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 think it's more awkward for A & L to not know their high profile British relatives than it would be for 'normal' people who have extended family they don't see. Especially because they have titles. To some extent their identity will be defined by something of a black hole.

I agree. He seems to be all kinds of mixed up.

I don't think you can make a lasting career out of the 'Misery Memoir' shtick.

They've done OK so far but don't seem to have a lasting USP.

After the Oprah interview I will never feel sad for them. They could have done a lot of good and lived a nice life all paid for (by the taxpayers but that’s another post) but they chose another path. The titles and succession should be removed.

Well, Meghan did allegedly say to courtiers that she and Harry were 'just one plane crash' away from the throne, so maybe they are!

Not much like the Wars of the Roses though. Henry Tudor was a cunning strategist, a skilled manipulator of others, and a financial micro-manager, meaning that he was able to take the long view and amass supporters whilst he was in Brittany despite the fact that he had one of the weakest claims by blood (as opposed to Heny VI descendants obvs). Basically, he was smart, perceptive, very good with money, and had the touch of the common man so people wanted to work for him. His modern day namesake on the other hand....

If he likes living there so much how come he's barely there?

She's apparently a vile bully that treats her staff like shit. He had absolutely no hesitation in selling his family out to make a quick buck.

They are probably screwed but it's hard to feel sympathy. Feel more sympathy for Wills, who's been coping with both his Dad and his wife having cancer at the same time....

H and M are not unique in being gossiped about. It happens to most of the celebrities that court so much publicity and open their lives up to the public. This is the world they live in! If they didn't want gossip they would lie low like some celebs do.

Yes, their stated desire for privacy was always slightly undermined by their promptly moving to the epicentre of celeb gossip, California.

If they'd remained within the RF, gossip about them would have been tempered by the formidable Palace machine. As it is, they're now being treated like any other tawdry and faintly risible celebrity, as the American tabloid and gossip mag headlines over the last few weeks have made clear.

I meant living in the US rather than in their mansion in particular. No one really seems to know how often he’s at home.

yet when W&K were gossiped about (and they put themselves in the public eye by choice) people were quick to try and shut that down(not saying it was right)
so does seem hypocritical that the same people gossip about the state of H&M s marriage and their kids.
we see much more of the wales children than we do of the sussex ones.

so does seem hypocritical that the same people gossip about the state of H&M s marriage and their kids

H&M have opened their lives to gossip and speculation by selling stories but now they don't have the ability to shutdown stories that they don't like. Sophie and Edward - had they written a tell all I think they would be in the firing line also.

I don't think they ever said they wanted privacy, their statements at the time, iirc, were about controlling the narrative around them. The impression I got was that they wanted to receive only positive press and weren't going to talk to those parts of the media which printed negative stories.

I mean, wouldn't we all like positive stories all the time? But it's not really achievable in this day and age.

I don't think they ever said they wanted privacy,

There were several massive rows about their desire for privacy on certain matters before Megxit (eg the birth of Archie, which wasn't and isn't a private matter since he's in line of succession). They've been embroiled in several breaches of privacy court cases since then (eg MM against the Mail for breaching her privacy by publishing her letter to her father). Harry himself describes the move to US as a bid for 'what I hope will be a quieter life'.

They themselves have definitely tried to retcon and manipulate the truth by issuing a statement pointing out that they never mentioned the word 'privacy' in their Megxit statement. This is just specious sophistry - they manipulate the meaning of privacy as it suits them because, as you rightly imply, it's not privacy that they want exactly, but hagiography.

He said this.he then denied it.

Everyone has a right to their privacy and a lot of the members of the general public get it. But sadly in some areas, there's this incessant need to find out every little detail that goes on behind the scenes. It's unnecessary. The private life has to be private and I hope people respect that

I agree that they have tried to get privacy, on their own terms of course, ever since. Which I always found strange because, if I wanted privacy, I wouldn't release images of my child in the bath, for starters.

@Samcro of course the POWs are in the public eye. It comes with their position of importance. Of course we see more of the Wales children - again they are more important than the Sussex children. M and H have chosen to hide their children away which results in people gossiping and trying even harder to get a photo. This leads unreasonably imo to the belief that they do not exist which is ridiculous. However yes there are some who do spin those stories and they are as extreme as those about Kate being dead etc. I don't think there are many if anyone on here who doubts the children exist but I could be wrong. I don't read any of the other sites where this is discussed. It is the press who pick up the marriage breaking up stories based on what they see for Clickbait.

@Queenofthejabs How can you have privacy when you do interviews and rights books about yourself?

What about those people he talked about are they not entitled to privacy?

Write

I think it's a bit of a fallacy that the Royals have little privacy. I'm sure they have foreign holidays and dine out regularly, it's just not reported. When the Sussex's are photographed out and about it's always Backgrid that take the pictures probably after a tip off.

Yes indeed. That's the thing that disgusted me the most about Spare. He wrote about very private things about his father and brother knowing they could not respond. He breached the privacy of his former matron by describing her in such a way that she was immediately identifiable, and he of course spoke about her with such mocking contempt. He spoke about losing his virginity in a way that meant within mere days everyone knew who the woman was and she had press camped outside her house and following her while she was on the school run. Privacy for them means they want it on their terms. They don't give a shit about anyone else, they don't care who they hurt, they don't care about the fall-out for people who don't have the power or the money they have. As a pp said they want hagiography on their terms always. The lack of compassion, or empathy or human kindness is pretty breath-taking at times.

So no. I don't feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for their children. I feel sorry for the people who trusted them and perhaps relied on them for a living (staff members- bullying claims etc). I think they have behaved- and keep behaving in despicable ways. Maybe they are not actually despicable people. Maybe they are just deluded, damaged. whatever. But their behaviour is telling and their apparently complete lack of ability to reflect does not do them credit.

Yeah, Harry got really salty with Anderson Cooper when he was gently questioned about wanting privacy while apparently courting publicity. Apparently it was all the Palace's fault.

I agree with @GiveMeSpanakopita that they don't want privacy, they want hagiography. Indeed maybe more than sainthood. I've sometimes watched them and idly wondered which one is John the Baptist paving the way, and which one is role-playing the Messiah? There's definitely some messianic shit going on with Harry's brain when he says of his 'magnificent wife' that 'they will not stop until she is dead' and all the rest of crap about the miracle of singing to the seals and communing with his dead mother.

I was always shocked by how Harry spoke of Kate in the book, and how he let Meghan speak of her in interviews etc.

Prior to Meg, Harry clearly adored Kate and treated her like a sister. Anecdotes like the lip gloss borrowing made Harry look far worse than Kate did. It was like he was scrabbling around for some mud to throw at her. Why?

Also, it was particularly petty given that he knows Kate can't ever give her side of the story.

My feeling is that he’s always been very jealous of Williams relationship with Kate. Once he found Meghan he thought everyone would be falling over themselves because she outshone Kate in every way ( in his mind). He’s angry and bitter that W and K obviously didn’t like her and he’s trying to hit back.

I think Harry absolutely loved Kate which turned sour when MM's behaviours weren't tolerated. I suspects there was a lot of shit stirring by MM - i mean, what adult sobs on the floor to be found by their fiance ... either a toddlers behaviour or
Someone practicing their best theatrical attempts at driving wedges. I also think that MM bagged herself the wrong prince - she's not in it for love, she in it for what she can get - and William would give her everything and she's found that the spare gives her almost nothing, except the title she coverts so much
I suspect Harry is jealous of Wills because he bagged Kate whom he adores and MM wants Wills for obvious reasons