During the Duchess of Sussex’s pregnancy, Tatler decided to go all-in on their smear campaign against her. It was a sign that the official magazine of the stuffy upper-crust did not care for Meghan because… reasons. Reasons which definitely did not involve race or xenophobia, of course not. Tatler reported that palace staffers referred to Meghan as Me-Gain and that Meg had “banished” Harry’s old friends and tons of other stuff. Truly, I barely even remember most of the accusations lodged against Meghan from six months ago, that was so many fake-ass scandals ago. Well, in Tatler’s current issue, they’ve apparently ranked the “Biggest Social Risers” of the year, I guess. We should definitely read “social risers” as “social climbers,” because apparently everyone in Britain has a collective memory gap of how the Middleton family climbed. Guess who the #1 Social Riser is? You guessed it.
1. The Duchess of Sussex
The pinnacle of the greasy pole. Not quite a rags to riches tale (she was privately educated and her scapegrace father won an Emmy for lighting direction) but the Ralph & Russo-clad beacon of change has found a role that suits her to perfection: a tungsten toughie to drag the Royal Family into the 21st century.
The rest of the list makes it clear that Tatler believes it is some kind of crime to be born into poverty, or even born into a family that can’t afford Eton. How shocking. And yes, the language here is gross: “the pinnacle of the greasy pole.” Unlike the Queen who has been atop the greasy pole this entire time?
Meanwhile, people are still talking about Meghan’s trip to New York this weekend. But it’s not terrible – I mean, the people who will drag Meghan over anything are still trying to make it a thing, but for the most part, Meghan was praised for keeping the trip so lowkey. There were no pap strolls outside of the hotel, and the only photos we got were from inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she watched Serena Williams.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
The choice of words is gross but I’m all out of outrage. I’m just tired.
My head is STILL exploding on how Meghan is being dragged for being at Serena’s game, yet Sunday, when The Tennis Channel showed an encore of Federer’s match, there were K&W, front and center supporting *their* friend. I don’t remember hearing outrage about plane rides or *gasp* LEAVING THEIR BABIES!!! Quelle horror!
It’s just so damned blatant… and exhausting. I couldn’t do this. Meghan is a MUCH stronger woman than I.
Wait, Kate and William weren’t at the US Open, especially for a quarter final (when Federer lost) – are you sure it wasn’t a repeat of the Wimbledon men’s final? In which case, not a lot of plane rides involved there…
Yeah I am a huge tennis fan and I’m pretty sure the only Major matches attended by the Cambridges took place at Wimbledon, not the USO.
OUTRAGE!!!
I think Kate and William only go to matches held in Britain. I’ve never seen them outside of the country attending a sporting event. Kate and William get to sit in the Royal Box, so, yeah, might as well take advantage of the free tickets.
Rose – I’m with you. I have Meghan bashing fatigue. Wish it was contagious.
I want to know more about the class situation in Britain. I know that like “middle class” isn’t middle class, and the wealthy are super wealthy and I know in America it’s more of a huge drop off, like there is no middle class anymore. But I think of like, people who were born wealthy like Kate Middleton, Tom Hiddleston, Eddy Redmayne etc. All saying or implying they were “middle class” when to me its like.. no you were wealthy?
This is kind of a side bar from the article but I just get more curious about it.
There is no correlation between class and money here. You can be a penniless aristocrat or a working class millionaire. Middle class anyone who isn’t upper or working.
Kate was definitely middle class. Tom H was between upper middle and possibly upper class. I don’t know enough about Eddie R to know.
Which class?? as in social class!
Harry Hadden-Paton
Benedict Cumberbatch
Kit Harrington
Aidan Turner
Laurence Fox
The US class system is a remnant of colonialism learned from the British. But indeed the American Dream is that anyone can rise from rags to riches and be admired for that ambition whereas in British society it was maintained that you ought to stay within your class (in Indian society it was stay within your caste). Royalty married royalty and aristocrat marries aristocrats daughter. And so to rise above that is looked down on snootily and with disdain, how dare you rise above your station in life. So yes I think they say it in a completely negatively light. They imply to fall in love and marry someone from a socially fabricated higher class system is sneaky and conniving and manipulative.
The class system in the UK is just very strange. Not having a class system is the best part about being a Yank and living in the USA.
In the USA what we refer to as Upper Middle Class in the USA is the Middle Class…i.e. the Middletons who worked for their money. What in the USA is refereed to as working class of Blue Color class is the lower class in the UK, The upper class in the UK is the old (the older the better) landed gentry and the title aristocracy. All of this is just ridiculous.
Sir Richard Branson is not considered upper class in the UK because he WORKED for his money. I like living in a country were people like Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs and Sir Richard Branson are admired for working their butts off, building a company and making a tonne of money by their own efforts.
Tampabay, maybe you should read this before saying that in America people like Jeff Bezos is admired for making a tonne of money by their own efforts (LOL!). Everyone can be rich by having slaves instead of workers.
“Peeing in trash cans, constant surveillance, and asthma attacks on the job: Amazon workers tell us their warehouse horror stories”
The story is from Business Insider. I don’t know if I can post the link.
@Veronica, I maybe should have left Bezos off my post but the point I was trying to make is that Americans admire self-made wealth where as British society seems to admire (or respect) lineage and the more ancient the better.
@BayTampaBay….honestly…you could have left them ALL off the list…being a White Male brings UNTOLD riches and benefits that are NEVER counted….
Baytampabay…the book White Trash is a must-read for anyone harboring a sense of the U.S. being without a structured, highly engineered class hierarchy intended to maintain a constant supply of unskilled labor and uninformed voters.
