Anyone starting to feel sorry for them?

[Aspargar]

https://archive.ph/vV0f9

No matter how preeningly narcissistic the couple may seem, surely even they must now have realised what the source of their woes is? The fact is: people were only interested in hearing what Harry and Meghan had to say when they were dishing the dirt on the royal family.Hence, in January last year, the record-breakingly vast sales of Harrys memoir Spare. with all its eye-popping claims about his brother, father and stepmother. But every time he, and Meghan, start talking about any other topic – be it sport, jam or social justice – the world turns off. No one cares. Now that the Sussexes have finished flogging all the family secrets, they’ve got nothing that anyone wants.

There is part of me that does feelsorry for them too. I mean 2024 has been a disaster, off the back of 2023 which was another disaster. It’s not going to get any better. Reap what you sow, so we knew it was coming their way but it’s all a bit sad and pathetic now. The faux tours, cards from ‘the office of’, as time goes on, the more pathetic that will look because they have lost all connection to the Royals

This must be their year of reckoning. He won’t win his cases, they will lose Netflix, the brand will face further set backs, they realise that their kids will never have a royal Christmas at Sandringham or summer at Balmoral, ever. In fact they are unlikely to ever meet the King again.

Its all came off the rails. We all knew it would happen. Many could even see the disaster impending from the engagement announcement. But it’s still hard to watch and that’s what makes me feel a bit sorry for them.

Prepared to be flamed! 😬

And talking of that NYT Deal Book interview, Harry was so angry at times, wasn't he? Or 'salty' as some of our dear contributors to this board might say.

To paraphrase an answer on another thread that struck me: the man who gives angry responses to questions does it as an attempt to make a questioner doubt themselves, and in an attempt to make his audience question reality, as he doesn't want holding to account. Especially the ones who then switch to an unconvincing, rehearsed 'relatable' jocularity. It just comes across as either (a) psychologically unstable, (b) arsehole, or (c) both.

But he should absolutely be held to account, while spending taxpayers' money and seeking more.

He's already shown his ego-related emotional weak spots. Andrew Ross Sorkin and Anderson Cooper did well to expose some of these (the court cases, the titles, eg), but I wish an interviewer would really test Harry on his lies about his family. I guess the fact that the latter is off-limits suggest that this is his major weak spot.

Andrew Ross Sorkin and Anderson Cooper did well to expose some of these

I suspect PH is raging as it is ony the salty, tabloid British media that have a bias and report negatively on him ..... but these two highly skilled US media heavy weights were elegantly able to tease out and expose his hypocracy, bitterness, entitlement and arrogance with words direct from the horses mouth.

I just long for the two of them to actually face some objective tough questions instead of the interviews they normally do which are full of sycophancy and soft soaping. Whenever either of them are even remotely challenged they become very hostile quickly.

Nope, not an ounce of pity for them. After all the pain they caused TLQ and the lies, books and interviews they deserve all they get. They thought they were amazing but they are lazy and lacking in any self awareness about their behaviour. Hopefully Netflix won’t renew and that might give us all a break from some of their PR drivel.

I hope any damages for intrusive reporting of his life takes into account Harry’s hypocrisy in his own intrusive reporting of his family’s life in Spare and various interviews and TV series.

@Baital Are you also resentful of taxpayers money being spent by the other claimant ( a former? Labour mp) who is also pressing ahead and hasn't settled?

Yes, yes I am frankly. It's a misuse of the Court system and of public money.

Exactly.

Anyone who divulged the sort of crass, personal things he did in Spare has no claim to dignity or privacy going forward.

And that's why an incisive interview won't be happening any time soon, AmazingGraze - because they don't have the ability and mental stamina needed to control their response

The old "giving up the titles" isn't an issue that bothers me personally, but it's hard to forget Tom Bradby (one of Harry's preferred interviewers) asking him about this and receiving a snappish "And what difference would that make?", like a petulant teenager in full flow

Well, the difference clearly is that I very much doubt MM would stay with a damaged petulant man-child if he were not a Duke. Nor would people be interested enough in them to pay for them. I also suspect he knows this full well which is why the question hit a nerve.

Yes I thought he was very hostile and paranoid in that interview.

Sorry, @Puzzledandpissedoff I know you already knew the answer to that question! I am just musing.

There's nothing to apologise for, @SilverBlueRabbit; I knew what you meant, and FWIW believe you have a point about a nerve being touched in Bradby's questioning

IME folk who are confident in their own lives and positions really don't react like that, so Harry's response creates questions in itself - and not ones he'd necessarily want to be raised

"receiving a snappish "And what difference would that make?", like a petulant teenager in full flow'

He gave exactly the same response with the same tone to Andrew Ross-Sorkin earlier this month.

You’d think after all the money spent on his education he would have learned some manners.

I live and learn, TriptoTipp - I wasn't aware it had happened again, and given his clearly fragile mental state it might be better if nobody else asks the question for fear of him losing it completely

And it seems he's not too bothered about manners, @AmazingGraze; after all he's royal don't you know, and to some of them that appears to be enough

TBF an awful lot of 'em could have benefitted from a Level one social etiquette course over the years...

