As of this writing, no deal has been reached for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Queen reportedly wants to make everything happen quickly, so I would think that we’ll have some kind of significant announcement Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. I do not believe that they will have a comprehensive plan by then, but it will be important that they have *something* big to announce as soon as possible. So let’s do some housekeeping of all of the stories going around. Note: I’m ignoring some of the dumbf–k stories because life’s too short to talk about how Meghan and Harry could do a “reality show.”
Tom Bradby said on Thursday that the Sussexes felt like everything had been snowballing since the wedding, and “it’s gone a bit too far. And certainly the rest of the family find Harry and Meghan very difficult and, from Harry and Meghan’s point of view, they’re just being driven out as they see it. And it’s sad.” So, “difficult” or “driven out”? I think the answer here can be a little bit of both, to be fair – there have been certain moments where I just shake my head and I’m like “well, Harry and Meg aren’t making it easy on themselves.” But those moments are nothing compared to the actual racist sh-t and unending vitriol from ALL sides, so yes, of course they feel like they’ve been “driven out.” One “palace aide” ran to the Times to clapback on the “driven out” feeling though, saying: “I don’t think you could point to any evidence of them being forced out, or made to feel unwelcome. The future of the monarchy always had the Sussexes very much at the heart of it, and perhaps still will depending on what structures they arrive at.” Really, palace aide? NO evidence? None at all?
Meanwhile, it’s not established that Harry did stay behind in England while Meghan flew back to Vancouver Island. I kind of love that message from Meg: she came back to England for a few days to check in on her favorite charities and do the “thank you” at Canada House and then she and Harry dropped the bomb and she was OUT. Later, colonizers. Harry is reportedly going to do face-to-face meetings with the Queen, Prince Charles, maybe even William, but as of Saturday he had not seen them yet. Which I respect too, the fact that Harry is willing to go face-to-face with these people who sold him out and sold out his wife and child. The Daily Mail said on Saturday that the Queen wants this settled in the next 72 hours, which would mean…what? By Monday or Tuesday? 72 hours business-days or what?
And finally, one of the most even-handed pieces I’ve read about the state of things at the moment – this Elle Magazine article, also from Saturday. Some highlights:
What’s been happening at the emergency meetings: “Following a series of meetings and consultations across the last few days, there are a range of possibilities for the family to review which take into account the thinking of the Sussexes outlined earlier in the week,” a palace source told ELLE. A palace source says, “making a change to the working life and role in the monarchy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex requires complex and thoughtful discussion. The request for this to be resolved at pace is still Her Majesty’s wish. The aim remains days, not weeks. There is a genuine agreement and understanding that any decisions will take time to be implemented.”
There is no “punishment”: ELLE also understands that “no one wants to be vindictive or punish Harry” despite reports to the contrary in the press. Harry is “loved by his family.” While the situation is “complex,” they want to find a compromise and give him the support he needs.
Wise William is peacemaker? The mood is “let’s just get something fixed. Let’s get a structure and a plan and move on. The drama and division is doing the most damage,” according to a source close to Prince William.
The Sussexes were mad about the photos on the Queen’s desk for her Christmas message? A source close to the family conceded that while the optics of the Christmas message could come down to an error made by the production team preparing the set for the Queen’s message, “the Prince of Wales’ vision of a slimmed-down monarchy had always included both his sons.”
This reminds me a bit of the immediate “fallout” from Harry and Meghan’s emotional interviews on their ITV documentary. The first story was that William was “furious” that his brother… was emotional about feeling traumatized by all of the sh-t that went down. Then it changed to “William is worried” and “William thinks the Sussexes are in a fragile place.” So it is here – first William was “incandescent with rage,” then he was gaslighting Harry via Will’s go-to Daily Mail guy and now Will The Wise just wants to fix this. Just goes to show you that William’s first instincts are as sh-tty as the Queen’s.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.
The Elle piece at least spotlights that no one wants to punish Harry but I guess who cares about Meghan & Archie, eh?
Oh, to be a fly on the wall at Monday’s summit of Liz, Chuck, Billy Dolt, Ginger Avenger, and Skyping in Meghan. Part of me hopes Harry & Meghan put the nuclear option on the table as I am sure they have a file of proof regarding illicit behavior towards them by those in the family and palaces.
Part of me also wonders if the Sussexes have some dirt on the Royal Foundations’s rumored money troubles to use for leverage.
Ginger Avenger… I love it
Or…if the FBI wants to talk to them about Andrew they will comply.
OMG @aquarius04 that would be the bombshell to end all bombshells! Scorched earth!
But what could they really know about that? I doubt Andrew runs around talking about all that at family gatherings. And if they want to talk to the Sussexes then they’d want to talk to every family member (because why would the Sussexes know more than other family members?). You could totally be right, I just don’t get this angle.
Naah, what the Sussexes know would be considered hearsay. FBI are better than that.
What if Andrew’s play to get Queen Mummy on his side was to privately admit it to the family but claim he thought Ms. Guthrie was of age?
I really doubt that the FBI is going to ask to speak to royal family members unless they have a real reason to think they have key information. There are diplomatic considerations here.
If the reports are true, however, that possible tax liabilities are going to be used against the Sussexes in any negotiations, well, then the Firm is trying to punish and or threaten them. In a Daily Mail article this weekend, it was made clear that if the Sussexesis played ball any crippling tax implications from their stepping back from Senior roles would be alleviated. I hope the Firm burns.
The tax implications are what the tax implications are. They just can’t exempt the Sussex earnings from taxation as a “favor.” Every country involved has a tax code. Imagine how that would play to citizens of any of the countries involved who do actual, real work and pay their taxes, if some special deal was cut for the Sussexes.
Can you give more details on what the tax implications are if they step away from their royal roles? I hadn’t heard about that.
@royalwatcher, @mumbles, tax codes exempt certain incomes, how income is labelled bears on any liability, how the taxpayer is labeled bears on any liability and there are always loopholes.
The courtiers have apparently been in talks with the British and Canadian tax authorities and have come up with various tax schemes based on different scenarios. It was made clear by the DM article that punitive taxes scemes would be employed if the Sussexes don’t play ball.
Punitive taxes could be levied by simply changing the alleged nature of the funds and the status of the Sussex’s, tax-wise, relevant to the Royal family. E.g., a change from “employee” to “independent contractor.” The tax code stays the same but the tax burdens do not.
Further, the British government and or royal family has avoided the tax burden on some of its representatives abroad before. When the Canadian Givernor General started having to pay taxes several years ago, his salary was just increased so that he took home the same amount of money that he did before he was taxed!
Also, the taxation or increased taxation of funds received from the duchy of Cornwall has been threatened. if those funds weren’t taxable before or were taxable at a lesser rate before, what would cause the change? Any change would happen as a result of the royals redefining the nature of the funds or the Sussexes as taxpayers.
So, yes, the royals could cause a greater tax liability to be exacted on the Sussexes to be pissy.
Just Google “Sussex tax liability” and you can see several articles on the issues.
@royalwatcher, I also forgot to add the fact that if the Sussexes do spend substantial amounts of time in Canada they would likely be levied taxes from that country as well. However, this is not an example of punitive taxes being applied because the firm is being pissy.
Mumbles is right…. tax laws aren’t a thing that get negotiated. The lawyers will work to ensure that the more cumbersome US tax obligations are avoided as much as possible, but that is not going to play any role in the discussions with the Queen , Charles and Harry.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in the taxation articles. Taxes are extremely complicated, but Meghan’s have been complicated for years because she has been a resident of multiple countries simultaneously. They can threaten higher taxes all they want, but a really good tax attorney/accountant will know all the ways that a tax burden can be lessened. It’s an issue, but Meghan isn’t a novice here. I’m sure they figured worse case, and I also wouldn’t be surprised if the bulk of their income floats through their charitable foundation. That stuff matters and makes a huge difference.
People are talking like Harry and Meghan are novices that have no idea what they’re doing. Look, the media can push the “dumb Sussexes” narrative all they want but that can’t be any further from the truth. This couple is being advised by a lot of big shots, both Harry and Meghan are very well connected, they have the best teams of lawyers money can buy, Harry and Meghan know what they are doing and they’ve got this. It seems to me like they made the decision to break away from this family months ago, they’ve been planning etc. The stories that William was trying to exile them came out almost a month before Meghan had Archie and there was immediate clap back from the Sussexes that “If we leave it will be on our terms”, that tells you that they’ve been planning this for a very long time. All this taxes talk or they’ll be punished with taxes etc is just wishful thinking on the tabloids part. And I’m gonna say this for the umpteenth time, Harry knows waaaayy tto much for the firm just cut him loose. And Meghan has been in this family for 3 years now, she knows way more that the Firm might want any outsiders to know. Cutting the Sussexes lose isn’t gonna be as easy as some people might want to be. Once you start hearing things like “they love Harry and will never do abcd” you just know they are trying to negotiate what this split will mean for both parties and to me, it will not be the Sussexes on the losing end. I think the Sussexes are going to get everything they asked for + a huge iron clad NDA. Lets wait and see.
