Sussex Whiplash

[ConstantGarden1]

Sometimes, all the different media outlets who purport to know the inner workings of all things Sussex can give me whiplash. One moment the Sussex duo are on the outs with everyone, hemorrhaging or devoid of influential friends, making no headway with Netflix, losing money, can’t afford their mortgage and claimed to no longer be relevant. Then Suits saw an upsurge in viewers - fantastic ratings on Netflix, the BBC buys Suits, Invictus is being promoted via Harry’s award and trips, he receives a heartfelt standing ovation, Meghan finishes filming a new Netflix series purportedly linked to a nascent commercial venture and a new podcast is set for next year.

‘Lonely’ Harry, as some will insist on writing, is also not something that rings true for me. He has too much charisma, energy, interests, causes and is a people person. I also cannot think of anyone who needs to say I am friends with x, y, and z on a regular basis for the benefit or not of strangers. We don’t know who they are friends with, really. Meanwhile, pundits continue to engage those interested in the couple with whatever they can attributing the information to some made up mysterious ‘sources’. I suspect their real friends are quietly keeping their own counsel. Especially, now they have seen the mutual pathological loathing that Harry and the tabloids have towards one another. Can’t say I blame them either.

Now there is this:

https://www.paleycenter.org/join-us/support-us/paleyhonors/

Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Chairman, Maureen J. Reidy, President & CEO

and

Tribute Chairs

Ariel Emanuel, Jon Feltheimer, Whoopi Goldberg, Taraji P. Henson, Matt Johnson, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Gayle King, Debra L. Lee, Mellody Hobson and George Lucas, Scott Mills, The Honorable Nicole Avant and Ted Sarandos, Kerry Washington, Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Invite You to

Cocktail Reception 6:30 pm
Dinner & Program 7:30 pm

The Beverly Wilshire Hotel
9500 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Cocktail Attire

Considering Whoopi G had less than favourable words for the couple I’d like to have been a fly on the wall at any meetings held. No doubt ‘netizens’ will have their microscopes to the ready to give us all their ‘insights’ regarding the events of the evening. No doubt I’ll get whiplash again when all their combined fingers hit the keyboards.

Our local library had a book sale recently and Spare was in the 25p pile . Can anyone beat that ??

Haven’t they now changed all their names to Sussex?

Sussex can be used as a surname, as it's the Dukedom. However, they won't be using anything as common as a "surname" any time soon.
They'll be royalty all their lives, same for their children.
Although I'm going to say that the name Princess Lilibet Diana could be a double edged sword for the daughter.

The mention of status and H+M's penchant for it reminded me of the Commonwealth service just before they left, when they pushed through the row of chairs in front of them rather than filing out normally - to avoid the risk of being behind Edward and Sophie as everyone walked out of the abbey 🤪

That was so funny 🤣! They really are entertaining.
Did you see Harry's thunder face as they walked down the aisle? A proper teenage grimace 😂

I thought he looked like he wanted to punch someone throughout. Which at least looked natural, unlike Meghan's grin 😬

He did! Honestly, what a pair of drama llamas 😭

Nothing I have read, on here and elsewhere, has convinced me that Harry is taking the African Parks situation as seriously as he should. Resigning from the board and publically distancing himself while conducting his own enquiries would show he is taking it seriously. Even from pure self interest (I think any real "philanthropy" went out of the window a while ago, if it was ever there) the association tarnishes him.

The things alleged (with quite a pile of evidence) are happening to poor, black people here and now and are thus much more pressing than apologies for the slave trade. Anyway, as we're always being reminded how royal Harry is, why doesn't he issue a personal apology for that? It was after all his own ancestors who benefited.

Excellent points, @Uricon2 . It's very much in the here and now and he needs to address it.

My opinion is that if Harry had resigned and publicly distanced himself from African Parks, posters now would be being calling him out as being a ‘coward’ who ran away from the problem.

I’ve got plenty of criticisms of Harry but can see how this all works on here now. He can not be granted any grace at all. Everything he does is wrong, self serving etc etc etc.

Give it away free?

'Everything he does is wrong, self serving etc etc etc.'
It quite often is though. Possibly not through Harry's decisions alone, but the Oprah interview and Nigerian visit particularly spring to mind.

I doubt that. If he made a stand on this, I would respect him for it. I'm sure many others would, too. Unfortunately, for 4.5 years he's not shown an ability at all to be anything other than greedy, dishonest and self serving. He's got PR people, publicists etc, yet it's still going badly wrong. A step like this re African Parks, would be a positive, and he could start to build up his reputation as a person with some integrity.

I disagree - refusing to be associated with a person or organisation is a really strong message and shows integrity, especially if it means turning down money. See Jay Rayner's recent response to the Saudi government, for example.

