Anyone else think Kate is coming across as a bit precious and over-sensitive? Baby brain, lip gloss etc.

[SallyWD]

I'll start by saying I know there are 2 sides to every story. Also, I'm not a Megan fan. I have no idea what she's like. She might be awful. I neither like her, nor dislike her. I feel the same way about Kate.

But anyway, in light of the stories that Harry is telling, does anyone else feel that Kate (and William) comes across as rather precious and over sensitive?

First of all there's the baby brain incident. Apparently Kate forgot something or made a mistake and Megan responded by saying "Oh don't worry, it's probably the baby brain". Kate then feels insulted by this remark and says something along the lines of "You don't me well enough to comment on my hormones". William joins in by pointing his finger at Megan and saying "It's rude Megan, we don't do that here." I mean seriously?? I think the baby brain remark was completely benign. I'm sure Megan was trying to reassure Kate not to worry about her mistake. Just after having my baby I paid for my shopping and walked out leaving it in the shop. The cashier had to call me back and I apologised. She also said "Don't worry, it's the baby brain". I wasn't at all offended. I was relieved she understood! I certainly didn't think "How dare a stranger comment on my hormones". The irony of William telling Megan off for rudeness whilst pointing his finger at her. I find it far more rude to point in someone's face than to mention baby brain. If I was Megan and had received that reaction to my innocent remark I would have felt humiliated and very upset.

Then there's the lipgloss incident. Megan asked to borrow Kate's lipgloss. Kate lends it to her then gets upset that she dabs it with her finger. I understand some people don't want to share lip gloss but Kate could have said no. I don't understand what's so upsetting about Megan using her finger? If I lent someone my lip gloss I'd insist they used their finger and not their mouth. Apparently the mouth harbours more germs than your average toilet.

Then there's the report that William and Kate were uncomfortable being hugged by Megan. There are literally hundreds of photos of William and Kate hugging random strangers on the internet! Yet when Megan makes this faux pas it's offensive to them.

It seemed like William and Kate expected to be treated with great formality by Megan - as if she was one of their subjects. It also seems that Megan couldn't do anything right! Megan on the other hand perhaps expected a little more intimacy given that they were her partner's family. It doesn't sound like they did much to make her feel comfortable and welcome in to the family. Does anyone agree/disagree?

Not at all. The pettiness and bitchiness levelled at her is so disappointing. If they'd said we fundamentally disagreed on Royal Family strategies, choice of charities or attitude to sponsorship, or that she'd been high-handed over hierarchy I'd listen. But lip gloss? Really? FFS.

It’s because they are immature. They appeal more to younger people because they have more of a tendency to fall for the latest fads etc. With age comes wisdom.

Between the “and she didn’t even take me shopping” and the lipgloss and “no she made me cry!” and Harry saying she was on the floor, they truly seem made for one another.

I think this is what is comes down to to me. She gave Meghan 'a look'? This is the best you come up with? It's nothing. It's like those threads when people on mumsnet say aibu to think the woman at the checkouts was rude because she gave me a 'look'? And you think fuck me if that's still bothering you enough 3 hours later that you would write it on mumsnet you don't have enough going on in your life. It's the same but Harry wrote it in a book 5 years later. It's just not even noteworthy enough to comment on.

Give me one Kate over a million Megans any day of the week

If this is all he can come up with, then they are clutching at straws.

I hate the narrative that Americans are touchy/feely and the British are cold/standoffish. It’s such bullshit. Most people are affectionate with the appropriate people at the appropriate time. Hugging everyone doesn’t make you a better person.

Well of course it is - Harry was asked to do it 🙄🙄🙄

Yeah, it really isn't something you can pin down culturally. It can be somewhat regional but even that is hit or miss. Plenty of people in US wouldn't hug someone the first time they met.

Agree. Also did Harry witness the incident himself and notice “the look” at the time or was it relayed to him afterwards? Maybe my DH simply isn’t as observant but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t even notice a look over lipgloss, let alone remember it years later.

Not her parent and she didn't even know her.

How are they falling for the latest fads?

W&K appear more traditional, which is not necessarily more mature. Marrying someone "appropriate" that you may not love and modelling yourself into a stepford wife are not hallmarks of maturity. Rather it's just a cowing down to the rules.

@BackstreetsbackalrightdadadaYour statement ‘Harry you can’t control the women in your life, they’re not just empty angel figures and they have autonomy’ has really resonated with me. This combined with the awful description of his school matron and ‘mounting’ people is painting a really unpleasant picture.

