Megs gift shop wine

[AtIusvue]

As per the DM, we are told Meg is using Fairwinds Estate winery for her rose. Sounds nice.
But a Reddit user has discovered, that Fairwinds winery is just a brand under the umbrella of Wine gift shop. They do corporate gifts and print on demand. Oh Meg, as ever

https://winegiftshop.com

Ooh hoo hoo! Only look at Celebitchy if you've got a strong stomach! My God, the level of spite on there is off the scale, whether you like the royals or not. It's totally personal and...a perfect example of the adage 'A lie is halfway round the world before the truth has got its boots on'.

Yes, I know that to non-Brits some of the protocols etc seem ridiculous, but they are what they are and if you are OK with marrying into a hyper-traditional, hyper-hierarchical institution then you need to accept them. They are the whole point! if you (Meghan, I mean) don't like curtseying to the Queen or Kate, then why would anyone curtsey to you? And she does seem to like the HRH and curtseying stuff when it's directed at her. As has often been said on here, Meghan isn't really against these concepts - she just wants to be the top dog.

I agree that Princess Michael's brooch was appallingly ill-judged - it should be consigned to a museum of Imperialism. (But Princess Michael has always been a bit dubious and nowadays is kept very much in the background.) I don't believe that the Queen, KC, PW or Catherine are racist in the way Meghan implies. Maybe not up-to-speed in a woke sense, but I think their hearts are in the right place - I think the Queen would have been horrified to be accused of racism, and that must have hurt her deeply at the end of her life. But Meghan's fans have seized on this and they're not going to let it go.

I think CurlewKate has a valid point, but more so in the early days less so now.

if you are scrolling the internet now, particularly in the US, the only popular thing that got anyone talking, since their Oprah and Netflix series, is releasing her twerking video. While that would have been enjoyed by her OG fans, it was ridiculed everywhere and didn’t gain her any new supporters. Her connection to the RF is diluted, along with that she has lost the prestige of being a member of the RF. Being bullied out of the RF narrative has been superseded by her bullying of staff on both sides of the Atlantic.

Now she is just another celeb trying to get a piece of the celeb influencer pie, and it’s not going well. Her fan base and support has diminished significantly Her Netflix show, which was touted as being for an American audience was a massive flop, a particular flop with the US audience, and made fun of globally by every media outlet. Her podcast which showcased only American women, was another flop, and again the very valid butt of jokes by many journalists.

The fanbase, UK and non UK, is just not really there, other than a few diehards, i.e the ones desperately waiting for her products to drop. If you see some of her American fan accounts, most of them are disappointed they can’t buy a single bottle of wine, because they can’t afford 3 bottles, and these seem to be typical of the demographic of her non British fans, they just can’t afford to buy what she is selling, even though it is low end products. Some of these fans bought, probably with money they could ill afford, products they never received, with a promise their money would be refunded at some point.

So I think the whole underdog perception is just not valid anymore, it was short lived. Meghan doesn’t seem to have gained any new supporters or customers, despite the PR onslaught, but it’s very clear plenty have lost interest in her.

This is what I think many of us don’t quite get. Meghan’s fans were fans when she became
part of the RF. They wanted her to be a “princess” and would have quite happily been her fans had she continued to be in that role full time. So the “underdog” thing doesn’t work. But what was it that made these people fans in the first place? She only became famous because of who she married. So were her fans championing marrying “upwards”?

You don't understand the concept of booking one church and not telling the vicar of that church that you want someone else to do the service? It's that simple.

I'm surprised (or maybe I shouldn't be) that you are shocked (really) that people can understand enduring Michael Jackson fandom. Do you understand the difference between having created innovative, decades lasting, meaningful art before anyone knew you may have been an utter horror in your private life; and having done nothing of note in your life at all and being an utterly foul individual from the outset in your public life?

One person has a talent based foundation for the fandom, even if his personal reputation became besmirched in retrospect. It won't stop people remembering where they were when they first saw the Thriller video, for example, because at that point, the art had separated from the artist and become a meaningful thing to the viewer in their life. And for younger generations, I doubt they look any deeper beyond the catchy music and dance moves they can follow on TikTok or in their street dance class (yes, my daughter's extremely woke dance school uses Michael Jackson music). Most of them probably won't know about (or care to know about) the scandal.

The other has a cult like following based on pretty much nothing but an extremely brief, "faux-royal career laced in lies, bullying, endless complaining, victimhood and self promotion, whilst simultaneously showing the world and talking about her extremely privileged, rich, perfect, perfectly loved existence. I simply do not understand what her fans are latching onto, other than a faux racism narrative they can't let go, but neither can they substantiate.

