Omid Scobie’s Yahoo UK column this week is so good! “’Spare’ heir Harry’s achieved his dream life – and proved his palace critics wrong.” Scobie details how successful Harry has been in the two years & four months since he officially left the Firm. Scobie breaks some news in this piece about Harry’s memoir too, and he confirms something I haven’t read anywhere else, which is that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took meetings at the United Nations with Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the UN and “prolific social justice advocates.” Scobie begins with the description of Harry’s UN speech this week and notes how Harry would have never been able to make that speech if he was still part of the Firm. Some highlights:
Seeking great purpose: As a “spare” heir born without a defined role, seeking a life of greater purpose has been a long and mostly solitary journey for Harry, going back as far as the day he signed up to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2005 to start a decade-long military career. Stepping away from his royal role – and the tight restrictions of a life within the institution of the monarchy –has been the latest step in that journey, finally opening up a world of potential previously unavailable to him as the sixth-in-line.
The palace did not believe in him: But not everybody believed in Harry’s decision. Few within his own family and the palace thought it was a good idea, many had their own dramatic predictions about how disastrous a move to the US could be. “Honestly, he’s setting himself up to fail,” a very senior aide told me in early 2020. “Without all of this, it’s impossible,” they continued, gesturing to the walls of Buckingham Palace.
The money situation: As numerous others within the bubble of the family claimed at the time, Harry’s ambition to cut himself off from the publicly-funded Sovereign Grant and continue a life of service would be impossible without the risk of accepting money from the “wrong” places (a situation several family members know all too well). But two years later, and without a penny from the British taxpayer, Harry has created the life he has long dreamed about. A life that, dare I say it, he couldn’t have achieved if he remained a working member of ‘The Firm’.
Archewell, Travalyst, Sentebale & Invictus: After co-founding the Archewell foundation with Meghan in 2020, Harry has become involved in a variety of issues that working royals famously steer clear of, including the fight against misinformation and disinformation, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, supporting the Stop Hate For Profit movement, and even candid conversations about racism. Harry’s global initiative for sustainable and ethical travel, Travalyst, is currently moving out of its pilot phase and already helping customers choose greener options while browsing flight listings on the likes of Google and Skyscanner. Just like the positive impact Sentebale has had on those affected by HIV/Aids in Southern Africa, and his Invictus Games on the global military community, Travalyst has the game-changing potential to help solve tourism’s contribution to climate change and environmental damage.
Contracts: Major contracts with digital coaching platform Better Up, Netflix and Spotify (his own podcast series is on the horizon) have also seen Harry remain true to his promise that any commercial endeavours he commits to will still be rooted in a desire to help others and illuminate unheard stories.
His memoir: His forthcoming memoir – which is now finished and has completed legal checks – will no doubt invite some of it in, even if, as sources have told me over the past year, it doesn’t include those much-reported “attacks” on his family. The book will be Harry’s biggest chance to tell his side of the story – and paint a clearer picture of the man, husband, father and global citizen he is today. Just like his late mother, he too has spent considerable lengths of his life misunderstood.
Diana vibes: It’s one of the many parallels in his life Harry has with Princess Diana, who he spoke about warmly as he stood at the UN HQ on Monday. A woman with boundless potential, but who the Royal Family were uninterested in harnessing the potential of. We’ll never know just how much Diana could have achieved if she was still alive today. But, seeing Harry continue much of her legacy while also creating his own, it’s clear the duke has plenty of unfinished business.
“Honestly, he’s setting himself up to fail… Without all of this, it’s impossible…” That’s genuinely how the royals think and that’s how their royal aides think too. That’s why Meghan bothered them so much, it wasn’t just about her race and her Americanness – she saw through them and how disorganized, limited, conceited and backwards they were. Meghan came into royalty with her own celebrity, her own money, her own (albeit limited) profile. They tried to convince her that she would be nothing without them, and (simultaneously) that she was “theirs” to use and abuse as they saw fit. She quickly understood that royalty is just like any other inept, stagnant family-run business and she thought “I could do this better, cheaper and in America.” Harry agreed. Harry had started to see that too, even before he met Meghan. There was a reason he worked outside the royal system to create Invictus, you know? Anyway, I love that Harry understands how to harness his platform and his privilege, and Scobie is exactly right, this is not simply what Diana wanted for Harry, it’s what Diana wanted for herself.
Also: the tea about Harry’s memoir is fascinating. So the book is good to go. I do think it will be published this fall.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar, Travalyst, YouTube screencaps.
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- North America Rights Only, London, England – 20220603- National Service of Thanksgiving On Day Two Of The Platinum Jubilee Celebrations -PICTURED: Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com -67259712 Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II. The National Service marks The Queen’s 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. Public service is at the heart of the event and over 400 recipients of Honours in the New Year or Birthday Honours lists have been invited in recognition of their contribution to public life. Drawn from all four nations of the United Kingdom, they include NHS and key workers, teaching staff, public servants, and representatives from the Armed Forces, charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups.,Image: 696633859, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty O’Connor / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696640808, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696653379, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.,Image: 696678053, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: ARTHUR EDWARDS / Avalon
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- Santa Barbara, CA – Prince Harry plays his last polo game in Santa Barbara before heading to London with his family to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. Harry’s side Los Padres won the Lisle Nixon Memorial Final event in “sudden death” extra time 15-14 against Mokarow Farms on Sunday (May 29). Harry’s Argentinian friend and teammate Nacho Figueras scored the winning point. There was no sign at the game of Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle. Harry was named as “H. Wales” on the scoreboard. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 29 MAY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Santa Barbara, CA – Prince Harry plays his last polo game in Santa Barbara before heading to London with his family to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. Harry’s side Los Padres won the Lisle Nixon Memorial Final event in “sudden death” extra time 15-14 against Mokarow Farms on Sunday (May 29). Harry’s Argentinian friend and teammate Nacho Figueras scored the winning point. There was no sign at the game of Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle. Harry was named as “H. Wales” on the scoreboard. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 29 MAY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Samantha Markle talks to the panel about paparazzi shots of her father and not being invited to the wedding of her sister Meghan and Prince Harry on ‘Loose Women’. Broadcast on ITV1 Featuring: Samantha Markle, Samantha Grant When: 14 May 2018 Credit: Supplied by WENN **WENN does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright, License in attached material. Fees charged by WENN are for WENN’s services only, do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright, License in material. By publishing this material you expressly agree to indemnify, to hold WENN, its directors, shareholders, employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), any causes of action, allegation against WENN arising out of, connected in any way with publication of the material.**
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- NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE – The Hague, The Netherlands -20220422-King Willem-Alexander and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch the finals of wheelchair basketball during the Invictus Games -PICTURED: Prince Harry -PHOTO by: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com -51441060.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
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- North America Rights Only – The Hague, The Netherlands -20220422- The Duke of Sussex attends the Invictus Games closing ceremony at the Zuiderpark, in The Hague, Netherlands. -PICTURED: Prince Harry -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
These columns from Omid are SO good. He’s not even saying anything especially scandalous, he’s just telling it like it is and I’m sure that’s a problem for many in the Firm.
This line – ” A woman with boundless potential, but who the Royal Family were uninterested in harnessing the potential of” is just so on point and the fact that the royal Family still, over 20 years later, couldn’t figure out how to harness the potential of Meghan (or Harry for that matter), tells you how little they learned from the disaster of the Wales marriage.
My favorite: “impossible without the risk of accepting money from the “wrong” places (a situation several family members know all too well).”
It all reads well, that line is outstanding.
