Big thank you to Loveleeliz for pointing out a very special anniversary on Friday. Friday the 26th was the nine-month anniversary of this event, the Sentebale polo match where a sweaty Prince Harry pulled his bride to his body and gave her a hot, sweaty polo kiss. I joked at the time “Harry and Meghan are clearly still hot for each other and right after this, they went home and had sweaty polo sex and now she’s pregnant with a polo baby.” Except it wasn’t a joke. Meghan literally got pregnant that day!! Nine months and two days later, we’re waiting for the Sussex Polo Baby.
Meanwhile, in the absence of Polo Baby news, the tabloids continue to just throw things around to see what sticks. Page Six had a lengthy story which was mostly a recap of old tabloid coverage (Harry and William are fighting, the Frogmore renovation was expensive), but there were a few pieces of “news.” Some highlights:
People think the Polo Baby will have a prince/princess title: “All royal ranks are at the Queen’s discretion and Princess Anne set an interesting precedent by choosing to raise her children without any royal titles at all,” said Patrick Jephson, the former chief aide to Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. “[But] my guess is that Harry and Meghan’s child will already be a prince or princess by the time we see the first photo.”
Meghan felt sorry for Kate’s baby presentations: One friend of Meghan’s told The Post that the duchess, a committed feminist, actually “felt sorry” for her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, having to face the world’s media — while wearing a dress, heels and impeccable hair and makeup — mere hours after giving birth.
The photocall with the baby at Windsor Castle: It’s expected they will pose for a photo call at Windsor Castle on their own schedule. “They’re basically conducting the birth in virtual secrecy. I think it’s a bit foolish,” said Duncan Larcombe, former royal editor at The Sun. “Harry absolutely hates being the subject of speculation, and this just shows his petulance to the media . . . it’s just a shame.”
Meghan & Doria are “controlling”: A friend of the family told The Post: “Meghan and Doria are like two peas in a pod. Both perfectionists, both can be controlling, but they know their own minds for sure! They just like things the way they like them. Everyone in the family says that when they’re together, Harry — who is extremely fond of Doria — will have to take a back seat. He won’t be able to get a word in edgewise.”
Honestly, I bet Harry has never been happier than right now, awaiting the birth of his first child, with his mother-in-law staying with them. I get the impression that Doria and Harry get along famously. That’s one thing Harry and William seem to have in common: two men who lost their mom at a young age, and who found surrogate mother figures in their mothers-in-law. This whole “two black women are controlling!” thing is so stupid though.
As for Meghan feeling sorry for Kate… lol. I mean, I feel sorry for Kate too, the baby presentation thing was getting out of hand. She was probably told she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Then again, she seemed to enjoy the presentations for Louis and Charlotte, so whatever. Different women feel differently about childbirth and access to their newborn babies, news at seven.
Also: probably no Polo Baby today, Prince Harry is attending the London Marathon.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
The whole “presenting the baby” controversy is getting out of hand. Apparently Meghan loves the limelight so much she is foregoing it (but Kate, who hates being the center of attention so much, did it because she “knows her role”) but Meghan is the wife of the 6th in line, so it doesn’t matter anyway, but she’s going to drag out the pictures on instagram, etc. People cant make up their minds whether she is an AW or not.
Also the theories that she has already had the baby feed into this, because she has had the baby and wont tell anyone until June and its all just a big secret and she doesn’t know her place and the PUBLIC HAVE RIGHTS TO HER BABY etc.
I don’t know who else follows Emily Giffin on IG, but she is kind vaguely pro Meghan, not super pro, but verypro Kate, and she had a post last night about how this “wasn’t going to go over well with the British media” (Meghan saying she felt sorry for Kate.)
I was like…..who DIDNT feel sorry for Kate??? (apparently people in the South? That was a response.) And yes, I know Kate did the photocall, then went home and had relative privacy, but I still felt sorry for her.
I felt sorry for Kate. Going through a painful labor then having to get dressed up and go show off the child to the press had to be tough. When she was probably tired as can be and just wanted to rest.
I can see why George was presented. He is the future King. The other two are the children of the future King so I guess I see why. Harry maybe doesn’t feel the same pressure. Also why can’t the fathers do the presenting? That way the tabloids get the pics of the baby and the moms can rest. Seems like the simplest solution.
Doing a quick and immediate photocall has the benefit of getting the press and public out of the way fast. Yes its tough on mama to get glamorous, but then it’s five minutes of cameras, and they’re whisked into their Land Rovers and left alone for several weeks or months even until they’re ready to emerge again. So I can see why K&W would choose to do that, it works pretty smoothly. Keeping things vague and mysterious like H&M are doing, sort of backfires because it gets all the royal press knickers in a knot and everyone works themselves into a frenzy wondering how and when they’ll get their scoops & photos. For royal reporters, this is their livelihood. As soon as word gets out the baby is born and there is no immediate photocall, then the race begins among paparazzi to try and get the first non-commissioned photos, which could lead to stalking and interjections of their privacy. Media relations is a give and take process and if the sussexes don’t give, there’s a likely chance the media will just take take take.
@CynicalCeleste: I don’t blame Meghan and Harry for not having a Lion King moment with the press, who trash Meghan every chance they get. Why should they be rewarded. Besides since Harry is the 6th in line and minor royal, why don’t the RR take more photos of William and Kates kids, instead of the sanction photos the Cambridges put out.
