Where is Meghan?

[StarInTheHeavens]

I haven't seen hide-nor-hair of Meghan since the book release which is uncharacteristic of her. Even with the Montecito floods there was no news. So I'm wondering how this is playing out? Happiness or anger behind closed doors?

One of my head of year in secondary used to confuse us by talking about a fag/fagging being a drag or something you didn't want to do never come across that usage again.

I used to read “jolly British boarding school japes” kind of books when I was a child, and fagging featured heavily in them - essentially the prefects were allocated a first year pupil to be their personal assistant/dogsbody for the duration of their final year at school. The junior school person was the “fag” and the practice was called “fagging”. Some of these books were published 100 years or so ago now - I imagine that practice is completely obsolete!

You are right on the economics @Serenster

It absolutely boggles the mind that we hear all the time how unpopular M and H are, and how popular the other royals are, yet it is H and M who drive the media narratives on the Royal Family.

H and M are the only reason most people, especially outside the UK, are interested in the Royal Family at all . Even this thread was stated because Meghan had not been seen in public in two or so months.

Everything they do is slammed, even as they drive up clicks, and sales of newspapers, coffee, books, clothes whatever they touch and are associated with.

They have made careers for people, Morgan and Wooton increased their bank balances by writing column after column about Meghan, Camilla Tominey rose from being a minor reporter at the daily Star to the Daily Telegraph, all on Meghan's back, Angela Levin's entire livelihood depends on them, Tom Bower wrote his only commercially successful book about them, they drive the threads here on Mumsnet.

We can argue about what it is about them that interests so many people while being apparently so unpopular in the polls but there is no denying that there is an industry centred around them.

And if others are going to benefit from throwing their names around, damn straight they should benefit from being themselves.

Apparently it used to be common for butchers to do their own faggots - but not found any only Mr brains in supermarket which are nice but I supposed we tend to eat less of the animals these days and some product do go out of fashion.

Everything they do is slammed, even as they drive up clicks, and sales of newspapers, coffee, books, clothes whatever they touch and are associated with.

That pretty much happened with his parents Diana and Charles in 90s - both sides did wage a PR war behind the scenes but long after that stopped the press fated them one moment and found fault the next because they sold papers.

I half wonder if that why William is so boring - he learnt lessons from that time that Harry being younger didn't. The media and public lose sight of the people behind the headlines and don't stop or behave well they have their own interest need and agendas though with money can hire PR protection - which TBH is why I though Harry book which put Sasha Walpole out their for media to find with no warning and with no access protection of PR people and wealth he has was so utterly despicable.

One of my head of year in secondary used to confuse us by talking about a fag/fagging being a drag or something you didn't want to do never come across that usage again.

I use that expression. I'm in the North of England. I think its quite a common expression round here. It's a bit of a fag. Or, what a fag. Never heard it used with the present participle, though.

The junior school person was the “fag” and the practice was called “fagging”. Some of these books were published 100 years or so ago now - I imagine that practice is completely obsolete!

Hmm. It makes me think of Tom Brown's Schooldays and yes, it's very obsolete. In fact, I'd think that's where the word fag for a homosexual man comes from.

H and M are the only reason most people, especially outside the UK, are interested in the Royal Family at all .

But it's not this sort of interest the RF wants. I can't think why they'd want to see Harry waving his blue penis about in front of a young child on South Park. The RF can survive lack of interest but dealing with slurs and ridicule is much more difficult.

Faggots bleurghhhh 🤮🤮
Even the word makes me feel ill, as my dear old mother used to make them from scratch. I remember the smell even now.... minced heart, liver and any old scrag ends, wrapped up in caul fat, which is like a membrane from the abdomen. My DF loved them.
Me not.

I half wonder if that why William is so boring - he learnt lessons from that (War of the Waleses) time that Harry being younger didn't

I've often thought that may have been why the late Queen made a point of having him for tea and a chat while he was at Eton. After all it's perfectly possible, seeing the mess Charles made of things and knowing he'd have a comparatively short reign, that she focused her guidance on the next in line

If there's any truth in this it appears William's learned from it - even down to the no holding hands in public, which is more from his gran's generation than his own. Little things like this don't matter enormously, but it could be an indicator all the same

H and M are the only reason most people, especially outside the UK, are interested in the Royal Family at all

Honestly, this is just so so risible. Here’s the World Economic Forum listing their top 10 most significant global news stories of all of 2022. Including the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/12/2022-what-happened-this-year-pictures/

I use that expression. I'm in the North of England. I think its quite a common expression round here.

