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The royal family

Ham pr disasters 39! The Uganda divide…diplomatic necessity vs needless pandering.

1000 replies

jeffgoldblum · 14/09/2026 18:34

Continuing the discussion, still interested, still not bored!

OP posts:
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35
JSMill · 16/09/2026 18:58

MaturingCheeseball · 16/09/2026 18:41

Oh god, the early days of MN, when you spent ages crafting an excellent point only to be ignored in favour of mumsnet royalty who would make the same point (much worse) and then be lauded and - shudder - be waved at by their adoring fans. It was like being at Mallory Towers and stuck in the outer orbit of Darrell Rivers.

I’m glad that wasn’t just me then!

PleasantGreenPorcupine · 16/09/2026 18:58

Spaniels4Eva · 16/09/2026 18:54

I can't help but feel that all of this boils down to the RF not drawing out firm lines when they stepped back as senior royals. It was too vague and H & M have done nothing but take advantage of it ever since. Why are they on the RF website? Why are they still in the LoS and why do their children have titles? All of this should have been dealt with at the time, and now the RF are having their reputation trashed on a daily basis by one cheap Sussex PR stunt after another.

Or how about H&M take responsibility for their own behaviour? I'm really not sure why the RF are to blame in any way here. We're talking about a couple in their 40s with two children. They made the decision to step down and leave. They made the decision to monetise the privacy of the RF and make some unpleasant and frankly nasty accusations about them as well as the institution, the UK, the security services and the judiciary.
Somehow it's the RF who are at fault?.

PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy · 16/09/2026 18:59

Also they are going to have to find new ways to grab the headlines as the serialisation of Earl Spencer’s book has dropped via the Daily Mail.

It’s not looking good for Charles (The King).
He’s going to need some good PR for himself over the next few days.

PleasantGreenPorcupine · 16/09/2026 19:01

PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy · 16/09/2026 18:56

Both Harry and Meghan have reportedly been sighted at Soho house, I expect the horror of Oxford traffic needed some restorative relaxation in a suitably exclusive environment.
So I expect they 1. are here and 2. Have found a way to while away the hours between morning and afternoon school runs.

Oh I suspect they're just thinking about how the RF could be blamed. Or the UK press. Or the police. Or the people who made roads too narrow....🥱

jeffgoldblum · 16/09/2026 19:01

Spaniels4Eva · 16/09/2026 18:54

I can't help but feel that all of this boils down to the RF not drawing out firm lines when they stepped back as senior royals. It was too vague and H & M have done nothing but take advantage of it ever since. Why are they on the RF website? Why are they still in the LoS and why do their children have titles? All of this should have been dealt with at the time, and now the RF are having their reputation trashed on a daily basis by one cheap Sussex PR stunt after another.

I agree with the sentiment Eva , but unfortunately because our monarchy is constitutional, the king can’t just remove them from the los or deny the children their titles ( a letter patent could do that but obviously at the time it would have been a bad idea ) however removing them from the website would be easy and should have been sorted!

OP posts:
PleasantGreenPorcupine · 16/09/2026 19:02

PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy · 16/09/2026 18:59

Also they are going to have to find new ways to grab the headlines as the serialisation of Earl Spencer’s book has dropped via the Daily Mail.

It’s not looking good for Charles (The King).
He’s going to need some good PR for himself over the next few days.

He's faced far worse.

Mylovelygreendress · 16/09/2026 19:04

VintageWithVerve · 16/09/2026 18:12

There has been a distinct deterioration in content, particularly in the previous two thread. This thread dies resemble earlier ones though. Was the recent influx down to name changers? It was a very distinct set of new posters with only a few name changers.

eta - I didn’t mean that the threads were previously closed. It was meant as in numbers.

Edited

Ok , as I am a poster who has posted some Blinds I am going to assume you are making a not too subtle dig at me .
For what it’s worth i don’t care how many people M has shagged but the strong hints that she was connected however loosely to Epstein world IS - in my opinion - of interest .
I added warnings to the posts but if you chose to ignore them that’s up to you .
Also , I have been around for years ( but don’t recognise your name)
Hope that clarifies things .

Rhaidimiddim · 16/09/2026 19:08

jeffgoldblum · 16/09/2026 18:33

Well here’s the thing…with kindness…I don’t recognise your name , to me you are a new poster, now I assume that you have changed your name , I assume that most of the posters I don’t recognise are name changers unless they say otherwise……I don’t personally see a deterioration in content, rather just more variety in opinions .

yes I do recognise some posters regardless of name changes but that is only the ones who have a certain style or those I have posted alongside for many years otherwise 🤷‍♀️.

