Vanity Fair podcast

[Atlasvue]

Carrying on.

Employee feels Harry is happy doing charity work and is happy for meghan to do all the work to make money so he doesn’t need to

Well for a while, yes, they would be missed and people would wonder what they were doing, but the novelty would wear off eventually. It would just take some time 🤷‍♀️

One person starting a thread wondering where Harry was after his multi media appearances is not indicative of ongoing interest. He has caused the drama so people are curious but if he dropped off the radar and stopped his attention seeking people would soon stop wondering what he was up to.

Just go make jam, play happy families. No one would care.

It wasn't really a quiet life though was it? There had been the launch of ARO and we were all aware that there were new tv shows in the works

I look at Chelsy Davy’s life and think that’s exactly what Harry should have done. Imagine how different things could have been if he’d joined her back when she decided the life of a royal wasn’t for her.

Largely away from the spotlight, house in London and one in Cape Town, quietly getting on with her business and seeming happily married with two kids, spending time in Africa. She seems to be living the life he said he wanted when he first “stepped back”. She’d have to be a saint not to feel a bit of schadenfraude!

Yes, both Chelsy and Cressida seem to have very happy lives and marriages . If he wanted to give it all up and live life like a civilian, he could have done so then.

I don't remember any where's Meghan thread from last year there was a where's Harry thread when it became noticeable he had not attended any events with his wife for a while. (maybe that was the timeframe his wife was scouting a post divorce book deal 🤔).

There were plenty of Where's Catherine threads though.

She disappeared a couple of years ago and reappeared in an online university address with a new face. That's the only time I can recall anyone asking where she was.

Are you kidding me? Interest in H&M drops off very quickly when they stop doing things that get into the news. During the period you are talking about, there was the occasional comment or question in here, mostly escaping the wider Mumsnet radar, but not much more than that.

"Of course not, and that thread someone started and plenty commented upon shows that it does not matter what they do people will continue to talk about them."

It does matter that what they have been doing is bullying staff repeatedly - as reported over numerous independent investigations.

Now we all know that what they have been doing for years and years across countries, continents and cultures is being consistently duplicitous and disingenous.

So lots to talk about as their victims have no voice with NDAs.

And, to be fair... there was a lot of story before his disappearance. His trips to the UK for his uncle's funeral and to pick up his inheritance, the 40th birthday party organised by his loving wife that didn't happen, the Tyler Perry one that did, Diddy...

(And we can add that VF might have approached H&M for comment around Sept-or-so for comment on the up-coming article. Which will have included the bit about her staff discussing a post-divorce book. )

So, not exactly nothing to see, move along.

But being talked about eventually dies down. Three months isn’t long and didn’t Harry pop up surfing and Meghan at a hospital benefit, etc? They didn’t really manage three months living quietly.

Being speculated about in their absence wouldn’t materially affect them; their bad press is for stuff they do, not stuff they don’t do, and it can only lead to financial losses – I can’t see Netflix renewing the contract even if their programming were successful, if the VF stories of their behaviour as managers are true; publishers won’t want another Spare or a Meghan book if they behave this way. They could easily have gone off the radar – Taylor Swift disappears when she wants, Cameron Diaz “retired” for a decade, Julia Roberts went away. Plenty of celebrities seek out the quiet life and find it, returning when they want to. Harry had his Diana inheritance – they could have bought a modest house with good security features, invested the bulk of it to live off the interest and leave capital untouched, never surfaced at all.

I look at Chelsy Davy’s life and think that’s exactly what Harry should have done. Imagine how different things could have been if he’d joined her back when she decided the life of a royal wasn’t for her.

Was it “royal life” she decided wasn’t for her? Or was that the polite brush-off?

NF went sour when Harry held back so much for Spare - that was part of what NF thought they had paid for.

It’s not inconceivable that NF might renew their contract in some form, but for all the wrong reasons. They are in freefall, and it’s a compelling spectacle.

They’re compelling as characters but unsuccessful as producers. I can see Netflix negotiating a new contract where they’re purely front-of-camera talent (well, “talent”) but not them being paid via Archewell Productions to create content.

Agree. And thats why OW and the other commercial entertainment industry sharks continue to circle as 'friends' - H&M are just a commodity in their eyes to realise a return on their investment. The more eyeballs the higher the profit - they don care if its car-crash TV/book etc.

They would make money as a reality show, though not as much as if they had gone that route five years ago and built a following by now. But that would be very obviously the complete opposite of what Harry claimed he wanted (and would involve the children too, even if just in the background). Though ‘reality’ TV tends to be very scripted these days as day to day life is rarely interesting enough without some contrived arguments or crises, and I think it has also past its time (probably because people know it is false ).

They didn’t really manage three months living quietly.

There is also a difference between three months not making public appearances but still making sure you PR agency is sending pieces to People / Page Six / Omid Scobie etc, and completely disappearing from view. They have never done the latter.

I think it would be surprising if Netflix renews their contract in light of the multiple bullying allegations, on top of the fact they haven't had any non RF success..

I realise it's a different set of circumstances, but Warner Bros, did a full investigation into the Ellen bullying reports and eventually cancelled her show, despite it still being quite popular (if not as popular as it used to be).

No one wants to be seen to hire a bully and condone their behaviour..

I also think reality TV is verging on coming to the end of its life.

I think one of their bigger mistakes was insisting on coupledom for the first few years - doing things as a pair. Their ‘strengths’ did not marry. Meghan’s interests and the reasons why she might attract people (to watch a show/invite her to do something) were quite different from Harry’s. Meghan was glamour, lifestyle etc, Harry was veteran’s and RF stories. Neither added anything to the other’s interests in terms of marketability. Which they have rather belated recognised.

But MM arrived in the UK with her agent, lawyer and Sunshine Sachs already in tow.....they were all touting for business for her from day one.

The H&M 'brand' explosion was potentially the biggest commercial opportunity for each of these businesses - and ostensibly they did a great job 5 years ago securing PRH, NF, Spotify deals. They were driving the gravy train - I am not sure PH anticipated the implications - he was probably mis-sold some ego feeding narrative aroound philanthropy etc .... no wonder he didnt expect to work on Spotify.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14304077/real-reason-vanity-fair-meghan-harry.html

Suggesting VF turned on meghan because of the accusations of racism for her wild about harry cover

They create huge interest but have no way of monetising that interest unless they talk about the royal family. A big issue is they want to be liked and they want to be right, and yes their supporters follow suit but there's nothing wrong with not everyone liking you and you can make money from that as many a celebrity and especially a reality celebrity can prove. But you either have to be able to ignore or embrace the marmite effect.

Mmmmm🤔 ...... Interesting

Totally agree. Netflix don't care if Harry is a figure of ridicule or not, he brings in the publicity and that is all that they will care about.

A massive company paying you money to share your gripes and breach other people's privacy is not a badge of honour. Its a shame Harold can't see that.

I wish he'd just go live in a bungalow by the beach and stop trying to be important.