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

I feel for them , they have completely misunderstood their importance.

They had an opportunity to be amazing, I thought MM would be a fresh voice in American.

They are not respected or revered

Totally agree.

I had a postcard of their engagement photo on my mantle, watched all the wedding coverage with glee, etc and now think they are nothing but a pair of dim, whiny, self-absorbed fourth-rate grifters.

This pretty much mirrors my thinking.

I think H never knew how privileged he was until he was "forced" to give it up (and frankly at the time of their exit I think he felt in a game of brinkmanship that he would win because he failed to grasp that his princehood did not confer unassailable global rights and financial support).

I think M was more knowledgeable about the RF than she claims but still highly naive about the influence she could wield and the autonomy she would have whilst a working royal (and H failed her in being clear about this).

The scale of the opportunity and relationships they both had and have blown is actually quite staggering when you think about it.

Where is this all going to end? The trajectory from engagement to this has happened in just a few years. From thinking Harry was a really engaging, likeable chap I have utterly lost all respect for him. Where are they going to be in a few years time? I don’t think there’s any way back for him in the RF. At some point all his inheritances will be spent. Then what?

Meghan had the opportunity of a lifetime, she was patron of the National Theatre and The Association of Commonwealth Universities, both of which the Queen held and had awarded to Meghan, she was also Vice President of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and that that was just for starters! If she had stayed she would have attended State banquets, meeting world leaders whilst dripping in the Crown Jewels, they would have gone on tours representing the UK and the commonwealth, designers would be falling over themselves to dress her, celebrities would have curtsied and want to be seen in her presence, they had a 2 beautiful houses gifted to them and 24 hour security, no money worries as the Duchy and the tax payer would have funded them and that is just stuff of the top of my head! Yet what we see of her now is pap strolls in car parks with Backgrid on speed dial.

Long term they need an income source, that can afford the lifestyle and security. Whilst their wealth is for the majority huge for them it would need a huge capital or huge salary to maintain their lifestyle. Looking at Andrew, Anne, Edward none of them could live their lifestyle long term. Without income their earnings from Netflix and Spare will be eaten up, probably quickly.

Well said!

They had everything and threw it away with petulant haste. The mind reels.

At some point all his inheritances will be spent. Then what?

The Queen not being stupid, I would imagine any inheritance from her is tied up in trusts so that they get an income and can't spend the capital.

It all cones down to the cost of security, I think. Whatever they ascribe their hurt and bitterness to now, it seems to me that the cost of security , which they did not expect to have to cover, and which put them over an income barrel right away, is the root cause.

if they hadn’t had to fund it, they wouldn’t have needed paying projects. Oprah, Spare, Netflix wouldn’t have happened, and the two parts of the family would have been much more reconciled than they are

but I still can’t convince
myself that the British taxpayer should have had to pay for it, or the US taxpayer for that matter Charles, with hindsight, should maybe have stumped up for it.

(Before anyone says Andrew, I think his costs are a drop in the bucket compared to H&M’s. He lives on a protected estate anyway, and has no public appearances )

I don't think the cost of security was the root cause. I think greed was. When PH made such an embarrassing wally of himself trying to get MM a job as a voiceover artist while they were still working Royals was about greed IMO.

I am not sure about the actual chronology so may well be misremembering but I think they made the statement about seeking 'financial independence' this was before they knew security was to be withdrawn (?) and they had the shit fit about it. So what they appeared to mean was they thought that their current working Royal income was a stipend they would get regardless then they could monetise being Royal on top of that.

It’s nice and sunny. They are living in a big house with no demands on him, nobody telling him what to do, and he has two children and gets to spend all the time in the world with them.
He looks miserable and uncomfortable at his public appearances but in private he might be contented. Depends how much he worries about the future.

I agree with you. It is really astonishing. I think a lot of this is to do with harry being jealous of William, and him telling Megan she was going to be number 1 in the family, that they would be this power couple. I think he actually believed that, and she did too. They were going to be the stars of the show.

hence all the celeb invites to the wedding, the trademarking stuff, inviting Oprah to the wedding . When the queen said no, you can’t monetise it, and they didn’t get what they wanted, this whole thing kicked off. They wanted to be a list and act like huge celebs, socialise with other huge celebs.

but god the vindictiveness, the spite, the way they have behaved, has tarnished them hugely. They went from very popular, to isolated, derided, contentious characters.

even South Park did a whole episode taking the piss. Endgame is being roundly touted as Megan’s work. Their silence is condemning them further. No one is surprised by it. It is a nasty vindicative tawdry attack on the British royal family. And unlike spare, she didn’t have the balls to put her name to it.

when you think they can’t sink any lower, they do. It’s a fascinating subject as I do not recall ever any public figure behaving quite so badly and continually.

@NovemberAutumn "seeking 'financial independence".

I don't understand how they thought they would have financial independence if they had a huge outlay paid for by someone else whether it be his Dad or the tax payer.

I suspect they won't ever be happy until they stop looking over their shoulders at what's happening in the UK and what's being said about them online.

Meghan's pap walk this week was a good example. That woman in the youtube video commented on how inappropriate it was for Meghan to be photographed smiling like that this week. This had not occurred to me before, but thinking about it, I agree.

It seems like Meghan and Harry want to be on top of things all the time, it's all a bit "am I bothered". The reality is that this week must have been very difficult for them, the fallout from End Game has not been positive and they must be feeling the strain.

If I was Meghan's PR, I would have recommended 1) no appearances this week. and 2) if accidentally caught by paps (assuming pap walk not arranged) not to grin happily, because it seems inappropriate in the circumstances and only comes across as smug. That might appeal to existing supporters, but it isn't going to win over anyone else.

He looks miserable and uncomfortable at his public appearances but in private he might be contented. Depends how much he worries about the future.