I love that line and I’m enjoying these articles from Omid-I might have snorted when I read that. While a senior palace aid that about Prince Harry failing ‘without all of this’. I don’t feel they actually believed. Think they knew and it was something they feared, that Harry could/would be successful ‘without all of this’.imo
meant-a senior palace aid said that and then believed it. Typing problems.
So many wanted Harry and Meghan to fail and end up on their knees in rags begging to return to the U.K. These people are now mad it hasn’t happened and continue to look for ways to bring them down.
Well said Becks!
Ego rules the BRF (shored up by an ancient system of rank) – and fragile egos at that. The fact that the BRF couldn’t and wouldn’t harness the potential of Diana, and then Meghan is all down to the fragile egos of those higher in rank who can’t get over the fact that public interest doesn’t follow royal rank in the modern media landscape. (That is another interesting effect of the BRF having been artificially kept in an Edwardian time-bubble due to the longevity of the Queen Mother, the Queen and the rigid inertia of the royal machine).
Well said @Arthistorian. their egos constantly get in the way. I do wonder how things would be different if the QM hadn’t lived as long, or even if her husband had lived longer, it might have given the institution more time to prepare for Elizabeth as Queen. I feel like his death kind of paralyzed the family and the institution so they are just stuck in many ways in 1952.
The Queen let her mother run things on the family side far longer than she should have. It’s why the current family doesn’t understand why the world has moved on, even in the UK.
Also I still don’t know why the Cambridges want to court the US. It is the last country that privileges birth order and rank and they rejected a home grown American because of their ego and racism. Even the pool of right wing racists wouldn’t all be in support of monarchy because breaking up from the British monarchy is the fundamental core of why the US was created.
Excellent article from Omid, as always. He cuts right through the crap and gets to the heart of what Harry is about and what he’s doing. His clarity of writing highlights the unhinged hysteria of far inferior writers (British press.) Love reading him.
Agree with all of the above comments, and just want to add that what makes it extra-satisfying, IMO, is the fact that since H&M left, the BRF has been plagued with nothing but scandals, PR nightmares, and generally very poor headlines/press at the same time the Sussexes continue to keep winning at everything they do. (One exception being the Jubbly, which went…fine, but has already been totally forgotten.)
The BRF is a shitshow! Andrew, Charles and his shady money, the transparent “bullying” investigation, the Cambridges’ disastrous flop tour, the joke that was the “Magnificent Seven,” William only ever trending for negative reasons, the BRF being exposed to the entire world as racists, Kate using Sarah Everard’s vigil for PR, William being called “The Other Brother” on the cover of a magazine (I will never stop laughing at that), Sophie & Edward just sucking in general, criticisms of Kate’s parenting of both Louis and George, and again, a second mention of Andrew, because he’s the gift that keeps on giving, the Cambridges’ “choo-choo tour,” Commonwealth countries bailing like dominos, the findings of overspending and lack of diversity in the Sovereign Report, separation rumors about the Cambridges and Will’s cheating, H&M winning lawsuits left and right, Kate making a complete ass of herself on the world stage with Jill Biden (and then going down a slide at an official engagement, lol), William being accused of “poverty tourism,” even the fact that the BBC got a record-breaking number of complaints for running too much coverage of Philip in the days after his death!
And this is all *before* the next season of The Crown, Harry’s memoir, and “William Goes to Boston” which is sure to either be a flop, or, at best, ignored almost entirely by the media with the exception of the ROTA and the DM. (People magazine will probably be all over it, but they’ve lost any credibility they once had, so.)
Obviously I could go on and on (sorry Kaiser!!), but it’s SO FUNNY to me that they were all positively convinced that Harry and Meghan would fail without their “gold standard” PR, security, etc., and the exact opposite has happened. It’s so well-deserved 🥰
I love these scobie articles!
I think it’s really rattling the gilded cages with facts.
^^ Thumbs Up to Omid Scobie! 👍 I’m glad for Omid that he has found a way to transition into a middle ground where he can continue asserting his journalistic integrity, while also being more transparently honest about the toxic mess that is the BRF. Previously, Scobie has bent over backwards trying to walk a tightrope of deference to the institution, while fore-fronting royal fluff and staying largely away from controversies, with only occasional rebellion and tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. This Yahoo column is a much better way for Omid to filter more honesty and integrity into his royal reporting. Much better than the flaky royalty podcasts he formerly hosted.
I’ll even forgive Omid for the poorly written FF book. After all, it contains a few interesting truths, despite its many faults. The publisher is to blame for rushing its publication soon after Sussexit, when Omid and Durand were nowhere near finished with research and writing. The book’s title and focus also had to quickly change. Omid & Durand had begun work on the book in 2018, b/f anyone knew what would happen in 2020. I also don’t blame Omid for Knauf and KP attempting to use Omid & Durand and their book against the Sussexes via false leaks and underhandedness. M&H were not actually interested in a book being written about them. It was Knauf trying to push it on them for nefarious purposes. M&H never had any direct involvement with the book.
The subterfuge and vicious betrayals by the firm, KP and Knauf (Knife) become more crystal clear with every Lamebridge gaffe and misstep. Hallelujah!
If Harry and Meghan had settled into a home in Anywhere USA, making a living at regular jobs, raising their kids, loving each other and happily being private citizens out of the spotlight, they would be succeeding and winning at life out of the Firm. Even if they spent their weekends cleaning their one bathroom, making popcorn and painting each other’s toenails while the kids ran around.
The fact that they’ve made a home, built a life , and a family apparently filled with love and hope and happiness AND become philanthropists using their talents and status to help others, to try and bend the arc of human history towards justice, care, compassion makes that success all the much more. They were enormous lynchpin assets the entire BRF / Firm machine couldn’t and wouldn’t acknowledge or let thrive due to myopic bigotry and self-centered cruelty.
Whoops! You FAFO’d big time idiots. And the world is a better place for it.
The Sussexes didn’t need you to BE and succeed. You needed them.
Well said, N of B!
@NorthofBoston: “They were enormous lynchpin assets the entire BRF / Firm machine couldn’t and wouldn’t acknowledge or let thrive due to myopic bigotry and self-centered cruelty. Whoops!”
^^ 💯👏🤣😅😆
As Julia Roberts’ character said to the bigoted shopkeeper, in the famous film, Pretty Woman:
“BIG MISTAKE!! HUUUGE!!!” 🖕😜
@NorthofBoston you are so right. I think if H&M had gotten an apartment in noisy, busy, urban NYC, the Keens wouldn’t still be so triggered. They would say it is the same as living in KP. But M&H are living in paradise, regular sunshine, a pool, the ocean nearby, friendly chickens, a modern home with 16 bathrooms, and neighbors with Oprah and Orlando Bloom (how Kate would love to live down the street from Orlando Bloom so she could ride by on her bike and let her skirt blow up). Invictus was a media darling this year, then there was the never ending applause in Central Park for H&M, the UN speech, The Bench, the NYTimes DealBook interview to name just a few wins. Then the audacity of successfully sneaking in and out to see the Queen right under the FFK’s nose.
Things are just not going WRONG enough for the Sussexes like Burger King and Fries intended.
“how Kate would love to live down the street from Orlando Bloom so she could ride by on her bike and let her skirt blow up”
Thank you for that cackle!! Haha, that’s great! 😀
And, Harry and Meghan have achieved all this winning during a global pandemic, which is awfully impressive. With more freedom to move about the world (as we’ve seen with the Central Park event and the Invictus Games), their trajectory is steeply upward. When the book, docuseries and podcasts start to drop, salty heads will spin right off. Can’t wait.
