Duchess Meghan will appear at a virtual summit hosted by The 19th*

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The Duchess of Sussex has scheduled her next “public” appearance! She will appear at the virtual summit from The 19th*, a very new “nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom focusing on gender and politics.” The name comes from the 19th Amendment, which legalized women’s right to vote. The asterisk is for the unfinished business of the 19th Amendment, namely that there are not nearly enough women running for office or winning elections. The 19th* was started by CEO Emily Ramshaw, and Ramshaw is who will be interviewed by Duchess Meghan. The virtual summit will happen on August 14th, and Meghan’s interview with Ramshaw will happen at about 4:30 pm EST. Here’s more about the summit, plus an actual quote from Meghan:

The event will mark the centennial of women’s right to vote with a series of live-streamed conversations between prominent women in politics, civics, journalism, and the arts. The organization is named for the transformative amendment that granted women—but in practice, white women—the ballot. The asterisk serves as a visible reminder of the 19th amendment’s unfinished business. That kind of candor—about whom our democratic ideals have accommodated and whom those same values have failed to protect—seems to have drawn Markle’s interest.

“The 19th*’s commitment to reporting and storytelling that lifts up those who are too often underrepresented in the media has never been more important,” the duchess said in a statement to Glamour. “I’m looking forward to asking the cofounder what it means to build a media outlet with gender equity, diversity, and community at its core.”

Ramshaw explains that “the duchess learned about The 19th* and its mission and reached out to us. She told us that our vision for The 19th*—building a truly diverse and representative newsroom that covers women with nuance—spoke to her immediately.”

The summit—The 19th* Represents—will see journalists from the outlet sit down with some of the most influential women in America: three U.S. senators (including potential vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris), several congresswomen and congressional candidates, Melinda Gates, Hillary Clinton, and Stacey Abrams. It will also feature none other than Meryl Streep.

[From Glamour]

I’m looking forward to hearing from all of the cool kids who knew about The 19th* before Meghan! You know there will be somebody claiming that, which is funny because it truly just launched a few days ago. You can see The 19th*’s site here. There is a lot of original content – mostly political analysis – already, even though the site was only launched in the past week. This looks like a great thing for Meghan to highlight, especially in an election year where, frankly, we need more women to turn out and more women to be engaged in the political process. My fear is that a flock of Karens will dominate the political debate – perhaps that’s what Meghan is concerned about too. I’m very interested to see what Meghan has to say and has to ask Ramshaw.

Carine Restoin-Roitfeld arrives at the 2019 Harper's BAZAAR Celebration of 'ICONS By Carine Roitfeld' held at The Plaza Hotel on September 6, 2019 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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109 Responses to “Duchess Meghan will appear at a virtual summit hosted by The 19th*”

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  1. Laalaa says:

    Amazing! And I’m pretty sure she would not have been allowed to do that while being a “senior royal”

    • Belli says:

      You’re right!

      And I’m pretty sure that we’ll see a senior royal do something very similar after this.

      • Brit says:

        You know they will because I firmly believe that family specifically William/Kate/Middletons/KP are obsessed with the Sussexes and are in a one sided competition. I won’t be surprised if Kate attempts to interview someone in the coming months.

      • Ainsley7 says:

        I wouldn’t hold my breathe. The government would have their heads. Even the Tories would call them out for it and they are forever making excuses for them.

      • Becks1 says:

        Well we wont see a senior royal interview someone involved in an organization like this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if all of a sudden we have William interviewing the head of an organization they support or the like.

      • ABritGuest says:

        William did interview Sir David Attenborough at Davos last year. My guess is maybe Wills will do Bill Gates next re pandemic or in connection with Earth Shot prize or Kate moderating an Early years panel- which I think she absolutely should be doing- put spotlight on the experts.

      • Becks1 says:

        @ABritGuest – don’t be silly. Kate doesn’t need to put a spotlight on the experts, she IS an expert at this point!!! Remember the survey?!?!?!

      • Nic919 says:

        William may do something similar but Kate won’t. She can’t even handle answering basic interview questions and she’s too lazy to work enough to be prepared to conduct an interview. Plus Kate plays to the people who like their women silent and submissive and using your brain scares them. That works for Kate because as long as she can shop she’s content. Working on anything of substance is not something she’s ever done and she won’t start now.

      • Tessa says:

        Some tabs are pushing for Child no. 4 for Kate and William.

    • Rhys says:

      I was surprised to read that it was her who reached out to this organization. You’d think at her level of celebrity she just has to choose from the gazillions of similar companies who are banging at her door. She has always been proactive, reaching out to people and companies while building up her career, but it sounds like things haven’t changed as they normally do when you become an A-lister. My guess is most are just not aware that Meghan is available and approachable. And it also makes me think of how often we think that things just fall on these people’s lap while the rest have to work for it. Yet here’s an example that oftentimes you have to hassle no matter what is your last name.

