PR Disasters Chapter 15

[FenellaFeldman]

The saga continues

He may have been able to soothe himself by licking his wounds so far but I think he will crack the more he sees all A&Ls young cousins and second cousins all hanging out with their extended family.

PH was always more than his nuclear family - he had long established friendships with cousins and family friends though childhood right thru adulthood - he has lost all of that in collateral damage not just for himself (but he traded it for MM) but his children will not have the easy going busy safe social life amongst friends and family. He will see and feel this - and I wonder if it will be enough for his to cooperate with KC3 - ie 100% privacy - but he will have to prove / earn that first for years probably before he will be granted access. Tho even if he divorced and MM wasnt in the picture on visits to family and friends in the UK - could even A&L be trusted not to share gossip / answer Qs with / from their mother.

I don’t buy it that PH is 100% happy with his trade off and alienation.

This has to be one of the most ridiculous articles ever written about the Sussexes. If the source of this bollocks is the Sussex camp, all they are doing is making their principal look unstable and a bit of an unhinged stalker.

Also haven’t H&M already burnt that bridge a second time by having Brooklyn and Nicola round for mentoring in the height of the IG fiasco.

Also the Beckhams are football royalty and close to William, they've taken their sides and it's with the Crown. Understandably.

Sir Becks worked hard for that knighthood! He picked his team and is firmly on the WRF side. I doubt he cares if PH goes to the footie, more than likely to be that M&H can't afford a public snub (again). Their press is sounding increasingly unhinged and desperate at the moment. There's enough plausible deniability but they're on thin ground now.

The World Cup would have been another opportunity for Harry to have been part of something - I could imagine him popping up on the coverage, ‘writing’ articles from the perspective of an Englishman in America, kids with divided loyalties, hanging out with his brother and the England / Scotland / USA teams, bantz on the socials, Meghan out wagging the wags etc etc. But I doubt it now that he has pissed off both the patron of the FA and the most famous footballer to have such strong links with both England and USA. Both of whom have much power and influence in the game and beyond. Why would anyone bother with a sour faced old drug user who doesn’t have much interest in football anyway and has nothing to add in terms of content or brand?

So Meghan wasn't choosing to wear that brown 'Open All Hours' handyman mac when she was in Australia, then, that she kept on all the time? Did the royals make her do it?

https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/royals/meghan-markle-graphic-t-shirt-australia-tour/

Lol at "open all hours"

For anyone who doesn't get the reference, https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-open-all-hours-tv-ronnie-barker-credit-bbc-opna-003-29195445.html

Open All Hours! Love it. She should team up with Euge, who was channeling her inner Ena Sharples in that awful outfit she was wearing at the Phillips wedding on Saturday. Bring back the fashions of gritty, northern, 70s TV!

FFS M hasn't been subject to a RF dress code for pretty much 7 years. If she finds seeing a photograph of Catherine in a coat unsettling well - get over it. If it isn't true , would we have had a clap back by now - we've had plenty? I think that is their problem with clapbacks , if they don't do one some will believe it. The pair of them got pretty much what they wanted & they've taken it to the very limit and over , with the exception of paid for security 24/7.

Re the DB & the World Cup - I think M complaining about VB leaking to the papers was fairly early doors , when they thought their titles and H would get them automatic deference & thought could perhaps throw their weight about a bit more. I am not sure some of the things which came out about DB and his determination to be a Sir are awfully edifying , but it absolutely does not surprise me that given the choice he would have thrown his lot in with W and the RF rather than H. There are a few who support KC and various RF charities etc who wouldn't jeopardise that for H.

Yes the world cup would have been another lovely opportunity for being the Prince abroad representing the country.
Going to games with his kids. Singing the anthem and Sweet Caroline on tv.
Banter with players and fans.

All the sorts of things that were Harry's strengths.

And he could have carried on this type of informal role if he hadn't alienated everyone.

It's really going to sting for him if England get to the final and William and George fly out to America while he sits home alone in his depressing cinema room.

Yes, a bit like the recent State Visit.