^^ Woo hoo!!! 💯👍 Yessiree Bob! Tee hee and Whoop tee doo! 💃 Living well, while giving back and achieving one’s purpose and lofty, seemingly impossible goals, despite jealous haters and ancient institutions trying to take you down, is a huge flex. But that’s because M&H have sought grace, peace, and redemption. They’ve kept their eyes on the prize! And they always lift while they climb!!! Go on Duke and Duchess of Sussex! 🌟😍 #LoveWins! Keep on winning! 👏
So well said!
Well said! Any life outside of the royal bubble would be deemed a success. The fact they went above and beyond what many of us thought they could do is amazing stuff. So happy for them!
Excellent comment North of Boston.
They never really knew Harry at all, did they?
No they didn’t and they never tried to understand him either.
Worse than that, I think they painted him into such a caricature (to throw to the tabloids and protect William) and then started to believe it was the truth.
@ SarahCS
YESSSSS to this ->>>>>> “Worse than that, I think they painted him into such a caricature (to throw to the tabloids and protect William) and then started to believe it was the truth.”
I’ve been saying since they left that the smartest thing the RF did when Harry was young was to paint him as the “dumb brother.” We heard that lie way back after he was held back a year after his mother’s death. I agree. Those fools believed it. I suspect for a while there, Harry believed it too. Clearly, he doesn’t now.
I don’t think the courtiers try to understand any of them at all, frankly. They just want to put each and every member of the royal family in a narrow box based on their rank and station and that’s it. Putting Harry and Meghan aside for a moment, look at the history of this family. Nearly every crisis and story can somehow be traced to a “wayward” family member not staying in their plastic doll box. A family member wanting something more or different (whether good or bad). It’s an unworkable system.
Agree. The Firm is like the worst kind of government bureaucracy — overstaffed, inept, level after level of reporting structure, back-stabbing, each person doing a specific little role with no understanding of the big picture, and where independent thinking and original ideas are swiftly stamped out by the higher-ups.
They didn’t want to know Harry. It is easier to paint him as the rebellious and dumb spare because that’s easier than dealing with a complex person. Especially when they have to sell the first born who really isn’t that impressive.
They only knew and wanted to know 50% Harry. Now he is unleashed.
Not only did they never really know him, but they WILDLY underestimated him, and that is coming back to bite them in the ass in a big way.
BRF, men-in-grey, and rota leeches crying in their teacups:
“Boo hoo… Come back Harry, we barely knew ye.” 😭
ROFLMAO! 🤣🤣🤣🤣😝
You actually have to kind of see the aides’ reason for thinking this way though. Ed was unable to survive outside and had to be bought out of business failures. Andrew, Charles and Will make all kinds of missteps and wouldn’t be able to live without scandal outside. Would Peter or Zara even have made it without the money and royal connections behind them?
Harry is the only one who could survive outside the royal bubble.
Eugenie seems to be giving it a try. Hopefully she can also. She seems to have better sense than the others.
I think Eugene and Beatrice will be fine. I recall reading somewhere that Beatrice had fancied a diplomat type role in the Firm studying history, etc., but Chuck stepped hard on that with his skinny monarchy vision. Those girls seem to be way smarter than parents.
That’s because those royals you named are pretty lazy and embedded into the class system. Eddie, without any talent or skill thought his royal title was enough to magically make his little production company great. They’re delusional and lack a work ethic. That’s for the poors. They do nothing that requires actual skill and refuse to learn.
I think Lord Snowden confused them all, too. I think there might be assumption that some of these thing are simple or trifling to do, when Snowden was actually quite talented and worked at it.
Fair point. But none of them had Meghan–a fully formed private citizen with a record of hard work and philanthropy. Someone who wasn’t skating through life, but who busted her butt to achieve her goals and every penny she earned. None of them has had to struggle to put coins in their pockets. They’d appear whenever they were sufficiently obsequious to the Monarch. They are the British version of Trumps–all vying for the attention and affection of the one who holds the purse strings, trying to marry “well” so they could maintain a stranglehold on wealth, property, and power. Luckily, Harry had tendencies that bucked up against the patriarchy and misogynoir, and the first time he met Meghan, he saw a glimmer of a future that looked a bit like independence and freedom. The others’ eyes cannot see that light on the spectrum.
Sophie had a job pre-RF in PR so you would think that she could have helped Ed instead of having to be bought out of business failure also. Jack doesn’t seem afraid of working for a living so hopefully he and Eugenie will get out from under the RF.
And I think it also helped that Meghan was a fully formed private citizen *who was not British*.
She was completely outside the society that involved the royal family, so she never had the perception that members of the RF couldn’t leave.
In listening to Brits talking about the RF, it’s always this idea that it would be nice for them to leave The Firm, but “of course” they can’t.
It’s almost like a cult. “You can’t leave.” But Meghan was a part of this huge network that didn’t have that view at all, and was able to get them all out safely and securely and into a group of people who have the view that it doesn’t matter if you are in or out of the Royal Family.
Sophie’s company closed 1.5 million in debt, a debt she never paid back. So she wasn’t exactly an independent success and role model for Edward.
@equality, the difference between Duchess Meghan and Sophie is that Duchess Meghan knew her value; and she did not buy into the fairy tale princess nonsense of just living in a castle. Also, Sophie wasn’t financially as well to do as Duchess Meghan.
Harpervalleypta – Meghan played a role in this of incredible bravery and still does but let’s not discount that leaving was Harry’s idea, as he has said when pushing back on the term Megxit, and he was the one who made sure to get his wife and family out.
I think the not being British was a big difference here. Meghan didn’t grow up accepting that repressive class system and has motivation for self improvement. Just resting on who one is married to wouldn’t be in her vocabulary. She never sought out to be a part of that family like Sophie and kate did.
^^ Yes exactly everybody! 💯 ☑️
@Equality: “Sophie had a job pre-RF in PR so you would think that she could have helped Ed instead of having to be bought out of business failure…”
Let me add to what other CBers have said:
It’s one thing to have entitlement and hereditary wealth along with titles and empty status. It’s also one thing to be relatively smart, or to even have amazing book sense and job experience. The key is whether or not you have common sense and mother wit.
More crucial is having the best of these assets along with rare charisma, kindness, hard work ethic and courageous ideals. It becomes magic when you have all of this and you fall in love with a beautiful soulmate who has every gift under the sun, and whose eyes caress you in such a way, it makes you feel as if you hung the moon! With all of your own strengths, and with someone of that caliber by your side, via God’s grace, everything is possible. 🌟 BRF ‘coulda had a bad b!’ Too late now.
I can see that perspective, equality, but what really stands out to me is that no one — either in the family or in the Firm — seems to have stepped up to ask what most families and healthy organizations do: How can we support you while you try?
Harry isn’t Edward, Peter, Zara, or Andrew. So, while it’s understandable to look to the experiences of others, it’s also a pretty normal thing to recognize and applaud individuality and unique strengths, skills, and talents for each separate person as they make their way. What’s startling —and very very sad — is that it doesn’t seem that anyone really looked at Harry as an individual after Diana died. He really was treated as “the spare”, in a family and a Firm that not only watched other spares flounder, often miserably, but expected it — and possibly even benefited from the comparisons and the lack of competition.
@blithe
The double whammy of Charles and William has meant no one is going to support them while they try and are in reality threatened by their success. It’s very sad for Harry to be abandoned by his father and brother who only wish him ill will and failure
Not just “wish him” ill will and failure, but actively try to contribute to his failure. Because they are petty and jealous. They cannot admit to ever being wrong about anything, so Harry HAS to fail no matter what William and Charles have to do to make that happen. And they cannot bear to think Harry is more successful and popular (outside of England) than they are, and succeeded where they themselves fail.
