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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:
IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:07

Placeon · 30/04/2025 08:00

Unbelievable article, surely that can't all be true…

I think it can. The Spectator is a serious publication, after all.

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:11

Middleagedstriker · 30/04/2025 08:44

Such double standards. William can parade his children all the time and yet the back of hand and some bollocks about an AI voice is berated. I have the Spectator such a sound piece for the elite.

William doesn't 'parade his children all the time'. Unlike Harry's children, they are being trained for a public role and appear a few times a year at key events.

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:13

Welcometothewhitelotus · 30/04/2025 12:10

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.

Good article but I am Hmm at a Spectator writer not knowing the difference between discrete and discreet.

Where was the sub-editor, Michael?

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:14

binkie163 · 30/04/2025 14:45

lol its spread, it doesnt even make the content requirement for jam or preserve. Talking of which, we have seen her promotion where the 'spread' is on a production line, probably in china, why is she rather disingenuously showing herself pretending to make the stuff, we know she doesnt make it. Unlike the superior Highgrove products made locally from the estate gardens in small batches.
I expect Harry absolutely hates having to do these dumb awards & appearances. Keeping up a public persona is more work than he wants to do, probably rather be sat next to the pool getting sozzled.

It can't be China. She told Forbes that tariffs weren't going to affect her.

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:17

User14March · 30/04/2025 15:11

I think H’s ‘prince’ status will quite likely carry him for life though (?) Status is huge even without billionaire funds.

Even his prince status won't be enough for people to be prepared to pay his huge appearance fee and risk him behaving badly.

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:22

IcedPurple · 30/04/2025 15:37

Is she?

Her podcast is a flop and she's reduced to getting a commission off random clothes on ShopMy, a site which anyone can join. But I guess that's for another discussion.

The reality is the 'whiff' of royalty from Harry and certainly Meghan is becoming less and less discernible. A balding middle aged man whose only contract with Britain is via the legal system is hardly going to carry royal allure wherever he goes.

Thanks to their personlities, and with no experienced advisers behind them, H&M are unable to bring the polish and ease that royals bring. It's always all about them. Their behaviour is unpredictable. There are rumours of tantrums. Their star is falling and invites will dry up. They're not worth the bother.

tattychicken · 01/05/2025 15:28

Treeleaf11 · 01/05/2025 14:57

Harry seems not to understand the nature of this type of fundraiser and appears to expect that the charity pays for him to honour them with his presence. I really don't understand why he turned up for a second year if he doesn't want to donate at the fundraiser.

That's quite funny. When he was in the RF he would attend these events for free and be guest of honour, now doing the same sort of thing he has to pay out of his own pocket. Wow that must sting.

Yes this. He is still in working Royal Family mode when him turning up and speaking then buggering off would be enough.

Turning up, paying for other people to eat and drink, speaking, then having to actually stay and mix with the oiks has fried his brain.

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:37

RedRosesPinkLilies · 30/04/2025 19:18

Read a lot, don’t post. Very entertaining and insightful
Meghan usually has a plan…not all go well
I wondered if the daily email was to counter her children’s future books? Proof.

An interesting idea. I wondered whether I first heard about this if the emails are the first draft of a 'Magic mom moments with Meg' book. Like others here, I also wonder if she is actually writing any emails.

binkie163 · 01/05/2025 15:40

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:14

It can't be China. She told Forbes that tariffs weren't going to affect her.

She doesn't believe anything affects her, she is a princess 😀 with her business acumen she may not know what tariffs are.

Redbluew · 01/05/2025 15:47

Lunde · 01/05/2025 12:46

It's odd that one year on Harry still doesn't seem to understand how these US pay to play charity "awards" really work.

Last year he looked askance when he was shown to table #100 and something at the back with the charity's staff rather than being at the front with the A-listers ... he didn't seem to get the tacit understanding that award recipients are expected to make a charity donation by buying a table for the event for 6-12 people.

This year he makes it very awkward by having a pop at the organisers for asking him to host a couple of tables for community aviators that fought the LA fires - which seems very ungracious and tone deaf at this sort of event. He also walked off and left the event directly after his petulant speech and didn't return to the tables where he was host to chat or take pictures with the firefighters etc.

