The Cambridges & Sussexes are fast-tracking the separation of their offices

Royals Xmas Day church

November and December of last year was when everything shifted with the royal family and how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were being covered. Meghan and Harry returned from their wildly successful South Pacific tour, and soon it was announced that they would be moving out of Nottingham Cottage (within the Kensington Palace grounds) and moving into Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Castle grounds. They also announced around that same time that they would be separating their office from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s office. From there, royal reporters created a narrative that Meghan and Kate were at each other’s throats, that Meghan was difficult and a diva, that she ran around making white people cry white tears constantly, and on and on.

I bring this up because I thought the timeline was always going to be a separation of offices and residences around the same time, basically right now, February/March. Well, now the Times (and E!) are making a big deal about how the Sussexes and Cambridges hate each other so much that the separation of their offices is being fast-tracked:

The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex are set to split their household within weeks, The Sunday Times can reveal. Princes William and Harry, who have long been the closest of brothers, are expected to part ways formally to create separate courts before the birth of Harry’s first child, due in April or May.

The division of their shared household after 10 years reflects their increasingly different responsibilities. It is thought courtiers hope a formal separation of their staff may help ease the reported tensions between the brothers and their wives. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will shortly move from Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage, on the Windsor estate. Their new office is expected to remain at Kensington Palace.

[From The Times]

E! News got confirmation of The Times’ report, and their sources said that the first major division of the KP offices will be with the media teams. Which, frankly, has been desperately needed for years, even before Meghan came around. William and Harry are reportedly “working together” on the separation, which I assume means dividing up existing staffers and probably hiring a few new people on both sides. Who gets custody of Poor Jason? William and Kate, I would assume. A source also told the Times: “When William becomes the Prince of Wales, he will take on a lot of extra responsibility, including the Duchy of Cornwall. Harry and Meghan have none of that, and seem ambitious about forging their own paths.” Eyeroll. Yes, when the Queen dies, William will get his hands on all of the Duchy of Cornwall money and he can’t wait. But they’re acting like Harry and Meghan will be out in the cold when the Queen dies. And no, that’s not happening.

Royals Xmas Day church

Royals Xmas Day church

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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190 Responses to “The Cambridges & Sussexes are fast-tracking the separation of their offices”

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  1. Cidy says:

    I will say this again and again. This is not the women. This is the men. I highly doubt Meg and Kate hate each other, are at each other’s throats or any of that nonsense – that’s just tabloid fodder. However these two boys have proven they can be divas.

    • Royalwatcher says:

      I agree to some extent but also feel like Meghan and Kate probably don’t feel they have much in common. They led very different lives up to marrying into the BRF and have their own set of friends etc.

      As for Harry and William, the narrative that they are BFFs and never would have separated if not for the evil, interfering, mean Meghan is weird to me. They are both adults now, with their own families so why would they continue to share offices or staff? I love my brother (and his wife and their children) immensely and we are super close…but I also have my own life to lead with my own spouse and my own interests and our own interests as a couple. The idea that the “boys” should continue to live in each other’s pockets is just weird to me.

      • Britt says:

        This. Somehow the boys getting married and having children, leading separate lives somehow means they’re in conflict. The only reason why the press are upset is because the sussexes already cut off access and them moving to Windsor, where there won’t be any information is what’s angering them.

      • runcmc says:

        I’m not saying I support the narrative being pushed, or I think that they should maintain the same staffers. BUT just calling them brothers is oversimplifying it. They are also coworkers in a highly specific (maybe not specialized but specific) job. While they may have different interests in the charities and projects they will lend their time to, bottom line is their jobs are basically the same for now (until William becomes king, which is pretty far off now since Prince Charles takes over as king when the queen dies). It’s not as simple as whether or not we have the same interests as our siblings, as their circumstances are quite different.

        That said, I think they should separate because their whole lives, Harry has been shoved in the background in favor of William and that’s not fair to him. Especially considering how hard-working and willing to put the time in he and Meghan are- they need a staff that will actually promote their work *at least* equally as the Cambridges.

      • Royalwatcher says:

        Runcmc – I get that, but it’s not as if Charles and his siblings live in the same place and share offices (or even the other siblings, exempting Charles since he is the heir). So there is no precedent that they need to share everything just because they have the same/similar unique job. And I feel like we hear over and over (from certain quarters and RRs) that William will be king/Kate will be queen and Harry is 6th/insignificant so again, they really don’t have the same job.

        I do agree with your second paragraph though and wonder if there is tension with the brothers if this is part of it – Harry not noticing so much for himself since this has always been his role in the family, but being pissed to see this happening to Meghan (if that makes sense).

      • Megan says:

        William and Harry are well into adulthood and it is long past due that they manage their public personas separately. The only reason it has taken this long is because they have been so workshy.

      • Nic919 says:

        It’s weird how it was Meghan blamed for separating the brothers when the reality is that their relationship would have really changed when William married Kate, which is what normally happens when a sibling marries. Instead the press went with this weird narrative that Harry was tagging along when he never did that except for a few engagements. And especially once George was born things changed.

    • Talie says:

      I can see the tension being between William and Meghan, to be honest. Mostly because they both seem to be the alphas. William was used to steam-rolling Kate and Harry, but he can only do that to one now. Harry, especially, was used over the years and thrown under the bus when it was convenient to protect the future king and queen.

      • Himmiefan says:

        I think it sll started after their hyper-successful South Pacific tour. I can’t wait got their Morocco and North America tours.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @Himmie,

        I think it probably started long before the trip…..

        1. Their first fab 4 event/interview was full of tension- looked like it was mainly between Harry and William. They even admitted to having tons of disagreements – with harry saing they were stuck with one another for life – very interesting statement in retrospect
        2. Lack of trust – Kate didn’t offer Meg a ride to the shops, Meg blabbed about it and it got published in the press…..I can definitely see how Kate would feel like she’ll struggle to trust Meghan again and Meghan feeling unwelcomed by Kate
        3. Kate has without a shadow of a doubt *upped* the dial on her sex appeal recently…..clothes, make-up, hair, Botox…..her entire demeanor has been tuned up (on the sex appeal scale specifically). I don’t think it’s by accident. She’s feeling either inspiration or pressure from Meghan…..don’t know which it is, but she’s feeling something.
        4. More on sex appeal……she’s significantly more animated during her events now – again, the exaggerated smiles, the bigger laughs (where she throws her head back and all that…)…..it also makes me wonder….maybe this has nothing to do with Meghan per se….maybe this is more for Bill……to ensure his eyes/attention doesn’t wonder off to the new shiny toy – even if he purports to *hate* the new toy.
        5. The general extra workload of the Cambridges – it’s very unlikely it’s a coincidence
        6. None of the Five-Friends even broached this topic at all. Not even to gently debunk it or laugh off the rumours. They stayed far away from it……must be a reason why.
        7. For completeness sake, let’s not forget that they went to Wimbledon together (all on their own volition and no pressure as the rumours hadn’t started), plus they always look fairly comfortable when physically around one another.

        So maybe 1 – 6 is just a figment of our fevered imagination. Time will tell.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Related to #6. Meghan wanted to see her personal friend play at Wimbledon. Her new sister in law was also going, and Kate rarely goes to see women’s matches only the mens. They couldn’t go separately without massive comment. It doesn’t mean they wanted to go together but it looked better if they did.

      • Ahoyoy says:

        Hard agree. Meghan is taking control of the runaway train PR and William is finding himself outclassed. The Royal Family and courtiers have nothing on Hollywood. William isn’t as savvy as Meghan and hasn’t yet realized that he needs them more than they need him.

      • Malak says:

        Haven’t noticed that Catherine prefers men’s tennis, but if she does, I’d agree.
        I also skip women’s tennis. Nothing beats a 5 setter, especially when Rafa is playing.