Hoping this story is bogus, which it certainly could be. It doesn’t do anything but foster bad feelings between Kate & Meghan. If Meghan truly felt sorry for Kate, couldn’t she just tell her? Why does a friend have to yap it to the press?
Honestly, I’m starting to get sick of all of them. All of the terror and tragedy in the world and these people are being kept like a bunch of spoiled poodles. I do enjoy the fashion and can’t wait for Polo Baby….maybe that will perk me up.
That’s it. I’m calling them all the spoiled poodles from now on!
“wasn’t going to go over well with the British media”
Nothing Meghan does goes over with British media. They ( the media) have shown who they really are to the whole world. And it’s not a pretty picture.
Lol my favorite was this tweet about how the British press covered the Prince William affair rumors vs how they treat Meghan.
https://mobile.twitter.com/sippykat/status/1121638946612506627
It’s so perfect.
You forgot that they’re not presenting the baby right away because they don’t know when exactly the surrogate is going to give birth. And she’s going to have a home birth to hide the surrogate.
I saw people floating that ridiculous surrogacy conspiracy theory on Twitter and it is fascinating (and pathetic) how dead serious they were.
You’re right! I keep forgetting about they have to hide the surrogate or something.
The surrogate thing is so dumb. There is footage of the baby kicking her.
She has her claws in deep. No way is she using a surrogate. She wants blood a connection.
wonder how Rose is doing?
I mean, Diana did it too. I think honestly Meghan felt sorry for Kate because she still had a baby bump and was criticised a bit for it. I think Meghan is vain, and worries she won’t look glamorous after hours of natural labor.
Actually, Duncan Larcombe, “petulant” is having an on-record fit that you feel entitled to peek at anyone’s newborn.
This!
If Meghan felt sorry for KM, & that may be made up, she actually knows Kate, so her pity would be based upon inside knowledge.
@Wisca
Exactly. I Imagine once she got pregnant either Kate or other people in the circle mentioned how inconvenient that probably was, and Meghan took that to advice. And if she “felt sorry” for Kate it probably had to do more with sympathy than pity.
Honestly I can just imagine how painful or uncomfortable, and stressful that must be, to have to get all gussied-up and look perfect and present your baby to the public like that.
Yes, Kate probably did have a choice on how to present her first baby, but the plans you make before birth are sometimes not the best laid plans once the birth happens, and by then, someone as public as Kate, I don’t believe she had a choice. And once she got pregnant with her other two it was now “tradition” and expected of her to do it.
Honestly I think it’s ridiculous people are so demanding of this.
Definitely sympathy. The press is just framing it like Meghan pitied Kate. She was being compassionate and empathizing with Kate, not pitying her.
“two black women are controlling!”
Why do you have to make this racial? Who said “black women”? That’s racist on your part to imply it and inject it into the conversation. They comment was about “two women”. Your comment shows your intent.
That’s the implication of the original comment. Seems pretty weird that only two black women are termed as controlling. you’re probably not used to deciphering coded language. Lots of racists will use terms that others can pick up on without being blatantly racist. That way, they have deniability if it comes back on them. They’ll say i didn’t mean it that way! The press has harrassed Meghan like no other. A lot of us think it is due to her skin tone. I as a white woman agree.
“That’s the implication of the original comment. Seems pretty weird that only two black women are termed as controlling”
“A friend of the family told The Post: “Meghan and Doria are like two peas in a pod. Both perfectionists, both can be controlling”
Where did you get that only two black women are termed controlling? They’re talking about Meghan and Doria, two specific women. A friend of theirs said that they’re perfectionists. Do you know what race the friend is? People are reaching here.
Thanks @Snowflake. I honestly can’t sufficiently express in words how touched I am each and every time an ally gets it. Like the aussie who replied to my experience with Australians so, so often when I lived in London. Truly, I can understand why people get entrenched in a protective POV. It’s hurtful to think of the world in honest terms and it’s even more painful to experience it and be sidelined for your truth. Someday we’ll meet up in our differing views and hopefully all the current chaos is leading to growth in our world, yet that doesn’t help the people in jail or dead while this hatred goes on and on. Still, I do believe it’s leading to a better place and there’s still love and laughs. I have to laugh about different sites, where as a true neophyte stan for GoT, I now read endlessly and how The North totally isn’t racist and then each week Missandei and Grey Worm get more and more make the north great again-ed. I’m not laughing at the people who take that POV, I must add. It’s just the difference between those who experience it and still feel hopeful and those who try and close their eyes to these experiences and see that as a hopeful reality.
People won’t see what they don’t want to see. The definition of privilege is not having to care because “it doesn’t affect me.”
Calmly explaining how these things work (over and over) is a simple yet helpful thing for an ally to do. We all need to work together to make things better.
To that end, folks need to learn how it is. There are many resources. The Root is excellent. After that, speak up. 🙂
Well, AYFR, show us the tabloid articles where the same was said about KM and her controlling mother, and your protest might carry some weight. Page Six is trash; even now it’s running a story on how H and M are preparing the yet-to-be-born baby for their move to Africa. This article is nothing more than an exposé of meanness, replete with dog-whistles and shade.
