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The royal family

Being Mr. Meghan Markle is no honeymoon (The Spectator)

325 replies

Thedom · 30/04/2025 07:11

Sorry, archive not working, so posted the whole article here.

Interesting tidbit about his turn at the aviation thingy, he was either joking and it landed like a lead balloon or he was being sarcasric about being railroaded into having to cough up for a few tables (probably the latter knowing how he hates to pay for anything)

…………..

“Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are finally enjoying their “honeymoon period.” Or they are according to the Duchess of Sussex, who made the statement on a fawning podcast as part of a brand building media blitz – and who certainly seems to be enjoying herself.

But has she asked her husband if he’s reveling in their belated honeymoon quite as much as she is? Once the spare to the throne, his presence as her forlorn shadow at events to honor her now appears largely surplus to requirements even to Meghan.

“That man loves me so much,” she gushed on Montecito neighbor Jamie Kern Lima’s podcast on Monday. She likened their relationship to a video game where you “slay the dragon, save the princess.” An analogy that firmly implies she is the glittering prize and he should be happy with winning her hand.

“You have to imagine, at the beginning, everyone has butterflies, and then we immediately went into the trenches together right out of the gate, six months into dating,” Meghan added. “So now, seven years later when you have a little bit of breathing space, you can just enjoy each other in a new way, and that’s why I feel like it’s more of a honeymoon period for us now.”

As ever, Meghan’s truth does not necessarily accord with everyone else’s reality.

It’s been a tough week for Harry as Mr. Meghan Markle. His wife undermined his latest warning about the dangers of social media for children by posting photos of their own children on Instagram. He bombed at the Hollywood aviation awards. And he was snubbed by Meghan at the Time100 Summit.

All while his brother Prince William looked every bit the senior statesman with world leaders at the Pope’s funeral in Rome.

Harry’s public troubles began in New York last week. While unveiling a memorial dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful online behavior contributed to their deaths, he demanded stronger protection for young people from the dangers of social media. He was “grateful” that his children were still too young to be online, he said.

Too young, that is, unless Archie and Lilibet are helping Meghan promote her brands.

Meghan used their three-year-old daughter to promote her jam, or rather “preserves” as she calls them (jam has too much sugar, apparently), on social media on Sunday. She posted an Instagram Story showing her stirring her homemade strawberry preserves, saying, “What do you think Lili?” A child’s hand can be seen and a voice purporting to be Lili – but sounding strangely AI – is heard saying, “I think it’s beautiful.”

Meghan also posted Instagram pictures of Lili and son Archie, five, in her rose garden, tastefully obscuring their beautiful red hair and faces. How discrete.

Harry’s woes were compounded during his trip to New York by his wife’s apparent lack of interest in him. When he stepped out of the couple’s car at the TIME event on Wednesday, he reached out to Meghan to hold her hand. But – right in front of the waiting paparazzi – she ignored him, turned away and instead enthusiastically hugged a woman waiting to greet her.

A blushing Harry grimaced, as if he instantly knew the media would seize on it (he was correct), then awkwardly adjusted the back waistband of his trousers under his jacket and dutifully trotted through a door behind his wife as she was ushered in by staff and security. Was it take your husband to work day?

Once inside the auditorium at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Harry was forced to take a literal back seat, applauding enthusiastically from the audience as Meghan trotted out some of her signature lines, such as, “Part of what is really, really important is that love language of taking care of people also feeds me.”

Meghan, wearing a $4,000 Ralph Lauren suit, gave her soft keynote speech promoting her show, podcast, lifestyle brand and family. This marked a stark contrast with the other speakers, such as Yulia Navalnaya, who talked about fighting for human rights after her late husband, the prominent Russian opposition leader and critic of President Vladimir Putin, died in prison.

Making Harry’s recent “whining” about being stripped of his UK security details seem petty. Then Harry was off – alone – to the Living Legends of Aviation Awards, where last year he was honored for his work as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.

From the stage at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Friday, Harry thanked the first responders who risked their lives to save those devastated by the California fires, but also took a petulant shot at organizers with a joke that didn’t land well. “I feel like I picked the short straw,” he began.

“Someone had to host a bunch of pilots and firefighters, that’s where they are, there are five tables. I agreed with the organizers that it would be a good idea, let’s get them along. I did not agree to hosting two of the tables.”

The sad contrast with William could not be more obvious, royal biographer, writer and broadcaster Hugo Vickers tells The Spectator. “One of them is doing a good job for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. And the other’s doing nothing.”

Vickers believes Haz, as he is nicknamed by Meghan, is hanging on to his wife for dear life, “Harry is petrified of her and petrified of losing her. It is a nasty syndrome. And maybe I’m wrong, maybe they’re blissfully happy, but he doesn’t look happy.