@Bettyrose, Again, I have not made myself clear which is my fault. In my opinion the class structure in the UK and USA is very different. Money really matters in the USA whereas lineage really matters in the UK.
I have admiration for most self made people because they are self made. What self made people do with their self-made money is another discussion entirely.
Baytampbay-agreed that money buys status in the U.S. and lineage is not everything. I do like that about our culture…but I also think the ease of class mobility is increasingly revealed a myth used to manipulate voters.
I think @BayTamaBay is right. The fundamental difference is that the US value money and the UK value history and lineage, while kind of frowning upon money even though it’s clearly an asset.
Their values are deeply imbedded in their culture. The biggest influencers in the States flaunt their wealth and in the US that seems like an acceptable thing to do. In the UK, money doesn’t = social status and flaunting your wealth is a massive faux pas. As someone else pointed out, you can have plenty of money and still be lower or working class. Interestingly I think people have a level of mobility attached to their careers in the UK but still without correlating with money. For example you could be born on a council estate and into a real working class family but if you go to uni and become a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher and so on, you’d probably be considered middle class.
I think there is an old money vs new money mentality in the USA so I think there is a class structure of sorts in place. I’m sure old money people laugh at Donald Trump.
Yes, but he was made a “Sir” by the Queen, so actually I’d imagine he’s respected.
I’m American, but I’ve read a LOT of books on class structures, both in the US and in the UK.
Class in the UK seems to be very much caught up in Who You Are and How Do You Act. And not just you, but your parents, your grandparents, your great-great-great-great…grandparents. It’s not just where you went to school, but where did your great grandfather go to school and who were his classmates, etc.
So the upper classes in the UK are so insular, because they’ve known each other for generations. They know how they are related to each other. It’s this small little world where you are all taught how to speak, how to eat, what hobbies to have, how to dress, etc. It’s all in How Do You Behave.
Money does seem to play a part in one way: if your family made money from trade, you’re middle class. It doesn’t matter if you have a billion dollar company – if you didn’t inherit your money (and your house, furniture, jewelry, etc), then you’re middle class.
There’s so many books on the English class structure. Class by Jilly Cooper was a good read, and Watching the English by Kate Fox would be a start.
@Harper … honestly, we have the same system here in America. All of those private, exclusive ‘Day’ and ‘Live In’ boarding schools on the East Coast (and there are still a few in the South) have been in existence for nearly 200 years, with a select few in existence even longer.
It’s a legacy thing. The child goes to the same boarding school as their parents and their parents and their parents. They grow up among the children of the people their parents and grandparents grew up with. These people are also taught how to behave, how to dress, where to shop, where to vacation, who to associate with, what hobbies to have, etc.
A wonderful example of this active American class system is in the film “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”
I disagree that the system is the same as in the US. Having gone to certain schools, I’ve spent a lot of my life with old East Coast moneyed people. While those people are similar to the aristocrats in England, people aren’t kept out of that class in the same way. So, the Vanderbilts in America are old money, but in England, having made their money in building railways, they would not be aristocrats. Similarly, there is no equivalent of the penniless Duke who is still upper class. If you’re penniless for more than 1 generation, no one is still lauding you merely for your name.
The Skeksis in the Dark Crystal Age of Rebellion on Netflix could be an allegory for the British ruling classes – they have been here a 1000 years but they are invaders and they don’t belong. That’s why they stick together – the families that came over in 1066 know they came over in 1066 and they still own most of the land in Britain, they stick together, its an in-club and some people aspire to be part of it. The rest of the classifications, like anything, are to control and stigmatise. I don’t think ‘normal’ people care, I don’t think it makes any difference to their lives whatsoever. Only the elite seem to be bothered about who else is elite.
Oh I don’t know… The class system in the USA is more under cover but it certainly exists. Your “royalty” are your celebrities and the moneyed elite, Trump was one, the Kartrashians, the Kennedy’s and now you have a “real American princess” and look at the adoration she is receiving, like Grace Kelly before her. You do sort of worship at the altar of money too. I have never seen the proliferation of stupidly expensive “country clubs” as I did in America. Nor have I ever seen the level of homelessness that I saw in the USA (not even in the poorest of nations), Detroit was a real eye opener for me, so was the Union Club in New York. I am not bashing the USA, don’t get me wrong. I just think that before you criticise the monarchy and the class system you should look at your own backyard with a more critical eye.
Despite the doom and gloom, the middle class is still doing pretty ok in America (considering I pay out the ass for student loans but was still able to purchase a condo).
The class system in the UK is based on INHERITED WEALTH. INHERITED TITLES. Not earned, INHERITED. They look down on those where did not inherit. One MP famously stated “He’s the type of man who has to buy his own furniture.” The look down on “hustle” they look down on self-made people. They would rather love a penniless Duke than a self made billionaire. It’s VERY different from America.
Meghan is a very strong woman because if it was me, I would probably have exploded long time against the hatred and racism.
The worst part is that she is being attacked from all sides even both sides of the family.
I thought the vile abuse Angelina & Hilary got was horrendous but the abuse Meghan gets is just 10 times worse.
I mean, she did rise socially. Meteorically, in fact. It’s not a lie. But it ain’t that deep, either. Kate Middleton topped this list too, in the past. Tatler just keeps on Tatler-ing. *shrugs*
Meghan sells magazines which explains it all.
Agreed with both of you. It’s silly to think she didn’t rise to an insane level since being with Harry. But that’s not some sort of bad thing, either. I’m sure that while she was an actress she sought fame – but I also don’t think that was why she liked Harry. I think things just happened to work out well for them and obviously anyone who married one of the boys would have had a huge name recognition bump.
I’m here. her fame/status has exploded over the past year and a half. But that probably would have happened to whoever Harry married.
