Yesterday, we discussed the fairly ridiculous story about some Royal Marines Major-General throwing a hissy fit about how Prince Harry hasn’t done anything with the Marines this year… which is because Harry had to give up his honorary Captain position as part of the Sussexit. The story was curious because they named the old fart throwing a tantrum, and it felt like his quotes were definitely planted by Kensington Palace, especially because there was an emphasis on the Royal Marines suddenly wanting Prince William to replace Harry. Well, wouldn’t you know… Harry is now threatening to sue the Mail on Sunday because of the story and this piece is very, very interesting.
Prince Harry has issued a legal warning to the very same newspaper whose parent company Meghan Markle is currently suing, telling the Mail on Sunday that their recent report about him falling out of touch with the British Marines is “false and defamatory.”
Harry’s lawyers at Schillings issued the legal warning on Monday, responding to a Mail on Sunday article that claimed Harry “has not been in touch by phone, letter nor email since his last appearance as an honorary Marine in March.” Sources say that Harry, who was made Captain General of the Marines in 2017 but withdrew his position when he stepped down from the royal family this spring, was upset at the insinuation that he has abandoned the Armed Forces for whom he served for two decades.
“He might have been made to give up his titles, but he has not given up on the military, far from it,” said one friend. An aide for the Duke clarified, “To say he has not been in touch with the Marines is not the case. He had many conversations with former colleagues during the lockdown and is in regular contact with a lot of military personnel on a private and personal basis.”
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Major General Julian Thompson, who led 3 Commando Brigade during the 1982 Falklands War, said, “I’m not trying to give him a lecture, but he has to take the job seriously and not just say, ‘Well, I’m still the Captain General and I’m going to live in Los Angeles and never visit the UK.’ It’s wrong. You can’t do that. He is expected to attend events and be around and be as accessible as his grandfather was.”
The Mail on Sunday also suggested that Harry had snubbed Lord Dannatt, a former Chief of the General Staff, who wrote to the prince requesting more support for Britain’s military community but never received a reply. Sources close to the Duke, however, claim the letter was never sent on, and that his office has since been in touch to request a copy of the letter is sent to the duke’s staff in Los Angeles.
According to royal biographer Robert Lacey, there is evidence of an ongoing campaign at the palace to discredit Harry and Meghan, with some courtiers speaking negatively about them to the press. It’s made a reconciliation between Harry and Prince William even less likely, Lacey said in an interview with Vanity Fair last week. Added a source close to Harry, “It does seem to be the case that there are still some people trying to make the Duke’s life difficult and in some cases just take a pop at him.”
“It does seem to be the case that there are still some people trying to make the Duke’s life difficult and in some cases just take a pop at him.” “Some people” being Prince William, everyone in Kensington Palace, and half of Buckingham Palace too. I get the point Harry is making with this threat and the clarification that he’s been in touch with many people within the Royal Marines. But I’d also like him to say: hey, this wasn’t my call, I’d love to do a million events to support the military and veterans, but the Queen and William are petty a–holes and it is what it is. How can it even be a criticism to say that Harry isn’t properly “supporting” the Royal Marines when he was explicitly told to give up the captain position?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Good on him. They know he values his relationship with the army highly and want to try and sabotage that. Above all, I found the letter with holding very very concerning. Those grey men in suits are just spiteful, power drunk control freaks who put their personal interests first. I doubt at this point if they even care for their masters. I would advise they tread very carefully if I were them. Something huge is brewing and everything is about to be blown wide open. God help the monarchy.
Damn, he looks great in a beret!!
As a redhead myself I don’t usually find redheaded men attractive, but DAMN beret Harry is hot.
*Fans self* Hot Damn Harry LOL
It’s difficult to believe that an elderly Prince Philip who still had hundreds of listed patronages was that accessible wherever he lived. He still has hundreds listed in retirement so that shows you the value of royal patronage. I would have doubts that this supposed letter even ever existed.
Harry’s team is smart. It seems they’re not suing over the whole “William would be better than Harry,” the complaint is about the very specific line that Harry has not been in touch with any Marine since March. That’s something that’s very easy to prove and I expect the MoS to issue a retraction relating to that bit very soon (hidden somewhere on the back page, of course.)
They’re enjoying poking Harry for this engagement. They don’t care that he sues them bc even with the cost benefit analysis they still get to print shit.
In cases like these – ie: DM’s targetted, never-ending harrassment, you wonder why criminal charges can’t be laid against DM board, editors and “reporters”, alongside the defamation case. In Australia, you can be charged with harrassment by device (for example, if you keep calling or texting someone).
I guess it’s opening up a can of worms, precedent-wise….
