One of my favorite parts of Prince Harry’s appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the warm reaction from the audience. You could hear the audience scream in excitement when Colbert announced his name. When he came out, the audience began chanting “Harry! Harry!” Talk about a warm reception in America! Americans clearly see Haz as our prince now. You could tell that Harry was nervous, especially at the start of the interview, but Colbert poured him a drink (tequila) and Harry began to warm up pretty quickly.
This is actually Harry’s first interview since Spare was leaked by the Guardian and then by the British media, who got their hands on the Spanish-language copy. This is his first interview since the British media, hellbent on smearing him and degrading his life’s work with veterans’ issues, claimed he “bragged” about the number of kills he had during two tours in Afghanistan. As Harry explains in this interview:
“The last few days have been hurtful and challenging, and not being able to do anything about those leaks which you referred to…Without doubt, the most dangerous lie that they have told is that I somehow boasted about the number of people that I killed in Afghanistan….I would say that if I heard anybody else or heard anyone boasting about that kind of thing, I would be angry. But it’s a lie and hopefully now that the book is out, people will be able to see the context. It’s really troubling and very disturbing that they can get away with it because they had the context. It wasn’t like here’s just one line. They had the whole section. They ripped it away and just said, here it is, he’s boasting on this … and that’s dangerous. And my words are not dangerous but the spin of my words are very dangerous.”
Colbert asked: “Dangerous because it makes you an increased target – those around you that you love?” Harry agreed and said: “That is a choice they’ve made.”
The duke explained that his motive, having spent nearly two decades working with veterans all around the world, was to be honest and share experiences without shame. “I made a choice to share this in my book because, to the vets here and to the civilians here, which may feel like this is slightly a weird conversation to have… but I made a choice to share it because I spent nearly two decades working with veterans all around the world, I think the most important thing is to be honest and give space to others to be able to share their experiences without any shame. My whole goal, my attempt with sharing that that detail is to reduce the number of suicides.”
[From my transcript & The Guardian]
That was really important and moving. He’s right – the British media was trying to degrade him and delegitimize his work with veterans and the Invictus Games. They happily put him in an even more dangerous position, all to make him look bad.
Harry also talks about other things in the interview – the fascination of the Windsors, his mother, the royal todger, and how he watches The Crown. Colbert asks him if he watches The Crown and fact-checks it and Harry is like “yeah, kind of.” Harry transitions to saying that’s why he wrote Spare, that he could contribute to the historical record in his own voice.
Harry: “They always knew my wife was going to leave because of the way they were abusing her, but I think the most embarrassing thing is that I decided to leave with her.” Colbert asks Harry if he thinks the intent was to get Meghan to leave or “to break her spirit so she would be easier to control.” Harry thinks about it and suggests this is like group-therapy. Then Harry says “I think both. I’ve never seen the level of abuse and harassment.” You know what? It sounds like Colbert would like to interview Meghan. I would like to see that too!
Bonus clip – Harry did a little skit with Tom Hanks. This is adorable.
Where is he?! 🎺👑#Colbert #Spare pic.twitter.com/CQ6VcpJMiK
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) January 11, 2023
Screencap from CBS, Instagram photo courtesy of Colbert.
I like that Harry confirmed many things.I was never quite sure if the aim was to only drive Meghan out because would they ‘Allow’ this American woman to leave with the kids since they belong to the Crown or is that just for direct heirs. Meghan was never going to leave her kids. They really didn’t know Harry at all, this has all blown up in their face spectacularly!
But why did they feel the need to control meghan? She was there to serve. She was all in ready to go until THEY made things impossible. Obviously i wasn’t there but I honestly think that they were gunning for a divorce and have harry under complete control. Miserable. The third wheel
Because she wasn’t serving in the right way. She was too hardworking, too popular, too good at her job. She was supposed to be a vaguely vapid, lazy, slightly comical foil for Kate, like Will tried to make Harry. But I stead she was way too competent and charismatic. Honestly I think it was that first TV appearance they did with the four of them, and Meg basically made Kate look like a dry piece of toast. They were never going to accept her after that.
@Larak: kate and william are actually perfect for each other. They are both lazy, petty, jealous and fail to see the consequences of their own actions
Because Meghan’s definition of “service” was actually doing real good works, not some performative ribbon cuttings and fashion displays to justify one’s existence as an ornament. That’s what really got up in their grill.
Not only did she make the rest of them look like the spoiled, aimless, lazy prigs they are, but she sparkled while doing it. that was the worst of all.
Chloe,
If you can find a clip of the Chelsea Flower show when Meghan’s Garden won best in show you will see why the knives came out. Outrage from the entitled and Royals and suddenly Kate was there doing a children’s garden which was pathetic.
The BM wanted the Sussexes to toe the line like the rest of them and start trading stories on the others for their own better press. So the Firm wanted to get her gone and the papers were trying to pressure them to give in for their own reasons when Harry said point blank “I am not playing the game that killed my mother”
For the narcissist, it’s always about control and subjugation.
They would likely have been happy if there had been no children but would have probably let any biracial children leave with Meghan.
I dont think they wanted to drive her out. They knew people were going to love her, so they tried first persuading her that she should continue acting “because he coulnt afford to pay for her”, that way she wouldnt be in their paths, right? But girl wanted to serve! And do a good job! And that would eclipse them because they,re so boring, so they had to send her away and drive her crazy of course.
Harry just oozes charm and warmth, he can’t help it. I like celebrity gossip but I’m not really emotionally invested in public figures but… Harry really had me smiling like a fool watching him with Colbert! He comes across as a supremely decent, thoughtful, personable, and warm individual. I can’t get over how much charisma he has! He definitely has that “it” factor, which you can’t really learn or cultivate– you either have it or you don’t. And this is apart from his general good looks, which only make his natural charisma all the more magnetic. No wonder his family resents him so thoroughly– he has everything they want! Truly Diana’s revenge.
@Naomi, I have seen people develop that “it” factor over time. Not often but it can happen. Usually after some experience or transition, which leads them to shake off some artifice or hesitancy that they’ve had and become more authentic and, and this part is important, more focused on the needs and experiences of others. On a really small scale, I’ve seen it at a gathering of strangers where there were a handful of flashy initially charismatic people who were the center of attention, but as evening went on people started being drawn to someone else, who’d been quietly in a corner getting to know the people near them. Asking questions, being genuinely interested in others, responding with warmth and compassion, sharing of themselves but not in a boastful way … slowly people near that group started tuning in, joining that conversation and more and more people circulated that way, til the center of energy in the room shifted. And everyone in that orbit started having a really good time. And interestingly, the other people nearby who initially I had thought were kind of dull, themselves started to come across as more interesting, more delightful, more charming. Maybe not charismatic, but people I’d be happy to spend time hanging out with vs being people I’d started the evening thinking about how I could change where I was sitting to move away from.
