, jelous and lack emotional maturity. This should be dealt with care and sensitivity within their family.

I asked my husband about this. He is a veteran though did not see combat.

He said he was surprised that Harry mentioned the number, but after hearing the rest of the passage, he said it sounds like he has come to terms with killing people even in war so it would make sense he talked about it.

He is just one veteran though.

NY Time headline:
Prince Harry Learns to Cry, and Takes No Prisoners, in ‘Spare’
At once emotional and embittered, the royal memoir is mired in a paradox: drawing endless attention in an effort to renounce fame.

and a quote: “With “Harry & Meghan,” the gauzy Netflix series preceding this book, he and the Duchess now might well be overexposed. (Maybe this is part of the grand plan, to drive away inquiring minds by boring them to bits?)”

I have family in USA, I live in UK and they are glad he told his story! It’s a wake up call for those who believe EVERYTHING they read in TRASHY press!! They are team Harry, that’s the only royal they say has a personality! Other than that they don’t care for our RF

CapeRipper1975 · 07/01/2023 10:14
The cards are stacked against Harry and Meghan battling all the resources of the palace media machine! I feel sorry for them, even though they seem like a couple of chumps!

Are you serious? The Palace media machine?

I think the cards ARE stacked against them, but simply because of their own greed, folly, lack of self-awareness and out-of-touchness.