Now that Queen Elizabeth II has officially asked Boris Johnson to form a government in her name, her Maj is getting the f–k out of Dodge for the summer. The Queen actually had to put her summer plans on hold because of the prime minister shenanigans – she needed to be at Buckingham Palace to accept Theresa May’s resignation and to receive Boris Johnson as the new PM. So now that she’s done all that, she’s already packed up and gone to Balmoral for her regular summer holiday. This summer, it’s expected that all of the younger royals will be making treks to Scotland to spend a week here and there with the Queen and Prince Philip. That includes Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, who have apparently penciled in a visit to Balmoral to coincide with Meghan’s 38th birthday. It was reported that the Balmoral chefs will make a special cake for Meghan. So what will the Queen give Meghan for her birthday? Advice, apparently.
A royal expert has claimed that the Queen will take Meghan under her wing for a ‘quiet word’ when she celebrates her 38th birthday at Balmoral Castle on the 4th August. The Duchess of Sussex is thought to be celebrating her special day there, and according to reports the monarch will advise her on how to navigate the tricky world of PR. The Queen, 93, along with the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, is said to be particularly fond of Meghan, who recently welcomed Archie with Prince Harry, and is keen for her to ‘avoid any further PR blunders’.
The trip would be Meghan and Archie’s first trip to the Scottish Castle, and the invite from the monarch is said to be a ‘great honour’. Speaking to The Sun, royal expert Phil Dampier said: ‘This might be a good opportunity to have, not an assessment of her, but a quiet chat away from the madding crowds as to how she thinks it is going. I think in quiet moments and quiet walks up by the river the Queen might have a few words of advice for her. I’m sure there must be things where she perhaps thinks things could be done better, so I’m sure she would give her some advice, especially if she asks for it.’
The expert added that Charles, Camilla and the Queen are ‘very fond’ of Meghan, and ‘find her engaging and intelligent’.
If this feels patronizing, that’s because it absolutely is. Has Meghan made some PR blunders? For sure. She has, and I’m saying that as a Meg fan. But have those mistakes been blown up into massive controversies by a racist and xenophobic press? Also yes. The Queen trying to “advise” Meghan on what SHE could do differently is basically coming at the problem from the wrong angle, not to mention blaming the victim. The press would halt some (not all, but some) of their vile attacks on the Sussexes if the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge all presented a united front to say: this has gone way too far. They haven’t done that, because some of the attacks are coming from inside the palaces.
All that being said, this is just a theory from a royal commentator. My theory is that Meghan is skilled enough at interpersonal/work relationships that she will actually ask the Queen for her advice in how to deal with the constant attacks. And maybe after that, the Queen will actually do something about it.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN, Backgrid.
Ah yes, pearls of wisdom from the Queen, a well known expert in PR.
This made me laugh.
I think the Queen knows how to weather out a storm though.
This made me lol too!
And pearls of PR wisdom = homemade gift? The royals are so into that.
Oh no!!! Chutney time!!!
My thought exactly. This article is patronizing, sexist and racist rubbish from another royal “expert”. If anything the royals should look to Meghan for advice on pr.
maybe the queen sd mind her own business and keep her mouth shut. she was walking around with andrew at an engagement
Gahd, every time the Queen goes to Balmoral, I wish she were my grandmother so I could bum around a Scottish castle. I doubt the Queen gives Meghan advice at this point. She strikes me as the sink or swim kind of boss.
If Meghan were white, the story would be “The Queen is so fond of her newest daughter-in-law that she issued a coveted invitation to Balmoral to celebrate the young woman’s birthday!” But since Meghan’s an American actress of color, the made up story line is “The Queen is going to correct Meghan on her birthday, and MM won’t be getting any birthday cake either!” SO TIRESOME, these racists’ made up stories!
Yes. The story aims to reframe Meghan’s coveted Balmoral invitation into a 1-on-1 w/the boss. Ugh!!
I couldn’t handle all the xmas protocol, but otherwise I could hike with pups everyday of life at Balmoral.