Yes it would have. It’s why Cressida bailed and who can blamed her?
Chelsy too if what I have read is true & correct.
Exactly, anyone who marries into the BRF will be instantly famous. Not to mention Meghan’s actual job involves working with people with power and money.
I don’t really care either way, but I wonder if Meghan is going to tire of life under the microscope and in Britain after a few years. When the romance fades and she misses the US will she be able to come to LA for long periods of time to see her mother and friends? If they got divorced would she have to keep their children in England? I hope they remain happy, but they seem very different people…
+1, both Kate and Meghan are social risers / climbers, why is that such a bad thing?
Yeah, funny that Kate being on the list was left out in this post.
This
Where is Kate in this classement?Meghan went to a better university than her and she is a self made millionaire.Kate never had a full time job.Harry proposed to her after one year William waited almost a decade.Kate’s parents were flight attendants.
It is about race.And obviously because Meghan shows zero interest in the approval of the aristocratic kkklan
Excuse me – St. Andrews is ranked as the best university in Scotland and third in the UK after Oxford and Cambridge. So no – Northwestern is not a “better” university.
Northwestern (31) has a better ranking globally than St. Andrews (100)
https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/choosing-university/worlds-top-100-universities
I toured St. Andrews for graduate school options as they had accepted me and despite the beauty of the campus I was extremely underwhelmed, academically.
I graduated undergrad not at Northwestern but a university of similar rank and standing – the options for coursework and research were no comparison.
Here is what I do not get: Kate graduated with a History of Art degree at the University of St Andrew which is considered the best university in Scotland and definitely in the top 100 world wide. If a person had this type of prestigious degree from a prestigious university, why in the world would you work at Jigsaw as an assistant accessory buyer? Would not the V&A Museum or a private art gallery be a better place to work and use your History of Art degree?
Working at the V&A or a private art gallery would have required long days of work for Kate, so…
BayTampaBay a better question is – why didn’t Kate’s parents “hired” her for a job title that sounded better than “a photographer”? Really, why didn’t Carol just made her daughter an honest employee? I don’t blame Kate not wanting to work for others. It’s tough out there. If you can avoid toiling for a living and dealing with a$$holes lording over you, why not? It would’ve been so easy and perfectly respectable to be “working” at your family’s business while dating William. If Kate isn’t the best worker, it wouldn’t matter, because no one would know. But what the Middletons ended up having was a nickname for their daughter and a snarky comment from the Queen.
@ladyD, I know plenty of couples who have taken their time getting to the altar. In terms of famous people I’m really not sure, but Brad and Angelina springs to mind and then there’s Goldie and Kurt who never went there but seemed just fine.
Pray tell what is the arbitrary “acceptable” amount of time one should “wait” for a proposal in a relationship? Given the booming divorce rate I believe couples should get engaged when and where they like without pressure or judgement. I can’t believe we are still judging women on this.
Umm, off the top of my head, both Imperial College and the LSE are ranked above St. Andrews so…
@Kayahead, Glad that you brought that tidbit of info up. If I were a Brit and wanted to go to a university in the UK the LSE would be my first choice.
St Andrews is a moderate Uni, it is not 3rd after Oxford. Have you forgotten; Bristol, LSE, Exeter, Edingburgh, Imperial College, Durham, Warwick, and many more are all above St Andrews. Prince William and Kate put it on the map, that’s all
@ Joja … “aristocratic kkklan”, unfortunately this says it all. Brilliant. I also think it must sting so, so, so much to have a woman of colour come into the Royal Family and show up EVERYONE. So much grace, class, style and intelligence. Great with a camera. Hardworker. Great ideas. Her own independent thoughts. “It’s just NOT DONE … dahrling.” XO
One random link to a random ranking doesn’t prove a point. Northwestern is not a “better school”, period. I studied at St. Andrews, with an M.A. from the U of Chicago (which is higher up on your list). I can tell you for a fact that the academics at St. Andrews were more rigorous.
Ugh and now we are comparing time before a man proposes as who is better? You can say a lot about Will and Kate, but to say Meghan is better because Harry only waited a year? Yuck.
@ Brittany
I think you were responding to me, so here I go, St. Andrew’s academic reputation score is 45.2 and Northwestern is 85.2. Graduates employability rank is in the 200s for St. A, but 30s for Northwestern.
Glad you went to a great school like University of Chicago, but St. A doesn’t seem to have the results like other top schools.
It’s not about who is better, but if women are going to be called social climbers, the one who didn’t do much with her life either with work or charity while waiting years for a proposal from a prince is far more evidence of being a social climber than a woman who had a career, had been married to someone else before and who had a public profile prior to meeting and dating the royal prince. Meghan got more famous once she started dating Harry, there is no disputing that, but to call her a social climber and keep Kate off the list is disingenuous. Kate was unknown but for dating William and her family used the royal connections to improve their business. If that’s not social climbing then nothing is.
Even Chelsy and Cressida did something with their lives while dating Harry. They both had jobs, Chelsy more so than Cressida.
@Nic919 Kate has already been on this list. Meghan was a c list actress at best, working up the ranks trying to be more well known. Now she has Beyonce hugging her. I would say that’s climbing the ranks without much work from Meghan herself. Without comparing her to Meg, It’s still completely disgusting to mock someone for dating a man for ten years before getting engaged. Meghan and Harry met and fell in love way later in life, it’s difficult to compare.
It’s not like Cressida was working hard for a good cause, she was trying to get into acting. And got some roles because of Harry. To say she was working compared to Kate is just stupid. Kate had her silly jobs too.
Most actresses work to be more well-known…? That’s not social climbing, it’s called having a career.