For me over the years it’s come down to “being engaged leads you to become more engaging” and yes charismatic. Sure there are self-centered, ego driven people who are charismatic or charming or able to command attention. But for those who have a warmth there’s an attention to others or to something bigger than themselves or a focus on uplifting the moment they are in.
With Harry, I think we’re seeing some of that, choices he’s consciously made and is making, combined with his innate temperament/his mother’s example of connecting with others and setting them at ease. Plus, owning your own choices, which can be extraordinarily powerful even if it causes struggle or problems in the status quo for you.
Having lived his life as a recognized celebrity likely makes people more likely to respond positively to all that, if they are open to it without a counter agenda, but it’s also operating on a human one-to-one scale at its core.
I guess the main point for me is it’s something each one of us can cultivate in ourselves and in our own lives, by the choices we make, how we view, treat and respond to others day to day and over time, even if we don’t have the celebrity or the platform he’s got. And that others in his family could have done the same, or could do the same, if they made/make different choices even if their particular “charms” wouldn’t be the same as Harry’s.
I do get what you’re saying. I think though that while certain traits can be cultivated or developed, some things –like charisma– are kind of innate. I just think he’s a naturally charismatic figure who, yes, has put in time to develop people skills but he already had something there. I, for one, will never be charismatic, no matter how hard i try! I am a natural introvert and bad at small talk.
Anyway, Harry’s a whole damn snack, and only throws into relief how utterly boring, dull, and vapid the rest of his family is.
@ North of Boston – I completely agree with this. Harry is naturally charismatic, but he’s grown more powerful in his vulnerability and it shows. He said as much in the Colbert interview.
Your comment is a beautifully observed and articulated social phenomenon. As a socially anxious person who works in a role that requires me to be public in ways I often find challenging, reading your take has given me comfort. I took a screenshot to remind myself how powerful quiet engagement and genuine interest/presence can be. Thank you for sharing these insights!
@North of Boston – I agree and I think this is what the Royals, particularly Kate and William, never grasped. Meghan and Harry clearly possess some degree of natural people drawing while K&W do not. That’s okay. But K&W could have gotten out there and put in the work and generated their own kind of mystique, rather like Anne. But they didn’t want to, they barely even bother with phoning it. They just wanted to be the glitz and the glam.
I don’t really have anything to say for Charles who keeps putting in the work (relative to what that means in their world) but keeps staying who he is.
I’ll admit, he looks good in motion.
Hi, Harry (and Meghan). It’s clear you read this site. Thanks for the hard work you do. Most of us support you wholeheartedly, though please do more work on the unconscious bias bit, which is a distinction without a difference. And please don’t take valid criticism from us here as an attack. Have a great week!
He really does exude warmth and charisma. He is far better in front of a camera than anyone else in his family, except maybe Meghan. (He may even have a more natural stage presence than her.)
He really should consider doing a lot more TV appearances and interviews. He’s so likable and so good at it that when the public starts seeing his interviews, it will be VERY difficult for them to buy the lies told by the RF.
Entirely. I’ve always been Team Sussex and understand their, and particularly Harry’s, ability to work a room. But whew, on live late-night tv he worked the room *and* the tv audience! That is a genuine feat. Not easy for many people, including actors, to do. The more people get access to that warmth (via tv etc) they starker the difference will be between the narrative the media spins and the reality. (Again, already Team Sussex, but just thinking strategically here…).
Also want to echo @That’sNotOkay’s point about how here on CB we are big supporters of H&M but we also have valid criticisms re “unconscious bias” vs “racism” intended to help them along their journey. I’m not a ride-or-die- “stan”– if someone I respect and like has spinach stuck in their teeth, I will tell them!
He really is charismatic. I feel like we all knew he’d be great on late night. He’s honestly a dream interview. Charming funny and willing to play along. I’m looking forward to the next IG.
It’s what’s so deeply sad – he’s SO good at this. They had a huge asset, two huge assets, who could have done so much to benefit the work the royal family say they want to do, and the firm let petty rivalries and the media drive them away. It’s such an own goal.
I couldn’t agree more! He is utterly and naturally charming.
There in is the problem for the Royal rota. Harry is warm, he is genuine and the worse thing for THEM is that now he is away from the Palace control junkies, more and more people can see it. I’m a Brit (sorry after the way they are behaving) but I always have and always will stand for Harry. I had the pleasure of meeting him twice, once when we were both in uniform and once as civilians, and NOTHING and I do mean NOTHING has disgusted me more than the way the press have tried to destroy his links with invictus. Saying he has made it a target, We always knew it was a target, because its all SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN that have fought and Been injured on the battlefield. The British rags are useing their bravery against a man who stands FOR them while they sit in their cosy little offices being keyboard warriors. Worst than this they bring out retired old war horses to try and put him down, without bothering to print what these same old war horses said in their books, sorry BRAGGED about in their books! Sorry this is going to be a long one but the perspective has to be shown. Harry says he had to view the taliban as chess peices to be able to do his job. Now compare THOSE words to the following. COL Richard Kemp said “we do not train people to think that way (no respect he has damaged invictus) well COL Kemp as a veteran I can confirm WE DO Now let’s look at YOUR BOOK, Attack Red, where you detail the snipers kills and in YOUR words” you saw his head disappear in a red most, by the way COL Kemp, did you ever return your commission as you promised. You know after you wrote in the Sun that in order to defeat Islamic state we will have to kill civilians! Andy McNab who has made a fortune detailing his S. A S kills in his Braco two Zero books, like when he said in print “as the boy shouted, Mike gave him the good news and his body disintegrated in front of me. And THEY are just two of the ones the media rolled out to try and take Harry down. Tim Collins said Harry has turned against the military 😂Harry is ALWAYS military but Colins is the one who said our British military are chubby, drug addled right on idiots. Like I have said, sorry people, but I am one very ashamed brit over what they have done and are still trying to do to Harry
Charisma-off the charts. Witty, funny, engaging, incredibly articulate and quick on his feet. I was impressed. It’s clear he’s had some media training, but he did not come off as the slightly dim person that the British press has painted him.
