Most of the time, I’m too involved in the day-to-day back-and-forth of royal coverage, focusing too much on “what did that commentator say” and “remember what so-and-so said a year ago.” Sometimes it’s good to take a step back and really think about how badly the Windsors have f–ked up the Sussex situation from the word go. Like, it’s mind-boggling that the Windsors were so short-sighted, so petty, so unable to see the whole chess board. It’s also pretty shocking that seemingly all of their courtiers have f–ked up so badly, that no one is a steadying hand, that no one was like “actually maybe we need to try harder to keep Meghan and Harry.”
It just keeps going too – after the Oprah interview, you would think that the Windsors would actually, you know, try to make some kind of peace with H&M so that everyone can move forward. But that didn’t happen. So now the Windsors are stuck in a similarly toxic holding pattern where they’re scared to say anything, lest Harry tell-all in his memoir.
Keeping calm? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still aren’t on the best of terms with other members of the British royal family — and it may take some time before things are totally healed. Relatives across the pond are “still raw” in the wake of the Sussexes’ step down from their senior duties and subsequent revelations about life in the palace, royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti told Us Weekly exclusively on Tuesday, August 31.
“Over the year, there must’ve been some discussions, some sort of attempt at reconciliation,” the British journalist added. “But I keep saying that, you know … I’m not party to their private conversations, but I think it must be incredibly difficult to try and have those conversations because [other royals] must always be a bit worried about what Megan and Harry are going to reveal to the press or … in a new revised version of [Finding Freedom] or even in Prince Harry’s own book.”
According to Sacerdoti, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince William and more might be hesitant to dive into the healing process.
“I think that there’s perhaps a nervousness on the part of the royal family to say too much and to make too great in efforts to reconcile, even though I’m sure that they’d want to, if only for PR purposes, never mind for family peace,” he told Us.
So basically Charles, Liz and William are too nervous to attempt to reconcile with Harry for fear that Harry will rip them a new one because of their already-appalling behavior? If these people had the good sense god gave a goose, they would have realized that they should be actively trying to make it better with Harry specifically to avoid being ripped to shreds in his memoir. This isn’t some 4D-chess strategy: be nice to Harry and Meghan. Call off the attack dogs in the royal rota. Attempt to make peace. And that puts the ball in H&M’s court, and they have to react. Why is this so hard?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red and WENN.
They are always whipping themselves into a frenzy without knowing the details,why not erm wait unti the books comes out?
Perhaps they don’t need to wait for the book to come out to know the details, because they are well aware of what was happening and just how bad it got. That’s why they freak out every time Harry might be about to speak. They know what they did so they know what he could reveal at any minute.
I believe it was Kendrick Lamar that said it best, Don’t tell a lie on me, and I won’t tell the truth on you. Hope those are the correct words.
Exactly. They are well aware of all the horrible stuff they did to him. So now they live in fear of just how much Harry will reveal.
I guess if you’re not terribly bright but you have a huge ego, you probably hire people who aren’t that much smarter than you.
Charles and William are both known for preferring yes men. The Queen’s former Private Secretary Geidt was known for being able to tell the royals some hard truths that they don’t necessarily want to hear. Charles forced him out and I bet the new guy (who reportedly really hates Meghan) is Charles’ toady.
Add to that the fact that racisms generally make even smart people act stupidly.
I’m not sure of the exact timing of the overlap of Geidt still working for the BRF and Meghan being with Harry, but I could swear I remember a photo outside some event where Meghan and Geidt were seen greeting each other — and they both looked genuinely happy to see the other; it didn’t appear forced at all.
If Geidt liked Meghan, saw how much potential she had and what an asset she would have been for the family, and was advocating for a larger role for her in the BRF, I can see that accelerating Charles’ quest to get him out. And it makes sense that Meghan would like him in return, if she could see that he was the *one* person who told the royals the truth instead of just blowing sunshine up their asses constantly, regardless of how much worse that made things.
^^ @Lorelei, regarding timelines, Sir Christopher Geidt was reportedly forced out as the Queen’s private secretary (by Andrew’s and Charles’s staffs) around August 2017. It was just a few weeks later that Prince Philip’s retirement from senior royal duties was announced.
M&H at that time were revisiting Africa, and gearing up to go more public at the Invictus Games in Toronto. They had apparently made a commitment to marry while in Africa but the formal proposal occurred in early November, with the public announcement happening on November 27. As well, Meghan’s Vanity Fair cover story happened in September 2017. A few days before the magazine’s release, W&K announced Kate’s third pregnancy.