No one criticizes Kate for waiting – but to put your life and any ambitions you may have to rest because you’re at the beck and call of a prince is questionable. Please read the interview with the owner of Jigsaw who described exactly what Kate did at her one “job”.
Cressida dated Harry in between a more serious relationship with someone else she preferred. She attended University of Leeds which I have also attended which is an excellent school, focusing on dance. She is an actress, but she is an aristo. She does not need to “social climb”, she’s already there (her half-sister is Isabella Branson nee Calthorpe, who was William’s “one that got away”).
You don’t think a ten-year engagement isn’t a joke, Gingerbread? How many women do you personally know who would hang around for ten years waiting for a proposal? Ten years is a long time. Didn’t one of the York girls do the same thing and they ended up splitting?
@Maria, where is the interview with the owner of Jigsaw. I really want to read it.
Bay- it won’t let me post the link, but the article is called “Kate’s Not Precious; She Mucked in At Jigsaw”, from 2008.
A telling quote “[Kate] needed an element of flexibility to continue the relationship with a very high-profile man and a life that she can’t dictate. She’s going to be dictated to when she’s needed and not needed.”
@ladyD, I know plenty of couples who have taken their time getting to the altar. In terms of famous people I’m really not sure, but Brad and Angelina springs to mind and then there’s Goldie and Kurt who never went there but seemed just fine.
Pray tell what is the arbitrary “acceptable” amount of time one should “wait” for a proposal in a relationship? Given the booming divorce rate I believe couples should get engaged when and where they like without pressure or judgement. I can’t believe we are still judging women on this.
Sorry for the double post, just realised I replied to this in the wrong section.
I heard somewhere that Kate and Pippa were nicknamed the Ivy Sisters because they were known to climb the ladder of society at school. Kate changed schools to follow and befriend William there purposely. It’s all well documented. Meghan is more popular now, and I do believe there is something there with her asking people to set her up with some famous British men. And then she met Harry, and the rest is herstory. Who cares, they are married, they are a beautiful, motivated and happy couple. Suck it to everyone who thinks otherwise. Hundreds of upper class used to marry within blood, and Harry’s uncle is a pedophile. Why and how is this a main story in british papers. ANDY HAS SEX WITH MINORS IN A SEX RING.
@Maria, The article, “Kate’s Not Precious; She Mucked in At Jigsaw”, is from 2008 edition of the Evening Standard. I read the article. I thought the parts about Cathy Cambridge were just plain weird. I even feel more sorry for Cathy after reading this article. However, I was very impressed with Belle Robinson.
She was already on the list. Calm your racist hate, love.
If Tatler magazine don’t care for Meghan. Why is they following Sussex Royal on Instagram? They are not following Kensington Royal, Clarence Royal, and Royal Family. Just Sussex Royal. It’s pathetic. Yesterday the magazine deleted the post about Meghan because they got called out.
it’s a magazine and stories about Meghan sell…and controversies sell even better…
The saltiness being displayed due to a lack of access, really is something to behold. I hope they NEVER grant the UK press access. Let them starve. Murdoch’s media lackey’s cannot have it both ways. You cannot set her up as the right-wing media’s whipping girl and then expect any form of cooperation.
I hope they suffocate the existence out of the pale but stale UK RR’s careers as they expose themselves and their rabid racism.
This!!!!! Yay Mignionette.
This is not, and never has been, about lack of access.
If you haven’t noticed, there is an all out (mainstream) media war against black and half black women. Murdoch media has never had a fair or kind media representation of black women.
Look at any of these sites and look at what they show. Everything is either degrading, untrue, malicious or agenda driven. It’s actually creepy when you think about it. The UK has more asian people than black, yet, you wouldn’t know it looking at their media.
@JUSTSAYIN The British media who ochestrates these smears about Meghan, uses her father to bully her, they pretend they care about his relationship with his daughter, but all they are doing iis aggrevate the whole situation. From day 1, they conspired with Thomas to ruin the wedding, when they convinced him to take the pics, and turned around to expose him. Thomas should listen to Harry and Meghan, and realise that he is just a tool for the media.
Tatler is something else. Meghan must love Harry because I would be so done.
I actually think the language is more negatively talking about the royal family and not Meg personally. I think “the greasy pole” is referring to people who are making more money than they should, but the comment at the bottom “dragging the royal family into the 21st century” makes me feel like this isnt a drag to Meg, but to the royal family as a whole. I could be totally wrong that’s just my interpretation.
Because she did make a huge social jump, not on purpose she just got married but that doesnt take away from the social climb. I dont think shes a social climber, but she did marry into the royal family. Anyone who marries into the royal family is making a social climb that is going to be bitter to some people because now for the rest of their lives they are going to be living on the peoples money doing a part time job that involves just showing up or throwing your ideas into the wind and everyone scrambling to get them done.
Again, a nuanced discussion is never going to be able to be had about Meg or Harry because of the horrendous smear campaign, and I’m fully prepared to be called a racist for having a not popular opinion even though I’m a young black woman lol.
@Cidy, Thanks for your comment.
“a nuanced discussion is never going to be able to be had about Meg or Harry because of the horrendous smear campaign”
You hit the nail directly on the head.
I hear ya Cidy – it’s really hard to have a nuanced discussion about the BRF and by extension H&M because people jump down your throat from both ends (sugars and haters) it can be pretty nutso.
@Cidy, I agree with you. I loathe the monarchy, and people are all, “You hate it because Meghan got in!” And I’m like, “Noooo, way before.” But you can’t have the discussion because everything is so fraught.
The number of people who criticize the blatant racism displayed by the British media towards Meghan while supporting the an overtly racist institution like the monarchy is truly something.
One less supporter here. The ‘Sunday Smile’ pics abruptly ended any respect, fondness or empathy I had for the queen and her “overtly racist institution.” #End the monarchy.
