If Harry still lived in the UK , do you think the feud would have been sorted by now?

[ThisPlumShark]

I do feel the biggest hurdle between Harry and his family is that he lives in another country, I think if he lived in the UK there would be more opportunity for them to sort it out

I absolutely agree that they both lack awareness.

I can understand M's lack of understanding as she grew up in a different culture. But H's ignorance of how the family business that he grew up in and worked for operates is a complete mystery to me.

Extraordinary, isn't it? He didn't seem to have the first idea about titles and Letters Patent..
Or much, really.

Just a personal impression, but I think Harry doesn't see or understand the difference between royal roles and the person. He thought he got the perks (free housing, allowances, titles, security etc.) because he's Harry and the public love him. He doesn't understand the difference between being a working royal, and being Harry, a private person. That's why he thinks he can walk away and keep the perks.

Indeed. It's hard to forget Harry informing us, in all seriousness, that “there is a hierarchy in the Royal Family.”

A remark that surely deserves star-billing in the No Shit Sherlock Hall of Fame.

Funnily enough, part of what they envisaged could have happened. The Queen only had one sister (like William only has one brother) but Princess Margaret had a holiday home in a different country (Mustique, I think) and spent a significant amount of time there.

Harry and Meghan could arguably have done similar, spent all the kids holidays in a second home in the USA, for example. W & C don't work the school holidays so nobody could have made H & M do that.

But the key difference is that they wouldn't have been able to monetise their royal status. But with Harry's inheritance he could have easily afforded a second home abroad.

ScarlettOYara · Today 13:53

My2cents1975 · Today 13:51
I absolutely agree that they both lack awareness.
I can understand M's lack of understanding as she grew up in a different culture. But H's ignorance of how the family business that he grew up in and worked for operates is a complete mystery to me.
Show quote history
Extraordinary, isn't it? He didn't seem to have the first idea about titles and Letters Patent..
Or much, really.

I think it's all related to the account he gives of himself at Eton - where the history master expressed surprise in his utter lack of interest in history, especially when it was the history of his own family! Harry is the sort of person who doesn't see what's wrong with being uninterested in history - in fact, I seem to remember that he was almost proud of his ignorance. (and imagine being at a school like Eton and not taking every possible chance you're offered?)

But that's the problem, isn't it? The Queen and Charles, and presumably William, would all have all been given a solid constitutional and historical education (not at school - privately) where the institution of monarchy is explored in detail. Whereas silly Harry imagines the privileges of being royal are his birthright with none of the obligations. And he didn't have the humility to think anyone could teach him anything about it.

Well, he's got what he was looking for now.

And they'd have needed to stay loyal to the monarch and not wash their dirty linen etc. Princess Margaret (and I'm sure she was a bloody difficult woman!) was always fiercely loyal to her sister, even though I'm sure she must have had some resentment over the Townsend affair.

But I don't think Meghan would have accepted any restrictions on her activities, so it could never have worked.

But that's the problem, isn't it? The Queen and Charles, and presumably William, would all have all been given a solid constitutional and historical education

When William was at Eton, he often used to have lunch or tea privately with the Queen on a Sunday. I expect a lot of discussions were had then.

Princess Margaret (and I'm sure she was a bloody difficult woman!) was always fiercely loyal to her sister, even though I'm sure she must have had some resentment over the Townsend affair.

She could have married Townsend. The Queen and the then PM, Anthony Eden, put a lot of effort into finding a way for it to happen. But she didn't like the conditions - and, as time had passed, her initial infatuation had probably passed.

Looking at it from a present day, Mumsnet perspective, no-one would think it was a good idea for a young woman in her early twenties who had quite recently suffered a major bereavement to rush into marriage with a divorced man sixteen years her senior, who already had two children.

Based on his second marriage I always got a weird feeling about Townsend. His second wife was 25 years younger than hm and he met her when she was 19.

Don't think they even had the courtesy to ask did they?

Just issued a statement laying out what they intended to do in their 'progressive new role' and expected a tummy rubbing for it.