I really tried to imagine “Willy” in Colbert’s chair and…I just can’t. not any any level. not at all.
Go Harry. I liked that he called out his family on their treatment of meghan
And good for him speaking out for veterans.
In the opening acknowledgments of the book, Harry recognizes a long list of people he thanks for their help and support, but the following paragraph is especially significant:
“Above all my deepest and adoringest thanks to Archie and Lili, for letting Papa go off to read and think and reflect, and to my mother-in-law (aka Grandma), and to my incredible wife, for too many millions of gifts and sacrifices, great and small, to ever enumerate.
‘Love of my life, thank you, thank you, thank you. This book would’ve been impossible (logistically, physically, emotionally, spiritually) without you. Most things would be impossible without you.’”
Conspicuous by their absence are Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, and the rest of the royals.
I’d love to hear more about his work with veterans, Sentebale, Polo charity drives with Nacho, he should go back on Colbert for charity hype! Invictus will be coming up, Colbert really plugs well, he mixes humor with higher purpose. Harry is better apart from that stinking family and there’s plenty of activism to promote!
This was said on Twitter but it bares repeating. One of the worst lies told about H by the British press is that he is not smart. He comes across in all interviews he’s done as charming, affable and self-assured. He may have not been textbook smart but he def has street smarts which is far more valuable to have
Emotional intelligence is a kind of intelligence! He and Diana both have amazing EQ, which is why they seemed like alien beings to the emotionally stunted Windsors.
In the book Harry is very insecure about his brains, which is sad because you absolutely cannot learn to pilot a helicopter if you aren’t bright.
I am sure they hammered it home to make him feel stupid. I feel as the Spare he was made to believe he was less smart than he actually is and it stuck.
I don’t even know that he’s not textbook smart. When he was talking about being at Eton and being in over his head, it just sounds like his last year at Ludgrove was kind of this blank space bc of his mother’s death and then they threw him to Eton and he still wasn’t “over” her death obviously (but its clear the family thought he should be?) and was still in a very very bad place when he started at Eton. I feel like he never really had a chance there, academically. He talks about how he couldn’t really study and learn bc he was actively blocking out his memory, bc he didn’t want to remember his mother.
One of the things that made me sad was when he was talking about how the University of Bristol looked interesting and he kind of wanted to look at that school and people were like uhhhh, let’s not do that. So he did have an interest in going to university, even if it was just in passing.
I think the part of his book where he talks about learning to fly Apache helicopters is a pretty good indication that the “dim bulb” Harry thing is a load of nonsense.
Oops… sorry Emmlo…. see you already made this point above.
@MobiMom – right? And its clear to me that people in the military didn’t think he was dumb. Yes yes favoritism nepotism queen’s grandson and all that – but at the end of the day, military commanders aren’t putting someone who isn’t qualified in the kinds of roles he was in, because they’re not risking military lives for a vanity project.
For some people, if they have no interest in a subject, they find it difficult to grasp. But it’s the total opposite if you find the subject interesting.
I used to mentor a girl who struggled in school. Her grades were bizarre. In some classes she was barely passing and in others classes she was getting A’s. And she was in some AP classes getting A’s. She loved English and History and got straight A’s but she hated math and science, and barely passed and sometimes failed.
I guess people are built differently. Because I also hates match and science but my goal was to figure out what I needed to do to get a good grade. I may have struggled a bit, but I put in the extra effort because in my mind, I was the smart one. My ego wouldn’t allow me to give up. I can imagine Harry had it drilled in his head that he was the dumb one and therefore felt helpless and wanted to give up.
He’d have done better at a different school, for certain. Eton is VERY traditional and VERY academically old fashioned. Harry’s a learner-by-doing and visualising, not reading. I suspect, oddly, he’d probably have done better at Gordonstoun (which is a lot different from Charles’s day – Anne sent both hers there) or gone somewhere like Atlantic College in Wales for his A levels (some of the European royals went there). Both very outdoorsy, and focused on leadership /community service etc.
Harry does well with journalists who’ve survived terrible loss. Colbert was 10 when his dad and 2 brothers died in a plane crash. Anderson Cooper’s brother killed himself. Hence the depth of both those interviews.
The theme of loss is one we can also appreciate, sadly enough. I learned some thins from Harry.
Harry does well with journalists who’ve survived terrible loss. Colbert was 10 when his dad and 2 brothers died in a plane crash. Anderson Cooper’s brother killed himself. Hence the depth of both those interviews.
The theme of loss is one we can alll can appreciate, sadly enough. I learned some things from Harry.
And I swear, most of the British public seem to believe it.
It was a good interview. Harry did not disappoint.
He seem to look younger, like aging backwards.
I am looking forward to reading the book.
Yes. He looks younger perhaps because his spirit is lighter.
He speaks well and is very warm and charming, up for anything.
What is really tragic is that he buried memories of his mother so far inside his psyche, he will never be able to access them again. He did that to cope because nobody showed him how to grieve nor grieved in front of him. That did tremendous damage to an already broken child. So heartbreaking.
Harry is so cute! He was nervous at first, but he’s got a great personality and is a natural with people. Loved this interview! Thanks 4 the bonus clip❤
I loved his response when Stephen offered him a drink– it was that Jim Carey-esque head spin & smile “yes please!” Harry got me giggling like I’m a 14 year old girl (I’m 42 years old!) What a cutie
I’ve got 21 years on you, and giggled too. He’s a star.
Giggling here in my 50’s ☺️ This was his best interview yet.
He had such a great rapport with the audience too and they just loved that. I really laughed when he asked them if Stephen Colbert makes them a drink too. And that’s just one example. I recorded the show and during the cutaway for the first commercial break, they also gave him another standing O.
I admit I was worried that the British media would try to plant some people in the audience to boo at Harry. Thank god he had such a warm reception.
Also you can tell he has his mother’s common touch. The way he interacted with the audience. Someone in the audience made an “ah” 😟 noise and Harry said he’d give them a hug later. I can’t imagine Charles hugging family members let alone lowly peasants. 😒
I read the actual date of his appearance was either switched or changed for security and probably the reasons you mentioned.
An audience member tweeted that it was a pleasant surprise because no one had any idea he was that evening’s guest. What a treat! #Jealous
Makes sense, they sounded surprised & delighted when Stephen Colbert introduced him.