^^ @MrsKrabapple, perhaps Charles and William are this weak, limited in their thinking, and petty toward Harry because C&W’s lives have been so completely corrupted and compromised. They have long since swallowed the royal cult’s kool-aid, and so like Harry said, they are both “trapped” within and by the institution’s corrupt systems of greed, graft, and silent contracts.
Charles and William seemingly know nothing other than to adhere to how things have always been done inside the creaky old palaces. There’s so much that’s been covered up throughout centuries and in recent decades that they are both bound by the dirty, rusted chains. Plus, through their own selfish actions and inactions, they are hopelessly ‘hoist by their own petard.’
That’s the thing, Peter and Zara plus family STILL live with their mother.
To be fair, Peter and Zara and their families live in private homes on their mother’s estate, Gatcombe Park, as they do not qualify for RPO security. The estate is some 700 acres so it’s not like they’re all living together in Anne’s home.
Peter lives at the main house when he isn’t breaking COVID rules to visit his married side piece. Autumn and the kids live in a smaller house Zara occupied years ago. Zara and her family now live at the attached house/estate that was purchased as part of Mark’s divorce agreement. Once Zara wanted it to start a family, Mark was removed.
Peter and Zara live there for several reasons. 1) security they don’t get as extended members of the family 2) free 3) it helps them inherit the whole estate without paying any taxes. That’s why the original Gatcombe Horse Trials closed a few years ago. It reopened as a new event under the auspices of Zara’s paid Millions gig. If they can prove they’re the ‘estate managers’ long enough instead of Anne or Tim, they get to inherit without paying a penny when Anne dies.
If you’re under -educated, not acquainted with having to really work for anything and you come from a place of entitlement, you will fail. They don’t have “real” friends and if you marry someone who doesn’t have any get up and go, if you leave , you will fail. Meghan wasn’t afraid to leave because she could just go back to her life and take him with her. They had nothing to fear by leaving. I think Eugenie is using their model and since she really wasn’t getting anything anyway, she can do that somewhere else.
Mel. I totally agree. Neither were worried about where they would land when they left the RF. Meghan was comfortable in her life and with her status before she married into the family. Harry has always said he was happiest when he was in the army with his brothers leading a normal life. They would be perfectly happy together with their children in a middle-class home. The only worry they had was about security. With the death threats and the RR not leaving them alone, security is a real concern. To take care of that, they needed money. FK Charles could have easily taken care of security. But that was the lure to try and get him back.
In came Tyler Perry with the security they needed and if not him, someone else suggested they try the streaming services and the rest is history.
They didn’t have a Meghan at their side.
Harry has always had the charisma, likeability and approachableness to be accepted and guided into anything he chose to do. Which is why the Queen has continued a relationship with him and even kept information from her courtiers… he just has that it factor that all of them lack, but Diana had in abundance. I don’t know the word for it, but it has to do with winning people’s allegiance.
And the royal family has been bitter about it since that first deal was announced. Meghan and Harry will not ever have to worry about money. Their kids are set.
Also I love Omids articles and I’m glad they are gaining more traction on social media. These kind of articles deserve more attention than those from Dan W or Piss M
Oh Harry has his own podcast coming out too? This is the first time we’re hearing of this, right?
And yeah I remember when they announced they would work towards financial independence, some people (even here but I don’t remember if they were/are regular posters) mocked them for it but 2.5 years later, they have achieved it and haven’t gone the “take money from a pedophile/other shady people route” as Omid points out. They’ve achieved a lot in that time frame while having a country’s media and political/government infrastructure against them.
It’s even more impressive how quickly they’ve done it in the midst of a global pandemic, a toddler, and a pregnancy/new baby. I have been so impressed by both Harry and Meghan.
I really enjoy Omids articles with Yahoo. They are a breath of fresh air.
I also think Harry’s book will release in the fall and will be announced a few weeks before its release date. I am also excited for Harry’s podcast as well.
I’m really proud of Harry and for all that he has accomplished in his life. He was WAY too good for that family.
I hope the book is publoshed weeks in advance only in the US. Will make it more difficult for the British Media.
@Ginger, the best part of Omid’s pieces are that they don’t come across as biased and unhinged like Wooton and some of the others— he just calmly lays out the facts, and the facts are so damning that he really doesn’t need to embellish anything or editorialize much. The facts speak for themselves. It’s great.
^^ Yep, and Meg’s Archetypes podcast should be launching soon 🤞 Hopefully around her birthday in early August!!!
it’s clear now the publisher is purposely keeping it off the lists and it’s going to be a surprise drop. they don’t want to deal with months of oppo dump from the palaces
Exactly.
I was at dinner last night with a man from the UK, apparently liberal according to my husband, and he went on a ten minute thesis about why “everyone” in the UK hates Meghan because “the royal family is actually quite poor and she thought they were rich and wanted money. We can’t stand her and don’t want her to come back.”
It was a business dinner but I still said I was so happy she got out of there and is living her best life away from racist white British people. Maybe it’s because he was Boomer age—that age range seems to hate her especially.
I’ve said here before every English person I know, both liberal and conservative, hate her and now Harry too. They mostly don’t read the Fail but can trot our all the talking points. The media hatchet job is working.
AND ?????
Only in England, and only with a certain type of Brit.. let’s be real, the people who hate her, hate her because she refused to participate in the class system. That class system is safe to them. See it keeps the dimwitted wealthy aristocracy in power and promotes white supremacy and gives even the poorest a group to look down upon. Her showing how useless and ignorant and weak the “upper class” truly are. That destroys their sense of self. How dare a Black woman from America not bow to her betters and know her place!? That is their problem. They need non-whites to stay in their designated places otherwise the whites will have to compete, and they can’t. Of the royals, Meghan was the only one fluent in another language. She’s better read and more intelligent and it was obvious. That means that those elites are actually not elite and offer nothing.
I think that says more about every English person you know, both liberal and conservative than anything. Yup, I think it says a great deal about English people that they “hate her,” a woman who has worked for a living, worked for charitable organizations, hasn’t assaulted teenagers, taken money from despots, oppressed whole countries and stolen their lands. Perhaps if Meghan had flashed people on the job, or made some biased statements about people different from her? Thanks for confirming what the BM seemed to be saying about the British these past 5 years.
@KFG Oh, I dunno, I think the U.S. has all of that, too. A privileged upper class, and a low-information working class, struggling and angry, that really believes having money is a type of divinity. Of course, in the U.S.’s case, it’s slid into overt fascism — convincing the working class they’re “undiscovered billionaires” and that it’s the [name any group here] that is “stealing” their slice of pie. I agree that the UK’s class and titling system is dopey and culty from way over here, but it’s also true that they’ve merely formalized what we already do in the good ol’ USA
Anti blackness is universal no matter the politics. See Amy Cooper.
And the British press hammer H&M constantly across all types of media every day so if you ingest any of it, you would have to work really not to be swayed by the propaganda. Most Brits I know are getting tired of the anti Meghan agenda though & in fact of the royals altogether because of the constant drama being played out in the media
Debbie, I agree. It’s not ‘every English person’ but those I know. It really shocked me tbh. I did try to show them the truth but that makes things worse not better. And I know others (not English) who follow royals and same. Most of them don’t read the Fail, 1 is very liberal, but she knows all the Fail talking points anyway because it reaches other media like the guardian and the BBC. I stopped following the guardian because of the rubbish they print.
