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The royal family

PR Disasters thread 21

1000 replies

OctopusFriend · 06/07/2026 15:37

The story continues...

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49
EmpressSisi · 08/07/2026 22:09

Lunde · 08/07/2026 21:45

Looks like Cressida chose the right Harry!

Oh my word 😍

I can see why she was still madly in love with her ex

Starryfifty · 08/07/2026 22:09

EmpressSisi · 08/07/2026 22:09

Oh my word 😍

I can see why she was still madly in love with her ex

He's gorgeous but he's no fox 🙄

Starryfifty · 08/07/2026 22:11

Lunde · 08/07/2026 22:01

Well Harry ran to the favourite US mouthpiece - People Magazine - to plant a story that there are frantic, behind the scenes, reunion talks with Charles!!

(didn't Meghan plant a story earlier today that she would never set foot in the UK again? 🙄)

Is their PR in so much chaos today that they are planting contradictory stories??

people.com/prince-harry-frantically-trying-bring-meghan-kids-to-uk-for-king-charles-reunion-12014463

Frantically trying to get security in place now ? For god sake !!!

Lunde · 08/07/2026 22:17

Dopsicle · 08/07/2026 22:07

Perhaps the Pensioners in red uniforms are too big a risk for Harry to stand next to, now that he doesn't have the armed security he was hoping for? All those scary Pensioners.

You never know where danger may be lurking in Chelsea, the Wild West of Europe, where it's far too unsafe to bring your kids.

Perhaps the Pensioners refused to stand next to the whiny brat - many are very proud to have served.

Starryfifty · 08/07/2026 22:24

He really needs to return to the US, keep quiet and move on

RecoIIectionsMayVary · 08/07/2026 22:32

Lunde · 08/07/2026 22:17

Perhaps the Pensioners refused to stand next to the whiny brat - many are very proud to have served.

.

PR Disasters thread 21
BasiliskStare · 08/07/2026 22:33

"Shuter says that the Duchess of Sussex had predicted there may be drama surrounding the Prince's UK return and is said to have warned the royal that this would happen."

Of course she knew there would be drama - she's been married to the chap for 8 years FFS

Oh , is that not what she meant ? 😉😊

How on earth she thinks she and H have been the conciliatory pair - well - as we know they say stuff so it must be true.

Rhaidimiddim · 08/07/2026 22:35

noonames · 08/07/2026 20:10

I’ve always assumed this is their idea:

leak meeting

continue to seed stories about a thaw

UK public v excited, public opinion becomes overwhelmingly positive

pressure grows on Charles to thaw

press and public clamour to have these marvellous people who are so much better than W+C back where they belong

Charles buckles, begs them to come back and they get half in half out

or Charles buckles, begs them to come back and they loftily refuse (cf Meghan not wanting to go back to “being the face of the RF”)

or Charles holds firm and they are poor victims (cf their “PTSD” when he ignored them during the state visit / “shocked and disappointed, a slap in the face” when their wedding anniversary went unacknowledged - multiple posts asking what kind of father would do that to his own son etc etc)

Meanwhile in the real world, everyone sees straight through them, eyes roll, public opinion overwhelmingly negative, sympathy for KC3 and PPoW grows.

Pair of dimwits.

So why leak the meeting, blame BP, and have BP shut down negotiations?

AnAutumnCrow · 08/07/2026 22:35

My2cents1975 · 08/07/2026 19:59

Sophie Chandauka said it best, "There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct."

What a brave woman to say that at the time.

Rhaidimiddim · 08/07/2026 22:36

Sophiecunninghamsfinger · 08/07/2026 20:44

She got Markled too.

W8as she C-string?

CrocsNotDocs · 08/07/2026 22:36

Rhaidimiddim · 08/07/2026 22:35

So why leak the meeting, blame BP, and have BP shut down negotiations?

I reckon Meghan sabotaged it without Harry’s knowledge

ABitFab · 08/07/2026 22:45

Aussie news 🗞️ and finally Camilla story before those other two. Been highlighted but hasn't been so far

HurrahforHollywood · 08/07/2026 22:53

ABitFab · 08/07/2026 22:45

Aussie news 🗞️ and finally Camilla story before those other two. Been highlighted but hasn't been so far

I don't understand this post at all

Lunde · 08/07/2026 22:55

Rhaidimiddim · 08/07/2026 22:36

W8as she C-string?

I don't think so - but I guess it's possible

There were theories that it was Meredith Maines - but this poster posted for over a year across many MN boards - not just the Royal Family

Could have been a UK PR with connections to HAM's UK operation - possibly they thought they had outed themselves, possibly it was "job done" after posting the reconciliation/thaw stuff or another possibility is that they name changed and are still lurking here!