Lol, this language is incredibly coded and obviously racist. But there are PLENTY of articles everywhere, including this site, that Carole is a controlling, social climbing stage mom who maneuvered Kate and William together and they only stay together because of Carole’s machinations.
@Olenna
I find it really bizarre that you need to ask for proof, there are so many articles all over the internet calling Carole controlling and all sorts of other names. Every time this site post’s something about Carole it is always insinuated that she is controlling etc…
I find it difficult to post links from my phone but they are not that hard to find yourself.
This is off subject but speaking of trash outlets. Does anyone know anything about the International Business Times? I always see headlines from them and they are always always trashing Harry, either by himself or elevating William at the same time. They all sound completely made up too and honestly like William is the one writing them lol. It just seems so blatant and obvious.
Did some of you not read the excerpt above before going on the offensive? It is talking about Meghan being controlling and in conjunction with her “controlling” mother (who has never presented herself as such), shutting out Harry. That is what I am referring to in my comments. If that’s the same scenario as controlling Carole just being controlling Carole, taking over KM’s life, then I don’t see it and will just have to disagree.
Olenna
In fairness, there have also been plenty of stories over the years of Carole and Kate emotionally controlling William to give him that normal family life he never had growing up. Being normal seems to be William’s weak spot and Carole and Kate played to that.
The narrative here has always been that Carole Middleton controls the Cambridge household. These stories about Meghan and Doris are more misogynistic than racial in my opinion. The old trope of the controlling mother-in-law.
Exactly Olenna.
There have been no stories about Doria being controlling until now. Instead they’ve tried to portray her as a hippie yoga instructor who has gone bankrupt. Quite the opposite of controlling. So why suddenly now is Doria being called controlling ?
Also while Carole has been called controlling Kate never has. The press distinguishes the various temperaments of white women, but in this case the black women are grouped as controlling with literally no basis to do so, especially for Doria.
It’s dog whistling and obvious and people are being willfully blind not to see it.
Sigh……are we really gonna do this today? Okay. The Post didn’t have to inject “black women” into the language of the article. Everybody already knows Meghan and Doria are black. Racism isn’t always overt. It’s insidious innuendos are just below the surface, but glaringly obvious to anyone that can interpret the subtext, which Kaiser did.
I truly did not take it that it was racist, but the first thing I thought was that it was misogynistic. I don’t always think the first thing about Meghan and Doria is that they are black.
Speaking as the whitest white girl ever to white, I have to say that I agree with Kaiser and the others here. It’s dog-whistle language, calling out to the similarly narrow-minded.
As Juls says, everyone already know Meghan and Doria are black. *That’s* why Page Six didn’t have to come right out and say it, but instead couch their insinuations in this coded language. It’s all just to protect themselves from libel charges while still maintaining their ability to disseminate hate.
@Terra I could probably rival you at white-girling, and I agree there seems to be some coded dog whistle here. I can never quite put my finger on it, but so many of the criticisms about Meghan rub me the wrong way. There is nothing blatantly racist, but I truly believe the narrative would be different if Harry had married one of his former blond girlfriends.
Both Meghan and her mum and Kate and her mum have been subject to the same misogynistic tropes ie portraying women as nagging controlling shrews, who henpeck helpless men into submission. You never ever read these things about men, even though statistically men are far more likely to engage in physical or emotional abuse or coercive control than women. (It’s the same as how the trope of women getting pregnant to “trap a man” keeps getting trotted out, even though reproductive control is primarily statistically associated with male-on-female DV.)
There most likely is a coded or subconscious racial element too in that the language evokes coded dog whistle racism. Just because Kate and her mum have been victim of the same misogyny, doesn’t mean the misogyny against Meghan and her mum isn’t tinged with racism too.
🙄 perhaps you need to consider why there was any need to mention in an article about Doria and Meghan being controlling at all? What is the point of conveying information like that? Kaiser is merely stating that there is a racist intent and I agree with her.
If you can’t look at the long-term treatment of Meghan in the press and realize how racist it all is, then you’re purposefully ignoring and definitely contributing to it as you minimize the experience and try to gaslight anyone who calls out the BLATANT, continuing racism.
@ayfr- your ignorance is showing. No it’s not Racist to point out racism. Seriously. Educate yourself it’s 2019. No one else is going to do it for you.
I hope we ALWAYS continue to educate everyone. Life can not be me, me, me. That severely stunts any growth for our social equilibrium.
AYFR, you’re wrong…it was racist
Come on. I’m as tone deaf a white woman as there seems to be, but even I could hear that dog whistle. It’s an off shoot of the “angry black woman” stereotype. It was pretty loud.
Ayfr, don’t be obtuse. Controlling/angry Black women very much is a racist trope.
I agree!
I’m a little baffled by these “feel sorry for kate” quote.
It seems to be oddly belittling for lack of a better word and i felt the same when Kiera Knightly said it too.
If Kate had had a difficult labour/birth, there is no way she would have baby presented. There is no need to feel sorry for her. She wanted to do it and she did. End of.
I feel like this is Meghan’s friends pushing back at the ridiculous expectation to baby present by now turning it into a empowered Meghan vs. Poor Kate narrative.
Frankly both narratives are ridiculous, have your lion king moment or don’t have your lion king moment. Both are valid choices. Nobody needs to be pitied.