It’s derogatory, but unsurprising. I’m sure that she had no idea of the intensity of the abuse that would be hurled at her.
I think this is fine. In a world where the smear-campaign didn’t happen, I think we would talk more about how she made her moves from C-list actress to one of the most recognisable faces in the world.
The Becky Sharpe story will always be a compelling one, especially for gossip readers.
I really want to emphasise here that most people here in the U.K. do not care either way about the royal family. The queen is viewed with mostly affection because of her longevity; the rest are barely given a second thought other than for weddings or royal babies.It’s certain disgusting racist elements of the press we have in this country that’s trying to take attention away from brexit and paedo Andy, that is constantly smearing Meghan. Most people have better things to worry about- perception is skewed on a site like this because we are interested in all the going’s on; most people don’t follow it in detail.
I’m only saying this because it’s one way to feel a tiny bit better about Meaghan’s situation- people are not rioting in the street to get her out. Now if only we could do something about the press 🙁
I have friends in Norfolk. When I talked to them trying to get the local low-down on “Rose Who?” I was told: “The Cholmondeley’s are wonderful people and very much part of community. I have no desire to go into their bedroom and they would certainly never come into mine. What they do in private is their business.”
Brits do not seem to gossip the way Yanks do.
That’s because the punishment is severe. They still gossip, they’re just very careful with whom.
“Brits do not seem to gossip the way Yanks do.”
Oh you sweet, sweet summer child. Certainly you’re not this dense to actually believe that?
@Lina, what I was trying to express was that my friends from Norfolk were not interested in if William was or was not having an affair with “Rose Who?” and I AM very very interested in if William was or was not having an affair with “Rose Who?”.
Lina, your point couldn’t be made without an insult to BTB?
@Lady D, Thanks for your comment.
@Lina, you did not insult me because I cannot be insulted but there are other CB sisters & brothers who can be insulted and I do not want to lose any of my unique CB sisters & brothers. I know you meant no harm only great snark.
Can I ask a question? The end of the article says there weren’t any pap strolls. Does that mean that the wedding shower photos outside of the hotel were planned? Do celebs really call up photogs to tell them where they will be and then act upset to have their photos taken? Or do paps sometimes just stake out hotels and legit get pics?
And most importantly, did Meghan do this?
I think you mean the baby shower, and no the paps were stalking places when they found out she was in New York, because she had been there a couple of days before she was spotted.
Celebs call photographers all the time and do deals – getting a cut of the money made from selling the photos or letting them take photos at a certain time and then leaving them for the rest of the day/week.
They also call them to show off a new relationship – Tom Cruise was famously called out for this when he rode up for a dinner date with Katie on the back and asked the photographers why they were there – one shouted back something along the lines of “your team told us you would be here!”.
No matter how well planned an event, if its not on private property it is very difficult to ensure that the media are not informed about whatever occasion being held there, so the photos outside of the hotel would be inevitable.
Celebs also do this to promote their clothing lines or brands….i.e… Reese Witherspoon with her Draper James lifestyle brand. Tom & Lorenzo call this the “Sidewalk Sashay”.
Not sure whether Meghan did the pap call, but I doubt it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Jessica Mulroney, Amal Clooney or Priyanka Chopra did; they are known for their fameballing ways. My bet is Mulroney. Didn’t her brunch or dinner beforehand get papped?
As for the “greasy pole” term in Tatler….isn’t that a fairground/county fair game, trying to climb up a greased poll? Maybe Tatler was using it as a metaphor, ie. it’s hard to climb and hard to stay up.
Priyanka was not there
As I recall, for the baby shower weekend Meghan had been in NYC for a couple of days before her presence was outed, by someone in a restaurant. She’d been staying privately up until then (possibly with Misha Nonoo?) but had to move.
Once she was at the hotel, pretty sure the hotel set up the barricades, etc., to control the crowd of photographers and others that were gathering and avoid inconveniencing their other guests.
Possibly they could have had her come and go from a more obscure hotel entrance, but maybe everyone just figured it was easier to take control of the situation, let people get their pictures and get it over with.
The Mark service entrance is in the front, because the hotel is attached to another building.
I’ve never been tempted to read such elitist rubbish like Tatler, but it might be worth it for pearls like ‘scapegrace father’ or ‘tungsten toughie’ LOL. Who talks / writes like that?
Seriously though, just absolutely gross (and silly) to talk about the “Biggest Social Risers” of the year.
Well she is a social climber. And so is Kate Middleton. That does not make them bad people. On the contrary. And contrary to some other people who were born in the right family and had everything handed to them from the get-go, they are not criminals or friends with criminals.
Oh and I see that they included Robbie Williams’ 7 YEAR OLD daughter? Oh never change Tatler.
Kate Middleton’s uncle was a drug dealer and pimp, and she and William used his villa (Casa de Bang Bang) and yacht where these things occurred all the time.
Oh I had forgotten all about Uncle Gary. Maybe someone should introduce him to Pedo Prince. Or Even Papa Markle. Me thinks they would get along famously. It’s funny that the women in KM and MM’s circles are the most covered and denigrated, yet the men are – as usual – the most scandalous ones.
The child was the part that got me – she’s a little kid, give her a break!
And THIS is why the press have an access problem with regard to the Sussexes.
Meghan wasn’t born in proverty. By the time she came around her father was doing well, so Tatler was throwing shade.
That part is in the article.
Well it just means they think if you are a POC that means you are automatically poor or poor from their elitist view point.
I think social climber is the wrong term for Meghan but fits Kate and the other Middletons.
Meghan status internationally has grown not just in the UK or US.
