As Never the second release ...

[onehorserace]

Wine, apricot spread and honey. I think we've had all the suggestions for names already ?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14832085/amp/Meghan-Markle-new-products-rose-wine-apricot-spread.html

Oh I absolutely agree that Harry’s back is up against the wall. But I’m not convinced that a rapprochement would work when the Sussexes have already crossed so many boundaries of acceptable behaviour toward the Royal Family. I’m not sure what exactly could be tolerated by William et al in terms of interactions with Harry. And I absolutely agree with pp that say Meghan has no interest in returning to the fold. I agree that your elegant PR solution would be a sensible outcome, but unfortunately I don’t think that at least two of the protagonists in the whole debacle have the sense they were born with 🤷‍♀️😆

Recent podcast is interesting

No, the copyright remains with the writer, unless they assign it elsewhere.

I agree with earlier PPs that the chances of Mr and Mrs Markle being invited anywhere are vanishingly small. Charles wants to protect Camilla and William Catherine. The Markles have been so treacherous that why would anyone with a grain cell take the risk?

If Harry ends up back in the family it will be as a very old man.

The Queen (actual, not Mrs Charles) softened somewhat towards the Duke and Duchess of Windsor towards the end of their lives, possibly because she wasn’t so emotionally involved as her parents had been. But it was a very long time coming, and they didn’t have the complication of descendants.

I sincerely hope not, I don’t think any of us could tolerate H banging on for the next 6 years about how William got more Vol-au-vents or first go at the pineapple and cheese hedgehog

But she still refused to give Wallis HRH which is what the DOW wanted .

I like that one as well.

Another thing is that Charles and William have to think about what’s best for the country and the future of the monarchy, not just what’s best for them as a family. They can’t risk the reputation of the UK by having a demonstrable idiot like Harry representing us. That only worked while nobody knew what he was really like.

I think replacing Harry with another royal (no matter how well qualified through their military service) will just add fuel to the "Harry bullied and marginalised/royal revenge line taken by the Sussex supporters/pro Sussex republicans. Not good for the RF and not good for Invictus. I heard a really good suggestion from the ever sensible Vintage Read, that there should be a different "face" each games, and that face should be an ordinary veteran, teamed up with someone very high profile from the sporting world. Invictus needs a fresh start, not to be dragged into more controversy.

They can’t risk the reputation of the UK by having a demonstrable idiot like Harry representing us.

I can't see H, and by extension M, ever representing the monarchy or country again. That would be something on which the King would have to take ministerial advice.

Any reconciliation could only be on a private, family level. And how many of the family would actually want them around?

It's also often forgotten the vitriol and misogynistic way Harry spoke about Camilla, not a teenager acting out but a fully grown man. I doubt many woman would be able to brush that aside. Harry went for the two women as he knew this would hurt Charles and William the most. They were fodder for his revenge.

I agree . Despite 70 years as a highly respected Monarch , the late Queen was ( rightly) criticised for her handling of the Andrew scandal. I don’t think Charles will want that sort of criticism.

See: Glengarry Glen Ross and the 'premium leads' that the salesmen committed burglary (and fraud!) over.

(Fine film and cast. Underrated.)

The CEO of Republic has a better chance of becoming a working royal than Harry and Meghan do.

Sorry. Wrong thread.

@TheAutumnCrow, thank you. I really must try and get on board with the modern world a bit more.

I agree - royals have to meet politicians, civil servants, diplomats and foreign heads of state. No-one with a reputation for indiscretion on Harry's scale would be allowed near them! The whole thing is built on the understanding that all conversations are confidential. Trust is absolutely imperative.

Harry might, might be allowed to slink back to the UK (either part-time, or permanently), I suppose, and given a little house somewhere but he'd never be allowed a public role again. But I don't think even this would really be possible. How would Charles or William know that he wouldn't suddenly start giving interviews, writing memoirs or generally upsetting the applecart? They could never trust him. They know that any access even to royal family life (never mind official state matters) would be risky, given his record.

What a fool he's been! He could have had it all.

Oh - that's shocking. If that's true, Meghan is even meaner than I thought, and that's pretty mean. She always had Catherine in her sights, even from the time of her wedding to William (as evidenced from The Tig).

Having read the Time's article about William's thoughts on the future - I didn't really interpret what was said as William being open to reconciliation but more that the "no longer angry" is more that William has moves on to be indifferent and is no longer giving Harry any headspace at all and he is resigned to the estrangement.

"But those closest to William have noticed a marked, recent shift. Where he once raged at his brother’s outbursts — after the publication of Spare, a friend told me though he was determined not to publicly respond even though “inside he’s burning” — the anger has subsided to indifference. A friend tells me: “What has struck me the most recently is that he just doesn’t mention it at all. It used to be that the family stuff was taking up a lot of space in his head, it was a very close relationship and he was very upset. But he’s not letting it get to him at all any more. It is a change. It’s sad, but it’s a much healthier space for him to be at.”
https://archive.ph/X0Qiz#selection-2051.0-2058.0

Who buys these stuff???

Mrs Leon - I think some things are truly unforgivable.

I don't want to re-iterate what I've said before but it's not just what they said and did re Catherine - basically, and attempt to destroy her on an international forum - but that even after that, they kept schtumm while their attack dogs went after her. Even her cancer doesn't seem to have made them remorseful to any degree - they kept up their shameless self-promoting pantomime even while she was seriously ill.

I couldn't forgive them if they'd done these things to me. I don't think forgiveness is always a virtue!

I agree some things are unforgiveable for some people but I also think that it isn't up to me to tell someone else where that line is drawn. If Charles or William and Catherine choose to bring Harry back into the family I won't criticise them for that. I try to remember that family relationships are hard to understand from the outside, that I don't know the whole story, only what I've read about or seen in interviews.

I don't think Harry should be a working royal at any point in the near to middle future (no point on commenting on Meghan i doubt she'd ever come back) and even the distant future would depend on how he behaves going forward. As a citizen I can comment on that, but family stuff is up to them.

In the experience I have of my family I have forgiven them because I don’t want it eating away at me. And because of Christian beliefs. I am not going into detail, but they caused a massive amount of harm and I am not a public person.

But I don’t trust my family and I only have as much to do with them as I absolutely have to. They too have rewritten history and will never admit what they did.

So I don’t personally see the Royals letting H & M close again. It is sad, but H & W are separate adults now with their own families and concerns.

H&M could have had a very nice life, by many peoples standards, but they have thrown that opportunity away

'it takes a lot for a leopard to change its spots'

As any fule kno, and the late lamented T Pratchett memorably wrote, a leopard can never change its shorts...

Sorry, couldn't resist