I don't think everything Harry does is wrong - I don't think it was wrong to leave, I think they are doing the right thing keeping the children out of the spotlight, I thought 'just call me Harry' was great (unfortunately he has since abandoned big time). But there are so many many other things which are less positive, let's put it like that.

I doubt it too.

He would look a damn site better distancing himself from the organisation, instead the action he chose to take was to pass the info up the line, take a promotion and saying nothing more about it. I think that's more cowardly and certainly more damaging from a PR perspective.

Everything they do is self serving, they care only for how much money they can make and how quickly.

(Also not everything he does is self-serving, sometimes quite the opposite and more to do with ineptness and lack of self-awareness.)

Missing out the bit where he should conduct his own investigation.

Posted too soon. He isn't on the board of AP because of his high level qualifications in environmental sciences or vast commercial experience but because he is a Prince with a profile. Resigning would have an impact and I would respect him for it.

He's definitely inept and lacking in self awareness, but he's 40 now and needs to develop as an adult. He's in this semi infantisiled state; strangely inadequate and with no agency, yet held up as some sort of role model and pioneer - "Global Harry" has been used on here by some of his followers.
Making a stand about African Parks would be the first step in a more positive direction.

I don't think everything Harry does is wrong - I don't think it was wrong to leave, I think they are doing the right thing keeping the children out of the spotlight, I thought 'just call me Harry' was great (unfortunately he has since abandoned big time). But there are so many many other things which are less positive, let's put it like that.

This really. He was right to leave. He is absolutely right to protect his family as he sees fit.

I do think he is too late to speak up about African Parks now. It needed to be addressed when it first came to the light.

So much time has passed. If he apologised or spoke about it now, he would look like a reluctant child being made to say sorry.

But should he step down? Step away? Yes.

DeftLemonDog
I’ve got plenty of criticisms of Harry but can see how this all works on here now. He can not be granted any grace at all. Everything he does is wrong, self serving etc etc etc.

Personally I really do think that H is genuine about Invictus - I do give him credit for his interaction with the veterans in the past. But things are going badly wrong, and - sorry - but he needs to tell Meghan to stay out of it. She's irrelevant and I bet the cost of his/their involvement has increased exponentially since Meghan pushed in there. And I think she's alienating a lot of people, both the vets and the organisers. What on earth is the justification for her presence?

I wouldn't like to be him having to tell her this, but he does need to get her to back off.

He was right to leave. He is absolutely right to protect his family as he sees fit.

As has been said on here countless times, no-one would have felt angry with Harry if he and Meghan had simply left to live entirely private, modest lives below the radar. Harry had enough money to sustain that lifestyle.* *Yes, there would have been disappointment - say, soon after the wedding when H's image was still intact and Meghan was positively viewed as a refreshing addition to the RF - but not anger and resentment.

If they hadn't done the awful documentary, if they hadn't done the appalling, spiteful and treacherous Oprah interview, if Harry hadn't published Spare...if only. Things could have been so different.

Their children could have had a lovely relationship with their cousins and other royal relations, fantastic visits to all the castles, invitations to Wimbledon etc etc. All the nice aspects of a very privileged life without the duty and pressure.

And they would (at that stage) have been in demand with all kinds of celebs (whose attention and company they seem to crave) and would have retained the world's respect by not throwing their families under a bus. They just needed to stay discreet and dignified and keep family confidences - but they just couldn't resist the dollars, could they?

I think they've cooked their goose, personally, and there's no going back. I think they're both awful, but I feel truly sorry for the children who are missing out on extended family relationships.

@CoffeeCantata - so true. I've got no issue with anyone choosing to leave a situation, to work on something new, but the way they have done it is so negative and unpleasant.

I haven’t seen that ! Must google or if someone could link that would be great.
That was the service where H and M threw a hissy fit because they weren’t included in the Queen’s procession so W and C agreed not to join it either . Unfortunately the programmes were already printed so that kind of gave the same away !!

‘The British govt have stopped short’ . Charles is sitying on vast pile of wealth surrounded by the spoils of colonisation. This is not only a UK govt problem. It’s also a problem for Charles and family - Harry included- and it’s Charles’ duty as King and head of his household to say the words.

That's not how it works.

Charles cannot apologise on behalf of the British nation without the permission of the British government.

And comparing Charles' responsibility for what was done by his distant ancestors centuries ago to Harry's personal, current involvement with African Parks is ridiculous.

@Mylovelygreendress - see if you can watch it, it's so funny! Harry's face throughout is an absolute picture. W&C decided to not show H&M up, but they always manage to show themselves up anyway! Once again, less about the Commonwealth, more about their status.