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! 😬

I am so sorry you think that!

Nothing could be further from the truth. I do hope you have a lovely Saturday. 🍵🎂

You can be wealthy without being successful - as H&M show (though in terms of the wealth, they are only very modestly wealthy compared to the circles they wish to be in). I think Queen Elizabeth was perceived to be hard working in America and admired for that. I agree the rest of the RF need to earn their stripes rather more, though being a member of the RF still has an exotic attraction on its own. H&M have exhausted their RF link and not been successful which doesn’t leave much to draw people in.

I also think there was a marked divergence in what they wanted out of Megxit. As you rightly point out Harry indicated in a number of interviews that he wanted a quieter life, certainly with as little media attention as possible.

Meghan seems to have wanted celebrity and to commercially leverage her royal status. She also enjoys being in the media spotlight as long as that media is suitably hagiographic.

The Oprah interview revealed a concerning disparity in their attitudes towards their commercial ventures. Meghan indicated that she was looking forward to showing the world her talents and to making a difference. Harry straight out said he wouldn't be doing any of it had he not been cut off financially by Charles (which turned out not to be true, but that's another matter).

Celebrity couples need to move in sync but H&M showed differences of opinion and attitude early on, which I think probably bears some responsibility for their failure. Mostly, though, they failed becaise their content has been poor.

I think a lot of Harry’s attraction for MM was his celebrity status, and an idea of marrying a Prince that seemed based mostly on fairytales and saccharine America ‘Princess’ films. Hence her immediate disappointment with Royal life.

The Americans do admire success, as long as the person enjoying that success is perceived as having grafted to earn it. Whether rightly or wrongly, they don't perceive that about Meghan, which is why she's unpopular over there, and derided in the US gossip tabloids

An excellent part of an excellent post, @GiveMeSpanakopita, the trouble also being that "once it's gone it's gone" and IME they're much more interested in moving onto the next thing than hanging around to conduct post mortems

There's a certain entertainment value in the thrashing around for relevance but I'm not sure there's much else, though as ever time will tell if anything more will crop up which others perhaps haven't thought of

However even if there is, they'll need someone else to drive it forward since they're clearly not capable of doing this unassisted, and then we're back to the point where the more able supporters may have moved on

The Oprah interview revealed a concerning disparity in their attitudes towards their commercial ventures. Meghan indicated that she was looking forward to showing the world her talents and to making a difference. Harry straight out said he wouldn't be doing any of it had he not been cut off financially by Charles (which turned out not to be true, but that's another matter)

Edited to add I also found this very insightful (you can tell you work in this field ) except that we don't actually know that Charles has cut Harry off financially
I'd certainly not take Harry's word for anything, and Charles is saying nowt

we don't actually know that Charles has cut Harry off financially
I'd certainly not take Harry's word for anything, and Charles is saying nowt

I agree with you, @Puzzledandpissedoff - I'm unconvinced that Charles completely cut him off financially in the way that Harry was implying. I think the 36 year old man-baby was talking about a specific allowance he got via the Duchy of Cornwall for royal duties, which he and his wife weren't carrying out any more and hadn't carried out for some time; and H didn't even give the truth about the stoppage of that.

Meanwhile, I think Charles has been bunging him money through trusts, gifts and/or contributions. And it's in both their interests to keep quiet about it.

The fact a late-30s man with significant wealth moaning about his allowance being cut was expecting sympathy for this is quite something.

I think Charles has been bunging him money through trusts, gifts and/or contributions. And it's in both their interests to keep quiet about it

Again with the caveat that I can't possibly know that's exactly the sort of thing I had in mind, @WinterCrow
The only thing I'd add is that, if it is happening, I'd bet heavily that a fair slice of the ££££ is likely to come from public money

@WarmingClothesontheRadiator "The fact a late-30s man with significant wealth moaning about his allowance being cut was expecting sympathy for this is quite something"

Yes. As are other similar people happily living on theirs!

I hope he is saving it because I am fairly sure that William won’t bung him any money !

