PR disasters thread 33

[BigWillyLittleTodger]

A shiny new thread for September Sussex shenanigans!

My objection to Archie as a name is the (subsequent? contemporaneous?) Archewell branding followed by Lilibet and Lili’s Closet. It’s not naming children, it’s marketing.

Yes

Archetypes, too.

It’s odd!

Yes that was apparently the “narrative “ put out!

OMG, do they really still make Archie comics? I read those back in the stone age when I was a kid.

I can't say much positive about Megsy, but if Archie was her fav she has good taste in comics.

She's much more a Veronica than a Betty, that's for sure.

At least she didn't name him Jughead. Or Moose.

Sorry but of course H&M&A&L will be the most relevant famous family in that school, it's absurd to think otherwise!!

I don't see why - we keep being told how many celebrities, including American ones, have settled in that part of the UK.

Just because others haven't made a lot of noise about it doesn't necessarily mean H&M are the most famous.

sadly ! The wrong way round across …she identified as Betty the more intelligent one …and apparently Archie wasn’t named after the comic!! ( if you believe Meghans own words that is…)

Well yes….there are many famous people who have lived in the area…

They are probably the most infamous but that isn’t a good thing at all!

No ! Definitely not!! , they might win a prize for the most egotistical and freeloading people in the area!!! 🤔

Absolutely! More famous, more wealthy and certainly more successful than H&M!

This is hilarious!! Several of you asserting something absolutely ridiculous because you cannot bear to admit that Harry and Meghan aren't really, really famous.

@bluegreygreen I'm surprised at you, you've always come across as so sensible. Yes American celebrities like Ellen Degeneres have settled in the area. But what celebrities American or otherwise are known across the world as much as Prince Harry? Seriously, I'd love to know.

I'd probably give you Trump, Obama, Messi and Ronaldo, even Taylor Swift and possibly even Harry Styles and David & Victoria Beckham, but none of them are living in the Cotswalds with primary-school-aged children.

If she's a Betty, then I'm Wonder Woman! She's a Veronica if ever there was one!

I think I can believe that Archie wasn't named for the comic. But have they ever said why they chose that name? (Other than 'we just liked it')

I really expected the PR to calm down over they had moved but it is still nonsense. If you are worried about the school run, maybe don't advertise where you have moved to or make a big fuss about your security arrangements. The school photo letter is odd too, since not taking photos is pretty standard even in State schools these days. That letter sounds like Harry insisting on his family being mentioned, again drawing attention to them.

It's hard to avoid the impression that the worst thing they can imagine isn't a security threat but rather it's being left alone with no one caring where they live or go to school.

I’m not sure where you live Lemon but the private schools in the Cotswolds have kids that you may not know of and probably not me, but can assure you there are kids much more politically important than H&Ms.

The sort of kids whose security will be of level similar to PWs. And most of the UK and the world to be fair, really don’t give a shit about H&Ms kids. I don’t think anyone under the age of 30 even knows their names.

There is and have been many famous kids in Cotswolds schools. Off the top of my head, I think Madonna’s daughter was there in the 90s. And loads of royalty from the Middle East, Nepal and Malaysia were schooled there.

Genuinely they are nobodies. Even Princess Di used to go shopping around Cirencester and nobody gave her a second glance. Same as the current PoW who has been seen out and about in supermarkets in the past. PW regularly used to wander around St Andrews and do “normal” things like going to a local cinema when he was a student.

H&M are completely delusional and if they didn’t keep announcing where they were, they could easily fly under the radar.

@LemonDash they are famous because they put out annoucements to the press, and provide content. They even have a press whats app page which is not going to be free forever.

There are many royal children and very mega rich and dc of international film stars attending day school and boarding in tje UK Have been for years. The difference here is they are not monetising their dc

Harry and M have failed. Its embarressing for them. Using the UK as a safety net and piggy bank. Famous by birth and marriage not hard work, talent, good judgement and likeability.

Imagine if Keir Starmer had been married to a Megs:) i doubt he would have got in.

