This is a nice surprise: this week’s People Magazine cover is all about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Thrive Era. As we know, Meghan and Harry are currently on maternity and paternity leave, but we’ve been getting updates here and there about hires they’ve made, or new projects they’re launching (like 40X40). It feels like we might actually have an autumn full of Sussex news and Sussex launches. I hope so. People Magazine got some exclusive comments from Omid Scobie, who cowrote Finding Freedom. FF is being released in paperback on August 31, and it will have a new epilogue with new details. That’s what this cover story is about too – book promotion.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are ready to take their next steps back into an intentionally public life. With their parental leave coming to an end, they are preparing for a busy fall and winter as many of the programs they’ve been working on behind the scenes kick into action.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — who welcomed baby Lilibet Diana (a little sister for brother Archie, 2) in June — are entering “the era of visibility,” Omid Scobie tells PEOPLE. The couple are “really excited” about what is ahead, including working directly with causes aligned with their interests and expanding their in-person charity work through the Archewell Foundation.
“They’re a couple who do very well in those moments of human interaction. They need to be on the ground,” says Scobie. “They say that the proof is in the pudding, and what we are about to see is that pudding.”
Finding Freedom, which was published last summer, had chronicled the Sussexes’ whirlwind courtship and the mounting tensions that ultimately led Harry, 36, and Meghan, 40, to leave the U.K. and carve a groundbreaking path outside of royal duty. Now, aided by the financial freedom secured by their multimillion-dollar streaming, speaking and publishing deals, the couple’s energy follows a period of turmoil amid their formal departure from life as working royals and the controversies stemming from the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey this past March.
One of the key lessons they have learned these past months is to prioritize their mental health and keep “some of the toxicity” at an arm’s — and ocean’s — length away.
“They seem to be existing in a different place, and that place is much healthier,” Scobie tells PEOPLE. “Meghan famously spoke about that it was not enough to survive — we are now in the thrive chapter.”
I hope all of this is true! Remember last year, right after they exited Salt Island but before we understood how bad the pandemic would be, a lot of us believed that Harry and Meghan would actually begin launching stuff in 2020. Everything got put on hold with the pandemic and pregnancy. We will have a Sussex Autumn! Thrive Era! Visibility Era! And y’all know that the dusty saltines are going to be in full-on meltdown mode the entire time. Lolz.
Cover courtesy of People, additional photos courtesy of Avalon Red & WENN.
I wonder who had the braveness to let this go to print and go against the Great Middleton Propaganda Machine.
Seems like camp middleton has slowed the pr propaganda so people mag had to result to something else.
I’d expect it’s not bravery, but pure practicality. Which covers sell more: Sussex or Cambridge? And I’m thinking that, given what People has done, they are about equal.
I’ve never seen People try to pit one against the other (at least on the covers), so they seem to be the neutral media party, open to either one.
Nope! I think the Sussexes (like in the Instagram followers battle that they won before closing down), is a bigger draw and sells more magazines, especially in that all so so important end of Summer September period of magazine sales. Not only are Sussex Squad and regular fans going to go crazy, the ‘derangers’ gonna buy up copies, if only to say they’re gonna burn them. F*** the salty derangers.
I sure hope so!! Seems we should get the s’mores ready to toast over the flames from the Salty Island heads exploding allllllllllll the way over to here on the west coast!
I know this is a positive article and I actually hope that some of it is true but…… i am increasingly bothered by people magazine and the corresponding “royal experts” (yes even Omid) pretending to know whats going on in the Sussexes lives. We all know that camp Sussex doesn’t leak. And if friends of the couple do speak to the media they do it with their names attached to it.
I haven’t read the full article, but in these quotes I don’t think he’s saying anything groundbreaking, just that we’re about to see the pudding, they’re in a much healthier place right now, etc. Anyone who has been following them objectively or as fans knows that much. Its only the bitter RRs and royalists who can’t see how healthy and happy they are. I didn’t see him saying anything that was supposed to be direct from the Sussexes or whatever.