If Captain General of the Marines is so essential then the Marines need to demand the queen fill the position. Trial balloons for Anne and William have fallen flat. She can give the honor back to Harry or else I am sure there are plenty of heroic Marines who deserve the honor.
It’s laughable that they are keeping it open for Harry at the review with one hand while the other hand continues to denigrate both Harry and Meghan daily in the tabloids and make it known that William does not want him back.
Little backstory but the officers whom Harry ended up working with didn’t actually want Bill. There is a radio interview where the commanding officer confirms they were relieved when they found out it was Harry as he is ‘a little more down to earth’.
I think Bill’s reputation is common knowledge but people don’t step out of line bc of the power Bill has in controlling the UK media.
Interesting and I can believe it.
Also, if I was active duty military, I think I would have a lot more respect for someone like Harry, who is royal and at the time was third in line to the throne, and who chose to serve in Afghanistan, then someone like William who just kind of…..did his William things for a decade. I’m not saying that William should have served in Afghanistan, but there is a difference between not serving there and being William. (Phillip served during World War II which was also probably part of his appeal for these kinds of positions. It feels a little less forced if the position is given to someone who was active duty during a war, then if its given to someone like William or Anne.)
What makes Harry stand out in this regard is that he fought to be able to serve in Afghanistan in the first place. IIRC, even after they leaked his location, he still managed to find a way to go back, although he wasn’t serving on the front lines. So he was there, in danger, for a fair amount of time. And he did that by choice, even though he didn’t have to, and he was heavily discouraged from going and informed of what could happen.
I don’t think that can be said for a whole lot of people. When was the last time William felt this passionately about anything, to fight against the odds to get it? I think that’s what people admire about Harry in the military–he fought to have the same experiences they did, to not be treated differently from them and fall back on his privilege to do so. Not many people in the RF can say that.
@ A, William’s passion is picking Roses and if he has to go to war, it’s always for the Rose bush.
That’s not surprising. I imagine that a lot of people would feel rather awkward in William’s presence. Harry, on the other hand, comes off as natural and charming. Harry was also the fun one.
Looks like the BRF are poking Harry to locate his Achilles. And found it. That family has too many secrets and skeletons hiding to allow their staff to run amok and slander their runaway member. I imagine he’s waiting for dear old granny to pass on before the gloves come off. Somebody in that family needs to raise their hand and stand up to prevent this happening while she’s still here.
+1.
I don’t get this constant needling of someone who knows where all the bodies are buried and definitely seems to not give a fuk about burning the whole house down. Since they’ve all labeled Harry as “emotional and temperamental” you’d think they would not want to push his “fragile” buttons too hard. They need to back away slowly from this bear and leave him in peace.
“Looks like the BRF are poking Harry to locate his Achilles. And found it. That family has too many secrets and skeletons hiding to allow their staff to run amok and slander their runaway member. ”
The problem is that their staff also know about the many secrets and skeletons, so who is really in a position to wield power here – the family or the staff who can blackmail them into the ground?
My goodness the Sussexes will end up spending a small fortune on legal fees. These papers knows the things that are sensitive to them,they like poking them until they react and sue them(they are trying to bankrupt them)
I’m not a lawyer but a letter like that is probably inexpensive compared to a lawsuit. Plus it doesn’t always lead to a lawsuit. Harry sent one to the Telegraph about the IG fundraiser being cancelled because of the Netflix deal and the Telegraph deleted the article if IIRC. Not saying the Mail will do the same but just an example of it not always escalating to a lawsuit.
Edit: okay wasn’t deleted but the majority of my point still stands
The original fake invictus story was in The Times and written by Roya and it was in fact killed. They initially put a disclaimer on it saying that it was the subject of a legal matter and then they pulled the whole story though unfortunately by the it had pickdd up by other publications and commentators.
A lot of lies get written about H&M but if known legal actions are any indication, the ones dealing with their charities/patro ages are are the only ones Harry is quick to bring the lawyers out for.
My goodness, if they gave up and let the tabloids run rampant with their lies? It would never end. Now they are calling the tabloids out on provable lies, which will likely end up with Harry and Meghan winning in court. Thus causing tabloid publishers to think twice about trying to make money off attacking these too.
Nice try, troll.
The courtiers were stupid enough to bully harry and meghan till the sussex left england.
They did not learn from that, i believe they were a bunch of old racist and trying to cling on their job till they die and their job is hereditary to pass on their children so the cycle continue.
While I agree that the Sussexes should continue to stand up to the press, the tabloids have been sued, and it doesn’t make a bit of difference as to whether they continue to print stories or not. The fact is they will make money off of the stories and still come out ahead in spite of lawsuits. There needs to be tougher legislation to curb the tabloids.