Anyway, H could always heli his dc to and from school, into the heli pad or playing fields. Beats the traffic, no cameras. No need to worry other parents or nannies taking pics ( as if! ) H &M are insufferably self important.

I get the impression that no one in the family was 'allowed' to call their DD Elizabeth as a first name, as no one has and it's a lovely name and an obvious choice.

(In Tudor times for example, in court circles it was extremely common to name your child after the monarch. Eg Mary Boleyn's children were Catherine, Henry and Anne. Katherine Parr was named after Katherine of Aragon who was Queen when she was born. Which just goes to empasise the age difference between her and Henry VIII. Yuck. )

Anyway. I am also surprised that Harry didn't give his DD the first name Diana. I would imagine he and William agreed at some stage that neither of them would but still . . .

So hang on. MM is reported (so have they briefed the press?) as saying she's "terrified" of the school run.

Then...why come back to the UK at all?

Rather than trying to make their point to Ravec, all that does is make people roll their eyes and wish they'd shut up.

Honestly. I'm sure there are people in the UK terrified to leave their houses, sadly. But they'll be people with mental difficulties, those involved in gang culture, those subject to DV and the like.

Not a millionaire jam seller from America who keeps briefing the press and creating fuss over nothing.

Oh, just thought ' terrified of the school run' isnt the same as terrified to go out.

Maybe M has heard all about judgy school runs, being blanked by other mums, the cliche ! Maybe M is reading Mumsnet with a sinking heart.

Get your big girl pants on M. Or send the nanny. Starr your own thread!!!

I don't think there were any restrictions?
They could have called her Elizabeth, or Eliza or Beth? Or even had Elizabeth Diana as two middle names a la Charlotte. No, they went for the most distinctive first name of Lilibet.

She gave an interview in a magazine called "The Cut" in which she said that she could never have her children educated in the UK because they would be hounded by the paps. She said she was being a "good parent" by having them schooled in the USA.

Anyway. I am also surprised that Harry didn't give his DD the first name Diana. I would imagine he and William agreed at some stage that neither of them would but still . . .
@BalloonSlayer

That sounds plausible - I hadn't thought of that, but it would have been the obvious name to call the princes' daughters.

The 2 Sussex children, I'm sure, will choose to be known by different names as they get older. Their names really a reflection of their parents' daft ideas and questionable taste. Lili has Diana, but poor Archie hasn't got a single 'boring, traditional' name to fall back on!

Just a thought, but if the "no photos" letters really are a result of more demands from H&M, doesn't this say something about the way they're likely to carry on once the kids are actually at any school?

While not sharing images of others' children is normal we all already know this, and I'm not sure that this "only backs of heads" stupidity needs any further encouragement

I really hope Meghan will refrain from using the 'Lilibet's Closet' domain name (which she registered some years ago) to merch children's clothing. That would be an unbelievably crass thing to do and would be a nightmare for the poor little girl. My guess is that she's had second thoughts about this, and thank goodness.

It's also not very....British. It might have gone down better in the States, when they were actually popular!

Hopefully HaM will heed this advice themselves. They may be the only parents posting children's photos on their SM.

The idea that HaM and their dc are the most noteworthy, famous, and important people in the Cotswolds is as funny and ridiculous as their whole modus operandi is. It is just as silly as the statement 'due to huge backlash, The Gentlemen role is off' and all their other strange initiatives. It's Southpark all over again, the Cotswolds Privacy Tour. Almost everything they do has that ridiculous, overinflated and hilarious flavour. I suppose this is their brand, living royal caricatures starring in their very own scripted parody. It's an odd and cringeworthy spectacle.

Harry was once a senior royal, but the line of succession has moved on and he has naturally lost his position. He is stubbornly chasing a relevance he no longer has. Having been the spare for so long he likely perceives his own family as the "spare family", ignoring the fact that the actual spare roles have moved on to the Wales kids, as is expected.

The irony is that if they had just stayed calm and kept things classy, they would probably be quite popular today.