If industry goss is anything to go by, Charles continued to support Harry & Meghan for a good while after Megxit. The main sticking point was the security issue. Harry apparently won't accept that Charles can't intervene.

Imagine being a forty odd year old man who expects his father to pay all his bills and fund his very expensive lifestyle including private security for life. How extremely embarrassing. Neither he nor his wife work in any meaningful sense and he has millions in inheritances. He should be really ashamed of himself.

I agree he should be ashamed however his jealousy of William appears to be so deep- rooted that he cannot accept anything less than having the same as his brother whether it’s security or sausages !

I think Harry expects to be given, somehow, the equivalent of the Duchy of Cornwall in terms of a financial portfolio, and doesn't give a flying fuck whether it comes from royal 'private' money or public finds.

He can't see beyond what William's got, and refuses to understand the facts of inheritance and the complexities of Duchy accounting and investments because he simply doesn't want to.

He's in danger of coming across as a spoilt, odious arsehole of no use whatsoever to the British people, the people of the Commonwealth realms, or the USA. What is the point of him? He's proved an absolute liability to Invictus, made some crap documentaries, alienated a tonne of friends, hung out with Nigerian wrong 'uns, slagged off his blameless sister-in-law to whom he was once close, breached the privacy of others, lied about racism and his family, wasted court time and public money, and been labelled a 'fucking grifter' in Los Angeles.

I wouldn't know, but if that's so the issue of Harry "not accepting" something doesn't necessarily make that thing any less true - though the angst involved may not do a lot for what passes for his mind

And emotionally I'd agree that William would be mad to sub his brother when the time comes, @Mylovelygreendress. There is after all a difference between the bond between an (admittedly weak) father and a sibling, but we may never know.
If Harry bleated that William had ended his father's payouts that would make his claim it had been done already yet another lie, and I'd be very surprised if William's prepared to say anything publicly

And he gathered so much sympathy from the Megan fans (who have also said that Megan is a millionaire) it really is laughable in the ridiculousness of it all

I did think this at one point but now I'm not convinced.

Henry's on record as saying he has enough material for a second Waaagh. Rachel's hinted at material she's not bound not to disclose.

Billionaire Willy might well decide a few million notes to stuff bro's loose flapping gob is worth considering.

They are very good at insinuating all sorts of Dark Deeds, but rather short in backing up the insinuation with facts. A bit like 'implying Archie wasn't a Prince because he's mixed race' whereas the title rules were written in 1917, and once his grandfather was king he was entitled to be called 'prince'.

It relies on not being called out.

My feeling is they are bluffing. Just a feeling, I have no inside info!

Given the public response to Spare, I don’t think William would be that worried. Spare did far more damage to Harry than William.

Certainly not worried enough to allow himself to be blackmailed in perpetuity.

Yet the royals allegedly wargamed the top 100 (just 100 😮) damaging revelations they thought Harold might make to Netflix.

IMO he may well have dirt they might prefer remained just that.

That was pre-Spare. Harry is the archetypal boy who cried Wolf.

I find the constant berating of this couple unbelievable. It is unhinged.

'Spare' was allegedly the top-selling non-fic ever. While I don't believe it turned the publishers the profit they were expecting I do think there'd be mileage in some kind of follow-up.

I don't think it'll happen though. Papa then Willy will see to it.

It’s so long since Harry had any meaningful relationship with the RF , what could he write ? This became obvious when he found out that Catherine had cancer at the same time as the rest of the world .
Meghan was a working member of the RF for a very short time plus plays fast and loose with the truth so , apart from the die hard fans, who would believe her ?

Spare was great gossip! But not long lived once the initial 'OMG' moments were yesterday's news, I think? There was nothing of substance - allegations and insinuations that in the end couldn't be backed up with anything that could be substantiated.

Which stories about Harry were exchanged for stories about William, for example?

Maybe there's a smoking gun still to be revealed. I suspect there's nothing more than self indulgent complaints.