Lunde · 08/07/2026 22:56

ABitFab · 08/07/2026 22:45

Aussie news 🗞️ and finally Camilla story before those other two. Been highlighted but hasn't been so far

Which Camilla story? Wimbledon or Pooh Sticks?

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 08/07/2026 23:17

Lol.

PR Disasters thread 21
jeffgoldblum · 08/07/2026 23:32

IcedPurple · 08/07/2026 20:34

It's an Invictus 'event'. Part of 'Invictus week'.🙄

Well yes! But my point was obviously that the only people who seem pleased to see Harry are staff!! 🙄

jeffgoldblum · 08/07/2026 23:35

binkie163 · 08/07/2026 20:46

Good catch

Well apparently this was an obvious thing according to @IcedPurple! , judging by the eyeroll emoji it illicited!

BasiliskStare · 08/07/2026 23:37

This is from Tom Sykes substack thing - I think it has merit . I mean will never happen but a decent take on the whole thing.

ETA spelling of substack

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more_
Prince Harry Could Reset The Narrative in Five Minutes Flat
Here’s the statement he could still make (but almost certainly won’t).
TOM SYKES
JUL 8


The remarkable thing about the whole Prince Harry mess is that at any moment (yes, even now, even after the disastrous verdict handed down this week, in which he lost his £50 million case against the publisher of the Daily Mail in the most comprehensive fashion imaginable, even after his insulting suggestion that Justice Nicklin is part of some huge establishment conspiracy against him) Prince Harry could pluck vicory from the jaws of defeat.

It would be astonishingly simple. It would take about five minutes. And it would be, by some distance, the smartest thing he has done in six years.
All Harry would have to do is stand in front of a microphone (with Meghan at his side, naturally, in the time-honoured manner of these things) and say something like this:
“I have reflected carefully on the judgment handed down by Mr Justice Nicklin, and I want to begin by thanking him for the extraordinary diligence he has brought to this litigation over several years. I spoke hastily in the immediate aftermath of the judgment, for which I apologize. I accept the verdict in full, and I will not be appealing it.
“I had hoped for a different outcome, but it was not to be, and I respect the decision of the court.
“I also want to say that I now accept the decision of the Home Office that, as I am no longer a full-time working member of the royal family, I am not entitled to automatic armed police protection. Again, I had hoped for a different outcome, but I am grateful to everyone at the Home Office and on my team for the enormously hard work they have done over the years, and for hearing me out when I made my case. I have complete confidence in the unrivalled British police to keep me and my family safe when we are in the U.K.
“There is one person to whom I owe a particular word. My heart goes out to Baroness Lawrence. It was I who first contacted her about this case, and I accept that my position as a member of the royal family may have encouraged her to believe that it was stronger than it turned out to be. If my involvement led her into this, I am sorry.
“Finally, my wife and I have decided that we will no longer use our titles, and that our children will not use the titles of prince and princess. We do this freely and without bitterness, following the example set by my uncle Prince Edward and my aunt Princess Anne.
“I love my country. I love my father and my family. I apologise for any distress I may have caused them. I want to spend more time here, and I hope that today draws a line under the events of the past few years.”
A magnanimous, dignified, self-aware, and humble statement like this is what is called for now, which might go some way to undoing the damage caused by the disgusting comments he made yesterday, calling the verdict, “a complete and obvious whitewash.”
The model here is George Michael's statement in 2008, after he was arrested in a public toilet on Hampstead Heath in possession of crack cocaine, a set of circumstances, let the record show, considerably more compromising than losing a privacy claim. Did he cry stitch-up? Did he blame the toilet attendant, the Metropolitan Police, the judiciary, the dark forces of the establishment? He did not. He issued a statement saying: "I want to apologise to my fans for screwing up again, and to promise them I'll sort myself out. And to say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them." It remains, for my money, the greatest celebrity mea culpa ever issued: funny, honest, self-aware, and utterly disarming. Nobody loved George Michael less for it; most of us loved him rather more.
By contrast, Harry’s dismissal of Mr Justice Nicklin’s 436-page judgment, which threw out every single one of the 97 allegations of unlawful information gathering made by Harry and his six co-claimants, including Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Liz Hurley, Sir Simon Hughes and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, as yet another establishment stitch up, was breathtaking in its arrogance...

Tom Sykes | Substack

I am an expert on the British Royal Family. I have led The Daily Beast's coverage of the world's most famous family for over 15 years and now, for those of you who want even more royal gossip and scandal, welcome to my Substack!

https://substack.com/@theroyalist

Starryfifty · 08/07/2026 23:42

BasiliskStare · 08/07/2026 23:37

This is from Tom Sykes substack thing - I think it has merit . I mean will never happen but a decent take on the whole thing.

