King Charles orders Harry and Meghan to be treated like ordinary citizens

[Viviennemary]

Apparently an order has gone out from King Charles saying that Harry and Meghan are to be treated like ordinary citizens as they are not working members of the royal family. That's according to the DM so it must be right. The thought of those two being pleased at being ordinary is too much.

I wonder just how low they will keep their profile and if it's to do with them wishing to be involved in charities. I wouldn't be surprised if they try to set up their own mock royal court.

Me too!

And I am not sure that this is the great PR win that everyone is saying it is.

First of all, as you say Booboobagins,
Harry will always be son of the monarch and then brother of the monarch. He will always be Diana’s son. It’s not factually true that they are ordinary citizens bc Harry can’t escape the circumstances of his birth however much he would like to sometimes.

Second, asking people to treat them as ordinary citizens kind of confirms that they are not, because why would you need to issue a statement in the first place if that was the case? It doesn’t make sense!

Also, it makes Charles look rather snarky towards his own son and the parents of his grandchildren, which is never a good look. Kings should appear to be above such things; especially when they are head of the C of E.

Especially when, imho, if Charles had been really looking out for his son, this situation would never have arisen in the first place. By all accounts there are a lot of tensions between William and Charles too and I can’t help feeling that KC3, being quite insecure, has always been more interested in his own happiness and that of his mistress-now-wife, rather than that of his offspring.

Also, by laying out a statement which is as rigid as this one, it sets out battle lines that simple weren’t there before. If they weren’t worried about a rival court then they wouldn’t have had to issue a statement about it, so it makes BP look rather threatened and weak. Nor does it leave much room for reconciliation.

Finally, it’s a bit silly to be so rigid because Zara Tindall, for example, is not an official working memberr of the royal family, she makes her own money through eventing and sponsorship deals aligned with that, but she can be seen helping out at BP garden parties and she is patron of quite a few charities, so to take an even harder line with your own son seems inappropriate and mean.

Just my opinions!

To get their kids to have a foothold in British society. I dare say they realised that unless their kids go to places like Eton....the boy.....then they wont have created an international network for later in life and will be at a disadvantage. The US just isnt posh enough basically. I imagine they will want their kids to be at the centre of an international elite . And at Eton you get to mix with princes etc . from all sorts of countries . I think they probably think europe has the cultural clout that America lacks. I think Harry wanted them to be brought up with all the traditions he knows. It will be odd later when presumably kate and william's kids and Harry and Meghan's kids will start mixing in the same elite circles. It's a small world where everybody knows everybody else. One would hope they'd get on and not have the same animosity aa the parents. I think H and M are getting a bit too long in the tooth yo set up a rival court. They'll probably just fade away.

I think it’s deliberately firm and unambiguous - releasing it publically it’s intended for three main audiences.

First is the press who have been having a clickbait field day for the last week with their speculation of what the UK return means - this puts a plug in the ‘return to royal duties’ line of speculation.

Second is for anyone who might be under the impression that working or doing a deal with Harry gets you royal approval / UK government approval / any kind of royal adjacent benefit. (Very important considering the mess that is Andrew, and some worrying hints that Harry could be heading into a similar path of being used by politicians / foreign governments and other dodgy interested partners)

Third is to the general public that tax payers will not be funding any of the Sussexes ‘engagements’ and the ball re security is firmly in the hands of the police and not being finagled by the royal family.

I think some are overreacting to this by describing it as snarky. It’s more like “Kevin in accounts has left the organization to pursue other opportunities. We wish him great success in his future endeavors. Please address any questions to our new manager.”

The fact that they wrongly continue to refer to themselves as HRH would suggest that they will indeed by put out by this reminder that they are not working royals

Bloomin hec. I'm guessing Charles must have spoken to them.about it when he met up with them.....in a more informal way..And this is the official version. The only other explanation would be that the palace thinks they will be up to their old trivks again so they need to be put in their place now before it's too late...

IMO they are worse than "commoners"...! Lying scumbags with no shame!

Yes, I said this in my subsequent post at 23:19

"KC3 isn't just a father of two adult men, he's the monarch. In his capacity as the King, he's simply reiterating the terms of the Sandringham agreement ie the HAMS are not working royals, are not able to use HRH, don't qualify for state funded security (unless agreed by RAVEC) etc. And given that statements from the monarch are as rare as rocking horse poo, it seems to me that KC3 has received information which has triggered this statement to be released. It's a
smart move but not 'spiteful' or 'undignified.'

No. So much well deserved negativity is written about them because of their out and out lies and hypocrisy! Dear God - did you not see that hideous Oprah interview? ! Full of provable and obvious lies! I am continually shocked that anyone can defend them in any way after that.

"That's according to the DM so it must be right. " :-) :-). Hilarious.

If true, I'm glad he has said that, it's what they want. Hopefully the media won't intrude on their children and they can settle down here for some of the time.

Signed a wall😂

Your Zara example is interesting because had Harry followed this route I think everyone would be more than happy with it. Working at something you love - making money from it - yes, networking based on those royal connections but not being seen as representing the UK government or being a spokesperson for UK government policy.

She’s a rich, well connected posh person who’s living her best life and enjoying the perks of her extended family.