Your point about the bishop is significant- most people in the world could not begin to understand why that matters even at all. Ditto loads of the issues that exercise Brits-who walks in front of who-all the protocol stuff.

I disagree.

I think most traditional cultures throughout the world have an understanding of hierarchy, linked to respect for elders.

Most modern/'Western' cultures have an understanding of hierarchy from a business/organisational perspective.

From either perspective, courtesy dictates that if you are joining an institution steeped in history you show respect for that history.

I think a lot can be explained by Meghan having a solid fan base before Harry, through Suits and the Tig (not crazy huge but solid). To put it into perspective she had 3 million instagram followers when she met Harry whilst he along with W & C (ie Kensignton Palace instagram account) had about 660,000 (which grew quite fast after the relationship was announced). So the whole nobody knew her before Harry narrative is false.
My (now) husband and I watched Suits (living in in London) pretty much right from the start and I knew of and had read the Tig before the Harry connection.

eta I mean that Jackson was genuinely talented regardless of what we now know. Meghan never was. So at least with Jackson there was a reason to be a fan iyswim. I’m not really talking about what has come to light since his death

It's a perennial problem with all kinds of artists - separating the person from their work. I agree that MJ was incredibly talented - phenomenally so.

I like the work of the printer and sculptor Eric Gill - active in the first half ot he 20th century (he did the Ariel statue on the front of Broadcasting House) but it came to light after his death that he'd had sexual relations with his daughters and other members of his family, and was a dubious character in many ways. But his art is beautiful and I'd hate to see it 'cancelled'.

And Richard Wagner was a vile man, but he was a musical genius (and I don't even like his stuff much, but I can see that).

I was about 13 or so when the Jackson 5 burst on to the scene and made it possible for people to say I don’t care if someone is black!!!!

Quite honestly, unless you lived it you’ll never understand the impact they had on the world and I’m truly thankful to them for it even though I’d grown up in a house that was before its time with regards to embracing people from other cultures and backgrounds.

Harry misconstrued the liking of his role as the prince with less restrictions the cheeky chappy who screws up with a liking of him without the position.

And as Harry moves into middle-age, loses his hair (nothing wrong with that in itself, but it's a marker of aging) and gets grumpier, the image of that fresh-faced youngster walking behind his mother's coffin will seem far less relevant. Harry needs to stop looking back and break free from his past if he's going to be happy. A moaning, self-pitying 50-year old, blaming everything on his father's and brother's failings, isn't going to garner much sympathy.

So the whole nobody knew her before Harry narrative is false.

I wouldn't say 'nobody' knew her but the vast majority of people didn't have a clue who she was before she got with Harry. She could have walked down any street in the world without being recognised before her relationship with Harry became public.

And I'm suspicious about those alleged follower numbers.

My personal fav is Lipton Hard Ice Tea. That stuff is dangerous on a hot day, because you want to guzzle and can't taste the alcohol.

Well i woukdnt ask my friends questions they feel need to lie about. She used the example about the hair so I just replayed or back. And its a fair question who wants friends thay woukd lie you want people who would be honest and tell you. I dont want a friend telling me my hair looks good if it doesn't.

I'm not looking to prove my point is more superior then again im not the one making comments about how I disapprove of people lying yet then say its okay to lie, so judging other people and disliking them because they lie whilst being a hypocrite and lying myself...ummmm okay.

Well there's lies, and then there's accusing someone of racism with reasonings that are lies. This isn't little porkies pies we tell our children to stop them moithering on for sweeties. This is whopping great lies smearing a head of state.

My DH watched Suits, I didn't. He announced the engagement with an excited "Harry's going to marry Rachel Zane!"

Who she? What? I thought he was going out with someone called Meghan?😂

I was a big Suits fan - watched every episode but I still had to Google which character Meghan Markle played to work out who she was out of the female actresses when the first reports of dating Harry were announced - only Gina Torres really had name recognition so I knew it wasn’t her.

She was barely known in the US at that point - this was her breakthrough role and possibly could have led to a bigger role in something else.

I liked the character of Rachel and I thought she did a good job but she wasn’t stand out amazing as an actress.

I can remember saying to DH , Harry's getting engaged to an American actress . "oh who?" "No idea - she's called Meghan Markle" " Oh she's the pretty one with a bit part in Suits " So she was somewhat known. Dh does like a box set & streamed drama series . He finished Department Q last night and recommends it.

