Prog on Meghans finances tonight

[LadyJaneGrey18]

Channel 5 at 7.30 there is a programme called Duchess for Sale looking at her business operations.

Indeed. Imagine that! I read a really interesting book about Winnie Mandela because I'd read so much negative stuff about her. It was illuminating. I came to understand her more.

The Windsors fascinate me. Does that make me a "saddo" (sic) ?.😂

Well , as others have said , I think that's a very reductive view.

I don't like Andrew (Oh let me count the ways) and I'm not keen on Fergie , but I have pre-ordered Andrew Lownie's book on the Yorks. Inter alia, AL has said he has investigated their finances. I think I'm allowed to be interested in this and anyone taking RF money or trading on the associations. Is that silly? I'd venture not.

Agree this was probably the most lucrative (and string free) of the three big deals they made but the original deal was reputedly for four books, three of which haven't materialised.

Has the '4 book deal' actually been confirmed?

I take it the same way I take the '$100 million NF deal' or '$1 million Harry got to give a speech' claims. Which is to say, with a huge pinch of salt.

For me, anything that sheds light on the RF's murky finances is good, but there seems too much reliance on things that simply aren't known
As in Harry's inhertances, how much H&M actually got from Netflix, Spotify, etc, and so much more

We all know the family are extremely secretive about what suits, but the programme makers could at least be frank about what's supposition and what's not

I think Sophie was fairly successful before marrying Edward. She had established a PR company that was doing well and was earning good money.

The company may have been successful once, Aur0raAustralis, but apparently it owed in excess of £1.5 million when finally wound up, and I don't imagine that pleased creditors who didn't have RF backing to fall back on

It appears the losses started after the "fake sheikh" incident, which is hardly surprising, but then I guess Spohie may never have been targeted for this if it wasn't for who she married

Swings and roundabouts eh?

@Puzzledandpissedoff Thanks, that's interesting. I did a quick search on the company before posting to make sure I hadn't misremembered, but I was looking for its value when Sophie got married and the fake sheikh was afterwards.

I knew the company had been wound up but thought it was because of royal embarrassment rather than actual financial losses, though as you said, it's hardly surprising it would have had that effect.

An article in the mail today about how the Clooney’s protect their kids privacy, Amal says they never have, and never would, put photos of their kids out there, George explaining about their safety concerns so no photos of their kids.

It’s such a good comparison between the Clooney stance and the faux stance of Meghan and Harry and their kids privacy and safety when it comes to promoting her business endeavors.

Good points. Of course, the Clooneys are both very successful in their own right. That's a major difference.

And I doubt the Clooney’s get state funded security, just private security teams, they are no doubt far more at risk than H &M due to the nature of Amals’work, and the reach of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

Yes, they've done well to keep their children private. They never use them for self promotion or publicity.

Megan's business model seems to be to launch a small quantity of very expensive but cheap to source items then rapidly switch to other products before there's time for them to jade. And it appears to be a successful if unorthodox strategy.

This what Harry & Meghan said they were going to do - but then didn't. I remember Harry talking about the importance of keeping kids off social media when he got involved with that parents' group.

However that all goes out the window when Meghan wants to promote her tradwife lifestyle show or they have jam and crepe mix to flog.

Lets face it this whole A list or Z list is just elitism at play. Another way to just make some people feel more superior than others. Lets just stick more labels and people into boxes and judge them.

Yes I agree with you @Spectre8 - add HRH, Duchess, Duke, Prince & Princess to the list of despicable elitism so 'some people' can feel more superior than others......

Yup let's get rid of the royal family then 🙂

Agree!

How will you go about it?

Edit to say I'm sorry that my question is a de-rail from the thread.

I'm not sure how it can be defined as 'successful'.

A few 'drops' of different 'products' every few months is not going to make much if any money, even if they all 'sell out'. Plus, how is that going to be sustained? So every few months she's going to come up with new 'products'? That's not a brand. That's a gimmick.

The explanation that makes most sense is one that I read on another site was that it is a desperate attempt to expedite her still pending trademark by dropping small quantities of goods in each of the categories that she has applied to trademark to "prove" it's an actual business.

In other news - has anyone received their wine yet? 🍷

The press seem to be losing interest in these constant small quantity drops.

I didn't know the trademark was still "pending" @Lunde, and wonder what that says about Netflix supposedly being Meghan's business partners

If that's so, surely they could be of some assistance in getting things moving?

Definitely not!

I find people interesting, full stop, but when they and their relationships impact history - and all of us in some way - then they become truly fascinating.

That’s why I roll my eyes up into my head when pps ask ‘Why do you care?’ on these threads.

The thing I read said that she has a "Notice of Allowance" but not the final trademark.

I think it will be approved and her proving that she is actually selling stuff should support it. However, she was forced to remove her application for the As Ever clothing category as the application was rejected as there is a Chinese company that has already registered ASEVER.

The big question is what she intends to do with it

So my tuppence worth from someone who has never started a business.
I think M likes the idea of being Martha Stewart (without the prison sentence obviously 😂)
I think the few drops sold out may be to get more views for the next WLM. & if NF thinks she has enough views for that sort of programme and give the As Ever products a go - they can see how it goes for relatively little further investment.

I can't remember when the NF stores were coming on board ( King of Prussia and the other one ?) but that may be the next go with the M NF collaboration .

From what I have read (& be in no doubt I do not mix in these circles ) Ted Sarandos is rather taken with M ( or - he has to give a good story to NF investors.) So she may get - I would guess - a lesser deal for WLM and possibly other things depending on how the As Ever things go ( & NF I am sure will know the actual figures. )

I did once read thet Mr Lauder was rather taken with Elizabeth Hurley. But I thought the adverts with her in them were rather good and by accounts EH is a decent person.

So I pretty much think M knows how to kiss upwards and who knows - this may be a very valuable company in the making. In the meanwhile I reserve the right to treat it as a soap opera and take some interest 😂