Wow, @babsorig, all I said was that they would try to threaten or punish them with taxes. I did not say that they would be successful. I did not say that I believe any of the tabloid crap about Harry being stupid or emotionally vulnerable. I did not say that Harry is not willing to just walk away even if he is punished in some way.
As I have stated elsewhere at this site, I believe that Harry is pretty strong right now, both in terms of emotional well-being and negotiating. So sorry you misread or misunderstood my post, I did not mean for you to have a conniption fit.
@ Mary, are you serious with this your last post? You are NOT the only poster posting about the taxes implications are you? WTH are you going on about?
Response to last paragraph of bonochick above: That’s a good point. Several articles have referenced an ongoing legal problem that has nothing to do with Andrew but does involve a senior royal that has also played an indirect part in the breakdown. Could this legal issue have something to do with the Royal Foundation, 2 directors quiting, and serious rumors about how funds have been possibly mismanaged?
I want to hear more about the theories regarding the foundation … wasn’t it this summer that Harry and Meghan separated their press offices? Did they also separate their charitable endeavours so that when mismanagement is proven, William can’t throw them under the bus?
Personally I listened the Tom and Lorenzo podcast and I think they are right: this is all on Harry having enough of the firm, obviously Meghan was the last thing, but he has been done with his family and the press for ages. I hate how in the press it seems all on Meghan.
I agree. This is clearly Harry who wants to protect his son and his wife. Just look at the photos from Diana’s funeral which a re-surfacing now … Philipp and Charles made Harry and William walk behind Diana’s casket. On top of the casket the card from Harry “Mommy”.
This is Harry’s call, he can’t take it anymore. He has said many times, this is causing panic attacks and he feels just like when his mother died.
It’s so gross the press want to pin this on Meghan!
I think Harry bonded with Meghan when she started talking about her family, he knew if he had to walk away from his family, Meghan would walk away with him …
I don’t get why Meghan gets all of the blame either. Even this site keeps painting her as a manipulating schemer who does whatever she wants and Harry is just a bystander. Why is it so hard to believe that Harry is making some of these decisions or that that they agreed on them as a couple.
In the British press, Megan gets the blame because racism.
Otherwise it is the Yoko Ono syndrome, where a woman is blamed for decisions made by both people in a couple.
That’s a very good point. Everyone seems to be making this into a Meghan Thing with Harry just along for the ride. It’s all just a little too misogynistic; too “Yoko breaking up the Beatles.”
I heard TLo’s podcast as well. Tom was spot-on. It’s Harry who wanted out and he has ever since he was forced to leave the Army. He is his mother’s son and we all know that his mum loved to buck Buckingham and toss tradition aside.
I agree with you but I believe on this site it’s because Meghan is considered more intelligent and with better business approach. Harry dealt with army and horrific issues but lived in a weird bubble. Meghan worked, changed jobs, payed taxes. She knows the normal life.
Thank you! They are acting as if Harry is some idiot being manipulated by his wife. I think Harry is genuine and cares for his family. And definitely not an idiot. They act as if he is some naive, simple idiot. I’m sure Harry has met people all his life who want to be with him because of his position and he’s not so naive that he couldn’t see through Meghan if she was a scheming gold digger. And they are portraying him as that because she’s biracial. I don’t remember anybody calling Chelsey a scheming gold digger.
Here is an article from the NY Times about the racism in England with regard to Megan:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/opinion/sunday/meghan-markle-prince-harry.html
My read on it is that, as you say, Harry has always been deeply ambivalent about being a royal. In Meghan, I think he met a kindred spirit. I think they genuinely tried to make things work for the first year or so, but when she saw his mental health being impacted and he saw how viciously the press were treating her, then they decided that preserving their family unit was the best option.
I think Harry has wanted out for a very long time and has basically been looking for an excuse. It’s clear that he hated the press and wasn’t interested in playing the game with them at all. This is me trying to be nuanced. I think that he’s been keeping track of every slight, big, small, or even just perceived, from both the press and his family. I think that he has gotten extremely pissed off on Meghan’s behalf at things that she probably didn’t think were a huge deal like whatever happened with her wedding tiara, and maybe even when we heard about Kate not giving Meghan a ride during the dating/engagement months. All of these smaller things that didn’t really bug Meghan that much, probably really bugged Harry because he was expecting his family to be going out of their way to basically prove to him that they really really wanted him (and Meghan) to remain in the family, because he was at a point where he wanted out so badly and was willing to go scorched earth about it if he didn’t feel like his every expectation was being met. That’s the kind of head-space he was in before Megan and right after the wedding. He was getting MAD about things that others maybe didn’t see as a big deal and he was probably letting everyone know that he was mad. I imagine he distanced himself and Meghan from the family quite a bit. This might be why they were being called “difficult.” Because whenever he did come around for a family event, he looked pretty possum and petulant and probably made it be known how upset he was with everyone.
Then the racism ramped way the f*ck up. Things got worse and worse with more and more leaks coming from the palace. Maybe they were leaking to get at Harry because he was acting childish and had cut off contact quite a bit. And the press decided to punish Harry as well because he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he hated them anymore. None of that was right. Especially coming after Meghan and Archie to punish Harry. There was always going to be racism and sexism and xenophobia when it came to Meghan, but I think that it came so fast and so furious and with such a relentlessness because both the family and the press were already on a bad footing with Harry. For about the last year, we have been at the point where Harry and Meghan (and all decent people) should be absolutely angry and ready to leave and burn all the bridges on their way out. But I think Harry may have been holding this kind of “burn it all down!” energy since the very beginning and courtiers, press, and family may have been a bit taken aback at how fiercely angry he was at things that they considered to be low-level miscommunications like which tiara Meghan would wear for the wedding.
Again, this is me actively trying to be nuanced here.
I agree. I think part of Meghan’s appeal is that she isn’t a royal at all and didn’t grow up in that society. That’s what attracted her to Harry. He’s probably wanted out for so long and wanted a partner where it would be easier to do so should he ever decide on that.
I fully support Meghan and Harry.
In mild disbelief William is being such an obvious a$$. Not surprising, the Fail and it’s vile commenters are full of hate for M and H.
Where were these folks when news of Andrew broke
Right?! And where were the queen’s statements about being “disappointed”?!
Are we suprised by the Fail’s reaction. They are losing their cash cows. They are losing their ephagies of hate that their readers can spew venom against.
it’s vile and heartbreaking that the UK is being turned into an ultra-rightwing outpost of hate and intollerance.
I don’t think the UK is “being turned into.” This is who they are in the bulk of England. Brexit didn’t come from nowhere. There’s always been a split between the urban sensibility and the rest of the country.
The statements about ‘Midsomer Murders’ support BellaBella’s point: “ In March 2011, the series’ producer, Brian True-May, was suspended by All3Media after telling the TV listings magazine Radio Times that the programme did not have any non-white characters because the series was a “bastion of Englishness.” When challenged about the term “Englishness” and whether that would exclude ethnic minorities, True-May responded: “Well, it should do, and maybe I’m not politically correct.” He later went on to say that he wanted to make a programme “that appeals to a certain audience, which seems to succeed.”‘ (from Wikipedia)
CNN has some great think pieces as well. They really break it down.
Yes. I found this paragraph from CNN very interesting: CNN was told privately that ultimately, the website needed to be edited significantly or taken down altogether because of the many inaccuracies and false assumptions presented on it.
I hope this works out for the Sussexes. I bet the queen and Charles are mad that William is behind this mess with the ongoing feud and the leak to the Sun. I’m glad Meghan is in on the talks but on a conference call. She may go off on William for weaponizing her father against her.
Somehow I have an image of Harry, the Ginger Avenger, getting pissed off in the meeting and b!t@h slapping the $h!t out of William.
I know it’s wicked, but I’d love to see William show up at his next official engagement this week — after Monday’s meeting — with a black eye. He could always pass it off by saying, Harry decided to “throw his arm around William” for a change, as William is suffering from all of this. 😎😱💣
Yeah, you’re crazy.
I hope the queen and Charles are mad about wm being behind this mess, but deep in my heart, I doubt it.
What in the world is all this? I don’t understand this hate toward William? It makes him into this ridiculous mustache-twirling villain. Laughable. Of course, HM and Charles aren’t cross with William. It’s doubtful they are upset with Harry other than to wish he and the wife understood that the financial ties are necessary for their own security and involve massive levels of bureaucracies both in the UK and in Canada, should they choose to live there.