If he did a bit with Tom Hanks, he was on last Wednesday or Thursday, so I would think they recorded the interviews the same day, but that was before a lot of the leaks fully hit, so IDK. Maybe he did the bit with Tom Hanks one day and then they recorded the interview a different day? Still haven’t watched yet though.
Photos of him entering and leaving the Late Show studio showed up on Monday evening and so that’s likely when it was filmed.
The DM trying to make a big deal about when this was filmed is very silly. The talk shows in New York basically send people tickets for a certain day well in advance and so no one knows who will be the guest for their scheduled show.
The (Monday) date is a giveaway because Colbert said he “read the book yesterday,” referred to specific things in it comprehensively and it was a regular audience. He can’t read the whole book on a weekday because he has other shows – everybody including Colbert was watching the House of Representatives sh*tshow, so much of his show is about what happened that day (he’s shared his process and it’s demanding). Also, those promotional tweets come from staff, he doesn’t have time and stays off twitter.
The audience gave him a standing ovation.
I’m waiting for the British press to blame Harry for the death of the last king of Greece, Constantine II. How the former king was so upset while reading Spare and Harry’s comments on his godson William that he had a stroke. It’s coming
So paramount invited their veterans as part of the audience for the show, which was a really sweet gesture. They’re called paramountvetnet. I think Colbert also airs on paramount after cbs? There were pictures of them outside the show before it started. There was a real effort from the show and Harry to support veterans.
Paramount owns CBS, just as Disney owns ABC & Universal owns NBC.
I’m glad Harry confirms what I said last weekend about what the British media was doing with what he wrote about his combat experience. What he said wasn’t dangerous. The way they twisted it and ripped it all out of context was dangerous.
Can anyone imagine any other British royal sitting down to do a talk show like this? 😆. They are all such delicate cupcakes. Harry has guts! And, yes, he is smart, probably smarter than the heir.
And the haters say he seems bitter and unhappy. Lolz.
I’m going to watch this as soon as the kids get on the bus, LOL. (I’m too old to stay up until 1130 haha.) I had a feeling this would be a good interview. Colbert is actually very good at interviews IMO and he walks a fine line between getting good answers and not making things too heavy, since it is still a late night talk show.
I am glad Harry called out the part about talking about his “number” in Afghanistan. I haven’t gotten to that part yet in the book (we’re in Afghanistan still but not there) but as soon as more of that excerpt leaked, it was clear that it was part of a thoughtful discussion, it wasn’t bragging, etc. And Harry’s right that it was dangerous of the british press to purposely twist that part of the book and lie about the context etc.
It’s just “funny” that everything the british press has done over the past week just proves Harry’s point over and over again.
As he says in the interview, the British press and BRF “keep telling on themselves.” Proving his point over and over and over.
I wish a bigger deal is made about the wholesale embrace, by britain’s so-called 4th estate, of the taliban……just so they could “own” Harry. I wish someone like Steve Schmidt (who has been bitchslapping britshidtmedia and their co-conspirators in the BRF for their tone-deaf attacks on H&M) and others like him, all across US media, would make a big deal of this and question whether or not britain can be depended on as an ally of the USA.
What the brits did, in embracing the taliban in order to attack H, is not unlike what drumf and his treasonous sycophants are doing in embracing russia against ukraine – an ally of the USA.
I am mad about that because without the context you think he was boasting. He was not. Sigh.
the reason the press targets the RF is they are a real life soap opera and serve no role other than that. reporting on “drama”, fake or real, is what sells bc that’s what the UK mainly sees the RF…tabloid fodder.
harry, no matter if the press were going to report on it or not, once people read the book, there will be people that pick it out and find it insensitive. i’m sorry, it’s a touchy subject and you have every right to write it how you will…but it’s controversial. and the taliban targeting you isn’t the problem of the media. that risk will be there when you write about killing talibans in afghanistan.
But the press took his words and deliberately twisted them to make them seem worse than they were, so that increased the risk. He’s not saying there was zero risk. He’s saying the press deliberately increased the risk.
have you read the passage in the book? there would be no way the taliban would take it any other way than what is written. i do not think they would read that section of the book and react in any different way than what they have said now. there’s no way reading that entire book would even change their minds about that. as soon as he said he killed x people in Afghanistan, they would be all over that. now that the full book is out, everyone can make their informed decisions and realize he wasn’t boasting about a number…but i’m still certain there will people disagree with him on what he wrote.
I’ve read that full passage in the book, yes. I thought he was very thoughtful in deliberate in what he said.
The Taliban of course wasn’t going to be happy, but I’m also pretty sure the Taliban already knew he killed people in Afghanistan, since the BP already reported on it YEARS ago.
And that still doesn’t mean the British press should have been platforming the Taliban, retweeting propaganda, and acting like Harry killing Taliban in the midst of a war was the worst thing anyone has ever done. THAT increased the risk level for him and pretending otherwise is ignorant and naive.
People are acting all wide-eyed and shocked that a soldier killed enemy combatants in a war. the british press is egging them on to feel that way.
Again – Harry knew writing that was a risk. The british press did not have to INCREASE that risk.
It is a problem of the media when the tabloids literally REACHED OUT to the Taliban for comment.
This, they made sure the Taliban knew by reaching out to them, then they presented the manipulated version to the Taliban to rile them up. That’s a level of vile that is inconceivable. The British media definitely want them dead.
can you show me where they reached out to the taliban for a comment? I was under the impression the taliban tweeted it on their own. the media, i will admit, made it worse by re-tweeting the taliban’s comments.
regardless, the point i’m making is even when you read the full text in its entire context, it is very sensitive. it is not easy to talk about war and a lot of vets do not want to talk about the number of people they have killed. i understand each person has a way to go about sharing their trauma, but this was something regardless of how he shared it would be a sensitive topic and people will find hard to read or process and not everyone will share his views. someone will write about it at some point, regardless of the leaks bc he’s put it into print and not everyone will think the same as Harry.
The Mail spoke to them. I don’t want to give them clicks, but it was the “Taliban taunts big mouth loser Harry” article.
As to your second point – nobody here said it wouldn’t be sensitive so I have no idea what all this is supposed to mean? People can agree or disagree but please don’t minimize the role the media plays in this and has since the beginning. The tabloids were trying to pin “terrorism” on Meghan for helping Grenfell, it’s no different.