      • Nyro says:

        Remember William complaining about celebs not meaningful work with him for Heads Together. He, a blood prince, was reaching out…but he got rejected. Meghan clearly doesn’t have that problem. The more she does, the more people will see that she’s actually get accessible and wants to really work with others. Her reaching out will in time encourage others to shoot their shot.

      • S808 says:

        I do think she’s getting a lot of offers but like you said, her reaching out is nothing new. She did is pre royal with The Tig, she did it during for Smart Works and now post with the 19th*. I think it’s a mix of answering calls (like GirlUp) and expressing interest.

      • Merricat says:

        I love that she doesn’t wait around for someone to tell her what to do–Meghan gets things done. I doubt there was any “hassle” involved; she contacted them and they couldn’t wait to sign her up.

      • Lady D says:

        I think Rhys meant hustle not hassle? Could be autocorrect, or I could be wrong. It just read as hustle to me.

      • Merricat says:

        @Lady D — Lol. Yes! But also, I don’t think too much hustle was involved either–she called, and they were thrilled to have her.

      • MsIam says:

        Meghan is signed with that speakers bureau @Rhys so there is plenty of awareness that she is available. And we only hear about things she’s agreed to. We don’t hear about things they have turned down. But I get the impression that Meghan and Harry are being strategic about who they are involved with, especially in light of the Andrew scandal. I think they want to make sure that whoever they are affiliated with is in line with their causes.

      • PrincessK says:

        I do not think that she had to hassle to get this. Someone said Meghan ‘reached out’, that has been interpreted as she asked to do it. I don’t think so, she expressed interest in what they were doing and then she got asked.

        In any case, Meghan wants to make sure that she is aligned with things that have real meaning to her and the causes she supports.

      • PrincessK says:

        Very pleased to say that l visited the Luminary Bakery in Camden yesterday, which Meghan made a visit to when they newly opened a few months ago. It is a delightful little place, l sat in the pretty cafe and had a delicious slice of banana cake. The place was very feminine friendly and l made sure that the staff knew that l knew about the place because of Meghan. Although they were rather tight lipped when l asked if they had any cupcakes with the same flavours as Meghan’s wedding cake, but they did offer me a vegan cake! I liked the fact that they seemed to deflect the conversation away from Meghan, it shows they have her back. I plan to pay a visit to the Stoke Newington branch in the future.

      • Alexandria says:

        @Nyro, maybe he did not even reach out. He asked his staff to do it.

  2. Brit says:

    I really like how both Harry and Meghan are working now because it’s bringing awareness to charities and organizations organically and because they know they have a stalkerish press, who are obsessed with them, to report on the work, which will give those organizations more exposure. No more silly PR photographs, no more clothing searches and pricing, no more body analysis, handwriting any analysis etc. Those days are over especially for the British Press and now they’re stuck with older royals who no one really cares about, trying to make them stars, Sophie and Anne, Charles, Camilla. You got younger royals are bland and have to constantly praise to make up for their lack of everything, William and Kate and their kids are to small and it won’t be for another 10 years or so before the papers really try it with them. It’s back to pre Royal family for the media and it’s even worse than before.

  3. Becks1 says:

    This is exactly why they walked away – they wanted to be able to do events like this without having to run it through multiple committees and offices.

    The CEO said on twitter that Meghan reached out to her about this, which I love. Meghan is finding the organizations and causes she wants to support and she’s asking to get involved, not waiting for them to ask her.

    • L84Tea says:

      The lineup to this took my breath away. Seeing Meghan get to do things like this rather solidifies it for me–she was always too good for them, too smart, too caring, too evolved to be part of a family of old relics hanging onto the 19th century for dear life.

      Go ahead and try to compete with this woman, W&K. Just try.

      • L4frimaire says:

        I signed up to see her interview but also some if the other panels as well. Should be interesting with some really accomplished women on these panels.

      • bamaborn says:

        Yes, very impressive! Oh, to be able to converse with some of these women.

  4. Nancy says:

    These orgs are great, but frankly they are heavily geared to, run by and for neoliberal white women.

    • Sofia says:

      Yes that’s true but this is still a good opportunity for Meghan. So I will appreciate this for that at least.

    • taylor says:

      I generally agree, but I’m pretty sure this org was cofounded by a black woman too.

      • Nancy says:

        Founded by two white women, according to their “About” page.

      • taylor says:

        @Nancy look up @emarvelous on Twitter. Editor at large and founding mother

      • Nancy says:

        Interesting. It’s not on their “about” page. Only two women (white) are listed as co-founders. Also, all press and PR articles list the two white women as the founders.

    • Mich says:

      Learning about “white feminism” has been an eye opener for me.

      Hopefully, this organization will not make the same mistakes that orgs like NOW have made.