I wonder what they will work out. I don’t blame them for stepping back but I can’t see how they can keep a royal role and earn money independently. They will be seen as cashing in on their royal name and it won’t be a good look. That didn’t go to well for Fergie. Hope they decide to drop their royal status themselves and go it completely independent.
I don’t think Harry and Meghan are worried about negative public perception as long as their wishes are met and they are no longer under William’s manipulative thumb.
I agree. I also think Tom Bradby’s statement was probably spot on when he said the Sussexes are prepared and willing to walk away from it all. That it is in the Queen’s hands as to how much or how little they participate.
But Sarah tried to use the royal prerogative to make money for herself and only herself. H & M aren’t in her position. H has his own money, inherited from his mother and great-grandmother, and M has money of her own, too. Certainly not Royal money levels of bucks, but it’s there. And H has already founded two successful nonprofit initiatives of his own: Sentebale and Invictus. M has her work with the Hubb, the Vogue guest editing, and the clothing line to her credit. I can see both of them running their own foundation, like the Obamas, and drawing a salary from the foundation, which I believe the Obamas do. * And like the Obamas, they’ll attract funding through sheer star power. I honestly think that’s what scares Workshy Will the most: the Sussexes becoming powerhouses in the nonprofit world while he and Kate cut ribbons on new traffic roundabouts.
* I sure hope the Sussexes get advice from the Obamas on foundation creation, and that they have a very public meeting soon. That would make Cheeto’s head explode for sure.
I don’t know this but I always thought when celebrities (or bill gates, Obama etc) have foundations they don’t take salaries. That would be the worst PR! If I’m wrong I’ll be shocked. However they may write off trips and expenses and the foundation if it does well and is known, is soft power and elevates their status, can be part of the
reason that they’re asked to speak for a fee or write a book.
The Obamas said through People mag they are not advising H&M,
The money that Harry and Meghan have cannot be enough for them to live on for the rest of their lives.
@PRINCESSK the Sussexes have at least 40 million pounds.
Anyone could live on that for the rest of their lives.
Plus prince Charles earns income. I can see them wanting to follow the same structure.
@Booboocita
The Obama DO NOT take money from their own foundation. Neither does Bill Gates. I’m disturbed at how many people keep repeating this point.
If Oprah or The Obamas are advising Hary and Meghna, they arent gonna come out and say “yeah we are advising them”, thats a no brainer.
Secondly, The Obamas, Oprah and The Sussexes friendship is not as deep as people want to believe; the sussexes have their own old and trusted friends that they can draw support and advice from. Not saying Oprah and Obamas are not trusted friends, I’m just saying the closeness is not as deep as people want to claim here. That being said, I’m sure any friend worth their salt be it the Obamas, Justin Trudeau, Oprah, Elton John or even the Mulroneys advised them a long time ago to hire top notch lawyers who I believe are negotiating on behalf of the Sussexes. The decision to not use Royal Family lawyers in their lawsuit is not lost to me. Its evidence that the Sussex divorced the firm a very long time ago and are working with people that have their best interests at heart. And I believe the Firm lawyers and the Sussex lawyers are gonna work out something that will make BOTH parties come out looking good.
In terms of the Foundation, I don’t believe the Sussexes know all the optics, they aren’t gonna be taking money from their foundation. If they objected to money form the cookbook being used at the RF, trust that they aren’t gonna be embezzling funds or anything like that. I don’t even know why people keep going on about the Obamas take money from their foundation; that’s stealing.
Oprah and the Obamas have both publicly distanced themselves from this mess wisely. They are all far too diplomatic, logical, intelligent, and frankly, classy, to get mired down in this, and if anyone thinks they would publicly “side” with a couple of minor royals with “celebrity”-level fame over the institutional monarchy that still has tremendous diplomatic power, deep-seated financial power, and the majority of support in the UK (because they are still being funded by the British taxpayers), they need to contact me personally for a deal I have on a bride in Brooklyn that is for sale.
I completely understand why Meghan and Harry are distraught with the UK press, and I understand why anyone would want to disassociate. Anne’s children have and they have no titles nor funding from the British taxpayer. That is the way this should have been played. Not sure why the overly dramatic website and public tanty was necessary. Just negotiate quietly w/ HM and they would have let them go by celebrities in Canada and the US. That would have helped the BRF not hurt them, and it would have been popular over here because they are always attempting to mitigate how much the public thinks they actually use of the taxpayers’ money.
Denying the British tabloids’ efforts to blame them for the decision of the Sussexes (who are anything but minor royals) is now “distancing themselves”? You tinhatters are desperate to spin this against the Sussexes in every way possible. Thankfully it’s only working for people who already hated Meghan.
Time will tell. I see that already the American gossip mags are not exactly pandering to them. There is a story out of Harry telling some Disney exec that Meghan does voiceover work. It is not exactly a flattering story. In America we are not obsessed with the royals so they will need to maintain interest in themselves.
Meghan already has a deal to do a voiceover role for Disney – with the money going to charity. Not for her gain. Come, now.
I agree. Serena Williams said no comment, Obamas and Oprah denied helping. I just believe we’re over exaggerating how close they are.
I’m glad Harry stayed to get HIS family together. Good luck Harry. I do think some of their concessions will be met. Letting them walk away completely would be disastrous.
I believe Harry has some serious dirt on William that he’ll use as leverage. Whether it’s Rose-related or something that came out in the evidence discovery for their lawsuit. The Sussexes just seem to be really confident in their position, like the way they had that really thorough website completed and ready to be launched (although this feeling could just be projection on my part), but at least we only have another day or two to wait!! I think they’ll make a statement either end of day Monday or Tuesday because the Cambs have an engagement on Wednesday (“look at us with the minorities being so diverse!” or whatever their statement said when they announced it) so they won’t want anything to overshadow that. But…too bad so sad Cambs, you’re going to be overshadowed no matter when the Sussexes’ announcement is made 🤷🏽♀️
It seems extremely clear to me that the royal family need Meghan and Harry more than they need the family. So why did they go out of their way to telegraph the opposite? Not one but twice?
How did they expect the Sussexes to take it? Just sit in a corner, waiting to perform when required, while living off handouts/the benevolence of the Monarch/Prince of Wales?
Amazingly, yes, it appears as though they were just expected to “take it.” I think this is how the queen rolls. She exerts her power over her family by conditioning perks, honors, privileges and money on their towing the line. I think it just so happens that only Harry has had the guts to stand up to her.
That’s exactly it. Sit in the corner — i.e., marginalize yourself in the eyes of the press, public, and even your family. Here’s some money and perks in compensation, which you’ll continue to receive as long as you stay in the corner and keep your traps shut — oh, and the money and perks are at the pleasure of the king, and if it pleases him, will cease altogether. And all of the above also applies to your infant son as well, so he better not grow up to challenge George.
Hell with that. No loving parent would condemn a child to that. Run, H & M! Fly like the wind! Be free!
I think, yes, that’s exactly what the queen, Charles and William thought/wanted/expected! That’s why they are all so shocked and confused now. It’s funny though because there are several old interviews where Harry said he wanted to leave…so not sure why the other 3 are so confused now 🤷🏽♀️
Also, if the Sussexes are so ostracized and undermined by the Firm (family) in a professional sense, I imagine the Sussexes are also being ostracized in private as well. This makes Meghan’s statement to Tom Bradby (thanks for asking, not many have) especially poignant. I’ll bet that invitations to private family events or social media contact within the family has been little to none from the family to either of the Sussexes. I think if your family would not stand up for you in public when your being trolled by the media and treated like crap, then they would also close ranks and ostracize within the private family life. Other than Eugenie and the Queen, I haven’t heard of any of the rest of them spending any time with them. (oh, and the one visit Saint Kate forced William into in going to Frogmore Cottage right after that non speaking church event, so that they could meet Archie and Kate could get the brothers to kiss and make up. That meeting certainly got leaked to the press by KP ASAP.). So, I can see why Sussexes are done. They have been cut two ways: publicly and privately in my opinion.
Just wanted to share this series of tweets from a British republican and pass on an insightful comment in the TL about why some people have been so vocal in their rejection of Meghan: “I think this is part of their problem. The people who would naturally see her positives tend to be Republicans, whereas the people who would naturally defend the monarchy are less likely to appreciate feminism, diversity, marriages which are equal partnerships, etc.”
https://twitter.com/damocrat/status/1215377313648599041
I saw the thread on twitter………have you seen what’s happening to the cookbook again? it is back to be at the top. The guy who started the thread is throwing his support behind Meghan’s projects.