I mean, I don’t think she is actively using Harry, I believe they really are in love. But Meghan was a C list actress trying to climb the ranks in Hollywood, as an actress does. When she married Harry, she skyrocketed to A list. I think that she could be considered a social climber like Kate. It’s only fair.
How is that “only fair”? I’m sure Meghan appreciates the new status, but she didn’t work her whole life for the chance to become royalty the way Kate did.
Because Meghan was actively trying to rise through the ranks of Hollywood! Why can’t we ever discuss Meghan without rose colored glasses? Meghan is beautiful, smart, determined, classy, kind, etc. She’s awesome. She’s not untouchable. The fact is Meghan was working on a cable tv show that had fans, but wasn’t one of the top shows. She created a lifestyle blog. She was trying to rise to the top. No shame, no criticism. Marrying Harry fast tracked her into stardom without doing anything but marrying a man she fell in love with, but got her where she wanted to be in Hollywood. So yes, it’s fair. Doesn’t detract her other qualities.
I literally said, I’m sure she enjoys her new status. That does NOT mean she worked to bag a prince, the way Kate did. That is a fact, rose-colored glasses or not. You are the one that stated that it’s “only fair” to call Meghan and Kate by the same terms. But there’s a difference between professional hustle and orchestrating your whole life to be part of the royal family. I have no idea why delineating that difference is somehow being “too positive” about her.
Because what you’re saying is not fact? It’s opinion. And also, professional hustle includes marrying Harry, no? She didn’t get where she wanted to be by hard work.
No, professional hustle does not mean marrying Harry. What are you even talking about? Meghan worked hard to network and gain more prominence for herself and her brand. She was pretty good at it, too. Not the most prominent actress, but she worked at it and made a respectable name for herself. She had a decent blog and liked charity work. So how is it social climbing if during this journey she fell in love with someone who made her shut down her own brand to be a team with him? I’m sure she’s fine with where she is and her status, but she has the tools she needs to succeed in her current position from what she did before, and she is using them.
Compare to Kate, whose mother concentratedly sent her to the schools where she would mingle with the right crowds (putting her in Marlborough). She switched her application from University of Edinburgh to go to Saint Andrews instead when William announced he was going. The boss of her only job stated Kate refused to do any real work because she needed to be at William’s beck and call. This went on for nearly ten years. And she has done the bare minimum for her whole marriage, showing it wasn’t the philanthropic aspect of royalty that attracted her. How is that similar to Meghan, as you are implying?
There is a HUGE difference between someone working hard to achieve, whether it’s money or fame (as actors do), and someone who works hard to get into a better social status through marriage. C’mon. And I have respect for Kate in this instance: she saw who she wanted and laser-focused on him until she got him, no matter how long it took. Her family also benefited GREATLY from her connections. To me, THAT is social climbing.
I think tatler is forgetting about the wisteria sisters . The Middleton’s were not as rich as people make them out to be.The whole family climbed to get them were they are now .Meghan a woman who worked and lived her life on her terms that didn’t dump her friends or chase after a prince yet Meghan is the social climber .Tatler is following the British media with these negative stories on Meghan.I just wish they would leave Meghan alone it has been non stop smear campaign since the story broke they were dating.
The upper class in in the UK is basically the pure bloods in Harry Potter, all related, all connected, and it’s about going back through several generations but has nothing to do with wealth.
That Tatler article is racist,classist and disgusting. Oh, the Tatler editor is BFF with Kate. Another proof of Cambridges’s racism and jelousy.
Tatler received a backlash so huge that they cancelled their IG post.
👏🏼
The Tatler deleted the article as well.
The article is still on the Tatler website but you must “‘search” for it.
That’s awesome news.
The story has also vanished from the front pages of the DM. You can still find it in their history.
That’s wonderful! I hope that this response gives them pause before they put out another one of these articles.
That is all kinds of classist nonsense and mean spirited too.
The royal family is such now it isn’t in any way good to rise to their level. The Queen riding with Andrew in the midst of rape allegations, grinning broadly has tarnished them forever. William and Kate’s (heir and heir consort) continual entitled laziness and nasty pr games show they are unfit for service. I would argue that Harry has been elevated into a more mature, thoughtful and caring person since marrying Meghan. Other than her love for Harry and Archie I don’t see much gain for Meghan inheriting this lot through marriage. She may be at some sort of pinnacle in terms of a classist social status but it’s nothing to admire in and of itself.
The reason Tatler has been going so hard on Meghan for the past few months? New editor Richard Dennen took over in Feb. He was at University with the Cambridges at St. Andrews and is supposedly still quite friendly with them. Makes sense when you think about the level of vitriol towards Meghan from them for the past few months, and that they also named the Cambridges number one on their ‘most powerful Brits’ list a couple months back. All dots connect back to Will, Kate and the vicious Royal Courtiers. Edit to add: Dennen has publicly gone on record about being friends with Kate in one of those Embiggening pieces that were being floated about last year about how wonderful Kate is etc.
Surprise surprise 🙄
I think one issue here is that Meghan’s press coverage is so outrageous … it is starting to negatively impact the Royal Family. I am Canadian, I have never had too many thoughts one way or the other about the Royals. Seeing Meghan covered so heavily and negatively in the press, seeing Prince Andrew’s use of sex slaves barely covered. It is hard to be a sensible, intelligent person and accept these two things. Watching the Queen attempt to protect said Prince … that was beyond disappointing. Never mind that she never came to Meghan’s defence.
Also … I am female. A Royal-to-be woman who meets other women, who have just lost their homes to a horrific fire, and offers to do a cookbook to raise funds for their community kitchen? Well, the adult, human tabloid writers are going to have to do a lot to convince me this Now-Royal woman is evil.
