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 don't think he will. The rumours I've heard are that Harry was shocked and upset by the criticism he got for the book and now regrets certain things he put in it about his family.

If those rumours are true then he must be even stupider than people say he is because any fool could have anticipated that slagging his father, stepmum, sis-in-law and brther would not go down well. Similarly with his sexist and ableist content.

But anyway, that's why he refused to update the book for the paperback, which apparently pissed the publisher off a lot. Apparently he regrets a lot of stuff in the book now and just wants it memory-holed, so I don't think there'll be a sequel anytime soon.

I also have been told that Mohringer found the writing process quite torturous because it was difficult to get Harry into a firm routine with it and he was quite flaky and not always very forthcoming.

How on earth would he not realise he’d get criticised for some of the things he said? The comments about the matron I found particularly hard to read.

Despite years of therapy it is clear that Harry has deep rooted issues and if he had someone telling him how badly he had been treated , how unfair it was that his brother had more status etc , how cruel it was to make his brilliant , beautiful new wife always walk behind his boring SIL and if that person - who he adored- encouraged him to “ let it all out” then I can understand ( although don’t agree) writing Spare .
It could be that he genuinely thought / was told that the public would be supportive and the RF would realise their “ mistake “.
Maybe.

Was it in Spare that Harry earnestly explained that he could not be expected to use his inheritance from Diana to support his living expenses?

It’s quite clear that one person wrote the first half and someone else wrote the second half too. The styles are quite different

I don’t feel sorry for them.
They seem a lot happier then the majority of people on Mumsnet for example.
And have a lot more money as well.

The behaviour of the squad is what’s unhinged

I am happy and I have many challenges in my life. Money doesn’t make you happy, although it definitely makes life easier. I don’t see that the Sussexes are happy at all. Otherwise they would have gone away and lived quiet, private lives with their millions. I’m pretty sure most Mumsnetters wouldn’t swap places with them 🤷‍♀️

You really think Harry is happy ?

I don’t equate money with happiness. Health, friends and family are important to me.

I wasn't the person who described him as happy but I'll chip in.

I think he likes America, sun, surf, beaches and space from people. I think he adores his kids. I think he loves not having to do Royal work but misses his positive coverage and his former public popularity.

I think he misses his wider family but is also still angry towards them and resentful. I think he worries about finances and security.

I think he often feels like a fish out of water and doesn't particularly enjoy hanging out with celebrities. I think he dislikes having to do public facing work in his new life (apart from Invictus).

I think he's probably bored and lonely sometimes but also that that's nothing new.

How is that for a summary of his possible emotional state?! I think he'd have been happier living a quiet, remote life (although his ego would have objected to this) but with Meghan as his wife, that wasn't to be.

I know we’ve had this conversation before and I know you used “ allegedly” re the wargaming of scenarios Cathy, but that scenario comes from a PR/ Crisis Mgt person saying what they would advise - they weren’t confirming or suggesting that happened.
That said, I’d love to have been there when sausagegate entered the charts…

Nah, there's no way he has enough material.

There's not going to be another book. PRH got their fingers burnt with Spare (Us). And what was in that was disappointing (brothers get into physical argument, older brother got more sausages and bigger bedroom, lip gloss, bridesmaids dresses). The only one who came out badly from Spare (Us) was H&M.

Meghan has certainly hinted, but I very much doubt she has anything of any consequence to reveal. Everything juicy she's related so far has been proved to be liberally sprinkled with imagination (air stewards doffing caps and South Africans dancing in the streets). She's been shown to park her stories several streets away from facts.

With juicy scandals it needs to be relevant, current and (if released years later) absolutely dynamite (and if it was that big - it would have been in Spare (Us), the only thing semi possible that was hinted at was the Royal Racists and we all so how insignificant that turned out to be). The longer they leave it before talking about it, the less relevant they become. They've drained the ocean of goodwill they started out with, and the tolerance level people have for BS from them is limited.

