I still can’t tell if this Prince Harry story is going to have larger repercussions in the days, weeks and months ahead. Out here in the cheap seats, Harry’s Newsweek interview feels like a game-changer, and not in a good way. If only the Kensington Palace press secretary, Poor, Poor Jason, hadn’t been working so hard to ensure that the Duchess of Cambridge do two events a month by bribing her with new jewelry. If only Poor Jason had sat down with Harry and said, “You know you’re not supposed to say anything that makes you sound like an entitled jackass, right?” But it’s not Poor Jason’s fault, really. And that’s what upsets me, as someone who has always prefered Prince Harry to his brother and sister-in-law. Harry was the one with his mother’s charm and heart. As it turns out, Harry and William have more in common than I ever believed: they both believe that they are the most put-upon people in the world and both brothers harbor deep resentments about their privileged lives. They both have fetishes for “normalcy,” or living “ordinary” lives. They literally have no idea what is ordinary or normal, but that doesn’t stop them from nursing grudges about their sad, privileged lives.
So, it’s been days and royal courtiers haven’t said much of anything. I don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes, but it seems like someone (who?) thought it would be a good idea for Harry to get the hell out of Dodge. Dodge, in this case, being Harry’s taxpayer-funded cottage on the Kensington Palace grounds. Harry seemingly dropped everything to fly off to Malawi. He left England on Friday (?) and he’s staying in a luxurious glamping camp at the Liwonde National Park. My guess is that he traveled with taxpayer-funded security too.
Prince Harry escaped a storm over his revelation that no royal wants the throne by jetting off on a ten-day safari. Harry is staying in £350-a-night luxury at a camp in southern Africa, where he will help care for elephants.
Harry, 32, has gone to Malawi without girlfriend Meghan Markle. He is staying at Mvuu Camp, where prices range from £205 to £350 a night. He has returned after last year for the second phase of a project to move elephants from an overpopulated area to one where they had been wiped out.
In his chat with Newsweek he said: “The monarchy is a force for good and we want to carry on the positive atmosphere the Queen has achieved for over 60 years, but we won’t be trying to fill her boots. We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people.”
Yet his break this week meant he missed Royal Ascot and did no engagements.
As I so often think when I’m covering William and Kate, I now have to wonder about Harry: WHO IS ADVISING YOU? Who is telling you that the best thing to do, at this very moment, is hopping a jet for a glamping adventure in Malawi? I mean no disrespect to the elephants, who absolutely need help. But as many of you have pointed out, Harry and William both like to see themselves as white-savior neo-colonial types in Africa, and this “let’s protect the elephants” thing is not the big, sympathetic cause they believe it is. They both look like they’re too eager to drop everything to run off to Africa at a moment’s notice, especially when it involves A) Jecca Craig or B) not having to take the heat for another PR gaffe.
Anyway, I would be interesting in learning if this trip had been scheduled for a while, or if it was a situation where Harry was told to get out of town for a few weeks while the Newsweek controversy blew over. Either way, I would be very surprised if the controversy did blow over by the time Harry returned.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.
I wonder if Kate and Wills are secretly enjoying this because who would have thought it but he actually looks worse than them now…quite unbelievable.
IMO they fully support his views and don’t understand the backlash. Birds of a feather.
For them normalcy = is living the life of the 1% without any of the RF’s duties.
Life of the 0.0001%
I doubt it. Honestly all of them would love to just have the perks and do none of the responsibilities.
I think his interview was interpreted in such a negative way. I didn’t get entitlement I got a man who understands that being king isn’t going to be a cushy easy job and that it’s the toughest position to be in within the royal family. Also I didn’t take his comments on normalcy to be fetishizing or being unaware of his privileges, but a desire to retain the sense of being grounded that his mother instilled in him. I really don’t understand why others had such a bad interpretation.
Harry isn’t going to be king, though. Secondary player with a lot of leeway.
Now is not the time for the rich and famous to be questioning their lot, valid as their opinions may or may not be.
Harry misread the public mood, big time. The writer did him no favors, either. But ultimately he is responsible for what he says.
Sticking to various versions of “….regardless of my personal situation at any given time, I am honored and privileged to serve my country” is the only route to go these days.
He did misread the public mood. And more importantly, as I say below, he demonstrated a total ignorance of the state the country is in. This is not acceptable. It’s not about HARRY, it’s about what he is supposed to represent.
This.
We dont know if potential King Henry wont happen – only time will tell.
If ever a.time to fire Poor JaAon. This is it. All the work of Prince Harry ELF is being pushed under the bus to build lazt whiny willnot and cannot.
The fact that he misinterpreted the public mood shows how much he is sheltered and clueless. No matter how “down to earth” a Royal can be, he will never really know what it is like for anyone who is poor, working class, or middle class at this moment in time. No way to purchase a home, pay off student loan debt, have health insurance (at least in the USA). People today are lacking basic needs and comforts that should be available to people living in the richest countries in the world. And here comes someone born into immense wealth and privilege whose only job is to show up for photo ops and shake hands, and he complains? Nope, nope, nope. The Royals should spend a month living in a housing project or given a budget of $4,000 (and that is being generous) for rent, food, and expenses in London. See how well they do if they don’t kill themselves before the end of the month.
I agree. I almost feel like the interview Confirms the point that he was trying to make..because in his role, anything he said can be misconstrued or interpreted differently..so it is going to be a tough job. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes either..because no matter what, not everyone is always going to love you. It’s like having to spend the rest of your life walking on eggshells..
Or don’t give interviews where you discuss your private life.
Yes, words will always be interpreted differently. But action or lack thereof speak louder than words. It isn’t only what he says. In this case it’s about what he does (luxury trips with security paid for, at least, this trip here not being the first), a bit of work for the Sentabale I think it’s called like this, and one really good deed in my opinion which is the Invictus Games. The backlash regarding the interview was based on a larger set of circumstances. They should be out and about working all the time. They would be criticized no matter what but at least please show genuine interest and meaningful work. We have no idea what happens behind closed doors. I do not believe for a minute that either of them researches about their causes. They may read a little bit but then you see Chutney doing small talk. They receive already processed information from the charities but they still remain ignorant at large. They should go back to school or have some courses prepared for them in development, sociology, gender violence, and I could go on. Let me see them in a panel discussing relevant issues, not pre-recorded videos.
How much work has Harry done this year?? Less than 50 engagements, I would bet, and a bit of his charity work. Sentable and the Invictus Games take a few weeks a year. No job. A girlfriend who he goes to see halfway around the world. Who pays for that? A trip to Norway with his girlfriend. Who pays for that? A trip to Jamaica for a wedding, and a “vacation” from his terribly stressful life. Who pays for that?
When people are losing healthcare, when the wealthy are getting even more in tax cuts, when buildings aren’t inspected and people burn to death in fires, when people in the streets are getting blown up or run over, and someone who has done nothing himself to earn his privilege whines about it?? The peasants are sharpening their pitchforks. Harry is Ivanka with red hair.
See Tominey’s take on of his interview(s).
http://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/camilla-tominey/821078/Prince-Harry-royal-family-Queen-Diana-William-Meghan-Markle
I often give the Express lots of shade, (but it is good reading to understand what is being planned for us for this Brexit thing…..) and here as usual, Tominey gives a calm assessment on Harry’s comments.
She wants more confessionals from the younger royals because it’s good for the gossip biz. I understand it’s good for her. Whether it’s good for them or the country is open to debate.
Camilla has been a professional royal apologist since she was given exclusive view of the babies. Complete 180.
Doesn’t mean that she’s never right, BUT you have to remember that anything she writes is apologetic explaining and excuses for WHK since that meeting. She will never ever offer up a critical view unless access to the babies is cut off.
She was once wrote a sanctioned article that said working parents are bad for working and William was an abandoned child in the nursery in aid of deflecting William workshy headlines.
She didn’t go anywhere near the “We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people” quote. That’s potentially toxic, and Tominey knows it.
I agree with you LuLu.