They are the public face of a country, but they are also a family, so talking about how to handle challenges is, I hope, normal for them? What a dumb article by the BRP. It’s putting Meghan in her place AGAIN. Another patronizing poke at her. Ugh…
I admire Meghan for her poise and grace under such intense scrutiny. She was right to tell Pharrell that “they don’t make it easy”. The understatement of the century! I am from the US where royalty is such an alien concept. But the RR treatment of Meghan has reached the point of absurdity. And bullying regardless of status or domicile is a global issue.
I feel like this person is trying to make it more than it is. I think that Meghan prob will (or has already) asked the queen for advice and the queen has offered advice. She prob has also asked Charles for advice. I don’t think the notion of the queen giving advice to Meghan is a bad one in general.
I’m rolling my eyes though that its because of her “PR Blunders.” Any mistake she has made gets blown up into the biggest controversy EVER about the royal family. I think many things that people think are “mistakes” were sanctioned by BP, so the Queen isn’t likely to correct Meghan. (like how the press was so ticked over no Lindo Wing pictures of Archie – or the equivalent for where she gave birth – but I’m sure that was something the queen was okay with.) I do think that she has made some mistakes that I think should be easy enough to fix, but I don’t think the queen is going to pull her aside and tell her to stop wearing Givenchy. I don’t think the queen cares.
I agree, she’s likely already asked for advice from these members of the Firm. Putting this negative lecture spin on it gives the tabloids and haters something to chew on in the slow summer. The Sussex family going for a vacation, no lectures or advice involved, doesn’t keep those people entertained.
I hope Sussex Family spends a week with Charles and Camilla at Castle Mey this summer, like they did last year.
“Any mistake she has made gets blown up into the biggest controversy EVER about the royal family”
The major reason for this smear campaign is the selling on newspapers and click-bait for $$$$$. Stories on Meghan in the Daily Fail average 2-3K comments. Meghan is the ca$h cow for The Daily Fail, The Daily Slow and The Dim. However, IMPO, The Dim seems to me to be less pre-occupied with Megan than the Daily Fail and Daily Slow. IIRC, I read somewhere that The Dim cannot stand KP.
Agreed.
Slow summer days with little work being done. If Kate really wanted to surprise everyone and show her keenness on working royal duties, this would opportune time to do so. But alas, radio silence.
A “royal expert” says so…meaning some DM writer.
I suspect that’s what most of them are.
Yup!
I think the Queen will most certainly draw her aside to give her advice, and it will be along the lines of: “Meghan my dear, ignore those skanky royal reporters and just keep doing you. You’re fabulous. Now let me hold Archiekins.”
^^ This….
YES!!!!!!!!
Yep. It’s also (hopefully) a general check in to make sure she’s adjusting to her new role and home. The queen hates nothing more than a messy, marriage scandal, so it’s definitely in her best interest to keep everyone happy and together. The RF needs Meghan more than she needs them.
It’s like you were in the room.
If ANYONE knows how horrible the press can be, it’s the Queen. Have we all forgotten that in the days after Diana was killed, the press were howling for the Queen to march out of Buckingham Palace in sackcloth and ashes to repent for all the wrongs done to the ‘people’s princess’? There were some who were calling for the end of the monarchy, all because the Queen didn’t make a public display of grief over the death of a woman she probably didn’t like that much anyway.
Forget that the Queen was busy comforting her grandsons. It was because of the virulence of the media that William and Harry were forced to march behind their mother’s coffin.
I’m not happy that the Queen hasn’t done much to publicly support Meghan. But I don’t doubt that she likes Meghan and has no illusions about what’s up with the press.
That palace has had protocols in place for almost 1000 years. It would have taken 2 minutes and ten words to release a statement. “We share your sorrow at this unimaginable tragedy” It wouldn’t have been hard, and it needn’t even involve the Queen. That’s what the Protocol Office is for. Her death was felt around the world and millions and millions were trying to process it. She was called the People’s Princess for a reason. The last thing I wanted to see was those boys walking behind their mother’s coffin. I also thought part of it was Charles putting on a doting father show? I’m glad Phillip was there for those poor boys too.
