PR disasters thread 32

[BigWillyLittleTodger]

Yet another new thread for more Sussex shenanigans!

Tag rugby in the Michaelmas Term, Football and hockey in the Lent term and Cricket and tennis in the Trinity term along with athletics. Lots of options for someone to find their way. And if he’s off to Eton or Radley then they play Fives at 13+ which my DC loves as it’s basically handball squash in a funny shaped court.

I think they could have had some time just to themselves, under the radar, as the late Queen suggested. They would have been married, but not doing any duties and living in the Cotswolds, not constantly in the press, just getting to know each other and for Meghan to carry on acting if she wanted to, and think about being a working royal or not.
A slower start, low key, less pressure.

As far as whether or not HAM can afford their lifestyle, for them, that's not the real issue. It's that they believe that they shouldn't have to. People should be falling all over themselves to give them things.

Harry was born into that to a certain extent. His every need and want was provided him, probably at little to no cost or effort.

For Meghan, that's part of the 'Entertainment mentality' and the reason behind all those clothing designers, car companies, etc etc giving things to celebrities who could easily afford to buy them. And the bigger the celeb, the more (and better) companies want to give them 'freebies'. For the companies it's about the exposure of their brand on someone others want to emulate. For the celebrity it's more validation that they are that person.

Harry expected all doors to be open to him based on his birth. Meghan was in Hollywood long enough to see the 'perk of freebies' in action and to absorb the belief that the more and better freebies one gets it means that you've 'made it'. And to envy those who were in that top tier of freebies. She expected marrying H to unlock that vault for her in the UK. It wasn't allowed to take 'freebies' in the RF and the RF wasn't unlocking the royal vault to her satisfaction so she wanted out, thinking that her marriage would put her in that top tier in her chosen world, Hollywood. It didn't.

HAM still want those freebies and at this point, they still expect them. And happily accept them when they're offered. Because in their minds it's their 'due'. I think the backlash comes when it becomes clear they don't believe they have to repay 'in kind'. That mentality is another reason why the MIGS will be pushing hard against them being made 'faces' for the RF in any capacity.

That's a good point I think , but I'll say it in a wider sense. To me , being a sensible parent is not transferring your own ambitions / wants on to your child. My Dh would have loved my DS to be a premier league footballer. That was never going to happen. DH would have loved to be on the touchline every weekend with DS playing rugby / football (soccer ) . Didn't happen . DS wasn't interested. Now DS can play a decent game of squash and really enjoys it. My father who was a talented cricketer would have liked to go and watch DS play cricket . DS wasn't interested and was a mediocre player. I'm sceptical when parents project their wants on to children. Let them find out what they enjoy and are good at for themselves. (I've used sport here as an example , but I think it's relevant to all spheres of interest / achievement)

🐷🐷🪽🪽

And if the Van S bros are 'real friends' of W's they won't even be tempted to try.

This, however, seems to be about Harry's personal sports ambition for his son, and less about the amazing opportunities private schools provide.

But don’t forget that Meghan said they wanted to modernise royalty, collaborate with HMQE etc. She had absolutely no intention of gradually absorbing what marrying Harry meant; she wanted to be literally first and foremost from the off.
Brash and arrogant doesn’t begin to describe her behaviour and mindset.

Absolutely 💯. Therein lay the problem.
Arrogant, greedy, hungry for fame and wealth.
It was never going to work out well..

It depends on the school. Saturday school and full boarding starts from yr 3 at some schools.

Yes, she has spoken about L possibly working on as ever, as though A couldn't have a role too. For someone who claims to promote equality it's quite ridiculous.

It’s another one of those awful ‘could’ articles!

The Van Straubenzees could try to bring H&W together. The Van Straubenzees could join the bloody circus.

Royal Expert my arse.

Isn't it just?! They're very traditional and follow somewhat dated gender roles for their children.

