PR Disasters thread 21

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I thought she was American although I never said so.. She didn't sound like a Brit in her posts. I also made it clear that I didn't agree with her. To me, she seems agenda- driven.

How do the insults Meghan has received compare to:
Appropriating the Queen's nickname?
Making everyone late to the deathbed by throwing a tantrum over not being invited?
Mocking the curtsey?
Making a documentary which called the Queen's beloved Commonwealth 'Empire 2.0'?

Just to name a few...

It's not up to her to be done with Harry's family though is it? It's between him and his family, she isn't even in the country.

I don’t know what the world looks like inside Meghan’s head, and I don’t particularly care to know tbh, but meanwhile back in the real world of news the Sussexes are taking a PR battering. They have weeks of this to come.

These are the headlines of a prominent Times story this morning. This is the ‘paper of record’. Parliamentarians read it. The MIGS read it.

Prince Harry put pill on my tongue as loyalty test, journalist claims

Charlotte Griffiths, who partied with the Duke of Sussex, gives her account of their friendship and disputes the evidence he gave about his circle in court

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/prince-harry-pill-journalist-charlotte-griffiths-sqdjlh33x

(Anyone got a share token?)

The pill on tongue thing sounds borderline abusive to be honest. I wonder if Charles is horrified to read this stuff about his son's antics.

Leak the meeting => Charles wants us back and is desperately trying to persuade us - look everyone! He needs us! Probably because that other pair are so useless! See how royal and important and relevant we are!

Blame BP => the palace always leaks, they’ve been leaking stories about me my whole life, they’re constantly using the press to manipulate people, probably one of the MiG trying to prevent reconciliation (this is a recurring theme of theirs). And also - it can’t be us because we never leak, we have more integrity than that, despise the press and would never use them in that way, I’m actually slaying that dragon, unlike my conniving family.

Have BP shut down negotiations => too stupid to think longer term and not actually particularly bothered about reconciliation right now - they couldn’t give a shit about the RF personally and probably understand that any real rapprochement would come with unpalatable conditions attached. Plus it will take ages and they need to look royal right now. So the front page splashes and rumours feel like a win, they quite clearly think that a paper printing a story makes it happen, they’ve done that loads of times (cf Meghan, the soon to be Dior ambassador). But also - they don’t leak the shutting down of negotiations, and don’t expect the RF to comment, so the idea that the RF wants them back lingers on. They hope it might lead to a restoration of their position both here and in the US. Here, because public support for a return might bounce Charles into giving them half in half out, or at the very least, undermine the Waleses. (Just a couple of Why We Need Harry And Meghan Back articles would be lovely, and the press always oblige.) And in the US because nobody currently wants to work with them and all they have to offer is fast-dwindling royal adjacency.

That’s what I reckon anyway! It’s all very short term thinking, partly because they’re reactive idiots who wouldn’t know a PR strategy if it walked up to them, doffed its cap and introduced itself. But also I think Harry thinks - or thought - that Charles would always be happy to see him and help him, and it would only take ‘I’m really sorry Pa’ for all to be forgiven, whenever Harry is ready for that. I suspect he may have learnt over the last few months that this isn’t the case and the rupture of his relationship with his father is much more serious. Harry has not factored in that Charles is no longer just an old softie who loves his family and feels a lot of guilt for Harry’s childhood. He is also now the king, with a constitutional role. So he can’t allow himself to be made a fool of, he can’t allow the cheapening of the RF through half in half out, he can’t fund or welcome back these twats who lie under oath and use sick children to merch clothes and slap the arses of strangers and lie all the time. The monarchy is already teetering because of Andrew and I’m sure there’s more to come. Charles needs to do everything he can to protect it, and getting anywhere near the Sussexes in anything but a personal capacity would be disastrous. Plus part of protecting the monarchy is of course protecting the heir and his family, and we all know how much damage the Sussexes have done to the Waleses, and would no doubt continue to do with any chance they get.

Indeed.

I am a bit narked with my MIL this weekend. Last week she manipulated my toddler into saying that he wanted to stay at theirs overnight without mummy and daddy. Then after we've talked about it with him, she's pulled the rug because she's had a better offer for the weekend.

Annoying? Yes. I'd have been fine with her saying "we'd love to have him over, when would suit you?"

Relationship ending? No. He loves his grandparents, we can distract him from the situation because he's two.

You don't wind up children's feelings for no reason, life will give them plenty of disappointments without doing it on purpose.

Interesting article, standout line for me
’The world does not see him on his terms’
https://x.com/inspgadgetblogs/status/2075091930141073688?s=46

As I said elsewhere, they are very very lucky that Farage vs Binface happened this week. Without that pull on press focus the volume of articles would be far greater.

I think that the tide has turned for Harry from frustration to indifference in a lot of quarters and that's something it's hard to come back from.

Yes I agree that line sums up his position perfectly.

My 🙄wasn't directed at you.

More at the idea of an 'Invictus week' requiring the 'patron' to fly out a year before the games which aren't even that big a deal anyway!

That is what I think and said it at the time . Meghan has no wish and no intention of setting foot in the UK again so is determined to thwart any reconciliation.
Harry is too dense to realise.

I read the book "Courtiers" by Valentine Low. about the workings of the RF. He said that when Meghan arrived everyone was determined that it should work, and they were given everything they wanted, but there was always a problem. Then it dawned on them - H&M were determined for it not to work, because they wanted an excuse to leave.
Nothing was good enough for them and the victim narrative was developed.

You're right. She never wanted a life here, and the only way the RF has been useful is giving her titles, wealth and privilege.

I reckon the contradictory stories are coming separately from Harry and Meghan. She’s briefing the “never step foot here again” and he’s briefing the “still trying to arrange a meeting.”

I think you’re right. What a mess. All very entertaining though.

Hasn’t Harry claimed they broke up because she couldn’t handle the media interest?

It’s bonkers isn’t it?

Yes, and Chelsy didn't want a royal life.

Appalling parenting from HAM. Getting the kids all stirred up then pulling the rug underneath them. Using both kids to manipulate the king. They are utterly self serving and ruthless. I dread to think what horrors those kids are going to be in 10 /q5 years time

Ah ok , I see thanks

Yes!! , apparently neither could Chelsey ( had nothing to do with him cheating on her obviously!)

It obviously never occurred to him that it would be perfectly possible to live under the radar and not court media interest!

I don’t think anything occurs to him !

I’m really surprised that they haven’t looked at AMW and seen his titles revoked and thought harry attacking the judiciary, isn’t one step too far. I also think the tablet given to CG, is also step too far and if proven, could land Harry in deep water. Those titles can be revoked.