I was told by a previous poster, LAK who was a fount of knowledge on things royal, that the reason the queen said nothing was because at that time, Diana was no longer a royal and without the HRH, she wasn’t a member of the royal family, her death was for the Spencer family to deal with. She was said to be quite taken aback and hurt by the anger of the populace, which is pretty much how the public felt towards her by then. It was a misunderstanding and the queen followed protocol.
@Lady D. She was called the ‘People’s Princess’ by Tony Blair. He’s the one that came up with that name. Nobody called her that before she died, ESPECIALLY before she died, when she was running around with one of the sleaziest men on earth.
The Queen thought it was a personal family matter concerning the boys because Diana was no longer a part of the royal family. The Queen chose to focus on her two grieving grandsons but the public hysteria was out of control. Tony Blair saw it as a time to score political points and the media was shameless, as usual.
Charles WAS a doting father. Maybe if he had been a little less doting, William wouldn’t be such a lazy, good-for-nothing and the world wouldn’t know what Harry looked like with his dick in his hands.
Surely this should be untrue solely because it is The Daily Fail. The same goes for The Sun btw, which this “royal expert” was talking to.
I’m really curious to know what PR blunders has Meghan made? Honestly interested.
The main one is Duchessing While Black.
What a wonderful way to sum up her treatment by the Press.
Exactly.
I didn’t come up with that phrase, ladies. I’ve seen it several other places supportive of Meghan. I agree it describes things perfectly which is why I posted it.
@Umm, I would say it is more a case of “bad optics” than “PR Blunders”.
I choose not give examples of “bad optics” as it has been discussed many times with the discussions dividing the pro-Meghan commentariat at CB. I do not feel like arguing with anyone today as it is FRIDAY with drinks & wine 5:00 PM!
Re bad optics the BM have set it up so Meghan can’t win. They say she needs to know she isn’t the star of the show and William and Kate are the future king and queen. Then when Harry and Meghan don’t emulate the Cambridges and don’t do hospital photo ops or arrival pics at the christening similar to other royals in the past, the press are outraged and they are labelled privacy freaks.
Last July during the slow season and when Thomas Markle ran amok, likes of Richard Palmer suggested Meghan wasn’t doing her public duties. Then when it emerged she had been making secret visits to charities and launched the Together cookbook, the Telegraph linked it to terrorism and Ingrid Seward said it wasn’t right for royals to visit communities in this way and she was upsetting courtiers. We talk about royals being lazy so you know they have it in for her when she hits the ground running true to her word and is labelled demanding/too hard working. There are countless examples of the double standards/selective outrage/schizophrenia in the reporting of Meghan.
I personally would like Meghan to get the easy fashion points and put unknown Brit designers on like she did with Grace Bonner when Archie was born and I hope she gets a stylist who can help her in that. But I’m not going lambast her for wearing Givenchy (like McQueen ultimately owned by French house) as seems she has grown close to Claire Wright Keller and given betrayals by her family and leaks by KP, I can see having someone she can trust is critical.
Yes she’s had some mishaps but given fact she only moved to UK in 2017 and has taken on this new family with customs and traditions that are completely foreign to her, married&got pregnant quickly, done three tours, launched a hugely successful project- and all this amongst very public family strife and a breakdown in relationship with her father, difficult work politics and a torrid press smear campaign, I think she’s done exceptionally well.
I’m sorry but Alexander McQueen isn’t French! Where are you getting that from? McQueen is British, through and through. Givenchy is a French haute couture house and nobody would ever mistake the label for being English! Yes, I’m offended, lol, because I own so many McQueen pieces, they are always perfectly tailored. I really don’t care for the whole “the Duchesses are spending too much taxpayer funds” argument because nobody here in the U.K. cares and that’s a fact. Everyone crying about it needs to get a life.
