The marching of the Kings californian grandkids

[Thedom]

Wish I could go back and find all those posters who predicted a Kardashian-esqe social media blitz at some point in H&M's future, wonder where are all the posters who we're so affronted by the very idea of that.

People magazine and all, the uber celeb magazine.

I guess needs must with the downfall of her business efforts, \oh look, here are my kids whose privacy we have decided to forego for the greater good of taking the heat off what a crap business woman I am'.

Yes he definitely does. He visited my friend’s school several years ago and said something to her when he was leaving that made him sound a bit ‘up himself’. (I won’t repeat it as it might be a bit identifying.) I was surprised because in those days he was still seen as the cheeky chappie. Looking back on that comment, he was showing his true self.

I would agree, having read Spare. He has few interests, little engagement with people who aren't useful to him and his litany of complaints is annoying. He could have done so much with his extraordinary status, wealth and privilege. Instead, he's just become this weird professional victim.

He and Meghan clearly don't want to live a low key life. Thet want to be celebrities. It's an ego boost m Being in the headlines and getting the likes seems to be their motivation. That's fine. Their choice. However, choosing it for their children at this stage? Perhaps leave it until they can consent.

Meeting and greeting people was part of being in the RF, do you meet and greet people for a living and have incredible job perks to go with it? He would have either joined the army (but not gone to Sandhurst nor had any privileges) or maybe he would have been a PE teacher if he had wanted to work with kids. What I’m saying is, without the RF but with the same brain, he would just be Mr Average. He is old enough now to be able to reflect and acknowledge his incredible privilege instead of acting hard done by.

I think he has a gift with meeting and greeting people

Maybe, @Plasticcheeeandgherkins, but don't forget to factor in the confirmation bias whereby those who don't care wouldn't push to meet him in the first place, and those consumed by all things royal may be more likely to insist how wonderful it all was - to say nothing of the PR which did so much to big the "cheeky chappie" up and generally cover for him

I've seen otherwise sensible women actually skipping on the spot after shaking a royal hand, and that was Margaret for god's sake ...

There are numerous clips of Harry in the past looking quite murderous at public occasions. The Olympics, Royal Barge trip…

He said himself he disliked royal tours.He didn’t want tjj on travel on a train because the public were on it.

And more recently there’s a photo of his lovely self enjoying a ride in a crowded lift. He is flattened against the back with an expression of disgust and extreme discomfort.

He also said in Spare that he was "expected" to go on a royal tour, and he was tired!. So much laziness and entitlement.

This ⬆️.
Anyone with a modicum of self reflection could work this out. He had privilege most of us could only dream of. Yet he's made very little of this.

I’d love to know what he said!

I daren’t say because I know my friend is on MN!

I want to push back on the whole idea that this is about violating anyone’s privacy by reposting a photo.

Like I said previously, most of us on here don’t have skin in the game. We protect our own children’s and vulnerable family members’ privacy online. That’s a given.

Let’s get real:

• The images being shared are already in the public domain, posted by the Sussexes themselves.
• we have shared them in response to specific comments — someone questioned whether the children resembled Thomas Markle, and someone else questioned if clear photos of them even exist.
• These aren’t paparazzi photos or deep fakes. They’re officially released. And once you release something publicly — sorry, but you’ve lost control of how it’s used or viewed. That’s how the internet works

Its not unethical to repost photos no matter how you feel about children’s privacy if…

1. The images were publicly released by the parents.
2. You’re using them to make a relevant point (in this case, resemblance, timeline, public presentation etc.).
3. You’re not sharing altered or unauthorised paparazzi content.

For example, I could probably use AI to generate a pretty accurate image of Lilibet based on what’s already available, but I wouldn’t do that. That’s not ethical. But reposting something Meghan and Harry have already published? That’s fair game.

I also disagree with the idea of a “Faustian pact” with the Wales children. They already have public facing roles and their parents have made a point of stage-managing their image releases. Carefully curated birthday photos a few times a year, that’s it. I didn’t love the Taylor Swift photo either (seemed a bit intrusive), but overall, William and Catherine handle it responsibly.

Contrast that with Meghan and Harry. They said they wouldn’t “serve up” their kids for public consumption — then went on to:

• Share family videos in a Netflix documentary (including personal footage of Archie in th bath)
• Release birthday photos.
• Include their children in promotional content.
• Publicly discuss private medical details (RSV, flu etc.).