I don’t think she had much choice with the first one, she was giving birth to the future King or Queen and there was a lot of interest in that. She also looked tired and overwhelmed at the baby presentation with George. With Charlotte, she was much better and I sensed there was a slight nervousness when presenting Louis but not as much as there was with George.
Honestly i thought she looked great, also while for George the expectations were sky high, nobody would have blinked an eye if she had stayed the night at the hospital and presented the baby the next day.
The fact that she did it two more times, shows that she has relatively easy births.
I feel this poor Kate narrative is just designed to bring her down, in a , see how modern and feminist Meghan is and poor Kate cannot even stand up for herself. Very underhanded while pretending to be sympathetic.
There is plenty to criticize Kate for, but this isn’t one of them. Neither should Meghan be criticized for her birth plans.
@MrsBump – she did that. She did not present George the day he was born. He was presented the next day.
I don’t think anyone is criticizing Kate for doing it, but I think most women can look at her doing it and think “yikes. Not what I would want to be doing.” That doesn’t mean Kate was “forced” into it, but seeing the backlash Meghan is getting for NOT doing it??? Can you imagine if Kate had passed on it? (Of course the reaction probably would have been “she is forging her own path!!” but still.)
And I admit that I cringed when Kate came out wearing white with Charlotte lol. I went home in all black, ha.
Presenting her babies does not mean giving birth was easy for Kate. It simply does not.
Honestly a sense of perspective is required here. Beyond the tabloids that inevitably need to print trash and the mega fans/haters, what backlash?
Meghan didn’t want to present her baby and she isn’t. That’s all there is. What consequence do the articles have ?
@becks1 – agree re the yikes factor makes it seem from here that her choice to publicly present herself and her babies so soon was made with “support” from the rest of the family to do it that way.
It bothers me that people don’t think Kate had a choice with presenting George and her other children, of course she did. If she didn’t want to do it then plans would have been made otherwise. They could have released pictures taken inside the hospital like the Swedish royals did. Kate did it because she wanted to, she wanted to dress up and show off her baby, why do people have a problem with that. Kate has choices and I wish people would stop infantilising her and making out she is incapable of making her own decisions in life – she has and always will make her own choices.
I don’t think Kate was forced into it, but I can imagine there was subtle pressure. I think if Kate had really not wanted to do it, she could have skipped it.
What gets me the most is the inconsistency in the argument – Meghan isn’t showing the baby because she just loves the spotlight so much, but Kate showed the baby because she just hates being the center of attention. That literally does not make sense.
ETA and to clarify – I just don’t think “feeling sorry for Kate” translates to “Kate had no choice and didn’t have any control.”
So you think Kate says no to the queens expectations sometimes?
I don’t think meghan not presenting her baby means she doesn’t love the spotlight.
She thrives upon it, which is one of the reasons why i feel Harry made the right choice when he married her.
She’s probably not sure about how she’ll feel after the birth and doesn’t want to increase expectations upon herself, which is totally ok.
Also if she did there would be a million articles with side by side comparisons between her and Kate. Who wants that ?
Yeah, that narrative about the attention seeking is amusing, to marry into that family you have to be a bit narcissistic to put up with the media scrutiny. IMO both enjoy the attention, people forget that before she got the ring Kate mugged for the camera’s at every opportunity – she loved it. There were many stories of her asking paps for copies of their shots for the family scrap book, even the ones of her falling drunk out of clubs.
@deolee – yeah I do. She goes against TQ expectations by being lazy and workshy. TQ expects her senior family members to support her and both of the Cambridges are NOT meeting those expectations. They continue to do the bare minimum while letting a 93 year old woman and a 70 year old man shoulder most of the work and responsibilities.
@Desolee I doubt it was the Queen’s expectation and wish to the degree that Kate wouldn’t risk saying no. The “tradition” of presenting a new born on the hospital steps is a very new one and Her Maj herself gave birth at home. The first image of Prince Charles wasn’t seen until a month after he was born!
@Mrsbump – I don’t think Meghan “doesn’t” love the spotlight, I think she enjoys it most of the time (spotlight being different than smear campaign in my mind), but I’m not using the fact that she doesn’t want to do the whole lion king thing as evidence of that, you know? It’s like she can’t win. No immediate presentation of baby – Meghan is an AW. Immediate presentation of baby – she would also be called an AW.
I agree Mrs. Bump – it’s yet another silly narrative from the media. Neither choice is better than the other. There would be more expectation of William and Kate because of their position but other than that…
I feel like the father could easily present the baby if the mother is exhausted or recovering. I mean what would any of them have done if an emergency c-section were required? She wouldn’t be able to get dressed and present the baby then. If they are able to do it and want to, they do! If not, the father can take the baby out to present. When the public pays for your living, and all your pomp and show is the only thing that justifies your “vocation” and luxurious lifestyle, then you DO owe the public something.
This just keeps getting nastier.
The British media feel they are entitled to that baby. So they are slinging the shit at MM and now her Mom. It is disgusting.
Agree, and again what is so bizarre to me is seemingly intelligent people accept this kind of trash as truth. Why are some people questioning the reason why MM’s friends or PR leaked info about her to trash media like Page Six? Why not ask instead, “Why would they even talk to trash media like Page Six?” They wouldn’t, but if a person doesn’t like MM, they will use the tabloid dirt to criticize her no matter how implausible or ridiculous the dirt sounds. And, disparaging her mother with no proof of her being controlling? That’s just how low trash media like Page Six will go to spread hate and get clicks.