I was going to say the same thing @Lulu. An interested to read the other comments!
Same here. And I give him a lot of credit for speaking out about the issues hes deal th with regarding the loss of his mom.
Being King is cushy!
vastly compensated with great wealth and perks from the people. The Monarchy is all for show to be seen- while in a lap of great luxury, entitlement, massive land grab, jewels palaces and mansion – that most anyone else need to work at.
Same. I don’t get the outrage tbh.
agreed….let the guy talk. if u ask me, its a masterstroke of PR genius in this age of over-sharing and social media. this is a backlash against weakness and vulnerability. I for one truly hate those attitudes because its akin to saying “shut up and deal with it Harry you big baby”. Not great for people struggling with mental illness or who are borderline suicidal. Just keep talking harry and do NOT listen to the haters. (stodgy, old-guard brits who are uncomfortable with ‘icky’ emotions). time to grow up people and acknowledge that emotions (and sharing) are an intricate part of the human condition. It truly reminds me how far we still have to go as a society that these poor “kids” can’t share the grief of their mother’s death! I think its pretty disgusting and I also think this is the sublime and canny evolution of the Monarchy with an end goal of remaining relevant. it makes the old guard uncomfortable . but mark my words……just watch this become the new “norm”.
Harry can talk to a psychologist about his grief, although I don’t care how much he talks about it to the media. There are two different issues here. As long as he shows up to do work, doesn’t whine about how tough his life is and pays for the tremendous monies he gets from the British taxpayer by giving back to the country, he is good to go. He seems to not understand the populist mood sweeping western nations right now.
Charm and heart…I don’t think either of her sons inherited much of that, sad to say.
The telegraph have a story that Harry admitted he nearly abdicated once in favour of a ‘normal’ (ie still loaded and incredibly privileged) life but stayed on for the sake of the Queen. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/25/prince-harry-almost-abandoned-royal-duties-stayed-queen/
It makes me wonder if the threat of abdication is the big stick Harry and William both use to get their own way and to do exactly as they please – in both cases very little. I wouldn’t put it past them, William strikes me as being manipulative and Harry seems to follow whatever he does. I’ve been saying for ages that I think William particularly is holding out until the Queen passes – and then he may indeed abdicate with whatever she has put to one side for him. The thought of Harry following him must fill the firm with utmost dread and would ensure everyone walks on eggshells around them. As for Harry going away on a ten day Safari I don’t think it will make anything blow over, I do think it will make a lot more people ask whose paying for it, which can only be a good thing given the access this lot have to public funds that are basically unaccounted for. I’m sure we could do better with the £300 million a year they are costing, like sorting out the Cladding on a few Tower Blocks to ensure people don’t get burnt to death for a start….
KP PR clearly commissioned the writer of original article to write a second article in the DM, as an exclusive, explaining intent of first article in an effort at damage control.
This is the basis of secondary articles saying he nearly quit being royal.
If KP AND the author need to explain intent, then they are all very bad at their jobs because that original interview had several bad points (or expressed his thoughts poorly) and made him look bad, intentionally or unintentionally.
That the whole country is a tinderbox right now seems to have entirely escaped him. Brexit vs Remain. Austerity vs anti-austerity. Terror attacks feeding the far right. Unsafe tower blocks burning down and being evacuated, feeding the belief that cities are being socially cleansed. A minority government. Deals that might threaten the GFA. The list is bloody endless. Riots are a distinct possibility.
If the royals are for ANYTHING, they are for stability. That’s the entire point of them. An institution above politics projecting stability, and a calming force.
The fallout from this interview isn’t really about Harry and whether he is entitled or not. Or about whether it’s time for Britain to ditch being a constitutional monarchy or not. It’s about the total lack of understanding that giving an interview to an AMERICAN outlet intimating, whether deliberately or not, that the monarchy ISN’T a symbol of stability, is the worst possible move for this institution at a time when the country is more unstable than it has ever been since WWII.
The state Britain is in at the moment – the worst thing a royal could possibly do is give THIS interview to an AMERICAN outlet. The idiocy of it is quite staggering.
THIS. This is the crux of the matter.
Its not about Harry himself. It’s about the social covenant between institutions and the people they serve. Which are badly frayed throughout the US and U.K. these days.
An exclusive to an American magazine was defintely not a good idea. But since the process was in train for several months, somebody at KP should have asked the foresight to insist that the publication hold the interview until further notice. But this would have had to be done from probably around April. And we didnt know then that we would have had a cock-up election, a terrible fire, major incidents in London, Manchester etc . Sigh.
I guess there is never a good time for these sorts of soul baring interviews 🙁
Beammeupscottie: regardless of when interview was given, they would have received notification of projected publication date/ issue.
Considering past examples of royal machine taking down unfavourable articles or blocking unfavourable documentaries as close as eve of publication/ transmission date, they could have told the publication to hold it for a future date or remove it entirely.
As they felt the need to release interview notes to explain intent of original interview, it’s clear that THEY, meaning KP, Harry and author thought it was OK despite the events of the past month especially last week.
Hey Sixer,
You say that the worse thing a royal could do right now was give that interview to an American outlet. Your meaning is obvious to commentators from England, but it’s going right over my (haven’t had my coffee yet) American head. Could you expand? Is it because Harry gave an exclusive to a magazine that wasn’t British, sort of like airing dirty laundry outside the family? Is it because of bad will toward America right now, given our lousy excuse for a leader? Is it both or something else entirely?
@Lak, You make a valid point.
As I have said in previous threads, I am personally not offended by the articles but I can appreciate the view that they are seen to reflect a tone deaf problem.
Sixer, your commentary is always cogent and insightful, but never more than this summary. Thank you.
Nona – nothing to do with any of that. Stateside, the BRF is a diverting soap opera, a subject for celebrity gossip. Nothing wrong with that – not your institutional arrangements and you guys take from it what is interesting to YOU.
But in the UK, the BRF has an actual function. And that is to act as a stabilising institution. So, at a time of great instability, you don’t go giving celebrity interviews to non-UK outlets and create a media furore adding to that instability. You get on with your job, which is trying to provide the community glue that keeps a society together through upheavals.
This interview goes against every grain of the constitutional pact we have here. The space for royals to indulge themselves in navel-gazing is when the country is settled and secure. Not when the whole place is divided, conflicted and, as I said above, a tinderbox waiting to go up. You don’t ADD to it: you ameliorate it.
That Harry seems entirely ignorant of ANY of this is truly, truly staggering.
@Sixer – as an American watching all this and trying to get my arms around UK and European politics, your take sounds very right. When I said a few weeks ago that maybe Harry would prefer to use Markle’s status as divorced, American, blah blah blah in order to take himself out of the line of succession and (unspoken but obvious: just enjoy his money and freedom) now I figure I wasn’t so far off the mark. I also opined at one point that no engagement had been announced yet because of the upcoming election and BREXIT negotiations. Of course, if they wait for BREXIT to be resolved they could wait another five years. . . But I did feel that a big splashy royal wedding with carriages and enormous privilege on display while far-left and deeply republican Corbyn possibly inched toward Downing Street, it wasn’t a great time for it – hence the temptation of throwing it all in and doing what he wants and marrying who he wants when he wants as someone who was giving up monies from the Sovereign Grant. After all, he’d still be HRH Prince Harry, but he’d owe the family, the monarchy, the country, much much less. But maybe, like his Aunt Margaret a couple of generations ago, he realized that he’d still be giving up too much.
Harry says the country/world still needs the monarchy? I wonder. I doubt they actually “need” it, but I am guessing they probably still want it. And as I asked in another post, what sort of monarchy, and if anyone can become royal by marrying in it, what is the source of its royal-ness?
Britain is suffering these days, going through a difficult period, it seems to me – I am guessing a lot of chickens the government tried to ignore on several different fronts are coming home to roost (one thing I’ve noticed: governments never fix things of their own volition – they only respond reactively to pressure from the ground up). Any young child losing a mother in such horribly public fashion deserves sympathy, no matter how rich, but by now Harry is sounding self-absorbed and seemingly oblivious to what is going on in his own country.