Your comment is spot on those who support or would appreciate Meghan……for those who support the monarchy and don’t want to marriages with equal partnerships, what does that mean about previous marriages in the RF? they weren’t equal partners? even the queen’s ? or Anne’s? or is it more about Meghan’s race?
@VS …great news about the cook book being highlighted again.
Olenna, that is exactly it. The people that are republicans would have been the ones to embrace Meghan, my daughter and myself have said this for a while now.
I never bothered much with the royal family until Meghan joined but since Meghan joined I have become a somewhat hardcore republican NOT because of her but because of the way she has been treated within that family starting with the smirks and damn right disrespected they showed at the wedding. I’ve heard a lot of republicans say they like Harry and Meghan but hate the monachy and I am the exactly the same.
The ones that love the Queen and her family are more older, right wing types who are far from progressive.
Very helpful comment. Inspired me to just now go online and buy Together: Our Community Cookbook – The Hubb Community Kitchen. Meghan wrote the forward to this and proceeds go to a charity to help the survivors of the Grenfell tower fire in London.
“After being displaced following the Grenfell tower fire, some of the local women needed a place to cook fresh food for their families. They began to use the kitchen at the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, where the women who worked there had been using the facilities to cook for the community.”
That’s an amazing thread actually. Very revealing indeed, thank you. 🙏👍
Yes, the cookbook sales! Exciting and hopeful news! The DoS really did hit the ground running, and I hope all of her charities continue to thrive.
i bought the cookbook yesterday in support of them, looking forward to trying the recipes!
I assume RF will will give as little as possible along with an ironclad nda? Cheap bastards.
They always have the option to walk away from ALL of it and refuse to sign an NDA. The NDA is contingent on them getting some kind of satisfaction. They may have the resolve to refuse it all flat-out.
They aren’t employees in a contractual relationship so there is no basis for an NDA.
One article mentioned that the Queen or Charles realized what is hammered out at this meeting will also be designed to be used as a blueprint for Charlotte and Louis. It will be interesting to see how that angle plays out… it’s one thing to know you’re not the future heir etc..but the wildly unequal birth sweepstakes being spelled out in terms of exactly who gets what or to “do” what going forward would be an interesting twist…
I said this in another post. What Harry does now is what the Cambridge kids are most likely going to follow. Harry is going to modernize the Royal Family if they like it not. Charles can talk about a slim down all he wants. But he is leaving his son and grandkids with no future plans to make a living. Let the Ginger Avenger pave the way for all spares of the monarchy.
When Diana tried to fight the BRF as an institution via the press, she eventually lost only because keeping some/most of the trappings of royal life mattered to her. Harry is indicating that both he and Megan are willing to ditch that part. While their scorched earth strategy does give them leverage (and I admire Harry for putting his wife and child first), I still think neither one is truly aware that the high media profile and access they enjoy comes only because of who Harry is as a “senior royal.” I’m not saying Meghan isn’t talented, successful in her own right, strong-willed in a good way and beautiful, she is all of those things, but without the Harry part of the equation, a lot of the doors open to her right now wouldn’t be. Meghan does have a habit of “moving on” from people and that as a strategy only continues to work if there is some place/people to move on to and the moving is upward in social terms. When you leave the BRF, no matter what we think of it, that is not moving up. She and Harry are making the assumption that they can leave the BRF institution and keep their value at the level it is at. It doesn’t work like that and I think they are making a mistake in assuming it will.
There is no proof that “ Meghan has a habit of moving on from people.” That’s tumbler nonsense. Meghan still remains friends with people she’s known since college. And everyone keeps assuming that H&M want to continue in the Royal lifestyle. But no one know for sure what type of lifestyle they’ve decided on for themselves. They seem to want to focus on their charities and foundation…which is a good thing. But everyone can speculate but no one really knows.
Exactly – a lot of speculation without any evidence. What did you mean by “tumbler” nonsense?
Agree. This is just one of the many negative talking points used to disparage her character and label her “mental”, and people who repeat it know this.
Literally there is
@DD,
Literally, there isn’t any proof that she has a habit of moving on from people for no reason. And, if one had any sensitivity or empathy towards the way her paternal side of the family has treated her (especially considering their own disassociation and estrangement from each other), they wouldn’t endorse this hater talking point either.
Relationships evolve – goals change, priorities change, geography changes.
Everyone moves on from people at various points in their life, it isn’t a negative trait, it’s a human trait. Removing toxic relationships is NEVER a bad thing.
I actually think their value may increase. Harry has always been a favourite and now he has shown he has the strength to leave the firm and forge his own path. This kind of story plays well in the USA and other countries outside of the UK. It is straight out of a Hollywood movie. I think harry and Meghan will be more in demand and already have a huge web of connected friends. People are sick of the BRF laziness, imagine what H and M can accomplish on their own. I hope they give up all connections to the Firm and go put on their own
Agreed. Even the BRF know this which is why they’ve undermined Harry and Meghan for the last two years in an effort to slow down their growing popularity.
Even the Queen knows their value. It’s why she is forcing Charles to stop his dithering and put this fire out PDQ. I think it’s also why she has said this will now be a blueprint for Charlotte and Louis. To get that ass, William, to play ball.
@ JA Lowcountry
Maybe I’m being cynical, but what stops William acting in bad faith? He could pretend to accept the blueprint, work to diminish it as much as he can, all the time, thinking to himself that he’ll recalibrate it once he’s the monarch with no one above him to push back on it?
Yes, Harry and Meg are rock stars at this point. They are wildly popular with celebrities and world leaders. They’re gonna be just fine.
Harry was born into the institution. He’s taking a step back and trying to reinvent his role within the institution, not abandoning it. He will always be Prince Harry- son and brother of the future monarch. His value is fine until the Cambridge children grow up and steal the spotlight from everyone in this generation including their parents. In the meantime, it’s smart of Harry to adjust now so he and his family will be less reliant on the institution in the future.
i think that’s why they started the foundation which bring lot of money like clintons and they have control on media and they can enjoy vacation and luxury life. That the route they are aiming for. They cant strip prince harry title because its his birthright and if they do that it will look very bad on brf and prince andrew will occupy sixth position and nobody wants andy that near to the throne. They don’t strip their title and meghan knows very well of it. Those backlash only comes from media, and few crazy Cambridge stans. Normal public doesn’t care about it. They dont even care about exploiting royal title, they only care the money should come from taxpayer. that’s why they announce that they will ditch taxpayer money.
They can only strip Harry’s HRH Prince title, if they declare him illegitimate on his mother’s side. I can’t see that happening as that would creat a shit storm for The Firm
The Clintons don’t make money from their foundation, either. Yikes. Why are so many of you under the impression that these charities are money making machines? The only thing I can think of is some of you are thinking of that awful Clinton Cash book written by Steve Bannon, aka the racist crazy man, that NYT for some reason stupidly quoted from at one point. H*ll, the Clintons were even investigated by numerous people because of the smears and nada, nothing, they didn’t make money.
The only charitable foundation shut down because of corruption was the one started by the current grifters in the the WH. The Clinton Foundation has been audited and highly rated for years.
This is the insidiousness of the dump lies taking hold on the real facts.
I stopped reading your comment after ” Meghan does have a habit of “moving on” from people and that as a strategy” ……..I knew this is straight out of a hater book………….I saw this comment on twitter, but I think it is appropriate here ‘feminism has fought against patriarchy and continues to do so, but it has forgotten to fight against unaccomplished women’
Unaccomplished women, whether real or felt, are dangerous in attacking those they perceived as having more……….
JA lowcountry lady, if they strip harry and say he is not charles son then , the hell will break lose. because many rumors that andy is not philip son and william has illegal son with jecca craig, also prince louis father is mystery too. I personally don’t believe about prince louis but you never know about these people.
I would also add, “women who support the patriarchy” as evidenced by the millions of white women who voted for and support Trump.
@Guest2.0 ……. unaccomplished women, I get, it is envy, they lack any kind of self worth; the women who voted for Trump, after knowing what he is like,………I will just stop
The women who support patriarchy have more to lose as they now become reliant on a system where cards are fundamentally stacked against them. Who want to go back to the times when women had almost no options? nowadays women have many more options to choose from. what’s wrong with that?
And further to Aria’s comment, what about the paternity of Rose Hanbury’s youngest?
Can we NOT speculate about the paternity of anyone’s children? and maybe leave Jecca Craig out of the narrative as well?
That comment makes me so uncomfortable. Shouldn’t feminism focus on helping “unaccomplished” women?
I don’t think the term unaccomplished really defines the problem. There are women who benefit from the patriarchy and will never be feminists… women like Phyllis schafly is a prime example.
I’m an unaccomplished fucker. And I’m a rabid feminist.