So much was going on then to the point where it’s interesting to look back and gain perspective surrounding the sequence of events. Geidt surely knew about Meghan and the difference she was making in Harry’s life. I think Geidt clearly respects Meghan. But he didn’t have a chance to have any influence over how she was treated, because he was gotten rid of well before the engagement announcement.
It appears that the Queen allowed her sons and their staffs to push Geidt out as her private secretary. There have been a number of reports since then about how good Geidt was at resolving tensions between Charles and his sons. Andrew was in opposition to Geidt, because Geidt was on to A’s misbehaviors. Slowing down in her 90s, the Queen seemingly has increasingly taken a back seat to the warring dramas within the firm. A lot of the battles and jockeying for position are a direct result of opposing staff battling for power and for their jobs once the Queen passes.
I agree that Geidt has been friendlier to Meghan, and thus some things might have been different. But Geidt’s views were being dismissed prior to Meghan meeting and marrying Harry. Ultimately, Charles’s guy, Edward Young, took over Geidt’s job with the Queen. It is Young who reportedly intensely dislikes Meghan.
Charles and Andrew are as dumb and entitled as William, none of whom wanted to go along with Geidt’s plan to consolidate and centralize various palace operations under one umbrella. So Geidt was forced to resign. The Queen soon after rewarded Geidt with an additional honor for his service, and she appointed him to an executive position at the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust. That’s fitting since the QCT was probably Geidt’s brainchild, which he and Prince Harry aided in developing.
@Lorelei said:
” I could swear I remember a photo outside some event where Meghan and Geidt were seen greeting each other — and they both looked genuinely happy to see the other.”
The event where Geidt greeted Meghan is the March 2019 QCT panel discussion, which took place in honor of International Women’s Day. It was a memorable event, with fascinating comments by Meghan and the other distinguished female panelists. The official QCT YouTube video of the event is probably still available.
Here’s a report from that time, with pictures. Meghan was just over 7 months pregnant with Archie:
madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/2019/ 03/first-look-meghan-marks-international.html
This is what happens when you do clownery . They made their hateful, racist beds so lie in them and take whatever comes your way.
They will go into overdrive and smear Harry and Meghan and the book won’t even give them a mention, the most interesting thing going on with the royals is this supposed feud and the only way they get press is to attach themselves to Harry and Meghan.
“Why is this so hard?”
It is in the financial interest of the British Media to feed the falsehood that the Sussexes attacked QEII. The Sussexes did NOT attack QEII. The Sussexes attached the embedded system behind the Royal Establishment. This “Royal Feud” will never end as it is NOT in the best interest of the British Media for it to end whether you are Robert Jobson, Richard Kay, Lady Colin Campbell or Piers Morgan.
If the British really wanted all of this to end, they would simply quit running and/or posting stories on the Sussexes and focus on the Keenbridges, Wessexes and Prince Andrew.
This is just me but wouldn’t it make sense to make peace with and apologize to M&H and hope that that would be enough to keep him from spilling any tea in his book? Antagonizing them certainly isn’t going to work in their favor.
Right. Leave them alone and order the RR to do the same. Smile and do nice birthday posts. Its not hard but from the flailing about the BRF do you would think they were working on one of those unsolvable math problems.
I don’t think any of the BRF have a single regret about how they treated Harry and Meghan. If they do, they certainly aren’t going to admit they were wrong.
The Only thing they regret is that Harry and Meghan pulled the curtain back enough for the world to get a good look. But they were and are happy to keep on keeping on with their racist smear against Meghan especially
@Fluffy Bunny, it’s definitely not just you!
The Windsors. Stuck on stupid.
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Memoir=memories about PAST behavior. Too late for all the stupid the “Windsors” pulled in the past. Is it really so hard to apologize and modify current behavior to be decent? I love how these “journalists” constantly quote “sources” about private family matters leaked by the “working” royals but claim H&M are the ones who constantly leak.
It’s hard because the Windsors don’t believe they did anything wrong. According to the BBC royal correspondent, they believe that Meghan has radicalized Harry.
Sorry, that’s bull because if the royals believed they acted appropriately, they wouldn’t run so scared of every new book, or interview about the Sussexes. And they would leak to the press about “who did what” to Meghan, instead of trying desperately to hide behind photos of bewildered children of color.