The monarchy is the least of UK’s problems right now.
Sixer: Ah … Thank you! Makes sense now. It explains why some Americans on this site are kind of scratching our heads and saying, “But he’s only pointing out that it’s a tough job.” And the British are saying, “Your job is to be there when things are tough.” He’s let you all down. I can see that.
@Sixer (again) – as one btl poster put it on The Guardian which ran a piece on Harry’s “I almost gave it all up” interview, (OK, it IS The Guardian): “The luxury holidays, private jets, servants and endless supply of beautiful women are ok, but the ceremonial bits are a drag.”
@Sixer – whoop there it is. It just shows how tone deaf the younger lot of Royals are.
Dodgy, Seeit:
I watched all of the daft soap opera that was The Crown. The interesting bit from it here is Her Maj as a child being educated on the (unwritten) constitution and how she could act in a destabilising crisis to provide a bridge back to stability without ever taking a partisan political side. To me, this interview is proof positive that no such education has ever been given to either William or Harry. And they both need a crash course. Like, starting yesterday.
Sixer you really summed that up well! All these recent tragedies make me incredibly sad and angry at the current state of the country. Going to Africa is Harry’s idea of normalcy but its massively insensitive and out of touch – especially to those people now getting evacuated from their flammable building blocks! I don’t get why Harry did an interview with a US magazine – what did he or the royal family have to gain from it and why suck up to the US?
Seeittellsit: Kinda like this earlier situation….
TPTB: do you Margaret take this man, the professed love of your life, but doing so demotes you to commoner, no royal privileges, and you have to go live a commoner life?
Margaret: when you put it like that, nope!
Bravo, Sixer. You said it all.
Totally agree!
Potential King Henry played right into the hands – whiny ‘Throne Idle’ willnot cannot middletons – who wanted to shame take away his and Meghan popularity, and hardworking build up.
LAK and Sixer for Parliament! Wait. No, I actually like them 🙂
Absolutely, all of this. And you know what, if I were HM I would be well and truly naffed off. She has walked a very tricky path for the past month and not put a foot wrong. Visiting the children’s hospital in Manchester and bonding over Ariana Grande’s singing voice. Going to Grenfell Tower the day after the fire, showing up May and looking like the ultimate stateswoman that she is. Wearing that utterly fabulous hat to the State Opening of Parliament. (She knew very, very well what it meant).
And then Harry, of all people, has to go and cock it up? No wonder he’s gone to Africa.
Sixer – honest question. I’ll be backpacking through the UK and Ireland in August. Can things honestly spiral out of control? My one consolation is that I’ll spend only one night in London, but I will visit other major cities. The attacks alone have made me rethink this trip in terms of monetary loss.
Well yeah, I wouldn’t argue about the point of the interview, by now we can’t expect anything BUT a complete cock up by KP PR, it seems to be the one thing they truly specialise in AND the timing is truly horrible. BUT if you’re a Republican it’s all good, useful, stuff, anything that makes the public in general look at this lot and question their validity is a good thing so thank you Harry for adding to the general fustercluckup that is the BRF 🙂
Even so I still think that if they want a threat to get their own way all the time, both Harry and William, abdication would be the one to do it. Self serving as they are it’s good for them, but as Sixer points out, bad for the rest of us, we don’t need instability we need these Herberts to put up, shut up and do the bloody job we are paying them for, not to dissolve in a puddle of self indulgence about how utterly horrid their lives are and why it’s all such a ghastly nightmare that they undertake only for the rest of us. You’re dead right Sixer, his stupidity is showing – big time.
Just wanted to gold star 🌟use of the word ‘ghastly’.
It always makes me giggle. Evelyn Waugh ‘Vile Bodies’ territory.
LAK Well spotted that women, I was parodying at that point and thanks for the gold star, I shall treasure it always 🙂
“we don’t need instability we need these Herberts to put up, shut up and do the bloody job we are paying them for, not to dissolve in a puddle of self indulgence about how utterly horrid their lives are and why it’s all such a ghastly nightmare that they undertake only for the rest of us”
Exactly, Frisbee. A complete abdication – pun intended – of his job at a time like this.
And LAK – sorry if I shouted at you the other day. Just another example of how on edge we all are at the moment. Mea maxima.
Sixer: Apology accepted. For what it’s worth, i’m not blind to our shortcomings. I am very frustrated by May who needs to go, and a whole host of issues that keep getting passed along. We are probably closer in thought than you think.
The entire situation has me so pissed off at venality and cost cutting officialdom, but the first response has to be helping the victims.
LAK – thanks. It’s a funny confluence. At present, I would vote for any politician – including those of the one nation style centre right – who understood that public services are stabilising forces in a market economy, just as the BRF is (or should be) a stabilising force in our political economy.
Also for what it’s worth – I don’t see Grenfell as a party political issue per se. It’s not about the “evil Tories” so much as it is about the marketisation of public services, which has led to their erosion and a lack of accountability or ability to respond when that erosion leads to an entirely foreseeable crisis. New Labour was as committed to marketisation as the Tories.
I was a eurosceptic Remain voter. At present, I have reservations about Corbyn but I’ll support his agenda to return public services to their stabilising function. But if I was being asked to choose between a New Labour leader who wanted to continue with marketisation and a one nation Tory who didn’t, I’d choose the Tory. (And that kinda sticks in my craw, the thought of voting Tory!)
Hahaha. I read Vile Bodies not too long ago. Liked it a lot too. Savage!
And I agree with all of you.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/what-beef-has-prince-harry-got-with-his-dad-prince-charles
http://www.thedailybeast.com/britain-has-never-needed-the-queen-more-than-it-does-now?source=twitter&via=desktop
@LAK and Sixer: I think we (sensible people) will need each other a great deal going forward. I am probably more along your lines of thinking when it comes to politics, LAK, but I swallowed hard and voted for Labour the last election. For me, the gating item now is Brexit. I would vote for any politician who promised a softer Brexit (or no Brexit at all) over a harder one.
@Frisbee – I too think that William is waiting for TQ to pass before making his end move which is to walk away from the throne. TBH from these recent interview i could see the throne passing to Chucks siblings after his sons both turn it down. Question is who – I suspect it will end up with Edward and his family. Anne would take it but none of her kids would, the people and gov wouldn’t support Andrew, so that leave Edward as the only viable option.
Recently I have thought that there will be a crisis with the BRF when TQ passes. IF Harry takes the throne it will be very very reluctantly and only to honour his grand parents.
Harry could lay low in the UK at no extra cost…going to Malawi for 10 days helping elephants would be many people’s idea of a dream holiday. It is really bad optics to be going on a luxury glamping trip in Malawi with everything going on in the UK atm and especially following his recent article where he showed how out of touch he is.
Ha, he IS laying low when he is in the UK, like A LOT.
Yes Alyse, considering this is his third luxury vacation in 6 months, not including trips to Toronto, the optics are incredibly bad.
I agree!
These comnents show the opposite of what we heard of his telationship witb his dad ; and more read like whiny bill in Prince harrys head. In fact the photo on tbe Queens balcony vut a sad lonely look for the Wales and those lazy biml middleton and kids.
The comments scream more whiny and waity disrespect to his fathet Prince Charles, not Harry. He needs to return to KP and show some quite determination and strength. Are we sure he left on a trip ( at this time for GB…)
Potential King Henry need to be seen at a charity or visit Monday- no hufing.
I guess I still have my honk for Harry blinders on. Were they ridiculously spoiled? Of course. Yes they had access to the best education money could buy, but we also know Harry is dyslexic, and dyslexia often co-presents with ADD/HD. That kind of kid isn’t known for preferring books to hands on. He loved the army because it wasn’t sitting behind a desk, and when it was to become that I understand him leaving, I even understand him being upset about it.
