PR disasters thread 22

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The ongoing saga of Sussex PR

Of course Meghan can still say everything she's claimed about the UK and racist RF. Now she can add that, because of her husband's "mental health crisis", she put aside her own security fears, and lack of apology from the nation and the RF for being horribly racist to her, to heroically engineer and deliver her hapless husband into reconciliation with his father - who would still only give them a perfunctory reception because he's uptight and British. She stood by her fox, when he needed her to be She-Ra. That's the Sussex spin machine. Give them and inch and they will take a country mile and then some.

M has clearly had to eat humble pie. A private meeting at a private residence way outside of London, with no photos to release to the media was not what she would have wanted. H’s demeanour at Invictus yesterday looked a bit strange. I thought he seemed nervous. I think they are desperate to be back in the royal fold. However, the way the King is handling this says that is not going to happen. Aside from that, how they explain to their dcs why they haven’t seen their dgf until now? The dcs won’t remember the previous occasions.

Well, as all the 'will they, won't they?' Sussex shenanigans began surrounding this whole trip to the UK there were lots of us asking why he couldn't do the Invictus stuff alone, why Meghan needed to be there and why they couldn't just have a private meeting with KC and announce it afterwards.
In the end, throwing in the absolute humiliation of the ANL verdict, that's exactly what happened. Despite all the attempts to manipulate the press and public and cause drama, which the media happily go along with for the clicks, nothing has changed from the RF perspective. They had a fairly brief private meeting, seemingly got very little from it they can merch, and that's it. Is it a thawing? I just think it's exactly what we've had for the last six years - a family meeting with no bells and whistles. I think that's the Kings prerogative when it comes to his (idiot) son and his family. I'm glad he's met and spent time with the children. I'm afraid I can't agree that 'the optics are terrible'.

A "private" meeting doesn't make the 10 O'clock news from the state broadcaster, let alone the world's press. There's nothing private about it. It's been tacked onto Harry's UK rehabilitation tour for maximum publicity. A private, family matter is the Sussexes coming and going and a meeting happening without anyone knowing about it. Not announcements telling us to ignore our lying eyes care of the Head of State's spin machine.

Social media comments are on fire about Charles, this meeting at this time has gone down like a led balloon, people saying he should have postponed it and had it at different time, with some distance to Harry and Meghan’s shenanigans this week. I agree with that. Lots of criticism it is a betrayal of Catherine.

Apparently the BP announcement was as a result of a leak from the Sussex to their media buddies and reporters calling the Palace looking for clarification. The statement was very matter of fact and not remotely like something you would say about a family get together.

So true!

I can't get over that we learn that Harry - then a grown man in his late 20s and an army officer - tried to drug a woman with an unknown pill at a dinner party, and yet the King decided to ignore this story from a more than credible source and give him the meeting. After everything with AMW. And what the fuck is Alison Hammond doing supporting a would be date drugger? And Invictus? Hasn't he finally brought the armed forces into disrepute with this revelation?

Two minds about this.

Shows how far the Sussexes have fallen and how much they need the RF. it shouldn’t have happened, after Harry’s awful statement attacking the judiciary.

It’s a betrayal of the Waleses imo. KC has let them down.

and as some of you may remember my ‘republican’ mama is pro disruptor Harry and Meghan. Nothing this week has changed. She thinks it’s all a stitch up. And KC was mean not to allow him and Meg the couple of bedrooms, he needed to stay at BP. And he should be paying for their security.

So there are really people like that, who seriously believe it. She’s probably on here!!!! And Kate and William are big meanies. There is no reasoning with her. Hey ho.

I just try not to engage with her about it any more, as she’s so entrenched in her views.

Meh, am I the only one that doesn’t see this meeting as a sign of much?

KC would have ALWAYS entertained a visit of some kind from Harry and the kids. Even at the height of the all the accusations. I’m sure the Palace would have vetoed any meeting with JUST Harry at that time, because he would just be complaining/whingeing and causing drama.

The reason why such a visits with the kids/meg never took place was Harry was

• at first waiting for an apology from the RF
• still believed that he could get the security wish list he wanted.

There has never been an apology and I think Harry publicly stated he’s gave up on that.
With security, he didn’t want to set a precedent that he can travel to the UK with the kids safely …..so avoided it until now ( when he stupidly believed he would have security nailed in)
He’s now confirmed that both he and his family can visit the UK safely without the requested protection. He will never get the 24/7 police security as standard again. I don’t think he’s gave up on the security issue. I think if he pulled out of the meeting with KC it was one too many disasters for the week and would confirm he was blackmailing his father.
However, Harry still maintains it’s unsafe so isn’t about to make this a regular trip with the kids. There’s no way Meg would tolerate this.

So in the end…. Nothing much changes.

This has been an unholy disaster of a trip. I read somewhere that it’s been such a bad trip for Harry, he will probably lose his luggage on the way home! There’s fact he’s got a souvenir from the Highgrove gift shop changes nothing about his future.

It’s also notable that M didn’t go to the Invictus launch when previously she’s been at the centre of these events.

This week has been a huge win as far as H is concerned.

Not to go all John McEnroe, but you cannot be serious!

A total wipe out at the courts. On the hook for millions, and his greatest meeja villain crowing and gloating at him.