      • Tina says:

        On Wimbledon – I was there that day and was looking at the royal box. Meghan and Kate looked comfortable together. Now, that could have just been for the cameras, but it didn’t look like it. And if you only like men’s tennis, I pity you, because you have missed out on Navratilova/Evert, Navratilova/Graf, Graf/Seles, many more recent others, oh and yeah the GOAT (who is acknowledged as such by Federer, Murray, and all non-sexist top male players).

      • Princessk says:

        Great points Bella du Pont, l agree with them all. William has met more than his match with Meghan, she will not allow him to belittle an mock Harry the way he has done all his life. Meghan has also noticed that William is jealous of Harry’s popularity, even more so since Harry now has the charismatic and vivacious wife that William searched for and never found and had to fallback on poor old reliable Kate.

        I do find Kate’s frantic hand movements in public at odds with her persona. She must have been coached and told that hand movements make one appear to be more engaged, l would advise her to tone it down a bit.

      • notasugarhere says:

        I’m not saying they do or do not get along. But if both had gone to tennis that day, separately, talk would have been worse.

        Kate has a long history of ONLY attending men’s matches. Years worth.

    • TheHeat says:

      Honestly, I don’t think it’s the men, either.
      I think this is about the staff for each couple, pure and simple.
      The Cambridges & the Sussexes are like two separate businesses. Households to run, security details, nannies, travel arranging, charities to coordinate with, etc. Given Harry & Meghan’s popularity, and the new baby coming, that need may be more urgent. I’d expect their staffers are feeling rather burnt out!
      Why is everyone trying to make something out of absolutely nothing? It makes perfect sense to me that they would require separate sets of staff.

    • Malak says:

      @runcmc
      William’s job will change ‘bigly’ not only when he becomes king, but before that, when Charles becomes king, because he (William) will then become Prince of Wales (crown prince) and take over the jobs that Charles is doing now – I’d say mainly the running of the Duchy of Cornwall (?) and the Princes (or is that Prince’s) Trust, and I don’t know what else.

      • Mia says:

        Not sure but I heard that William and Harry weren’t interested in the Prince Trust. Not sure if it’s true. If it’s true, hopefully Prince Charles offer it to Meghan. Just call it Prince Charles Trust

      • Tina says:

        Yeah, Charles asked William and then Harry to take over the Prince’s Trust a few years ago and they both refused. They’re both pretty lazy. Charles raises over £100m per year from his charities alone, plus all of the other charities he helps. Charles does a lot.

  2. Royalwatcher says:

    Finally!! And I’m glad they are starting with the social media/PR. Has there been official palace confirmation though? This still all just seems like speculation.

    • wha1ever says:

      If their offices are staying at KP then I think that they are still going to share the KP twitter page but get another social media person for the Sussex’s. It has been quite obvious for a while that there is only one social media person for 4 people and that becomes difficult when more than one person is working at the same time. We saw it last week with the Cambridge’s when they were out of separate events, KP were posting real-time updates of William but not of Kate if you want to know what Kate was doing you had to follow RR’s feeds. Both couples needs 1 if not 2 social media people on their team’s.

      • Royalwatcher says:

        The E article says they’ll be separating though. I can’t imagine why they’d leave that part of the office together and separate the rest. And just because they are keeping the office location at KP doesn’t mean they will in future so it might make sense to just rename everything Sussex Something instead of naming it location based. This is my hope anyway.

    • Ahoyoy says:

      Right? I think this is Meghan’s doing- in a good way. As William’s brother, Harry was always going to allow him to run roughshod over Harry, because, family. Meghan suffers from no such obligation and likely isn’t going to tolerate her brother-in-law’s nonsense. She’s succeeded in a far more difficult public relations atmosphere than the royal family. William has none of her savvy. This is Meghan sending a shot across the bow to William that there’s a new sheriff in town and that he should stay in his lane. She and Harry could decide tomorrow that they want to ‘raise the kids outside of the toxic, racist tabloid nightmare of London’ and move to Toronto. They have their own money and would be beyond criticism. But that would place the onus squarely on the Cambridges to do work. William is not savvy enough to see that he’s played his hand poorly.

      • Malak says:

        Ginger and wife are expected to follow the RF rules, and if they don’t like it then yes, why not, off to Toronto or the US. I bet they’d be happier.
        I don’t think Ginger HAS to stay. I’d say he CAN leave, if he wants to. Question is, does he?? I could be wrong, but I bet he loves the privileges that come with ‘royal’ life way too much to leave. We’ll see!

      • TheOtherSam says:

        @Malak he doesn’t have to stay but has an obligation to do so, as he is a UK Counsellor of State and as such should live in the UK should he need to fulfill any of those duties. If he chose to move away and be removed as CofS, Beatrice or even Eugenie would move up to take a spot. I don’t think Charles/King Charles would like to see this.

        He will likely remain a CofS for some time, perhaps most of his life (unless William’s children marry early and their kids turn 21 before Harry passes).

      • PrincessK says:

        @Malak..can you please stop referring to Prince Harry as ‘Ginger’, having been subjected to abuse dressed up as humour because of my appearance, I really find it offensive. The Ginger jibes are no different that making fun of people because they have different coloured skin. Do you know that there is a large number of young children who have gone to such lengths as dyeing their hair because that have not been able to stand the abuse they get from having hair that that is shades of red?

  3. Elisabeth says:

    This should have been done when Will and Kate got married

    • Royalwatcher says:

      I think it should have been done when Harry got engaged. But maybe after W&K got married they could have started making plans for this or separating some aspects, like SM/PR.

      I also think they should have separated the royal foundation at that point. I do think that is coming as well because it’s too unwieldy at this point (even just the name!). I’d actually love for Harry and Meghan to take over the Prince’s Trust from Charles but that probably won’t happen.

      • Eliza says:

        All these extra foundations are already too much. The money should go to the charities and not filtered through the overhead of a foundation where they just give it back to their existing patronages afterwards.

        100% splitting would be another cost because they’d need even more staff to cover both. I think that’s why they’re keeping it together but making more delineation between the couple’s branches.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Yes and the foundation should have been split then too, but W&K got good PR tagging on Harry’s coattails. Instead the delay of the staff separation gets blamed on Meghan. If the foundation eventually splits, she’ll be blamed for that too.

  4. Elisabeth says:

    The Times report said Charles demanded the split be cost-neutral, so I don’t think they’re hiring any additional staff, beyond the open positions they already have.

    That was an interesting detail to me. Sounds like Charles was like “do what you want, but you’re not getting any more money.”

    • Anitas says:

      The four of them put together don’t make up the numbers worthy of a full time job so this separation of offices is just an exhibition of importance. How would they justify additional staff etc? Charles probably understands it would reflect badly.

    • Lolo says:

      Ah, thanks for this! I didn’t read the entire Times story because it’s behind a paywall, but this has been my main question all along, where the $$ was coming from for this split. I realize they are a family but they are also for many intents and purposes a business and in normal businesses you don’t just get to splinter off and form your own division because you can’t get along with your co-workers.

      • MA says:

        But the separation was going to have to happen regardless of rumored tensions, bc W is going to be PoW eventually.

      • PrincessK says:

        Oh gosh, I do hate that Times pay wall. I wish I could just pay to access on a weekly or monthly basis, rather than having to pay for a whole year by direct debit.

  5. minx says:

    Isn’t it sort of inevitable that the offices would be separated? I’m not seeing what the big deal is here.

    • Coz' says:

      But drama ?!?