I do think he’s been enabled all his life, just like the rest of the family, especially big brother. I do think he’s gotten some very bad advice, and he doesn’t look great, but I think he was trying to speak his feelings, however ineloquently.
My vote is, this trip was planned, not hastily thrown together, but since I’m obviously given to cutting tons of slack, who knows.
The trip may have been planned months in advance. This is how things work. Regarding the dyslexia or ADD/HD I must confess my ignorance on the matter and its treatment, as well as his particular case. But there must be treatment available and they have access to the best care money can buy. Even if he could not overcome it fully, continue work in the army or in another domain where he could perform successfully. Showing up a few times a year using the RF image is not enough.
Harry never overcame his LD entirely. Harry admitted in an army interview (at the time he was taking a helicopter exam or something like it), that when taking exams, he would typically “know” everything, but would flunk the exam anyway. He said it was always that way for him in school, since “day one”. It would be difficult being a public figure and having these sort of problems.
As with all disorders and illnesses, the sooner they catch it, the better for treatment in the long term if it is treatable.
Beatrice’s dyslexia was caught before her 12th birthday and she started treatment immediately. She is now patron of the centre that helped treat her.https://www.helenarkell.org.uk
Harry wasn’t so lucky. He was diagnosed in his 17th year. It’s harder to treat the older the sufferer is. It’s unclear how much treatment he has received because he doesn’t talk about it directly, but hints at difficulties.
Lak, I remember Diana coming to America trying to find a specialist for Harry’s problems. She knew he had difficulties, and felt the US could provide the most advanced help. Then she died, and he wasn’t properly diagnosed until much later. PC, of course, was busy with work and his beloved Camilla. As a second son, Harry was not the primary concern after his mum died. Harry has admitted that he acted out, he wanted to be a bad boy, but if you are flunking everything because you cannot do the work, you become the class clown. Classic.
My nephew is dyslexic. My sister changed the focus of her teaching career to learn how to help him, and even with a dedicated parent who is highly trained, it is a daily struggle. By the time interventions could have been put in place for Harry, so much learning had been lost.
+100
Being ADHD and dyslexic don’t make you a spoiled, insensitive, entitled clod, however. That Harry did all on his own.
Becoming a spoiled, insensitive, entitled clod does not happen in a vacuum. He and his brother were given preference and wealth, without structure or discipline. Their father was so AWOL as a parent, emotionally as well as physically, it’s been said Chaz deferred any verbal bollockings the boys were in line for to his staff. The man is widely described as self-centered by staffers and frequently indulges in “poor me” bemoaning. In that, I would posit that the sons *are* a mirror of the father.
Charles was not an engaged parent. If he had been, he would have followed through on trying to get Harry help for his Dyslexia and ADHD. He could have pulled his head out of his own ego, and consulted with his brother Andrew, who had a child going through the exact same thing. Charles chose to ignore it.
He also chose to throw his sons under the bus to make himself and Camilla look good, more than once.
As for Harry’s going public, I could see him not quite thinking that through with the interview, and not foreseeing how that would play. This has been his downfall before with other interviews. Lady Colin Campbell put it pretty succinctly in that quote in the Daily Beast article ( http://www.thedailybeast.com/what-beef-has-prince-harry-got-with-his-dad-prince-charles ).
What would be helpful to Harry, is to get his own PR team, preferably one with brains. Every time I hear laments about “Poor Jason” I cringe. The man has one flipping job, and he screws it up on the regular. Poor Jason nothing; I’m beginning to wonder if the man isn’t a closet Republican. A PR handler can be the saving of a brand or the destruction of it. Everything Jason touches turns to excrement. It’s a shame Her Maj’s staff don’t suggest someone who would be capable of steering the KP squad with a firmer hand on the tiller. It’s a greater shame if the KP squad refuse to accept such direly-needed help.
Don’t you even go blaming this on his pr team! They do what they can with the mess they have, that is to say lazy, entitled brats. And they’re the ones who manage to successfully trick people into believing Harry has changed from his partying, Nazi costume wearing, racial swearing, army bragging days after the Las Vegas debacle. But nothing has changed. Harry not entitled as William? In which planet? Have you seen the folks he associates with? Guy Pelly, Thomas von Sraubenzee and co. Same old trust fund babies. That is what he sees as normal.
Harry was never all that anyway, he only looks good because he’s compared to his brother. Compare him to Anne or even Sophie and he’s a laughing stock.
I think Harry and William’s guy friends work. I don’t know how successful they are, but they have all graduated from university, and work in something. Van Straubenzee has his own high end real estate business. His ex Melissa Percy has a small outdoor clothing business. Pelly has an ownership interest in pub(s). Pelly married heiress Lizzy Wilson, and they just had a baby. They’ll inherit something, of course many have trust funds.
Wait… are you telling me a royal is out-of-touch, snobbish and entitled? And is flying off on vacation because it suits him and he wants to?? GASP!!
I know! I am clutching my pearls and passing the smelling salts 😅😅
I feel like everybody has a right to complain about their job, no matter how “great” it is. Imagine never being able to have a moment of privacy unless you are in your own home. Never knowing if someone is dating you or friends with you for the right reasons, or just because you are who you are. Always having to keep watching to see if anyone is videotaping you to sell to the tabloids. Yes, the perks are great, they’ll never be broke but there are other sacrifices they have to make. Just be you complain does not mean you are not grateful, but everything has it’s downside as well.
Complain to your friends, not to the public you serve.
Exactly.
Out of curiosity, what would rather he did if asked point-blank about his life: say “no comment” and refuse to answer, or lie and say everything’s wonderful?
@Ravine, “I have my good days and difficult days, but it is always my privilege to serve the people of this country.”
Over and over, different variations.
It’s not brain surgery. See recent speeches by both Princess Victoria of Sweden and Queen Rania of Jordan, when asked similar questions.
I get you point, but none of us enjoys privacy outside our homes. Of course, their situation is very different.
If being in the public affects them so much, abolishing monarchy would be a charity act.
He was loudly and publicly whining and complaining to his employer (aka the British taxpayers) about his job. You know, just like normal people do all the time.
The young ones are full-time Royals when it comes to privileges and perks, but part-time workers and that’s a stretch, when it comes to the little work they do.
In the real world we are all accountable to someone – a manager, director etc. We sign a contract which includes responsibilities, including how many of hours of work per week, and entitlements. Who is their manager, director, representing the taxpayers? Where is their contract?
Never complain, never explain. Did we see confessionals from the Queen saying she had such a hard time leaving her young children and jetting off to do royal tours? Did we ever read interviews with King George and Queen Elizabeth saying they hoped German bombs didn’t hit Buckingham Palace? No. Of course not. Stiff upper lip and set an example. Grouse and complain to your significant other. They can’t have it both ways. If they want the monarchy to continue they have to suck it up. Enjoy the privilege and amazing things they have by virtue of being the BRF but do the good things, meet people, help others, work hard–and don’t give interviews where you complain.
THIS.
I feel like Phillip should be giving these lads a talking to. “Grouse are for shooting, not laying out for the press in the Agony Aunt columns”, or something.
He doesn’t need to complain publicly though, Snowflake. He has friends and family who he can speak to about this type of thing. I’ll assume the tax payers who pay for his lifestyle don’t need to hear his whining.
Sorry – no Royal have such right – Not even our beloved dedicated QEII with everything/one (except entitled lazy whiny bill middleton) at her beck and call.
His country, Europe, the world all seem to be exploding in front of our eyes but poor Harry has to contend with his privilege. Boo hoo. He’s gotten a free pass for years. And I do believe that things with Meagan are over. Just a hunch.
If I were Meghan, seeing this side of his personality would really make me rethink this relationship. Plus having spent their entire life in the public eye, how can the younger royals be so stupid with their PR?
People don’t marry up for personality, I sincerely doubt she minds.
Ariana Grande for Queen instead? She’s probably done more for the public than Harry has in the last few months. Certainly spend less tax payer coin.