@RehanaZehr : you obviously don’t know much about business……..do you know who owns Alexander McQueen? Google is FREE (well kind of really…)
I highly doubt you own McQueen pieces because if you really did, you would know who ultimately owns the McQueen label; If you really own those pieces and don’t know who owns the brand, I guess Ignorance is really a BLISS
@VS, Excuse me, I think you dropped a mic!!!
I own some McQueen items and regardless of who now owns the label McQueen the person remains an iconic BRITISH designer.
Take your ridiculous ignorant snobbery elsewhere, VS.
Exactly. While the NY baby shower was a bit too Hollywood, it was also no great sin. Other than that, I can’t think of any PR blunders that Meghan has made.
How was the baby shower too Hollywood? Serena and Co, planned and paid for a private party. Even if Amal did cover the plane, she’s a lawyer and it’s her money. Gayle is hardly A list. Even when she was an actress, Meghan was never “Hollywood”.
So Meghan, an actress, shouldn’t be allowed to invite her friends who happen to be in the business because some readers of the Daily Mail (who already hate her) might not like the ‘optics’? What kind of tyranny is that?
At least Meghan’s ‘Hollywood’ friends don’t use their association with her to cash in, unlike family and friends of another Duchess. Maybe that’s why the Markles went so crazy, besides the fact that they are crazy. AND racist. They probably thought that EVERY family of a woman who marries into the royal family makes money off of it.
Eh, PR blunders are in the eye of the beholder. She’s doing a fine job under high pressure circumstances, which any seasoned royal would understand.
I find it hysterically funny that anyone would suggest the Queen will take her aside and give her advice. HYSTERICAL. Particularly when they are all on holiday.
The whole rap on the Queen back in the Diana days was that she was entirely hands off, even when advice was warranted. Suddenly, she’s voluntarily dropping pearls of wisdom to her team? Doubtful, doubtful.
The media wished the queen would talk to her. This sounds like wishful thinking written as a story and of course they need to sell and get clicks, so this is the usual. I honestly don’t think the Queen cares considering Harry and Meghan haven’t actually done anything wrong besides not kiss the Media and RR’s behinds. I laugh because they keep shooting themselves in the foot. The constant gaslighting and abuse is not getting Harry and Meghan to give access and the reporters don’t know what to do. I think after Meghan’s comment to Pharrell and Harry and Meghan not bending even after the Wimbledon nonsense/Christening and birth, the press have no idea what to do because they have nothing to hold over them. Harry and Meghan know this and that’s great long term planning. The press and the Markles have burned themselves out and kudos to the Sussexes for staying firm.
I am surprised that there was no big coverage of Prince Harry’s visit to Sheffield yesterday, he did three events, opening a new wing at the Children’s Hospital and then two Invictus related events. Hardly any mention on Twitter or news websites.
Mind you, Harry is still popular and people love him but It’s clear the only time some care about Harry nowadays is when he’s with Meghan. There was an article about the money she helped bring into the family and Britain as a whole. She brought the Instagram followers and worldwide interest again. That’s why the press and tabloids are so focused on her and her name is always on clickbait articles. In many ways, she is the new Diana because interest in her is through the roof. Why do you think Piers and co have been hounding her to the point of insanity? Basically, She’s a star and money maker.
The royal family have had a huge following and and interest long before Meghan. The social media tactics improved around the same time Harry got with Meghan, but the royal family were hardly thought boring before that. The world wide attention and money making existed decades before 2017 to.
Yes, it would have been awesome if Meghan was with him as well, hopefully Prince Harry can come back with Meghan.
I’ve stopped following several sites (Telegraph, daily fail, to name a few) because of their unfair coverage of Meghan amongst other reasons.
@Kj after Diana died I completely lost interest in them other than to watch the royal weddings. William and Kate’s wedding bored me to tears just as they do as a couple. Meghan has brought me back 100% because of her star power and her chemistry with Harry. Despite your attempt to diminish Meghan I think Britt’s statement is true.