They’ve spoken often about child safety online, social media harm, and the need for privacy, but they selectively release personal content when it suits their brand. That’s what people are calling out. Not the fact that there are photos (loads of celebs do this) but the hypocrisy behind releasing them after making a huge public point about not doing that.

TLDR:
The issue isn’t that the kids’ photos exist. It’s that Harry and Meghan preached about not sharing them, then did exactly that — for fame, monetisation, and brand-building.

That’s why people are frustrated. Not because the images are online, but because H&M said they wouldn’t do this, then changed course the moment it benefited them.

@Plasticcheeeandgherkins

I think I see what you are saying here - re H and M used to being in the public eye. & they continue to put themselves as a family out there. and (albeit redacted - I don't know the proper word for it - but you'll get my point - backs of heads - faces blurred / covered etc for the children )

Where I disagree with you is I have not seen any links on MN which involve the children which don't come from an M post or a high circulation newspaper or other widely available magazines - so whilst you are right in that some eg DM journalists pick up on MN threads sometimes - I don't see any evidence anyone has posted anything that isn't in the public domain ( and not secret paparazzi shots but rather stuff in newspapers / magazines ) and I think the number of people who have seen these because of MN is infinitesimally small compared to H&M's output covered by other media.

It's their choice what they put out on SM but if they do it is fair game for comment.

I agree with educating people about safety on line is a good thing. But can you not even see the teensiest bit of a blurred line between not allowing your children access tp SM etc at too young an age and taking very frequent photos of them to post online yourself. These images will be out there - some cute some like the twerking thing I think best left to the family album - just me.

I have not seen anything of the sort - because my SM presence is pretty much MN 😊- but if Sussex supporting websites have posted pictures referred to of K - well , in all honesty as part of their campaign I do think the Sussexes could put out a statement against such egregious pictures with a "not in our name" type message.

ETA cross posted with some points made in previous post - slow typist here

'I disagree. I think he has a gift with meeting and greeting people. He can create an instant rapport with children.'

Not sure where the idea that Harry has a gift for meeting people and creates an instant rapport with children comes from. Perhaps when the men in suits were advising him and organising and directing the meet and greets. Since striking out on their own, there have been several occasions when Harry has come across as bored and boorish - when he's not being shoved out the way by Meghan

When he was guided and supported by BP and KP, he knew what to do. He was never one for charm or connection, but he knew how to meet and greet. Now he seems to have descended into a perpetual state of petulance, which is very unattractive.

@Serenster was following on from what I had said about not having seen Archie since he was a baby. The photo she showed was apparently from a Christmas card, and widely seen. In fact, I also see a photo on this thread with Archie near Harry and Meghan holding up baby Lilibet, and now I see it I realise I have seen that before, but I had forgotten.

He scowls and looks blank or angry nearly all the time now. At least he used to laugh smile and seemed more energised on those days. Now he looks like he’s dragging himself around. He does look happy at Disney though.

Yes, the Disney pictures were the only ones of late where I've seen him look happy. I'm not being rude, but maybe he found his level. Or was at least able to relax a bit in front of the cameras.

The stable door is shut now on that. All of these images are out there to be used in any way by anyone. It's a horrific thought.

Very true. I wish H&M would occasionally pause, and reflect on their words and actions.

As part of their PR, H&M are behind an online bot army that relentlessly assaults H's family of origin with particular emphasis on insulting, degrading and dehumanizing Catherine. Every day there are social media posts attacking H's family of origins by the SS trolls. Under any positive social media post by any palace, any reporter or any social media influencer there are SS trolls, with the exact same talking points, making it easy to spot when those points are inorganically imported into MN commentary.

H&M happily posed for pictures with Peace Adeturo, a key Sussex Squad troll, on their grifters getaway to Nigeria and to Invictus. And Peace is not the only troll H&M have called, thanked in writing and posed with for pictures.

H&M have zero credibility on cyberbullying as they are amongst the biggest cyberbullies themselves. None. Nada. Zilch.

That's just disgusting about the cyber bullying.

I’m usually sympathetic to H & M and I agree that cyber-bullying is horrific.

I would respect them if they spoke up, even just "don't do this in our name".

Wasn’t aware that meeting and greeting people was an occupation outside the RF either 😏😁

It's what Sir David referred to them as previoisly when he didn't get a gong. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/feb/06/hacked-david-beckham-emails-renders-injunction-worthless