As ever#4 - As usual

[Words]

New thread!

Yes I agree.

Harry does seem to have had some resentments related to his family which predated Meghan. But he got on with them well enough to have his father walk Meghan down the aisle, his brother as his best man and more importantly, to have Meghan join the family 'business'. Clearly the intention was for him, Meghan and their children to be a part of 'the family she never had'.

The fact that he is now, just a few years later, completely alienated from almost his entire family, apparently most of his old friends, as well as his country screams controlling relationship to me. I think it would be obvious to everyone if the genders were reversed.

The fact that he is now, just a few years later, completely alienated from almost his entire family, apparently most of his old friends, as well as his country screams controlling relationship to me. I think it would be obvious to everyone if the genders were reversed.

I have said the same before @IcedPurple

But I abhor people who claim feminism as a part of their identity yet fall foul when it comes to their children

or when they forget their feminist values and take part in adverts like the burger one, or the cameo role in a series where her part consisted of her head bobbing up and down in the lap of the the male lead whilst in the front of a car.

The RF absolutely dropped the ball on not insisting on getting to know her parents before the wedding and bringing them into the fold.

But what could they do?

If Harry was insisting on marrying her even without knowing her family, what could any of his relatives do about it?

Theoretically the Queen could have refused him permission to marry, but realistically there was no way she would exercise that right. So once Harry decided Meghan was 'the one', the rest of the family basically had to accept it.

And that pre dated Thomas Markle's tabloid spread, which became the excuse for dropping him.

So, I don't think the timeline works for 'walking away from unhealthy relationships' despite @spectre8 's suggestion.

But her dads name was on the order of service so they must have still been looking for him to be there leading up to the big day.

Harry said they stayed with William and Catherine that Christmas.

When Harry was questioned by Today presenter Sarah Montague about his holidays, he revealed he and Meghan had stayed with William and Kate, who live in Anmer Hall in Norfolk, while visiting the queen at nearby Sandringham.
He said: “The family loved having her there… I think together we had an amazing time.
“We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running round with the kids. Christmas was fantastic.”

I was going to post something similar @IcedPurple. I’m sure that his family wanted Harry to be happy and would not have wanted to prevent him marrying the woman he loved, even if alarm bells were ringing. They would probably have taken the optimistic view that most of us do that it would all be fine in the end and that Meghan would be a positive addition to the family. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I don’t think the RF would have been able to imagine the ensuing dramas that would take place

...and also why invite your family, when you can replace them with the Hollywood elite whom you don't even know. Family out, strangers who will be my new best friends in

@smilesy and @IcedPurple you are both right but surely it raised alarm bells.

Clever optics. You can fool…as saying goes.

He’d have needed full acclimatising if she really planned him to be there, well in advance. Also, what were relations like between him & Doria? How did she feel about him being on scene & what was her counsel?

H & M are shifty on Thomas in engagement interview & H hasn’t had time to meet him.

I’ve often wondered about why the decent sounding Doria relations were excluded - the diplomat.

I look forward to the perspective @spectre8 brings, otherwise it becomes an echo chamber

Harry has basically rewritten his personal family relationships and history in his attempt to cover up for Meghan not getting along with and being jealous of his family.

I'm sure it did. But we are also speaking with the benefit of hindsight. They probably thought the worst that might happen would be that Meghan would just be unsuitable for royal life and the marriage would quickly end in divorce, with her running back to California. Messy but not the shitshow the past few years have been.

And as I say, realistically what could any of the family have done? We know William warned him not to rush into marriage, but Harry was having none of it. Also, Harry, though high profile, isn't really important in dynastic terms. Had he been the heir, it's interesting to speculate about how it might have been handled.

Yes & in the engagement interview both were effusive about K & Will’s super warm intro to the fam & their unstinting support. I was so puzzled reading Spare with an entirely different account. It reminds me of a friend who became totally convinced his fine if slightly flawed family were devils incarnate post therapy & new partner convincing otherwise to own ends.

Also, what were relations like between him & Doria

Good enough for him to leave flowers on her doorstep.

Clever optics? I’m sorry but that’s now going into the realms of absurdity for me.

I remember reading somewhere that she spent Xmas with friends in the past, or Cory’s family. Doesn’t sound like either of her parents went in for Xmas

Possibly but there’s evidence to back up Dad not being in her plan. He’s not going to head off to Moss Bros 48 hours in advance & that’s before we look to the ‘letter’. There’s evidence she knew he’d leak it & she’s nobody’s fool. Anyone like her would have him over early, of course they would. It’s all very daunting. There’s plenty I admire about M, but do I really feel she was keen & certain he’d walk her down the aisle (?) no…

I remember reading somewhere that she spent Xmas with friends in the past, or Cory’s family.

Yes, considering she is Doria's only child you would wonder why she didn't seem to want to spend Christmas with her Mom.

They went in for Thanksgiving though (not unexpected given they were an American family).

In November 2016, just after her relationship with Harry became public, Meghan told us she spent Thanksgiving with both her parents “these two gems who bought me into this world”. She posted this on her Instagram.

@VeryconfusedNana if a total ‘gem’ too she’d have introduced him long before, of course she would. Flown him over to the cottage etc he needed help & guidance, anyone would in circumstances plus she adored him.

More smoke and mirrors, lies and manipulation of the truth. They both appeared to love and cherish their parents before they met . Now look at the mess they’ve created.

Well, yes. I haven't always joined my family for Xmas, I have had some cracking Christmases with a bunch of friends. My parents have done their own thing, including volunteering at Shelter.

Not joining your family because you are forging an independent life is quite normal.

Most of us return to the fold as we have children of our own, and realise parents won't be there forever!

Also on Dad & the aisle/being there, he seems less sophisticated, dignified worldly & intelligent as Mum. How did she feel about him being potentially mocked by some of the fringe family members? A hired suit etc, wrong fork? I can tell you from experience the likelihood is they’d have had a field day. Could he be trusted to say & do the right thing in their eyes, in hers? It takes a strong, evolved person to say & think to hell with the lot of you, I love him & he’s my Dad. If fitting in a key goal with A list Clooneys & A list strangers abounding, you’ll sacrifice a lot & those middle class on the fringes of acceptance themselves, they can be brutal.

@HobnobbingAboutHobnobs @isaknowsbest oh I wasn’t annoyed! Am just conscious that in a recollections may vary stylee, stories can emerge about boards vehemently suggesting something which on reflection isn’t quite the case - insta stories can be a fiend sometimes!!