And until then, Golly Gee, what? Are they supposed to sit back and take the tabloid abuse? They’re picking cases that have provable fact instead of letting themselves be abused. And they’re winning some of those cases.
@nota, as I said, the Sussexes should continue to stand up to the press. My point is that tabloid behavior can only be rectified by hurting them financially or changing the laws that govern what they write.
Oh please with the concern trolling 🙄
@likeyoucare. Jobs in the RF are not hereditary. That is fanfiction
There is something called a retainer which would have covered something as mundane as a letter. H and M are very astute and would have negotiated VERY good rates with the law firm. Trust me, the money spent is the least of their concerns.
Good. Yeah the DM will continuously print lies and poke Harry but I think this letter is more so for the Marines than anything by the DM. I think the message Harry wants to say to the Marines is that he hasn’t stopped caring about them, no matter what a trash tabloid says
Yeah, I think it’s definitely more for the Marines, but also the courtiers. He had no way to know about the letter because it had never been given to him. It puts the courtiers on notice for not getting it to him when they received it. Making it embarrassing for them and less likely to happen again. They pulled this crap before with the fake Greta.
I agree. In general the legal threat gets the story out there, not just to the Marines.
It also shines a light under the rock where Kensington Palace lives, revealing that they cannot be trusted to relay information to him, and have in fact withheld information from him. The article also serves notice that he is opening a direct line of communication with the Marines, cutting the palace out of the equation.
Yeah press using their little Brexiter army guy to force engagement from Harry.
I just realised that it might needle some that Harry isnt relying on his relatives for cash due to Netflix so what better way to make him look inferior than to falsely suggest hes abandoned a cause close to him because of the Netflix deal In juxtaposition to the dutiful future king. That’s likely what that cancelled Invictus concert story aimed to achieve as well.
Yikes it’s shocking to me but then I remember these people would have sent the Sussexes to the Tower back in the day. And even just a few generations ago they refused shelter to their Russian cousins leaving them to die to protect their power so ruthlessness is the name of the game
Good for Harry. There’s definitely a campaign for William to become Captain General of the Marines going on in the press and I’m sure Harry knows that.
I’m confused. If Harry had that title stripped from him, why does this fool keep saying he’s not upholding his end of things? He’s not SUPPOSED to be anymore.
s
IKR! Who expects someone to do a job they were essentially fired from? It’s such a stupid complaint.
Because the intention is not to criticize, it’s to be cruel.
The whole thing is a lose-lose situation for Harry. He had no choice in the matter–those titles were stripped from him. But the Fail readers, and the people who are inclined to believe the worst about the Sussexes right now, are not interested in the truth. They don’t care about accuracy, so of course they can spin it any way they like and push it out there as if it’s the reality.
The ordinary lay person, who isn’t interested much in the details, would either shrug and not pay attention to this, or be swayed by it into thinking negatively of Harry. The people who would call bullshit are not the intended audience, so the Fail doesn’t care what they think.
The only point is to be cruel, to stoke the average Fail reader even more in their hatred for the Sussexes. This is not something said in good faith.
^ this right here!
This is what I’m always asking myself! They stripped him of his military title…. OBVIOUSLY he’s not doing any appearances or keeping in contact with them… *eye roll*
On a side note: it is really nice to know/hear that Prince Harry is actually keeping personal and private contact with many military personnel. I can believe that because, he is such a nice and honest person in general.
I think the only reason Harry’s not pointing out that they stripped his titles is because of the Queen. Once she’s gone he’ll probably let loose and hit back.
Everyone need to stop protecting this useless woman. She’s gotten by forever on that WWII crap and for just living longer than most people. She’s awful and has done and allow awful things to be done to others including her family and I am just tired of the old bidding time while the Queen live nonsense. It’s the same with the CW, many are refusing to begin talks about removing the British monarch as their head to spare the feelings of this useless woman. I hope Harry finally say enough someday soon and lets loose on them all, they and she deserves it.
Agreed. She doesn’t give two shits about young girls who are accusing Duke of Yorkshire Puddings of raping them, she doesn’t give a shit about the population of Britain. She is concerned for her image, the image of the next in line, and the image of the one after him. She doesn’t give a shit if her husband is canoodling with a first cousin or about anything else. She doesn’t give a shit if somebody who wears in her shoes in for her treats her grandson or his future wife horribly. And I’m sure, at this point, she ignores all of the Cambridge kiddies except George. F her.
Do they forget that we’ve had COVID for most of the year now? What event was that man hoping Harry would attend exactly?
