Is As ever all over? Starting to feel like it.

[AtIusvue]

It’s been 14 hours since the launch of the 2024 Rose. Nothing has sold out. This is despite it being designed again as a scarcity drop, so it can’t be argued she’s finally got her stock levels right.

• As ever stated the wine launch going ‘live’ at on the 5th August. Language designed to get you to rush and buy. Just like all this SM shopping you get now.
• Meghan put out a message many hours ago, stating that they have so much more stock (sad clapback to stuff not shifting) but hurry and be quick because it’s selling fast!!! (It’s clearly not)
• This launch however, has attracted very little press compared to previous drops

The scarcity gimmick is already tired and because she’s been absent from SM for 2 months…save for a few stock images/videos- she’s lost any momentum she had. She’s putting in bare minimum and her customer base feel it. She’s checked out.

There’s been talk of another series of WLM 3 and Meg getting a new NF contract, but I think that is just to fill the void until she can get WLM2 out. At which point, we will find out if there is any truth in any further deals.

The reason why I doubt WLM3, is that for continuity, you would need the same venue. But the home is now being used to to host weddings etc, it’s no longer a private rental but one open to the public to rent. There’s no way Meg would film in that location now. In addition she would need to have gotten the go ahead already for WLM3 and be filming right now to be able to stick to a schedule. The fact that it isn’t already confirmed, it’s giving the signal that WLM is over (in addition to knowing NF deal is done)

Now if WLM is over, I don’t think she has the draw to pull people to As ever. She doesn’t engage with her fan base enough, she does the bare minimum of SM posts, which she hasn’t even achieved the last few months. The Shopmy page is dead too. This is why the new wine launch has barely registered and hasn’t sold out 14 hours later. Yes, there will be more stock but it’s been designed for a sell out so there won’t be huge numbers.

As ever I think will be slowly wound down. There will be WLM2, with maybe another 18 months of drops. Then like everything else, it will be dropped quietly. Everyone is starting to get a bit bored by the half hearted, very beige effort she’s put into her ‘business’ and have tuned out.

She will have to launch yet another version of herself very soon. We’ve had actress, feminist, activist, producer, philanthropist….now female founder. God knows what’s next!

"Make it up" you say, @JSMill?

Well, at least he's had plenty of practice ...

Precisely!

What would a 12 year old boy know? And a royal prince, who hardly lived in a semi with his mum there all the time. For most of H’s ‘older’ childhood Diana was gadding about with various friends and boyfriends. It would be William who would have been more aware of what was going on in her life, and we know she involved the poor lad a bit too much in her love life while he was at Eton (he had the face of th3 wife of one of her lovers on his dartboard in his room).

For all the narrative of her devoted motherhood, she didn't actually do much mothering, after the nannies and boarding school

Just picking up on what JS said - I doubt very much they’d be given access to official documents and RF held papers so just how is he going to be able to make a NF show from the memories of a 12 year old boy?

It will be 'his truth', actual documented facts won't matter

This was my thought too. I was initially surprised to see Harry included in the NF deal as there had been several puff pieces about Meghan being the star. Whereas it's access to Harry that NF really want.

I had forgotten that William and Harry actually commissioned 2 documentaries in 2017. There was the Saint Diana one, but also one about the 7 days after her death which I found much more interesting. This was supposed to draw a line in the sand for both William and Harry. Harry really is a nasty bit of work, no amount of puff pieces can help with that.

Agree - not only were both boys out of sight with nannies and boarding school from only 8 years old - her own mind and actions were preoccupied with her obsessive affairs / relationships which started when Harry was 2 years old and numbered 6.

I don't really have anything to say about the rumoured Diana documentary that hasn't already been said.

Getting back to As ever, it's from a Daily Mail journo (so obvious ton of salt), but she says the Holiday Special of WLM was filmed at the same time as both batches of existing episodes - so all done last year. No further filming planned for WLM.

Doesn't sound like more has been commissioned.