Quite satisfying to see the pompous grandiosity met with a swipe on the nose with a newspaper instead 😁

She could have married Townsend. The Queen and the then PM, Anthony Eden, put a lot of effort into finding a way for it to happen. But she didn't like the conditions - and, as time had passed, her initial infatuation had probably passed.

While she understandably passed on Townsend in favour of the underwritten lifestyle she enjoyed, she continued to exhibit a fiercely unerring instinct for louche and unsuitable men and got away with it.

Thankfully the wider public are a whole lot more questioning and a whole lot less credulous now.

🤣🤣🤣

Margaret knew if she married Townsend she would have to give up a lot of her royal privileges. She didn't want to. Harry thinks he can walk away and still keep his royal privileges like security.

Yes, @Viviennemary - a private limousine to and from Heathrow, tax payer funded security wherever and whenever, royal titles to merchandise, chat shows to whine on, and a top seat at the nation's big events.

Even if Harry did not understand abut letters patent and nor did (more understandably) Meghan - one question to someone would have answered the question about Archie. This I can't understand. Surely if it was so important to them , one of them would have asked "how come Archie isn't a prince? " . Except at the time whilst he wasn't the line was - we don't want him to have a title. 😉

@CoffeeCantata "Yes - surely one of the indicators of privilege is that you are totally unaware that you're privileged! What a twit Harry's been."
Or (& I think a lot / some of privileged people are taught this ) you know you are privileged but you wear your privilege lightly.

I suspect they knew perfectly well the rules about the letters patent and why Archie wasn’t to be made a prince at that point. It suited their victim/racism narrative to imply otherwise, however.

Meghan seemed to imply that there might have been a discussion of some ‘changing of the rules’ in that interview.

I’ve always wondered if Charles was bringing up the idea of slimming down the titles so that it became just children of the direct heir who got the prince princess titles - something we’ve discussed on these boards. And Harry and Meghan took it personally.

That would not have affected Archie and Lili though. The letters patent would have had to be changed while the late Queen was still alive, because the moment she died, Charles became King and his grandchildren became princes and princesses. He could change it for any future children but he wasn’t able to do that in relation to his own grandchildren as it would have had to be his mother who did that. Like she changed the letters patent to favour any girl born first to William and Catherine

@TheMeasure I suspect you're right in which case I think it was an egregious and spiteful thing to imply. Shame on them. & frankly shame on Oprah if she had any inkling of the way the conversation was going to go for not researching and challenging them. But I suspect neither of them cared. The stupidity though the utter arrogant dimness of letting that thought settle whilst it was so easily checked . But as they say - A lie is half way round the world before the truth has got its shoes on.

She blew her credibility as soon as she came out with that bs about being married in the garden three days before. Anyone who knows anything about marriages in England knows that didn't happen. If she lied about something so easily disproved, why should I believe anything else she said?

I always thought it was funny that she reckoned the RF had her in muted beiges etc and since she’s been in the US and ‘free’ she’s hardly been out of shades of oatmeal and beige 🤣

In fact the most chic she ever looked was probably when she allowed the RF’s stylists to dress her or at least suggest outfits. I don’t think she has any natural style herself.

No way she curtsied in that horrific over exaggerated manner the first time she met the Queen, either.

And yes the lying about the private wedding ceremony- that was the Archbishop of Canterbury ffs! Imagine pulling someone like that into such high stakes bullshit.

That was such a stupid lie about having to dress in muted tones when in the RF! A quick search reveals her in bright yellow, blue, red, purple and green!
Such a liar.

Charles wouldn't have discussed any such thing with them.
Archie and Lilibet were going to be Prince and Princess when he took the throne. They were just lying about it.

This ⬆️ absolutely.

I suspect that Meghan has always lied about things to gain attention, position or advantage!
a person doesn’t suddenly start doing something like that out of the blue, the fundamental difference now is , before she wasn’t famous or important enough for people to notice or fact check her, now they do !
Harry isn’t much better we now learn from his own words!