However they got there, they are global superstars now with an enormous amount of support. That isn’t going to change once they step down as Senior Royals. In fact, with the tethers off, I bet it grows exponentially.
I don’t agree. I think Harry and Meghan have global recognition and can utilize that for whatever they want to do in the future. They can stay in the BRF and continue to be extremely popular world wide, but limited, and honestly just popular until George, Charlotte, and Louis grow up and eclipse them. Or they can get out now and set up their future for the long run. It’s a win-win honestly.
This is what I don’t get. Harry and Meg would have to step back as senior royals in about 15 years anyway. It benefits them to do it now. Also the pictures on the desk, the pics of the 4 and the fruitcake vid WAS a warning to Harry. Unfortunately the heirs overplayed their hand and I’m honestly laughing at their stupidity. Don’t they know we are in the 21st Century there’s more to life than their ancient system? Oprah is wealthier, there are three thousand billionaires. And plenty of political women are more influential than HRH.
Also: Honestly, I cannot see George, Charlotte and Louis eclipsing them. The star of the next generation will be Archie and H&M ‘s other kids if she has them. For example: Caroline was the star in the Grimaldi family even though Albert was the heir. Now Caroline’s kids draw the most press.
I think they are aware of this, which is why they clearly state they want to continue to fully support the Queen and Commonwealth. They know this is tricky. Some of the press statements about them knowing where the bodies are buried is very unhelpful for everyone, especially since they’re the ones being buried by the press. I think beyond the constant tear Meghan down headlines ( especially from the Fail), the thing that bothered them the most were the “ don’t like what we say, don’t take taxpayers money, earn your own keep. We own you, our taxes pay your living”. While technically part of that is true, I have never heard another Royal constantly disparaged this way by people who purport to support the monarchy. They really were placed in an untenable position. If they get no support from the press and public, no support from their own family, with the Markles constantly blabbing, and the Royal family freezing them out, they probably had this “ why are we here” and “can I raise my child in this atmosphere“ questions. Both Harry and Meghan are strong willed people who don’t always listen to sense and have done some dumb shit, but nothing they did could not have been addressed within the family and either corrected and heard out. However, the Royals seem to prefer to not communicate directly with each other or have family meetings/household summits, and prefer to be use the press as their mouthpieces, in each individual households self interest,and to undermine each other. They clearly love the work that they do with their patronage’s and charities, but that can’t be enough, especially if that part of the life would be diminished and cut back within the Royal family.
I agree. So far we don’t know what Meghan wants. Pippa-like wife or being a celebrity. The latter is a tricky balance. Ultimately, being royals gave them attention, after a while their star power will diminish since there are many celebrities.
What do you mean by being celebrities? They don’t want to be “ celebrities” like some Instagram influencer or the Kardashians. This was the problem with the press. They thought Meghan wanted to use the position to be some Hollywood Alister, they never expected her to do the work and do it exceedingly well, and produce results. And this was just the first year in. Cringe about her florid writing in Vogue, but a lot of people featured on that cover have gotten so much bigger since her showcasing them, especially Greta Thunberg ( yes Greta did all this on her own, but a lot of the powers that be ignored her before that).This also angered the press, because she didn’t conform to their stereotypes and be dragged to submit either. If they were thirsty and seeking out celebs, those people wouldn’t come near them, no matter how many titles they have ( see the Yorks),nor did they flaunt their relationships with these celebs. They have clearly stated they plan on launching their foundation and building upon their charity work, that they value their own work and take it seriously. They already have a platform to build on. They just need to figure out how to do it within the framework of a new role within ( or outside of) the Royal family. To just push a celebrity angle is incomplete and missing a big chunk of this story.
A woman that was working from the age of thirteen, is suddenly Going to turn in to a woman that never had a job, that was From a friend of the family, had all the opportunities for a TV Career in NYC, and was so boring, not sure she lasted a month.
Would would it matter to you, if she was a celebrity or stay at home wife.
By the way British Vogue said the Forces For Change issue was so popular, that they’re going continue using FFC in more issues.
I tweeted that Harry’s negotiations with the dark triad is like an abused employee negotiating severance with an abusive employer. The employee either has to make compromises that don’t serve them or just ties and do the best you can to move on from them. I really hope Harry doesn’t make compromises that would stifle and dim the potential they have to do very well on their own. Choose life and light Harry and not your asshole family. You owe them NOTHING.
Yes but imagine if that abused employee had dirt on the scandals or maybe even illegal behavior of the abusive employer! I think that’s Harry’s leverage. He knows where the (metaphorical) bodies are buried in that family so he’s not completely powerless like an employee might be. At least that’s what I believe.
What complicates the matter is these people are also Harry’s family. I recall how loyally Harry spoke of William and he always being brothers etc. in the documentary. Harry is a very loyal, decent person and it would really go against the grain for him to essentially blackmail his family.
Agree, Mego. Harry hates the press and would never blackmail his family via gossip rags. William on the other hand…
I don’t think they would blackmail the family. They could be sued for one thing, and tarnish their own reputation in the process. Hopefully they’re smarter then that, and they don’t need to do that. Their philosophy should be, “ when they go low, we go high” ( thanks Michelle). That will serve them very well with whatever they do going forward.
Is anyone familiar with the Elle journalist? Her article reveals nothing new – it’s just a mismash of information already written by other journalists…
I see mention of NDA’s, needed on both sides. Good Megan has returned to Vancouver Island, and will be Skyping in. With Skype she can record and have witnesses in the room, hopefully an attorney. As to William, best described as a tyrant.
There’s a eight hour difference between London and Vancouver Island so any discussion will not be held before the late afternoon.
I don’t believe Meghan will be Skyping in.
I hope the meeting includes how the Canadian taxpayer is not going to be on the hook for their security or any other part of their lifestyle. We have already paid for their security over their holiday, obviously for Archie while he was here without his parents, obviously for Meghan and Archie now. Enough is enough.
I’m waiting for that to unfold as well. I’ve read that Canadian and UK officials are discussing the move and no doubt security will be front and centre. Outside the context of an official visit, it is simply unreasonable and unfair for Canadian taxpayers to pay for their security costs. Politically, it would not be a wise move for the Liberals to approve that…
Trudeau has a minority government and both the NPD and the Bloc Québécois won’t want to pay a cent for British royals. There’s bigger priorities.
People support them but we don’t want to pay security costs for multimillionaires.
The CBC has a good article addressing citizenship, security, and a few other questions people have asked about how this could work. They believe that, if Harry was in Canada on unofficial status long term, he wouldn’t meet the criteria of being an “Internationally Protected Person.” So Canada wouldn’t have to pay for security.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-harry-meghan-canada-1.5423395
Do we know for sure that Canada covered security on their vacation? I can’t find a source for that anywhere.
Lets see what happens…..I hope the security costs can be covered in a way that leaves everyone happy.
But I have to say though, the UK as a country (and royal family) have come off really, really badly through this whole debacle. Canada on the other hand, has made out like a bandit.
Over and over, the point is being made about how beautiful, sophisticated, friendly and wonderful the country and people are. I’ve never been and I’m now planning a trip to see what all the fuss is about! For a first timer, I’m torn between Vancouver and Toronto. TripAdvisor……😀
I had business in Seattle Washington and took a day trip by boat to Vancouver Island and loved it. I walked everywhere, in and out of shops, had lunch by the sea. It’s been reported Meghan and Harry have been staying on VI. David Foster and Katherine McPhee helped them in finding a place to stay. Katherine and Meghan are friends, attended the same school and performed together in musicals. M is so well networked. Very easy to find attorney’s, financial planners, agents. Both H & M have planned this situation well, all contingencies covered, and are well leveraged and receiving the support they need. M and Archie need never return to the UK if this becomes their option.
@KellyRyan
Yes, I’ve heard of the Seattle-Vancouver trip (by road) and how stunning the views are. It’s definitely on my bucket list! 😉
Vancouver! I really enjoyed living there except for having a terrible job that didn’t pay much.
@Bella, don’t come to Toronto in the winter!
Add Montreal to the list.
There is such an obsession both here and in Canada over taxation, and being overly bothered and indignant about it. Any costs for the Sussexes security would be a negligible minute amount per head. I think more concern should be about very rich people who seem to get away with earning obscene amounts of money which they don’t know what to do with.
It is possible to be concerned by both. I am not a Canadian citizen so I will have to defer to those who are on their opinions of the matter; however I have heard the exact same argument against abolishing the Monarchy – that the cost per head is negligible.
I am fascinated by how this will be worked out on the financial side.
There is a difference between your tax money going to pay for someone’s security just because they are mad at their family vs. rich people who earn too much money from their job.
PrincessK it’s not an obsession and it’s the principle of the thing not the dollar amount it. We are justified in wondering about this and should not be on the hook for security costs. We pay for official visits when they come over here but otherwise, it should be on them or the UK.