Does anyone remember Prince Edward and Ardent Productions? I remember him presenting a series and looking moodily into the camera and I actually quite enjoyed it. Even at the time I thought it was unfair that he wasn’t allowed to access the royal archives and show unseen pieces of artwork. He was /is always reverential towards the RF.

This, however, is a different view:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/mar/05/themonarchy.broadcasting

This is indeed the case.

I think this is a bit harsh. Diana went into a RF where there were established protocols as regards children's schooling etc. I do know she used to holiday with the boys on her own after her split from Charles. One of her faves was Barbuda but even then she couldn't get peace from gawping eyes. People would go over in their boats from Antigua for lunch at the K Club just to see her.

I had forgotten that we had already seen Harry at this wave pool before. His eco policies are being pulled into this now. All the energy used to create fake and perfect waves when he has the ocean there.
https://www.surfer.com/news/prince-harry-surfing-kelly-slater-surf-ranch

Thanks for posting this.

Lots of crossovers between the two TV enterprises.

Particularly interesting about the offices in the Bagshot stables. I hadn't realised they were originally Ardent's home. Charging his own company rental for them looks straight out of the usual royal financial playbook.

They were available to rent some time back but looked pretty basic. Not sure if they've been let out now.

Particularly interesting about the offices in the Bagshot stables. I hadn't realised they were originally Ardent's home. Charging his own company rental for them looks straight out of the usual royal financial playbook

It’s quite a common practice for directors to charge their company rent. It’s an allowable expense for Corporation Tax purposes.

It’s an allowable expense for Corporation Tax purposes.

I didn't doubt it.

Interesting though that not charging it gave Ardent a paper profit.

I don't think the RF protocols were any different from the expectations in her own family

That is also not unusual 🤷‍♀️

I caught something that Edward presented on YouTube recently. I think History programming has changed a lot in the last 20 years because he didn't seem as bad as the Guardian says. In fact, it was quite watchable and I didn't realise it was Edward at first.

I do remember there were some issues about William and privacy while at University.

Just watching the programme about Windsor Castle. He does a decent job. He is trading on his connections, of course. But it is a solid documentary and he does well with narrating.

In that situation I would be tempted to do the same, given how fascinating I find history!

And didn't know the history of 'Herne the Hunter'

I’d happy watch Edward present a series on the Royal Castles and their history

Look it up on YouTube. I am watching Windsor Castle, and it looks like he did one on Sandringham as well.

Wow! Once upon a time I'd have said 'No way!', but after the past five years and all the dirt the pair of them have dished for $$$$$ nothing would surprise me any more. I hadn't heard about this though. Is it common knowledge?

I'm interested to see how the second drop of WLM goes. I think there were ( even though the series was a bit meh in NF rating terms ) a lot of people who watched just out of curiosity because of all the noise about it. I won't be watching the next one ( I did the first ) because I just find her a really irritating presenter and I don't like the gushing over her. That said it was I think generally acknowledged that she was better in the episodes where she was with a proper chef and there seems to be more of that in this drop. TBF a god friend of mine's daughter , later teen watched it and enjoyed it . I think either people did enjoy the first series and will continue so the numbers won't just be curious bystanders it will give a better impression of her true popularity. For myself I won't watch - well, I might dip into one if I hear here or elsewhere something it really worth watching but I am reluctant in a big way to support anything with Chrissy Tiegen on it.

I think it'll be interesting to see whether the Diana documentary or series is ever made. Netflix will want something new and will expect something closer to 'warts and all' if they are to have any integrity as 'producers' but Harry will expect to be able to make a very reverential piece that sanctifies his mother. If it's his view and his narrative, it will be very one-sided and would lean in to how he's living her legacy and feels her blessing upon them. This could make both H and M look totally batshit crazy, even though Harry would not be able to comprehend why.
I'm doubtful it'll come off, but if it does I can't see it being anything but disastrous for his relationship with his family or for their image.