His requests for extra security rejected.

Tiny crowds wherever he turned out.

No room at the BP inn.

His reputation shot to pieces.

Yes, he got a brief meeting with the King. So what? He's his son, and this is not the first time they've met in the past few years. It will be forgotten by the time England kick off tonight.

No way in hell is Harry better off today than he was this time last week.

Or he was high and chirpy. I would wager his level of animation is in direct correlation to the amount of medication. He is often highly animated and behaves inappropriately or he is grumpy and scowling, a typical sign of addiction.

I suspect he might be able to draw on the Bank of Pa again though. That's all he cares about.

There's good posts for both sides about the meeting. I don't know what to think now!

I would love to be a fly on the wall though at the Sussex PR office. SURELY they must know this weeks been a complete disaster for them. Nothing apart from a brief visit with KC has gone their way. All this posturing about safe passages, security concerns has just made them look ridiculous. Meghan and the kids managed to make it into the country without any photos, no one knew when they came, where they flew into or even where they are staying.

The constant briefing and leaking has done anything but work in their favour. Who advises them? Do they even listen?

Absolutely, he appears to be high as a kite when he is doing any media.

People keep referencing this. If in terms of security, Charles can't pay for the armed security he wants.

And even for everything else, I think it's a case of "no funds available". The Royals are pretty hard nosed when it comes to finances. Harrys made a big song and dance of wanting to be a private citizen and that's imagine how he'll be treated. He lives in a 9 bedroom mansion, hes not exactly on the bones of his arse.

I wonder if he wants his father to pay the costs of his court case and his children's school fees.

I think, as well, that this short meeting will have been a huge ordeal for KCIII and emotionally draining. He won't want to see H again for months.

Balmoral - they are still a very long way from feeling comfortable enough with the Sussexes to want that. Even in the very unlikely event that it happened, I reckon they'd be given a cottage somewhere relatively far from the actual royals.

Yes, it reminds me a bit of the recent discussion about Elton John paying Harry's legal bills. Why would he? Just because someone is rich doesn't mean they're a soft touch. For Doreen Lawrence maybe, as she was drafted in to provide 'moral high ground' and has no real money. But Harry? He's a very wealthy man. Not so wealthy that he won't miss whatever the legal fees turn out to be, but he won't be on the street either.

Obviously it's a bit different with Charles as he is his father. But even so, why would he basically encourage his son to make frivolous cases in His Majesty's Courts? I could see him helping out with security or the kids' education, but not this. Let Harry sell the mansion if need be.

Won’t the children be confused to have never met this lovely kind couple before? Wonder if they’ve asked if they have any more grandparents/relatives.

re the BBC I haven’t respected or valued it for years and thought most felt the same - no idea what they reported as I don’t watch it.

I bet the staff are very loyal to Charles and Camilla and hope they acted accordingly.

Lastly, I hope Catherine gets a massive standing ovation at Wimbledon and Sophie was great on the Archers.

I agree. The Royals value and more importantly need good media relationships. There's not a hope in hell they are going to be seen associating with this or paying Harry's legal fees.

And Harry has been very open about the fact his father advised him to avoid these court cases. He chose to ignore this advice and its cost him dearly. It's no one else's responsibility to bail him out.

Won’t the children be confused to have never met this lovely kind couple before? Wonder if they’ve asked if they have any more grandparents/relatives.

I wonder how long they're in the country? The very fact that we haven't got a clue is interesting and proves us all right when we said it would be perfectly possible to slip in and out without anyone knowing.

It's a very long journey for two very young children. They won't have any real concept of who Charles is and the meeting seems far too short to even start to build a relationship.

I wonder what's next? Isn't there a bit party at Althorp this weekend? I wonder if they are invited and that was the main reason for Meghan agreeing to come with the children?

It's very clear he's often high. And yet the media still give him serious airtime. Both ITV and BBC treat him like a person of substance - not a person taking substances!

Which begs the question, what do the media overlook when they are spinning for whichever side? Why are we only finding out now - from a DM journalist who has spun for Harry for years, and who was one of the ones curating the "cheeky chappy" image - that he was a potential date druggist whilst also a serving officer in the army, a role gifted to this unqualified man by way of more palace spin with media assistance? Harry "won" the media game years ago, when his true self was covered up by both the palace and the media that needs to keep the palace on side.

Rebecca English and the rest tearfully revealing that they have sat on a lot of negative stories over the years doesn't impress me at all, I'm afraid. It just shows the depths of the spin machines on both sides and the symbiotic relationship the royals have with our supposedly free press. It just shows the lies by omission and carefully curated image that has been sold about Harry (and who else, I wonder) in order to keep the public on side with the RF.

I'm amazed though they've brought the kids but not for any security reasons. Just that arent they usually just left at home with the nanny while they go on these frequent foreign jollies?

Yeah they are. 14 time zones away in the case of the Oz jolly.

I do think Harry has always wanted the children to meet Charles. We know he has no concept of how badly he has hurt him and other family members. I reckon Meghan was the one holding out, but now she's relented. Could be desperation because all their ventures have failed. As I wrote above, I also wonder if a visit to Althorp is planned. That would be right up Meghan's street.