When the public financially supports your luxurious lifestyle against their will, and the only thing that justifies your “vocation” is the pomp and show you provide, then yes, I do think the press is entitled to see the baby and know when it is born. This kids entire life, schooling, nannies, meals, everything will be given to them and paid for by UK citizens.
Jephson should know better — as the daughter of the monarch, Anne’s children were never going to be HRH. What they could have had we’re courtesy stylings after their father was made an Earl (this was the route Margaret’s family took) only Mark Phillips declined any title.
I’m really tired of people getting this wrong. The Letters Patent aren’t actually THAT complicated.
+1
I feel for Kate a little but at the end of the day she did what she wanted to do, so my sympathy only goes so far. I hope Meghan does what SHE wants to do, no matter how I or anyone else feels about it. Would I love to see the baby, sure. But it’s not my baby or my body so not my choice.
I completely agree
Yes, ultimately, Kate chose to leave hospital quickly. If she really wanted to shadow her late mother-in-law Diana, she’d have stayed overnight for all births.
A Black woman who requests no pickles on her burger will be considered demanding. The line between polite requests and bitchy demands is nonexistent for Black women.
All the way this.
For decades, literally decades, (having spent my life in predominantly white spaces), people have always refereed to me as “strong” and “demanding” and “knows her own mind” and “difficult” and “conceited” and “harsh.”
Meanwhile, I literally suffer from cripplingly low self-esteem. The difference between how I knew myself to be and how other people described me was, frankly, maddening. Crazy making. Like spending a lifetime in the Twilight Zone. And I was not able to put all the pieces together until I finally found a black therapist who explained that my Uncle Tomming parents did me a huge disservice by not explaining the double standards, and then pointed me in the direction of several studies that proved the devastating psychological impact of dog-whistles, etc….
A lot of people talk about this inequality stuff like it is solely a material matter (*cough* Bernie Bros *cough*), but it’s been my experience that the lack of, what I’ll call, “psychological freedom” has been the worst, most negatively impactful, racism result, for me.
Note: Again, dog-whistles aren’t always conscience actions. This is what a lot of white liberals still need to learn, too. Socialization is a cunning asshole, and when it comes to this stuff, we’re not nearly as in control as we think we are. Accepting this is the first huge hurdle that needs to be scaled.
I hate to say it because it’s horrible but I think you’re right. I was at a restaurant one time, waiting on my to go order and this lady told me she’d been waiting 30 minutes and they had seated several tables while she was waiting. I raised heck because I had been waiting 15 minutes and asked for a manager. I mentioned how long she had been waiting to try and help her. I thought later, she was so nice, she didn’t complain, she was just waiting. Then i realized maybe she didn’t complain because she was African American and would be pegged as being a black b%tch by racist white people. Then i realized that maybe I am so outspoken and such a bitch because I don’t have to worry about being stereotyped like that. I don’t have to worry about cops being called cause i made a fuss. I grew up in all white areas. It was quite a shock when i started dating a black man to see the difference in treatment i received. I guess I just assumed everyone got treated the same as I did. I was unaware of my privilege. I think a lot of white people are that have lived in white areas and not had much contact with other races probably think the same way.
I didn’t see it until I dated a person of another race as well. I unfortunately agree.
“racist white people”
I know it’s very difficult to comprehend, but nearly everyone is more racist than they think. Until we can take this fact on board, and not get defensive about it, things won’t change.
Instead of thinking of it as a good-bad binary, people need to start thinking about it like a “bug” in our socialization algorithm.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J4WJUC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Meghan is going to do what she wants to do, as she should. A lot of women I know felt bad for Kate as a first time mom standing out there in heels with people screaming at her and her newborn. Even though she agreed to do it, I don’t think you know until you’re in that moment exactly what it’s going to be like. Mesh underwear, leaking nipples, crotch on fire, but smile for posterity.
Maybe Kate and Meg talked about it, maybe they didn’t. Who knows?
British people are truly going insane over seeing this baby. They vilify Meghan at every turn for not shying away from media, calling her basically a famewhore, and attention-seeking. Then, when she doesn’t want to hold a photo call for the birth of their baby it means she’s denying something to the British people.
Also they love to pretend Meghan is a sh*t stirrer ‘cause to them she doesn’t “know her place.” Yet for this birth they want her to pretend to be exactly like Kate; having the baby in the same hospital wing, doing the same photocall right after. If this had been her birth presenting plans, they would have criticized her for trying to act like a princess and would have used it to once again call her out for not “knowing her place,” and wanting attention.
Like make up y’alls gorram minds!
They think she’s “hiding” the baby and are acting crazy like they’re never going to see him/her. Seriously ppl chill the eff out. They already said they will make the pictures public soon after the birth. They’re not “denying” the British people anything.
^^^
1000%
THIS
Y’all. No one here cares. No one is waiting with bated breath for the arrival of the 7th in line to the throne. The tabloids want to report on it. The rest of us are out here living our lives, watching the marathon, cheering on our friends, in the garden, going to the cinema.
100% This. Gossip gurus? Yes. Royal watchers? Yes. Tabloids? Yes. Twitchy curtain twitter peeps? Yes. General population? No.