I suppose Netflix could do a documentary about the never ending court case…

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/prince-harry-duke-sussex-meghan-annus-horribilis-b2670573.html

It was Anderson Cooper who did the 'titles' interview, but I agree with the points made by posters above about H's ill-mannered fragility and defensiveness about his meal-ticket.

Harry suggests he and Meghan will NEVER give up their royal titles after Anderson Cooper asked why they don't renounce them and live privately during explosive 60 Minutes interview: Prince blasts 'what difference would that make?'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11613427/Prince-Harry-hints-Meghan-Markle-NEVER-royal-titles.html

Seems like more PR from across the water from PUCK news….trying to make him look noble.
Its about his upcoming case in January. But it is an interesting read. it’s clear Harry wants a show trial. He’s going to look a fool in front of the KC.

Hes going to be paying millions in costs either way. The cap for damages is 250k, obviously the Sun will have offered more than that.

https://archive.ph/Hyq0S

https://puck.news/murdoch-v-prince-harry-theyre-going-to-try-to-destroy-him

Prime example of how this puck news article is Harry PR :

Do you have any idea what damages Harry needs to win to no longer be in the red for bringing this legal proceeding?
I think the answer is that this is not an economic case. Harry has made it clear that he’s not in it to either cover or make his cost. He wants accountability. He feels that his life has been intruded upon, that it’s had an impact on his relationships with others. And then you layer on top of that, the way in which the media treated Princess Diana, his mother. And of course, you start to understand why this is such an issue of principle for Harry.

The lawyer answering, who is not involved in the case, is asked a question and this is how he answers it? Like head of PR for Archewell

The answer is he will be paying both sides costs because there is a 250k cap, which the Sun will have offered above.

So I’m guessing he will be paying what? £2 million for the chance tha the Sun will be found that they obtained information dishonestly/illegally? But in all likelihood it will be time barred. But Harry knows all this and just wants the media to report on his narrative that BP had done deals behind his back with the papers to make William look good. He’s going to look like an utter fool and pay for the privilege.

Imagine spaffing millions up the wall just to make yourself look even more delusional and paranoid.

If 2024 was his annus horribilis, then 2025 is going to be much, much worse

But Harry knows all this and just wants the media to report on his narrative that BP had done deals behind his back with the papers to make William look good. He’s going to look like an utter fool and pay for the privilege.
Imagine spaffing millions up the wall just to make yourself look even more delusional and paranoid.

I dont think he is delusional and paranoid in this instance - the Murdoch team explain that they actually did do deals with BP to make William look good - so that actually happened - the legal issue from my understanding hinges on whether PH was aware of this transaction?

I do think though that he wants this fact amplified via a 3rd party (the courts) as an attack on BP and the tabloid media. The failure as I see it is - no one in the public either is surprised or cares that PR deals are/were done.

No one will be shocked or disgusted.

Would PH have run with this case if he was still a working member of the BRF where the maintanence of his personal reputation would be a direct consequence of the broader royal corporate brand and the transactional media / PR relationship that underpins it? Is this where they will rip him apart re the time bar issue as it can be demonstrated that he was well aware of the arrangements but it was only when he fell out with his family that he sought a vexatious claim?

The judge has to determine if there was a back room deal done. I don’t think the Sun/BP have admitted this

“That’s quite a lot! Obviously, this trial isn’t just about how reporters got salacious information, is it?
It’s a slightly more interesting claim in some respects, because the trial is going to delve into some of the backroom deals that Harry says were done, and are probably more embarrassing, both for the newspaper and the palace. Was there a secret deal for the newspaper to give good publicity to the royal family, and in return, they undertook not to sue? The judge has to make that determination first. the newspaper loses the time-bar issue, I think it’s almost certain that Harry will win at least some of the unlawful acquisition of information claims. The time-bar issue is really important, which is why the newspaper is bringing in a very eminent king’s counsel to cross-examine Harry.”

So, he is trying to get a court to agree that the Palace cut deals with the tabloids? That made William look good and him look bad?

Not sure how that squares with 'getting justice for the little people' (in which case he could have just underwritten the legal costs of the little people), but it makes sense given his accusations against the Palace.

We'll see how it ends up. I don't buy that the tabloids would bury a good story about William in favour of something juicy about Harry, because I can't see the benefit at that point to the Palace/RF. Both were being protected/promoted by Palace PR, both were the object of tabloid stories. Harry hasn't yet pointed to a specific story about him and linked it to a specific story about William that was minimised. It has all still been 'he got an extra sausage'.

But I could be wrong, and await the trial!

I am a very junior cog in a quite high profile set up. The Comms team are proactive in their work with the media. But they don't try to kill stories, because that in itself is a story. Their focus is on providing info that explains the context of decisions that are made, to try to communicate the issues being balanced up in any specific decision.

Obviously that only goes so far, because nuance doesn't make for attention seeking headlines.

But I assume the same applies to other high profile set ups. The comms/PR team can't shut down stories, they can only try to have a say in the way the story is presented.

That perhaps explains why Harry, more than William, is seen as the child walking behind his mother's coffin. It was perhaps used by Palace PR to provide context to his behaviour, in a way that wasn't needed to explain William's behaviour (because Harry was the one wearing Nazi uniform, naked in Vegas etc)