Debbie unfortunately also it’s because I’m a certain age, this is what happens. And I think more people my age still believe the media rather than question it. From my experience only not a blanket statement of all people. It’s like the heard /Depp saga, I only know one person other than me who supports her. Out of all the women I know.
@Melissa: “… at dinner a man from the U.K. [said] … ‘Meghan thought the royal family were rich and wanted money. We can’t stand her and don’t want her to come back…'”
Wow @Melissa. Thanks for sharing your experience with this Salty Isle hater. He’s obviously delusional and projecting the party line viewpoint. They are all bound up in chains and hoist by the petard of thousands of years of colonialist aggression, exploitation, class structure snobbery, systemic racism and abuse, which is haunting them. Their karma has come knocking and refuses to be ignored.
@Jenn: ” I agree that the UK’s class and titling system is dopey and culty from way over here, but it’s also true that they’ve merely formalized what we already do in the good ol’ USA.”
But Jenn, the fact is, it’s the British who brought these attitudes and modes of thinking to America in the first place! It didn’t happen here independently. And it wasn’t created here before it was birthed there.
That figures. I saw some depressing numbers yesterday showing that while the majority of the general population believe the climate crisis should be a priority for the government, it’s way down the list amongst the tory party members (majority male and over 65) who will actually pick our next prime minister because they won’t be here when things are totally haywire and they don’t care about the rest of us.
Wow. With the town literally burning down around them they don’t see it as important? Sounds like Republicans in the US.
@KFG: “… the people who hate [Meghan] hate her because she refused to participate in the class system. That class system is safe to them. See it keeps the dimwitted wealthy aristocracy in power and promotes white supremacy…”
Actually @KFG, it’s not that M refused to participate in the class system. That’s anathema to her and their ingrained, racist attitudes is not what she was expecting. They wanted her to kowtow and allow them to break her. They never wanted her even breaching their inner circle! Meghan upended and toppled the ancient British class system simply by existing, falling in love with a British royal Prince and entering the institution confident and proud with her head held high, expecting to do good work, and believing the conniving, underhanded handlers when they lied to her by saying they would protect her. The opposite is what happened.
For excellent essays on this astute line of thought, read R.S. Suitor on Medium. She’s brilliant.
Well just to balance this out I know a few people from the UK and only 1 believes the daily fail lies. She’s over 50. The ones that like her say they never heard a bad word about Harry and Meghan in their friend groups. They are all under 35.
But considering how the media operates there I’m not surprised because there’s so much hate from those trying to protect the monarchy.
Even Tom Bradby said initially that public opinion in the UK wouldn’t be as favorable for Harry and Meghan.
It is shocking how much of the U.K. have bought into the lie that the RF is poor. It’s peddled so no one questions them getting millions from taxpayers while having millions of private money. It’s easy to see how Meghan got vilified because it helps to cement the idea supporting the RF is necessary over hmmm maybe lifting millions of children out of food poverty?
It’s also surprising how many liberal/labour supporters have zero/minimal exposure to people of colour and don’t even notice their bias to the idea that “others” are the problem behind much of the UKs problems. Too many places have been very very white for too long and the racism is so subversive they just insist it doesn’t exist while coming up with pretty racist nicknames for various cultures living here.
More than that, I’d be okay with being cash poor if my lodging, food, travel expenses, etc. were all paid by somebody else and all I had to do was bring “smiles”.
Anyone that thinks the Royal Family is POOR is a FOOL anyway😀
I think the BRF use formality to conceal the fact that they’re all unsophisticated, layabouts, and genuinely tacky, but poor?? lol. They’re actually very good at sponging up people’s money. They have JEWELS, for godssake
That doesn’t even make sense. If she wanted money, why wouldn’t she just stay and put up with them? Also how are they poor? They have multiple homes, wear clothes and jewelry worth thousands of dollars on a daily basis and travel by helicopter for 2hr car rides. That’s not something “poor” people do. Do people listen to the mess they say before it comes our of their mouth?
Exactly! If she was moneygrubbing, she would have stayed and waved. She is used to doing her own “thing”. Speak out on social needs, and actually lending a hand. (Water wells in Africa, USO tours and prepping food in Uvalde). Quitting would have been antithetical if she wanted a cushy life.
Your English friends sound like… something. It takes some nerve to say “We don’t want her to come back” about a person who got the hell out of a God-forsaken country and is living her best life in her own country. I highly doubt Meghan wants back into a viper’s nest. Meanwhile, William and Kate (much like Scamantha) have continued following Meghan’s actions on the news and even announced their intentions of following her to America. It’s ironic.
I want to know exactly how much money Diana left to Harry alone, is it in the high double figures and I am guessing he didnt tough it all those years so more than enough to begin a life any where!
He said in the Oprah interview that they relied on that money as soon as Charles cut their security off. If it wasn’t for the money Diana left him, he doesn’t know what they would have done. Then Spike Lee stepped up and offered them a safe place to stay while they put the piecer together for their new life.
It was Tyler Perry not Spike Lee.
Thanks Cee,i remember him saying that, I am kinda nosy and curious to know how much it was, also factoring the interests it gathered up until the point he had no choice but to spend it.
@CEE spike Lee? Lol where did they come from haha.
It was Tyler Perry
LOL I had just read an article on Spike Lee and got my wires crossed.
@noki
I often try to figure it out. From what I’ve read, in 1997 it was the equivalent of $13 million. I also believe he never touched it. So, 23 years of interest and wise investing could have tripled the amount in value. But I’m not a numbers person.
There were rules against William or Harry touching their inheritance until they were a certain age. iirc originally it was 25 but then upped it to half at 30 and half (maybe) at 40. The executors of the will made lots of changes after her death. There was talk Harry inherited Diana’s portion of her father’s estate but nothing has been proven about that. Both William and Harry had to pay inheritance tax on the funds.
That was why the timing of the Midds new home was suspected as being funded (full or partially) by William, because it came after he inherited his first money. They were found to have two foreign-held mortgages on the previous home. Given that, they couldn’t afford to buy Midd Manor 2.0. Looks more and more like Kate’s post-nup.
I believe it was somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10 million pounds, but he also had money left to him by the Queen Mum and I believe that was around 8 or 9 million. Meghan had about $5 million so between the two of them they were able to finance their escape.
Harry’s spokesperson confirmed in 2021 that he did not receive any money from the Queen Mum. It’s one of those things that is always “believed” (that she set up trusts for the great-grandkids) but at least for Harry, she did not. Now maybe its possible he hasn’t been able to access the money yet (maybe when he turns 40 or somethin) but as of 2021, nothing.
But for Diana’s money, I had also heard 10 million pounds each, but my source for that is VH1’s “The Fabulous Lives of Prince William and Prince Harry.”
I read that the Queen Mum’s inheritance isn’t accessible until they turn 40.
And Diana’s wasn’t accessible until they turned 30.
@Snuttles Then PW should be able to access this year. Maybe he will buy K her own house.
@Becks, TBH I’m way more likely to trust VH1’s “The Fabulous Lives of Prince William and Prince Harry” as a reliable source than anything spouted by the British media 😂
LOL, word, Lorelei!
Becks
Harry definitely got more and someone above said 13 mill which rings familiar to me. Harry got more with reasons given he is the spare. The heir needs less because he is set for life. The spares will always struggle.
In Diana’s official will, available online, Harry and William received equal parts. The executors messed with other things, but I doubt they changed the 50/50 portion. The Guardian article about the Queen Mum’s will stated she left more to Harry than William, but as others have written, it might have age limits on it.