      Added: Just went to their website. They are highlighting the voices of black and brown women from the get. Good for them!

    • Tasz says:

      I understand your point but with Stacey Abrams, London Breed, Tammy Duckworth and Kamala Harris speaking – I am registered for it.

      Also, I have a dumb conspiracy theory. Goldman Sachs is a primary sponsor for this event. Do you think that maybe the Duchess is already working with Goldman as a humanitarian consultant?

      • Babz says:

        Now, that’s an interesting thought! Wouldn’t that just kill the FF and the FFQC?? They could try to copy all they want, but could never hope to duplicate something like that. That’s grown-up, real world territory. This is just the beginning for Meghan, and she’s moving into the heavy hitter world now. I registered for the conference, not just because of her, but because of the line-up of women involved. I am really looking forward to it.

    • Mumbles says:

      I was looking at the list of people who are also speaking and saw “I’m a humanist, not a feminist” Meryl Streep listed and so I think you are onto something. And Goldman Sachs isn’t a hotbed of intersectionality.

      One of the founders is a Northwestern grad from the early aughts, I wonder if Meghan knew her in college?

      • L4frimaire says:

        Not everyone on the forum is going to be to everyone’s taste. I mean Tulsi Gabbard will be there, so not all one-sided. Streep is doing a performance with Zoe Saldaña. There articles It seems geared towards this years election politics, as well as the pandemics affect on women. Their board and founders look interesting. I’m curious to check it out, since it is so new. It’s not going to be for everyone, and it’s too soon to tell what the ultimate goal is, but it’s definitely getting buzz. I think Meghan definitely has a unique insight into media culture, so of course this seems to be in her wheelhouse. Some amazing women will be at this forum.

      • Jenn says:

        Mumbles – Good eye, that’s probably how they know each other. Mamie Gummer was a theater major there at the same time (two years behind Meghan), so that might actually be their connection to Meryl Streep — she was really good about attending her daughter’s shows and hanging out with her friends, or so I have heard

    • bluemoonhorse says:

      So by your logic we are to do nothing? Just checking.

      I contribute every month to: UltraViolet, Color of Change, Run for Something, Sister District, and Emily’s List, which BTW is why we had the most diverse group of women entering congress 2 years ago.

      2018: A record 102 women were elected to the House – winning it back. First Native American women elected to Congress: Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland. Youngest women elected to congress: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Abby Finkenauer. First Muslim women elected to congress: Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. 23 freshmen House members are people of color. At least at least 10 were LGBTQ.

      Let’s not forget what was done in 2018 and let’s blow it out of the water in 2020.

    • candy says:

      Agreed, sounds like the WMC. I find these types of conferences to be mostly a giant circle jerk of elite women talking ambiguously about change, and not really doing much. Having a major bank attached is not a good look. Let’s not forget how much these investment banks contributed to the downfall of the global economy in 2008 and in turn, destroyed the lives of many lower income women. These CEOs are STILL THERE, while those womens’ mortgages haven’t been restored. I believe that’s the appropriate reparation, not some conference of millionaires. These events always have the same tagline: highlighting voices. That doesn’t change the fact that at some point, wealth will just plain need to be redistributed in order to solve society’s disparities.

      • MsIam says:

        @candy, in order for any of those things to happen you will need a sea change in government. Which means electing progressive candidates, not just women but progressive women. And that takes money. So while you may not be impressed, you are not dealing with reality if you think organizations like this are not useful.

      • candy says:

        Agree we need progressive women and obviously, those women need money to get into power. However, until we are genuinely willing to part ways with these corporations, there will always be the pressure on elected officials to give in to the systemic inequalities. We need to take power, not court it.

      • MsIam says:

        And again @candy we need campaign reform. Especially since the Supreme Court gave carte blanche to corporate giving. But we have got to get candidates elected first. If corporate America wants to hedge their bets and throw money at progressive candidates, then so be it. I won’t be mad at that. Because they are sure throwing money to the regressive candidates. I won’t cut off my nose to spite my face.

      • stinky says:

        More “impactful” word salads from Megs. …yawn.

  5. Sofia says:

    I am excited for this. I enjoyed Meghan’s interview with Michelle Obama. My only issue with it was that it was too short :D. But on a serious note: I do want to hear from both Emily and Meghan. Meghan will ask some genuinely interesting and useful questions and Emily will have some equally genuinely interesting and useful answers.

  6. Just a thought says:

    I’ve heard about the 19th and it’s work for a while now because one of their editors/writers has been featured quite regularly on one of the morning news shows as a guest panelist. Her name is Erin Haines (don’t know if I spelled it correctly) and I’ve really enjoyed her points of view and her priorities. I’m looking forward to seeing this!

  7. aquarius64 says:

    Kudos to Meghan for connecting with this summit, plus it will get international press with the British media scraping for the crumbs. You got what you wanted BM: royals you can dog walk for PR shots.