I’m a gossipy black Brit, so I’m interested, but most people here? Nah. They only get miffed if their taxes go up and the royals start being (even more) ostentatious than normal and even then it’s only with a small sigh and a shrug. It’s pretty apathetic to the royals here. I’d say the Americans are more invested tbh.
@Tina
Tbh, I care. I wanna see the baby. But do I care if it see them the day they’re born, or a few days or weeks or months after?—No not at all. Whenever they want us to see their baby that’s cool with me.
People who think the royals owe them a sighting of their baby right after they are born are seriously crazed.
@i, thank you! I mean, I’d like to see the baby because I’m a gossipy old auntie and I’d love to say, ooh that’s Doria’s nose or those are (God forbid) Charles’s ears. But Mtam, I am with you in the sense that I have no interest in seeing their baby before they are ready to show him or her to the world. And honestly, most other British people are the same. The royals are kind of like people’s second cousins. Occasionally your mother will give you an update on how they’re doing and you’ll say, cute baby, or oh, how interesting.
@Tina
Lol! That’s an amazing way of putting it (re: “people’s second cousins”). It’s good to hear from level headed brits like @i and yourself. I hope it came across when I said British people that I meant only those crazy, racist, conspiracy theorist ones (I should do better not to casually generalize). ‘Cause i’m with you, i honestly believe all this royalty drama (especially the British media’s obsessive takedown of Meghan) is not how most brits feel. I’m even more inclined to believe that because of the genuine support of them I see everywhere else.
Thank you i & tina – refreshing perspective!!!!
@tina, you apparently care enough that I see you here commenting multiple times on every story regarding this topic. But putting that aside, you’ve apparently failed to notice that it’s the British press pumping out these ridiculous hit pieces one after another. Not the American press. Clearly someone in the UK cares.
The first thing I thought of when I read this was the scene in To Kill a Mockingbird, when Tom Robinson says on the stand that he felt sorry for Ewell’s daughter and you just die inside knowing he just said the absolute worst thing he could have to that room of racist white people.
What I’m saying is, this is really going to go over badly for Meghan. 🙁 but then again, what doesn’t in the British press?
If she said it like its being reported (which… who knows), then this sounds super patronising. Kate probably felt fine to do -maybe had easy births and a glam squad. Meghan doesn’t like the idea of it, totally valid too, but one choice isnt better than the other.
You just proved Vanessa’s point.
Oh my god, yes! The reaction to “the WOC feeling sorry (pitying) the white woman” is going to be harsh. How dare she, who does she think she is? Lol
Plus I never felt sorry for Kate. She chose and chooses to be as much like Lady Diana as possible, down to the red dress. It’s almost LARPing. No pity here. She wasn’t forced or pressured, sorry not sorry.
exactly, she chose to “channel” Diana: polka dot dress, check,red dress with white collar check,but hey, she’s chosen to go with shorter , more fitted dresses and better hair and make up. She did it for her kids, but she did not create a “tradition”. I don’t want to shame her or anything, but I dislike how she chose to do things, if she felt pressured into it, she could have been more “low key” or realistic about it.
What I don’t understand is the press saying that it was “tradition”, no way.
Also I totally agree with this article about Harry and Doria. I recently saw a video (or maybe I read it) where Meghan mentioned the differences between her and her mom. She said something like Doria is more “laid-back, with her dreads and her yoga” (i’m paraphrasing), and Meghan seems already so down-to-earth. So I can totally picture Doria and Harry getting along very well, since Harry seems pretty down-to-earth as well (for a royal) and personable, and goofy like Meghan (just watch her old videos to see).
This is why this whole Meghan and her Mom are “demanding” and “difficult” narrative is one i’ll never believe. I think some people are mostly bothered by black women knowing their voice and their strength and asking for what they want/need, and they are not used to them not acting subservient to them or to society (which still to this day is set up in many ways, to oppress them).
Exactly. The little we know of Doria is the opposite of controlling and yet the media goes there because she’s black.
Same thought here – I in no way get the impression that Doria is controlling or demanding at all – she doesn’t project that image. Meghan certainly is a leader but I don’t imagine her walking all over Harry. It’s nonsense.
I’m constantly puzzled by musings like “the baby isn’t coming today because Harry has an appearance scheduled.” Unless they have an induction or C-section booked well in advance of the due date, and even those aren’t guarantees, that baby is coming when it’s ready no matter your plans. I’m 37.5 weeks pregnant. While I have reduced my number of meetings for 38 weeks on, I still have some set because they are fixed dates with the knowledge I may leave or not attend. My husband has not altered his local meetings at all because you just never know. Sounds like that’s what Harry has done. If it’s a local event and she hasn’t gone into labor yet, he’ll attend. Those plans could change.
I find it odd people actually care to see the baby. It’s a baby ,they all look the same for a few months anyway .
That’s been my thought too. All you really see is baby burrito with a squishy face. I’m perfectly fine waiting a few months when “her” personality starts to show.
So very true rose. I had no interest in seeing a pic of someone’s newborn grandchild today for that very reason but had to feign enthusiasm anyway lol!