Chris Ship on ITV platformed the Taliban and there was zero need to do that. Maybe they can ask the Taliban why they are removing girls from school and keeping them away from doctors?
I believe Richard Palmer also had his dirty little fingers involved with this manipulative context as well. This is not information that the RRs didn’t already know, they had it literally splashed across the papers years ago about hero Harry killing this exact number of Taliban that they’re now so outraged and currying up to the Taliban about. For me, this is just colluding with the enemy now. They’ll do anything to undermine Harry’s good relationship with the veterans.
well, harry must have known the dangers of putting stuff about the taliban into his book. the taliban is back in power after the war is lost, so it’s a totally different climate than before. don’t think it’s fair for him to say all the blame is on the media bc the text is there in his books. the media did no favors stirring up the controversy…but the controversy was there already.
This isn’t about whether Harry knew the dangers of writing about this because he did. Don’t obscure the issue because you are being wilfully disingenuous. These are media sources *that collude with his family* and they reached out and gave more of a platform to the people that put a price on his head and still have one. I don’t know anyone who follows the Taliban on twitter. But I know a lot of people who watch ITV and read British papers. There’s your answer.
And yet military leaders in the US have put out information when Taliban leaders have been killed by forces.
yes. as reporting facts from war? one is an intimate memoir of someone’s feelings of numbness they felt killing people with a specific number attached and one is spoken as facts on behalf of a government military on the results of war. suffice to say i’m sure all those military leaders know they’re putting a target on their back…bc they’re in a war.
The taliban are on Twitter what a world we live in
Many people have written memoirs about their war experience. PH was doing what he was literally sent to do…bec he was “in a war”. Not seeing your differentiation. He was serving in TQ’s army and sent out to kill or be killed bec as you say “war”.
@SDEARLY The point is.,yes, everyone was going to read it, but they would’ve read it at the same time and the BM would not have been able to a. Monetize, but more importantly, b. Twist the narrative first in order to rile up and MISINFORM the public. Now the public has to do extra work to UNINFORM themselves of the information that, through not fault of their own, has been planted in their minds. They have to unlearn that spin and most people aren’t informed readers or they don’t do the work to relearn the truth. That’s why propaganda is so effective across the world. It’s always about who controls the narrative and where news and propaganda is concerned, the first one out of the gate with that spin has a 400-meter head start. Always. That make sense?
@thatsnotokay. the misinformation is that he boasted about killing 25 people right? sure, that’s not great no one was able to make an informed decision on how he felt during the act and why he chose to include it in the book. what i’m saying is writing about the number of people you have killed in afghanistan will never be taken any other way by the taliban. and people may still not agree with the way he depicted war and the numbness he felt in taking lives. it’s sensitive and it’s hard to read, and is going to garner controversy.
@Soearly I just finished that section in the book and he in no way boasted about the number of Taliban insurgents he killed. He points out how difficult of a mindset it is to separate what you are ordered to do in war, and how you are trained to dehumanize those on the other side as targets in order not to let it weight on you. He points out its problematic to do that period, but it’s the only way to emotionally deal with what you are tasked with. Also, this was all literally reported in the media a decade ago, so him writing about it with nuance is not something new to the Taliban. What they are doing is using this with the help of the BM to continue to terrorize and radicalize people. Harry already had and will have a target on his back for various reasons. In the section before this in the book he literally talks about the Taliban attacking their base because he was there and it was his birthday, you really think him writing about it 10 years later put them over the edge?
If you think he boasted about it then I suggest you read that full passage for yourself.
Hadn’t Robert Jobson already explicitly stated that Harry had killed up to 30 people in his book? Numbers were already being floated out there in the BM and Harry’s whole book is about correcting what’s already out there. Additionally, Harry was very clear about stating the number is about not having shame and allowing space for vets to talk honestly. Your concern about Harry stating a specific number seems to lack concern for actual veterans and is part of the shame Harry is talking about.
@dee(2) and becks1: i did read the book. maybe you should both read my comment again? I said any media that said he boasted about the number is in the wrong here and that’s misinformation that colored peoples perception. what i stand by is my comment that harry should not place all the blame on the media for any controversy about his comments of war bc not everyone (including vets) will have the same feelings about it. some do not and will not talk about numbers. there is nothing in my comment that said he should be silenced or that he shouldn’t write it as a lot of other ppl suggest here. i’m saying the taliban is not going to be happy he wrote an intimate account of killing people in afghanistan (idk how anyone can argue with that) and saying he did not see them as people in the moment (which is a very ugly fact of war but hard for many to hear and not all vets may share this analogy to chess pieces he said). at the end of the day, it’s controversial regardless if the media is involved or not.
@soearly no one anywhere will have the same feelings about an experience. I’m sure Harry and William view the aftermath of their mother’s death differently. Harry is writing about HIS perspective on what HE did in the military. Not writing about your own experience because someone else who was there may feel differently or think you shouldn’t share is not your responsibility. And honestly who cares if the Taliban is happy. This is a regime that kills women attempting to go to school, restricts information, and seeks out to radicalize people to send them to their deaths, why are we acting like we need to be concerned about how they may view things? As for things being hard to hear, GREAT. Hopefully then people will give second thoughts to these military excursions and the great civilian risk and losses that come with it in lives, and livelihoods. That’s the problem people want to pretend things happening “over there” aren’t awful and shattering. It also explains greatly the reaction people have to refugees. They want out of sight out of mind. We should be forced to face these things heads on.
I”m just going to make one final comment here bc I think you are (deliberately?) missing the point people are making.
Harry talking about killing people in war may be seen by many as controversial – but his point is that it shouldn’t be. When we tell veterans, who have served in combat zones like Afghanistan, to keep their military experience to themselves, to not talk about it, to not really talk about how many people you may have killed, etc – its doing a huge disserve to veterans from a mental health perspective.
There are some people who think that veterans should return from war and not talk about it. There are some veterans who think you should not talk about your “number.” But Harry is saying he thinks both those perspectives are problematic bc they end up hurting veterans in the long run (I mean for the former view, we saw how damaging that was for Vietnam veterans long-term.) He shared his number for one reason and one reason only as he said on Colbert – to prevent suicides.
I’m sure talking about killing Taliban fighters did tick off the Taliban (when were we concerned with keeping them happy, btw?) That does not excuse in any way shape or form the British press giving a platform to the Taliban, reaching out for a comment, retweeting their response to that – AND it should be noted the Taliban tweet and reaction was likely in response to the british press saying “he is boasting about his number” and not in reaction to the whole excerpt (not that I would expect the taliban to give a nuanced response here.)