  8. Islandgirl says:

    I am impressed with the projects that Meghan has involved herself in recently.

    I hope this is an indication of what the foundation will focus on.

  9. WilliamJoelene says:

    She will be great! I wonder if she will announce/show her pregnancy? Hope so!

  10. S808 says:

    Love that she reached out to them. She did this pre working royal, during and now post. This is cool and I look forward to the interview. I’m also really glad everyone is using Meghan Markle and more than the DOS. I think people didn’t during her time working for the BRF out of disrespect but now her name that can never be taken from her is more recognizable and is her brand.

    • Nyro says:

      Yes, it’s working in her favor. Like how the republicans were calling the Affordable Care Act “Obamacare” as an insult when it was unpopular. And now it’s backfired on them just solidified Obama’s legacy.

  11. Nyro says:

    Look at that go-getter “West coast energy”! 😜 When they said they wanted to lift up newer media outlets from diverse voices, they meant it. This is awesome and I can’t wait to watch. Look at that lineup! Meghan is officially so above and beyond the royal outhouse and their hillbillies with money shenanigas, it’s not even funny.

  12. Ginger says:

    I’m sure this is only a taste of what’s to come. I’m excited! I can’t wait to see this.

  13. Abena Asantewaa says:

    I admire Meghan and Harry so much. Harry just published a very powerful article about Social Media. What I like about Meghan is that, she is a go getter, she does not rest on her laurels, and wait for people to contact her, she does not assume anything, or expects anything, she makes her own opportunities. So inspiring. The Firm was really, suppressing her potential. This duchess is so inspiring. I have registered. Will tey the Meryl Streep’s slot.

  14. Digital Unicorn says:

    This is great – can’t wait to watch it.

    Can you imagine Top CEO of Keen Inc. interviewing someone who is actually a top CEO? In fact just interviewing anyone – car crash comes to mind.

    • Luz says:

      Can we imagine you commenting on anything without insulting Kate?

      • GuestWho says:

        Nope.

        Meghan’s supporters didn’t start the comparisons and competition. They want to hold up Duchess of Bland as a paragon of perfection, they’re going to have to deal with the comparison to people who actually DO things.

      • Argus says:

        Luz wins comment of the day! 😆

      • Luz says:

        @GuestWho comparing Meghan and Kate was expected while they were having similar roles. Meghan and Harry decided to leave RF, very brave and inspiring move, good for them, but with them leaving what is the point of mentioning Kate. Meghan is now in completely different situation. For Meghan of today what Kate does or doesn’t do is irrelevant. In this particular situation Meghan is going to be compared to Hilary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Melinda Gates, Meryl Streep.

      • notasugarhere says:

        What Kate has done work-wise has always been irrelevant to Meghan, as the vast majority of what Kate does is irrelevant. Now while Meghan is doing something that matters, Kate is withering on pretending to pack boxes for a charity Meghan first brought to attention and prominence. They continue in similar roles – but Meghan is the only one achieving something. Just as Harry and William continue in similar roles – but Harry is the only one achieving something.

        There has been a massive influx of pro-Kate, anti-Meghan trolls to this forum in the last month. We feel free to call them out as we see them, because this is one of the few Kate-critical, pro-Meghan sites out there.

      • Luz says:

        @notasugarhere but what is it about Kate? Why is she so important to you? What draws you to her. I think she is pretty, lovely kids and that’s about it. I can’t imagine talking about her for an hour and you are writing about her for years, day after day. What is it about Kate that you find so engaging?

      • Sofia says:

        @Luz: We talk about Kate because this is a) a gossip site and b) because she can’t do her job well. She’s had this job for 9 years yet has a 5 questions survey she only launched 8 months ago. Her numbers have yet to get past 150/160 – even with the maternity leave, other royals have worked more. 2 out of 3 kids are normally in school 7 hours a day, has a nanny for the kids and still she doesn’t work

        And when you’re getting millions a year, being “pretty, lovely kids” isn’t enough, sorry. Especially when you’re getting millions a year for just having to put on a dress and waving to the crowds a couple hundred times a year.

        It’s about time people hold Kate accountable instead of letting her skate by because she’s a “mother” and she’s “nice”. I, along with millions of other people, pay her to work and represent the country, not to be nice person (professional yes), get along with everyone and have lovely kids. If she doesn’t want to the job she knows where the exit is.

      • Luz says:

        @Sofia I presumed most people here are Americans which is silly when i think about it because I am European. I find your take a little bit… I am sorry english is not my native language and google doesn’t seem to help. I am not British, I don’t pay for royal family. I can understand anger and frustration when it comes to money. With that being said this is gossip site like you said and i just checked people here are predominantly Americans, so do you truly think american based gossip site with primarily american readership is the best way to hold Kate accountable?