Harry seems not to understand the nature of this type of fundraiser and appears to expect that the charity pays for him to honour them with his presence. I really don't understand why he turned up for a second year if he doesn't want to donate at the fundraiser.

In many ways the charity gets better value from the fake prince Mario-Max than they get from sulky Harry as Mario-Max seems to mingle and get photos with attendees.

I think astute observation from @Lunde is very much at the root of Harry's behaviour and shows just how thick he really is.

He has gone from being a member of the Royal Family where they were invited for free as guests of honour because in the UK that carries status and access points and for the positive publicity it would bring to a charity.
to now being a also-ran-celeb.

I suppose he still has a bit of royal cache in the USA just because he is royal by birth but that theoretical status/access/power point has totally fallen away because everyone knows he has fallen out big time with his father and brother. In other words, there is no point in schmoozing him to come to your event because you think it might get you the ear of the the monarch/the prime minister/the housing minister or whatever power position your charity needs - because those doors are closed.

Now he is an also-ran celeb of course he will bring publicity - 5% of the readers maybe are fans; 95 % are people like me us vultures delighting in chewing over the reams of negative publicity that they deserve - but it will still bring publicity to your event.

The big difference now is that he is expected to be donating, hosting, bringing his rich friends to host tables as a High Net Worth Individual.

Anyone with half a brain could see that. He comes across as so unbelievably petulant and sulky.

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:51

Welcometothewhitelotus · 01/05/2025 11:22

It’s all the contradictions that wind people up. She’s all about women’s rights and how the royal family restricted her as a woman and she didn’t want to be silenced but then she coos to school children about being a real life princess, which she isn’t. And then doesn’t understand it when people say I thought you were about women’s goals in life not just being marriage? You escaped this supposedly awful life but you never ever let anyone forget your title or your royal connections, of a family and system which you hate.

Or posits her and Harry as serious figures on the world stage and then wonders why her words are analysed. Well yes, if you’re going to consider yourself alongside world leaders your words will be scrutinised alongside theirs. And on and on and on it goes.

The biggest Meghan contradiction for me is her championing of girls' and womens' rights and ending up hosting a show glorifying the trad wife. 'Women all over America' indeed.

LaMarschallin · 01/05/2025 15:55

I wondered whether I first heard about this if the emails are the first draft of a 'Magic mom moments with Meg' book. Like others here, I also wonder if she is actually writing any emails.

Maybe best if she at least isn't writing as many as she claims.
Article from Vogue starts:

It’s like something out of one of my nightmares. An inbox over which you have no control and to which you have no access, steadily filling up with emails that you can’t read, file or delete. Scream for eternity.

www.vogue.co.uk/article/meghan-markle-emails-archie-lilibet

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:56

bluegreygreen · 01/05/2025 12:47

Ongoing problems at Sentebale, apparently.

I'm assuming they would need a certain number of trustees to be quorate for decisions?

https://archive.is/fdI2M

Three are needed to be compliant, apparently. Losing one after a month was OK but two? It isn't a good look for Sophie, who I want to succeed.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 01/05/2025 16:03

I think the previous one to leave said something about the abuse she was facing from some quarters (?) so it's possible the same's happened again, but as from the start I'm keeping an open mind about Sophie

There's often more to come out in cases like this, so we'll see in time

Spectre8 · 01/05/2025 16:23

foreverblowingbubbless · 01/05/2025 13:37

@Spectre8 why would you cut down all those beautiful roses in bloom in a garden only to put them inside and die? Let them live and thrive in nature like the bees! What will the bees do?

How do you know that's all the roses. Some rose varieties especially the hybrid teas were cultivated to produce roses you cut as they are more upright. And if it's repeat flowering they will be back, besides she cleary has large shrub.

I often taken some flowers from my garden for a vase indoors too.

Do you ever buy cut flowers? Why? Shouldn't we just leave then be in their natural state then. Sheesh you make out like she has done something heinous when she hasn't. Whats the difference if she takes roses from her garden vs buying them then?