They haven't been anywhere near the RF since 2022. What does Meghan have to say? Shed just be rehashing lip gloss, snubbed for shopping trips, bridesmaids dresses, roast dinners. She was never at big state events (other than HMQs funeral) so what does she have to say?

I highly doubt William has anything to worry about. If Harry does flap his gums again, it's only himself he damages. Same with Meghan.

I don’t think they seem happy at all.

That's not true. The Royals were never claimed to do any such thing.

The origin of that story was a PR "expert" on a talk show asked what he would do. He never claimed he was working for the RF or had been asked, he was just giving his opinion.

It's another example of a claim originating from tabloid gossip and not based on fact.

🍪

I'm sure Harry thinks he has lots of material for a second book, as does MM. I think there has been talk of her keeping a diary which she may publish. But their reputations are now so damaged that I'm not sure it matter what they say. Sure there would be a flurry of headlines but constant victim playing by the incredibly wealthy and privileged is a tad tone death these days.

Markle has shown she doesn't have a connection to the public with her latest Netflix show - the English Garden Party vibe is being ridiculed and she's being called out for her clear copying of others, especially the Marchioness of Bath. The bee's without gloves is particularly ridiculous.

They expected everyone to admire them, they expected (and got) huge amounts of money to dish the dirt on TRF, but they were unable to convert that opportunity to producing watchable material. How they can not have realised the consequences of their betrayal is beyond me. They were called out by Spotify are 'Grifters' so their work ethic is questionable. It's a modern tale of ego, nastiness and emptiness destroying the reputation of a young Prince who was loved by the public before his marriage to Markle. I think the RF PR machine did an amazing job of presenting Harry in a certain way, and without them his true colours have shown. Shakespearian in drama and tragedy.

MrsFinkelstein

She's been shown to park her stories several streets away from facts.

I love this expression and am definitely going to plagiarise give a sweet nod to it whenever I can

"Money can't buy happiness, but it lets me park my super yacht next to it, which is almost the same thing".

H&M have a huge amount to be thankful for, I hope they're starting to realise that.

Especially one married to an independent-minded feminist, who might have been expected to reassure him that she'd share her earnings with him.

@LaMarschallin feel free, I love me a sweet nod 🤣

Apparently he regrets a lot of stuff in the book now and just wants it memory-holed,

Understandably. But it's a bit surprising then he was pointing to it when asked for a good read at the relatively recent bookshop launch.

Maybe there's a smoking gun still to be revealed

I think there are plenty which is why I subscribe to the theory (yes, I know it's only that) the royals did indeed prepare very thoroughly for any allegations that might have surfaced. Given how very carefully their public image is spun by PR experts they'd have been insane not to.

Charles and then William will have the same problem re Harry and security though, because Harry has made it so public that they won’t pay for security, if some nutter attacks Harry/Meghan/their dcs, instead of the blame being at the door of the person or organisation who attacked, or at Harry/Meghan for taking risks with security, it will be squarely aimed at Charles (or William if it happens once he’s the King).

No, blame would be assigned to a committee, RAVEC, and only if it happened while they were in the UK (and, at present, only Harry comes to the UK).

William and Charles don't run security services.

Edit: typo corrected

@Not2identifying - really? You don’t think there will be endless articles and online comments about how Harry begged his father for security and “cruel King Charles” wouldn’t look after his son? Any photo of Charles for the next month or so being published as him “guilt etched on his face”. The EF might primly try to point to the committee, that’s not who the press and public will blame.

Dianas death wasn’t the RF’s fault, they still had public opinion turned against them after it and real hard work to rebuild their popularity. (Camilla was just being introduced as Charles’ partner to the public and then suddenly she was back behind closed doors.)

The concept of a Royal Family in this day and age is a very precarious thing- they need to constantly keep the public on side with what isn’t really something we would consider creating in a democracy if we didn’t already have them. Public opinion matters.