They look as if the whole Royal establishment and the whole British press are against them.
This is hard to accept as the 'Royal Establishment' (presuming that means the RF and their advisors?) don't comment publicly one way or the other and, as far as anybody knows, H and his father have long chatty phone calls every week. As to the British press, they loved her when she first arrived, then they turned against her in quite a nasty way and then their articles seemed to swing back the other way. They now seem to have been demoted to the celeb/gossip pages where they receive the same amount of criticism as the rest.

Just relaying my personal experience. I confess I was one of Meghan’s 3M followers back then.
I clearly remember saying to my husband ‘you’ll never guess who Meghan Markle is dating!’ When I first found out, not who Harry is dating. Shows that even living in London the Royal family was not front of mind for most people, especially if you didn’t read the Sun and Fail etc. Meghan seemed ‘nearer’ (if that makes sense) through watching Suits and reading the Tig even though I was on a different continent and living 15 mins from Kensington Palace. Seems like such a long time ago now though, almost 10 years 🤯

Of course they wouldn’t care about her much if she hadn’t married into the RF. Unless she got a big part in something, of course!

And I am amazed you missed all the “Meghan screws up the protocol” stuff.

It’s such a tricky one. Eric Gill did the Stations of the Cross in my PILs parish church. I must check to see what’s happened to them. Personally, I hope they’ve gone, although I will
mourn them. I think Michael Jackson is more relevant here because so many of his remaining fans just refuse to believe he’s done anything wrong.

I very strongly suspect people have told you lies in the past.

The protocol stuff was all driven by the tabloids for clicks and Meghan wasn’t the first person to experience that - don’t you remember all the awful articles about Carole Middleton during Kate and William’s early years.

The press love to do a commoner / foreigner makes a mistake story.

The problem was Kate was a rule follower and a quick study so apart from a few windy skirt days she didn’t make many obvious mistakes or challenges to what were perceived as the ‘Queen’s rules’ like no dark nail polish etc. Which aren’t a protocol thing at all - just what we have been told by the press is something the Queen preferred - like tights rather than bare legs etc.

Unfortunately for Meghan she was also the first new royal bride to arrive in the age of SEO and internet click driven tabloid news where using a hot keyword like ‘Meghan Markle’ could elevate a boring story about the environmental impact of avocado farming.

Meghan’s fans seemed to think that all those articles were about her and thought up by journalists to attack her - the truth is mostly they were just using her name as a popular keyword to increase advertising revenue. Same reason that every article about Kate calls her Kate Middleton at some point in the article despite dropping her maiden name nearly 15 years ago.

I don't think she was very well known in the UK. I watched series one of Suits but it was not on a mainstream channel (was it late night on the Dave channel?) and she was not a main character either as Harvey, Mike, Louis, Jessica and Donna seemed to be the stars rather than Rachel Zane.

Never heard of the Tig until after they were married.

Even leaving aside arcane protocol, only known to insiders, it was obvious to anyone that Meghan behaved inappropriately as follows:

Pushing, pulling and tugging Harry away from people he was there to meet and talk to. Lots of examples of this. She was bored, these people were nothing to her, and she didn't get that the whole point of her and Harry's presence was to honour them by talking and listening. Lots of instances of this, and its painful to watch.

Deciding the Royal Garden Party - where the whole point is for the royals to mingle and talk to the public - was boring after 15 minutes and getting Harry to tell KC and Camilla they were leaving. Even when KC protested and urged them to stay, Meghan insisted on going. (Can you even imagine??!! It's what she was there for, and the reason the taxpayers had funded her expensive outfit, the silly mare.She really, really didn't get it.) Also letting down her staff and the Fijiian ladies by bunking off early in that notorious market visit - so embarrassing for the UK. Royals just don't do that.

Always looking for, and directly at, the camera on royal duties. Royals don't do this (and neither do actors, in fact - they look at each other usually).

Actually giving voice to her resentment that she 'wasn't getting paid' for her royal duties. (No words!)

Walking in ahead of the PoW and P'ess of W during an official occasion with the late Queen, even when Charles specifically reminded them to stay back - and actually held out his hand to bar them! Meghan blithely ignored him and pushed on through, to the consternation of the Queen.

Deliberately 'missing' the coach for minor royals (after they'd stepped back) at the Platinum Jubillee, and instead arriving late so they could walk alone down Westiminster Abbey nave and get the special treatment they thought they deserved. Then huffing because they didn't like their seats and causing a fuss at the last minute.

So many more...but, you don't have to be a PhD in ancient royal protocol to know that the above misdemeanours are just due to lack of basic manners and consideration for others. She had no excuse, and Harry's a wet lettuce for going along with it.

We had two different experiences, not surprising as we’re all individuals. But neither of our experiences should be applied to the entire UK population, unless you have everyone’s tv viewing and web browsing histories.