Confessions of a Female Flounder part 2

[foreverblowingbubbless]

I've embarrassed for Meghan saying that her arranging takeaway food on a plate is the same thing as what Figs Heather Hasson has done 😬

Interesting. A huge mansion with live in staff including nannies, housekeepers, cooks, drivers, gardeners. Security, maintenance. Personal maintenance including cosmetic enhancements etc?
A lot.

Does she really have a 'fantastic lifestyle' though?

Married to a dim, embittered prince with no role in life? No real job or purpose of her own? They live in a big, imo rather ugly, house in a very exclusive area, but their lifestyle hardly seems glamorous or enviable to me.

It's just desperate. Desperate to maintain their royal status and privilege. Desperate to remain in the headlines and get the dosh.

Thanks @FenellaFeldman for the link. I can't read it, can only see the picture of the Californian "courtiers". So good to see H&M breaking away from the racist RF and embracing a racially diverse team....oh hang on....No, they've just replaced white men in grey suits with white liberals in business casual.

Well me neither but obviously it is what they aspire to otherwise they could easily change it all .She is still waxing lyrical about her fox of a prince ( how cringe was it when she told that Jamie woman that and wanted the audience to.agree with her and it was interesting that she said " that man loves me so much ". all about her needs as usual. ) so who knows the state of things at home. Hopefully their marriage is as strong as they portray but time will tell.

Hard to say but their security bill alone I think has been estimated to run to millions annually, if they have full time teams of armed security for each family member.

Then you’ve got this team of 11 “highly paid” staff which doesn’t include the Archewell team, plus nannies, gardeners, housekeeper, drivers etc. Staffing bill must be over $2m annually, easily.

I believe property tax and upkeep in California is extortionate too, and then you’ve got all the lifestyle elements - private jet or first class flights, $$$$ designer clothes for Meghan, private school and nursery fees for the kids etc.

Someone with more knowledge than I could work it out more precisely I’m sure, but I’d expect them to need something in the region of $8-10 million a year just to maintain their lifestyle.

Status is everything in their circle in California, they need very serious bucks for what passes for friendship, loyalty, networking & transaction.

It may be what Meghan aspires to, but I don't think it's what Harry wants at all.

I don't think he gets much of a say in things however. It's ironic that he talked about other family members being 'trapped', but he's the one who seems trapped to me.

Hard to say but their security bill alone I think has been estimated to run to millions annually, if they have full time teams of armed security for each family member.

They clearly don't though.

When you see them in public, they have maybe one 'bodyguard' of the type many celebrities have. That sprawling mansion would be expensive to secure though.

Good points 👍

It’s all smoke and mirrors with these two so very difficult to tell what the real set up is.

On the one hand Harry is so paranoid (and status conscious) that I can believe he feels they “need” full time security protection. And I do remember pap shots of him out for a bike ride being followed by a large SUV - the pair of them seem to love a calvacade. But if the money is running low, which it must be, it’s very possible they’ve scaled it all down and just pay for increased security when they’re doing bigger events, or expecting to be photographed.

Sorry you can't read it, @RandyRedHumpback ! My Bad, as the kids say.
Hopefully, you've got the picture!
Diversity? It would appear not. All of them appear to be very much white. They really ought to consult KC and the Wales' on how to include more diversity in their team. Although, to be fair, the Sussex team is significantly bigger than either that of the King or the Prince of Wales.

Very good points. It's also very clear that they both crave the fame and the headlines. They will, seemingly, do anything to maintain the celebrity status.

....$$$$ designer clothes for Meghan,

Does she pay for them, or are they loans/freebies?

As to any future sensational memoir from Meghan (post-divorce or otherwise) I agree it will have to be based on gossip and family secrets unwisely divulged by Harry. I think her credibility is very low with everyone now except for their cultish, over-invested super-fans. If she did produce something I'm sure the sensational 'revelations' would cause a stir (we're all human) but for most people it would seem super-tacky and harm her in the long term.

But I also agree with pps who say she's an absolute master in the crafty insult or allegation disguised as concern etc. I'll never forget the way she dragged up the Waity Katie slur under pretence of empathising with Catherine! It reminded me of people I've known who've said things like "Oh I think it's AWFUL that people say she's ugly!" - while thoroughly savouring repeating the nasty insult themselves.

In the shallow, misogynistic value-system of celebrity, Meghan will be heading towards 50 when any marriage split happens, or 'revenge memoir' comes out, and in that world she'll have lost a huge amount of personal capital.

Her recent activities have been beyond 'cringe' for me. I'm left speechless by the Jamie Lee Kern interview and the other stunts - Mother's Day etc. She is now beyond parody, for me. I've never seen anyone so utterly unable to be genuine about anything. What a weird childhood and youth she must have had to be so utterly inauthentic, and not to grasp it. I also think that the quiet and dignified stuff which Catherine (and William) have been doing recently must have riled Meghan up no end. Needless to say her fans on Celebitchy have been grinding their teeth and saying the vilest things about Catherine, which shows that the contrast is getting to them big-time.

I don't know. They don't ever fit properly, so I assumed they were loans? I know a lot of celebrity women wear items to promote a brand, but would she bring in that kind of following?

My guess is a lot of them are freebies.

She's rarely seen in big name prestige brands these days. Mostly fairly obscure mid level designers who would welcome the publicity.

I often wonder what happened to all the top designer outfits Charles paid for when she was a working royal.
Sold?

Yes, that's my take as well.

totally agree which was the wider point I was making. He really is trapped and I would feel sorry for him if he hadn't thrown his family under the bus for cold hard cash.
I personally don't think.it matters how much money they pay people to rehabilitate their image because I think.that is pretty much irredeemable at this point.

as you say they never fit right or look v good on( creased ,inappropriate to the occasion etc ) so would designer's want that look to promote their product ,.

Just to note - it wasn’t a “source”. Rather, a Netflix spokesperson confirmed on the record to Vanity Fair that the $100m figure was not the case. From the American Hustle article:

“(According to a representative for Netflix, “We don’t disclose our financial deals with talent, but I can confirm to you on the record that the $100M figure is not correct.”)”

She never looks chic or stylish. She's mid 40s, plenty of women look fantastic at that age because they've found their style and confidence.
She looks totally different than she did even 5 years ago, and it's not a look which she can market.

She does look different and I thought when I saw a clip from her podcast that she looked like someone who had been through a lot of stress. I think she should take some time out and have some calm time.
I also wonder what happened to those very expensive clothes from her brief time as a royal. What a waste.

I think she lost a lot of weight, and it often goes from the face and so changes the appearance. I actually don't blame her because the women are all so thin in that Californian celebrity circle.
It rarely looks good.