The agenda I get from this is : we demand to see how ‘black’ the baby is so that we can carry on our racist bullying and concoct articles about ‘bloodline’ and ‘ancestry’. I am a scientist and know that the idea of ‘race’ is a socially constructed one to assert the superiority of conquerors. Every single human has a genome which differs from all others except in identical twins. I wish those ridiculous ideas of ‘race’ could be buried where they belong, in la la land. But no. My local services ask respondents to ‘identify’ with a ‘particular race’. Will this nonsense never end?
@chatty cath. 🙌🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏👏. Yep. The RRs want to see how white the skin of babysussex is and are mighty pissed off they dont get first look. The idiots.
@Chatty Cath
100% exactly. Everything you said is the TRUTH.
Being mixed race, my ex was white, his family was horrified that our babies would be , gasps, dark skinned. I am light. Ex is whitest of white. Our kids are whitest of white too.
This makes me wonder if demanding to see that baby is to determine skin color.
Yes I said this. Having experienced this myself with my former in laws all going whew the baby is white.
@Chef Grace — wow, you and I were posting the same comment at the same time. LOL you are far more succinct than I. I agree, and it hurts my heart.
ETA — @Chatty Cath, too. Okay, this makes me feel less like a bitter cynic. Thank you.
Unfortunately, I think you guys are right and that’s definitely a part of it for some people.
I’m sorry you had to deal w people like that.
I’d hazard a guess that that baby is going to be pretty light: the little cutie is three quarters white, after all (although I know how unpredictable it can be – I’m a dark-skinned 100% black woman, my husband is the whitest of the white Scots and baby #1 was light as him while baby #2 was almost as dark as I am). Whatever they’re trying to racistly infer about bloodline will be woefully daft if they’re using skin colour as a guide. Any person in a mixed race family will know this.
It could definitely go either way. I’m the whitest latina you’ll ever see, as my dad is Mexican but my mom’s side is full of Irish(heritage) redheads. I married the lone redhead in a family with mostly NA blood. We’re both white af but our siblings are dark. Our two girls are gingers and our son is dark.
That was my thought as well. The media just wants to know the skin colour so they can adjust their vile comments accordingly.
My biological father was Chilean. He was pretty tan with curly hair. If you saw a picture would have likely guessed he was more South American indigenous than anything. My mother was 100% Quebecois. I came out looking African a little bit darker than Meghan with coiled curls. My sister is pale pasty white and has mousey light brown hair. My sister and I had a DNA test awhile back and sure enough, we are 100% siblings with the same parents.
Since I went down to Chile when my biological father was dying, I learned my paternal grandfather was in fact descended from Moors. My grandmother was what they called Mestizo but also descended from Incans. Hence why my father looked the way he did and why I looked the way I did. My sister 100% takes after our biological mother.
My point is that Polo Baby could come out any which way. The genetics behind skin is still pretty unpredictable in science.
I’m dying for Polo Baby to come into the world, safe, sound and loved to pieces by the people who matter to him or her. And, I can’t wait to see photos of the proud parents and the sweet bundle, but I feel a little icky about the intrusion on their little family that will represent. What REALLY makes me feel disgusted is the media’s hounding of these people to see the newborn, when I fear that a major reason for that is they can’t wait to see how the baby’s mixed race appears. God, I wish I didn’t think that, but the blatant and coded racism in nearly every article about Meghan (with a few exceptions like Omid) or the impending birth assures me that none of them care about the mother and child AT ALL. They want TO SEE. Some days I just hate the world we’re living in.
The racism is real and brutal. however the intrusion and media hounding also stems from the truly icky fact that this family represents the pinnacle of social inequality. They are given a lifetime supply of palaces, art, furniture, jewels, vehicles, designer clothes, luxury vacations, and servants, all for free, forever. In return, they share a few minutes of their time with the public now and then, a very small fraction of their lives. We never see behind the (publicly owned) palace gates and estate boundaries, all the private jets and helicopters, vacations and parties. Assuming everyone is healthy, stepping outside with the new baby for a few minutes before retreating to the seclusion of the custom renovated palace they were granted is not such a hardship I think.
I could see Polo Baby coming today. I can see Harry getting that call and having to leave suddenly.
But I still have my dibs on Wednesday. Don’t ask me why, but I’m just feeling this baby will be here on Wednesday.
I thought MM would deliver early for a variety of reasons…..however keep in mind they could be playing with us re: due date……maybe baby won’t arrive til mid-May…..but right now I’m betting May 3
I think the photocall after birth is a mistake and I’m glad she isn’t doing it. Just because Diana did it doesn’t mean every royal woman has to do it. That time is very sensitive.
Women are pregnant for 40 weeks. that’s closer to 10 months, not 9 months. A baby can come as early as 36 weeks or as late as 42. But for a first time mom it’s usually later than earlier.
LOL. I was just coming to say the same thing. It’s impossible to know for sure when that baby was conceived, unless someone knows when Meghan was ovulating. You can count backwards once baby is born but again baby could come at 37, 38, 39, 40 weeks etc.
why do they both have to present the baby? why can’t harry come out while Meghan rests so all the looky loos can make sure the baby isn’t too black for them? I don’t think the outrage would have been like this if Kate had said no. and that is the only difference I can think of.
It is really fascinating how the press in the same breath will denigrate Harry and Meghan, as unimportant down the line of succession royals, and express outrage they won’t do a pap stroll with their newborn baby.
