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

To add, I think Harry and Meghan responded by leaking, and that confirmed their belief that the 'other' side must be leaking. Because they had the moral high ground in their own eyes, so the 'enemy' must be doing worse

It is about having enough humility to accept advice!

we may not enjoy seeing what the rest are like without it

Oh, I dunno.

I quite liked seeing Charles hissing at his lackeys and swearing at his pens 😀

There are probably lots of stories that the Palace helped make disappear too.

I bet there are

Publicity stunt or genuine error the whole things has backfired spectacularly.

Despite saying on Oprah they would never reveal the names it seems this promise potentially didn't include speaking to people who would - either Scobie himself or an intermediary who passed the information on.

Given it's known that H & W used to "test" boyhood friends loyalty in the past by telling people slightly different "tabloid worthy" fictional tales so they who know who'd blabbed and who could be trusted and M is known to be pretty ruthless about ditching people who aren't loyal to her re: the press (including her own father) then I think it's a stretch to conclude that whoever spoke to Scobie it was without the knowledge of H&M.

So now Scobie is proven to have lied about putting the names in the draft book and it's far from the realms of possibility that H&M have reneged on their Oprah promise (a theory bolstered by their failure to deny/comment).

Yet the fallout????

How times have changed since the outrage over the allegations post Oprah.

The thing is if you are going to make serious accusations you need credibility and H&M have spent the last few years pissing that away through misleading statements, contradicting themselves and outright lies as documented in a court of law.

This information was their bargaining chip with the RF and they've just overplayed their hand.

The names are out and frankly very few people care/believe to the point of it damaging the reputations of C&C - rather a significant number of people actually feel sympathetic to them.

Yet H&M still think they should be invited to play happy families at Sandringham.

Their thought processes totally elude me and I think they need a major review of their "tactics" because unless they can pull something good out of the bag that can provide a sustainable long term income to fund the lifestyle they aspire to I feel they are up shit creek having jettisoned their own paddles in respect of their relationship with Charles and William.

For the sake of their children I really hope they can move forward in a productive way and build a "brand" beyond vengeful victims based on good work/content creation that is not underpinned by re-hashing perceived slights/harm and even genuine grievances.

I also agree the palace stopped protecting him, this is the first time he’s been out from under their wing.

however I do wonder if either of them were actually as bad before they met each other as they are now. As in I think they may bring the worst out in each other. And if they had both settled with other people, they’d never have behaved as they do.

so as much as the palace protected him, it was more likely about his lifestyle ie drugs, drinking, etc, I am not convinced he was as bad before.

but since he’s met Megan I think she’s brought out the worst in him, and since she’s met him, he’s brought out thr worst in her, they egg each other on, only listen to each other, validate each others sense of entitlement, and it’s been utterly disastrous for them both. Neither is capable of grounding the other.

rhe saving grace is fhey have two beautiful children, which i am sure they both love.

Oh dear! It's all gone a bit Pete Tong (although a poll of 1000 people is hardly representative),

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12828131/kate-middleton-peoples-princess-prince-william-meghan-markle-sussex.html

Yeah the only positive about Meghan and Harry’s flounce is that the men in grey suits can ask for a big juicy pay rise now that the rest of the royal family have glimpsed a life without them

I think Harry himself has been leaking stories on them for years and finally wanted to make big money doing it in public but knew how that would look

I think that’s nonsense 😀

I actually think the whole situation is a combination of different things and Harry has either misunderstood, mixed up different elements or messed up the explanation when talking to others (like his ghost writer) or he really just doesn't have the ability to see the nuance in real world situations.

Like all major organisations, commercial companies, big non-profits and government departments the teams working for the Crown use a variety of different techniques and tactics in their communication and PR work. The royal family does have one unique element in the royal rota but that's less evil cabal as some people seem to think and just a way to manage logistics and numbers when there's a lot of interest in particular stories.

There are 'briefings' - this is a common practice of getting a large amount of information out to a big group of press organisations at one time. Everyone sends a representative to a group setting and a rep from the palace briefs them on something coming up or several things. Again this is for logistics and planning. It's for 'This is happening in Spring' 'Plans for the royal wedding' type of news, not 'here are some nasty stories about Harry'

There are relationship-building exercises - also very common across the commercial and non-profit world. At certain times of year journalists are invited to social occasions - everyone involved in these things knows that side A is hoping for more favourable coverage and side B is hoping for more favourable access and exclusives. It's a delicate dance where no one promises anything but everyone hopes they will get the better side of the deal. As a journalist if you are a generalist on a big patch with lots of big companies, charities etc that you regularly report on you eat out A LOT around Christmas time.

The job of the PR teams is to maximise good news and minimise bad news so if you can persuade someone to publish a flattering story it's a win. The job of the news publisher is different depending on the publisher - for some it's about getting the 'truth' out there, getting exclusive stories for the good of the people. For others, it's about making as much advertising and sales money as you possibly can. So if they get offered a juicy distraction they'll take it - this is a tactic massively used by celebrity PR agents who often offer a better story from one client to save the bacon of a different client.