I posted something earlier but it must have disappeared in the internethers. According to a Forbes article, William and Harry each inherited 10 million pounds from Diana. Forbes also wrote that a representative for Harry said he did not receive anything from the Queen Mother. A May 17, 2002 statement on the royal UK site stated that everything went to QE2(which amounted to the contents of her personal belongings in her home/s) except for some things she left to staff. The distribution of properties was discussed too. Smithsonian has a video that talks about the Queen Mum being 8 mil in debt when she died. The old crow basically spent every pound that came into her claws-plus.
Now all of that could be a lie and the palace lawyers for the QM changed some things so Harry (William too maybe?) didn’t receive anything. A significant part of the Firm’s control involvles $$$$$$$. They couldn’t do that with Diana’s will. I believe her lawyer was outside of the palaces. Harry’s never mentioned receiving an inheritance from the QM, only his mother’s that helped him/them.
@Agreatreckoning – the Smithsonian video sounds interesting, and curious. But just to throw out another data point, here’s an article from 2020 in Town and Country. General topic is TQ’s tax breaks, and especially the exemption from estate taxes. It says the QM left her entire estate to TQ, the one person who could inherit it tax free – and the estimated value of that estate was $75 million. Notes she had a fabulous collection of paintings, one of which was valued at $10 million.
The most important point – assuming the $75 million is correct, TQ would have saved $30 million in death duties. How nice for her.
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a34242784/queen-elizabeth-royal-family-tax-breaks/
As far as the money Diana left, the amount would have increased over time via careful investments managed by money managers and held in trust till they reached the designated ages.
BTW, Meg continues to receive royalties for her previous acting work. Probably nice padding for them, but not enough alone for the demands of their lifestyle and security needs.
Jaded has it right. I googled their estimated worth earlier today when I was replying to Lila, and he inherited 10 million (dollars? pounds?) from his mother, much of which financed their intercontinental move. It sounds like a lot, but it isn’t the kind of dough I think people imagine he has — and in California it isn’t a lot at all.
I received an inheritance that made me very sad, but when I met my husband I was all too happy to turn that stashed money into a mortgage. I’m sure Harry was finally able to take some joy in that money (rather than shame and turmoil), resolute in the belief that, with it, he was doing what his mother would have wanted for him.
But if that was 10 mil at the time of her death and he wasn’t using any of it there is no telling what the amount was if invested well.
Wow, Harry succeeded without consorting with paedos, sex traffickers, despots, gun smugglers etc…
You won’t be seeing Harry with cash donations in Fortnum and Mason bags 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I find it hilarious that the arguments against Harry seeking independence was a fear that he would take money from shady people. That’s what the members of the BRF routinely do, even when they are within the royal fold.
It’s hilarious how the British royals are always telling on themselves. They are guilty of everything they try to project on Harry.
And it’s CHARLES doing it! Charles, the future monarch and duke of lancaster! Charles, the current duke of cornwall! He has the most money out of the royals besides the Queen and HE’S the one accepting cash in suitcases!
Imagine what the other ones are up to, that just doesn’t get reported.
I suspect that “fear of taking money from shady sources” may have been used as a convenient excuse in Harry’s case because they didn’t him to leave, but from what I’ve observed taking money from shady or downright criminal people is the regular way the BRF does business, it’s not even a scandal when it happens. So, who are they fooling?
“royalty is just like any other inept, stagnant family-run business”
lolz
I feel like people always underestimate “emotional” people aka Those who show their feelings. Even as a royal and when he tried to hide it, you could sense his feelings. Some People See us as “unprofessional.” But showing our true selves builds a bond to others. I was seen as “unprofessional” at my bank job because I told the boss how I felt about things and wasn’t a yes woman. But my customers loved me because they saw I was genuine. I feel the same is true about Harry. He’s so popular because he’s genuine. The Royals didn’t get that. But Americans do. And love him. Good for Harry, he showed them!
@JoannaO, I totally agree! It was the same with Diana. They just never learn.
This is so true and well said. I am similar and have experienced this time and again. Also found I got labeled as “stupid” as well, since I was open about when I didn’t know something or would ask questions. A boss once told me to act like I knew things instead of asking questions because of this! Harry also was labelled as dumb.
Omid is on a roll with his new column! I’m loving it! Keep ‘em coming!
And we all called it. No one thought Harry would be able to survive outside the royal system because no one else has been able to. But the others didn’t marry a bad ass, self made American who knew how to exist outside of those royal walls.
That’s why they continue to lose their shit daily over the Netflix deal because it was the first deal that they signed that signaled Harry could make it on his own without them.
Loving all the tid bits about Harry’s book being ready (and passing legal checks), his own Spotify show after Meghan, etc.
I loved that line in the article. Forget suing Harry, legal approved everything.
Yes!!! It’s not going out on a limb either to say it was a bit of shade to a certain other book that didn’t go through a legal or fact checking process.
They really did think he’d come running back to them.
I can’t wait until his book becomes a best seller, they’ll be so mad.
Omid is the best. I’m glad he’s got a bigger platform to report the facts.
I can see why the royal powers that be wanted the Sussexes to fail because if one of their own – the son of a future king (not just a minor royal) – can succeed without any support or trappings of the “family”…then why is a monarchy even needed?! This is just more proof that it’s an outdated institution that isn’t worth the millions and millions of pounds they receive for their “engagements.” The return on investment is a lie. The “impossible to survive without all of this” is a lie. The whole system is a lie.
I don’t understand why they think the ‘son of a King’ would fail at anything with the world at his fingertips. Why wouldn’t they automatically expect success from royalty?
LadyD, their idea of success means succeeding within their awful class-restricted bubble. Their whole idea of monarchy is anathema to working your way up using your talents. Harry can’t succeed because that is not The Firm’s notion of success.
Depends on the royal family, Lady D. As ArtHistorian has pointed out before, the Windsors failed to prepare the spares for the position OR for the world outside.
The Dutch royals did okay, the Spanish royals failed. The Norwegian royals have a spare marrying a charlatan who claims he can ‘purify’ the vaginas of women who have had ‘too many sex partners’ by getting handsy with their private parts. Oh and he claims children with cancer deserve/earned it.
Sweden? Madeleine’s doing okay, CP and Porn Wife are still clinging hard to taxpayer funding. I’ve given up trying to understand what Joachim of Denmark is thinking, but at least he was handed a massive private farm with which to support himself years ago. Luxembourg? The closest spare was married off to a billionaire’s daughter. Handed a winery in France by her family while they live off her Daddy’s money in Geneva. The other three Lux spares are messes or unknowns.
@SussexWatcher, Harry’s success is such a threat to their entire existence, and they are SHOOK
It is still amazing how the Royal Family let petty jealousy get in the way of harnessing Diana’s potential and Meghan and Harry’s. They continually shoot themselves in the foot. No one is allowed to be more popular than the heir or the heir to the heir. Look at Sophie & Edward sucking up to William and Kate so they can continue living in their 100-room mansion. And instead, they protect the bullying pedo Prince Andrew rather than the 6th in line and his biracial American wife. Beatrice and Eugenie should be grateful that they are not working royals. They get invited to all the events but can live free of petty jealousies.
The one year review was imposed on Harry because the Royal Family didn’t believe that he could make it on his own. They thought that he would come running back to the UK after a few months. I’m glad he was able to prove them wrong and that he is thriving.
^^ Yep @Amy Bee. But don’t forget how hard the BRF has instigated against them! It’s obvious how the corrupt palace operatives continue to connive and gaslight in their efforts to attack and try to destroy M&H. The BRF has tried to effectuate M&H failing. In the process, they’re only succeeding in bringing about the monarchy’s and Salty Isle’s own downfall!