Sorry friends, maybe he was having a bad moment and will smarten up. It’s saddening to realize the quote about power though. Maybe it doesn’t necessarily corrupt, but it definitely twists.
She would be the most beautiful queen ever! I think she only dates fellow gorgeous humans though
Just don’t take her to doughnut shops.
Oh, the Prince of Elephants.
Its nice to see he is there to help elephants (though I’m not sure his presence is necessary) and not killing elephants which I thought some people did on safari. I guess not elephants any more. Hunting safari should officially be a faux pas. It’s a weird situation since in England, harry and family do like to kill animals right?
Hunting as a sport or for entertainment purposes should be ILLEGAL.
Yes, there are hunting events in England, the royals do it and so do filthy rich people. Tradition and entertainment, and it’s disgusting and unnecessary.
Not a fan of it either pumpkin pie. I eat poultry and seafood but wouldn’t enjoy killing it myself. And it may be part of the toxic masculinity we have such a problem with. Seeing that people who want to kill animals sometimes kill people later
I wouldn’t enjoy killing animals for food either. I even feel guilty when I eat meat one or twice every two months. But still, this is food. There is no need for hunting for food anymore, although the meat and dairy industry are beyond horrible. The irony is that sport and entertainment hunters are doing it for pleasure and they get a high from it, while slaughterhouses workers are traumatized by the fact they have to kill so many animals – in Canada there was recently a shortage of slaughterhouses workers so there was talk of hiring Syrian refugees for this work. Outrageous. Still, it is a job, not entertainment. Killing defenseless animals for pleasure – I don’t care if they say they only kill sick and weak foxes or whatever, is utterly disgusting and cruel. If people who stick animals in microwaves or drown kittens are subjected to mental evaluations, so should the hunters.
Hunting with dogs has been banned in England since 2004 BUT they do have these ‘accidents’ where Foxes get killed anyway, probably because in substitute drag hunts they use Fox urine as bait. There have been attempts by the pro-Hunting lobby to repeal the law but none have succeeded. Essentially the vast majority of the country dislikes hunting foxes – eight out of ten people oppose it – while the small minority who do it want to bring it back. There have been prosecutions for hunting with dogs but the fines are so small compared to the income of people who take part in the sports as to be near useless leaving the law not adequately enforced. There’s more information on the League Against Cruel Sports website, the charity doing most to fight the activity
https://www.league.org.uk
I still can’t believe that was in the Tory manifesto. In what alternative reality are people calling for Fox hunting to be restored?!?!
LAK it was all just another ghastly fustercluck up darling! It’s clearly the same alternative reality inhabited by William and Harry and co all of whom are hopelessly out of touch with the ordinary UK Citizen.
In rural England, where I am, we all wept tears of blood at that. This was a hot button topic where I live when New Labour were introducing the ban. It’s a terrible law – so many loopholes that prosecutions are nigh-on impossible, so it pissed off both the pros and the antis and everyone thought it was quite the feat of urban useless*. But, given time, it’s proved to be a cleverer law than we all thought because from 50/50 for/against when I first came to live down here, it’s really now 80/20 against with only a very few stubborn holdouts among the landed poshies and the looniest of Kippers.
(The divide in politics isn’t left/right here, so much as a view that people in cities don’t understand country people and should have nothing to do with rural issues at all. It’s what drove the Leave vote here – Brussels running the Common Agricultural Policy.)
Thanks for the info Frisbee, that was all new to me.
I’d figure these hunting events are monitored by relevant authorities? To make sure that laws are not broken?
@ Pumpkin Pie, the hunts are only monitored by volunteers, people who oppose the practice, they tended to pass the information onto the RSPCA who prosecuted, they stepped back and passed the actual prosecutions onto the Police and Crown Prosecutions Services while reserving the right to pursue clear cases of animal cruelty through the courts. That was the result of a hugely expensive case against they Heythrop Hunt that cost the charity over 300,000.
I found this Guardian article on the recent state of play that explains how it works or rather why the hunting ban hasn’t worked well despite the huge majority of people who oppose it. As usual it comes down to rich, influential, well connected individuals finding loopholes in the law to hunt regardless of law OR public opinion.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/16/rspca-chief-jeremy-cooper-to-step-back-from-launching-prosecutions-for-hunting
Thanks again Frisbee.
“As usual it comes down to rich, influential, well connected individuals finding loopholes in the law to hunt regardless of law OR public opinion.” This really says it all!
Hey, maybe when he gets back he can go stand in front of Grenfell and burn some wads of cash! He could even take the bus there, like a normal guy!
Seriously though, just another example of how spectacularly stupid Harry is. ‘Oh, I’ve massively put my foot in it at a time when the UK is dealing with multiple tragedies and fast rising upset over social inequality. I know, I’ll go play out my creepy and wildly offensive neo-colonialist fantasies in Africa’.
Stop off and do some grocery shopping on the way home.
Yes and after your shopping be extra normal and go “see the homeless “That comment about (paraphrasing)I know normal my mom took William and me to go see them-Such a snooty superioristic way of speaking.Harry,do you know that these homeless of which you speak have often become this way due to mental illness,many are veterans whom cannot integrate back into society,and some were born into extreme poverty just as you were born into excessive wealth.One should never comment on “going to see”the homeless.They are humans not zoo animals there for your viewing.
Right, this luxury glamping with elephants in the middle of his country’s disintegration bothers me much more than what he said in the article. From the perspective of a US person that only sees for the most part US media, we are made to believe that Britain is on the verge of utter collapse.
I guess you have to be British or something to care about any of this crap? Rich famous dude says he wants to be normal. SHOCKER!
A rich, famous, and – KEY-word – ROYAL dude. Shocker.
When we look at the RF- with all the negative Di decade about Prince Charles, POW – he may be the only senior royal that has worked created a profitable orgamization – organic foods- artwork architecture. etc. (Princess.Margaret son Earl Linley furniture) to the tune of millions via the Duchy and associated schemes/trust.
You don’t have to be British to “care about any of this crap”. Brexit will affect the entire world economy just as Trump’s presidency will…and not in a good way. Harry is a “Royal dude” who lives a life of absolute luxury and privilege on the tax-payers dime. He’s so far divorced from reality it’s scary. Spending one night sleeping rough or speaking up for those with mental disorders does not a hard day’s work make. The biggest problems in England right now, as Sixer explained above, are Brexit and the ensuing economic havoc it will wreak, escalating terrorist attacks, homelessness/joblessness, highly flammable rental high-rises, political instability, etc. etc. and unless Harry, William, Catherine the No-So-Great and others start putting their money and efforts where their mouths are there will be anarchy.
William and Harry can faff around all they want about their mother’s death, etc. etc. You know what? Boo-f*cking-hoo. ALL OF US have been through tough events in our lives – most of us even moreso because we had to hold down full-time jobs, cook our own meals, raise our children, pay the bills, do everything ON OUR OWN while trying to deal with the deaths of parents, siblings, spouses, loved ones. So instead they get to sit and navel-gaze while legions of staff look after their every need.
That is why the young Royals just don’t get it – instead they rush off to Africa to save the elephants or make a silly commercial about mental health while their country is swirling around an economic, societal and political drain. There, rant over.
Wow, hero to zero or what?
Super spot on !
They – the Windsors – will recover and persevere. They always do.
Ah, if only HM would finally crack the damn whip over this generation! She needs to make them shake in their shoes but good. But I’m dreaming, aren’t I?
@Alix: she doesn’t like confrontation and discord. Think about all the things in the past-from dealing with her sister and Captain Townsend, her children and their divorces, all of Andrew’s issues: she is not a forceful person.
I don’t understand how the tax-payers don’t say NO when hundreds of millions (who knows how much throughout the years) are spent from their own money on the BRF. Why can’t they be Royals on their own dime? Pay for their own security for trips to the supermarket and all activities other than official engagements. Which should yield results according to well-established targets, based on transparency. And should be paid per engagement, per results. Like for normal people when they get a bonus for exceeding the targets etc.