Of course Harry’s remarks in the book were going to generate controversy. But the British press really went above and beyond to INCREASE that controversy and to INCREASE the risk generated by those remarks. That’s the point many of us are making.
i don’t think i’m deliberately missing any points. you are just elaborating on my points as foundation. we can both agree all veterans are different. everyone carries different scars. as you said, some do not want to name numbers and that is perfectly fine. process of talking about war trauma is complex and it’s not as simple as let’s sit down and talk about how we felt while killing people. tell me your number and let’s begin the process of healing. there are those in the armed forces that do not agree with that approach. and that’s the point im making. writing about taking lives and war experiences is extremely delicate.
in no way did i say he shouldn’t write about it or no other veterans should talk about it. i even said that in my original comment that he can write about it all he wants.
as for the taliban…man i’m sure no matter what the media writes, including “PH writes heroic account of war and the toll of taking 25 lives to open dialogue about veteran mental health”, they would be writing the same thing. they’re the taliban…who are radical and terrorists that commit all sorts of human rights violations.
I don’t understand why my comments are getting so much pushback because we are literally talking about the same things.
soearly, your comments bring back memories that make me angry. I saw how Vietnam vets were treated when they came home. Why are you focused on a number? What you’re really saying is he should never have told anyone that he killed when he was serving Queen and Country in a war. Well, I wonder do you have any thoughts about how many service members were killed by the Taliban? Are we just supposed to criticize and/or loathe the vets who killed the Taliban?
I will NEVER understand your interpretation. I will say that you have never served in a war zone.
Harry has been a target of the Taliban since he fought in Afghanistan. The british media plastered his face all over numerous front pages and the fact that he killed the Taliban in 2013. Then, they lauded him as a hero. Don’t you think that increased his risk? I believe Harry weighed all of the factors and determined that it was more important to him to show veterans that they can talk about what they went through, and they can do it without shame. I have a feeling you would be opposed to that. Harry wants to decrease the number of veteran suicides. You, I believe, would tell them to stay silent. Don’t tell me that some number makes a difference. It does not. You say you read the book. Take out the number. He still says what he says.
@ SOEARLY
Oh my, I guess the taliban has not killed any of our boys and girls, and called the media to take responsibility. Sweetie you are barking up the wrong tree. And for the media friends to search out, and give them a platform is appalling. Read the context, this is the reality of war, that sons and daughters face.
If discussing this aspect of how one is able to kill to protect our lives, then thank you prince harry for sharing, and thank you for your service.
@Margaret
IKR?
@soearly, your concern trolling has been duly noted. Now run along back to the gutter of the MD comment section from whence you came.
SoEarly, veterans should be allowed to tell their stories as they wish. Full stop. And when he returned from his second tour, the tabloids actually reported a HIGHER number. No one complained then.
@kingston thank you for that lovely suggestion. i am happy to have the ability to have a thought out discussion on differing points of views. grateful that everyone is given a platform on this website
@brassy rebel i agree. all vets should have their ability to tell their stories. my comment is that by writing that he knows the risks. i’m sure he chose to write it because he felt it was important. but it doesn’t make it any less controversial. there is also a difference between reports of how many killed and the manner in which he intimately takes us through the very ugly emotions of it in his memoir. this is why i said no matter what, the nuances of war is tough and there will be people that have strong feelings for it and complain.
As a veteran I say YOU ARE SPOT ON
@Soearly – u really think you’re doing something here. Either you’re being anti war – which go u or being pro Taliban – which is def a look I didn’t thing I’d see on Celebitchy. Any other pro war things you’d like to have a go at?
@tan so because i don’t share everyones’ opinion here and said harry writing frankly about the nuances of war is something people will have strong reactions to whether the media stirs it up or not…makes me pro taliban and pro-war. got it, thank you for being so pleasant in discussing differing points of view.
Right back at u doll! So I’m assuming ur stance is anti war then?
reading this thread has made me think about the twisting of harry’s words in media and how comments on chat boards can also be taken out of context. @soearly i see your point that by mentioning the taliban harry put a target on his back again. that’s true. especially since his tour of duty was long time ago and political climates have changed. dragging up body counts is never an easy pill to swallow and now the taliban are in power again (makes me think even more about the bitterness he must feel regarding the war). and i think thats the point you wanted to make but u made it in a way that made everyone here not happy. what sounded like a fairly reasonable assessment came off as a critique of harry’s bravery of writing his feelings in his memoir. then one commenter chimed in and then it got spun out to people calling you pro-taliban and for you go to back to the gutters (really people? aren’t we better than that?).
So I agree that SoEarly is not pro Taliban and there has been some misunderstanding there lol – however I think Becks1’s final response (at 12:26pm) really gets to the heart of the matter.
While it might not have been intended this way, there was a level of “concern-troll” in the intimation that Harry shouldn’t be frank about his full military experience – including the lives lost.
Harry himself said that he is sharing this because of the toll silence takes on many veterans – up to and including suicide.
Telling people they can’t share their stories because it might be controversial to others plays into the culture of silence that permits and encourages abuse and bullying.
I’m sure this will make some people, some veterans included, uncomfortable. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t important or shouldn’t be said.
I’m not even going to go there about the taliban lol, I think Becks said it all.
wow. this has been a ride. never thought i’d see someone call someone else pro-taliban on celebitchy. yikes.
feel like everyone is saying the same things here. harry can share his experiences and good for him if it helps him with his trauma…check. describing war experiences and taking lives are controversial and not everyone will agree with how harry describes it…check. british media suuuuucks…check. taliban is crazy and will stir up propaganda using any western sound byte…check.
guys i think we all on the same page here! let’s shake hands and go back to making fun of willy’s bald head.
@woahnelli
💯
Well done to Stephen that was my favourite interview. He definitely brought the best out of Harry and I was impressed that as someone who professes to dislike the Royal Family he didn’t let his bias seep through. I was also surprised at how warmly Harry was greeted by the crowd and I still stay W&K missed an opportunity when they visited “Overseas” by not doing just one light interview about Earthshot. Now, with the release of the book along with the various interviews that have followed, it is too late for KP to control the narrative as the “Heir” does not have the charisma to outshine the “Spare”
Harry’s promotional tour for his book, including a gamut of interviews for different target audiences (British, American, serious evening news, casual morning news, late night talk show) just highlight even more how lazy and unserious William and KP were about Earthshot. No interviews promoting it at all, no effort whatsoever. Just a thrown together red carpet gala to pal around with celebrities and feel important in America because the Sussexes popularity here is a personal affront to Will and Kate’s place in the hierarchy of importance.