They absolutely underestimated Harry, lol. So fun to see them all confronted with the fact that Harry not only has charisma, he has integrity.
You know that’s probably why Richard E has always tried to spin any business Harry and Meghan is involved in into something shady. Of course none of it has worked or gained traction outside of his daily fail bubble.
They just don’t can’t comprehend royals not being involved in nefarious activity that they can use to control them.
I love 2022 Omid – the Greek chorus to this ridiculous opera.
I want to know why people thought he wouldn’t make it. He thrived in the military. He picked a career woman. He never loved the life he was living. He was just WAITING to get out and let’s be honest, the “real” world is a lot easier to navigate if you have starting money. He’s not working at Starbucks.
I’m thinking it’s willful blindness. They believed their own spin about Harry being a silly wildchild who needed to be managed with constant discipline. They never paid attention to the connections he made, how professionally he conducted himself as they sent him out as a royal diplomat, or truly took note of how well he was received not only by other diplomats but by local populations. So, I’m guessing that’s why his current success is such a shock to them.
The BRF, the Firm, and RRs all had their heads buried deep in the sand. Anyone with a brain could see Prince Harry was welcome by diplomats and the local population of countries he visited not just because he was a prince but because people connected with him as a humble human being.
It’s a shock to their entire system. They will be locking up George and his siblings to try to contain it, but they will see what Uncle Harry did and want that kind of life for themselves.
It’s projection – they didn’t think Harry could make it because they know they couldn’t make it. And it’s also prior experience – has there ever been a senior royal who has gone out completely on his own with no support from the RF?
They probably *had* to convince themselves that Harry would fail, because they’d be exposed as useless frauds if he succeeded.
The thing is that nothing is possible within the monarchy. The “all this” that senior aide was pointing to is actually a kind of reality show with specific parameters the actors have to follow. The RF would never have been able to harness Diana’s potential, or Harry’s or Meghan’s, because real action isn’t part of the script.
Yep, because TF is solely about self-perpetuation, not actually doing anything or rocking the boat.
@Eurydice, you are so right and I’m glad someone has finally pointed out that there is no way the Firm woud have found a way “to harness Diana’s potential, or Harry’s or Meghan’s, because real action isn’t part of the script.”
They are so outdated in the way they think and manage The Firm that any change or challenge to the status quo is snuffed out as quickly as possible to preserve their antiquated way of operating. It may also be what allows the men in grey to preserve their authority as they are the zealous guardians of protocols.
Looking back – and maybe Robert Lacey said something like this – Meghan was never going to be allowed to fit into that family and thrive in any way at all. She and Harry were SO SMART to get away when they did. They’ve been slagged for taking off to America without giving it more effort, but nothing was going to improve – and in fact was getting worse – but they stayed long enough for judicious observers to see the intolerable, abusive and non-stop hostility directed so unfairly at them.
I was initially saddened that they would likely be scoffed at by the BM and therefore many Brits, for living a modest lifestyle cause it would be compared non-stop to the trappings Harry left behind, but lo and behold, there he was playing the polo every weekend, being welcomed at and hosting global events, garnering international headlines whenever one or both appear and living a beautiful, comfortable and luxurious life in a wealthy and exclusive enclave full of celebrities and top business leaders.
I almost feel like others who were in a position to help them, would have wanted to steer them in the right directions and help them succeed because it was so obvious about the hatchet job they had done on Meghan. And with M&H’s charisma and networking skills, it happened that nobody is scoffing at them, and instead, M&H’s fans are experiencing the satisfaction of some schadenfreude.
Mark Cuban famously predicted that Harry and Meghan will easily be billionaires within 10 years of leaving the RF. With the way they’re going, it might even happen sooner than that . . . .
^^ Actually, @Dianna, it has been noted on CB more than a few times that while the BRF failed to harness the value of what Diana and Meghan had to offer, it was never going to be in the cards anyway. Neither Meghan nor Diana could ever viably have existed as themselves within the toxic British royal family. In both cases, their being able to fit in as valued assets was never meant to be. In unique ways, they both changed the monarchy forever. But all of this has been mentioned here previously, not just ‘finally’ now by @Eurydice.
In all the articles I’ve read about Harry, his early start with Diana and later the benign neglect (for not being the heir apparent ) those situations helped him forge a better life. Prince Harry having a cheeky and engaging personality was an added asset. Sometimes a child left to their own devices/pursuits builds a better adult for adversity and success.
What’s funny is, they actually, though inadvertently, trained Harry to be successful on the outside. Will didn’t want to work, so Harry was sent out. He’s said it himself – TPTB would need someone, somewhere, and would say, “Harry, you go” to the point where he said he was pretty much burned out. But because of it he acquired the skills, the contacts, and the experience that, in addition to his engaging personality and willingness to work hard, is a big factor enabling him to be successful, and so quickly, once he finally had the opportunity (and the support of someone who really cared about him).
Will on the other hand wasted all those years. He had the same learning opportunities, even courses set up specifically for him that he blew off. He FA, and now that he cares about how he looks compared to Harry, is FO that no amount of PR and fancy sounding initiatives will make up for having real knowledge, experience, and all that time he wasted.
Good points all around.
Wasn’t it Gayle King who said that Harry was so well-connected and people really had no idea? All those years they were sending him around England and the world bc William was too lazy to do it and he was just networking networking networking.
@windyriver
And apparently he learned their limits because he set up his own projects outside the Firm’s infrastructure. Either they wouldn’t support him or he didn’t trust them but the result is those projects are his and he learned a lot through building them. The Firm and family have really failed William too it’s so obvious now.
The RF and The Firm thought Prince Harry tolerating their manipulations for so many years meant he will always acquiesce and sacrifices himself for the crown.
PH also got called out on things and learned better and apologized. Something nobody else in his family seems capable of doing.
@WindyRiver, this is such a great point. They really shot themselves in the foot, with no idea what they were doing. Seeing the results of it is so enjoyable
^^ Oh for sure @Petra. That’s def the case. I’ve always seen that. The BRF and firm operatives thought that Harry’s kindness and accommodation meant that he would always go along with being the used, abused, and scapegoated spare. Meghan’s love, encouragement, support and belief in Harry probably opened his eyes even more to how badly he’s been treated. Another case in point: Chuck & Co, and likely even the Queen expected Meghan and Harry to merely tolerate the smear campaign and to remain miserable with a stiff, upper lip. NOT!
I agree re Harry’s natural ability to network. Meghan has that networking talent too. As their mutual friends recognized, they are alike in many ways. Two charismatic networkers with work ethic, ambition, and hearts of gold. That’s straight-up a winning combo. Fairy dust magic for sure. But let’s not forget how much undeserved stress, pain, and heartache they have endured. Let’s remember just how much tenacity, courage, grace, and hope it took for them to flee the gilded cage!
I am curious–who is advising the Prince (besides Meghan, of course) on his public facing strategy? He has done such an amazing job of mixing philanthropic, commercial, quite serious, and lol funny. He has curated such a fantastic image. I’m sure it a reflection of who he is, but there has not been one misstep. Harry has always enjoyed a positive image, but now he enjoys public respect (from most all but the looney-tunes). It is a case study and I’m wondering who is behind the scenes helping to shape it?
@Nancy
I’m also curious. I suspect they have been getting advice from multiple people from a variety of different sectors and ultimately came up with their own game plan.
I remain incredibly impressed and inspired.
Me too
I thought he and Meghan signed with Sunshine Sachs?
Don’t they do PR along with management.