And it’s important to remember that everyone here on this board or mn itself started as a new poster.

And given the batshittery HAM are pulling on a near-daily basis, it would be surprising if new people didn't want to join in with the WTAF commentary.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 16/09/2026 19:11

Also they are going to have to find new ways to grab the headlines as the serialisation of Earl Spencer’s book has dropped via the Daily Mail

I couldn't begin to say how reliable a narrator Charles Spencer is, @PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy, but in particular I hope the quote "“Rest assured, we’ll forget (Diana) soon enough!” isn't true

Because I can't imagine what it would be like for William and Harry to know their father had said this about their late mum

PleasantGreenPorcupine · 16/09/2026 19:14

Puzzledandpissedoff · 16/09/2026 19:11

Also they are going to have to find new ways to grab the headlines as the serialisation of Earl Spencer’s book has dropped via the Daily Mail

I couldn't begin to say how reliable a narrator Charles Spencer is, @PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy, but in particular I hope the quote "“Rest assured, we’ll forget (Diana) soon enough!” isn't true

Because I can't imagine what it would be like for William and Harry to know their father had said this about their late mum

That would be so cruel. Especially after the years of trying to make things good with his sons.

BasiliskStare · 16/09/2026 19:14

Does it seem a good to have a separate thread about CS's book ( or is there one - sorry haven't checked ) I'm sure there's plenty to talk about which isn't H&M related.

Rhaidimiddim · 16/09/2026 19:14

MargaretThursday · 16/09/2026 18:43

They could be still over in US, they could be here. I suspect over here, but I wouldn't be totally amazed to find they aren't. They could easily be registered with an online school when they could work from anywhere, or they might have a (or more) tutor who travels with them. I doubt their parents have even considered doing it for heaps of reasons, not least that they're far too important and busy to have time.

What information has been put out?

Photo of several cars leaving B'ham airport - could be anyone in there
Various announcements hinting at what school they've chosen - there's enough information for people to make confident guesses, but if you were at one of those schools and you knew they weren't there, you'd just assume that they were at another and guesses were wrong.
"Announcements" from the school in question. These seem to have come from HAM, even if you believe they exist. Again, because the school hasn't been definitely named, no one will bother denying it.
Saying when they're starting school.
Announcement from HAM that everyone loves them and it's all wonderful and they've joined the WhatsApp group
Leaking of the WhatsApp group screenshot - HAM again
A video made to look like it it was filmed here after they'd arrived in the UK in August, but more likely filmed at other times.

They're all things that make it sound right, but don't actually give any true information. They're either clearly desperate for the school to be leaked, or they want to give enough information to make it sound plausible with no actual proof.

There's a few little things as well - Hello reported HAM as having settled Lili into Reception class, obviously coming from HAM. I thought she was 5yo, in which case it should be year 1? Now it is fairly usual ime for those coming over from US to have to drop a year, but I can't see HAM wanting that for their amazing daughter. I'm sure they would see it as infra dig for their dc.
I doubt HAM would know offhand the school starting age was 4yo in September, but often people say "school starting age is 5yo". So if they hadn't actually put them into school, they probably would assume that she'd be going into the youngest form - reception, because they wouldn't have been corrected by someone who knew.

In fact they've done fairly much what I would do if I wanted to lay a trail looking publicly like my dc were in school when they weren't.
I'd probably have added a "back to school" photo. They could have done one with them in cute long woollen coats with just a peek of Archie's shorts showing and long socks from behind which could be generic posh school. Or waving from the window of the car, or after coming out with tie and jumper taken off and messy with paint is perhaps more their style...
And I'd also have placed someone to take a photo of a convoy and put it on a village FB chat. "Anyone know who this is? Not seen this before." Actually send the convoy through and you'd get plenty of "I saw it too", although if it was our local chat the stories would probably have had them robbed the local pub and squashed a cat by lunch time. Safer not really to do so then. 🤣

Very interesting point ( among many) about the Reception class thing.

Choux · 16/09/2026 19:15

PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy · 16/09/2026 18:59

Also they are going to have to find new ways to grab the headlines as the serialisation of Earl Spencer’s book has dropped via the Daily Mail.

It’s not looking good for Charles (The King).
He’s going to need some good PR for himself over the next few days.

The king is apparently doing an engagement tomorrow which is likely to be of significant global interest. No details are available in advance. I think possibly a visit to Ukraine but I am guessing. Harry is doing the spirit of Invictus awards.