The press is mad because their hit pieces aren’t working. Sussexroyal has 5.3 million followers. Meghan’s weaponized father has been neutralized. They have influential friends. Not bad for a sixth in line and his wife. The press believe they have brought a future queen consort and her family to heal. They can’t control the Sussexes.
I can’t wait for Baby Sussex. I’m feeling that it’s a girl
Does anyone else think that this quote is possibly just an offhand remark that Meghan said years ago (if indeed it’s even something that she actually said), like after Kate had George and it’s just being spread about now to create DRAMA? I ask because the quote doesn’t contain any details as to when this remark was made and a lot of women had that same reaction, even those of us who’d never had kids, particularly after Kate had George, as anyone who even casually followed royal news, was aware of how sick she throughout the pregnancy.
All kinds of silly stories are all over the place….everyone is getting ‘baby wait fever’.
One thing we know for sure is that Meghan was telling the truth when she told a member of the public that the baby was expected late April/early May. I for one thought Baby Sussex or Baby Sussexes would come much earlier, so I am sitting on my hands. But I still think she may have the baby at the Lindo Wing.
They are claiming Chris Ship from ITV News said the baby is over due, how would he know, when Meghan said the due date was late April, early May, they did not want to believe her when she said the due date.
Now the press are foaming at the mouth, because they have no idea of what’s going on.
Seventh in line to the Throne, it was no big deal, so why is it one now, to see the color of the child’s skin.
Yes, unfortunately, there will be too much interest in what the baby ‘looks’ like. But I also think there is a huge surge of genuine love around to welcome this new baby.
Baby Sussex probably has decided not to step out into the world yet because it still wishes to enjoy the last few days of total privacy, because after that it will have to deal with being the subject of intense focus for the rest of its life.
The baby presentation thing is weird. It wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t have to fully glam and stand there in a dress and heels right after giving birth. I’d say hell no too if I was Meghan. In this day and age you can release a photo on social media.
but how was it an obligation or tradition to wear heels, for example? Diana did not wear high heels, she worn flats or kitten heels, same as with Sarah Ferguson and Sophie of Wessex.Princess Anne, very comfortable looking, also no high heels. It is up to the woman”presenting”, I guess.
Kate has been the only one to do it because she wanted to, maybe, but it is absolutely no tradition,as it is not to wear a dress or fancy hair . Sadly, whichever way Meghan prefers, she is being/going to be criticised.
To be fair, they were probably banging all the time as newlyweds. She might not have literally gotten pregnant that night, but maybe the night before, after, etc. 🙂
afternoon, morning, brunch…
Kate, and when I say Kate I do mean Carole, had to do the baby presentation to be like Diana. It has always been Carole’s dream to be Diana, thus Kate copying every iconic Diana photo ever taken. Diana hated the baby presentation, but the racist Brits feel they own the Royal Family and they must come first. So the Brits had to see the new baby they owned immediately thus the photo presentation. Remember the Brits needed to see the boys immediately after they lost their mother, so they had to come before the public, in all of their grief, to make the Brits happy. Kate is an empty barrel, therefore she molds herself to whatever… Mom’s desire for Diana 2.0 and William’s “_________ (fill in with whatever, she’s that for him).” So I agree, poor Kate! We really don’t know anything about her. She’s an empty barrel!
This is why I feel really bad for Kate. I think Carole is way more about the title and the status than Kate is. I always felt Kate’s mother put a lot of undue pressure on her.
At the same time, Kate allows this behavior and as an adult, she needs to set boundaries if that is the case.
I agree she has been under a lot of pressure from her mother, as a result we have never really seen Kate’s true personality, which she has suppressed, but I actually think that Kate, also like Diana may turn around and do something to really surprise everyone.
We don’t know anything about her … except for this fanfic just posted
Oh Cherie….Grow up
I’m with you, Cherie.
Tina….stop trolling, again…..pesky Brits!!
My thought on this is that perhaps Meghan decided to have the baby by C-section and quite possibly has already had him or her. No doubt the British press would “frown” on such a decision. No one who just had a C-section is going to be standing there “presenting” their baby a few hours later. And so they have just chosen to avoid that bit altogether.
Why are her friends talking? This makes Meghan sound slightly annoying. I don’t think Kate expects Meghan or Keira Knightley to feel sorry for her. They’re all (princesses, celebrities, duchesses, etc.) privileged people anyway, so….eh.
I’m sure Meghan had to do stuff on Suits she didn’t want to do (i.e wear provocative clothing, do certain sex scenes, objectify herself, etc) so I guess the “feeling sorry” stuff sounds a bit fake to me. This is how I felt when Keira Knightley wrote about Kate’s presentation as well.
Do you really believe any of Meghan friends actually talked to page six Meghan circle of friends are loyal. The only time Meghan friends spoke when they did the people article they did that with Meghan permission let’s face it their is no real news about Meghan the tabloids are making things up because they have nothing else to write about. Page six figures since Meghan is a feminist she automatically felt pitted for Kate
Why do people always assume C-sections are a ‘choice’? I had two ‘elective’ C-sections that were decided by my obstetric team in advance to ensure that my baby and I both survived. And before anyone trolls me about ‘having another baby’ both reasons were entirely different and could have happened to anyone. And no one wouldn’t feel like all that ‘presenting’ nonsense. The first few hours are catheters and IV fluids not grooming.