I'm sure some of the teams within the different BRF offices are particularly loyal and or competitive about their principals, it's probably a point of pride/career boosting to be able to get the right kind of publicity etc. I think it's unlikely that this work they do is micromanaged by each individual royal principal.

Harry seems to have a problem with things that have actually happened getting out there in the press and assumes it has to have come from someone close to him or by phone hacking - he's totally ignoring the more likely possibilty of all the non key staff, vendors, members of the public, friends of friends etc who gossip and tell each other the latest stories they've heard which eventually get to the ears of someone who knows a journalist.

Wrestling the microphone - flashback! 😄

I agree I also think that’s nonsense. He was never really interested before, other than keeping the media away, and his pr was managed for him,harry wasn’t leaking anything before.

i think as the pp said, he’s misunderstood., coupled with a hefty dose of paranoia, envy, resentment, has led him to wrong conclusions, I don’t believe for one moment the palace was briefing against him or that Camilla did what she’s accused of.

Yes, and then members of the press - without giving up their ethics, can accommodate other needs.

Many years ago I was involved in a minor way with a review that was going to be published into some failings by an agency with a number of victims. The review was sent to the victims shortly before publication so they could be prepared. One of them sent it to a journalist - no problem, except that other victims had not had a chance to get to see and come to terms with the contents.

The journalist held the story back for about 12 hours, to allow other victims to deal with their initial reactions before seeing it in the media. They were given full access once that initial period was ended.

It wasn't to protect the people at fault, but to protect the innocent - but it was because there was a good relationship between our media staff and the journalist concerned, the journalist had confidence they weren't being fobbed off.

Some people would call that collusion, of course. I see it as journalist ethics that respected the people who had been hurt, and who had every right to go to the press, and also those hurt whose first reaction was private

I have been following the thread and am complete newbie - so I apologise in advance if this has been covered.

Some personal opinions.

Amongst all the noise of OS & racism I can't help thinking .... follow the money.

1. Harry recently in UK court re. funding of security when he visits UK. Is this a thin edge of wedge to try to reinstate IPP - just an opinion? Invictus Games Canada leaks seem to imply monetary problems? Is the charity in line to pay H&M security?
2. If Harry goes to Africa to do his proposed Netflix production - who picks up cost of security?

Interesting post @parksandrecs

This whole 'Harry loves Africa' thing is so white saviour! Africa is a whole continent, with a huge diversity of countries and cultures. Many of whom have similar disagreements with other countries in the way European or Asian countires have long rooted issues with different European or Asian countries, for example.

Harry's Africa is very colonial. His friendship with the ruling family of Lesotho, for example.

I think some of the briefing against is that Harry doesn't get he must be frustrating to work for and his employees probably bitch about him a lot and that is where leaks come from more than his evil stepmother sitting down and thinking how she can embarass him in the press.

I have to say I was really suprised as someone who worked as an PA once upon a time and how pearl clutching some people in the media were that employees speak poorly about their superiors with the whatsapps that were released in the Covid enquiry. I really felt a class divide hearing some of them be shocked about it.

Harry's Africa is very colonial. His friendship with the ruling family of Lesotho, for example

Prince Seeiso of Lesotho is co-founder of Sentabale

And sometimes given as an example of how Harry can't be racist.

Yet, even in the height of Victorian racism, African or Indian ruling families were exempt, as long as they suported British rule.

That didn't apply to their subjects

I don’t really buy Harry’s love of Africa.

If he hadn’t used the African tour where they represented the queen to announce their intent to sue the press, which was highly disrespectful to his hosts.

if he hadn’t been rude to journalists covering it, one asked him why they were there and he said ask them , nodding to the local visitors and got back in the car, instead of explaining the cause.

if he’d been back since.

its just a convenient way for him to get Netflix to produce some of their content, and let’s face it, it was far from the first thing he offered up.

Harry, Meghan and Scrotie are all liars. Proven.

I think it's rooted in Chelsey - the one that got away.....

Has he spent a prolonged period of time there? My sister's husband is a doctor and very wealthy. Family money. He goes out to Africa around once a year for about a month to deliver medical aid kits as part of a charity. He LOVES it...but has never stayed there more than a month at any one time. He gets a lot of kindness and, by the sounds of it, adoration. I sometimes wonder if he lived there, would he feel the same.

Actually good point, I suspect you’re right, that’s where it started.

they have been on plenty of holidays, never once went back to Africa, more Ibiza and Elton johns place.

@FinallyFinalGirl , I don’t know how long his trips have been but they stopped after the Africa tour. Never been back since, choosing to holiday in luxury elsewhere, and by all accounts they touted many things to Netflix before they put Africa forward. So if he goes back out, it’s paid for. But wasn’t his first choice. Or his tenth.