    • mint says:

      Will and Harry always seemed close. Then Kate came along and they were a trio. I think people hoped for a fab 4 story for years to come. Representing a close and strong family unit. But things turned out differently and some people cant let it go.
      I honestly think the move out of london is not so much about the Cambridges but getting away from the courtiers and all the behind the scenes drama. I think its a toxic environment to live in. And make no mistake, whenever Charles or Wills feels overshadowed, they will throw Meghan under the bus. Easiest target.

      • Himmiefan says:

        I think Charles and Camilla like her, and that might rub Wills the wrong way.

      • mint says:

        But Charles is no stranger for taking digs at his sons trough the press. A lot of the drama started with his book and the stories that did not make the cut for the book and where then planted in the press. And from then on it was an avalanche of stories and drama.
        Yes, they may like Meghan. But they do not blink for a second and pull rank, if they want to.

      • PrincessK says:

        I was hoping that the Fabulous Four would work but William and Kate are afraid of the competition, instead of embracing the popularity of the newly married Sussexes and allowing it to enhance their own images in the world.

        I don’t think that the move to Frogmore is because of a fallout. Harry was always going to be given something by the Queen, and I am sure that the Palace are also using the opportunity to give one of the many royal properties a re much needed revamp and upgrade. Nott Cott will probably remain the pied a terre, but I still see them getting a full apartment at KP at some stage. So much of their business and entertaining will be in London.

    • Sash says:

      Same lol. It’s just practical from all sides and reasons. People gotta invent drama for clicks.

  6. Bluecanyon says:

    I find it strange that Harry & Meghan don’t want to move their office under Clarence House since they’re supposed to be extremely close with Charles & Camilla. All the Queen’s children except Charles have their offices at Buckingham Palace, not sure why Harry & Meghan need their own separate office & media department. This just seems like a waste of taxpayers money.

    • Muffy says:

      They can’t move under Clarence House; that’s the Prince of Wales private office. (For now; it used to be the Queen Mother’s residence so in theory Harry’s family could move in, but considering the Frogmore renovation they probably won’t).

      • Coz' says:

        Harry and William where both under Clarence House before setting their courts in Kensington, if I remember correctly.

    • Helen says:

      i find it strange that they’re not all under buckingham palace, including charles and william. they’re all brats.

    • Dueberrygal says:

      I think Harry & Meghan ought to go under Clarence house or Buckingham palace. As harsh as this may sound Harry is not the heir & he’s currently 6th in line, there is no need to set up his own separate court at taxpayers expense. It is self indulgent.

      • Kittycat says:

        Harry is the son of the next King and will be working along with his wife Meghan on behalf of him.

        William’s children will not be working for another 20 years (if they ever do) so Harry will need his own office to you know work and publish his work which costs money.

      • Melmella says:

        @Kittycat this is not a valid reason for Harry having his own separate court. Have you forgotten that Anne, Andrew & Edward are the children of the current monarch? However their office is at Buckingham palace. Setting up a separate court costs money and it is completely unnecessary. If Harry no longer wants to share an office with his brother then he should go to BP, or go back to Clarence house with his father.

      • Muffy says:

        MelElla, you are absolutely right. It is indulgent—if Anne doesn’t have her own office, should Harry?

      • Mia says:

        @Muffy if any royal should have their own office is Princess Anne, the hardest working royal. The sussex should be under the Buckingham Palace. During the divorce Diana’s private security wanted her office under BP, but Charles said no.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They all (Anne, Andrew, Edward and Sophie) have separate offices and staff, but under the banner of BP. All the working royals should be under BP.

      • MA says:

        Andrew has his own separate social media accounts (which seems really unwarranted), so he definitely has separate dedicated staff at least in terms of that. I don’t see why something like that would be a problem for H&M

      • Hershey says:

        William and Harry set up their own offices away from Charles because they wanted their own staff and voice. As Charles was manipulating the messaging around them that made sense.

        Harry would have no desire to go back to clarence house or be under Buckingham palace.

        Meghan supposedly went behind the palaces back with the people story. I am not sure I blame her.

        But if four people rely on one media team, they need to be in agreement with each other on how the team will handle their messaging.

        There needs to be trust between principals and the media team. I think trust has been broken on all sides by all parties at this point.

        Setting up separate teams that each couple trusts is the only way to fix this and move on. They generate much more coverage than the queens children. And publicists are paid in thousands, not millions, of pounds.

        Not a huge expense to fix a rapidly deteriorating problem.

      • Natalie S says:

        Notasugarhere with the facts!

        So, they all have separate offices but if statements come out from the separate offices, they are represented as coming from Buckingham Palace?

        Harry and Meghan are actively working senior royals. As the older royals fall back, the Cambridges and Sussexes are going to have to step up. Nickle and diming them over having office staff doesn’t make sense.

        The Sussexes aren’t going away until the Cambridge kids grow up and start working and going by the precedent set by their parents, that won’t be for another 25-30 years.

        I know William absolutely does not want to share staff with Charles but does Harry have the same problem?

  7. Loretta says:

    Kensington Palace is very incompetent so this is a good move.

  8. Lisa says:

    This was inevitable.

  9. Citresse says:

    I do believe there is some kind of friction going on between Sussex and Cambridge…..I mean of all the colours under the rainbow and Kate’ access to Daddy Warbuck’s aka Prince Charlie’s clothing allowance and she chooses a dress which photographed white on MM’s wedding day LOL

    • Ahoyoy says:

      But, Citresse, that dress was PRIMROSE yellow, didn’t you hear? A brand new color made up just for Kate. ::eyeroll:: that was the microaggressions of all time. If Oprah can change her dress at the last minute so that it wouldn’t be disrespectful to the bride, the likes of Kate Middleton should have been able to. But no, brand new slightly less white than the blinding white her daughter was wearing coat dress, that she already owns in 3 colors. And ill-fitting to boot, which means it was ordered before she had Louis.

      Kate specifically is reveling in and benefitting from the racist dragging Meghan is taking. That’s why she looks so thrilled all of a sudden. No one is on her back about her clothes spending, Racist-designer-supporting, uneven workload, nonsense social justice ‘campaigns’, or ‘maternity leave’. They have a new punching bag and she is not about to let that get turned back on her.

  10. Rapunzel says:

    It’s the baby that caused this. The whole slander campaign kicked into overdrive after the tour, when the baby was announced. I’m sure there have been quibbles between the boys and their wives, but they clearly seem to get along well enough. This whole thing is the courtiers/grey men getting pissed that the black woman is having a royal baby.

    • Royalwatcher says:

      I think it was also seeing how well Meghan did on the tour and how well the Sussexes were received. I mean some of the imagery was what you might expect for the heir couple not “the insignificant 6th in line.” Like the scene on the balcony and the reports of drawing much bigger crowds than W&K. I think this got some people really freaked…and then add the pregnancy on top of that.

      • PrincessK says:

        Absolutely Royalwatcher…..I think the courtiers and the Cambridges were stunned at the reception that Harry and Meghan got in Australia, and how Harry ensured that they were seen as an equal partnership which showed Meghan holding her own and making several speeches. Even the jaded press hacks said it was one of the best tours ever. After that alarm bells started ringing in KP and all the negativity started to pour out.

        I actually think that the Cambridges must be worried about the reception they will get on the next tour they go on. Maybe they will bring out the cute little kiddies to help with the ratings.

    • FredsMother says:

      Agreed that the baby has really settled in and has thrown them. The first picture of that baby will be one of the most anticipated images coming out of that family for many years yet. The world is waiting for a mixed race Prince or Princess of the British realm. People may not want to admit it but we all want to see the ginger, black baby with the curly hair. We will want to see his/her every step in life from Christening to first step to first day at Kindergarten. All of it.

      Before you know it, all the Commonwealth will be like: ‘William who…. 🙄?????’ No wonder the pa ace idiots are losing their shit.

