Endgame Part 6

[Mymilkshakebringsallthepapstomycar]

A turkey, absolute balls of stuffing or a right Christmas cracker? We'll let you decide. Please keep the discussion interesting, civilised and relevant - the Holiday Armadillo is lurking!

Previous thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/4960903-omid-scobie-endgame-part-5?page=1

Yes I think he could get back in if he was ever single again. I dont think Meghan would come back here after all that's happened. But their position at the moment will be quite hard to explain to their two children. You are royal. But we now live in a country that doesn't have royalty.

There's a lot of tabloid nonsense about that at the moment, from the chat-about-nothing re invitation, now becoming Harry's feelings about family.

I think it is all tabloid invention.

It's Christmas, the rest of his family (loads of them) will be together so it's time to start inventing feelings about it - or some other narrative, such as living their best life now they've escaped (but they've done that story, and there aren't reliable pix to publish, unlike sure thing of Sandringham)

So Merry Christmas one and all - hope they are all happy with their choices

(I've nearly finished my peaceful morning coffee and will be vanishing in to the bosom of my family. Perhaps see you for a tipsy dissection of the King's Speech later )

Merry Christmas everyone! Hoping you all have lovely days today - and that nobody has been so naughty this year, that Santa has given them a copy of Endgame

Been a bit of a day today so I may be on the wobble. I thought that the King gave another lovely heartfelt speech and I was moved by it.

I’ll watch it again tomorrow when I’ve had more coffee and a sleep.

I didn’t get Endgame. I would have put money on it being my joke present this year.

There is still time…

I agree with you about the King's Speech, @ArcaneWireless . I thought the message was lovely, and just right. I loved the primary school choir.

I watched The King's Christmas message last night before bed, and agree with PP's - it was a lovely speech with a really quite (IMO) personal & heartfelt message.

I quite like his more "pared back" approach. Standing, no photos on display for anyone to over analyse and read into.

I'm watching the Carol Service "Together at Christmas" just now with a nice cuppa.

All very festive and again, a lovely message from Catherine.

I agree with others that the Kings’ speech was excellent . I especially liked that there were no photos on display for people to over analyse!
Concentrating on service was the right message.
In other news, I am slightly hungover !

Back to this point from pages back… sales to wholesale vs sales over the counter are massively different in books (& records). There is also savage discounting on sales to wholesale so a cover price of £20 might be sold to a big chain for £4.20 or thereabouts; that allows the retailer to sell at half cover price which most copies of Spare were sold at. The retailers get people into the store and hope people who hardly ever buy a book pick up something else that des turn a profit. I suspect that Spare was treated as a massive loss leader in that regard. There were also enormous promotional costs for that one - getting Harry and his security out for interviews, even the cover photoshoot for this would have been eye watering and the publisher covers that on top of the huge advance (I strongly suspect also that the huge advance has been massively over stated- it was to cover multiple books that haven’t all been delivered and although it was likely front loaded, I suspect that only half has been handed over - additional sums payable on delivery of further books and achieving over the counter sales of full price books- the savagely discounted sales and copies returned wouldn’t count towards dither advances)
it’s the same with the Spotify advance - it included production costs for the podcasts and not all of it would have been paid up front - it would be stages based on delivery of product and as we know, the “lazy fucking grifters” barely delivered. Splashy headline earnings are just that - the reality is generally very different.

I think this could happen, when H and M eventually divorce. Statistically speaking (two exceedingly prickly people coming from totally different backgrounds and divorce) it would be extremely surprising if they stick for the long haul. Even though, I suspect the royal family would hold Harry at arms length and censor their words around him.

I think the king has a great capacity for forgiveness because he sees kingship as a religious role and is aware that he is flawed himself (adultery for one) and would see it as a spiritual act to lead from the front on Christianity being about peace and forgiveness by forgiving Harry no matter what appalling books he has written/encouraged.
Whether the rest of the family especially his other son would see it that way is a different matter.
This could be many years down the line though depending on how things go for Harry and Meghan in both careers and marriage.

The lack of photos was very sensible. Lots of footage of Wales and children during the speech (more than I thought was appropriate really given how young they are) and just one token appearance each by Anne and Edward.

Did anyone see Rishi Sunak’s Christmas skit on X/ Twitter ? Reference to Harry - ouch !!

He's referring to Harry Cole, his press officer.

Oh ! Didn’t realise ! Assumed it was PH and judging by comments on X/Twitter , I am not alone !

No you're not alone! I have to say I found that video painful to watch. I just can't bear to see someone so out of touch as Sunak try to make himself look fun and relatable .

I was a little bit rough round the edges when I got up, but have had a few cups of tea, took the dogs down the beach, watched my son go for a "loony dook" in the sea and now had brunch.

So feeling much more human now

Oh now - I could go a loony dook.

So invigorating. And my belly would be shocked into submission and not be so glaringly obvious with the involuntary clench.

@ArcaneWireless it was a perfect day for it. Sea a bit rough but sun was shining.

I've said I'll join him next year 😝

I admire you! Where was that? We wanted to go for a long walk on the beach in Dorset but got lazy and went to Windsor great park instead.

@MrsFinkelstein

I’m so glad it was a lovely day for it. The bit we go in can be a bit tumultuous but there isn’t a feeling like it. It lifts your soul. Promise. 😊

I'm liking the fact that Charles seems to be so happy in his role as King. I was never a fan but he's usually so smiley and seems to relish his time in the office. There's a You Tube video of him chatting to cyclists on Balmoral estate and there he is out on his long walks himself.

I think he has risen to it, @mrsmingleton - there were concerns that he wouldn't, and that the late Queen was a lot to live up to. The speech was note perfect, inclusive, modest, optimistic and I liked the way that the Coronation images featured those rewarded for public service, not just himself and the Queen.

Thank you for putting into words what I am not articulate enough to say.

I agree he’s risen to it, and having spent a great deal of his life hearing people ranging from the newspapers to members of his own family (allegedly) saying he wouldn’t be up to it it’s probably a profound relief to Charles himself to discover he’s fine.

Prestwick in South Ayrshire