No one is trying to diminish Megan for pete’s sake. She can be very popular and the royal family could have been popular before her appearance and those two facts do not negate each other.
They definitely enhance each other. Meghan brought glitz and gravitas with her for sure, but their high profile also gave her a platform.
Just FYI: the Telegraph is known here as the Palacegraph for a reason. Not saying I agree with their take and their sources but the Telegraph along with the Times are reputable, as far as Royal coverage is concerned. It is what it is.
I love how the new handles suddenly pop up here and act authoritative like they actually know something.
And always pro-Kate ones, Nic919. No surprise.
Gingersnaps I saw loads of coverage of the Sheffield engagement on media outlet’s like BBC, Time magazine,CNN, GMA’s etc social media unless you mean coverage on Celebitchy? The coverage I saw was reflecting on him following in Diana’s footsteps with the visit and hugging someone who had met his mum previously. It was very sweet.
Here in the UK? It was hardly reported, even the Royal Family’s official twitter handle didn’t report it until the day after.
When is the Queen going to pull Kate aside and advise her to get off her duff and work…
She’s too busy ensuring Kate dresses properly so there are no more butt-flashing moments.
@Jaded
Give it a rest Jaded, the whole butt flashing comments are tiresome at this point and it’s rather offensive. There’s a lot to criticize Kate about.
Kate’s flashing is tiresome and offensive.
I laughed.
Kate’s flashing was offensive? Whaaat? Lol, ask any guy, that wasn’t offensive, she has a really great body and bum. Inappropriate at certain events, sure, but hardly offensive imo.
You’ve well and truly revealed yourself now. Married for money, women flashing repeatedly at work is wonderful, and Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are your fav world leaders. Typical Katie Keen stan. LOL
Flashing at an Indian memorial is pretty offensive regardless of whether or not the person is a fattie or if they are skinny. And William was pretty pissed at her flashing incidents prior to that so I guess not every guy found that ok.
Honestly another new handle popping up with ridiculous defences of flashing really doesn’t help Kate’s case.
That piece of advice is long overdue.
Doubt it. The entire royal family has used their bright new shiny toy to hide all their bs. Aside from harry it looks like none of them give a sht about this woman being torn apart. It hides the affair story, and now the andrew story.
I can’t agree more.
What I want to know is why the “press” (and I guess I’m referring mainly to the tabloids who have it in for Meghan) aren’t following the Epstein story more closely and have been shielding Andrew for his part. At least one victim has named him and stated that he had sex with her when she was a teenager. Are made up stories about Meghan’s supposed pr blunders and fashion faux pas really more appealing to these publications? Considering they thrive on salacious, sleazy stories, you’d think Andrew would be a better subject than Meghan…
The Jeffrey Epstein story is going to get worse before it gets better. The entire world knows Andrew’s name is being linked to this story. England, well mainly the royal family and press, can bury their head in the sand and throw meghan under the bus, but it’s not going away and it’s not looking good that they are just ignoring it.
Looking for photo ops at Balmoral with the Sussex family since this is Meghan’s first trip. For her birthday the RFO or her own tiara or permanent loan from the vault.
The invitation IS the birthday present. The pleasure of Her Majesty’s (brief) company.
Given that Harry and Meghan have moved their press office to Buckingham Palace, and are presumably engaging the services of one of the Queen’s former staffers, I do have to wonder what further advice the Queen could possibly have for Meghan? At any rate, the Queen doesn’t give advice of this nature (unless she’s asked). She famously doesn’t involve herself with what the third generation of royals does, she’s not a micromanager. She is willing to provide guidance if asked, and she has other ways of making her thoughts and opinions known, usually through staffers, which Meghan already has access to. I’m guessing that at most, they’ll catch up and chat a little bit on what’s going on to get Meghan’s perspective on things.