      • Pantherise says:

        The baby’s DNA is 75% white (possibly more if you take the white ancestry on Meghan’s mother’s side). If the baby comes out looking White not sure how this is considered ground breaking. It will just be another white baby in the palace.

      • Shilohray says:

        People who are 75% black are Black. Likewise people who are 75% white are White.

        If we’re going to refer to people who have a 75% DNA as mixed race then technically all Americans & most Brits are mixed race!

      • Mia says:

        @Pantherise a biracial baby came come out looking white but that melanin will start to kick in as they age. Believe me, I’ve seen it time and time again.

      • VirgiliaCoriolanus says:

        @Pantherise
        Are you biracial/black?

        I am. I can pass, except for the fact that I have dreadlocks. That baby can come out pale as a ghost, and she will still be the biracial baby. At best.

      • Pantherise says:

        @Mia the baby can turn out looking as white as Halsey or Paula Patton’s son, or the baby could be slightly darker. Either way putting hopes on this child looking mixed race is premature especially when Meghan herself looks racially ambiguous.

        I just think we need to be careful about using this baby as a symbolism when in actual fact the baby is 75% White if not more.

      • Pantherise says:

        @VIRGILIACORIOLANUS I don’t agree with you that someone who is 75% white & ‘pale as a ghost’ can be considered biracial. Otherwise pretty much everyone that has 25% of other mix would be considered biracial which accounts for practically all of US citizens. Obama’s daughters are not called biracial & they are 25% white.

        And yes I am black.

      • Mia says:

        @Pantherise, Meghan looks racially ambiguous because her hair is straighten. IMO when she was a child with naturally tight curly hair she didn’t.

      • MA says:

        @Pantherise – I agree in some sense that this baby might not be one that most Black British people or Black people will identify with or see as some sort of symbol for racial progress. It’s very possible that it’ll come out looking 100% lily-white.
        But the baby is still of huge, global interest because it won’t be lily-white in people’s minds and that’s unprecedented for the BRF. The baby will never be considered white because its ancestry will be KNOWN, regardless of the fact that if it were a random couple having the baby it’d be able to pass as white in society. Because of this knowledge, that poor baby will be attacked and othered just as racially-ambiguous Meghan was. Meghan may appear racially-ambiguous to some but the fact that people KNOW she’s part Black has led to racist treatment by the press/people. It’s already starting–Tatler magazine had a cover headline about how Baby Sussex is already a rebel. In utero and already it’s subject to dog whistles.

      • PrincessK says:

        We shall just wait and see. Have a look at Halley Berry’s children, have a look at Thandie Newton’s daughters. The late Jade Goody had one black grand parent and yet the features of one of her son’s is clearly African, and that is a child with just one black great grandparent. Genes are funny. If H&M have three or four kids, I guarantee one of them will have fairy pronounced African features.

    • MA says:

      I’m no conspiracy theorist but after the nonstop months’-long onslaught, it really makes you wonder. It all started with the tour, but as Meghan got bigger and it became just more visually obviously that the biracial baby was upon us, it just seemed to unleash this frothing-at-the-mouth hatred. Fetus Sussex’s very existence is making some people go insane.

    • Hershey says:

      I think the separation of Instagram and other social media will help the online comments problem as well.

      And while Meghan is not to blame for her father, getting his presence and mess away from her brother in laws office is the best way to contain it.

      If William is sharing a PR person who is dealing with or talking about his sister in laws father situation, I can understand why William might be frustrated with that.

      If my brothers in laws were making drama for my team at work I would be really mad. For the four of them to have the best chance to get along, the Thomas chaos should be managed by different staff in different offices.

      The Sussexes need to get that out of William’s sight and hearing. If I were Meghan, I would not want my monster of a father being discussed or handled any more than necessary around my in laws.

      Meghan should get her pr team out of Kensington, especially if she is not taking the current teams advice.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Why do you insist she isn’t taking their advice? Entirely possible the gray men are participating in the anti-Meghan activities. We’ve seen evidence on the KP social media accounts that they let negative comments about Meghan, but immediately delete negative comments about William. Harry has been the PR punching bag for years, it may be Meghan is refusing to be a punching bag.

  11. Becks1 says:

    Like others have said, this was inevitable and probably should have been done years ago. They have different roles in the royal family and different goals. That’s just how it is. By waiting so long to separate, it looks like there is bad blood, even if there isn’t and everything is hunky Dory.

    I agree with others that if there is any tension, it’s between the brothers. Maybe there are some issues between Kate and Meghan, but I think most of the problems now (if any actually exist) are between Harry and Will.

  12. mm11 says:

    The smart thing would be to create different social media accounts and then the first post to be the first photo of baby Sussex. Petty after. Kensington Palace has gain millions of followers since the wedding because of Meghan so I imagine an account for them could be the most popular of the BRF

    • Royalwatcher says:

      Yeah. I can’t remember if it’s twitter or IG but someone on Twitter was showing screenshots of KP follower numbers and it was amazing. Approx 1 million before Meghan and 7 million after the wedding (or after the big tour). Wild.

      Although I wish they had done it with the first posts being the engagement so all the subsequent posts/photos/announcements would have been on the Sussexes SM. Is there a way to go back and transfer those things to a new account?

      • MA says:

        I would hope IG is as advanced, you see it sometimes when insta-famous people move to a new handle and all their entries show up in the new account. Not sure that’s possible with Twitter though, which is unfortunate.

    • Himmiefan says:

      That would be good.

  13. RoyalBlue says:

    Amen and hallelujah. It’s about time. And I remember it was during the Oceania tour that the announcement was made that they will split from Kensington. I felt it was an odd time to make the announcement.

    My gut tells me the couples do not get along, are not friends and definitely had a major falling out. I am not differentiating whether it’s a brother spat or a sister-in-law spat. It’s not important. But whatever happened it’s clear they are not compatible and a divergence of paths is overdue.

    • Margareth says:

      IMO The Cambridges are pissed about Sussexs popularity. For example, baby Sussex is already more popular than the three Cambridge children put together(it was reported last week).

      • Royalwatcher says:

        I saw that (related to betting numbers) 8mil and counting for baby Sussex and a total of 3mil for all three Cambridge children.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        I would probably translate that as more interest, not necessarily popularity. 🙂

    • Harla says:

      I’ve long thought that the falling out was/is between William and Meghan. I just don’t see her putting up with William’s habit of putting Harry down, under the guise of brotherly teasing. Also, she’s a very confident, self assured woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and by William’s own admission he doesn’t listen to others or take any advice well.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Harla

        You’re so right……I’ve also been wondering what the effect of Meghan’s presence would be on Harry’s sense of masculinity around William. On his own, I can imagine Harry being happy to laugh off Will’s light-hearted banter/mild bullying. But in front of his wife?

        Well, that’s another story.

        I can imagine Harry pushing back more forcefully than he ever has before and William thinking “WTF?!”

      • PrincessK says:

        Exactly Bella.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      The issue seems to be that William does not like Meghan and that he feels Harry rushed into marriage. It’s also because Meghan outshines him and he (William) is like his father in that respect – he doesn’t like not being the centre of attention.

      Harry and Meghan are the royal power couple that the Cambridges could have been if they had gotten off their lazy asses and did something.

      • Yami says:

        Exactly. That’s what gets me. Meghan is blamed for so much, but all of this could have been avoided if the Cambridge’s had established much good will of their own. They had such a long time but they wasted all their opportunities. That’s really on them. It’s not Meghan’s fault that they did the absolute minimum with the privileges they had.

      • PrincessK says:

        Imagine how William felt when Harry and Meghan were named last year among the 100 Most Influential People…lol!

    • Hershey says:

      I think any in laws would be very tired of having the media team spending time with the Thomas chaos.

      Meghans dad is not her fault, but she should move his stink out of her brother in laws offices.