It's very strange isn't it. This attempt to portray her as emotionally stunted when she appears to be the only one who has a loving, balanced and normal relationship with her family.

These are Harry’s own words, extracted from the full transcript of the Oprah interview:

Oprah: So, tell me this: You said a moment ago, it hurts that your family has never acknowledged the role that racism played in here. Did you think she was well received in the beginning?

Harry: Yes. Far better than I expected. (Laughter) But, you know, my grandmother has been amazing throughout. You know, my father, my brother, Kate and . . . and all the rest of the family, they were, they were really welcoming.

Harry has now done a full u- turn, saying his family were not welcoming from the beginning. Harry agreed with Tom Bradby that it was 'fair' to say that his family 'didn't get on' with his wife 'almost from the get-go'.

Harry said: 'There was a lot of stereotyping that was happening, that I was guilty of as well, at the beginning.' The 'stereotyping' of Meghan, in part by William and Kate, was causing a 'barrier' to his family, preventing them from 'welcoming her in.'

So Harry lied to Oprah? I don't understand why. It makes it difficult to accept what he says about Kate (and William & Charles) is true, because of his numerous contradictions in the latest round of interviews. I wonder how Oprah feels about her interview now.

I dint think any of them come out sounding good. I certainly don't think 'poor Kate'. K&W sound uptight and entitled. They took a very formal and unfriendly approach with M from the start and I think this really set the relationship off badly. Like M, I too would have assumed behind closed doors, the formality was dropped. Especially with the younger generation. K&W (call me Wills) have made a massive thing about being informal. They hug strangers. They laugh and joke in front of the camera. They dress in jeans and sportswear. But for some reason, upon meeting their to be SIL they were uptight and cold. Expecting private curtseys. Odd. And rude. Yes. Rude.

I actually think she comes across better. Classy, calm and above all of this shit. My friends have come to the same conclusion as well.

And its been said a few times that William was warning Harry off Meghan before they even got married. I think that is pretty bad form, maybe say it once and if Harry still says I want to marry her accept his decision, respect it and welcome her in, instead appears William kept saying it.

Kate may well have been influenced by what William thought of Meghan in the early days too, who knows but I wouldn't be too happy if my brother kept making comments that I shouldn't marry someone

Nope, if anything the reverse.

They’re all a bunch of spoilt over privileged twats. This is just Eastenders with tiaras and really not worth getting so worked up over.

Thank God for your come back @Nanny0gg. Anne is the most hard working royal and has a right old laugh with Mike Tindall showing off his nuts underpants ffs.

I don’t think it is all clear that William said it multiple times. If I was speculating he probably said near the beginning of the relationship don’t rush seeing how smitten Harry was, which is not bad advice, especially knowing a new partner has a lot to consider getting involved with a member of the royal family and the scrutiny that brings. Harry’s two previous serious girlfriends decided reasonably it was not for them which probably was difficult for Harry.

I also get the impression that as Harry was obviously smitten with Meghan, which is fair enough, he perhaps wanted his nearest and dearest to immediately adore her as he did. Yet they reasonably wanted to take more time in forming closer bonds with this new person. And also if they were v different personalities then Harry’s wish for them to be close and quickly was not realistic.

Yes, I absolutely agree.

I am very much of the view that the royal family is like a highschool clique that don’t take too kindly to outsiders. It’s almost a form of hazing. Remember when everyone hated Kate but now the press seems to love her?

I think Kate is a person who was bullied during her adolescence and now enjoys the power and control of being part of something.

I also think Harry is absolutely right to keep his young family away from the cesspit that is the royal family. His uncle was close friends with a child sex trafficker and he himself was accused of assaulting a minor (yes; she was a minor who was trafficked and therefore she could not give her consent).

I think that Harry was always going to be cast aside and whether he gives interviews or not does not change the fact that his family doesn’t care about him.

I think Meghan is an absolute opportunist - but so what? Carole Middleton got her daughter into the same university as Prince William in a deliberate attempt for her daughter to have access to the prince. So what if Meghan worked hard to get an introduction to prince Harry?

There are two sides to every story and context is everything.

That said, I wouldn’t trust Harry’s “memory” when he has a book to sell.

Mike and Zara Tindall seem to cope okay, can’t imagine Mike fitted the image of a usual partner to a Royal.

@Intrepidescape didn’t Meghan say she didn’t know who Harry was, so why would she have needed to work hard to get an introduction to him

Zara is not close in line to the throne and has always lived a different life