Omid Scobie Endgame PART 4

[Mymilkshakebringsallthepapstomycar]

Continuing an enjoyable and civilised discussion of Endgame, and all things relating to its contents.

Previous thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/4954329-omid-scobie-endgame-part-3?page=1

Well at least those who thought that way will feel comforted that they got the ubiquitous sob story part.

It was a mistake. It should have been "I" as in "I was already preparing a family breakfast"

X-factor is certainly known for its nan stories.

My comments were about Meghan's agency dropping her...

What is said in court is on record, and even the DM has limits about what it can claim!

Despite the predictions of some, the support for the monarchy didn't fall off a cliff after QE2 died.

There is a gradual long term decline, but it doesn't seem to be much affected by the individuals occupying the role(s).

You snipped what I wrote and left out the important part.

in fairness, it sound like Ravec plans to do exactly that: make decisions on what security will be provided as needed

That's the situation as it has been since he stepped back. They have said that he needs to give 4 weeks notice though (and I've no idea what goes in to a risk assessment, so can't tell if it's a reasonable period). He also has to give advance notice if he wants to stay in a royal property - as he found out this summer.

Isn't that what Diana was hinting during That Interview when she said she didn't think Charles would ever hold what she called the "top job" ?

I didn't 'snip' it because I only quoted one small part of your text.

I note your last sentence but it seemed to contradict the rest of your post. Simply being the King's son doesn't mean that you're entitled to demand full police protection whenever you feel like popping over. Special arrangements have been made to assess Harry's security requirements on a case by case basis, which seems entirely fair and reasonable to me.

Does anyone seriously think that a genuine danger to the son of the King would be ignored? It's all about status for Harry, not security.

You both seem to be saying the same thing - his security should be assessed on a case by case basis!

Which I also think is reasonable...

I'm not saying it should be, I'm saying it already is

I've no idea what goes in to a risk assessment

You would think that as Harry thinks he is as important as the second coming I'd imagine 4 weeks was the minimum required.

Seriously though, employment law means you need to give twice as long as the holiday period booked if you are to cancel it, four weeks covers this. (Obviously all leave can be cancelled immediately for national security but a Prince on holiday is hardly that.

*I keep thinking about the PP who said about when they went to stay in Canada for a holiday and then didn't come back and the effect that would have had on their staff and family.

Wouldn't it be spectacularly ironic if Omid's crappy book was the 'Endgame' for himself as a journalist and the Sussexes in La-La Land?

That’s my feeling - and it’s already happening.

Good point @RecoIIectionsMayVary

They not only have to do the risk assessment. but if they decide he does need protection, then they need to get the team together and that team will also need his itinerary so they can do the necessary recces and any other necessary pre-deployment prep.

I don't think I saw it reported in the Uk press but it was in Newsweek that they apparently saw part of the documents in the case and Harry hasn't been happy with the level of security provided for him on this ad hoc basis for example when he was here for the coronation or his many court cases

https://www.newsweek.com/prince-harry-anger-coronation-police-security-1849676

The new revelations were contained in filings, seen by Newsweek, from a December 5 hearing at the High Court, in London, in Harry's lawsuit against the U.K. government over the decision to strip him of his police protection.
The prince's lawyers said, "the May 2023 decision was irrational," while the Home Office's filing read: "[Prince Harry] separately alleges that RAVEC's decision of May [Redacted Text] when attending the Coronation on 5-6 May 2023 was irrational. It was not.
"The expert judgment of RAVEC was that [Redacted Text]. Despite the fact that these matters have been explained to [Prince Harry] in correspondence and now in evidence, [Prince Harry] still fails to engage with the explanation given. RAVEC's approach is unchallengeable," the filing added.
Harry's lawyers also said decisions taken in March and June, when he was in Britain to attend court for two tabloid lawsuits, were "irrational" and added that "this was insufficient for the reasons" given in a court filing.

The March case was in relation to historic phone-hacking allegations against the Daily Mail. In June, Harry became the first royal family member in more than a century to testify in a court case because of his lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers.
The Home Office court filing reads: "Finally, [Prince Harry] alleges that RAVEC's decisions in March and July 2023 to [Redacted Text] for his attendance at court for legal proceedings was irrational. It was not."

The only way his security can be the same as it was is if they are permanently detailed, where this leads then opens the door that I think Harry is ultimately aiming for. Harry certainly changes his narrative depending on who he is talking to. UK judge, of course his home is the UK, when in the states it the US feels more like home than the UK.

I can’t help but think that those who make a big show of how important and precious they are aren’t as important as they think.

They are precious though.

Harry certainly changes his narrative depending on who he is talking to. UK judge, of course his home is the UK, when in the states it the US feels more like home than the UK.

He can't seem to keep his story straight on anything.

However, there is another possibility, which is that Harry is actually rather homesick. He's been living in exile for four years now. Does he miss home? The British sense of humour? The crackle of a log fire in a cosy pub on a winter's day? The comforting bang of a shotgun while yomping through the muddy fields of a country estate? Christmas is coming up - that most family of times. Is Harry maybe regretting burning everything down when he left?

Well the fail is speculating just that, that Megan’s agency is going to drop her because of end game.

I don’t put much store in the fail, and I don’t believe for one moment they will drop her simply over endgame, but I do believe her agency will drop her, they clearly haven’t been able to do anything for her since they signed her, likely as she’s so contentious v what she is willing to do , and it besmirches them to have her on their books.

Endgame is just the straw that broke the camels back. Megan and harry can’t deny Scobie as they are behind it, and their silence on it, is being taken as confirmation of that , the book is a pile of shite. And Global media opinion is it’s Megan behind that book.

i actually think that agency only signed her as a favour to Venus Williams.

i think they will end it, as will Netflix. They publicly need to get to sandringham for Xmas, try to show they still have an in with the royals, to try to keep it going. I don’t think that will happen.

I don’t think I’ve seen two people have so much and squander it so quickly.

Is Harry maybe regretting burning everything down when he left

i think so, but not for nostalgic reasons, more they are realising how good they had it, v what they have now. There is no way they can think it’s been good or is good.

I don’t think I’ve seen two people have so much and squander it so quickly.

This is what I’ve found amazing and terrible in equal measure. It’s like watching a complete fall from grace.

Not 4 years ago they had everything. The public adored them, they had fame, wealth, health and seemed to be genuinely embraced by the RF. How they managed to turn everything they touched to crap I’ll never understand. They seem to ricochet from one disaster to another like 2 rogue pinballs.

They could have done so much but instead of using their notoriety to promote their causes, look to the future and carve a niche for themselves they mired themselves in pettiness and dredging over the past. They wanted to be famous and adored worldwide but instead they’ve become infamous.

Yes, maybe you're right and it's about the cold hard reality of being out there trying to make a living when before he had it all for free. Forbes magazine estimated that their security bill alone might be as much as $2-3 million per year. Has someone crunched the numbers and gazed at their dwindling appeal and had a word in Harry's ear?

If Harry had any idea of coming back to the UK in the near future he would have said something about the racism, and said it quickly with his unconscious bias crap. His comments to the judges about being forced out also are not the words of someone trying to repair. He’d need to be skint to come back.

They’ve been hoisted by their own petards (plural). They lifted the curtain and now we can’t unknow what we know about them. That the Emporor really is wearing no clothes.

So many aphorisms apply to them - they even lack originality in failing! It’s pitiful, and utterly foreseeable.