No you are right. But the way people magazine has framed this (specifically on their front page) is as if the sussexes gave them this info exclusively while they don’t really work with tabloids. Count in the fact that people think omid is their mouth piece and voila…. A new recipe for abuse.
To be fair, all outlets write their stories as though they have some sort of inside info, even when they don’t. Otherwise nobody would bother reading it.
Also Omid has marketed himself as their mouthpiece. I know it’s unpopular opinion on here but I really don’t like him and find him slightly creepy. Most of these Royal reporters are terrible but they’re very obvious in their obnoxiousness. Omid just gives me bad vibes.
Love the bit about keeping the toxicity an ocean’s length away. But, but, but, how dare they launch a Thrive Era when the Queen’s Jubilee is coming up!!!
I liked the use of the word “toxicity” instead of coddling the sensitivities of the BRF, Britain and the Media they support. Call it what it is.
Yes. Stop with the euphemisms and call it what it is. You get a slow clap (for today), PEOPLE.
I get it People is promoting Omid’s paperback but he’s not saying anything that most people suspect will happen for the rest of the year. New projects and partnerships are going to be announced, the podcast is going to be released and the royalists and British press are going to lose their minds. That being said I’m excited to see what they are going to be doing in the coming months.
Exactly. We’ve all assumed they would get back to business this fall after parental leave is over. This article is just about promoting Omid’s book.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE JUBILEE?!!
I think we should expect the RR’s to fixate on smearing every little thing the Sussexes do. They want them to fail…. badly. It’s an obsession. And they will not stop until everyone hates them.
That will never happen. They are admired and perhaps the ones who don’t like them are not in large numbers.
I’m ready for this! Let the haters fume.
I love that they no longer have to deal with the noise on Bitter Isle. I love that they put their heads down, do the work, and then announce it. I love that they’ve done more during the pandemic than others have done in a decade.
I can’t wait to see what they have to show us.
I like Omid- he’s no saint, after all he’s got a bag to chase too with his job, but his reporting usually tries to be as balanced as possible. He gets mess wrong sometimes like the rest of them but he seems to have a sense of morality about what he writes, unlike a lot of those island dusties.
I really hope this is true. I miss seeing them.
The Era of Thrive! YES!!!!! So here for it!
I think the past 18 months gave many (cough royal family cough) a false idea of what the Sussexes will be doing going forward. They aren’t just going to zoom with no follow ups. They aren’t going to launch every project with no promotion (a la the Bench). They aren’t going to stay secluded in their mansion in Montecito. They’re going to be out and about, living their best lives, doing what they want to do – if that means eating out at the best restaurant in the area, they’ll do that. If that means participating in a fundraising drive for charity, they’re going to do that. If that means going on the Today show to promote Pearl or Heart of Invictus, they’re going to do that, even if – gasp – that means they actually FLY to New York to promote it. They’re going to be busy, they’re going to be sought after, they’re going to be productive, they’re going to be living their best lives and as I said, I am HERE FOR IT.
Some over there may have thought that they would continue to lay low in California, but that was never their plan. They are here to THRIVE.
I really hope this happens, Becks. I am here for it!
I always see de eye omid and his knowledge of the inner workings of the Sussex but I want to so believe that it will be a fall /winter/ spring/summer repeat Meghan and Harry. I really really miss them
Sorry that was supposed to say I always side eye
I said this above but IMO here he’s not saying anything really about their inner workings. He’s saying they like human interactions (I think we all know that) and that they like to be on the ground, that they’ve been working and we’re about to see the proof of that work very soon. That’s not really anything earth shattering or any confidential insider info.
True, but I always like to defer to what Harry and Meghan said before, no magazines or reporters speak for them. Believe it if they themselves say it. Not like I have read the people magazine but I would prefer if omid said I would like to believe that AB and. C are about to happen. Again I haven’t read the article just going by what Kaiser posted but I do feel like omid likes to talk about things concerning the Sussex sometimes like they called him up to give him news.
I can’t wait to see Meghan out and about again, especially when it’s safe for her to attend big events. I miss her red carpet style, and now that she’s not a working royal, she can wear stuff that’s actually interesting.