Several reasons this is so hard: 1) for the sake of the monarchy, they need to hand the public a scapegoat, someone who will distract from their own private planes, bad speeches, dodgy businesses, tacky gift shops, expensive wiglets, treatment of Diana, etc. – if they don’t, then the monarchy and their whole grift goes under – and 2) once they make a decision, that decision is treated by their employees and cronies like Holy writ because they are so god-damned entitled. Everything the rest of us do that gets written up at work or gets us fired or makes our partners drag us to marriage counseling for, they get worshipped for within those four walls.
This is it right here. I’ve followed the Royal Family for decades now, but it’s just dawning on me how entitled and strange the whole setup actually is. It’s the 21st century in the real world where H&M live, but all of this running around and gossiping and coddling and hating on Meghan sounds like it belongs in the court of Henry VIII.
Sussex world is the international world of the rich and famous, but William and Charles (and Kate and probably CPB) seem totally out of touch with reality. It’s strange that nobody there is around to give them tough love–it’s strange that William has never once had to deal with consequences from his behavior. I recognize that they are the center of the British aristocratic world, but….surely they realize that their “friends” are only humoring them at this point? Do they really think that their only audience is the country hunting crowd and the Sloane Square people?
“Do they really think that their only audience is the country hunting crowd and the Sloane Square people?”
Not with regards to Kate because neither the country hunting crowd (Turnip Toffs) or the Sloane Square people (London Set Toffs) can stand her.
They wouldn’t have to worry about anything if they weren’t such a shitty dysfunctional trashy family who allows their employees and press friends to abuse and lie about Meghan and Harry. They made their bed.
They would not be scared of what he’ll reveal in his memoir if they hadn’t done something to be scared of revealing. You don’t fear exposure unless you have something to be exposed.
Why are they tacitly admitting they did horrible things to Harry and Meghan? The Windsors are apparently very much not intelligent.
Yes, let’s bleat on about Harry ‘s memoir and maybe everyone will forget about; the cash for access, the rascism and the sexual predator in our midst.
As long as I breathe, I won’t ever let anyone I know forget what they did to a pregnant woman and her child. I don’t care if people think I am crazy or obsessed but somethings should never be swept under the carpet or forgiven. She was pregnant and they and their hate campaign with the media almost made her end her life and that of Archie. Nope, they isn’t a rock big enough for the Windsors to hide under as far as I am concerned
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If they’re that worried about the memoir, then clearly they have stuff to hide. Pretty bad stuff, I’m guessing. Otherwise, why would they be bothered?
What Meghan and Harry revealed on Oprah was very bad – but I’m certain that things were even worse behind the scenes.
I agree 100%. And that is what scares the BRF and that if H&M have talked, they may spill that tea as well.
Poor babies, they’re still “raw.” It’s been a year and a half and they didn’t have to leave the country, find a new place to live, figure out how to support themselves and, basically, build a whole new life. Nothing has changed for the RF, except that H&M aren’t there anymore. So, with nothing changing, what have the RF accomplished in those 18 months? Other than nursing resentment, nothing more than what they’ve always done.
When they lived in England they wanted nothing to do with them, do they really think the Sussexes are waiting around to be welcome into that dysfunctional family.
Montecito and thriving not just surviving.
Shutter Island think they’re end all be all, but there is World out there with no interest.
I think people (including the Windsors) think this is going to be a juicy tell all when it’s probably going to be more happier and upbeat in general – as the press release said, lessons learned.
Or I could be wrong and Harry names it all. I did think that the Oprah interview wasn’t going to be that revealing and I was wrong (although H&M did hold back in places)
Omid was just on a podcast saying a friend of the ghost writer says “he (Harry) will ask every question you are thinking”. Hmmmm. That is not super clear but intriguing.
@Nick: interesting! But will Harry *answer* those questions— that’s what everyone really wants to know.
Anything to deflect attention from what is hiding behind the Crown..
This is another infuriating whataboutism from the windsors, acting as if Harry is the source of media leaks and therefore not to be trusted. WILLIAM was the one who commented on the fact that, post-Oprah, there had been talks between Harry and the family. Harry then CORRECTED the record, saying that yes, but they weren’t productive. Conveniently, everyone has forgotten that the windsors were the first to comment on ‘private talks’ because they’re too busy lambasting Harry for daring to speak. Just like they act as though the Oprah interview happened in a vacuum and was then the catalyst for the windsors’ justified response, instead of the reality that the Oprah interview only happened because Harry and Meghan had been thrown to the wolves and relentlessly, publicly vilified by those now wringing their hands about family.