It isn’t an “obsession”. It’s a genuine concern and for very good reasons. Why should Canadians be on the hook for their security? I don’t care if it’s a 50 cents a year for each Canadian. That’s still 19 million dollars that could be better spent on anything other than rich people who have decided, albeit with good reason, that they don’t want to be part of the Royal Family machine any more. While I wish their little family the best, their security detail should be their problem and their responsibility. There are indigenous communities that haven’t had drinkable water in a decade. They deserve taxpayer dollars. Harry and Meghan don’t.
@ Princess K it may be a tiny amount per person, but it amounts to a huge sum that could be used for better purposes. Feeding the poor, building more homeless shelters. Canadians do not want to subsidize the costs of hugely wealthy people.
PrincessK – we’re not obsessed, we are justifiably concerned about our tax dollars being used for the royals’ security whilst they are in Canada. Until we hear otherwise, the possibility that we may have to cover those costs exists. They are most welcome here but only if they pay their own way.
Presumably H will have a lawyer and accountant present with him. He’s got this meeting — in the army he used to fly a helicopter into a war zone evacuating out wounded soldiers. So he knows what stress is and courage under fire is and he knows he can handle it. None of the rest of them has anything like that kind of experience. I’m wishing him and M all the best with this.
The Royals will want to find a solution that also apply to Charlotte and Louis. That may be in Harry and Meghan’s favor because what he will get from Charles and Willam will be the precedent set for William’s kids. They may get a role within the Commonwealth that will be given to the next spare (Charlotte) in the future. Louis is more likely to have no future as a working royal.
I fully expect Louie to be a working royal, William will see to it. I also expect William to employ all of Pippa and Jame’s children too.
A clean break would be good. They are clearly unhappy with the status quo.
Does that mean that those people, who are not Royals in anyway, would be getting taxpayer funding? That is utterly ridiculous. The Middletons are already way too up in the Royal family and their thirst and interference is part of the reason we have this situation now.
I think they will essentially get everything they want much to the chagrin of the hysterical media. The reality is that the monarchy still needs them. Also, it’s better to keep them happy then cut them loose and allow for any tea to be spilled by a man with 35 years of secrets. The model they are proposing is not unusual. Princess Madeleine in Sweden still does royal duties, but lives in America and works for a family foundation. There’s a dutch prince who is also a banker, I believe.
What is probably galling to William is that his children will begin royal duties sooner and Charlotte and Louis will also have a new path to follow. If anything, the future has just arrived a lot sooner than they thought it would.
Absolutely true
Yes, be careful what you wish for. The Cambridges now have their burning spotlight and now have a lot more work to do. The Sussexes won’t be in England to do all their usual engagements anymore, now they have been pushed out. I hope Meg and Harry do well in North America and I think Canada would be a GREAT place for them to live. It’s like the “compromise” location for them, and not having to deal with the British media cesspool drama.
God that photo of them together at Canada House with his thumb up. Look how sad his expression is. He couldn’t hide it. 🙁 he’s made the only choice he can – to support his wife and child – but it’s still hurting. I feel for the Sussexes.
It must be excruciatingly painful. I think he is a very sensitive person.
Two somewhat adjacent thoughts:
1. The ad at the bottom of the pictures I can see is Trump on the phone, which is cracking me up. Imagine trying to complete those negotiations with Trump included!
2. I’ve seen some very fair and well written articles, including one in NYT, regarding how Meghan’s treatment is directly related to racism. I understand it’ll take time for the tide of public opinion to turn, but it’s been nice to see their POV getting out there. Now that BRF can’t constantly throw them under the bus, I look forward to more stories that accurately represent what’s going on with them.
Here’s a food for thought: the new plan proposed is covering the next generation of non direct heirs like Charlotte and Louis . Why isn’t Kate sitting in on these talks, given she is the future queen and the immediate impact will be on her kids? I bet Meghan Skyping in she is making sure Archie and any future Sussex kids are taken care of with the finances. Way to go William, show the world Kate has no say in your marriage and possibly no say in your probable reign.
That is very telling. Kate is a clothes mannequin modeling endless coatdresses. That seems a sad commentary on how much input she is allowed in her life. I am sure Meghan feels like she and Harry need to both be there to protect their child(ren). The knives out attitude from the rest of the royals toward Archie is really disturbing.
The ” glory” has departed form the BRF, but it will take a while for people to realise it.
The players:
The Queen – a couple of years and she will be gone….. is it going to be the same at TTC , Remembrance day, military events, State banquets attended by royal family members heading into their eighties plus W+K ?
Charles – It appears to me that maybe because of all the drama with Diana, he works hard but keeps his head down. I believe William is going to make Charles` reign hell for him and he will use the media just like he has done with Harry. Already it is the future King William not the future future king. Wiliam`s saltiness about Charles in the 70 year documentary, makes me think if able he will dismantle the Princes Trust piece by piece. William appears to be the type who having no visible talent himself, he will sabotage everybody else`s achievements.
Camilla – she will be Queen but I believe she wouldn`t mind a life where she can finally put her feet up . I normally suspect that she does not live with Charles but is there for him when needed.
William – A ticking time bomb. Harry will not be a BRF team player when William`s reign comes. The Queen`s cousins will have passed on or will be too old to work. William and Kate ( or William`s spouse) will not pick up more work but will slim down the monarch to the bare bones. If God`s justice/ Karma comes William will be literary roasted in an open fire by the press/ circumstances. Personally I believe William is highly compromised and he may currently sacrifice his brother, use his children to look good, and in future sacrifice his father, Kate and the Middletons but his day will as day follows night come.
The Wessexes – they are so low profile as to be unnoticeable. They will try but they will not be able to pick up the slack.
Anna- will support his brother Charles, but will not go out of her way to do more. I think she is where she wants to be.
The cousins – a lot of them are old and seem not to be in the bedst of health. They will gradually be out of the picture in the next couple of years.
Prediction – The monarch wil hop on during Charles` reign, curtain will close at William`s reign especially if the children are as ” talented” as their parents.
Meghan has a deal with Disney. She did voice over for a documentary and in exchange Disney will donate to an Elephant charity.
Moving forward, i guess the Donations will go to Sussex Royal from which they will draw a salary. Its not a bad working model, imo… but things will get tricky once the intrigue wears off.
I’ve seen that then jumped off to check the Fail. (yeah i know, but i’m having a post op weekend so am making stupid decisions and surfing ) Anyway, they got a video and are playing it as a story of Harry being a little nice PA to Meghan and trying to get her a job. And the way they are showing him as mentally unstable person. My god, give people who have problems some dignity. makes it seem like you’re a biggest problem in the world. Wake up, we all have issues. We’re just not in a spotlight. Good for them for doing something already. I wonder what Wills will do if he isn’t a king. Sell party supply? Oh right – nothing, he’ll be just living off his title and trim some roses.
I got that information without going to any of the british tabloids.
By visiting the very tabloids that everyone here vilifies, u are the reason they are funded and the reason they continue with their trash because its all about clicks.
@Coffee……..thank you; visiting them, no matter how despicable they are, only help THEM. The goals of tabloids is to create outrage, positive or negative, it doesn’t matter, getting a reaction out of readers does
I saw the video on Twitter, it’s embarrassing. And it was Beyonce’s movie and she’s right next to them as Harry is asking.
Unfortunately I agree. A bit cringey.
@Bebe —— I saw that video online; how do know it isn’t fake? just like the Christmas picture, which was altered, and some fell for it. The video shows Harry talking but you cannot even hear what he says; someone wrote the subtitles but of course, immediately people assumed that’s what Harry was saying. Do you really think even if Harry would ask, he would do it at the Premiere?
The Disney deal is for the money to go directly to an elephant sanctuary group operating in Africa.
Some of people don’t care about the truth. For them, it’s more gratifying to think the worst than give the Sussexes the benefit of the doubt. And, some are just too lazy and complacent in their hate to find a reliable, non-tabloid source and get the truth about the Elephants Without Borders donation.
I thought this was in the works months ago. This isn’t new information, just being spun in light of the current news. Also, that conversation was never highlighted during the actual reporting at the time of the event. Everyone was talking about Pharrell. It could have just been small talk and banter. And honestly, who cares.
For the eleventy millionth time, that is not how charitable foundations work!
They will not draw a salary. No one does, or the foundation would get shut down for improper use of funds.
This is actually one of the rumours about what “dirt” there might be – financial impropriety at the (formerly joint) royal foundation, which SR was spun off from. Possibly for just that reason. Those rumors have been around for a while. (And also Andrew’s shady financial dealings.)