Earthshot, the Superbowl of award shows. A superbowl where no teams showed up tp play but gosh darnit, the trophy presenter wore a lovely necklace. That Superbowl.
Make it make sense.
My favorite interview too, he got have a drink and to unleash a glimmer of his fun side.
Plus Harry got to respond to what the rota has said in the last week.
I’ve been wondering if Baldy or Khate will appear soon on a talk show to promote … something. Khate won’t, but Baldy might, just to prove that he can do an interview too. Putz.
. Maybe, just maybe they will have Khate on one soon, as she SUPPOSEDLY has a big new shiny project coming out at the end of this month, ha ha ha ha. If and if she has and its not a new slant on some existing pet project she will be spending the next month rehearsing to answer carefully scripted questions asked to put her in the best possible light
It was a good interview and Harry was delightful.
This is my favorite interview yet. The extended 38 minutes flies by.
Agreed. I was surprised when it was over. It was interesting and went by fast.
The RF’s loss is our gain. He’s completely charming and has so much emotional intelligence. So much like his mother. I know she was a monarchist (as is Harry, albeit he believes they need to modernize and they do), but she’d be proud of him for doing everything he could to protect his family.
One of the stupidest things the British media does is say Diana would be so disappointed 😞 in Harry. Really? He is literally living the life she always dreamed of. With a loving family which she so desperately wanted.
The RF must be squirming and wringing their hands all the way through this publicity tour. lmao
I’m not sure if they always do this but they posted the full interview on YouTube with no geo-blocking. That’s one smart move.
And I’m so glad Stephen was as great an interviewer as I had hoped.
Yes, they always do that. Frequently, the YouTube videos get more views than the original airing. Like many have said, most don’t stay up that late.
I loved loved the Colbert interview, I would love to see Harry on there more often, I think more North Pole trips and he can come on promote it. He truly is a nice guy
I haven’t watched it yet but I knew he was going to talk about Afghanistan. Some in the British press are backtracking now.
Of course they are. What I don’t understand is why they thought they could get away with it especially when the book came out and Harry is free to clap back. This didn’t do what they intended and taking the side of the taliban and asking for comments after you just praised Harry years ago for literally the same thing is bonkers. They don’t realize how crazy they look.
This is where Colbert excels and I always love it when he does these interviews that have a bit more meat. Harry was great and you can tell both enjoyed this. Colbert seems fascinated with these weird concepts of the RF and the UK press. They’re so unique – and uniquely shitty – that you can’t help but be excited that finally someone speaks out. And puts their name on it.
I just don’t see Willy ever coming across as comfortable, easygoing, or charming as Prince Harry. Harry truly is Prince Charming in every way. I was so impressed with the way he carried and presented himself. And the cheers of the audience chanting his name was the icing on the cake. 🤩😎
When Will tries to be relatable and charming – that’s when his true nature comes out, IMO. That’s when he makes those stupid awkward comments that verge on sexist or racist or xenophobic (or just out and out are.) – For a public figure, he is someone who would be better off sort of following his grandmother’s model of being pleasant and nice in public but never revealing too much.
I think that sums up William’s problem, and Kate’s for that matter. If they could just lean into an approach that suits them better–like you said, pleasant and nice but never revealing too much (much like the Queen was), they would be much happier and content. But no, they want it all–the spotlight, the accolades, the fawning and praise on top of already being in the top spot. William desperately wants the charisma that Harry possesses, but he doesn’t, and it can’t be faked. He’s incapable of recognizing his own limitations and strengths, and that ultimately is his doom in this whole clusterfudge.
The thing is that William can be articulate and well-spoken. However, he often comes across as not fully prepared, hence the foot in mouth comments and lack of depth. He is more protected, but also more tightly wound because of his anger issues, because he doesn’t want that to come out. Anyone can be pleasant and say nice things. However, Harry is more experienced with giving interviews at this stage, he has several jobs and is in therapy, and that experience shows .
A great interview and Harry and Stephen are delightful. Stephen is such a good interviewer.
In case it’s of any interest to anyone, Dan Wootton was getting slammed on Twitter last night. People are finally getting sick and tired of his bullshit.
He still is. He will have #sadlittleman following him from now on.
I was able to watch the whole thing on youtube (in Australia). It was a great interview! I’ve always liked Stephen Colbert and Harry was just delightful. I’m so glad that he got that warm reception too.
I, too, watched the interview last night and I thought it was excellent. Not surprised since Colbert is capable of thoughtful and intelligent interviews. In fact, I liked it much better than the ’60 Minutes’ and GMA ones as well.
I know a couple of Brits, and I have seen it said in the press… claiming that Harry is “a bit thick” (aka not that smart).
After all the interviews I’ve seen, I just don’t see it. I mean we have so many examples of former world leaders who can’t string a proper sentence together or who can think coherently… I am not sure where this criticism comes from, other than the upper crust just throwing whatever at the wall and hoping it sticks.
His exam results for one.
A lot of people are bad at test taking, some are great at test taking and bad at schoolwork just means they learn differently. Rather than calling people ” thick” a decent educator and family would look to ways to create a learning program suited to their needs.
Reading the book, it seems clear to me that a large part of Harry’s failure at school was due to untreated PTSD.
Meghan is smart, why don’t they put her test results out there and say how smart she is 🙄
So? Diana failed her O levels twice. Standardized test taking is not a comprehensive indication of anything.
I’m bad at test-taking (only barely managed to get a degree), but in regular day-to-day performance I do pretty ok. Exam results mean nothing in terms of someone’s intelligence, emotional or otherwise.
Like Harry my son is Dyslexic too
At 11 he told me he didn’t care about his classes and was totally dejected, this was just before l found out he was Dyslexic. He was failing state exams and classes room.assessments constantly. However when he got help with his Dyslexica he got better and is now doing his final state exam at all Higher Levels including English Literature. Unfortunately for Harry he went through school and Eton undiagnosed with must have been brutal for him and his confidence. He is not thick for God sake he flew an Apache which is very specialised.