@Pumpkin Pie: I don’t disagree with you. The latest increase in funding given to the Queen, from 15% to 25% of the Crown Estates (a £100m+ increase per year) was approved after a 13 minute debate in Parliament. Corbyn abstained, but Stalinist John McDonnell (Shadow Chancellor) voted for the increase. It received next to no coverage in the media.
My goodness Tina, i didn’t look at the detail of the parliamentary votr on that increase beyond knowing it was voted in after a cursory 13mins. I’m going to quote McDonell voting yes for it to anyone who brings him up. Actually, going to look at his voting record.
Labour whipped for that vote on the basis that despite mismanagement, heritage buildings couldn’t be allowed to fall into rack and ruin. I remember it. It also came shortly after the National Anthem thing for Corbyn and he got more roastings for not being there to vote – and roasting for not voting FOR not for not voting AGAINST. But he was the one to whip it, so I think the abstention was genuinely cos he was doing other stuff. Else he would have voted for and just let McDonnell (and, I think, the Beast of Bolsover) be the voice of conscience. I’m pretty sure only the SNP voted against but I’m also pretty sure that was because of the transfers of Crown Estate monies responsibilities, not Buck House refurb. Hansard should have the full details, including the committees – Crown Estate Transfer Scheme 2017.
I suspected Harry is a love and leave ’em kind of guy in addition to all the latest criticism. Markle, it seems, is out of the picture. If Harry marries, it’ll be many years from now.
I don’t see them together long term either. She’s trying hard, but I don’t see it going the distance.
Haven’t been following this situation that closely. What’s the evidence for the relationship on the wane?
Meghan is currently filming her show.
But Chelsy left him, isn’t it? They were together for long-time (on and off).
Harry and Meghan have been together for a year. Too soon to announce an engagement, and too premature to dismiss her as a meaningless fling.
I don’t see any woman agreeing to marry him at least for now. Nor do I think that he wants to get marry any soon. He may tie the knot in 10-20 years with a woman that is either an aristocrat or one with a solid career and quite spotless record.
Thinking of Wills and Chutney, they got together in their student years and her record is quite clean except for the infamous catwalk and the drinking and falling out of clubs. It’s been reported on just one ex-boyfriend of her, at least from what I know. “Working” for her parents and the short spell at the other company mean that there is no one to say how competent she is, or anything about her work ethic. Or lack of it for that matter. But we can it from the sparse engagements, grinning and laughing, poor public speaking skills even in produced videos. showing off her buttocks, you get the spiel.
Whereas I am by no means privy to Harry’s relationship with Meghan, I believe he will not get married soon. The public would virtually report everything and anything on his future wife. Unless TF put a blanket on reporting. They’ve done it before. All in all, with all the money and privilege the RF have, I would not trade my life with theirs for a minute.
Oh please, the media and stans will tear any apart anyone regardless of how spotless their record is.
Something I read said that Meghan’s first marriage ended because they were both busy and it became a long distance relationship when she started Suits. If Meghan is still involved with Harry, it’s another long distance relationship. It makes me feel sorry for Meghan. Harry is immature, and it might be best if he doesn’t marry for awhile.
I don’t see him commit to marriage. Even Ordinary Bill married Katey Dolittle after 10ys of relationship, only due to her mother’s perseverance.
Harry the Innocent and Ordinary Bill seem to be very spoiled and selfish and immature.
All them royals are the same. lavishness galore. Wasteful expenditure galore. Pretending to want a “normal life” (hate the word normal) galore. He is as annoying as his brother. Charming,yes but not for long. I live for his fuck ups. He is being his true-self. lol
I don’t see it as a normalcy fetish but a desire for balance and mental health. Feeling set apart from the rest of humanity whether it is for reasons of superiority or inferiority makes it very difficult to be balanced and mentally sound. These guys seem to get that their position is intrinsically unhealthy and they are finding clumsy ways to say that. And they feel a low level panic about the fact that their odd lifestyle gets forced on their kids.
I don’t have a dog in this.
If they want ‘normal’, they should give up their royal titles and that’s it. They can live a more ‘normal’ life, it would be less of a struggle. As royals, they receive negative criticism because many see them over-privileged and lazy. I don’t want to sound judgemental – I apologize if I do – but they have a lot of financial resources to access top psychological care in order to improve their mental health, if that was an issue. BUT, in my opinion, the main problem is that they had a TOXIC upbringing in a TOXIC family, which instilled in them a sense of duty towards their role in maintaining the monarchy, without any regard to what they want as individuals. So they struggle.
He does have a choice and can quit his royal role for a more “ordinary life” – which will still be a very privileged one as his net worth is around 20 mio USD (some sources even say up to 40 mio).
If he stays, someone should talk some sense into him and get him a better PR person.
He’ll be worth, just because of who he is, a lot more once that the HM passes. He will inherit public money. The vast fortune of the monarchy is public money. Add to that the taxpayers’ contribution to their day-to-day lives. It’s disgusting.
Right before I was about to comment I stopped because a small fluff piece on CBS Sunday morning came on TV.They spun this to sound like Harry is so normal and even showed photos of him purchasing food from a vendor cart .This is so how these royals are shoved at us in the US.I have always adored Diana but was just 22 when she died and now almost 20 years later I can see that she was /is the reason her sons have this distorted view of normalcy.I believe that Diana had a fantasy of living a normal family life but as an aristocrat and then princess she would have never lasted in real society.I think Diana did just as her boys do-use the media and then complain about them hounding her(and no doubt they went too far)So now her boys want the life of the1%with no obligations.Going to McDonald’s ,seeing homeless people,amusement parks these things did not make Diana or her sons normal-Harry and William should acknowledge their tremendous privilege and get on with things and I don’t mean luxury safari vacations
If you give me your recipe I’ll give you mine 🙂
This documentary I saw mentioned she live a ‘normal’ life when she was working in a kindergarten or smth like that and shared an apartment with friends before she got married. If it’s true, my guess is she could have lived a normal life as an aristocrat. I never paid a lot of attention to her, so from the little I remember she did not have problems adapting after the divorce. I could be wrong though.
She was an aristocraticnormal,but always wildly rich and privileged.
Yes, that’s why I wrote ‘normal’ and not normal.
She shared a huge apartment in one of the toniest areas of London that her father bought for her. The work thing with kids is what all the rich, privileged young women did while hunting for a rich, privileged, preferably titled husband.
I thought diana purchase her own apartment, and was charging people rent. And is diana father rich as the Middleton?
Apple: The Middletons are worth a fraction of the Spencers. Their family home, Althorp, is worth £100M at conservative estimate. http://www.princerupertsbluecoats.org.uk/Althorpe.jpg
When each of the Spencer kids turned 18, their father bought them a flat in London. Diana was enterprising in renting out the spare bedrooms to 3 friends, but it was a multimillion pound flat.
Diana was a rich Sloanie and never lived a normal life or one where she ever had to struggle. Even when she was a babysitter she made that clear to her then boss. Her boss gently reprimanded her for something and Diana thought she should remind her that she was the daughter of an earl so she “accidentally” left one of her father’s monthly allowance checks lying on the kitchen table for her boss to see. It worked, her boss’ eyes nearly bulged out of her head. There’s your normal Diana.
She lived in an expensive flat, purchased by her rich daddy. No rent to worry about. I suspect she got a generous allowance, also courtesy of Daddy. She did not have to worry about ‘producing’ on the job in order to keep said job; she didn’t have to decide to buy food or pay the power/heating bill. So not normal in my eyes. Raised by a nanny, boarding school and servants so doing dishes, ‘working’ as cleaning woman for her sisters was ‘fun’, not necessity. Again, not normal. Not even close.
I ferl Di corrupted these boys even more – to give the impression normal is visiting fast food, going to parks, meeting the homeless – etc- is just as mess up as her fights/whiny with POW and the RF. See peyulant lazy bill ..
Spice cake: Diana was 36 when she died; still young, but….