      • Natalie S says:

        How much has the media team had to deal with Thomas at all?

        There was one statement issued during the lead up to the wedding. And that is all that KP has done publicly.

        Usually they’re focused on cleaning up the stink of the antics of the Windsors -including William, Kate and Harry.

      • Malak says:

        Unlike his brother, Ginger hasn’t been lucky with his in-laws.

      • Natalie S says:

        I find it creepy that you never refer to Harry by his name.

      • notasugarhere says:

        That is a common theme on tumblr, Natalie S. They don’t like to use Harry or Meghan’s name, but only the nicknames they have decided are offensive.

        Hershey, the royals and the Middletons have plenty of skeletons in the closet. And out of the closet. Meghan’s abusive father is not the worst they have faced, but you are determined to blame Meghan for the fact she was abused.

  14. Whatabout says:

    I wonder if Harry is having a hard time adjusting to the fact that his family won’t be treated the same as his brother. I mean within the monarchy. Similar to Margret and Andrew (who both struggled with this position), if Harry is slowly building up resentment to Will. I mean it has to sting to be slowly pushed out of the inner circle in a way.

    • Royalwatcher says:

      But it’s something he’s known and had told to him and been treated as such his entire life. I don’t see why it would just now become a problem for him. IMO it’s more likely that he’s angry about how Meghan has been treated and maybe worried about how his child might be treated. I think a lot of times people are more protective of the people they love than themselves. I think he’s really shaken to his core to see the racist reaction and coverage of Meghan.

    • Jinjie says:

      You have commented on the inevitable. Harry knows what’s in the cards for him and in a way, I don’t blame him for having married for love, if that is the only thing he will ever get. He will have to find ways to support himself in the future when the taxpayer monies start dwindling and eventually go away. That’s why Andrew and Fergie have been hustling around with people who have money but no prestige – for money. If Harry keeps up a feud with Wills, William has the power to cut him off, just like King George did cutting off Prince Edward when he abdicated to marry Wallis. Prince Edward and Wallis were exiled to France and they had to rely on the ‘donations’ of wealthy friends to continue living in the style they were used to. Prince Edward used to call King George several times a day begging for money and for Wallis to be given the HRH title – both denied to the point where King George ordered the calls to never be sent to him. It’s a sad reality but that’s the bitter pill of not having been born the future King.

      • Royalwatcher says:

        Right but that’s because they were nazi sympathizers and in Hitler’s pocket, not just because he abdicated. How does that compare with Harry? The queen’s other children haven’t been banished to other countries so why would that happen to Harry and Meghan?

      • Bella DuPont says:

        I’m hoping Meg & Harry have indeed seen the writing on the wall and are now actively working behind the scenes to invest what they have for the day when Will takes over.

        Its encouraging that she has friends like Serena + Alexis Ohanian…..I may have read somewhere (or imagined), that Alexis was introducing them to Silicon Valley. It would be the perfect place to quietly make their millions into…., well….more millions. Hopefully, that’ll put them in a position to flip the bird at William when that time comes, if necessary.

      • Whatabout says:

        It also makes sense that instead of sketchy rich friends. They’re going with celebrity friends. Clooney and Serena.
        I remember a few years ago there was an article about how Andrew and his daughters use his “friends” private jets and homes. As they don’t have the same access that Charles has.

      • Anitas says:

        @Bella DuPont
        It’s so comforting to know someone is thinking of these poor souls, how on Earth will they make ends meet when William takes over unless they make more millions?! God forbid they should get jobs!

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Anita

        Who said anything about them not getting jobs?! There’s no reason why the two things should be mutually exclusive.

        Plus, they had better make/save millions if they plan on going independent after William. It’ll most likely take millions just to consistently protect polo baby from all the loons out there, don’t blame me for pointing it out! 😄

      • notasugarhere says:

        Harry has a legal role to play which William cannot change, just like Charles cannot change Andrew having that legal role as Counselor. The government would have to sign off on it. William could decide Harry and Meghan don’t get Sovereign Grant funding or to be working royals, but he cannot remove them from their home at Windsor. Charles cannot remove Andrew from Royal Lodge or Edward from Bagshot.

        The Queen and Charles know William is that petulant, so they’ll leave Harry larger sums of money as private inheritance like the Queen Mum did.

      • Yami says:

        Meghan and Harry have a huge inheritance from Diana’s money alone, which is doubtless invested. That’s apart from anything the Queen and Charles may leave them and the money Meghan brought into the marriage as well. To think that they’ll have to shill for millions through celebrity connections is wistful thinking. I know some would love to see it tho, because it would seemingly bring a step down for them.

      • Hershey says:

        At the time, divorce was not acceptable and Edward was the head of the church. Edward was the elder son.

        He only lost the top spot because he married a divorcee who may have been a spy. And they had treason tainted communications with nazi Germany.

        He had been the recipient of duchy of Cornwall money for years and was the private owner of balmoral and sandringham.

        Cash poor George had to buy them with private funds to keep them in the family.

        Edward was begging for money later because they were wasteful and extravagant. Not because he was a slighted son.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Uncle David was thrown out because he was petulant, feckless, and dangerous. Wallis was a convenient fall guy, but once again an anti-Meghan poster trying to blame Meghan being American and divorced as the potential downfall of the monarchy. Typical.

        Three of the queen’s children are divorced. Many people in the BRF have married people from other countries.

    • Himmiefan says:

      I think this is why he’s going his own way, creating his own role and trying to be more relevant than Margaret snd Andrew.

      • Nic919 says:

        I don’t think Harry ever had aspirations like Andrew has. He’s openly said he wouldn’t want to be king and he’s been attacked for that. Andrew has never said that. I also think Diana helped him deal with being the spare in a way that doesn’t make him jealous of what William will have to deal with later on. I think anything that is happening now is because he wants to protect his wife and kids as much as he can. He broke protocol by issuing that letter to the media when he and Meghan were only dating. I see this split from KP as more of the same. They are carving their own way because they have more freedom to do so.

      • Hershey says:

        Harry is much more likeable than Andrew. And hopefully wont make the kind of mistakes his uncle made.

        Charles has three siblings and two grown sons to support him. William has Harry, and his children may still be quite young when he becomes king.

        William will need Harry at some point. They got along well enough to do much in public together, create a joint trust, play polo and football together. They have supported each other privately, when Harry came back from Afghanistan, William was there waiting. And when Harry near tears in front of reporters, he stepped in.

        I am glad Harry chose to marry someone he loved, despite her less than great dad.

        I think William correctly saw that Meghan would come with things that would be messy. And that might be a source of stress for both Harry and Meghan.

        Harry didnt wait very long to get engaged. Yes they are both older, but the royal family brings stress not everyone is up to.

        If Harry had been my brother, I would have had the same worries. And I would have been worried about the fact that their relationship was long distance much of the time before they got engaged.

        I think William was correct about the baggage. He was correct about meghans ideas about her role not being what the courtiers were expecting.

        Hopefully for Meghan and Harry, this will sort itself out.

        I doubt deep down William wishes his brother to suffer the heartache of a divorce. Those two have been through real loss together.

        They have both said they would give everything up to have their mom back.

        I dont really think these brothers only care about who is more popular or who is working more. If they do, they are broken, shallow shells of human beings.

      • notasugarhere says:

        William cares about himself, first, foremost, and the vast majority of the time.

        He isn’t worried about how Harry feels, what Meghan feels. Just like with his parents, he only cared about what HE felt impacted HIM negatively. He has no problem with infidelity, see the years of cheating on Kate. See him living in the house where Charles and Camilla had their relationship.

        William only cares about how he felt HE was put out by all of it.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Harry has always known his position in the firm. Harry doesn’t want to be king, he’s made that clear. William doesn’t want to be king either, but too bad.

