The Columbia Tour

[ThePoshUns]

2 threads deleted. Sabotaged by the Squad?
Shall we continue?

I totally agree with you, it’s not looking good for them @Puzzledandpissedoff I think they’ve overexposed themselves and people are getting bored. This tour feels very lacklustre.

Do actual philanthropists talk about their philanthropy using that word? MM is talking about being a philanthropist on that panel, and it is so self regarding.

Who wears stilettos in a sport hall?

Someone who does not want to be asked to get up and bounce a basketball or take part in anything except slow walking or sitting down.

I tend to agree with you .
Harry has looked disinterested and angry for most of the tour and Meghan’s mask has slipped too.

Not in my experience, no - like "humanitarian" it's the sort of description for others to bestow if they consider it earned, but I guess if someone's got very little to offer there's a temptation to exaggerate whatever scraps exist

May I say the unspoken part? Unlike Catherine….

Just remembering MM’s performance when they went to Canada and she was grabbing Harry’s hand to help her walk. Catherine would have been challenging him to a bobsled race.

The Nigeria tour, ridiculous though it was, was streets ahead of this in terms of organisation and pretend pomp. This 'tour' looks like it was cobbled together at the last minute, which is probably was.

Harry in particular knows it's a farce. He knows what the real deal is when it comes to royal tours, and this isn't even close.

His body language on that panel - slumped back in his seat, legs splayed, practically horizontal. So rude!

Thank you. Really made my teeth itch when she said it. Exaggerating scraps sums it up perfectly.

Didn't he complain about how 'they' sent him on international tours even though he didn't want to go?

So why on earth did he 'find freedom' in order to do a D list version of the real thing?

Royal tours have a wider purpose of strengthening ties between countries. Of course, they may be more or less successful at that, but they happen for a purpose, which is why they get formally announced etc

Trying to make it a 'tour' when there is no purpose apart from the individuals involved getting publicity is just - to use a word getting a lot of airtime in the US election! - a bit weird.

Meghan appears to have no interest in or connection with team sport
She always looks out of place at Invictus because military culture and sports culture are alien to her.

So rude. And arrogant.

Very good point!

Just wondering.

To what extent has their messaging about online bullying (which definitely needs tackling) been affected by what happened to Catherine earlier this year? Because the whole thing went mainstream in terms of being mentioned on the BBC and in serious newspapers, I think it may have been the first time many people who aren't online much had exposure to the really toxic things that are written on social media about the Wales'.

It's hard now to listen to Harry talking about online bullying without thinking of what was done to Catherine. It's really glaring that his focus is himself and Meghan and he never calls out the Sussex Squad. I think it really undermines his message because the Squad got mentioned in all the press articles about Catherine's experience.

Add that to their strict control of the press on this visit, which the BBC made a point of emphasising this morning, and I believe that many more people are starting to see that it isn't really about bullying but about him wanting only positive press with no criticism.

Which is sad because this is an area that really needs change internationally.

I don't really know enough about how it operated prior to Elon or how it operates now. nor if it is being manipulated by admins, supposedly Musk has cleaned up the bots and false accounts on Twitter/ X, but who knows ! They have all probably relocated to TikTok.

"When Elon Musk took over, 'a self-declared “free speech absolutist” who has promised to soften many of Twitter’s content-moderation policies. he claimed he was going to clean it up' Musk has repeatedly promised to make Twitter a digital haven for “free speech,”

X does seem to be the stomping ground for the Sussex Squad and you do wonder if it was being moderated would all that crazy stuff about Catherine ever have reached the fever pitch it did. So I tend to lean towards the fact H&M not trending, is actually the reality rather than a manipulation, but you never know.

I think the only people who are interested in this tour are us, and that's not in a nice way.

Invictus is such a worthwhile organisation but is being completely overshadowed by H and M especially Meghan with her fashion parade .

Sadly I don’t think it undermines their messages about bullying. I know it does.

I’m not so much disappointed in Meghan as I’m sure the PoWs give zero fucks about her opinions or output or hypocrisy.

The Harry silence must sting and his hypocrisy must nip more than a thousand nettles.

The cause is great. What a shame that those with the platform to try to make things better are not without sin in that regard.

@MummyJ12 I agree, there is definitely a lackluster feel this time around. Perhaps because it's only a couple of months since they last did this and Meghan is wearing virtually the same clothes!
In normal times, William & Catherine will only do one major overseas tour a year and it's always an all singing, all dancing event. Plenty of colour and glamour, with some fun aspects (George petting a koala or video of them scuba diving) mixed in with the more serious aspects that they are there to highlight.
M&H are only there to highlight themselves, not the region, so have to appear worthy and serious at all times and can't be seen to be having to much fun so the whole thing is falling a bit flat.

Many thanks, Thedom; as said I don't know much about it beyond what a cesspit it appeared to be, but that all makes perfect sense

I’m surprised countries are not only hosting but allowing the contents to be completely owned by the visiting guests. I can understand not allowing foreign press but I’d assume there would be Colombian press especially regarding the VP. It really does stink

Harry only seems to come alive when he is physically interacting, with kids or with the sports people: that’s his strength. He looks miserable the rest of the time.

give Meghan her due, she is giving it her ALL. She is carrying the show. There is a presumption on this thread that she is driving all this tour stuff because she wants to feel like HMQE2, or Diana, adored by everyone; and that Harry is just having to go along with it

I think that might be doing her a disservice. It seems to me quite likely that she is the one going through spreadsheets and forecasts and trying to fill Ithe hole in their finances taken out by security costs. She has to keep them current, she has to keep them out there, and these tours are a way of doing that while keeping a flavour of royalness - v important to their brand. So she will do her absolute best to do that while keeping a smile on her face - and his. She is carrying way more conviction on these tours than she did on the SA one, for example.

Are there really no Columbian press there?? I saw there was some talk about media being denied access but didn't realise that extended to Columbian media.

Apparently the Columbia press aren’t even covering it. That’s a major snub.