PR disasters thread 30

[BigWillyLittleTodger]

Flying through these threads at a rate of knots! A shiny new thread for yet more Sussex shenanigans!

Diana had her faults, but she had charisma and charm - and was the genuine article in terms of not having had multiple and obvious cosmetic surgeries.

Agreed.

Victoria is where MM would love to be, initially famous for one reason but now respected for her business and talent in a different area.

Victoria has gained credibility with her genuine talent for fashion and beauty design.

All M can do is flog somebody else’s clothes by prancing about in them and her line of upf pancake mix and jam is unimpressive in both quality and volume of sales and has become the topic of international mirth.

By all accounts the Beckhams senior detest H&M because of H’s rudeness after David had flown half way round the world to support him.

M had set her “dragonslayer” up to fight after she alleged Victoria had leaked something about her and H swallowed it without even giving David a chance to meet and talk about it.

Much as he dropped various friends (not to mention family!) that M told him were persecuting her poor little self or who did not show her enough deference or whose views did not align with her opinions.

The list of those H&M have pissed off is pretty impressive.

Article in PageSix (often a HAM mouthpiece but definitely not this article) about HAM's problems in hiring and retaining domestic staff in Montecito because of Meghan's "snobbish and rude" behaviour towards housekeeping staff. Apparently word got out on the housekeeper network and few wanted to work for her.

Many of the neighbours are also relieved they are leaving and taking their drama with them.

https://pagesix.com/2026/08/24/royal-family/meghan-markles-snobbish-behavior-made-hiring-montecito-housekeepers-nearly-impossible/

It will be interesting to see how that aspect goes when they are back in the UK. I saw something a few weeks ago, when it was thought that HAM would stay in Buckingham Palace in September for Well Child etc, that many of the BP staff had put in for leave in September as they have bad memories of working for HAM.

Diana did do it but was much more subtle - she would take her favoured editors/journalists out to lunch (often with Prince William in tow as her wingman 🙄) and drop stories and hints.

She didn't try to get multiple stories per day (which I think is a huge mistake by HAM PR)

IIRC she only did the clapback once (a story about cellulite that used a photo of her arriving at the gym)

As Oscar Wilde said :

There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about .

That's the Sussexes.

Not a surprise at all. I suspect a lot of people will start talking now.

Her “apples” AsEver post is alarming: we have lots of apples here…

I’ve just remembered the “Medieval Times” comment. The cheek! I reckon she’ll be leaning away from pomp and pageantry and very much getting into the loadsamoney celeb Cotswolds faux country scene. So there will be AsEver Cotswold-style with her in a (£250k) country kitchen prancing around “making” Highgrove-type jams and chutneys. A few shots of her skipping through aesthetic Autumn beech woods and later bluebell woods whilst 99% of the time she’s snaking round Soho Farmhouse.

I wonder if there will come a time where H oversteps far too far for continued tolerance with yet more political comments and this will finally force KC hand to remove titles?

His behaviour is the complete opposite of the public impartiality essential to the soft power the monarchy wield for the benefit of the UK throughout the world.

H runs around as a loose canon, and an intellectually limited one at that, saying and doing all sorts of things with his “Prince” and “Duke” titles adding weight to whatever nonsense he spouts.

This will now be all the worse given he lives in the UK and is on better terms (?) with his father, the King.

It then appears that KC sanctions his “darling boy” wittering shite and that could cause our country big problems.

Additionally whilst H &M retain titles they are making a circus of the monarchy and this gives much encouragement to the idea of doing away with the monarchy altogether.

If they were just Harry and Meghan MW then it would draw a line of demarcation and they can do whatever they like and nobody will care.

Surely they would then welcome the freedom and privacy their increasing irrelevance would bring?!

That's interesting, Badvocthebad.

I'm sure that even people who aren't monarchists can tell the difference between people who are just doing the job we expect of them under the constitution and attention-seeking tone-deaf would-be celebrities who create drama and fuss wherever they go.

I'm a mild constitutional monarchist but even if I wasn't I would still be just as sceptical about and irritated by HAM. They are false, fake and desperate for attention for...what, exactly? And THEY certainly are monarchists!

Lunde · Today 11:55
Article in PageSix (often a HAM mouthpiece but definitely not this article) about HAM's problems in hiring and retaining domestic staff in Montecito because of Meghan's "snobbish and rude" behaviour towards housekeeping staff. Apparently word got out on the housekeeper network and few wanted to work for her.

This doesn't surprise me, from what we know of Meghan's high-handedness with staff.

