Rebrand, Restructure, Harry and Meghan 2025 version

[Thedom]

The Era of Joy didn't last long.

This is going to be interesting, it's going to be a full on PR onslaught for the next few months, and then we will have Harry launching his very own 'commercial project'.

Clearly an article straight from the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, giving an exclusive to the DM.

archive.is/ufM7K

Apart from 'I'm Sussex now', I detect the hand of Meghan. If their family name were Spencer, they would be able to claim a Diana Spencer as a daughter.

Spencer wouldn't work with the titles, would it, surely. "Prince Harry Spencer"?

Just Call Me Harry Sparencer?

If this is true it's pretty revolting .

I think the etiquette would be 'Harry Spencer' to friends and family; and 'Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex' in formal parlance?

I've never worked out if, given he's no longer supposed to be using 'His Royal Highness' when 'working', if he has people calling him (and M) 'Your Grace'? That's what the Duchess of Windsor was supposed to have to use but she was never given 'HRH' to begin with, I think? David (Edward) was furious, I have read.

I think the styles and titles are fascinating. Crazy, but fascinating, especially the clinging on to them by the Sussexes and Yorks.

Name changing - It's not really helpful to the reconciliation that Harry allegedly wants with his father. What goes on in his head? He seems like a tortured soul.

I see the pair of them ( the Sussexes) are being used as a " dysfunctional marriage" example in articles about Justin Bieber now ie the wife trying to create a commercial enterprise and a deadbeat of a husband dragging along. At least Hailey Bieber's cosmetics has just sold for one billion unlike Meghan's spread.

As for titles, saw an article the other day about a Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon blah blah blah. The Bourbons were exiled from Italy in the mid 1800s.

Is this the future for Harry's children - a title referring to the UK but a family that he has removed himself from willingly? It all seems a bit of an illusion doesn't it. It takes me back to my old school days about Bonnie Prince Charlie the Pretender who died a bitter and drink befuddled man abroad.

You are quite correct . George V1 made David the Duke of Windsor when he abdicated. When he married Wallis a few months later she became Her Grace the Duchess of Windsor not HRH. It was a sore point and the Duke insisted that staff refer to her as HRH .
When the late Queen visited the dying Duke he requested that Wallis be given HRH but was refused .

Omg Richard Eden had an article in the Times that H really had explored the idea of changing his surname to Spencer but was talked out of it. It was pointed out that if he had gone ahead with it, his daughter would be Princess Lilibet Diana Spencer, which makes you wonder whose idea it was. What the hell is going on inside that man’s head.

Harry has lost the plot completely and doesn’t seem to realise he is making a complete public spectacle of himself

Totally off topic, but my DH bought Old Spice (it was cheap, it was there and he needed something quickly).

Genuinely everytime I smelt it I went "ooh, that's lovely, what is..oh". 🤣

Absolutely. Anais Anais was one of a wave of perfumes in the 80’s that were very popular like Obsession, Poison and Coco and Armani I don’t personally like it, (too flowery for me) but to say it was cheap and Diana wouldn’t wear it is nonsense. Off topic but does anyone remember Giorgio Beverly Hills? So strong it was banned from lots of restaurants 🤢😂

Although I think it was more in the 1970s ( I am old) I loved Kiku by Faberge .

I actually used Anais Anais - never realised until now that Diana wore it.

I thought it was famously a heavy Van Cleef scent? Along with Penhaligon's Bluebell.

Yep, indeed, it's in that article I posted ^^. Penhaligon's Bluebell and Van Cleef and Arpels, apparently.

@smilesy - some of those 80s perfumes! I can smell now that sickly heady Poison stink.

One perfume that turns my stomach is Shalimar. I had an awful boss who was drenched in it and it now just smells like fear to me 😬.

Penhaligon’s Bluebell is lovely - but now discontinued for some reason.

It’s precisely because I like Anais Anais myself and wore it that I can’t possibly imagine Diana using it. She was so much more stylish, attractive and wealthy than I’ll ever be.

Off topic but does anyone remember Giorgio Beverly Hills? So strong it was banned from lots of restaurants 🤢😂

Only too well, @smilesy

Another was Estee Lauder's Youth Dew ... god, how it stank, though that's hardly a handle the advertisers wsould attach to it!!

I like floral scents but not those smack you round the chops jobs we all remember.

Laura Ashley did a gorgeous one ( to my 18 year old self) but then discontinued it.

If you can afford Penhaligon's their artemisia is lovely as is the Highgrove one, if they still do it.

But scent , like taste is a very individual thing isn't it.

When she was Lady Diana, she was a Sloane who liked Duran Duran and Supertramp, the latest posh fashions and, quite understandably, the latest perfume which was Anais Anais. (Confession: did anyone else call it Anay Anay ? 🤭)

My dear friend who wore it was objectively gorgeous and very fashionable. There wasn't such an infinite choice of perfume in the 80s and it was popular with lots of young women (Opium for me though, wore it for decades until the formula got wrecked)

I sniffed Giorgio a while back. I can only think it is much toned down or my sense of smell is diminished with age (or longterm Opium exposure)

Yes.😁

When Poison first came out I was living in France and at first misread the label as Poisson. Thought that was a very odd name for a perfume & it took a while for the penny to drop.

But agree with @MaturingCheeseball that it's got an awful, overpowering pong that to me is at least as unpleasant as the smell of fish .

Bluebell is still on sale at Penhaligon's if you dig around on the website but only the eau de toilette.

Maybe Markle placed a shipping order for the eau de parfum...