H&M have never been accused of mishandling their foundation, except by the tabloids and uninformed commentariat.
People are so quick to believe ill of them.
That’s why the Cambridges Foundation is in trouble, the finances did not add up, so the Sussexes said the cookbook money is for the HUB only, otherwise it would’ve been disappeared like all the other money.
I don’t want Canada to pay a single dime towards this mess. EVER. Their security is NOT our responsibility. H&M and the RF should resolve this without involving another nation in their ridiculous BS drama.
I 100% agree with you. Tim Hortons tweeted that if M & H move to Canada they will get free Tim Hortons for life. Excuse me ??? Giving millionaires free food? Ummm nope. If they move here, they should pay for everything themselves. We shouldn’t be responsible for their security.
When I read that about Tim Hortons I decided to never go there again. How stupid was that tweet
Tim Horton’s is a private company but your CONCERN has been noted.
Note to Tim Hortons – doubt Meghan & Harry are interested, but why not direct some funds to a worthy cause like the fires in Australia or the families of the victims killed in the Ukranian plane crash in Iran.
Maybe , just maybe, the Tim Hortons thing was ……a joke?
Tim Hortons doesn’t even have good coffee, but it seemed pretty obvious to me that it was a joke. It’s not like our canadian tax dollars will be buying them coffee because it’s clear many are super worried about that.
Not sure if you saw or heard about the contestant on Family Feud, the question was what Popeye eats, (spinach) She replied chicken (Popeye’s) and they are giving her 10K in Popeye’s food. Maybe they should donate it to the Australian bush fire victims instead.
I agree. I don’t want any of my taxes to go towards their upkeep. I also hope their move doesn’t overshadow the very real crisis we are dealing with. I am from the lower mainland BC and while it is beautiful it is racist ,perfect example is just the other day the VPD arrested an elderly indigenous man and his 12 year old grand daughter as they were trying to open a bank account. This is not an isolated incident. We are fighting against terrible pipelines and dealing with an epic opioid crisis. I only hope if they plan on staying a while they don’t just enjoy the beauty their wealth affords them and actually contribute to support those working to protect and equalize the province. I suppose we will see how it all shakes down. It’s such a disaster😬
So is everything wrong in your country now going to be Meghan and Harry’s fault? Geeze, can we just let this shake out and see how it is structured. They have said that they are going to WORK TOWARD financial independence. On their website they state how their finances are currently covered, that they are going to immediately stop accepting the 5% from Queen and that they are going to work toward becoming financially independent. I don’t know how much plainer they can say it. I’ll bet within a year of them leaving the fold they will pay 100% for everything not involved in a specific royal appearance. ….including their security. Some British Yahoo in government yesterday said that their security would be downgraded to men with tasers. Yeah, alert the terrorists to that and yeah Harry — who is deeply concerned for the safety of his wife and child — is going to be ok with that level of security.
MJ. Please stop absorbing tabloids. M and H want to live a normal life, not a royal one. I sure a transition period is necessary but neither of them have ever grifted off of anyone.
@Sunshine, they’re stepping down as “senior” royals – which doesn’t exactly spell “normal life” afaik. They need to clarify this – not to me, but to the RF and UK taxpayers who’ve footed the bill for their wedding and lifestyle so far. I’ve yet to learn how H&M are going to fund this independent progressive lifestyle, especially if they want to distance themselves from being “royal”. So far, they’ve launched the sussexroyal website and are trying to trademark the Sussex Royal name – which is interesting but tbh I don’t really care as long as us Canadians don’t end up paying for ANY expense in their name/cause. They can shill merch with Archie’s mug on it for all I care.
@mj- all the royals trademark their name. NBD.
@mj ——- you are a troll
All RF members have trademarked their names or things related to their foundation……..my goodness, can you even think for yourself? You have access to a computer, so you do know GOOGLE right?
with people like you no wonder individual like Trump get elected………it is like any ability to think has left your brain
CNN is doing a lot of coverage of Sussexit, usual given it normally doesn’t bother with wall to wall coverage of Royals . Until this happened: CNN is advertising a documentary on the Windsors to be aired in February. You bet this mess will be part of the special and the Windsors and the British media will not come out looking good in this.
A couple of thoughts:
1) I am shocked at how many people are wrongly under the impression that the Obamas, Bill Gates, Lauren Jobs, etc. draw a salary from their foundations. That is FALSE. The only thing I can think of is people read those awful NYT articles that cited Steve Bannon, of all people, who accused the Clintons of drawing money and that turned out to be false.
2) If Harry and Meghan draw a salary from their foundation (it would have to be small), that would be an incredibly bad look. Both of them are smart enough, and moral enough, to not do such a thing.
3) I am deeply sympathetic to Harry and Meghan, believe they made the correct move, and I believe the press and even the BRF are racist and manipulative. The financing thing…is where my sympathy peters out just a tad and I’ve noticed even that a lot of the American press, which is very empathetic, tends to kind of side eye the situation.
According to their website, they only take 5% from the Civil List and the rest is from the Duchy of Cornwall. It essentially sounds like they still plan to take money from Charles to finance their charities, etc. This half in, half out thing, just doesn’t seem like it will work with the structure of the British Royal Family—maybe the Swedes but not the BRF. The BRF has been incredibly abusive, and these two need to make a clean break. Even if Frogmore was going to be renovated without H & M, still living their is weird…Otherwise, there frankly is some legitimacy to the comment “they want to have their cake, and eat it too.” There’s also something off in taking money from your clearly abusive family when you have $45 million dollars of your own cash.
Meghan and Harry are worth approx. $45 million without any strings from Charles, etc. They could buy an apartment in a very secure building in Toronto, hire a good bodyguard, and carefully invest their money. Meghan could also easily get a job at a magazine—so many fashion mags hire royalty/defunct royalty members like the Greek royals—and Harry could write a book. Harry’s book wouldn’t even have to be technically about the royal family—it could be about his charities and his time in the service—and he’d get at a minimum a 10 million dollar advance. Between that, and careful investments, they could live the rest of their lives VERY comfortably without taking money from Charles’s private purse. Plus, I suspect they could easily get money from Oprah, Bill Gates, etc. to sponsor Invictus without having to take cash from the BRF.
I agree.
They’ve complained, and rightly so, about the lack of support from the Royal family but then they also want to use that very name to become financially independent. It smells of entitlement.
I think the Hollywood life pulls Meghan. I’m sure their hearts in the right place but it cannot be ignored that this is all about Marketing. Marketing the brand Royal Sussex.
@ Coffee you are correct.
The major cost for them is going to be paying for their security, wherever they end up. I’m sure they have enough money to purchase a home and they will be working before long.
Since when has the Royal Family given any support to anyone who marries in? Diana was given no support, even from her husband, and neither was Fergie.
@div… thats another good point you make about Invictus. I think they will likely get Sponsorships for their charities. I think thats the way they want to move fwd. bring a lot of focus on the charities by getting the right folks involved.
I agree with all of this. I think a clean break is best.
@Minx
They can easily afford it, too. I ran the math, because I was curious, and between potential money making chances, careful investments, and the money they already have they’d be fine and not need to take from Charles’s purse. It’s not like they’d have a lump sum of cash—they’d invest and get dividends. People keep talking about security, but if they live in a high end building they’d only need one bodyguard (and a high end bg runs around 200 k a year). They could still afford a second one, too. And really, if they get desperate for money he can write a tell all book which would get so much f*cking money (more than Obamas, even)…but even a non tell all would still net him millions.
I guess I’m just a little “wtf” when people keep saying “they’ll need Chuck’s money” when in the worst case scenario…they walk away with a starting point of $25 million dollars (and probably more like 45 million, if they don’t pay heavy taxes to leave) , can easily get a 10 mil book advance, and Meghan can easily make 150k a year working for a magazine. That’s more money than some big actors, who also need security. And as Coffee and I were talking about, they could easily find corporate sponsors/private sponsors for Invictus.
And before someone attacks me—I am absolutely on Meghan and Harry’s side and feel like the BRF is awful. But why take money from such a horrible institution you’re calling out, you know, for being awful?
Without a clean break, with the one foot in one foot out approach….are things like Harry buttonholing Bob Iger the CEO of Disney on the red carpet of an official royal engagement to tell him earnestly that Meghan is available for voiceover work completely fine?
Is it fine only if the compensation for her work goes to a charity and not to the couple personally?
Just trying to see where the line is.
A clean break would be good. They are clearly unhappy with the status quo.
Div, Harry and Meghan do not say that Great Britain’s monarchy is awful, only that they are having problems with individual members. As they say on their website: “their commitment to The Monarch is resolute, and they aim to continue to fly the flag for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as called upon.”
As far as their income goes, they should be paid if they are working as royals, and there is a lot to be done, especially with Andrew no longer working.
