Ham pr disasters 36! The clap backs continue!

[jeffgoldblum]

A continuation of our continuing discussion of our favourite private citizens! 😁

Please stick to Harry and Meghan PR related comments, answering a question about Zara is perfectly reasonable, bringing up every other royal is unrelated to the topic and not answering the question.

Surely you're not implying that they don't know what their mouthpiece says, that would be such a rare occurence! Do we know the name of their mouthpiece? The letter clarifying their position was signed by a real person, not just a 'spokesperson'.

My local pub wrote to the king and asked if he would pull a pint and make an appearance when he was in the area opening a new building.

If they don't make it public then every local pub, library, homeless shelter, cat rescue center, craft cotton mill.........needs to be told individually. To avoid confusion.

This was was easy. H&M do not represent the crown, they are not working royals. Any visits should be treated as visits by private individuals. Do not come to us asking for advice we are busy enough as it is managing the bunch that are under our control.

Apologies in advance. I'm a slow typist and we'll probably be on the next thread by the time I attempt to post this.

Maybe. I don’t think KC comes across as very decisive

Just in general, do you mean? Or in this case in particular. I don't think it's a bad thing to take time to come to an important decision such as releasing this letter. What makes you think he's indecisive as opposed to cautious?

I suspect the statement was a result of the RF getting together at the Balmoral “summit” and everyone got a little carried away.

"Balmoral 'summit'"? I must admit I don't know what this is. Who got carried away and how?

To me the statement legitimises Harry’s position if anything bc they wouldn’t have to publish it in the first place if there wasn’t some ambivalence over his position.

This is the same circular argument that Harry used. Obviously there is some ambivalence about his position - the King isn't going to issue this sort of statement about you or me.
And, yes, Harry is a legitimate son of the King. But that doesn't make him a legitimate working member of the RF with the backing and formalities that that brings, if the King says it doesn't.
It's the old Charles as King Vs Charles as father thing.

This is what happens when you mix entitlement through family succession with a position or role that should be strictly professional, accountable and transparent in 2026.

I think that things are certainly changing rapidly and it hopefully will be a lot easier to keep something strictly "professional, accountable and transparent" as the RF becomes slimmed down. I agree entitlement is a bad thing and that's why Harry has had to be reined in (or reigned over... terrible pun).

Ditto the murkiness over public v private wealth

I'll bow to your greater knowledge on that.

No that’s a proper answer!

I believe the origin of the dispute lies with Harry having consistently said that he always wanted to serve in some capacity and the late Queen or whoever was in charge at that point saying no you have to work for the RF and not earn any extra on the side.

What this meant in reality for Harry was despite being closer to the throne than his uncle and aunts , his accommodation and perks would have been substantially less.

And he would have been the only one not raking in extra in some form or another.

Charles and William have the profits from the Duchies and have no money worries whatsoever.

AMW as we now know was doing all sorts of nefarious deals to benefit his own pocket and was allowed to do this for a decade while representing the UK in an official capacity. This was known about and covered up. He also let out cottages in his grounds.

Sophie and Edward live in a £30 million pound mansion and they let parts of that out too.

To me they are all over privileged and entitled but what Harry has done has exposed the hypocrisy of all of them telling him he has to live within the rules, because (had he stayed a working member) it wouldn’t have cost any of them except him to do so!

I googled magic millions. It looks like a horse related something. So if Zara is making money from its one could argue that her Olympic medal makes her more of a draw than her uncle.

But back to PR. Obviously the Phillips/Tindal PR machine worked far better than the Sussex one as Zara is able to have a happy life, successful career, make money AND occasionally help the family out when they are short of a relative to represent them without it getting everyone's knickers in a twist. While Harry and Meghan seem to put every nose they find out of joint and cause a series of PR disasters.

No one wants Harry to 'serve' in any capacity at all. He's a drug user with mental health problems who has clearly made his contempt for 'the Institution' known to anyone who would listen. He's indiscreet, inappropriate and a liability to himself and others. Moreover his wife hates the 'Institution' even more than he does and has no fondness for the British people. They are both completely unfit to 'serve' . In addition is always in their own interests.

They are all parasites living off the public purse, but at least the working members have the sense not to air their dirty laundry and actually try and do some good for the country.