If they'd kept a cordial relationship with the royals, they would have been invited to the State Dinner and likely to other events too. Couture houses would have clamoured to dress Meghan and Harry could have pretended he was important and popular again. Just like old times. Charles would have dropped 'heart warming' comments about his American grandchildren. The royal connection would have been a great boost for Meghan's tired brand. And so on and so forth.

Harry has completely cut ties with his 'old' life. But it's not as if he seems to be thriving in his 'new' life either. He seems to have few friends and no real interests or passions. I've never known anyone burn their bridges in such a manner. And for what?

I agree @StrawberryWasp - so stupid and shortsighted. And the irony is, if he’d played his cards even a tiny bit better, he could have had a life that William might even have envied - not billionaire but still wealthy, hanging out with interesting people, doing the odd charity thing, pontificating on the issues of the day occasionally, lots of travel and high profile events, Monaco GP, Met Gala, Oscars etc, country home and city pad, royals popping over to stay, the Waleses having an annual summer holiday on the Sussex ranch, plus maybe skiing together in the winter, H+M turning up for Easter church, Christmas at Sandringham and Balmoral in the summer, having a very nice time with very little responsibility. But they thought they could do better than that and in the course of chasing wildly deluded ambitious goals, lost everything. Every venture a failure, next to no income, blanked by the entire RF (Charles and William have done a good job there of keeping everyone in line I think), so there are no sides, there’s no competition, no fight from the royals, nothing to get excited about, just bland indifference and grey rock while they get on with doing their stuff. Masterful on their part and devastating for H+M, who have trashed their reputations all by themselves and lost the only vaguely interesting thing they had to sell.

It's is difficult to say if he is happy or not. I think he still believes he is very important as he said recently "it's what he is born to do" 🙄 the men in suits did an excellent job at his PR. I well believe he was always a horrible twat and he would have burned bridges even if Meg hadn't come along

Yup.

As I've said before, all they had to do was keep their gobs shut and put up with midges in Balmoral and church services in Sandringham once a year, and they could have had the best of both worlds. Arguably much better deal than Kate and William have. Most of the privileges but none of the responsibility. But their petulance and arrogance have meant that they are now C list curiosities in California and increasingly irrelevant has-beens in Britain.

Epic fail, as the kids would say.

This will sting not just for him but for his son Archie - who we understand actually plays soccer.

It would be a huge opportunity for his child to be involved in a once in a lifetime global sporting event on his home turf.

Football for 7 year old boys is so exciting. But, no, his sullen Dad and miserable flouncing mother have burnt that bridge for their children as well.

One more point ( & I do not mix in those circles so "filter my view through that lens 😊" ) - It seems clear to me that not only M did not understand the soft influence the RF had & she underestimated being securely rich for life by being part of the RF, and working out a proper way of dealing with that . H should have known how his life was made so much easier within the RF. What I can't quite see , is M wanted the potential billionaire lifestyle by having a very unusual status to kick them off , and yet she didn't understand that pissing off the likes of DB - who , whatever you think of him , is somewhat a global icon - could be a bad move. He can sell underpants and whisky in Japan etc. I thought her world was money and influence. Now maybe as I said before she underestimated how some will choose to be in the RF camp , but not only did they piss off the RF ( my words , not theirs) but she alienated friends of H's and people who straddle two spheres.

I may have explained that badly - but the Cloonys , the Beckhams and others are on good terms with the RF. H has been left a bit out in the cold. I think the titles got them so far but they played their cards badly early doors which meant quick money , and a lot of it , but they were too tactical and not strategic. They thought they were , in and of themselves , an attraction , and that seems increasingly less the case.

It's interesting . They will always be way richer than me , it's a matter of degree , but I do think they embody - How do you end up with a small fortune - start off with a large one 😂

I think it boils down to stupidity and greed. It's a well known fact H isn't very bright but either is Meg. They are just not smart people. Anyone can see how mighty the RF are. Look what they have recovered from. Slagging them off was always going to backfire

I think they are both emotionally inadequate, immature and reactive - fragile narc egos that are easily bruised, looking for slights everywhere - mix that up with delusional grandiosity x2 - what could possibly go wrong?