Apple: daddy was an earl, ridiculously rich.
I re-read my comment I meant to say I was 22 when Diana died but it does sound like I was referring to Diana.What I meant is that being 20 years older now I can see her flaws more clearly when at 22 I bought into her perfect normal public image,but she certainly had that it factor so does Harry IMO but he’s done himself no favors by discussing his “normal “life while traveling the globe for vacations most of us will never dream of
@Lak thanks i am always on yahoo reading comments, and people were saying diana had a trust fund but she never used it. I get the feeling diana wanted to live a normal life out side of title’s that’s why she worked. Clearly if she didn’t have too work kind of like William and harry want a normal life outside of being royal. and how was diana relationship with her father?
Apple: in a way they are right about her trustfund in the sense that she left school at 16, was sent off to finishing school and was essentially living off her parents / trust fund for only a couple of years before she met and married Charles at 19. I don’t think she was out in the world long enough to truly think about work or a normal life in a or thoughtful way. By the time she did, she was already married.
Her family were / are closely entwined with the royals. She grew up initially at Sandrigham before moving to Althorpe, her father was the King’s equerry and the same to the current Queen, her grandmother was the Queen Mother’s Lady-in-waiting. One of her sisters had already dated Charles. And the other married a man who would eventually become the Queen’s private secretary. Her ‘normal’ was not a regular person’s definition of ‘normal’.
He was a typical father for his era and class. She was given the typical upbringing of her class ie nannies, boarding school and finishing school.
Well, more kudos to Diana, who grew up incredibly privileged, yet chose to spend a great deal of her time as a Royal helping others.
Too bad that didn’t get passed down to her sons.
I agree with your analysis of Princess Diana and giving her boys a false sense of normal. I also think like most people she would have been much more vulnerable to public scrutiny had she gone through her adult life in the age of the internet. That being said, she was always much better at playing the PR game and manipulating the media compared to her sons and Kate. If she were alive today I believe she would be comforting victims at Grenfell and Manchester, attending Pride parades, and even meeting with politicians such as Jeremy Corbyn. Regardless of her privilege she knew what to do and say in the public eye that made people feel like she was relatable.
@kibbles diana gave her son’s false sense of normal How that’s? Above post said diana was rich so even if she never married prince Charles william, harry, would still lived that life style like the rest of the rich kids with title’s lived. Diana had a thing about her like monroe, had that make you want more of them. if god forbids kate,william,harry,charles, to die i don’t think 20 years from now people would care about them.
I’m still laughing at the fact that people really bought into the idea that Harry was better than his brother. I’ve always thought he was just as bad if not worse at times because he will NEVER take the mantle of king. So his lack of awareness and privilege is somewhat more annoying.
The blinders are strong when you’ve got better hair than your brother. Seriously I know CBers on here have a hard on for Harry but cmon. It was not hard to see how he was an entitled idiot before
I think the reason people cape for Harry so much is because of Meghan Markle. This apparently “proves” that he’s not an entitled royal.
Unfortunately, I think that once Harry acts charming with children in public again everyone will forget this interview…sigh
I like that this is all out in the open where everybody can see it. Talk about breaking glass.
In my country many people hate them, but they see nothing wrong with what Harry said as he was only telling the truth.
…but what truth – when they want ALL royal status perks- assets – 4-5 millions per year/hundreds of millions to TQ.
HRH Prince Mummy “took me to LOOK AT homeless people” must be the last human in the western world who actually wants the so fun experience of supermarket shopping. As opposed to all actual normal people, who have made Amazon into a colossus and Jeff Bezos the richest man on earth. And the sacrifices he makes (There is no Waitrose in the bush, and other poems) to fulfil his great white father fantasies in a poor country plundered by his own family. Duty calls!
‘There is no Waitrose in the bush, and other poems.’
Love!🙌
why thank you so much, and it should really read:
There is no Waitrose in the Bush, and Other Poems
by
A Sensitive Prince
This post is a work of art. I think I love you.
He’s a pillock and if Meghan isn’t gone she should be. Let red and balding go find himself a blonde to be his new babysitter. There are a lot of rich fish in the sea for Meghan.
If Meghan bails on Harry because of this cluster-whoops she looks bad, especially after KP sent out a letter in Harry’s name to back off on the racial attacks. It’s part of the deal of being with a royal – take the bad with the good. At this point she will need just cause – Harry’s cheating on her – before she can cut bait without any blowback to her.
If all this is too much for Megan (have no insider knowledge. Just supposition) then better to take some blow back (l think her PR could easily fix it with “she realized she couldn’t be supportive enough to a man who is prince. Wants Harry with someone who can help him grow into his royal role etc.) than get married and suffer for 50 years.
OTOH they could be skyping/talking all the time right now. Filming will be done soon enough. Harry has his Invictus games coming up and TBH this is a true test for her to see how things are in their world. She is not going in blind to how it will be.
The shine is off, (meaning they are facing some real world relationship issues) she’s been working, ldk if Harry has visited recently so good test of relationship l suppose
Again all supposition on my part
Prince Harry must have communicated with Meghan his Private Sec ELF, about this interview.
Hey, don’t pick on blondes. I have been a blonde all my life, and I would never want this spoiled, dimwitted guy.
I do think people are taking this to overkill.
Agree completely.
To those who say Harry has no compassion or charm, is his apparent openness and warmth when interacting with kids and injured veterans an illusion?
He may have compassion but the charm could be fake. I mean, he is in the public eye. He’s got to show some charm. He’s a lot better at it than Chutney or Bill. For me at least it is difficult to assess his sincerity. Body language experts or those people that are able to read people may have a more objective opinion. I’ve only seen pictures of him and very few videos – I honestly do not like what I consider to be a very pretentious attitude. There are smokes and mirrors everywhere, illusions can be created. Actors and politicians create illusions. Very few get to know how these public figures really are.
Harry’s charm is legitimate. However, I think it is much like Bill Clinton’s charm, in that whilst it is very much felt in the moment, it can be turned on and off when convenient.
That makes the assumption that Harry wasn’t advised on this beforehand. He’s a 30-something adult.
Bridget, if I understood you correctly: he’s a 30-something adult with little knowledge of the world (notwithstanding his service in the army and some charity work), who has been through a lot of hardship emotionally from a young age. With the serious matters of his family played publicly. And he’s admitted to his struggles, also publicly. But he must get some sort of advice; and on top of that, interviews with media outlets must be assessed and approved by whatever PR machine they have. Whether he took the advice, I do not know. Nor do I know whether their PR could have approved the interview prior to it being published. All in all, the RF really must step up their game or just maintain the illusion but this will be harder to do.
Why should the BRF approve? What’s the value of the interview if only “approved” info is published?
I didn’t realize that emotional hardships excused you from being a functional adult. He has literally every advantage in the world. All he has to do is not complain publicly about how hard life is when you have every advantage in the world.
He’s got the last laugh though. No matter how much people hate him or love him, everyone will always envy him and wish they were in his shoes. He’s basically leading the dream life everyone else is actively pursuing in this capitalist world. So he really shouldn’t give a toss and neither should we. Like he’s gonna change or give up his wealth and privilege if we bash him enough? Please.
I think people are overreacting to the “Newsweek” story. The Queen’s late cousin, Margaret Rhodes, said several years ago that Queen Elizabeth II did not want to Queen at first.
But one simply doesn’t mention that fact to one’s subjects.
People express all kinds of thoughts privately.
What he – or any other royal – struggles with privately is entirely his own business.
Harry was sent off to Africa for damage control, that’s obvious. But I think this has gotten everyone in an uproar because Harry’s the third senior royal who complained about life in the monarchy. Charles did his Spiders letters quietly; William lamented about his position restricting his ability to weigh in on politics in a recent interview in couched words. Harry’s crime was being more blunt about it.
