Grifters indeed! Can we have a lift Joe?

[ThePoshUns]

H&M asked if they could have a lift home on AF1 after HMQs funeral.
Environmentally friendly sure, but makes them look grabby and entitled again. Makes for a good story though.

wtf indeed!

They haven’t even released a denial via Omid Scobie, who came out to defend them against the recent Radar “trial separation” story. On this story - nothing.

@MrsMaxDeWinter

She wasn’t in good health in the last few months, surely Meghan and Harry would have spotted that in all the zoom calls Meghan said they had with her.

Someone can lie about you and you take pains to correct the record and that is seen as a bad thing.

We do know now however that Meghan and Harry got the Palace press offices to strenuously deny stories that later turned out to be true. So you can’t assume they are only correcting the record about lies - they could also be trying to squash things they just don’t want in the press. That’s a wholly different thing.

Perhaps they are at last realising that saying nothing is the best response. If I was Joe Biden I’d be focusing on how the story - true or not - was leaked to the DM.

Yes because this is Biden's biggest concern at the moment. 🤣

my issues with Meghan, were always that she seems to constantly be acting, and it’s all so sugary and soap opera-ish. Cringe. Having read your post though, I am considering why she’s acting all the time, and really for the first time seeing all the plates she’s been having to keep spinning since day one of being with “H”. Who could come across as genuine when they are indeed having to hide and control so much?

There may be some truth in this, but I think what most Brits don't understand is how insincere a lot of interactions are in LA, where Meghan is from.

My DH has an old friend who is 'in the entertainment business' and lives in LA and an evening with him can be rather wearing. He's very intelligent and interesting and he's good fun, but everything is SO amazing and wonderful and over the top. And while I know and like him, I do find him very superficial. Here we don't really do that sort of actor-y lovey-ness and if we see people doing it (e.g. Kate Winslet), we don't like it and we don't warm to the person. So when I saw Meghan for the first time, in the engagement interview, that's exactly how she came across - insincere, like she was acting, really saccharine sweet, like she wanted everyone to LOVE her. So yeah, she is always acting, and maybe she has her reasons for doing it, but she also grew up and still lives in a place where that kind of persona is the norm and while people there know it's fake, everyone does it.

So basically the situation now is, things can be written about them, no matter how ridiculous, and if they don't sue or issue a statement, it must be true. Because they've sued some people over some things, like the Queen, Charles and Will and Kate.

Good to hear that you give such sound and ethical legal advice.

Now perhaps you can stop posting that H and M should sue over every outlandish story about them.

The libel action we have discussed aside, I am sure it has not escaped you that they tend to sue over press conduct, meaning over how the stories are obtained, not over the stories themselves

Here is a really good example of Harry taking on the Sun over how it obtained stories about him and Meghan though alleged corruption and paying for information from a "palace source".

I would think that holding the tabloid press to account for how they conduct themselves is a good thing, and flushing out unethical practices like phone hacking, blagging and bribery is a good thing but given how strenuously you seem to defend the tabloids in these matters, and attack Harry for bringing these cases, we will probably never agree on that.

https://bylineinvestigates.com/2020/06/05/royal-exclusive-prince-harrys-legal-move-over-cash-for-briefings-claims-at-the-sun-the-story-murdoch-tried-to-bury/

I don't imagine it's a case of the Bidens saying to AF1 and their security... OK, we're ready now we've had a cup of English tea, shall we go? Everything will be planned a long time in advance.

How would Harry know the Bidens' plans though? The details of their travel arrangements are kept private for security reasons, aren't they? He wouldn't have known not to bother asking because the schedule didn't work.

There may be some truth in this, but I think what most Brits don't understand is how insincere a lot of interactions are in LA, where Meghan is from.

Righto, and brits are just so genuine aren't we? Not like those nasty Hollywood types. jfc

Yup, there will be a lot of coverage of H & M over the coming days to deflect from his greedy father taking so much more money that they do not need. You'd think they would need less after losing 5 working family members. Why are they requiring more?!

No, Brits can be fake too, but it's literally a way of life in LA, particularly in the entertainment business.