ETA spelling of substack

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more_
Prince Harry Could Reset The Narrative in Five Minutes Flat
Here’s the statement he could still make (but almost certainly won’t).
TOM SYKES
JUL 8


The remarkable thing about the whole Prince Harry mess is that at any moment (yes, even now, even after the disastrous verdict handed down this week, in which he lost his £50 million case against the publisher of the Daily Mail in the most comprehensive fashion imaginable, even after his insulting suggestion that Justice Nicklin is part of some huge establishment conspiracy against him) Prince Harry could pluck vicory from the jaws of defeat.

It would be astonishingly simple. It would take about five minutes. And it would be, by some distance, the smartest thing he has done in six years.
All Harry would have to do is stand in front of a microphone (with Meghan at his side, naturally, in the time-honoured manner of these things) and say something like this:
“I have reflected carefully on the judgment handed down by Mr Justice Nicklin, and I want to begin by thanking him for the extraordinary diligence he has brought to this litigation over several years. I spoke hastily in the immediate aftermath of the judgment, for which I apologize. I accept the verdict in full, and I will not be appealing it.
“I had hoped for a different outcome, but it was not to be, and I respect the decision of the court.
“I also want to say that I now accept the decision of the Home Office that, as I am no longer a full-time working member of the royal family, I am not entitled to automatic armed police protection. Again, I had hoped for a different outcome, but I am grateful to everyone at the Home Office and on my team for the enormously hard work they have done over the years, and for hearing me out when I made my case. I have complete confidence in the unrivalled British police to keep me and my family safe when we are in the U.K.
“There is one person to whom I owe a particular word. My heart goes out to Baroness Lawrence. It was I who first contacted her about this case, and I accept that my position as a member of the royal family may have encouraged her to believe that it was stronger than it turned out to be. If my involvement led her into this, I am sorry.
“Finally, my wife and I have decided that we will no longer use our titles, and that our children will not use the titles of prince and princess. We do this freely and without bitterness, following the example set by my uncle Prince Edward and my aunt Princess Anne.
“I love my country. I love my father and my family. I apologise for any distress I may have caused them. I want to spend more time here, and I hope that today draws a line under the events of the past few years.”
A magnanimous, dignified, self-aware, and humble statement like this is what is called for now, which might go some way to undoing the damage caused by the disgusting comments he made yesterday, calling the verdict, “a complete and obvious whitewash.”
The model here is George Michael's statement in 2008, after he was arrested in a public toilet on Hampstead Heath in possession of crack cocaine, a set of circumstances, let the record show, considerably more compromising than losing a privacy claim. Did he cry stitch-up? Did he blame the toilet attendant, the Metropolitan Police, the judiciary, the dark forces of the establishment? He did not. He issued a statement saying: "I want to apologise to my fans for screwing up again, and to promise them I'll sort myself out. And to say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them." It remains, for my money, the greatest celebrity mea culpa ever issued: funny, honest, self-aware, and utterly disarming. Nobody loved George Michael less for it; most of us loved him rather more.
By contrast, Harry’s dismissal of Mr Justice Nicklin’s 436-page judgment, which threw out every single one of the 97 allegations of unlawful information gathering made by Harry and his six co-claimants, including Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Liz Hurley, Sir Simon Hughes and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, as yet another establishment stitch up, was breathtaking in its arrogance...

Edited

Yes exactly but they will do the complete opposite. Yesterday's clapback to Judge Nicklin was an absolute disgrace. And her leaning that she's done with the RF today

Sophiecunninghamsfinger · 08/07/2026 23:43

Rhaidimiddim · 08/07/2026 22:36

W8as she C-string?

I don't know. I have just read though G String's piece - she hasn't pulled any punches.

Starryfifty · 08/07/2026 23:43

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 08/07/2026 23:17

Lol.

As predicted. Another grift

TheHatTrick · 09/07/2026 00:20

Sophiecunninghamsfinger · 08/07/2026 23:43

I don't know. I have just read though G String's piece - she hasn't pulled any punches.

Me too. I think she was fair and measured. She liked old Harry. It’s this Harry 2.0 that’s out of favor.

Dopsicle · 09/07/2026 01:25

Lunde · 08/07/2026 22:17

Perhaps the Pensioners refused to stand next to the whiny brat - many are very proud to have served.

I think this is by far the most likely explanation.