The monarchy has its purpose to a degree: bringing the country together during a national crisis and bringing attention to matters that are important to its citizens. (It’s up to the politicians to go beyond and make it law.) As it stands now, there is still popularity in the BRF (mainly due to the Queen I believe) and I think it will get pass this dust up. It survived the War of the Waleses, the annus horriblis, and the fallout from Diana’s death, it will make it through this.
Oh, they’ll be fine after a while, but perceptions will shift a little. And they will have to rework some PR and maybe, actually, assume some full time royal duties.
The War of the Wales made everyone cynical about Charles for a long long time. Frankly, I still am. He sure doesn’t seem to be managing the family Firm particularly well these days.
The only place i’ve seen uproar about this is here. Not even on twitter and that tends to be where the most outspoken average person vents. Nobody is interpreting this interview or Harry’s comments negatively as they are here.
Diana death anniversary is very close. This is all tied in I think. They are privileged and royal but Harry’s parents are divorced and his Mum is dead. Under tragic circumstances all around too. Harry’s experience as a royal can’t be compared to a royal adult child in Sweden as his parents were divorced etc etc.
I also wonder if the Queen is ok (re: health, her age). We don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. It’s very weird to me that Charles is quiet on this. Something is up.
I am assuming by Swedish adult child you mean Princess Victoria. No one is comparing her actual life experience with Harry’s. It is her ability to answer interview questions with deftness and finesse about personal subjects that is being compared to Harry’s more naive approach.
I think Charles would be incandescent with rage and has been tied up in a padded room somehere until it all blows over. So much is in the media at the moment – Diana stories and anniversary, Camilla stories, Harry’s interview coverage, sick father, disasters and terrorism in England……
Charles will be furious and frustrated and despairing. And his sons don’t appear to be particularly close to him at the moment and one has said stupid stuff to the media in a completely unnecessary interview. Disfunctional family much?
Here I was thinking he could get involved with issues surrounded Grenfell or, you know, even the actual people instead of jetting off saving elephants dealing with actual British citizens.
That’s what Harry and William should both be doing. Helping people who were affected by the crisis. Harry needs to stop focusing on himself so much. Selfish. By the way, I think the Africa trip was Harry’s idea. I think he was reprimanded, was pissed off about it, and took off to Africa to clear his head.
I don’t think he can order his security detail to accommodate him on a whim for a trip to Africa. My guess is that the trip had been organized and difficult to cancel. My best friend used to work in external relations for a big charity and he told me that the amount of preparations was insane. Lots of people involved plus the managers to approve everything, going back and forth. And a royal visit involves a lot more. Let us see the results from the visit. Does KP issue any communications post-visit?
So true. Buckle down and deal with actual human beings who need help.
That would be a good start, but I can see the MPs pushing back saying the royals are meddling in matters that do no involve them (in terms of policy). I think elected officials that have to work in a constitutional monarchy have some resentment to those who are head of state due to accident of birth; they did nothing to earn the position. But I have seen in a representative government people who have not truly earned their spots and abuse their authority; and a simple election is not enough to get them out. If the rotten pol is PR savvy, he/she can work the media – social and otherwise – to help retain power. No matter what type of government a person is under it’s up to the individuals involved to do what it best for the country and its citizens.
It would be a great opportunity to address the mental health issues that arise out of sudden trauma and homelessness.
Oh well, he’ll be ‘camping’ while ‘saving the elephants’ so while he’s not actually on the (Grenfell) ground helping, he’s there 100% in spirit with those still bedding down on camp beds in community centres while waiting to be rehoused.
What a trooper, eh.
If this was a pre-arranged trip, it should have been cancelled; no elephant is going to suffer because Harry isn’t there. If it’s emergency damage control, then it just compounds the woeful and blind stupidity at the heart of both Harry and those who advise him.
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The Ginger Whinger is away on an expensive holiday funded by the tax payer. Life is sooo hard as a royal prince.
You can’t really blame him for timing though. I would imagine this interview was conducted weeks before it was published; therefore prior to all of the recent tragedies.
Having read the whole thing, I think the whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. Basically he is saying one would have to be nuts to want this but one must do what needs to be done.
How many here would volunteer to be Queen / King. I wouldn’t, not even with all the perks.
Timing and mood of the country/world – post unstable gov early election – attacks/fire.
While he is being honest I think he has misjudged the timing of this interview, given everything that has happened politically and it was obvs that it was going to be blown out of proportion – this is sadly how the UK media works.
As I said in the previous thread the Wales boys are too easily influenced and this is an example. Someone has told him that this interview was a great idea. I give Harry more slack as he is more sincere than his brother, altho he still has a lot to learn about dealing with the UK media.
PS. Ignore my typos. Have been a naughty girl and have been drinking alcohol (2.5 bottles of a very nice reserva) on a Sunday. It was to make up for being a year too early for a Picasso exhibition at the Tate Modern – to be fair we only looked at the months not the year. hahaha. So much for beating the crowds.
Whenever the interview was done is irrelevant. The fact is it was printed now, at a time in London when there are some really frightening events taking place, and the group that should be an intelligent, compassionate, stabilizing force in England, are taking vacations. Rome is burning and Nero is fiddling. They have one job. One. And if they think it’s too hard for them, they should try one that requires 40 set hours a week, low pay, with a boss, and 2 weeks vacation a year. No? Time to retire the monarchy and live off the investments. Which might actually be the announcement Harry is laying the ground-work for. Really, if what a 90-year old monarch is doing is too hard to split among the young would-be successors, stick a fork in it.
Other than raising money which they are doing what else could Harry do? When is a good time to release his perspective? If the monarchy were to be abolished do those that want them gone figure it will mean more money in their pocket? More money for education, healthcare etc. That is very naive thinking. It will only benefit those that have the ability to line their pocket. There is too much greed and corruption for that ever to happen. Be careful what you wish for.
Crown Princess Victoria juts did an interview in Sweden, talking about many of the same things Harry lamented about to Newsweek: lack of privacy in being royal, growing up stressed in the public eye, her resultant anorexia.
However her take on becoming a future monarch couldn’t be more different. ‘My whole life is for Sweden. It may seem pretentious, but I feel it, it’s true,’ she said. She has a distinctly different appreciation for her royal parents and the job they’ve done as well: ‘I see my parents and their tireless work, and I notice with joy how they do it, with never-ending interest. I hope that I can experience the same joy at their age.’
William, Kate and Harry take heed. THIS is how you do an interview re your royal life and role, during turbulent times (or at any time).
X 1000
This is the tipping point. Andrew was beloved like Harry, until he wasn’t. This is the point at which public perception tips over for Harry. He needs a PR overhaul. Marrying Meghan would be easiest.
For those trying to defend this, remember that the casualties from Grenfell tower are still being counted, and those people are unlikely to see any justice for the lives and homes lost. The cladding on the building that was responsible for increasing the destructive and fatal power of the fire was added in an attempt to gentrify the area to appeal to the very upper class he represents.
Don’t worry about the cost of the resort Harry’s staying in — he isn’t paying.
All these hotels are comped because of the massive free publicity (remember the nude pics from Vegas? It turned out that Harry and his friends were getting comped the $5000 a night suite they were staying in).
Same as when Kate wears something available online it always sells out within hours; it’s more profitable for the resort to give the stay to Harry for free and then have their name mentioned.
Hey Harry, I’d be more than happy to let you live my “normal” life while I take your place and live in that palace ~cottage. I’ll pose my arse off for selfies with “commoners” clocking me as I pick up a few chicken breasts, too.
His mother was a confused woman building an altruistic ” jolie” saint clone. This women feel internally lost and there is not real “heart” under the mask, thought there is a lot of outward effort and genuine intent to act “good”. Also they project on their children the confusion and their illusory view of the world. Combine this with their father’s detachment and then the drama of losing their mother, and add the aristocratic entitlement and privileges whipped cream on the manure. I think they are well functioning for what is under the whipped cream, and this is the stabilizing influence of the Queen. After her death there will be some crumbling down. I grew up in a similar concoction ( without the aristocratic privilege 🙂 and I am in therapy uncovering the manure, and it is a lot…