They have burnt every bridge, fallen out with almost every family member, friends and colleagues. They are ridiculed around the world from everyone from Presidents, Heads of Corporations to SM posters.

They are a laughing stock - such a shit show - all by their own hand with words and actions directly from their own mouths.

I wonder if 2026 will crystallise for them how removed from A list they really are with so many significant events they are excluded from -specifically noticeable by their absence - KC3 US trip, PP wedding, World Cup in US etc.

No I’m going to say there’s no way even if he’d stayed “in” he would be going to the Men’s World Cup - because football is “William’s”, William is the Official Patron of the English FA (previously was the president), so unless William was going too (and they were having some sort of “brothers trip”) there is no way the Palace would allow Harry to go represent the royal family without having to manage the questions about why William wasn’t going.

Even more so as William didn’t go to the Women’s World Cup when England made the final (a terrible decision).

I do think it’s worth being realistic about what Harry would be doing if he was still a working royal, already all the “best” roles have been taken by more senior royals. The business ambassador type role that Andrew had would not be available to harry now!

I think if he had left with dignity to pursue his life overseas and outside of the WRF he and his family would absolutely have had access to corporate hospitality at such events. Same as they all do at Wimbledon, Ascot etc - he wouldn’t be heading it up but he would have access for his children to participate in significant events.

I do think it’s worth being realistic about what Harry would be doing if he was still a working royal,

I'm not going to speak for @StrawberryWasp but I don't think people are talking about the hypothetical situation of Harry attending the WC as a working royal.

What people are saying is that as a non-working royal - but still an English prince - Harry could attend England matches 'informally', and still his presence would be seen as unofficially representing England. Given the distances involved, William isn't going to attend every England match and will likely only fly over if England make the final or semis. So the brothers wouldn't be in 'competition'.

I do think it’s worth being realistic about what Harry would be doing if he was still a working royal, already all the “best” roles have been taken by more senior royals.

I dunno.

Harry was made Captain General of the Royal Marines, a role traditionally held by the Sovereign themselves. He also had high level sports patronages and of course Invictus. While his wife was made Royal Patron of the National Theatre when she'd only been in the country 5 minutes.

The Sussexes had a pretty sweet deal as royals, and all without the restraints and responsibilities Kate and William have. But it still wasn't good enough for them.

When I mentioned the life that Harry could have had, that was based on the Sussexes being very much out, not remaining as working royals. If they had been sensible and remained on good terms, they could have been invited to the state dinner and involved in the World Cup. Just one match with the brothers sitting together with their sons, absolute gold for the Sussexes. They only had to keep their traps shut, lower their ridiculous aspirations and rein in the obvious hypocrisy and greed. A great life was theirs for the living. But they couldn’t do it.

I don’t agree she’s at all beautiful now. She’s ruined her face.

I think Meghan wasn’t experienced enough or strategic enough to understand the difference between fame and influence.

There’s a certain level of fame/notoriety which does open doors and get you things like better restaurant bookings, freebies, media attention, upgrades, friends with fancy jets and holiday homes.

But it has a ceiling.

What you need to get things done - be a mover at a higher level is influence. And influence comes from respect, reputation and solid connections to others with influence.

Take George Clooney - he’s built his influence through a couple of decades of solid work and networking. He doesn’t have to make another movie again but he’s built his reputation that if he wanted to produce a project he’d be able to easily get it done. He’s got the fame for life too of course but being famous isn’t what opens doors to him in Hollywood and elsewhere.

So, Meghan and her agents who had been pushing a heavy boulder up a hill trying to her press, gigs and invitations to things for years were suddenly basking in her new notoriety and the doors it was opening.

What none of them understood is there was a ceiling for the notoriety and the influence that was getting stuff done was being borrowed from the royal family. It didn’t belong to Meghan and Harry as people, it belonged to the mystique, power and heritage of the institution.