Does Spencer have any evidence of the now king saying the things Spencer says he said after Diana’s death?

diddl · 16/09/2026 19:15

I hope the quote "“Rest assured, we’ll forget (Diana) soon enough!” isn't true

To me it hardly even makes sense.

PleasantGreenPorcupine · 16/09/2026 19:15

Choux · 16/09/2026 19:15

The king is apparently doing an engagement tomorrow which is likely to be of significant global interest. No details are available in advance. I think possibly a visit to Ukraine but I am guessing. Harry is doing the spirit of Invictus awards.

Does Spencer have any evidence of the now king saying the things Spencer says he said after Diana’s death?

No, of course not.

PleasantGreenPorcupine · 16/09/2026 19:16

It's just appalling for anyone to profit from this woman's death, and to stir the pot again like this.

SanguineAutumnalCrow · 16/09/2026 19:17

Well, Spencer can say whatever he likes now about (a) his dead sister, who can’t answer back, and (b) the king, who can’t answer back. I said many threads ago, ‘what is Cat Jarman thinking?!’ and I’m not the only academic who knows her obliquely through uni/science circles who thinks she has lost her mind over this man.

IdaGlossop · 16/09/2026 19:18

Puzzledandpissedoff · 16/09/2026 19:11

Also they are going to have to find new ways to grab the headlines as the serialisation of Earl Spencer’s book has dropped via the Daily Mail

I couldn't begin to say how reliable a narrator Charles Spencer is, @PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy, but in particular I hope the quote "“Rest assured, we’ll forget (Diana) soon enough!” isn't true

Because I can't imagine what it would be like for William and Harry to know their father had said this about their late mum

Did Charles Spencer take contemporaneous notes?

I doubt Charles PoW did say that, but all of us have the potential to voice the unforgiveable at times of high emotion. Charles PoW may have said something along the lines of 'The boys have only one chance to walk behind Diana's coffin. I don't want them to regret, in future, that they didn't. The funeral will be behind us and forgotten soon enough.' then Charles S twisted what Charles W had said. (Too many Charleses.)

Typo

PleasantGreenPorcupine · 16/09/2026 19:19

SanguineAutumnalCrow · 16/09/2026 19:17

Well, Spencer can say whatever he likes now about (a) his dead sister, who can’t answer back, and (b) the king, who can’t answer back. I said many threads ago, ‘what is Cat Jarman thinking?!’ and I’m not the only academic who knows her obliquely through uni/science circles who thinks she has lost her mind over this man.

Really? That's interesting. I have read something of hers and did find the marriage surprising.

Mylovelygreendress · 16/09/2026 19:19

BREAKING: In response to Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer claiming King Charles said "we'll forget her soon enough" following her tragic death in 1997, a Palace spokesman said:

‘While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss”

PrivateCitizenTooDimforDiplomacy · 16/09/2026 19:21

BasiliskStare · 16/09/2026 19:14

Does it seem a good to have a separate thread about CS's book ( or is there one - sorry haven't checked ) I'm sure there's plenty to talk about which isn't H&M related.

Yes indeed. I purposely didn’t post a link.
I’m sure there will be a thread soon if there isn’t already.

Rhaidimiddim · 16/09/2026 19:21

jeffgoldblum · 16/09/2026 19:01

I agree with the sentiment Eva , but unfortunately because our monarchy is constitutional, the king can’t just remove them from the los or deny the children their titles ( a letter patent could do that but obviously at the time it would have been a bad idea ) however removing them from the website would be easy and should have been sorted!

And, at the point where it all really kicked off - the OW interview, folks all over the world were believing the nasty racist RF narrative. What looks like underreaction then by the RF then now looks like the right play, as HAM have gone on to reveal the crazy.

AlexandraCarrington · 16/09/2026 19:22

Apparently there is speculation she will accompany Harry on some upcoming Invictus event in the next week or two.

Isn't there anyone at Invictus capable of saying no to her? She has no official role with Invictus yet she pushes herself in and makes it all about her every time.

I would also like to mention that many posters name change, unless they say they are new it’s impossible to know if they are or not!

Yes, I name change quite regularly. So while this is a newish name, I'm not new to MN or to H&M threads - though I hadn't posted for a while before the Great Return because there didn't seem to be anything new happening.

SanguineAutumnalCrow · 16/09/2026 19:22

Mylovelygreendress · 16/09/2026 19:19

BREAKING: In response to Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer claiming King Charles said "we'll forget her soon enough" following her tragic death in 1997, a Palace spokesman said:

‘While we do not comment on books as a matter of principle, His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss”

Oooh. So Charles Rex did bite back.

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