You think Joe Biden, the President of the USA, is going to waste one second of him time worrying about this, you're seriously deluded!

You think Joe Biden, the President of the USA, is going to waste one second of him time worrying about this, you're seriously deluded!

I wasn’t suggesting he give it his personal attention….!

I would think that holding the tabloid press to account for how they conduct themselves is a good thing, and flushing out unethical practices like phone hacking, blagging and bribery is a good thing but given how strenuously you seem to defend the tabloids in these matters, and attack Harry for bringing these cases, we will probably never agree on that.

I completely agree with this, and have posted many times abut my thoughts of tabloid practices and the need for a strong an independent press regulator*. I see that as a completely different matter however to Prince Harry launching a lawsuit in which he has no proper evidence and in the course of which he revealed other people’s private information without their consent. I have also posted many times about how the court process is not there to further private vendettas and doing so is an abuse of process.

I’m pleased to see you recognise I give sound and ethical legal advice. I’m sure you can see that I would not have been advising Harry to launch many dubious lawsuits (to be honest I would have dropped them both as clients after being lied to by Meghan in her claim, but that’s beside the point). The point is - they clearly don’t listen to advice. And the downside of being so very litigious and so keen on answering back is that you lay yourself completely open to the point being made by many in these discussions - if you don’t sue, or issue a strongly worded statement, it must be true. They’ve created that impression, no-one else.

(*I’ve also pointed out how actually it’s William who’s had the greatest impact here, by going to Scotland Yard when he suspected his phone was being hacked, which resulted in the investigations and convictions which brought down the News Of The World)

So basically the situation now is, things can be written about them, no matter how ridiculous, and if they don't sue or issue a statement, it must be true.

That's,what happens when you've been litigious. That's why everyone knew the Beckham / Loos,story was true. Because the Beckhams didn't sue. However, they didn't need to issue a statement. They have a press officer. When the media outlet rings to ask for their side, they just say it's not true.

Because now they have a negative story doing the rounds which might not be true. But there's no denial so people are free to talk like it is true. And even if they get round to issuing a denial this weekend, it's too late. The story is out there and that's what people remember. That's what their spokeswoman job is, killing the story before it gets going. But now it's all over twitter and YT and it never goes away.

Don't be so disappointing @cheezncrackers. Surely you realise that Joe Biden, the President of the USA, who is facing reelection, and is one of the biggest supporters of one of the combatants in an increasingly fractious European war, has nothing more important to do than fret about a DM story that is being eagerly lapped up on a Mumsnet thread.

No one has managed to answer why they would ask for a flight back with the Bidens when the timing is completely wrong?

Yes, actually, several of us have.

When (if) they made this request, they would've had NO IDEA when AF1 was due to leave following the funeral. Why? Because the movements of AF1 aren't common knowledge, for reasons of national security. I don't suppose the Air Traffic Controllers even knew its movements until the last minute. It's ridiculous to suggest that Harry and Meghan would've had the flight plan for the President's plane days ahead of time. Besides, being the President, his plans can change at the drop of a hat. There's a terrorist attack in London on the day of the funeral? He'd be off like a shot. There is some diplomatic crisis involving the US? Again, he'd leave immediately to deal with it. AF1 isn't a private jet you can just hire or ask your mate for a lift in FFS.

Yup, there will be a lot of coverage of H & M over the coming days to deflect from his greedy father taking so much more money that they do not need. You'd think they would need less after losing 5 working family members. Why are they requiring more?!

Does anyone have a link to this story? I googled but can only find the one about a reduction in the rate. (Unless I am misunderstanding SG and it doesn't mean sovereign grant 🤦‍♀️)

we have our own entertainment business!

Because the Sovereign Grant isn't used for paying any of the RF wages, and the costs they have are pretty similar regardless of how many working royals they have. Most of it goes on staffing and building upkeep.

You agree that unethical press practices should be challenged. That is good to hear.

So why should those affected by intrusive and unethical practices not have a legal remedy?

Harry is not the only person taking on the press. So why single him out for abuse of process? Is Doreen Lawrence also engaged in abuse of process?

🙄