Spectre8 · 01/05/2025 16:26

foreverblowingbubbless · 01/05/2025 13:40

It's so interesting that you choose those minor points to comment on @Spectre8 as opposed to any of the other points.

Well I'm wondering why your making those comments that's why I choose them.

And who cares if hunters are no longer on trend. Trends come and go. Shoukd she go buy ones that in trend and then you can have a go at her for spending money on new things and not rewearing.

MaturingCheeseball · 01/05/2025 16:42

@Spectre8 , did you enjoy the Jamie Kern podcast? Do you think Meghan came over well?

MaggieMistletoe · 01/05/2025 17:03

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:51

The biggest Meghan contradiction for me is her championing of girls' and womens' rights and ending up hosting a show glorifying the trad wife. 'Women all over America' indeed.

I think she thinks that she, due to being exceptional, is a shining example of having it all. So she is the princess, the tradwife, the magic mom, the mompreneur, the serious business woman and media mogul, the influencer, author, TV star, the hostess with the mosest, authority on all thing cali and all things brit, the activist, ted talk wannabe, over-achiever.. the list goes on.
What she doesnt realise is that she does everything inadequately - to say the least - and so comes across as the very opposite. More like, how to fail at everything and have every opportunity but still not have one modicum of talent and capability in order to be able make something of them.
She's the most unaware person I've ever observed, next she'll be claiming women of America are dancing in the streets due to her empowering podcasts.

foreverblowingbubbless · 01/05/2025 18:23

Spectre8 · 01/05/2025 16:23

How do you know that's all the roses. Some rose varieties especially the hybrid teas were cultivated to produce roses you cut as they are more upright. And if it's repeat flowering they will be back, besides she cleary has large shrub.

I often taken some flowers from my garden for a vase indoors too.

Do you ever buy cut flowers? Why? Shouldn't we just leave then be in their natural state then. Sheesh you make out like she has done something heinous when she hasn't. Whats the difference if she takes roses from her garden vs buying them then?

Edited

It's all about the bees though and nature. Poor roses 😢

foreverblowingbubbless · 01/05/2025 18:23

Spectre8 · 01/05/2025 16:26

Well I'm wondering why your making those comments that's why I choose them.

And who cares if hunters are no longer on trend. Trends come and go. Shoukd she go buy ones that in trend and then you can have a go at her for spending money on new things and not rewearing.

That went right over your head, didn't it?

foreverblowingbubbless · 01/05/2025 18:27
Pop Tv Laughing GIF by Schitt's Creek

Funniest line on here in a while - Meghan clearly has a large shrub 😂😂😂😂😂 .

financialmuddle · 01/05/2025 18:28

Bellsize · 01/05/2025 13:07

"She likened their relationship to a video game where you “slay the dragon, save the princess.”

I've said this before on this forum MM had set up the cliched 'Damsel in distress' scenario so that dumb-ass PH would be triggered to ride in playing the 'Knight in shining armour' to 'save' her and 'protect' her and feel like the chivalrous hero in a courtly love scenario.

Now shes even admitting it herself - down in the trenches, a victim hiding from the racist press, racist SIL, dreadful institution and staff etc

So sexist and manipulative.

"One of the most subtle yet devastating manipulative strategies a woman can use is the “damsel in distress” routine. It’s a calculated move that preys on a man’s natural instinct to protect, provide, and “prove” his masculinity. This tactic works especially well on simps — men who are desperate for validation and approval from women. The result? Men pouring their time, energy, and resources into a bottomless pit of manipulation."

https://archive.ph/Hew6n

Edited

You think we need an MRA’s pensées to fully analyse Meghan’s behaviour?

jeffgoldblum · 01/05/2025 18:28

foreverblowingbubbless · 01/05/2025 18:27

Funniest line on here in a while - Meghan clearly has a large shrub 😂😂😂😂😂 .

🤣🤣🤣

jeffgoldblum · 01/05/2025 18:32
Flower Love GIF by SWR3

Love a large shrub!!!

Middleagedstriker · 02/05/2025 00:31

IdaGlossop · 01/05/2025 15:11

William doesn't 'parade his children all the time'. Unlike Harry's children, they are being trained for a public role and appear a few times a year at key events.

Imagine training your children for this hell :(