“Now he’s just sort of dangling about in the background of Meghan’s various other things she’s promoting.”

Vickers added that the Sussex children’s appearances on Meghan’s Instagram makes them “awful pawns in the middle of this game.”

“All this gooey talk that you get from Meghan about connectivity and love and stuff doesn’t seem to extend to her own family, does it? She’s playing silly games with them. I just have a horrible feeling it’s all going to end badly somehow.”

How much longer can this go on? The old Harry, with his jack-the-lad swagger and roguish sense of humor, was hugely popular with the public, the royals and the media. His former friends, who were pushed aside when he met Meghan, miss that version of Harry. We miss that Harry.

Perhaps it is time for the prince to pack away his paranoia, apologize and start building bridges with his father, brother and the media, if it is not too late and he loses the petering goodwill toward him that still remains. That couldn’t possibly be more humiliating than this flower-sprinkled existence as Mr. Meghan Markle.”

OP posts:
MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 14:47

@Tomatotater Please don't get a job as a tour guide once you have done away with the monarchy and opened up all the royal houses. Your knowledge seems to be a bit sketchy.

GiveMeSpanakopita · 02/05/2025 14:54

MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 14:47

@Tomatotater Please don't get a job as a tour guide once you have done away with the monarchy and opened up all the royal houses. Your knowledge seems to be a bit sketchy.

I'm sure it'll be fine as long as they tell 'their truth'. After all, that's just as good as the truth, isn't it? Isn't it? Am I doing this right?

Not2identifying · 02/05/2025 15:08

Yes, you are @GiveMeSpanakopita

MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 15:20

GiveMeSpanakopita · 02/05/2025 14:54

I'm sure it'll be fine as long as they tell 'their truth'. After all, that's just as good as the truth, isn't it? Isn't it? Am I doing this right?

I think that's spot on. And Harry is a shoe in for a job in that tour company, I'm sure his former history teacher will give him a reference. "Here we are outside Westminister Abbey. Where Pope John Paul II married my mummy to my pa..."

GiveMeSpanakopita · 02/05/2025 16:10

MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 15:20

I think that's spot on. And Harry is a shoe in for a job in that tour company, I'm sure his former history teacher will give him a reference. "Here we are outside Westminister Abbey. Where Pope John Paul II married my mummy to my pa..."

...and then everyone in South Africa DANCED in the streets with joy!

LaMarschallin · 02/05/2025 16:19

Choreographed by John Travolta whose greatest achievement was dancing with my mummy...

MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 16:23

And all the guests knelt down as mummy walked up the aisle chanting, "Thank you for your service".

JSMill · 02/05/2025 16:27

BemusedAmerican · 02/05/2025 13:40

I've been to the Tower. I love history, I love ravens, and I just finished the Ravenmaster's book. I'd go again. I would also love to visit Windsor because it's an old castle in beautiful and historic parkland.

No interest in BP, KP ( which seems to house lots of people - bought a guidebook about it at Hampton court) or Sandringham. They just don't seem romantic or historically interesting to me.

Honestly you should give KP a try. One thing I found interesting about it is learning about Queen Victoria’s childhood there and how her mother tried to isolate and control her. I think BP would be worth it for the art.
We took our year 1 and 2 classes a couple of months after QEII. They were pretty well behaved so we decided we could risk visiting St George’s chapel at the end of the day (after a stern lecture before they went in!) It was so lovely to see how respectful they were and in awe of seeing where she was buried. I also found it poignant to see the place where she sat alone, wearing a mask, at her husband’s funeral.

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 16:50

Tomatotater · 02/05/2025 08:53

If you 'slimmed down' the Monarchy' to a European style at least, as Charles said he wanted to do, then they would not have those titles. For some reason, he now doesn't want to do it. There is no point moaning about Archie and Lilli being Prince/Princess. They are entitled to use those titles. The only person who can stop them is Charles, and he isn't even doing it, or even making any attempt by the looks of it. William says a lot about how little work he's planning on doing when he is King, but when it comes to taking his own children or grandchildren out of the Royal bubble, or reducing the vast privilege of the Monarchy or even reforming it in any way, it's tumbleweed.

I'm not moaning about Charles. I'm commenting on the hypocrisy of the Royal Sussexes, their behaviour towards official royalty, their constant badge of victimhood caused by the royals, yet their exploitation and monetising of their connections.

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 16:55

MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 15:20

I think that's spot on. And Harry is a shoe in for a job in that tour company, I'm sure his former history teacher will give him a reference. "Here we are outside Westminister Abbey. Where Pope John Paul II married my mummy to my pa..."

😂😂
Over to the right is Sandringham, where they do the Ceremony of the Keys and then pipe in the haggis....