But in another way, it does. I'm not questioning the truth of this account but when you consider how much M wants to be 'royal' and 'posh' etc, does she not know that one of the real markers of 'class' (ugh - horrible term, but what else can I say?) is gracious treatment of staff and people who do menial jobs for you. It's a corny cliche, but there is some truth in the trope that real aristos are nice to their staff, who stay for years and are very loyal) and nouveau riche who treat them like dirt.

I know it's not always the case, but it's generally true. With all M's copy-catting and trying to emulate rich, posh people - hasn't she realised her rudeness to staff is very 'common'? The Queen had to tell her off at least twice about beind rude to staff, saying 'We don't talk to people like that, Meghan". I think once, the Q got in her landrover and drove over to their cottage after M shouted at a gardener, just doing his job.

I agree with you. HAM retaining titles is an absolute mockery but H hangs onto it for dear life. He has said his job is Duke and Prince Of England ffs

as for Meg, she even uses the HRH ! I know a lot of posters think it won't make much difference to them if they lose titles but I don't agree. I think it sends out a clear message that they are not part of the firm that is the RF.

They could ask AMW if he'd consider joining them in a reality show. At home with the AMWs

Apparently M is still “ in talks” about a role in Guy Ritchie’s series .
In talks could mean anything, maybe someone sent an email ?

I read yesterday, albeit the express, that she was actually offered a role in The Gentlemen S2 but declined due to Harry battling about security so the optic wouldn't have been good.

Yes this was spun. So, she can't take any acting role now then ? Surely all filming sets are secure ?

It's worth remembering that Diana, according to Alastair Campbell (who should know), gave Tony Blair advice for how to make the most of photo-ops.

She also wanted to be involved in the peace process in N. Ireland. The general; consensus is that Charles was harsh in insisting that she should lose HRH, but having discovered that, I'm less sure.

One such moment is a killingly self-revealing story I didn’t know (and as a Diana biographer myself it always quickens my pulse to find a nugget that escaped me). According to Alastair Campbell, in 1995 Diana advised an as-yet unelected Tony Blair “to touch people in pictures” and be sure to be photographed with “down and outs”. “Children with no hair,” she told Blair coolly, “were especially effective in curating a reputation for compassion.” A mask-off moment hard to forget. The future PM was, White tells us, “rapt by her shrewdness and savvy”. But not enough to want to give her the formal ambassadorial role she craved when he got into Downing Street. By then, tabloid coverage of her multiple affairs and her association with the son of the tawdry Mohamed Al-Fayed, who had been caught up in an MP bribery scandal, were too much of a political risk. However, when I met with her in New York in June 1997, the princess clearly was still hankering to be the British government’s freelance Queen of Hearts. Her huge, limpid blue eyes filled with artful sincerity when she told me across the lunch that she felt she could be “an enormous help” to bringing peace to Northern Ireland.

https://archive.is/Viz3B

Just read that article and a caption under one of the photos refers to “Markle and her husband”. Ouch…

From his dadddy!!!

My aunt (divorced) re married the man she had an affair with (also divorced, her best friends husband) and both left their children who were all under 12 to be together.
They even -wait for it - had the Bishop of Whitby conduct the service!
My grandmother was appalled as she was very traditional as far as church was concerned.
This was 1986. I know it was as my grandmother died the year after.
We never found out what the re marrying pair said to get a church wedding -not a blessing, a wedding.

Of course 🙄

I really do believe there is only one thing that has been instrumental in their endeavours.

There is one thing that you need to be born with. You cannot buy it and you cannot pretend to have it.

It will highlight any errant behaviour and will also contribute to it. It can help others overlook a mis-step and give you chances to get it right.

H - despite his privileges - has never ever shown signs of it and M, despite her acting background and the very affluent and interesting circles she has mixed in, has never been able to emulate it.

I have known people from the poorest of surroundings and upbringing and have it seen it shine out of them like the sun.

That thing is class.

They don’t have it.

And it shows in most everything they do.

It sounds like the backlash that stopped Grace Kelly from starring in Marnie.

@bluegreygreen
Wow!

That is dynamite.

I’m no worshipper at the shrine of St Diana but I would never have guessed she was that cynical and manipulative.

That has actually quite shaken me.

Charles 3 needs to sort this - he should be instrumental in removing line of succession (and titles if at all possible) unfortunately I suspect he’s not courageous enough to do this so will leave the job to William.
A lot has been said about Diana on this thread and her imperfections (some very big and some small) but it’s important for people younger than say 55 that she was a very young 19 when she me Charles and 20 when married……she knew (and this was extensively reported at the time) that Charles and Camilla were in some sort of relationship seemingly more than just friends - I honestly believe everything that went wrong for Diana was from her early days of her ‘courtship’ and marriage.
She just couldn’t handle what she had been thrown into and we should cut her some slack because of it.

Oh she was notoriously manipulative