Let’s pretend that the daily fail published this story in good faith (lol I know, but go with it for a minute). If they truly believed that this story was true, and reported it as a neutral media source, then as soon as Harry revealed that IF a letter was sent it was NOT forwarded to him from the palace, then any media entity worth a fig would be ON IT – THAT’S the story, that despite leaving the country and being stripped of all his honorary titles, someone at the palace still needs him to suffer, needs to disparage his name and his character publicly, needs to disgrace him in front of those he respects the most. (Hmmm, and I *wonder* who that could be…)
I’m genuinely curious to see if any british media report on THAT – the actual story, the continued sabotage from within the palace. Surely they realize that these types of stories would be just as popular (and profitable) for them as the usual Sussex onslaught. If they don’t pull on this thread it simply reveals even more plainly that they are bought and paid-for palace sycophants. I know we already know this, but the mechanics of their arrangement with the palace are quite interesting, as it increasingly seems as though they’re sacrificing their own bottom line to appease the storylines pushed by the palace.
The BM, the British Government and the BRF are in bed together and so no other narrative but what those 3 entities wish to see will come out until something is done to disrupt the present relationship. The British people seems content for this to continue as there is no push back to any of this that I observe and the non tabloid media’s excuse is that they don’t care about the RF, which doesn’t fly because if they didn’t care, all the more reason to report on what’s clearly collusion between the British tabloid media, RF and Govt., I assume they care about their Govt. It’s one toxic corrupt system and nothing is being done about it, sad. So happy H/M left, even with the constant needling, at least they are a continent away and can let their legal team handle the messy bits.
I believe we are one funeral away from disrupting the status quo.
These people are truly sociopaths. They pushed Harry out of that family and he left. And yet they still want to smear him and drag him and it’s the height of abuser behavior. They wanted him gone but they still want to use him as a punching bag.
Our tabloids are known throughout the world as being the most evil.. so nothing suprises me!!!
I’d imagine he’s comfortable making this threat because the story isn’t true. All he has to do is show some texts or emails or phone records, and bam. I’m not familiar with how libel law works in the UK, but here in America, you have to prove that the outlet printed false information. Sometimes that’s the hardest step, because even when true, it can be tough to prove something that didn’t happen. But here in America, the standard includes having to prove it was published, it was false, there was negligence (meaning the publisher knew it was false), and it had a negative defamatory effect.
The standard isn’t as difficult to meet in the UK which is why Billy can get away with his threats about his gardening activities.
Good for Harry.
Military service is the one thing that the Duke of Sussex was able to achieve ON HIS OWN. He served his country with pride and honour. It must have killed him to have to give up his military duties in order for he and his family to live a life free of harassment and racism. You’d think a veteran would deserve better.
I don’t believe for a second that Harry hasn’t been in contact with people in the British military. He just hasn’t been in contact with THAT asshole and why should he?
I’m glad that Harry is showing that there’s a line that can’t be crossed as far as he’s concerned.
Well done harry! The palace is really going to regret their actions once harry starts dishing out dirt. I hope he does this soon. Its unbearable to see the constant attacks even during covid.
I disagree with a poster who said this is costing him a fortune. On the contrary, in most cases a threat is enough to shut them down and here he has a clear case for defamation lawsuit and the mail would have to prove their false claim. They can only stall for some time and seeing how they failed to get Meghan to drop her lawsuit and how several celebrities are now suing them for false claims, the mail has alot to lose on this and the sussexs have alot to gain.
Harry never asked to be a royal. His birthright does not equate to a lifetime of involuntary servitude for The British Crown. He is not the property of the UK.
The British media and the palace will learn the hard way. This is the warning shot to back off or all the cards will come out in that lawsuit and it will be ugly.
The best thing the British media can do is put a one year moratorium in place on reporting on anything to do with Harry and Meghan. The fact they are getting involved in what is clearly a family dispute means they will go down with the royal family when it all comes to light.
I don’t know…obviously the original report was a lie, but like a previous commenter said, this was an attempt to poke at one of Harry’s sensitive spots. It’s terrible that someone would deliberately try to hurt his brother, but Harry saw how his family treated Meghan, so he already knew what they were.
I think that eventually Harry and Meghan will cut all official ties to the Royal Family. That means they’ll have to give back their patronages, because they will no longer be working royals. And the sooner they do it, the better. The faster they cut those ties, the faster they remove all the methods William has to hurt them. If they leave it to William, every voluntary parting of ways will be framed publicly as a rebuke. Why let William tarnish their reputations?
That doesn’t mean they have to abandon their patronages. They can be named celebrity, rather than royal, patrons. But the organizations will have to initiate that, and they may not want to ruffle feathers with the Royals or their allies, which likely make up the majority of the British donor class. And I doubt any of the government-affiliated military groups will even have the option to keep Harry on in any capacity.
Within ten years, Harry will be an American citizen anyway.
welcome to life as a private citizen, you can sue whoever the hell you like and don’t need to okay it witht hte institution.