Funny, Betty was dragged back and forth by Charles in one authorized biography if not mistaken and she seem to have taken it in stride…
Charles never really grew out of his arse and neither will TOB ,.who is truly his father’s son.
Ooft!
There were two “legit” biographies of Charles that really drug his parents through the Norfolk mud & muck. One was by Jonathan Dimbleby and second was by Sally Bedell Smith. I have read them both, several times to be completely accurate.
When the Dimbleby book came out there was a lot of criticism in the media. Even Charles siblings spoke against it. The Bedell Smith book continued the “poor” Charles so “misunderstood” spin.
Charles appears to be pathologically self-absorbed.
Good sense god gave a goose. Oh Kaiser, thank you thank you, I have never heard that expression before but I will e using it from now on because it’s funny as hell.
The windsors will never try to make nice and behave because those people don’t come with a heart. They are a cold racist. Inept, out of date family for lack of a better word. I despise those people.
I wish Harry, Meghan and their beautiful sweet children happiness. That’s best achieved away from the royal demons that he is unfortunately related to.
Weren’t they face timing and cooking last week?
Yes, that’s right. They were facetiming and cooking while at sea; Kate was teaching them all to sail at the same time and William made cups of tea.
OMG, it’s hilarious to think of all those contradictory stories put together. Somewhere on the sailboat there must be room for Will’s specially engineered mobile barbecue grill.
Are you referring to the specially engineered mobile barbecue grill that Wills inherited from Philip????
@BayTampaBay – It was mentioned in yesterday’s piece about the Cambridge’s bank holiday at Balmoral. Was the barbecue grill really Philip’s? I was going to make a crack about it being like Philip’s specially engineered Land Rover hearse, but this is awesome. I keep wondering what’s so special about this grill – does it fly?
@Eurydice – I really think there is a barbeque grill somewhere that Stavros Glücksburg designed and had custom built to his specifications. I believe this grill is at Sandringham but maybe it has its own Land Rover for transport to Balmoral.
I remember that grill being shown in the 1960s documentary on the RF but l can’t for the life of me remember how it was constructed. I do remember the segment when they were barbecuing at Balmoral and the grill was featured, it was transported by a Land Rover to the lakeside.
I’ve certainly been wrong about these things before, but I just don’t see Harry going scorched earth for 200 pages of this book. He’s far too classy for that.
I feel like it’s going to be all about his mental health, his charity work, and the ways he want to impact the world in the future. I love dramz, but I suspect we’re all going to be very disappointed in the amount of tea that’s going to be spilled.
I think any hot spilled tea will be in regards to the British Media.
@ molly, I agree. Harry has already stated that his book will be about his life. I am assuming his upbringing, education, parents, tours in Afghanistan, marriage, Invictus, and other life molding chapters. For the RF to think that the book will be all about them is giving them too much credit, were it isn’t due. Harry May speak about his parents divorce, but I see it from his perspective and the hell that Diana endured with the hounding of the press.
Not only were they face timing but Meghan wants to do produce a show for Netflix about Kate and her philanthropic impact.
The Windsor for all their money and lineage have no class and they’re just dumb. It baffles me that the English people are still putting up with this family.
It baffles me that the people of the UK are still putting up with the British media. Many, but not all, problems of the Windsor’s would go away if the Fleet Street would leave the Sussexes alone and just forget the Sussexes even exist.
Exactly, they are complaining about there own tabloid press harassment, not anything the Sussex’s have control over or welcome.
@Athena if the show is only about Kate’s “philanthropic impact,” Netflix may as well just show the footage of the burning log that we always see around Christmas.
Victim blaming is always an abusers tactic. ‘But you can see that despite our vile smear campaign it’s really all his fault’.
If they’re concerned Harry may not recollect their behavior favorably, you’d think they’d have to sense to stop poking the bear and make some amends so Harry finds him in a situation where he’s more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. How friggen stupid are they?
It isn’t hard and I don’t believe the book is the reason. I think they stuubornly refuse to own their mess, which a reconciliation would require. publicly denounce the fake accusations of bullying. frankly be willing to explain or discuss as a family the abuse and neglect that damaged the Sussexes so badly.
I noticed also how those articles about Charles “worried” about what Harry would say about Camilla in the book resurfaced.
An announcement about a book like this one really exposes people’s guilty consciences!