It's possible he is contented, but he always looks miserable, and I think if I was exiled, in the way that he is, I wouldn't be contented either.

When he left this country four years ago, he thought he and Meghan were escaping the gilded cage and flying off to a brilliant future and success and financial security - one where they would have it all. They had the security of royal names, royal money and the royal protection squad, bankrolled by the British public and they were world famous and very popular - so what could possibly go wrong?

I suspect he worries very much about the future - particularly about the future of their income stream - because they've already sold their souls and banked the proceeds. What now? What does anyone actually want to pay them for in future that will keep them in multi-million dollar mansions, multi-million dollar security bills each year, staff, first class or private jet travel and all the other myriad costs of just existing?

I think part of the problem is unforseen costs like security in Spare Harry is uncomprehending that security could ever be withdrawn so I think he never invisaged that he'd have lets say 5 million dollars of costs every year. Also rising costs because of the kids getting older and more independent and dwindling interest in him and Meghan as they get older.

I agree with @NovemberAutumn I think some of it is greed and also keeping up with the Joneses. Unless you're the Sovereign or the Prince of Wales you're at their mercy for an allowance or have to make it on your own.

I remember reading shortly after they were married that they gave a £7k wedding gift to Idris Elba for a wedding they didn't attend and thinking they'd be in a Fergie bankruptcy situation soon.

Also I doubt Americans realise while the income that Charles and William have is very substantial, the rest of them are largely reliant on those two (yes Harry does have inheritances from Diana etc but also has said hes not touching those)

I think another aspect is that the type of endorsements that might pay them big money might not be "on brand" like I'm sure somewhere like Burger King would pay Harry several million for an ad but then hes taken all the shine off his brand and suddenly is no longer seen as classy.

He looks miserable and uncomfortable at his public appearances but in private he might be contented. Depends how much he worries about the future.

I have to say that I genuinely wish him the best and I hope he is happy but I doubt it, he seems to have a permanent chip on his shoulder about William and not getting as much as him.

I think the only time I've seen him look relaxed and carefree in public since they left the RF was when hes been at sporting events, he looks happy and engaged when hes there, the rest of the time he looks absolutely miserable. I just hope that Archie and Lili are seeing their parents happy and not miserable

If you look at Harry's old interviews, he was clear he didn't like the press, but still he came across as natural and authentic, he was engaging, funny and really likeable, he didn't appear to have any chip on his shoulder then. I don't think that was a fake persona, but now he is just so unlikeable, he comes across as arrogant and scathing of everything and everyone (except his wife) and hugely resentful and jealous.

He really does not appear to be contented and living his best life, I do believe he wanted a life away from media attention but now he has been thrown into something that is even worse and more intrusive than his royal life ever was.

The cost of security was definitely not to set a precedent, Charles was and is so aware that the cost of the royal family is the biggest gripe of the royal family with the public. He did not want the next generation thinking they can do a Harry and commercialise the monarchy paid for by the tax payer on a lifelong holiday. Trump had already said theUS wouldn’t foot the bill and I suspect Biden would have wanted compensation. Its not what IpP was set up for.

He can’t have wanted a life away from the media, they absolutely could have had that, even the queen put out a statement stating she hoped they’d be happy. At that point Charles was happy to continue to pay their security, simply the uk tax payer was not, as they didn’t live in the uk.

the chose to do the book, the series, their interviews, sign with Netflix and Spotify, and even said they were going to work to be financially independent, clearly through the media deals they were signing.

tne last thing they wanted was a life away from the media, they went full throttle to be in the public eye and get every penny they could from it. And as much publicity

they wanted what the queen said no to. To monetise their titles to be big stars.

It was never Harry's dream to go to Hollywood and be a celeb. Remember how he hates clicking cameras. He was already an A Lister without thinking about it. If he was going anywhere it would have been Botswana. This whole Hollywood influencing adventure is Meghan's dream.

They continuously put themselves into no win situations. I think it is quite obvious now that they just don't follow advice they are given.

The latest is the security case. For Harry it is a no win situation. If he 'wins' the court case and is granted security in the UK whenever he and his family visit - at tax payer's expense - the resentment from the British public will just increase exponentially. Every single visit the media will speculate on how much it has cost the British tax payer. They are not working Royals - so there is no net benefit to the British public for this expense.

Let's face it, the average person faces a much greater threat to life every single day than Harry or his family do - through lack of access to health care, crime, poverty etc.

If he loses the case he will be roundly mocked and ridiculed in the press.

Also by responding to the wedding invitation news. No win situation. It makes them look petty and childish, very high school - 'I was invited I just didn't want to go'. It also highlights their silence on the racism claims - which gives an impression they support Scobie's book and the claims made in it.

They are their own worst enemy.

Sure, I agree, that was what Megan wanted, he would never have considered the deals otherwise and doing this, never have wanted to be a list, have celebs at his wedding, but that doesn’t detract from the fact he did it. He has personal responsibility here. And as for loving Africa, he’s not been back, and he used their tour to attack the press.

I can’t see how they can be happy either, they make sure they act like they are blissfully happy when cameras on them, she’s more adept at that than him, but everything they do back fires on them. Other than invictus where they turn up, look joyful and applaud. The constant pressure must be horrific, but them and only them are responsible, and irrelevant of whose dream it was, harry is equally as culpable.

It could have been so different, couldn't it? They could have set up some amazing charity events, rubbed shoulders with Hollywood Elite and kept an air of mystery around themselves so everyone wanted to know more. Instead, you have a pair of oversized toddlers screaming I WANT I WANT at the top of their lungs and throwing shit when they don't get it.

They don't deserve all that they have because neither are remotely grateful for it. I doubt Harry could even make himself a cup of tea or pair his own socks because he's never had to.