PR Disasters, chapter 13

[AtIusvue]

Meg and Harry and all their PR shenanigans

Trigger Warning: this thread may contain talk about sleeves.

I do wonder how history will write about them in a few generations time. The second son of a King who ran to America to have privacy but continued used to battle constantly to have attention. Who turned popularity to failure. I find it fascinating. I guess if we end up with out a monarchy they may be viewed as part of the downfall. If we still have them in 100 years time H&M will probably just a footnote.

True but I'm glad they didn't make a joke about that, poor Archie.

‘King William’s younger brother married a minor influencer from the US, and moved with her to California where she ran an online shop. Harry, as he was colloquially known, supplemented their income with the occasional speaking appearance fee, but in his later years was not considered particularly entertaining or relevant. His children, raised in the US, both became accountants.’

Sounds pretty accurate!

Interesting article in the Times about the photos, not quite sure what they are saying though!
What these new pictures tell us about Harry’s state of mind

https://www.thetimes.com/article/a2f880e0-c5e7-4653-9d8f-16320d20c240?shareToken=15a760d25638b3a10fd5d412ee3c4681

That's behind a paywall, would you be able to summarise? Thanks

Thank you. I've archived it:

https://archive.ph/3CufU

The problem with the article is that it assumes Harry chose to put these particular photos out there, when we don't even know if he wanted to put ANY photos out there.
I agree with him needing to release pressure like a fart though.

Very odd article. I agree that I'm not sure Harry wants weird (or indeed any) photos of him or the kids on Instagram. But the weird jokes and appearances, I figured that's his sense of humour and he's trying to make us laugh to regain his popularity which I'm pretty sure he misses.

I sense an undercurrent for us not to be a constitutional monarchy, I don’t know, there is something I can’t put my finger on, but there is something that smells off with me. I’m not usually wrong, but it makes me uncomfortable. Call me weird, call me mad, unreasonable, all manner of names, but I’ve felt it for a while. And it’s a shift I’ve felt for a while. A shift to destabilise us as a democracy, that I do not like or want.

Yeah, sorry, I think that article is a load of rubbish. If Harry doesn't want to be "special", then he could just disappear into obscurity, which would be very easy where he lives. A load of high profile appearances making a tit of himself is his attempt to regain his "fun prince, cheeky chappy" image that was probably all palace spin in the first place, and that he destroyed himself in any case. He absolutely wants to be special - he wants to be more special than his brother, and can't be, which is his whole problem.

Sorry I meant to add not helped by the awful stuff that has comes out about AMW.

I think it’s a very perceptive article - noting PH jester / clown behaviours from a very young age - being the disruptive son to get attention. He will play to any audience for free. But also he then hates the fame and infamy he himself has created. He could keep a low, dignified, private profile - but chooses not to. Fame is his guilty pleasure - he’s impulsive and compulsive - he’s all about self loathing at the end of the day - which most delusional, grandiose narcs are at the end of the day - they have to protect their fragile ego with their nonsense projected behaviours.

MM clearly despises him - hilarious she has tolerated the ick for years - that’s why she posted the sex face photo - to show she is in total control - hilarious that the The Times chose that photo from them all. Love the opening paragraph - couldn’t be more excoriating:

“Face smushed by his new bride’s hands, eyes shut, mouth fish-agape, the black and white of the photo can barely suppress the hot pink of his forehead’s booze sheen.”

I know what you mean, and I think that article is an illustration. The sub-context is that the notion of royal "specialness" and living up to it is a destructive force, rather than a privilege that can be used for immense good in the right hands. There's a spurious comparison to Harry "lower down" in the chicken coop to MM, a position William would apparently never take - she's clearly having a dig at William there, and there's so much footage of William making fun of himself that it makes no sense whatsoever . Murdoch is a dedicated republican, which I try not to forget whilst reading any of the Times coverage of royal news.

@Twisterr I agree with the way you've phrased it but not with the way the journalist wrote it. 😊

"Lilibet changed her name to Eliza"

Was there ever so much support, goodwill, privilege, status, wealth and opportunities completely squandered by anyone?

I can completely get on board with your interpretation, but I think the article falls wide of the mark is this is what she's getting at. And I do think it's a snark at the institution itself for making "poor Harry" feel bad about himself.

Exactly. He's 41 and has the money, time and opportunity to have the best counselling available. No waiting, no relying on the NHS, no having to fit it in with the children, work, supermarket etc.
He could work on himself and fix it if he so chose. He prefers to be the victim and wallow.

Always been my suggested title to either Spare 2 or MM version

Exactly.

That Times article is written by a journalist who has, conveniently, clearly forgotten about all Harry’s interviews with eg Tom Bradby, Anderson Cooper, Gabor Maté.

Harry’s aggressive response to the suggestion that he and Meg might drop the titles is a case in point. He takes his status very, very seriously indeed.

And no mention of G-String Griffiths either in this bizarre pseudo-psychological thesis. Just a weird quasi-dig at William for not debasing himself to look good. I’m surprised an editor approved this oddity for publication - it looks a bit first draft to me.

I agree that photo shows she loathes him. You choose that photo to post to the world? No not buying it? I’m surprised that people defend it tbh. I wonder if he realises it. I actually hope he doesn’t.

With influencer-moneymakers, the brand is more important than the marriage. The brand is more important than the relationships within and the health of the family. It’s something that hopefully will be an early 21st century blip in history, and ‘the culture’ will be over it by 2035.

“Squandered”