There's no way H would have forgone the photo opportunity if it had been a possibility. It's perfect: brave veterans, colourful outfits, a bit of thoroughly British tradition and pageantry. A wonderful bit of visual PR. Unless, of course, you've managed to behave in a way which really pisses off the Pensioners (who I'm sure are no fools).

canklesmctacotits · 09/07/2026 02:21

Mylovelygreendress · 08/07/2026 16:31

One insult too many': Meghan Markle vows to 'never see' Royal Family again after multiple UK snubs leave Prince Harry 'embarrassed'
Meghan Markle is said to be "furious" after a series of snubs threw Prince Harry's UK visit into confusion and shrouded the Sussexes in humiliation.

2 min read
July 8, 2026 - 2:50PM

Prince Harry has been sent a brutal message by Buckingham Palace, after they announced the Duke of Sussex will not be staying there. This comes despite Harry’s team announcing that the duke had accepted an invitation to do so. Royal sources have indicated Harry had not responded in time to the accommodation offer, thus informing him he would not be able to stay there.
Meghan Markle has vowed to never return to the United Kingdom to see the Royal Family again after a series of complications threw Prince Harry's homecoming into disarray.
It was previously reported that the Duchess of Sussex would be joining her husband for the five-day visit along with their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, to attend the one year to go Invictus Games events in London and Birmingham.
However, a royal expert has revealed that the 44-year-old has pulled the plug on the plans after Prince Harry was denied taxpayer-funded security for the family and had his accommodation offer from Buckingham Palace withdrawn "at the last moment".

Buckingham Palace has denied Prince Harry will stay there during his trip to the UK, despite the Duke of Sussex saying he had accepted an invitation. Prince Harry’s spokesperson said it was “disappointing that the offer has now been withdrawn” partly because of the impending judgment on the Associated Newspapers Limited case. “It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment.”

“This was one insult too many,” Rob Shuter revealed on his Naughty But Nice Substack.
According to the journalist, well-placed sources say that Meghan feels like she and Harry have “bent over backwards" for his relatives, "only to be embarrassed again".
“As far as she’s concerned, she’ll never see them again,” he added.
Shuter says that the Duchess of Sussex had predicted there may be drama surrounding the Prince's UK return and is said to have warned the royal that this would happen.

News Corp columnist Angela Mollard argues Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Harry have "decimated" the standing of the Royal Family. “They still command audiences and viewers … the issue is when I was reporting on the Royals back in the 90s, the monarchy operated separately to celebrity. Now, it’s like a sort of subset of celebrity,” Ms Mollard told Sky News host James Morrow. “With Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Harry, the standing of the monarchy in people’s eyes has decimated.”
“She believes every time he reaches out to his family, they find another way to reject him. She’s done. She has no interest in ever putting herself, or her children, through this again.”
On Monday, an official statement revealed that King Charles' son would not be staying at Buckingham Palace, despite Harry's spokesperson, Liam Maguire, announcing just hours earlier that he had accepted his father's invitation.
Well-placed sources claim that Harry did not reply to the Palace's offer before the deadline, and he was told on Saturday that logistics would not allow him to stay there.
According to Buckingham Palace, Harry's representatives formally declined the invitation on Saturday, but pulled a one-eighty on their decision later that day and accepted.

BBC additionally reported that the Palace had concerns about the Duke of Sussex staying at a royal residence around the same time as a result would be published of his court case against Associated Newspapers, which the Prince lost on Tuesday.
To make matters worse, Harry's appeal for taxpayer-funded police protection for him and his family during his five-day stay was denied last month.
The Duke of Sussex's access to police protection was taken away when he and Meghan walked away from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to the United States.
Despite submitting a review into his request for taxpayer-funded security for his family during their upcoming UK trip, Harry's appeal was officially rejected by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC).

Edited

The key words in this piece are “She has no interest in ever putting herself, or her children, through this again.”

She is putting her stake in the ground: these kids are hers, and Harry’s if he sticks with her on her terms. She’s not letting them out of her sight.

The rest of the article is her usual MO: cut people off if they don’t accord her the treatment/ respect/ whatever that she demands. But the bit about the children is her passing this onto the next generation, and her setting her children against Harry’s family under the guise of “I won’t allow them to be humiliated” (made all the worse for the hypocrisy and lies involved in who has embarrassed who).

I can well imagine children being upset if they thought they were going on a trip to meet a grandfather who also happens to be a king, in a castle etc. They’ll get over it quickly because it’s easy to distract a 4 and 6yo. But really they shouldn’t have been told in the first place until everything was locked down, for this very reason. It’s poor parenting. The bigger and more serious point is about these two children being completely and utterly cut off from all their extended family (except Doria) because their mum has fallen out with everyone. Totally, utterly depressing. You have to wonder whether in truth Doria is a doormat for Meghan, just fills her head with stuff Meghan wants to hear and nothing else and gets to stay in her life this way. But my goodness doesn’t she leave a trail of broken relationships in her wake wherever she goes, whoever she’s married to. And now children involved :(

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