The same goes for housing. As notasugar (who I swear has a Phd in royalty) writes in another post: “The Kents, Gloucesters, Princess Alexandra. None of them pay rent (Alexandra re the SJP townhouse, her house is a different matter). They receive taxpayer funded housing and staff in exchange for doing their royal roles. … [Harry and Meghan] shouldn’t have to pay rent or pay their own expenses when representing the Crown.”
Hmmm, I think there’s so much noise happening right now and a lot of people are buying into it. Don’t fall for the foolery. It’s clear that Will is responsible for the noise and is pushing an agenda in the media and this isn’t going to get any better any time soon. Unless it’s a statement from Meghan or Harry themselves or someone adjacent to them, I don’t fall for the foolery.
Some of the things in the tabloid reports are obviously true, and I must admit the video of Harry and the Disney exec made me cringe, but so much of this is getting blown up. No one is innocent here, but I think Harry and Meghan are and have been operating for a while now, as though they know that the walls are caving in on this family and they have to jump ship while they can.
I have my popcorn and wine and am just sitting back enjoying this. I have my hopes for how this all ends for Harry and Meghan. As for Will and Kate….well, Karma is a b*tch.
No one wants to punish them? Is that why palace sources were previously quoted saying there would be serious repercussions for them? Or something like that, it was kind of ominous sounding from what I recall.
@Lizzy, that was the courtiers wishing they could punish them. The palace needs to cleansed of these lechers, word to that.
Whoever these courtiers are – I’ve never seen any referred to by name – they seem to wield more power & influence than the royals themselves!
I feel like Meghan intentionally left the country for the negotiations in order to make it clear that Harry is leading the charge, and yet everyone is still making this about Evil Meghan calling the shots. It’s so annoying.
And now that we know that Dan approached them on the 28th, we know that leaving Archie and Meghan going back was likely planned. They knew before they came back that Dan had the scoop and they decided not to play ball with him. He gave them ten days to respond, and Instead they released their own statement the day his “offer” expired. I do wonder if Harry didnt offer his family the same thing – kill the leak before Dan releases or we are going rogue.
Which, if true, means that the senior royals likely knew about the leak to Wootton and the content of the leak yet they still refused to address the issue with Harry in a timely fashion. This would show that they have absolutely no concern at all about what would happen to Harry and Meghan. Screw them all.
They won’t ask for a clean break just yet (maybe down the line when theyve established the Sussex Royal brand) because theres a lot if privilege that comes with being Duke and Duchess and Prince and Princess of UK. Lines are cleared for them for security purposes, people meet them BECAUSE they are the duke and duchess, not because they are Harry and Meghan. They won’t leave the Royalty boat for now because it benefits them as well, hence Sussex Royal.
They couldve created a H&M foundation, but they chose SussexRoyal which is just the short of a really long name with Multiple Royals in there in case anyone forgets theyre Royal.
Also, the clothing store…
U get my drift..
They were very cleat that they would like to continue supporting the queen. Sussex Royal therefore makes sense.
If they will be doing work on behalf of the monarchy, then why shouldn’t the monarchy compensate them for it. The Firm is their employer. No one works for free for their employer.
I think they have to start somewhere and their suggested framework is as good a place as any. The botched/sabotaged rollout is unfortunate but I’m willing to take the longer view and see how it plays out. Must be quite a shock to William that anyone would be willing to walk away from the Royal life.
Let them go, but I hope they then truely make their own way. No royal perks, no security covered. I would not expect anyone to have to cover any of their expenses if H & M get what they want. No I don’t hate them – I would expect the same of anyone wanting to leave the firm.
Do you really think that the son of the eventual king of England can go without security against not only from the crazy mexiters or whatever they call themselves, but for terrorists or other enemies ies of what England represents. No, I don’t think so. Maybe the next generation if they manage their purpose of becoming less senior. Maybe then.
Thank you Ennie, especially since his mother was not responsibly secured.
H & M are such a mess. They’ve been married for less than two years, and are currently on the outs with 99% of family members on both sides. Their new celebrity friendships look to be incredibly shallow. Harry has had close to the same privileges as his elder brother, without the responsibility. I know we like his wife, but Harry was the Nazi costume wearing party boy until just a few years ago. He didn’t properly prepare his wife for royal life and I seriously doubt he has the first clue how to live off his own money and live a normal-ish life. Run Meaghan!
Do tell what has she done wrong thatmerits the treatment given by tabloids. Please state some objective examples.
I didn’t mention the tabloids, and barely mentioned her. I’d gather most famous people don’t deserve the treatment they receive from the tabloids, but tabloids don’t report based on merit. Those papers exaggerate, cheat, and lie. Dead celebrities still get reported on! Nothing about it is fair.
@courtney, Harry and Meghan are on the outs with their TOXIC relatives. Why is it that the relatives can get away with emotional and psychological abuse in the eyes of some people, like yourself, when I doubt that you would tolerate sexual abuse by family members?
Abuse is abuse and I am so glad that Harry and Meghan have found each other and are clearly on the road to a more peaceful, happy and fulfilling life together.
I’d guess most people have one (or a few) toxic relatives. I get that. But between the two of them, they are only on speaking terms with *one* relative?? Every one (besides them) is toxic? It’s not a good look.
@courtney no one knows how many relatives with whom they are still on speaking terms. It is mostly the toxic ones that leak things to and speak with the Press of which we are aware. I heard that Megan’s niece was at her wedding along with some relatives on her mother’s side, and their attendance was not publicized for obvious reasons (like sister Sam going ape shit and not understanding why some family members were there and not her).
Tumblr misses you.
Never been on Tumblr, only talk about royals when they get reported on here. Not everyone who doesn’t like Harry is a part of some vast conspiracy 🙄
@courtney, I see your point. Unfortunately stans have elevated Meghan to some weird goddess worship status and can’t see both sides of things.
Fair points Courtney — you’re in danger in these parts!
There’s a leak that the queen will dissolve the monarchy effective Tuesday morning! If only!!!
Seriously, what is it with all of these leaks still happening over the weekend in the lead-up to this summit? Someone please take Willy’s phone from him when he heads into the meeting room on Monday. I would be afraid he would have Wootton on speakerphone!
It seems like Harry has been so hurt by these folks that he has just shut down and said let the chips fall. Several people pointed out that Will is acting like a typical abuser and that was enlightening. They are still playing their leaking to the press games but unable to process he isn’t playing any longer. I hope he gets everything but most of all protection for his family and autonomy from his brother.
This is all really sad, especially for their baby. Stress is not good for a baby. Hopefully they can take a break from royal life, but they will need to earn their keep. To me, I think asking other countries to fund their security is a foolish PR move at best, and imperialist at worst.
William wanted the spotlight, and soon he shall have it. And all that will be shown is how little he does.
Here are what I see as the main drivers behind The Sussex’s choice to step down to minor royals:
It has everything to do with media criticism and their desire to do more, just as it was the reason they got their own PR office.
1) If they aren’t receiving tax payers money, then the Daily Mail and others will have less to complain about.
2) They don’t have to work with the Royal Rota. They are better at PR than the Firm, clearly. They won’t be forced to work exclusively with media that are out to get them (whether directed by William or for clicks)
3) They can work harder and smarter. Their foundation will be separate from whatever financial shenanigans the Cambridge’s have going on with their foundation. They can fundraise and raise awareness how they choose (see above better PR instincts), take more political positions and work as hard as they want without having to care about overshadowing future king Bill.
They still cannot take political positions because they are operating, even when not working for the Crown, under the Sussex Royal title.
William had the spotlight for the month of December and all the BM was interested in was, where are Harry and Meghan.
Even when they are trying to drag Meghan, they end up dragging Kate calling her boring sitting next to Meghan.
@Kaiser, I love the “Later, colonizers” LMAO and yes I’m glad she’s out.
A person with any intellect knows why Harry and Meghan separated from some things in the royal family like foundations etc. Harry has grown up watching the courtiers play the leaking games. How those ugly evil gossipers have treated him and His family really has brought home about his dislike for some media-tabloids. I did read that media guest list was proofed by Harry. He told Meghan which ones he would allow at the wedding and which ones he absolutely did not want there. Meghan knew some of this media outlets and had a few on the list. Harry vetoed the ones he couldn’t stand. Piers Morgan keeps telling people that Diana would give info from the palace behind the scenes and how he was such good friends with her. Well evidently her son did not think so. That is why the cut off from him came from Harry not Meghan. Piers knows this but wants to bully Meghan into doing the same and discard what her future husband wanted. When he didn’t get a wedding invite it sent him into a rage and he has been taking it out on Meghan ever since.
You’ve given us a lot of important info here-thanks for that.