I think Project Thaw may have worked if H&M had taken things very slowly, but this sudden move, and the preceding spat over rooms.at Buckingham Palace during the summer and the extraordinary statement after the court case loss has absolutely blown it out of the water.

There wasn't a 'Balmoral summit' @LaMarschallin.

Harry announced his return while the rest of the family were at Balmoral for their annual holiday, so one of the papers decided to say they were having a 'summit' to discuss it.

why on earth would anyone include H in Ukraine charity gig? Such a terrible look for any organisation

Absolutely agree! In which case, why did the RF not allow the same for Harry? Could it be he was too close to the throne and it would show up what all the rest of them were doing?

Meghan failed to realise that those A list celebrities have done something, other than being born, to accumulate their phenominal wealth. I doubt she understood that the wealth of the Crown is not all their personal money box, the late Queen could not sell off the majority of what's seen, eg King Edward's crown and the coronation regalia, she lived her life in a fairly frugal way for someone in her position.

When has Zara ever officially represented the RF though? She doesn't do official engagements, she doesn't have honorary military posts, she doesn't go on royal tours. She doesn't do/have any of the things Harry wants.

Harry and Meghan want to waft around making pronouncements and word salad speeches in fancy uniforms and designer clothes with someone else doing the grunt work and picking up the bill.

The palace have announced they won’t be doing the work or picking up the bills so if a charity thinks they’re worth it, go ahead, but they will find out the costs are very high, the planning chaotic and the organising very time consuming for very little in return.

All charities, hospitals and organisations now know the score

Ah.
Thanks, bluegreygreen
I thought as much but am always ready to be corrected.

Before his meeting with his current wife he was an asset to Invictus and he was admired for his involvement and dedication to those injured in serving the country. His current wife simply saw it as yet another gurning/money-making opportunity and he is so under her thumb that he underwent a 180 degree personality change.

She hasn't - she was never a working royal. That's the difference.

She helped out at family events, such as the garden parties.

At Ascot, she has a recognised role as a well known equestrian.

I don't know about the state dinner in Australia, but as long-time patron for Magic Millions she could well have been attending representing them, as business leaders and charity representatives usually do attend state banquets.

Because the event and therefore the charity has now received a considerable amount of free publicity. I wonder when H will realise that hisrole in life now is just clickbait. He believes he's some sort
of independent world statesman but he is infact simply free advertising for others.who are actually doing something.

Zara is a skilled equestrian and well respected in the equestrian world. It would be surprising if a sportswoman who had reached the top of her sport were not invited to speak on her sport.

Harry has no comparable achievement.

He didn’t make a 180 degree personality change. He just didn’t have the machinery of the palace hiding his personality.

Unless you have solid proof of Harry being addicted to drugs now then I think that statement could be potentially libellous?

Not to mention being pretty nasty about anyone with a mh problem which may, or may not, affect their ability to do a job.

They are all parasites living off the public purse, but at least the working members have the sense not to air their dirty laundry and do some good for the country

That’s a pretty low bar isn’t it? And reminiscent of the royal family’s own attitude which seems to be “anything goes” as long as the public don’t find out about it eg the decade long activities of AMW.

I don’t dispute that they do some good things for the country but as the tax payer is funding them, why is it necessary to live so lavishly with Charles having access to about sixteen residences I believe. It’s all too much! Why can’t Sophie and Edward downsize and live within the Windsor estate for example? Presumably that would save a massive security bill which would save money from the public purse?

So if they ask to visit a hospital with a press pack for photo ops what's the score.

The difference also with Zara is she has never afaik said anything about the laws or the president of another country, lectured anyone about online safety and what should be done about it and so on and so forth. She might appear at a State banquet, but it is clear that she is not there to represent the HoS. She does not seek to wear uniforms that she is not entitled to wear (eg Harry at the Queen’s funeral and yes, AMW). Nor does she expect
24/7 Met security

I understand it is free publicity for a charity/ event etc having Harry rock up but he's now speaking out about the King and blaming him for Uganda stepping back from Ingruftus. Not a good look. H needs to rein it in as these organisations may pull away too

The statement was probably as a result of organisations contacting BP for clarification of H and M's position and as such was addressed to those who may want to engage with them. It didn't need to be passed by H at all, it's akin to a person applying for a job and expecting to have a say about what's in their reference or testemonial.