      Harry may have ambition to do something useful with the role, as he’s been able to do with Invictus Games and Prince’s Trust. In those ways he’s already set his own path and accomplished more than William. With Meghan as a partner, he has someone who wants to use the position for good. They have a lot of freedom, as Nic919 writes, which may be something William resents.

    • FredsMother says:

      Harry and Meghan are very much needed by William. William is lazy and with BREXIT hard times coming… the media and the people will turn on the Royal Family..especially if they are not giving as good as they are getting from the public coffers. William being crowned prince will not magically help him to develop a work ethic. Work ethic is cultivated and he has not been cultivating one. Neither has his wife.

      When Charles dies there is nothing propping up that family. Harry and Meghan are worker bees.

      And, people should stop denying Harry’s work ethic and downplaying it. This is done often here as people are buying into Palace PR smearto make William look less of a lazy, entitled fool— that Harry doesn’t work is fiction. Setting up Sentebale and working for it and Invictus is a really impressive thing he did well before 30 years old. He is emotionally intelligent, works well, is charismatic, and has a wife willing to work alongside him and guide him. For the next 20 years, Meghan and Harry are the goodface of that Family. Young, attractive, healthy, worker bees. William needs them and you are deluding yourselves if you think that family can get by for the next 20 years without them. So William can use the media to smear his brother and wife. It will backfire on him. They don’t need the family as much as the family needs them.

    • PrincessK says:

      Now that is funny. Harry is the most popular member of the RF, and with Meghan by his side he can outshine the lot of them any day or night no matter who is sitting on the throne. Harry has a lot of interests and things to keep him busy for the rest of his life, and lots of money too. H&M could be a big power couple if they want to, especially because of the US connection.

      William must be so annoyed that even though the Obamas came to visit him, the Obama’s are regarded now as besties with the Sussexes.

      Harry and Meghan are not Andrew and Fergie. For so many reasons, including Diana, this couple will be in the front of the spotlight no matter how far down they are in line to the throne. If anything Harry’s main concern may be the fact that he does outshine William and is genuinely worried about upsetting him.

  15. OCE says:

    Brilliant move. Meghan is playing the long game here as well: She is seeing the Brexit mess, both the love and the incompetence/hate from the British public and British media. And she might be thinking decades ahead – who knows what happens to the royal family after the Queen passes, after Charles passes, in 30 years. Meghan is American and she is clearly leveraging her Hollywod connections NOW and I bet they will gve the friendlier American media more access than the British royal media, who will be rendered obsolete some day. Baby Sussex will likely be debuted after a maternity break, the royal Christening will occur, then the Sussex’s have their American tour and that will cement the Sussex’s standing in the American media, which is the most powerful media industry in the world. The Sussex’s will be fine and interest in them will only grow especially in America.

    • Eliza says:

      But what is the end goal of a British royal couple being popular in the US? I mean their job it to support the crown (QEII, then Charles, then Will, then George – if the monarchy still exists). Upsetting the royal system, the royal press, getting only comfortable in a non- commonwealth country does not accomplish their raison-d’etre. Opening planning their roles post-monarchy is basically killing the system they’re getting benefits from.

      If they were to leave the royal titles behind, open their own charity, and become career philanthropists and political activists, then catering to the US press would be the best plan. But I don’t think that’s the plan.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        Eliza,

        The British crown is a global brand now – Brexit has strenghtened/solidified it’s place even further as a strategic/necessary source of soft power across the world. And with Brexit, the UK is absolutely desperate for every source of power it can lay claim to.

        The reality is that Meghan covers some very important regions – CW, American, adopted Canadian.

        Think how fervently the Queen fought for Charles to retain control of leadership of the commonwealth? I bet America’s considered just as important for them as a market, if not even more so.

      • notasugarhere says:

        They can both do royal work AND have an international charity. Those things are not mutually exclusive.

      • Malak says:

        Exactly, Eliza. Ginger gets all the attention because he is a member of the BRF. He has all the privileges because he is a member of the BRF. I wonder how he would do if he left the ‘firm.’ What CAN he do? He is a soldier. Don’t know if it’s true, but the story is that he could have stayed home. Others had the job of protecting him!

      • notasugarhere says:

        You cannot be protected in a helicopter. No matter how much you want to try to belittle it, Harry served in an active warzone at great personal risk. You and the DF commenters pretending otherwise is pointless.

        Harry has already gained an international reputation with Sentebale and Invictus Games. That reputation will continue whether or not the monarchy falls. Harry and Meghan would be fine, while William and Kate have only the titles not the work ethic. Remove the titles, Harry and Meghan are fine. Remove the titles, William and Kate fail.

    • PrincessK says:

      There is much more money in the US than the UK. H&M can raise loads of money for their national and international charities. Don’t you think that the fact that there is an American charity interest in one wing of the National Theatre was not lost on those that recommended Meghan for role as Patron? We are going to see some very interesting transatlantic networking from that angle.

  16. Jinjie says:

    The UK is falling apart from Brexit. Our NHS is bleeding from lack of proper funding, doctors and nurses are not getting any wage increases but are being asked to work longer and longer hours, education standards are getting lower because of lack of funding, homelessness is increasing and state support for the truly needy like the impoverished elderly or infirm citizens are denied welfare. Hearing about the extravagant amounts of money being spent on being a clotheshorse or their petty family squabbles is an INSULT to the British people to whom they owe their loyalty and service to. Aside from Queen Elizabeth, I don’t think ANYONE in the Royal Family should be supported by our taxes. I bet if Wills and Harry were asked to use their private monies to buy their wives clothes’ the spending would be dramatically reduced. If push came to shove, fine, Wills, Kate and George can be supported because he’s the eventual King but Harry? He can go away and disappear already just like all other spares in history….

    • Elena says:

      Thank you

      • Well-Wisher says:

        This is not a valid republican argument. The UK got Brexit as a result of austerity measures due to the Tories. As a result California has a larger GDP than the Britian as multinationals move to the continent. The Crown do not have political power to create a budget that will affect the NHS. Making political decisions not based on the above is unsound. Meghan’s use of funds from the Duchy of Cornwall for operating expenses is not a valid reason to dislike/like her.
        The monarchy will endure and Meghan will survive whatever dislike is shown on social media.

      • Tina says:

        I don’t disagree, but I don’t think you quite understand how far behind we have left “sound” and “valid” arguments in current UK political discourse.

    • Bella DuPont says:

      Except that Harry is more popular and in demand than William is now (admittedly not by much)

      • Pearlime says:

        So was Brexit.

      • Your cousin Vinny says:

        The thing about popularity is it waxes and wanes over time and everybody is vulnerable to the rise and fall of public affection.

        In any case I’m not sure being the most popular person out of a select group of people (that the public has no say in selecting) should be grounds for receiving/utilising additional public funds.

      • MA says:

        @Your cousin Vinny While this seems sound as a general principle, the BRF exist not just as national figures but also cultural ambassadors. It’s undeniable that H&M have generated huge global interest and publicity for the other BRF members by extension and the UK not seen since Diana. (I mean this relatively of course–Rihanna is still a bigger star but for the BRF, there hasn’t been such sustained interest in them in decades). The BRF would be fools not to capitalize on that for as long as their popularity lasts (likely around a decade). If H&M are successful, the entire BRF benefits.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ MA

        Well said.

        Plus, to put it more bluntly, popularity is the life’s blood of modern day constitutional monarchical system of ruling in the UK. Without it (over a sustained period), it’s a march to becoming a republic.

        Game over.

      • Tina says:

        Diana almost did for the monarchy. H&M’s popularity will be seen in the same way. That’s why the press is going for them with such venom.