      • Sofia says:

        @Luz: I don’t particularly care about paying for a royal family or not IF they can be good ambassadors for the country and do the job. Kate can’t seemed to do the latter. My problem isn’t paying my problem is that she and William don’t do enough to justify the huge amounts of money they get (actually none of them really do but that’s another discussion). If Kate can start properly doing the job she’s supposed to have been doing for 9 years, I would be a lot less harder on her.

        And just because people aren’t British, doesn’t mean they can’t criticise Kate (which can and does go to the ear of actual Brits). I criticise Trump yet I can’t vote him out. I criticise and praise other royal family members despite them not being my royal family nor do I pay for them. By your logic, should I stop doing all of that because I can’t hold them accountable? Just because people can’t directly impact something, doesn’t mean they should stop discussing it – especially when they’re talking to people who CAN actually try and get things done.

      • February-Pisces says:

        @luz I used to really like Kate and was super excited when her and William got married. I never had a bad word to say about her until she showed her true personality. She took part in a smear campaign against another woman all because she’s insecure within herself. Did the ‘perfect mother’ give AF when Meghan was pregnant knowing that stress could of harmed the baby? Nah. Kate is a bully and I’ll continue to call her out in her behaviour.

      • nic says:

        @Luz, comparing (unfavourably) Meghan with Kate is the very foundation of the hate campaign waged against the Duchess of Sussex by the British tabloid press. A campaign that has de-humanized Meghan Markle into a cardboard soap-opera villainess to the point that its difficult to have an objective internet discussion about her or her work, save for a few places.

        A campaign in which Kensington Palace is very much complicit – at best as a silent bystander, at worst as an instigator. Finally, a campaign that, to this day, is still very much alive and kicking.

        “Insulting” Kate might not be a wholesome practice, but it doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
        It’s the natural consequence of a discourse that has been polarized AND muddied by distortions, lies and, above all, discrimination. The result, at least in a large portion of the press? One Duchess’s good work is eclipsed; the other’s mediocre attempts are praised to the heavens. It’s media manipulation in the simplest possible form. And yes, it applies even in “fluffy” gossip. Pretending that this context doesn’t exist or matter is disingenuous.

        I’ve lurked in this site for a few years, too, and it’s true that Kate (and her husband) have always been long criticized for their laziness. In the last two years opinions have become more heated, yes. But again, this isn’t happening in a vacuum.
        The day Kensington Palace will issue some serious defense for the “otherized” Duchess, start deleting offensive troll comments from its account and moreover fire its leaking staff (and maybe stop leaking from the top) will be the day a discussion about not comparing the two women could be started. Whether one wants to praise or criticize them. From BOTH sides. Before? Impossible. Reducing criticism to some personal bias of this or that poster is a bit simplistic.

        For the record, I’m European too. But I firmly believe that, whether you’re British or not, the media treatment of Meghan Markle is something worth analyzing: beyond the frivolousness of royal gossip it really speaks of hate culture and the unsavoury social media practices of our time.

      • GuestWho says:

        @Luz – it’s true that Meghan will be compared to women more closely aligned with her beliefs and mission going forward, but Digital Unicorn was comparing Kate to Meghan. Why is that germane you may ask – because Kate’s perfect white-rose image was used as a cudgel to viciously beat a successful woman of color for years. Relentlessly. Kate, her mother, and KP put her in the position of being used as a benchmark for all that is good and wonderful – entirely their fault if people find the comparison laughable after seeing the difference in effort these two women are willing to put into making a positive impact with their respective platforms.

    • Becks1 says:

      We criticize Kate in response to articles like this because it highlights what Meghan wanted to do as a working royal and what Kate wants to do. Meghan wanted to have a voice, to be a part of change, to lift up lesser known organizations etc. Kate wants to wear pretty clothes and have kids. It’s a worthwhile comparison in that it shows how outdated the monarchy is.

      You can ask what is the impact of such criticism and comparison, and that’s a fair question, except that this a gossip site so we just…..gossip….in the comments.

    • Luz says:

      @February-Pisces but people like Digital Unicorn and notasugarhere are writing here for years, long before we even knew who Meghan was, certainly before she was pregnant. Maybe for you Meghan changed everything but not for them. My questions stays the same, people here are calling Kate boring, so boring, nothing interesting about her and yet every day there is one or more articles about Kate, every day those articles are the ones with the most comments and the thing i find the most fascinating of all the same people are writing about her for more than a decade. What is it about Kate? There has to be something.

      • Sofia says:

        People criticise her because she has absolutely refused to work for years now and they’re frustrated. A lot of people, including myself, had very high hopes for her but in 2020, said hopes are all but dead. There is also the money aspect I’ve mentioned. People also write about her because she’s the future Queen. People still talk about some of the dead royals despite them being dead for years.