William and Kate just shat two giant bricks after reading this.
Well then, we should be seeing some congratulatory articles tomorrow – “W&K shat two perfect bricks!”
omg 😭
“Duchess Catherine, and her husband William, today start to build a foundation with the bricks they have personally shat. We hope this bowel movement is the first of many that will enrich the lives of the British public, the Future Queen is quoted as saying” The Daily Mail tomorrow, probably.
@Zapp Brannigan- you forgot to mention “this bowel movement is the most impressive of it’s kind, a first for the royal family that highlights the passion of the FFQ’s work over the last 10 years”.
LOL! You ladies are on fire today. I hope Willnot and Cannot’s people are reading this and throwing up their hands in defeat.
@harla – Lol, that must explain the pinched expression on William’s face – it’s been 10 YEARS in the making.
She never poops a brick wrong…
LOL. An excellent opportunity to use a favorite Kate Carlisle quote from one of her books,
So how’s the putrid pile of caca doing?
I don’t believe that. William and Kate will be King and Queen Consort.
The BRF really screwed up driving those 2 away. They could have harnessed that goodwill & affection towards Harry & Megan and used it for good but NOPE: jealousy, envy, spite were their weapons, and now they are less popular then ever and have no one to blame but themselves.
This
+2
Philyfiremama Doesn’t it just boggle the mind that they are repeating the same mistakes they made with Diana, unbelievable
They learned from their mistakes with Diana by changing their approach with Sophie and Kate.
I think the BRF with its hierarchy, rules and norms was not the right fit for Meghan.
Shocking to see an entire cover story about the Sussex’s and not one lie or smear. I’m not a big People fan but this is refreshing and I know the qanon like stans are choking on their bile.
I have no doubt that they will be launching many things in the fall but I think how visible and on the ground they are will be determined by the progression of the COVID variants. Remember the Well Child event was moved up from Sept. to July because there were already concerns about variants. The situation is worse now. So I look forward to announcements but I’m not going to count on a flurry of in person engagements. Even if they are vaccinated their children are not eligible and there has been a significant increase in childhood Covid cases so I think they will be extremely cautious. In yesterdays statement they mention Covid variants so it clearly a significant concern for them. I had hoped that Harry would attend the US warrior games in Sept. since it inspired Invictus but that has been cancelled. And I had hoped they might go to the Emmy’s but that is being significantly scaled back. With public events being cancelled or modified, I’m sure they will be cautious about in person events even if they are charitable in nature.
I’ve never knew they had jubilees. I doubt outside of European no one cares. How many foreign
countries watch the Orange Bowl, Memorial, Macy’s or St. Patrick parade? I’m West Indian and over the Labor Day parade in Brooklyn and Junkanoo in the Bahamas. Been there done that! It’s for young people. I can download the highlights.
I don’t know if we’ll be “seeing” more of the Sussex’s at events or on red carpets for quite some time. I don’t think the “BRF” way of attending engagements will be M&H’s way of attending engagements going forward. Don’t get me wrong I would LOVE to see Meghan and Harry, especially Meghan, out once a week visiting charities/organizations, gawd I miss her but I think they will adopt a more “celebrity” style of highlighting causes close to them by releasing photos/video after a meeting but won’t be rolling up in their chauffer driven car, with press and public waiting for them, waving to the crowds, accepting flowers from an adorable child, staying for 30-45 minutes and then leaving.
Harla, I think that they will find a balance between the high profile formal events and the hands-on community events like fundraisers for food banks, shelters etc. It’s in their best interests to never forget the grassroots events where they continue with the hands-on smaller-scale local events they are know for.
I agree that they will continue to attend in-person meetings and events but the “events” they’ve attended since leaving the UK were only published after the event and I think that they’ll continue in that mode.
Deleted – Sorry harla I misread your comment.
Oops typo, meant to say “ the BRF way of attending engagements *will not * be …..”
A positive story on the Sussexes means People sees there is no money in bashing them and puff pieces on the BRF don’t sell so much. The treatment of Meghan and Andrew’s mess are permanent stains on the House of Windsor.