Uricon2 · 02/05/2025 17:25

I thought KP was fascinating, especially the stuff about Queen Victoria's childhood and the little dolls she made who were basically her only friends (I know she had her faults but she must have had an amazingly strong personality to survive the "regime" and make changes as quickly as she did when she became Queen at 18)

I was there not long after Margaret died so saw the exhibition of Snowdon's photos in the then empty Apartment 1A. It is massive, very, very goldfish bowl too and I'm not surprised William and Kate prefer Adelaide Cottage as a home.

Arraminta · 02/05/2025 17:26

MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 14:47

@Tomatotater Please don't get a job as a tour guide once you have done away with the monarchy and opened up all the royal houses. Your knowledge seems to be a bit sketchy.

Quite. The nightly security ritual of Queen Anne's Keys at The Tower of London is nothing to do with Edward III. It can be traced back to Queen (for 9 days) Anne trying to stop her courtiers sneaking out to join Mary Tudor's forces?

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 17:27

Arraminta · 02/05/2025 17:26

Quite. The nightly security ritual of Queen Anne's Keys at The Tower of London is nothing to do with Edward III. It can be traced back to Queen (for 9 days) Anne trying to stop her courtiers sneaking out to join Mary Tudor's forces?

Wasn't that when Oliver Cromwell had Horse Guards Parade built as a holiday home for him and Jane Austen?

Uricon2 · 02/05/2025 17:30

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 17:27

Wasn't that when Oliver Cromwell had Horse Guards Parade built as a holiday home for him and Jane Austen?

No, it was Richard III when he married Emily Bronte.

Easy mistake to make.

Arraminta · 02/05/2025 17:30

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 17:27

Wasn't that when Oliver Cromwell had Horse Guards Parade built as a holiday home for him and Jane Austen?

Yes, that's correct. And it was only shortly after that William Del Monte of Orange introduced the orange to England.

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 17:31

Uricon2 · 02/05/2025 17:30

No, it was Richard III when he married Emily Bronte.

Easy mistake to make.

Oh, my bad. I was distracted by re- runs of the Trooping of the Colour from the Tower of London.

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 17:33

Arraminta · 02/05/2025 17:30

Yes, that's correct. And it was only shortly after that William Del Monte of Orange introduced the orange to England.

I didn't know that. I thought they were introduced by Jason Orange from Take That.
Fascinating.

Arraminta · 02/05/2025 17:34

Uricon2 · 02/05/2025 17:30

No, it was Richard III when he married Emily Bronte.

Easy mistake to make.

Easy mistake to make though, considering Jane Austen and Emily Bronte were sisters.

PullTheBricksDown · 02/05/2025 17:48

Arraminta · 02/05/2025 17:34

Easy mistake to make though, considering Jane Austen and Emily Bronte were sisters.

I saw just the post above when looking at 'Threads I'm On' and went 🤔

Uricon2 · 02/05/2025 17:50

PullTheBricksDown · 02/05/2025 17:48

I saw just the post above when looking at 'Threads I'm On' and went 🤔

God knows what anyone casually browsing Active will think 😂

MaryMungoNMidge · 02/05/2025 18:09

Arraminta · 02/05/2025 17:34

Easy mistake to make though, considering Jane Austen and Emily Bronte were sisters.

I thought Emily Bronte was the famous "Great Whore", lover of Francis I of France. Then she knocked out a couple of kids with Henry Cavil before he ascended the throne of Planet Krypton and ditched his wife, Catherine Aragorn of Middle Earth, for Jane Austen. Jane had an affair with her brother, Bionic Man Steve Austen, and both of them were beheaded at the Tower of London during a break in Trooping The Colour.

Welcometothewhitelotus · 02/05/2025 18:10

Uricon2 · 02/05/2025 17:30

No, it was Richard III when he married Emily Bronte.

Easy mistake to make.

Not many know that Charles had a brief fling with Kate Bush and learning all about the royal connection with Emily Brontë inspired her to write Wuthering Heights.

jeffgoldblum · 02/05/2025 18:14

I’m assuming that everyone is joking !! ( I can tell the obvious ones) otherwise my general history knowledge is looking pretty good right now!!! 🤣

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 18:28

jeffgoldblum · 02/05/2025 18:14

I’m assuming that everyone is joking !! ( I can tell the obvious ones) otherwise my general history knowledge is looking pretty good right now!!! 🤣

We're joking, Jeff 🤣!

DelectableMe · 02/05/2025 18:29

Welcometothewhitelotus · 02/05/2025 18:10

Not many know that Charles had a brief fling with Kate Bush and learning all about the royal connection with Emily Brontë inspired her to write Wuthering Heights.

Wow. I knew about his affair with Mary Berry, but this is news.