PR Disasters, chapter 13

[AtIusvue]

Meg and Harry and all their PR shenanigans

Trigger Warning: this thread may contain talk about sleeves.

Agree. See the Beckhams and the Francies

If Harry doesn't want to be "special", then he could just disappear into obscurity

Slight problem with that, @Indianrollerbird: can you honestly see it suiting his wife?

No wonder he so often looks tortured ...

No it wouldn't suit MM. And I do wonder what his expectations were, and what she told him she wanted, when they moved to the US - did he expect a quieter life? Was it, "Oh I know we said we'd disappear, but let's just do Oprah, let's just do Netflix, let's just do XYZ and then we can have a quiet time...".

But ultimately, I don't think he wants to be "not special". He wants to be top dog and better than his brother, but has no idea how to create a life that gives him an important, non-royal status in a different sphere, eg as a Hollywood producer/mover and shaker, because he is devoid of ideas. So all he can do is try to be a "faux" royal abroad, desperately making money to pay for their faux castle, and being top dogged by his own wife.

You're right, but I think the bottom line is that he wanted to still be royal, but without the constraints.
Same with her.
They demonstrably love being royal and the titles are everything to them. However, they didn't want to defer to the hierarchy nor act on behalf of the monarch.
They were puffed up with all the support and thought they could do it and be multimillionaires off the back of it.
Hubris.

That article is wide off the mark.

It’s only a few short weeks since Harry was publicly reminding everyone of his ‘specialness’ and entitlement as a Royal, pointing out tthat he is a working Royal and always will be a Royal.

Yep, it’s hard to believe Meghan has anything other than loathing for her loser husband.

He wants to be whatever he wants to be in that moment and the world to slavishly agree with him.

Whether he wants to be a comic, a saviour, a sex symbol, married to the most beautiful smart woman in the world we’re all supposed to just nod along.

Thanks @PinkMagpie - that's interesting.

One thing that stands out to me from that article is that the late Queen loved Catherine, and supported her, yet did her first joint engagement with Catherine in 2019, when she was almost 8 years married.

It's another indication of how much she was trying to help Meghan settle in.

because he is devoid of ideas

And talent.

I don't think either of them want to slip into obscurity. They are the poster people for 'wanting their cake'

Frankes - Ruby Franke

After seeing the picture of William surrounded by his lifelong pals at the football (they were all named) it hit home just what Harry has given up. Yes he has his children and they’re more precious than diamonds but my goodness there must be huge voids in his life also.

Disagree with some of that article. Harry wholeheartedly wants to be special. That's the problem. Being born into the RF is all he has. Zero talent/intelligence. He tried to be a podcaster and his ideas were ludicrous. Interviewing Putin to discuss childhood trauma ??? Tried "comedy" Stephen Colbert show and the "prince skit" was absolutely mortifying. Global statesman seems to be a different drive but alas, lacks intelligence to keep this one going

I may be wrong but it seems to me that every year she posts a photo of him that makes him a laughing stock.

Meghan doesn't have his best interests at heart - if she did, they'd be lying low, raising their kids quietly and discreetly, and there would be huge interest in any public appearances they make. Instead they've become targets of the media for their ongoing ridiculous behaviour and demand/constant need for public attention/adoration. I can honestly say that I don't think two people have ever made such a public disaster out of their lives. King Charles has held firm with his grey rock. He's a happy man, doing the role he's waited his entire life for, and is starting to emerge as the King he wants to be remembered as. The recent US visit was a massive triumph for him and Camilla. His erstwhile son is no longer worthy of public reference, and that must kill Harry.

Yes, I agree. The "Call me Harry" down to earth persona was just fine when he was a working royal, because he knew his status was unassailable. The further away he has moved from being a genuine, working royal, the more the "Duke" has ramped up. Same with Meghan. It's all they've got to distinguish them from all the other average looking, no talent people in Hollywood. Harry never did understand that the institution is what made him special, not his own inherent greatness.

Yeah, and TikTok. It occasionally pops across my feed - takes a good few hours of muting and scrolling to get it back on track afterwards. All good now - it's all Sorrento currently 🍋

From The Times article:

"When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave their interview to Oprah Winfrey, there was a moment when Meghan and Oprah, seated on a bench, talked in the family’s chicken coop. Harry squatted apart from them on the dirt floor, silently tending a chicken, lower down than them, pointedly abased, like a child or a rescue animal himself. It is impossible to imagine Prince William allowing comparable framing."

What rubbish, nice little dig at William though. Even when word try to be clever they give themselves away.

If Harry didn't truly want to be special his "just call me Harry" phase would have lasted longer than one event and he woulddb't be giving interviews insisting he is still a working royal.

All the journalistic flannel in the world can't change what he has actually said and done.

Absolutely this. They have shown disdain and disrespect for the very people and institutions which raised them up.

Meg doesn't have any else's best interests. Including her kids, H and her mother. It's all her needs, etc. TBF to her, H is not much better. They are well matched. He knows he is screwed if they divorce. She will ensure he has no access to his children (maybe he's to stupid to realise this though)

I’m also not sure that article is on the mark.

Harry absolutely loves his royal specialness and all the fawning and privilege that comes with it. In fact he’s publicly thrown many hissy fits whenever anyone has dared to suggest that he should be treated like any other normal person.

I do agree with some aspects of the article - his clowning behaviour is bizarre. I’m inclined to think though that it’s more related to him being mentally stuck at the age of a 12 year old boy, one who thinks that fart jokes and bum slaps are hilarious. There’s definitely an attention seeking element to it as well, plus I’m sure a desire to regain his “cheeky chappy” reputation that he always had when he was in the RF.

Ultimately, I don't think he wants to be "not special". He wants to be top dog and better than his brother, but has no idea how to create a life that gives him an important, non-royal status in a different sphere, eg as a Hollywood producer/mover and shaker, because he is devoid of ideas. So all he can do is try to be a "faux" royal abroad, desperately making money to pay for their faux castle, and being top dogged by his own wife

I agree completely, @Indianrollerbird, but do just wonder what all this is doing to the mindset of someone who's utterly devoid of talent but was once surrounded by bowers and scrapers telling him the exact opposite and easing his every move

I'm no more a psychologist than I'm a lawyer, but the reduction in status to being a mere patsy of his wife has got to sting, and that's before you get to him having to read that her people have been hawking the posssibility of a post-divorce book

God help him ...

I think he genuinely believes he's the luckiest guy in the world. His stunning wife who is so amazing and so wonderfully kind 🙄🙄

‘Help’?

I hope he carries on thinking like that, than seeing the reality.

It’s starting to feel a bit uncomfortable now I think (not preaching as I am always very critical of both of them and have much enjoyed seeing their chickens coming home to roost), in the same way as it used to be sort of fascinating and sort of fun to see what Katie Price was up to but now she’s just a bit of a sad figure. Goodness knows what Meghan’s thinking was behind the last few days of posting but it certainly doesn’t indicate a happy or stable person imo. Asking flight crew to do an anniversary card not on your anniversary, that you then post on social media as if it means something, the weird choice of photos from the wedding, the plagiarised speech to a handful of people on a roundabout, cosying up to the racist Finnish politician, posting photos of children on social media while lecturing of its dangers, the anniversary cake presented as if it’s only Meghan’s celebration, not doing links to outfits presumably out of respect but instead doing the crass I’ve got an Armani jacket thing, it’s all just deeply weird. Harry looks close to tears a lot of the time and has broken down in public a couple of times recently.

Meanwhile the real royals just keep their heads down and do their stuff as usual.

I know what you mean. It's all getting very uncomfortable.