Where do these stories come from? A “royal expert” who gives statements to the Sun? Isn’t there a more dignified newspaper or magazine a royal expert could talk to? Prince Andrew is affiliated with known sex offender and pedophile Jeffrey Eppstein and Princess Beatrice is basically a homewrecker and her slimeball man is a social climber just looking to be in the royal family, but yeah, the UK press doesn’t stop talking about Meghan every damn day. So many other things they could be talking about.
As soon as I see the source is a rag like the Fail or the Sun, I dismiss it. Funny how you seldom see these “sources” talking to the Guardian for example.
When there’s no news to report, the next best thing is to make up sh*t and re-hash previous “stories”, right Fail, et. al.? Meghan is click bait and generates $$$, plain and simple.
Edo comes from an aristocratic affluent family. I wouldn’t call that social climbing…. Beatrice looks really happy.
Dumping a fiancée and baby mama to be with Princess Beatrice is the textbook definition of social climbing. No one knows who the hell the guy is otherwise. There are red flags all over the place with this guy.
If she was Beatrice York he wouldn’t even bother with her.
The Queen was a hands-off, emotionally distant parent to her own son, the heir to the throne. So I would not be surprised if the Queen was (1) very found of Meghan, but also (2) not above criticizing Meghan for not being perfect. I think she doles out criticism all the time, and even at other family members (to me, Kate looks more nervous when she’s around William than when she’s alone). I think think the Queen is not very warm and fuzzy, nor cares overly much about others’ sensitivities. This is not a criticism against Meghan (or even Kate) – but rather my own view that the Queen is probably direct and not nurturing.
The British royal family in general seems cold and, distant. When you look at other royal family’s they seem much more warm and inviting, or at the very least can fake it for the public better. Spain, Denmark, Sweden (when Victoria take over) etc all seem to connect with the people better.
I forgot how pretty meg looked at this event with the queen
Oh, this is Phil Dampier, the same guy who talked about Kate wanting to have kids so she can stop working lmao. Ok then, Phil. I thought RR were persona non grata? Jus sayin’
REHANAZEHR I said that Alexander McQueen is ultimately owned by a French house which is correct. McQueen is owned by Kering (also owns Gucci, Balenciaga, YSL etc) and has its headquarters in Paris.
In this age of fast news/click bait The Times and Telegraph aren’t that different from the tabloids. The Times reported that tiara story which Valentine Low couldn’t stand by when SM commentators highlighted the inconsistencies and that it made the Queen look bad. They also ran the invasive pics of the Cotswold home. Didn’t Roya also recently report Archie’s christening was going to be on 4th July for Meghan’s US friends? Following banishment gate, Roya also reported that tour to Africa would be a few months long. I’m assuming she was talking about this September’s tour which will actually just be for a few weeks? It’s possible plans changed but seemed illogical given Meghan’s immigration status and with a new baby.
The Telegraph used the far right conspiracist David Vance for the Meghan’s mosque story. After Archie’s birth Camilla T had a piece blasting the Sussexes and suggesting their actions had impacted an ITV report which an ITV producer refuted to her on Twitter. The Telegraph also had the piece which started Wimbledongate by one of their writers mum, Sally Hughes. Sally changed her story at least 3 times when SM commentators pulled receipts that placed doubt on her story, so they clearly didn’t fact check her original piece.
These are just examples of the top of my head re low level reporting. There’s a coordinated agenda re Meghan’s coverage in the BM and facts/logic/history don’t seem to matter.
I don’t think @REHANAZEHR knows anything about the Fashion industry especially if she doesn’t even know who owns a brand as famous as McQueen……I just couldn’t believe it!
I do realize most people actually don’t know much except what is been fed to them by the news cycle
Anyway, this story about Meghan is all BS once again….Meghan is biracial, therefore, her excellence vs any other English rose would always try to be diminished. The level of scrutiny she receives is almost on par with Diana. The woman survived in one of the most treacherous industries; I highly doubt the gossipers can break her
*Sorry Sally Jones not Sally Hughes
Another patronizing hit on Meghan. Color me shocked. Shocked, I say. *eyeroll*