I've live in various bit of midlands - north Manchester/Yorkshire and south Hampshire/Surrey/London and not come across it again. But language can vary fair bit locally. Here daps threw me here - South wales - it's likely a Bristol factory acronym.

That teacher accent suggested she wasn't northern but we were in midlands and her accent could have been south England or just south of the county.

And if others are going to benefit from throwing their names around, damn straight they should benefit from being themselves

Have they really benefitted from being themselves though?
Financially yes, with bells on, but as people? A rapid decline from most popular to least popular royals brought about by a misguided belief people really wanted to hear how you got one fewer sausage, or how the RF are a bunch of misogynistic racists who won't give your child a title because he is brown.

A massive miscalculation because the RF have a lot of respect around the world and at the end of the day, are just a family behaving like all families do. Sometimes not well, but mostly caring and supporting one another. The perception is she was an American walking into someone else's family having already distanced herself from her own, and systematically wrecking someone else's. It's not the full story, but it's how many perceive it. Harry has always said and says in his book he had, a good relationship with all his family, then suddenly they are a bunch of *** The only common denominator in this is Meghan. She may not have intentionally put these ideas in his head but somehow was the catalyst to open his can of worms.

However she did him the greatest favour by taking him out of a situation he was unhappy in and creating a home, marriage and children of his own. I assume she is giving him the certainty and love he needs and a strong personality he can lean on. They both need to stop with the character assassinations and just be a happy family.

I like them but my Dad loves them but he grew up in The Black Country where I think the dish faggots and peas was especially popular.

I found a Scottish butcher who delivered some of the best every black pudding perhaps I need to see if there's a black country butcher doing similar with faggots - as maybe there's some local version of the dish he's remembering.

I can't think why you hate them so much.
You make them sound so lovely. 😋 Not. 😂

Harry has always said and says in his book he had, a good relationship with all his family, then suddenly they are a bunch of * The only common denominator in this is Meghan. She may not have intentionally put these ideas in his head but somehow was the catalyst to open his can of worms.

@GloomyDarkness Haha, maybe it's just a common expression in my own head! I was born in North Manchester and moved further out in Lancashire. Maybe I'm the sole user of it and no one knows what I'm talking about! No change there!

Yes - I’m saying she may have been lying about her relationship with her father but that we cannot base her actual relationship with him based off of glossy social media.

Just curious - how do you know what he talked about it you didn’t look at it?

Presumably though if we can’t trust the glossy spin that someone puts on their relationship in order to monetise their content on social media, we then also can’t trust the negative spin they put on their relationships also to monetise content in print and tv media? That cuts both ways.

Of course

Then that means you answered your own question! Do you remember, I think it was your first posting on the RF board (I might have got that wrong!) where you were questioning what Meghan had lied over but apart from the court case, where she actually apologised for lying, you wouldn't believe any of the other things were lies. So now you have answered your own question as to something she lied about.

I have to say, as a casual observer on these threads, I find it quite disconcerting that it always rolls around to the same narrative.
Either Meghan is Harry's saviour or he's her puppet.
I think that what we've seen, particularly in the past six months, that he alone is responsible for his own actions.
For good or for bad he is the author of his own path.
FWIW I think he's an entitled (frost bitten) prick of his own design.
I think we should leave Meghan out of it until when / if she gives cause to criticise/praise her actions.
I personally have my own views of Meghan but to criticise her when there is nothing to measure her against is madness.
I will happily talk about what a mess Harry is making of himself publicly because he's given me plenty of ammo.
But those are his actions

For good or for bad he is the author of his own path.
FWIW I think he's an entitled (frost bitten) prick of his own design.

I'd agree with this - I think a lot of criticism of Meghan should really be directed his way - in many ways he's let her down quiet badly.

I don’t think he’s let her down. He’s given up his country and his family for her. She should have been more careful about committing to being a working Royal in the first place. Doing no research and not listening to advice is her fault, not his. He’s using his inheritance to fund their lifestyle. He’s lost far far more than she has.

@Roussette thank you - back at you 😃

Where I’m from fag has two meanings - a cigarette and sun something is hard work -it’s a fag. No other meaning - I’ve only heard it used as a homophobic slur in USA