They did previously holiday on a Yacht owned by the RF of a Gulf state but anyone who lives here knows of the personal friendship between the late Queen and the owner of the yacht and that over the years the relationship has become inter generational. The same can also be said of the late Queen and late ruler of another Gulf State, but also the now current ruler of that country along with the long serving ruler of another. Then there has been the decades long relationship King Charles has had with the ruler of one of the countries his mum had a long standing friendship with. My kids all have long standing relationships with the children of people they grew up with because all of the parents involved were and still are very good friends. The British RF are no different just as the Gulf families aren’t different either.

Absolutely agree with you. I think this is a column filling article . The Van Straubenzees have known W&H long enough to make their own decisions as to how they will behave.

I think William keeps things squeaky clean, I suspect he insists on paying his way.

I don’t think he will fall into the same trap his uncle and brother have of living the high life off of those who are wealthier. It’s one thing to be invited by friends to join a weekend away, it’s a whole other level to accept use of private jets, use of homes and yachts like Andrew and Harry.

It's just more hot air from him isn't it ?

I always thought polo was the game of choice for young (teenage & above) princes. So I would have thought riding lessons are a priority?

I think it's a bit cruel of him to tout these kinds of things. What about the privacy of his children never mind their potential ability or lack of. He's setting up an expectation and yes it's very gender based. Meghan laughed and published a photo of her laughing at a startled Archie at Disney. He just can't keep his mouth shut in his desperation.

Yes but your kids aren't at the same school as them so no reason to do so.

I should think both kids already do that in the US.

If I were a long standing close friend of William's, what would guide me in deciding whether to try and effect a reconciliation would be whether I felt that deep down William was still very restless and unhappy about it, or whether he had now come to terms with it and, in spite of it being a sad and painful thing in his life, had moved on and was making the best of things. I have to say that as a distant, observing member of the public, the latter seems more likely to me than the former.

re horse riding / polo . I'm pretty sure if we've seen back of the children's heads skiing and surfing we'd have seen them on cute ponies with the ponies' faces covered with an emoji. I'm joking here - but it just (to me) goes to show - if you post multiple photographs of your children - even if not the faces , you are to some extent encouraging interest in them. Have A&L had riding lessons? are they any good at it ? I have no idea - as indeed I should not.

People will differ , but I think just the way in which some try to extrapolate A&L's personalities from what M herself has put into the public domain , says would it not be better to keep your children completely private if you value their privacy. To me back of the heads / emoji face covering doesn't cut it when you are talking about them to sell candles etc. Or to tell people about your son crying and hugging you when you get back from work when you are on a paid gig about mental health. This is something people will always disagree on. I'm of the view that they could have shown not one photo of the children ever since they moved to the US . They needed not to talk in anything other than the most inoffensive banal terms about them. Wasn't needed for any reason other than reasons their parents had.

I agree with you.

One of the things I have great respect for the King is that ive known for decades of his private visits to the country where I live, how he’d even break the fast with people in a mosque just like everyone else and that it was his way of bridging the gap between people of very different backgrounds. He was doing this long before it was fashionable and he was doing it very quietly.

Racist my backside!!!!!!

Youngest was in fits of giggles earlier when she saw these pet toys in a shop. HaM aside, other Royals, and world leaders are available.

Thomas Van Straubenzee is one of Williams oldest friends and is godfather to Princess Charlotte.
I would bet my house there’s no way he is advocating on behalf of Harry.
He is 100% Williams man.
I think William is very very good at choosing friends and inspiring utter loyalty.
I would bet William is a good friend and loyal to the nth degree.
I can’t remember any stories of William not inviting his friends to his wedding -in fact, it was the reverse.
William wouldn’t sell one of his friends down the river to invite someone he never met to one of the most important days of his life.

The VanCutsems have been part of William’s life for all of his life. Edward was 8 years old when he was page boy at Charles & Diana’s wedding. His mother was pregnant with his brother -incidentally also William- who was born in January 1982 and is 6 months older than Prince W. They are very close.
There has never been a whisper of disloyalty from any of William’s inner circle.
They won’t be in any rush to see Harry again.
They will have seen the pain Harry has caused William and Catherine.