What she’s not doing is controversial ‘tours’ in foreign countries that force the government to issue guidance that she doesn’t represent them or the Crown. (Columbia, Nigeria, Jamaica)

Make controversial politically loaded statements that cause tension on an already fraught international situation (Ukraine, Gaza, Canadian First Nations)

When Harry was doing all of this at arms length from the UK it was bad enough. But imagine him being pictured at Sandringham having a family weekend with the head of state and then the following week wading into some complicated geopolitical situation - it looks like he’s representing the King’s views and thereby the UK government under the radar.

Now he’s back in the UK and to a point ‘back in the fold’ family wise it needs to be really really clear - especially to foreign interests - that he has absolutely nothing to do with official policy and no influence over the head of state.

Otherwise we will end up with another Andrew/Chinese spy situation.

Harry will always be son of the monarch and then brother of the monarch. He will always be Diana’s son. It’s not factually true that they are ordinary citizens bc Harry can’t escape the circumstances of his birth however much he would like to sometimes.

No one has claimed they are ordinary citizens, they are private citizens at their request, KC is reiterating that request in his statement.

Also, it makes Charles look rather snarky towards his own son and the parents of his grandchildren, which is never a good look. Kings should appear to be above such things; especially when they are head of the C of E.

The statement wasn’t to appease his son, KC was acting as HOS and informing the government, the military and the lieutenants of their position due to the Sussexes promoting themselves as returning to the royal fold.

Also, by laying out a statement which is as rigid as this one, it sets out battle lines that simple weren’t there before. If they weren’t worried about a rival court then they wouldn’t have had to issue a statement about it, so it makes BP look rather threatened and weak. Nor does it leave much room for reconciliation.

There are no battle lines, private citizens cannot form a royal court as much as they may try, the concern from the Palace isn’t about rivalry it’s about being clear that they represent only themselves and no public money should be used for their private endeavours, hence the statement, there is a danger that due to the confusion the Sussexes have caused public funds would be used for their private citizen appearances, to quote Rebecca English:

It comes after sources close to the couple repeatedly briefed select media about plans for their new life back in Britain.

They include a resumption of public engagements with the media invited to attend. Some of the couple's friends have even boasted that Harry has finally secured the 'half-in, half-out' deal he always wanted – with the freedom to mine lucrative commercial opportunities while undertaking limited official duties by the 'back door

And he makes clear that Harry and Meghan's public appearances should not be treated as royal engagements and no public money should be spent on them

Finally, it’s a bit silly to be so rigid because Zara Tindall, for example, is not an official working memberr of the royal family, she makes her own money through eventing and sponsorship deals aligned with that, but she can be seen helping out at BP garden parties and she is patron of quite a few charities, so to take an even harder line with your own son seems inappropriate and mean.

Zara Tindall has no title so the comparison is moot. Harry and Meghan could have done exactly what the Tindalls have done, no one was stopping them, but they wanted the titles and with titles gifted from the monarch there are rules they have to abide by wether they like it or not.

And at Eton you get to mix with princes etc . from all sorts of countries .

M managed that without the likes of Eton 🤷🏽

Also, by laying out a statement which is as rigid as this one, it sets out battle lines that simple weren’t there before. If they weren’t worried about a rival court then they wouldn’t have had to issue a statement about it, so it makes BP look rather threatened and weak. Nor does it leave much room for reconciliation.

It isn’t battle lines. Guide lines maybe. And threatened by a rival court? No. You can’t be threatened by imaginary things. Weak? No. The very opposite in fact.

I agree there isn’t room for reconciliation - that ended with Spare and Oprah.

He could. But I don’t think he would do that. He is the type to believe he should be front and centre and that would be beneath him.

He would not see it as the honour and privilege it is but a slight.

He does not deserve a place.

@wordler Your last two posts explained everything perfectly.

BTW, the Montecito school system is excellent. I'm sure the kids would have received lots of school guidance for high school internships and college preparation.

The Ivy League schools would have taken them since they don't need financial aid regardless of test scores.

In short, the kids had lots of opportunities to make their way in the US.

Finally, it’s a bit silly to be so rigid because Zara Tindall, for example, is not an official working memberr of the royal family, she makes her own money through eventing and sponsorship deals aligned with that, but she can be seen helping out at BP garden parties and she is patron of quite a few charities, so to take an even harder line with your own son seems inappropriate and mean.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'so rigid?' The HAMS, as private citizens, are free to have their own commercial activities and charities. However, the statement is a reminder that they do not represent the crown in any capacity, are not HRH and do not qualify for public funding.

With regard to Zara and Mike Tindall, they are in a different league to the HAMS. They don't court publicity, have close relationships with the senior royals, are loyal to the RF and are discrete. They are also very popular with the public.

The Ivy League schools would have taken them since they don't need financial aid regardless of test scores.

I thought they are broke?

Agreed.

I'm sure Charles would pay for the education of his grandchildren. He funded Harry for much of the first year of Megxit.

EvieBB · Today 01:31
No. So much well deserved negativity is written about them because of their out and out lies and hypocrisy! Dear God - did you not see that hideous Oprah interview? ! Full of provable and obvious lies! I am continually shocked that anyone can defend them in any way after that.
..........
What 'provable and obvious lies' ?

It comes across as very spiteful. I often wonder whether the older royal family members actually truly understand love. They're surrounded by "yes" men and compete with one another. I can't imagine essentially cutting my child off, particularly after they've recompensed in such a large way. Strange family.

This is how I read it too. I don’t see it as an order or trying to put them in their place. The palace is probably getting loads of enquiries asking if they will come and be patrons of a charity or open a new factory etc. He is just clearing things up.