        People have also criticised the Kardashians for years and calling them “overrated” but yet year after year they continue to stay “relevant”. Yet that has not deterred some people.

        Welcome to celebrity culture.

      • Jaded says:

        @Luz – I’d like to remind you that Kate’s behaviour towards Meghan has been nothing short of mean-girling. She could have partnered with her on a number of worthy projects but instead gave her the merest of “welcome to the family” assistance. She has been complicit in the leaking/smearing campaign that her husband and the Midds have orchestrated, and her behaviour at the Commonwealth ceremony was appalling. Kate’s antipathy towards Meghan and Harry is barely contained because first and foremost, she’s jealous. Couple that with a lack of focus on or passion for work and you get someone who deserves the negative gossip on this site. Furthermore, we are made up of people from many countries so our viewpoints aren’t completely American-centric and I’ve learned a great deal from some very smart people from all over the world who post here.

      • Sid says:

        @Luz the internet “world” of royal watchers and gossipers has been around for years as I assume you know, filled with many of the same posters who discuss everything royal-related, whether they like the royal in question or not. It’s discussion, gossip, commentary, whatever you want to call it based around what remains of royalty. I am not sure I really understand your point.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Her point, Sid, is that no one is allowed to have a negative opinion of Kate. And if you do, there’s something wrong with you.

      • YaGotMe says:

        I think her point is that the boring doormat drives the majority of traffic. It is fair to point out that the majority of posts are bashing one person or defending another from unfair bashing. Stan culture at its finest.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Criticizing a taxpayer funded person for her failure to work and her failure in the position? Gosh, if it upsets you so much, go back to the obsessive pro-Kate sites. The boring doormat has plenty of sycophantic sites elsewhere. As I am sure you know.

        There is a natural comparison between the white meangirl who has been coddled and praised for being pathetic in the role for a decade vs. the biracial woman who has been given no chances and yet thrived in the role.

        This is one of the few pro-Meghan sites. I’m sure you and Luz know that, which is why you’re here trying-and-failing to start trouble. We’ll continue to share our opinions about Kate, no matter how much concern trolling you send our directions.

        So many new trolls, so little time.

      • Luz says:

        @notasugarhere but that is a thing. It doesn’t upsets me. You are the one who seems upset. Kate is a failure you say. OK! You said it, you are saying it for years, if she is still married five years from now you’ll be here writing about her in 2025, you wrote about her on here in 2012. Why is she so important to you? Because she obviously is and please let’s live Meghan out of this and stop hiding behind her. You were here long before Meghan. What is it about Kate that you and few others here find so inspiring?

      • Becks1 says:

        LOL. Luz, this is a gossip site! I don’t think many of us think that Kate is “so important,” we come here for escapism as the headline says. Honestly before Meghan I wasted very little energy thinking about the royal family outside of this site and other similar sites. For me, royal watching is escapism, the same way some people follow the Kardashians or whatever. Royal watching is a little different because it’s a constant. If people didn’t watch Keeping up with the Kardashians from the get-go, the Kardashians probably would not be who they are today, and eventually they will fade away (hopefully.) But the british monarchy wont, at least not as things stand today. So some people on here have been royal watchers for a long time – they gossiped about Diana, they gossiped about Anne and her divorce, they gossiped about Fergie, they gossiped about Edward and Sophie, and now its Kate and William.

        I highly doubt Notasugarhere is going around in real life talking about Kate all the time.

        Now, I’ll say that since Meghan, I have become much more invested in the Sussexes and follow “them” through twitter and social media and discuss them much more outside of this site than I have ever done with Kate. And I do think that their leaving has peeled back the curtain on the royals a bit. Gossiping about Kate’s clothes doesn’t feel as harmless now considering how she treated Meghan. and I think many of us feel that way and that’s why there is increased vitriol in some of the comments. No, Kate shouldn’t be praised for pretty hair when she drove her biracial sister in law out of the country. I think many of us excused Kate for the past few years and then starting with the FlyBe stunt and then this past March, we place more of the blame squarely on her, and its fair to discuss that. In many ways, its the epitome of race relations, especially in workplaces – the white woman who “looks the part” gets praised and promoted (in the press) for doing nothing, and for actively working against the WOC, while the WOC gets driven out for daring to have a voice.

      • Nic919 says:

        It’s amazing how certain people are so upset when the propaganda put forth by a racist sexist establishment is questioned. Unless you are part of the BRF yourself you are supporting a system that steals power from you. Kate and her laziness is the perfect example of how this institution has protected an aggressively mediocre woman with nothing of value to offer and who takes from taxpayers for buttony dresses when kids in her own country are starving, and tried to portray her as someone who gives a crap about the peasants, when she has done nothing in her life that demonstrates that. Do you take the side of the aristocrats in the class struggle? I find that so bizarre.