Very well said.
As a British-born Canadian, the royal family has ALWAYS been there. I admired the Queen, mostly because she was THE QUEEN, but also because I thought her commitment to her country and the Commonwealth was real. I didn’t think much about the rest of her family one way or another.
Right now I’m horribly disappointed in the Queen and I’m surprised at how painful that is to me. There is a small part that understands WHY a mother would want to stand by her son, even if he’s the worst kind of criminal, but to do it so blatantly and show so much contempt the ‘optics’, has been a shock.
Meanwhile, the woman that her beloved grandson loves and the mother of her great-grandson is being torn to shreds on a daily basis. I haven’t heard that the Queen dislikes Meghan; in fact I’ve heard that she rather likes her. So why hasn’t she lifted a finger to stop this campaign of hate against a woman who’s only crime seems to be that she’s biracial? I’d heard that the Queen had very close friendships with several African leaders back in the day, and disagreed with Thatcher about Britain’s stand on apartheid. So if the Queen isn’t a racist, why is she letting this happen? Has she decided to use up all the influence and goodwill she has protecting her pedophile son? I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
My mother was a big fan of the Queen. They were around the same age and whenever the Queen appeared on tv, Mother would ask me if I thought she looked younger. I’d always say that of course she did because black didn’t crack. If she had lived, my mother would be HEARTBROKEN by this and that makes me the most angry. There are probably Black and Brown people all over the world that have stood by the Queen and been loyal ‘subjects’ all their lives, no matter how irrational that might be. For their sake alone, she should be standing up for Meghan.
@Kerwood
The Queen’s commitment to the Commonwealth? Are you serious? What commitment is that pray tell? It’s baffling when I see people eulogize the Queen who is the head of a racist institution which has spread havoc across the world. And Meghan marrying into this racist institution does not make it any better.
No, it’s a very bad thing. She’s “officially” a social climber. Therefore, a scheming, calculating black foreigner. An outsider, other and usurper. A very bad thing.
The Tatler wishes it had that kind of influence. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s very similar to Radar Online or the Enquirer, right?
@LadyD, No, The Tatler is closer Town&Country magazine.
As opposed to who? Everyone else marrying into any Royal Family? I suppose Diana was the odd one out! If Meghan is a social climber then what are Kate, Autumn, Mike, Jack, Sophie, and Sarah? Pristine little aristocrats? Nope. And let’s not even mention Pippa and Mamma Middleton!
Kate Middleton was actually ranked a few years ago, which is only fair. She is a social climber. So is Meghan. And Pippa although she wasn’t as successful as her big sis.
I think Pippa is actually more successful in her life. All the money and perks without having to pretend to care about others.
Oh I agree with you Harla. I meant that Kate was more successful in that she landed the biggest title in the land in William while Pippa had to “settle” for an untitled rich dude. Mon dieu!!
But If I had to chose, I’ll take Pippa’s live over Meg’s or Kate’s any day. She has the money, the nice flat in London and the great house in the country without any of the bs expectations women in the RF have to meet on a daily basis – and the insane racism MM has to endure every second.
Tatler also included a 7 year old girl on that list, that’s all I need to know about that bull list.
the girl is the daughter of Robbie Williams who is still quite famous in the UK…
How can you call a 7 year old girl a social climber? Like she not even old enough to crasp the concept
Well I for one think being a social climber / networker is an amazing skill and Meghan is clearly great at it. A huge part of success in life is how well you capitalise on your relationships, and isn’t that what social climbing is all about?
I’d love to be better at it but I can’t get past my natural shyness / insecurity. So props to those who can.
Don’t feel too bad about it – there is a fine line between having good relationships that raise you up and then just having transactional relationships where people are used until they are no longer useful. Most people I have met who like to “network” and “social climb” indulge in the latter unfortunately.
I wish I was better at networking and social climbing as well. I live in France and for all the talks about equality, meritocracy and whatsnot, it’s all about who you know in the end.
People dont like Meghan because they think she has the short cut in life.
Well, attractive n charming people always have the short cut in life. Get used to it.
If Meghan were white, she’d still be attacked, to a lesser degree. The fact that she is a color woman does make it worse for some people.
People don’t like Meghan?
Who are you speaking for?
I mean people who dont like her you know
She doesn’t have a short cut life. never has. She studied hard, worked hard, traveled with various philanthropic organizations, ran her own lifestyle website, so what if she met Harry and they fell in love? So what if she’s pretty? There are scores of pretty young women who don’t have a short cut life, myself included – I was very pretty as a young woman and all it seemed to do is attract bad men into my life. Like Meghan I worked hard for what I have now – a loving partner, lovely home, a long successful work-life from which I am now retired and enjoying every last minute of it.
No doubt that she, you like many body else work hard. But her stardom comes from marrying prince Harry not her work. And nothing horrible about that. Just many people think it’s the easier way. But I’d say it’s not easy to bag a prince at all. Power to her.
Saw a few screen shots of the Insta drag about this. People offended more by the “underprivileged” if you didn’t go to Eton line, as well has the implication of how dare the poors work and get educated to move up. Also putting someone’s 7 yo on the list is just rude. A former black Tatler employee who worked there years ago weighed in on Instagram that she couldn’t believe they’re still doing this nonsense years after she left. Also, basically they just wanted to slam Meghan again. People just weren’t here for it this time.
Let’s see: Meghan went from being a working actress on a successful cable TV show, with lots of A-list friends. Now she’s related by marriage to a least one pedophile, if not two. She’s forced to spend time with some of the most boring people on the face of the earth on a regular basis. Every exhalation she makes is examined and criticized. And the worst people on earth think they have a right to tear her to pieces because of her race.
Yeah, that’s a huge step up.