    • Milla says:

      Nhs has been falling apart for years and that is tnx to mister blaaair himself. Of course brexit will affect everything but nhs has been an issue for a long time. The dude made some sort of quick fix but he didn’t care about the big picture. He is vile.

      • Tina says:

        If you really think that the state of the NHS is down to Tony Blair, who was last prime minister 12 years ago, you really are deluded.

    • MA says:

      Whatever the women spend on clothes is absolute chump change compared to the cost of real estate, security, transportation for every single member of the royal family. I don’t know why people take aim at only (certain) BRF women’s spending habits when the royals, by their very existence, demand an entire existence of being funded by millions upon millions. I mean, I get why republicans get mad, but it’s contradictory when royalists do since they support an entire system of unfairness.
      Also interesting is when people single out only H&M but not people like the Dukes of Gloucester, York, Earl of Wessex, Princess Anne, and their families. Not to mention the non-working royals supported and subsidized by the BRF/taxpayers. It’s really telling and seems to suggest that their problem is not the overall excess displayed by that entire family but only that indulged by H&M. Which, again, is interesting if you’re a royalist since the heir’s son is pretty necessary for the monarchy (for the next couple decades).

      But ok, I guess British royalist-taxpayers can start a campaign to kick H&M out. I guess they’re looking forward to George, Charlotte, and Louis helping out with engagements for the next 30 years. Maybe we’ll see Louis do the first ever crawl-about.

      • Royalwatcher says:

        @MA – well said!

      • Bohemian Angel says:

        @MA Couldn’t have said it better myself!

      • Malak says:

        There are other members of ‘the firm’ they could use. Beatrice and Eugenie, Lady Gabriella, etc. Why so much Ginger. Even in food, too much ginger is not good! lol
        I’ve read one prediction, that George will be the last king, if you want to believe these people who claim to be able to see the future.

      • Tina says:

        No. One. Cares. We are trying to keep our failing democracy (and our rubbish, Brexit-voting population) alive here. The Queen is no more relevant today than she was in the days of the Sex Pistols.

      • notasugarhere says:

        The Yorks are hated because of their parents antics. The general public won’t stand for them being working royals.

        Lady Gabriella? What a pathetic reach. Prince and Princess Michael aren’t even official working royals. Are you going to propose her brother Freddie next? But wait, he’s married to a tv actress who did bedroom scenes on Two and a Half Men, which apparently horrifies you. The public doesn’t want the children of racist Princess Michael being royal hangers on, they don’t even want Princess Michael around.

        Harry is higher in succession than both Beatrice and Eugenie. He’ll be a working royal as long as the monarchy lasts, and a Counselor until W&K’s children turn 21. If George is the last king, it will be because of his lazy and useless parents.

    • Cat says:

      Spot on!

    • Bella DuPont says:

      I never argue against republican views or sentiments because logically, I can’t fault the reasoning. It’s all entirely valid.

      Having said that, I always think of the royal family as the metaphorical Chanel Suit. Is it necessary to own one? Absolutely not.

      However, if you want one because you feel for instance, that it gives you the confidence to present yourself better (or whatever other superficial reason there is for owning one)….and you’re happy to part with the cash, then I guess nobody can stop you from owning one.

      Right now, Britain still wants it’s Chanel Suit.

    • Malak says:

      Perfect post, Jinjie!!! I agree with everything you’ve said.
      Yes, Brexit IS a mess, the NHS needs more funds, homelessness is increasing, etc. etc. … I don’t think many people would be unhappy if big spenders of public money leave!

    • PrincessK says:

      @Jinjie….with all due respect your thinking is flawed. The Monarchy cannot survive with just the Cambridges and their children, the burden would be too much. Their children will not be able to do duties until about 25-30 years into the future, and we don’t know how fit or capable they will be for public service. The monarchy survives because the work is shared around and can cover up weak the inadequacies of its weak members.

      If you wish to scale down the duties of the RF to what only the Cambridges can handle then you might as well abolish the monarchy in the UK, as it will be totally meaningless. Unravelling the monarchy in the UK would be almost as contentious as Brexit.

  17. Well-Wisher says:

    This move was inevitable since the plans for renovation of Frogmore were submitted just after the May 2018 nuptials.

    The brothers may have outgrown one another.

  18. Katashae says:

    Serious question: Did/do Prince Charles and his siblings have separate royal offices for royal business/duties?

    • Eliza says:

      Everyone always used Buckingham palace – one office – until Charles decided he needed his own. Then his children were under his and they decided they needed their own.

      So in 30 years or so it went from 1 to 3 (possibly soon 4).

      • Katashae says:

        Hm well I’m not British, and I love Meg and Harry regardless, but this does seem a bit silly/excessive/immature since it’s taxpayer dollars, if I’m understanding it correctly. Just imho.

      • Royalwatcher says:

        But, Eliza, just because Charles’s siblings’ offices are at BP, it doesn’t mean they are all ONE office, correct? It’s my understanding that they have separate offices and staff but are just located in the same place. This seems to be exactly what is happening now with the Sussexes and Cambs which is why I don’t see what the problem is. I also don’t see why growing from 1 office to 4 over 30 years is a big deal, especially when you’ve added Camilla, Meghan, Kate. (Not that you yourself are saying it’s a big deal, I’m just saying I don’t have a problem with it.)

    • MA says:

      Andrew has his own separate social media and so it looks like he may have have a separate one?

  19. M.A.F. says:

    Didn’t we already know this?

  20. Mia says:

    if William “allegedly” doesn’t like Meghan, wonder if Harry will want him to be a Godfather to his child. You know the British press will have a cow, if Kate isn’t one of the godparents.

    • MA says:

      The press will definitely have a cow but it’ll be unwarranted (as usual) because they probably weren’t ever going to be godparents. I’m pretty sure Harry isn’t to any of their children.

      • Royalwatcher says:

        Yes, this exactly. Harry isn’t godparent to any of the Cambridge children (and they even had one christening when Harry was out of the country working, I believe), so why would Kate be chosen? Especially as it’s not as if Meghan and Kate were friends beforehand or anything.

        But I do agree, MA, that the press will have a cow…because Meghan, you know, exists to make Kate cry.

      • MA says:

        @Royalwatcher Meghan is responsible for all the white tears of Britain.

    • notasugarhere says:

      It is sometimes seen as repetitive to have an aunt or uncle as godparent.

      Prince Andrew is one of Zara’s godparents and interestingly, so is Andrew Parker Bowles…

    • PrincessK says:

      I doubt the Cambridges will be godparents but William be the child’s ONLY Uncle…..and I wonder if he will set aside his jealousy and pettiness and be a good Uncle to that child, despite the tensions. William could have a lot of influence on this unborn child’s future.

  21. Berry says:

    William may not be getting his hands on that Duchy money for another decade. The Queen will be just like her mother and live to be over 100.

  22. MA says:

    “It is thought courtiers hope a formal separation of staff may ease reported tensions…”

    This is how they get away with making up rumors and writing whatever they want. I can easily believe there are tensions but their carefully crafted wording is so ambiguous, odd, and tries not to take any ownership of the claims being made. A lot of this smear campaign has involved using this tactic.

    “It is thought” — by whom? Why not say “Courtiers we have spoken with hope separation will improve tensions.” What they really are saying is: “We think that *this* is what the courtiers think.” Pure speculation.

    • CHATNUH says:

      THANK YOU! Mia. Those rrs/presstitutes make a living trying to be this
      “clever” as if the unwashed masses are too stooopid to see this tired sad pathetic tactic

    • Royalwatcher says:

      YES! Funny though how anonymous sources that are supportive of Meghan or dispute these other anonymous reports get trashed by the RRs.