^^ Meg was already signed with p.r. firm, Sunshine Sachs, before she met Harry. I think many of M&H’s current business advisors are with a separate business firm Meghan continued to retain after her marriage. They were still handling her finances and business interests. She was smart not to drop them like the royals probably wanted and expected.
The attorneys they have were surely scouted and brought on amidst their Sussexit move and the lawsuits launched against BM tabloid operatives.
We know that one of Harry’s mentors is David Foster. As well, his youthful mentor and father figure, Mark Dyer (also a ginger), was the person who advised and facilitated Harry going to Botswana for his gap year, after he’d had some rough run-ins with paps outside nightclubs plastered all over the tabloids.
Botswana was the second time Harry experienced healing in Africa. That second time at the age of 18, he fortuitously met Prince Seeiso and the children orphaned by HIV. Harry grew exponentially, and he began to realize that he could use his burdensome princely status to help others, and to further his mother’s legacy. Tom Bradby subsequently made his first documentaries about Harry in southern Africa. The rest is history.
I’m sure M&H both have important friends and advisers they rely on, in addition to attorneys and business managers. We recently learned that Mellody Hobson is a new mentor to Meghan. They were introduced by mutual friends. Gloria Steinem is surely now one of Meg’s good friends and mentors. Hillary Clinton as well. Also, Markus Anderson of Soho House, who met Meg circa 2012, is a close confidante, dear friend and adviser. She apparently cherishes him as an older brother. Meg used to document their great times together on her former Instagram.
This just confirms my belief that the royal family has an exaggerated sense of their importance in the world and fails to realize the walls are crumbling around them. Or maybe they do have a sense of impending doom and this is why they need to shift the public attention to Meghan and Harry to avoid intense scrutiny toward themselves. William and especially Kate have a very elitist, elevated opinion of their importance and are scrambling to stay relevant in a world that just doesn’t give a rip about the monarchy. Best wishes to this new generation who are trying and succeeding to build lives apart from ” the firm” .
The conservative sections of UK society still haven’t gotten over that they aren’t an empire anymore – hence the inflated sense of importance.
If the BRF is poor how were the quern and Charles able to put up the $12 million for Andrew to settle the sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre? That would mean the British taxpayer foot the bill.
Good point.
At one time the queen was said to be the richest woman in the world. Then she learned to hide the wealth. If anyone believes they are poor, I guess a sucker really is born everyday.
And wasn’t it exposed that she has money stashed offshore? In the Panama Papers?
In any case, the idea that anyone in that family is “poor” is ludicrous and idk how anyone with even one functioning brain cell could believe it.
The palace courtiers and staff have to keep the royal family believing they are 100% necessary as for the crown to continue. They have no other role or standing in life. They are leaches on the rf who have convinced the rf it will die without them. They have no option but to try and convince everyone that Harry is not successful, prosperous, happy or healthy in his new life in order to keep up the charade.
@Lizzie, exactly— they need to stay in a state of denial. Or else they’d all be having existential crises!
These people live in such a bubble, they can’t believe life exists outside of it.
I was thinking about just now and it finally clicked.
If you’re a member of the royal family and chose to leave (whether it’d be voluntarily or through divorce) you’re supposed to remain quiet. You’re not supposed to thrive AND tell your story. We see this with Diana and H&M. Yet we don’t see this with Fergie. She told her story numerous of times to anyone who would bother to listen. She’s written books, capitalized off her royal connections yet the Firm did not wage a whole smear campaign on her like they did with Diana and now H&M. It’s because they don’t see her as a threat. She’s gotten in financial troubles, legal troubles and isn’t thriving like Diana did in her short lived freedom after divorcing Charles. As long as Harry & Meghan continue to thrive and tell their story, the royal family will always have something to complain about. That’s why they didn’t expect Harry and Meghan to succeed. And I truly think they’re planning something unfortunate for Harry & Meghan so that they can set out their final plans of rewriting H&M’s experiences. Whether it’s through their media buddies encouraging lunatics to physically attack them or an unfortunate accident in the absence of their security. God please be with Harry, Meghan, Doria, and their children
Plus, Fergie never really left? I mean, she walked out the door because she was ordered to, but she is very much still just outside with her face pressed against the window, making puppydog eyes at them and hoping they’ll let her back in.
We all called it here. They completely underestimated Harry. But HE wasn’t the one made to completely rely on the institution, W was. H served in the military and was basically sent all over the world on tours to other countries. Of course he picked up diplomacy skills. When it was just the 3 of them in the RF, he obviously had custody of the brain. He set up success initiatives that that ended up being independent foundations! Yeah, they underestimated him. And Meghan? Forget it. They didn’t know her and didn’t bother. Worked out well for H&M tho.
LOL “he obviously had custody of the brain.” Perfect. No notes.
“These violent delights have violent ends.” Nothing more satisfying than watching true leadership emerge from those who’ve been harmed.
I’m having one of those moments where I wish Diana was alive to make Kate look like a power/attention/money-hungry dope and drink tea with Meghan all day.
Granted, if she was still around I doubt William would have married Kate.
Diana & Meghan together irl would be doing something a lot more interesting & useful than sitting around drinking tea.
Scobie has made some very good points. Harry, with Meghan, is really trying to build a legacy, very separate from what he did as a working royal. When you look at the last 2 years, the Sussexes have built a lot and still building and exploring. Also won a few lawsuits against the tabloids. They have had setbacks like the miscarriage, Meghan’s animation project being cancelled, and of course the ongoing targeted harassment from both the firm and M’s father. It seems that since Invictus and the Jubilee appearance, there is growing anger and hysteria again about them again. They weee unbowed, and can handle their business. The way they are going in right now since Harry’s UN speech and trying so hard with that chock full of inaccuracies book is so telling. They are so upset that they are calm, focused and thriving.
YASSSSS HUNNYYYY
I keep thinking back to all the scapegoating that went on during Harry’s childhood and early adulthood. Harry’s mistakes were magnified to cover up Williams mistakes. And the fact that he was an average student was used against him to make it seem like his brother was the smart one. Then the military taught him that he could achieve goals with hard work. As an adult, Harry turned into a wonderful organizer who could use his privilege for good. But I think Megan was the one who showed him a way out of royal life and how he could use his celebrity to make a living and achieve his goal of service. Together, they are an unstoppable force.
What a low opinion they must have of Harry and all of the royalty. Everyone else in the world does it without the monarchy backing them up. What cowards.
I have always wondered if the RF/BM’s treatment of Meghan was in part a larger PR experiment to see if it was possible to destroy an innocent person’s credibility and likability via the press and social media.
Like literally, if I have a large part of the media (The Fail) and all the single purpose hate bots money can buy, would it be possible for me to target a person and destroy them?
The answer seems to be yes!
It wasn’t an experiment. They’ve done this before.
Thank goodness for Omid Scobie’s clear-eyed assessments.
In undervaluing M&H, the RF = Decca Records rejecting the Beatles.
How do The Daily Mail and the Mirror and all those other rags see Scobie?
I kinda hope both Charlotte and Louis when they grow up distance themselves from this toxic family and follow Harry’s example by becoming successful in whatever career path outside of the Royal family,
I’m glad Harry is thriving and has a loving family with Meghan
I also heard the reason the royal family keep attacking and smearing Harry and Meghan to make a point to William’s kids-the same thing will happen to you if you disobey and try to live outside of these palace walls. Harry is more capable of living outside the royal bubble than any other royal known at this present time-there is more to Prince Harry than fawning and royalling everyday-they both have a true interest in the world around them and will pass this value on to their children-God bless the entire Sussex family.