  15. likethedirection says:

    I’ll be that person 😆 there was a great article about The 19th* in The Cut a couple of days ago!! https://www.thecut.com/2020/08/the-newsroom-where-politics-is-not-about-men.html

  16. Lainey says:

    I signed up for a couple of events. The lineup is really impressive. I think she’s at the closing day with Kamala Harris. She must be so happy that her intellect, talent and compassion are appreciated without having to get slammed for avocado or overshadowing anyone. I think the Sussex Squad birthday celebrations raised $80k. The Sussexes are global superstars now. The Royal Rota must be bored out of their minds now with nothing interesting to cover. Their loss.

    • Nyro says:

      The Sussex Squad member who organized the #inspiredbyMeghan Camfed fundraiser got a lovely call from Meghan the other day. This is the second time she spoken to the squad while she’s given the royal rota zero access. I love it, lol!

      • Lainey F. says:

        Awww, that’s lovely.

      • notasugarhere says:

        She’s gone private on all of her SM accounts because of the racist trolls who attacked her the moment she revealed that info.

      • Minni says:

        @Notasugarhere- That person IS a racist troll and a cyberbully!!!Did you see her earlier tweets? She even used the N word!!! I really cannot believe that Megan, of all the fans, contacted that person.

      • PrincessK says:

        Wow! That is amazing! The Sussexsquad really really deserve it.

  17. JT says:

    @Luz. William and Kate, as well as the rest of the royals actively court American press. They’ve been doing it since Diana captured the American market. What do you think all of those People mag covers are for? If they didn’t want our opinions on them, they wouldn’t try to maintain their presence in the US. By your metric, even you shouldn’t be commenting here, seeing as you are European and your thoughts shouldn’t hold any weight here. And why can’t women’s work be compared? Nobody has a problem comparing Harry and Will, or Charles and Will. As soon as Meghan and Kate are compared, all of sudden it’s an issue, or it’s unfair to Kate. When it’s about work, I believe it is all fair game. Especially, when the British media and KP participate in it.

    • Nic919 says:

      There is always this defence of Kate when actual work is being discussed because Kate just doesn’t work and the comparison always makes her look really bad. Kate is part of the establishment and has an entire media ecosystem and institution to defend her laziness and pretend she’s doing something so we really don’t need to defend her. She’s good.

      If Kate had established a work ethic comparable to what Sophie has done, or even Camilla, we wouldn’t be having these discussions, but it’s been a decade and she continues to do the least possible. And now Sophie has to do stuff that doesn’t count in the CC just to make her look better. It’s propaganda and being critical of propaganda and celebrity image has always been in the wheelhouse of this site.

      Meghan was never the reason why Kate was criticized, but her work ethic and skills certainly highlighted just how little Kate was doing this whole time despite the royal rota and KP and still trying to spin it otherwise.

      • JT says:

        Exactly. Kate will be 40 very soon and what does she have to show for it. Meghan highlights what can be done when you are proactive and passionate in your causes and beliefs. This interview with the 19th* is a perfect example of Meghan getting her hands dirty and initiating and being actively involved in her work. What’s crazy is Meghan was doing this type of work with the smaller platform that she had while working on Suits, which people demean her for. Meanwhile Kate has had the enormous platform of the BRF for 10 years, married to the future king and has accomplished nothing.

      • Nic919 says:

        I often wonder if the people who defend Kate are very young and don’t realize just how much the average woman does in her late 30s much less something on the level of Meghan. Kate’s just lazy and when you are roughly her age and compare what you do in your own daily life to what little Kate is praised for doing, you see the obvious discrepancy and roll your eyes at the propagandist bs.

        I always point out Sophie and Camilla because while royal work is not as arduous as regular folk paid employment, there is still a standard that was set and all the married ins did it, except Kate. She the lazy exception and bizarrely the media covers for her despite the glaring difference.

      • February-Pisces says:

        I wouldn’t even care if kate was the laziest royal (someone has to be bottom of the CC), if it wasn’t for the fact that she seems to get the MOST praise. She works the least, has made little-to-no impact with her work, comes up with multiple excuses to get out of her duties (the latest being ‘exhausted-gate’) and has very little interest in the world around her. She lives in her little bubble on her country estate where she supposedly spends her days doing arts and crafts with the kids courtesy of the tax payer, and everyone just eats it up. She is one of the sole beneficiaries of a corrupt system, that set up to destroy a woman who is 10 times more worthy than her, just to prop her up.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Nic919, I found many of them like the cardboard cutout. They want to be able to project whatever they want on her, or project their own inadequacies on her and still have Kate be perceived as ‘amazing’.

    • Nyro says:

      Facts. There’s nothing wrong with comparing work and competing about work. There’s nothing sexist about that at all. Certain people want to shut that valid discussion down because they know Kate’s an epic failure on that front.