  23. Jumpingthesnark says:

    It’s about time they separated their offices . I don’t think it’s that KP/BP are incompetent, as they can shut things down when they want to ( see Andrew/Epstein etc). More that they are stuck in a pre social media mindset, and not interested in evolving ( having palace social media accounts in and of themselves isn’t “evolving” as recent difficulty with the comments sections has shown). Plus of course the racism and sexism that palaces/grey men are clearly not interested in pushing back against and might have been actively making matters worse (sarcasm: because ya know “tradition”) . Sussexes need to go their own way, can be done in a cost neutral way, but they need social media fluent staff, and staff who understand and are wiling to deal with racism from a PR standpoint. Which I think they will get, since Megan is smart and practical. Good to get this done before the baby arrives, and get a new strategy started before that. It makes me sad to think that baby Sussex will be subjected to the racist vitriol as well, but seeing everything that has been thrown a Megan throughout her pregnancy, it would be naive to think that the racist crap will somehow magically end once the baby is born.

    • mc135 says:

      You can’t be part of the white supremacy system all your life. take all be benefits that come with it then be surprise when try to erase your wife cause it was not build for her anyways.

  24. Guest says:

    Looking at other royal families in other countries England definitely has the short end of the stick when it comes to royal heirs. Sweden has Victoria, Denmark has fred and mary (who works her butt off as crown princess) etc, and England has Charles, who I think will be a great king but he is already in his 70s. Then comes William and Kate. Yikes…

    • MA says:

      +1 Plus they also seem vastly more educated, cultured, and accomplished as a whole compared with the BRF.

      • Lol says:

        The brf seems so old and borinb, compared to their European cousins. They really dont interact with them that often either. What kind of king William will be is yet to be seen, but as a Duke hes been a dud. Neither him or kate have created anything worthwhile. Hopefully George will have a better work ethic when he gets old

    • Malak says:

      Why Yikes? The first-born is it! You could say that about Freddie of Denmark. It’s said, by Danes, that he is totally unsuitable for the job. People know he prefers to go sailing and night-clubbing. Some say that his brother, one year younger Joachim, is better for the job, but Freddie is the first-born. Monarchies…

      • Lol says:

        Fred might have a reputation, but he married a woman who has proven she can handle the job and does a great job (even though places like royaldish HATE her). The British monarchy might be the most well known especially here in the states but their future heir is a dud. But yeah that’s how the v lottery works.

      • Malak says:

        Yes, Lol, Freddie married a hardworking Tasmanian (from Scottish background) but she is not going to be the monarch. HE is.

        Charles is the heir, so you must mean William the future heir? I’d say the British who are loyal to the monarchy should be happy with him. Better than Ginger, the dimwit – I’d call HIM a dud. Really, just cancel the whole ‘firm.’ Cost is too high. Have a referendum.

        I’m not sure, but that ‘firm’ isn’t even British. They’re German – Battenberg became Mountbatten (doesn’t berg mean mountain?). and the queen’s husband is/was Greek.

      • Tina says:

        Women are always better at this. Elizabeth has been a great monarch. Anne would have been better than Charles. Victoria of Sweden will be great. Zara would have been better than William. In a formally meaningful but essentially meaningless role such as that of monarch, women’s conscientiousness and the presence of the patriarchy means that women will always be better at it than men.

      • notasugarhere says:

        tumblr misses you, mallie

        Harry has established a successful independent charity, Sentebale. He has made a global stamp with Invictus Games. He married a woman who knows how to work hard.

        His brother? Well William shows up for things related to Jecca’s charity. Attempts to dodge everything else.

      • notasugarhere says:

        BTW Philip isn’t Greek. He identifies if anything as Danish. The “Greek” royal family wasn’t Greek, but a younger Danish son was invited to be the king of Greece.

      • Malak says:

        @notasugarhere
        What? Philip isn’t Greek? How far do you want to go back? I’ve always read he is, including he looks like a Greek God. He WAS very handsome.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Luck of the draw, guest. Charles has been the most successful, active Prince of Wales in history. William crying about wanting to make his own way? Just another way of him pouting about having to live up to Charles’s work. William is lazy and he chose a lazy wife.

  25. Cat says:

    Meghan and Harry already receive funds from the Sovereign Grant, a system built on British tax money and the Duchy of Cornwall so I am not sure why that is even a topic of discussion. Please spare me the song and dance regarding how Meghan has made her own money. We all know. It does not excuse the vast costs associated with the Royals.

    • CHATNUH says:

      So long as you spread the angst around…….dont get agitated about the spend simply because…..DoS.

      • Cat says:

        I have nothing against Meghan. My statement generally was aimed at the entire system being relevant in 2019. She should be commended for working hard however I do not know many people who do not work hard. There always seems to be this immediate defense of “well, she worked before this.”
        I do not think anybody, that includes anyone in that family should be accepting any tax money, period. The buildings needs serious upkeep and I understand that. But tax money for personal use…no. They (Royal Family) have plenty of money to survive on. I think it is distasteful for anyone who is a public figure to receive tax money to live off of and then wear hundreds of thousands of dollars in clothing or be given millions for refurbishments for homes when you have serious issues with the homeless and people struggling to get by. It is 2019. I think it is great that they all want to do charity work. Fantastic…spend your own money on all personal expenses…which should apply to all of them.

      • notasugarhere says:

        As long as the people of the UK decide they want a monarchy, the people pay for it.

        If the UK was an absolute monarchy, like Liechtenstein, then the royals should pay for themselves. As it is a “working monarchy” like Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg? The people pay for it. Ridiculous to insist otherwise. It is an arm of the UK government, but you insist this arm of government should pay for itself?

        Should costs be monitored, decreased, of course. The FOI laws about the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall should be removed, and every penny spent out of those should be publicly examined. But again, as long as the people vote to keep a monarchy? Then they’re voting to fund the monarchy with their money. That includes funding their security and palaces.

      • Malak says:

        @notasugarhere
        When did the people of the UK last voted that they want to keep the monarchy??? I don’t think they’ve ever voted. I do think the majority is still pro, because they’re so used to having the queen – I think they’d be lost without her.

  26. Peg says:

    Omid Scobie is saying Meghan is in NYC since Friday, her friends are giving her a baby shower tomorrow.
    Please don’t come with the Royal family don’t have baby showers, as we are reminded often enough, she is an American.

    • Lol says:

      What’s wrong with her having a baby shower? It’s her first child and she wants to spend time sharing that with her friends. Baby showers are more then just getting gifts.

  27. Karen2 says:

    Poor Wills & Harry ‘Souls absolutely being immersed in duty & tradition’ cos that is the will of the third estate who claim to speak for the people. Very little left of their extraordinariness either.

  28. blunt talker says:

    I have stated before it was said long ago before Meghan that the boys would need to separate. In their childhoods they fought over the smallest of things such as wrapping tape. The move to Frogmore was planned before Harry’s marriage. The separation of offices were known long ago. They waited until Harry got married to speed up this process. I am glad for this because Harry and Meghan forge their own paths and still work for the royal family’s interests. That painting he gave Meg with a young boy and girl holding hands going their own way makes a lot sense now. Harry does not want to end like Charles’s siblings. Charles throwing bread crumbs where he wants to and all the sibs can do is complain. Harry and Meg want to develop some paths in life that is totally of interest to them. God bless them. I also agree they used Harry when it is necessary as a punching bag or a court jester when it pleased them or fits their narrative. Harry has a steel resolve on what he wants and he is using it right now. He is not going let himself be pushed around or pushed to side by royal family members whims. Forging their own paths is super cool and I can’t wait to watch them evolve in this direction.

    • Malak says:

      If Ginger wants to forge his own path, he should be free to do so – but I hope for him that he doesn’t forget that he is relevant because he is a member of the BRF. That must be, imo, his main attraction!