Who is the second pedophile?
@BayTampaBay Kate’s uncle. Like I said, it’s a relationship by marriage, but that’s still a lot of scumbags to get along with your marriage license.
@kerwood, I was thinking about Pippa’s father-in-law. I guess Kate is related to that scumbag by marriage. You are correct there are lots of scumbags hovering around.
@Kerwood, there is another pedophile in the RF – besides Andy?? My, my, and that’s the lot Harry described as the ‘family Meghan never had’? A bunch of trashy, criminal ass*oles, that’s what they are.
@Sarah The sad thing is that Harry probably believed what he was saying. He probably believed that he had a loving family and that they would love and accept Meghan because he does
Nobody really talks about what Harry’s going through. To see your family for who they REALLY are must be a shock. And his brother’s betrayal must break his heart.
Harry went out of his way to stand by Kate and to support her in her early years. The LEAST Normal Bill could have done is to NOT participate in the campaign against his sister in law.
kerwood—I noticed something about Meghan in the US Open match. Her wedding ring now rests on the outside. At the Trooping the Colour appearance she wore her eternity ring, then wedding ring, then her engagement ring. At the US Open she wore the eternity ring first, then the engagement ring, then the wedding ring.
It could mean absolutely nothing. But (tinfoil hat) I wonder if maybe the representation of the family bond she married into (her Welsh gold wedding ring) is less important to them than the tokens of their own relationship and this is a subtle sign of it.
@ Maria, it could be as simple as she took off her rings to put on some hand cream and then just put them back on as she picked them up without any thought to the order to which “they should” be worn. Or perhaps my tinfoil tiara isn’t working correctly today 🙂
oh that’s absolutely possible! I just know she likes to send “messages” sartorially sometimes so yes, I put on my tinfoil tiara for this one lol
Jesus Hakim Christ, was that supposed to be a compliment? I know there are language nuances but i don’t know in what language that take would be considered positive or flattering in any light!
If one look at some of the articles about 10 plus years ago about Autumn and Peter Philips’ nuptials it was suggested that the royals should go back to marrying aristocrats. They were screaming that the rights to the wedding photos were sold to Hello Magazine to offset wedding expenses since the bride’s family is responsible to pay for the wedding. That time it was about the Queen being in the photos but it was really lack of access and inability to making lots of money.
The couple moved to Asia for work and hot s break. There were intermittent squats over the years.
Guess what.
After 10 years of marriage she has finally got some good press.
Meghan has this to look forward to.
Meanwhile It is worth considering what the black Britions do. They do not comment on the alt right tabloids. They do not share their opinions so they (tabloids) go to twitter.
The fact checkers on Twitter now are choosing to disengage while they continue to correct the inconsistencies in the report. They do not provide links nor respond when proded. The bullies will not be seen as victims.
Comments are used with screenshots.
Good tactics.
Let the British tabloids become an echo chamber.
As to Tatler, the new editor went to school with Catherine Middleton.
So there.
If one look at some of the articles about 10 plus years ago about Autumn and Peter Philips nuptials it was suggested that the royals should go back to marrying aristocrats. They were screaming that the rights to the photos were sold to Hello Magazine to offset wedding expenses since the bride’s family is responsible to pay for the wedding. That time it was about the being in it.
The couple moved to Asia for work and hot s break. There were intermittent squats over the years.
Guess what.
After 10 years of marriage she has finally got some good press lately. They still do not have access.
Meghan has this to look forward to.
Meanwhile It is worth considering what the black Britions do. They do not comment on the alt right tabloids. They do not share their opinions so they (tabloids) go to twitter.
The fact checkers on Twitter now are choosing to disengage while they continue to correct the inconsistencies in the report. They do not provide links nor respond when proded. The bullies will not be seen as victims.
Comments are used with screenshots.
Good tactics.
Let the British tabloids become an echo chamber.
As to Tatler, the new editor went to school with Catherine Middleton.
So there.
My apologies for the double submission.
Originally, I thought it was a bad thing, then I read the article and a few things stuck out. One I don’t really know many of these people. Two, Robbie William granddaughter whose maybe six is on the social rising list, how bad could they mean it to be when they put a kid on it? I just couldn’t get if it was total snark or just British.
Also, loved Meghan’s outfit and that she went to yoga too. Just kind of nice and American. She may be adopting Britain, but she’s still American. I may be one of the few people on here who wish they would buy a house in Ca. and live part time in the US. Why should she have to give up everything, this is still her home. The two countries are different, and I would just want to be home some. Finally be prepared for Meghan’s the championship jinx for Serena stories. People love these stories without the added popularity of Meghan, so expect more. I don’t know what it is about Serena, but she can’t seem to close on one of these tournaments. She looks amazing till the final match. I really wanted her to win to tie the awful person but great tennis player Margaret Court, but getting worried it will never happen.
While some of the criticism towards Meghan is def racist I get the feeling that most of it actually steams from plain old jealousy. She got it all to easy and too fast in their opinion. No ten-year wait for the ring, got to spend the christmas with the royals while not yet married, got to go on a tour with the queen etc. I think people wanted her to “earn” it, to “work” for it, to humbly wait to be acknowledged. And when she strode in confidently and managed to marry and have a baby with a prince in a few short years, she probably ruffled some feathers.
Yes!
After I saw humble in your post, I LOL.
Only black people have to be humble.
So sorry, she didn’t wait ten years for Harry to marry her.
Little Archie, sure surprised a lot of haters, bet they had the stories ready to run, old Meghan can’t get pregnant, after 50 rounds of IVF, she is giving up hope, of ever getting pregnant.
I love that her necklace charms spell “HA”. No matter what the haters say, she has the last laugh #HA