      • Nic919 says:

        That’s exactly why it’s raised. Last week comments about looks were criticized, which can get out of hand, but Kate’s work ethic? That’s entirely fair game and she’s proven she never had one her entire life. But she has not been criticized by the media a tenth of what Meghan has faced and Meghan has handled the work part of this position with excellence. The attempt to denigrate Meghan to prop up Kate and her weakness in this area is actually quite offensive.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Yet the most Luz can think to praise Kate for is her looks and her ability to bear children. Are we in the 1950s?

      • Nic919 says:

        Praising Kate for being pretty and silent is actually a very dangerous idea to promote for all women and yet the British establishment and UK media love pretending she isn’t a regressive image for all women. If someone doesn’t understand why Kate’s laziness has been criticized for almost a decade then it’s disingenuous or stupid.

  18. TheOriginalMia says:

    I don’t get those who are bashing Meghan for speaking with the head of this new organization. They bash her for any and everything. My God! Let the woman live. They ran her off and then want to comment on everything she does. Who cares if she asked to speak or interview this woman? This is what she wanted to do for the BRF, but they were too pressed and biased to let her be an asset to them.

  19. MsIam says:

    So proud of Meghan! She continues to shine.

  20. BnLurkN4eva says:

    Some really wonderful women will be included in this so I’m there for some sessions. I think Meghan will be great, this is right up her alley and what I hope we’ll see her doing in the future.

  21. TeamMeg says:

    This sounds great! Looking forward to see it!!

  22. Sam says:

    @Luz, why exactly are you here? Other than to troll, I assume you have no purpose. Repeatedly asking why those critical of Kate find her ‘inspiring’ is tiresome. Kate is lazy and praised for it so she is criticised here. She will always be lazy and praised for it and therefore criticised here.

    You won’t stop the criticism by gaslighting people into thinking that if they talk about her, they find her inspiring.

    Your time would be better put to use on sites where Meghan is accused of faking her pregnancy and almost destroying the RF. Ask them why they find Meghan so inspiring.

    • Luz says:

      @Sam The only place i heard about Meghan faking her pregnancy is this one. I don’t know am I allowed to name other gossip sites I read but no one ever wrote anything like that or anything about her destroying monarchy. Every day we can all read at least one story and sometime more stories about Kate. Stories about Kate always are the most commented ones so logical question is what makes Kate so popular. Apparently she is the most popular celebrity here because of her laziness?

      • Sam says:

        I simply don’t believe you’ve never read any negative press, views or comments about Meghan. It’s frankly laughable. Read the comments on the Kensington’s official Instagram account which they allow to flourish, pick up a tabloid, go on twitter, read the comments under any onlind article.

        You’re more bothered that Kate is called lazy than the barrage of abuse that Meghan faces. Why is that? Why is it you don’t care about the deeper issues here? What is it about the two women that inspires you to defend Kate against claims which are true and yet claim that you’ve read nothing negative about Meghan?

        You’re here to derail conversation and this will be last response to you. In future the best course of action will be to simply ignore you.

      • Nic919 says:

        The one thing you have noted that is accurate is that people here have been criticizing Kate for years because she is lazy. And since she has continued to be lazy, the complaints will continue well after you have decided that the trolling is no longer effective.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Sam, I’d go with Luz is here to troll. The Kate stans try it every few years, always with the same tactics. Easy to spot. Next time, we’ll know to label her a troll and move on.

  23. Kyle Owens says:

    @luz. The dictionary defines popular as regarded with favor, approval, affection. Are you saying that’s how the posters on this site think of Kate?

    • Luz says:

      English is not my first language., maybe popular is not the best choice. I don’t think Kardashians are regarded with favor, approval, affection and I would still consider them popular. What would be the best word to use in this situation?

  24. Kyle Owens says:

    Interest. You could say at least on this site the interest takes the form of a critique of the women’s mediocrity that is elevated by the media so that that very mediocrity begin to seem as excellence. It is outrage at the media for its ongoing drive to convince the consuming public not to believe their own eyes – that Kate in particular is not a bland, lazy woman but is someone who is worthy of our admiration.

  25. Mariane says:

    Wow what a powerful lineup. I’m glad to hear that Meghan contacted them, it reminds me of what she said in the royal foundation forum that women dont need a voice they just need a seat at the table.
    Not suprised from ‘go getter Meghan. She’s always chosen to act
    rather than wait for handouts or follow the fake publicity driven work of others in RF. She also contacted hubb community & smartworks(+businesses for smartworks collection).

    I wonder what the keenbridges will have planned to try and get in on the sussex coverage. Theyll probably schedule their annual drive to church with lizzy or do an event with chuck & have the RRs write about bill & chuck bonding. The losers might even use their kids

  26. Kristen says:

    I’ll be that person too 🤣 they soft launched the website a few months ago. They’re really walking the walk when it comes to amplifying BIPOC voices. I love to see Meghan align herself with this organization.