I didn’t realize Harry was dyslexic! (My guess was perhaps ADD) — but any learning difference paired with that level of trauma would interrupt anyone’s education significantly.
In Canada we don’t have a educational culture of test scoring (As in ‘Levels” in the UK, as SATs in the US)… the whole classism/rankism culture in the UK is very very alien to me — mostly because I live among the pleebs LOL.
But judging just on personal presence alone… Mike Tindall comes across as much thicker than Harry.
Tindall is a meathead.
@Kit
In its entire 400+ pages there is no reference to dyslexia pertaining to Harry. Its time folks like you let this rumor die.
Where did you get that Harry is Dyslexic from? Not from the same people that have saying he is thick for years.
He himself has spoken about been Dyslexic in the past, l believe he wasn’t diagnosed until later teens.
Harry has spoken about it multiple times in the past, he was diagnosed when he was older.
So I’ll believe Harry, thanks
This kinda felt like Harry’s own “you could’ve had a bad bitch” moment, in a way! He really showed his emotional intelligence, warmth, and an insane amount of charisma. Damn, he’s charming! No wonder his family felt threatened by his popularity. You just have to shake your head at the way the RF abused him, tried to stifle him, and just generally wasted his (and Meghan’s) potential. But he is definitely our prince now. Harry really does fit the most idealized image we Americans have of ourselves: independent, outspoken, determined, and — perhaps most shocking to Brits — he doesn’t put up with bullshit.
Colbert is always a great interviewer, knowing how help guests relax and even get silly at times, and the audience’s warm reaction must have helped put Harry at ease, too. I would really love to see him do more guest spots like this! Maybe to promote Invictus, and bring some of the athletes along, too. Harry surely wouldn’t banish the REAL stars of the show like SOME princes…
You know l wasn’t going to watch this one with Stephen but lm so glad l.did, this was great, Harry was in flying form, and l thought de interviewer def brought out the best in him. I was so emotional when Harry spoke about the Military Mental health and suicide within. He.indeed did say he killed 25 but ture to.form they changed the context, shame shame on them. But lm so glad the World now sees what a bunch of nasty people they are.
My heart breaks for Harry, it really does. Still, after all that’s happened, he’s having trouble with the part where Colbert says “there’s an active campaign by, uh, the rest of your family” (around minute 5), and Harry immediately contributes that to the British press. But really, it boils down to the rest of Harry’s family actively working against him. They are selfish and will never choose him and do right by him.
Yup I noticed that. He was kinda trying to side step his families involvement. But I glad they both recognized that it’s a campaign that’s still ongoing and he highlighted the independent article from just yesterday.
I’m almost done with the book and Harry had so many aha moments about his family later in the process…unfortunately I think there’s still a few more to go before the coronation. His family is trash trash
Harry has won the US. Will and Kate have officially lost. Time of death, 11:30 on 1/10/23.
The British royal institution fails to realize that no one outside the UK gives a rats ass about the institution. The general public cares about the people. They loved Diana because she was Diana–she cared, she was human, she was charismatic, she was beautiful, she was fascinating. She brought interest and glamor to the royal family on a global scale, and they never appreciated or understood that.
Will and Kate were supposed to be the golden couple, but they are two selfish, stupid, stilted, unpleasant human beings with no charisma and no care for anything beyond themselves. They truly believe that all they need to do is show up and they will have the worlds attention. The royal institution and the british public enabled them to believe their naked butts were wrapped in the emperor’s gorgeous clothes.
Harry and Meghan took up Diana’s mantle. They care. They can connect with people. Meghan was visiting the Grenfil Tower survivors for months before the cookbook. Cain and Unable show up empty handed to greet people in need, and once they left, it’s out of sight and out of mind.
Harry tonight showed once again, why he was the royal family’s biggest star, and how horribly the royal family squandered his talents. He has the empathy and charisma of his mother. he gives the authenticity that American’s ask for. We don’t want our celebrities to show up and wave silently. That’s what the royals have never understood. We don’t give a shit about birth order and rank. Americans tend to frown on the idea of entitlement–the “I deserve this because of who I am”–it’s why there’s been such negative reaction to nepo babies.
I can imagine the shrieks of incandescence coming from Windsor castle, the neighs of despair and feeble “oh no oh nos” from Clarence house (thanks Kaiser), the gnashing of teeth from Buckleberry Manor,
There’s no “winning” for the royal family against Harry and Meghan. The more they send out their goons and flying monkeys, the more they prove Harry and Meghan correct, and the more empathy the Sussexes gain. The royals are the villains in this great love story.
The aristocracy and the upper class (historied and moneyed families) in the UK have the most to lose in terms of Harry’s narrative. This deeply held beliefs within the British aristocracy was the culture that Megan had a difficult time navigating. This even comes to play in Kate’s narrative — being called a “social climber” – describing her as having a “middle class” upbringing… now that she is on the inside, she has successfully scaled the ladder and has clearly been gate keeping… this behaviour has been built in to the whole game.
Harry’s story reads so much like someone leaving a cult. It was so IRONIC of Camilla to claim that Harry has been abducted by a psychotherapy cult.
I LOVE that Harry joked about the psychotherapy cult!!! I want that to be rubbed in the royals faces the next time they have the nerve to pretend to care about mental health.
Harry is so very good at this. I know some people are/were worried about oversaturation, but I think with the book coming out, the immediacy of all those salacious headlines, and then these in person interviews (including some of the missteps) paints a very human picture. You don’t have to love someone, especially a celebrity unreservedly to say they have a fair point. He has a consistent message that the BM lies, uses manipulation, and colludes and we get to see it play out live. Every time he points out that everything you read in a paper is sourced from insiders, experts, people with knowledge of the situation, and compare it to him saying in a book with his face in 4D something different he knows it’s coming across differently.
I was smiling throughout the entire interview! Harry was both thoughtful and silly with off the charts charisma. Colbert, per uszh confirmed his excellent interviewing skills.
I feel the exact same way! I was grateful for how this interview went, cant say exactly why, but it felt warm and respectful. Didn’t put Harry on a hot seat. I am thinking a lot about his courage to make himself vulnerable, all to clear the table to be able to move on – and how easy it is to wound and hound him right now, regarding all those details he is sharing. And how even I recognize how I myself was kind of expecting him to be perfect and fully healed and over it. But then I recognized he is not. Because he’s human. One that is brave enough to show it.
I gotta give props to Colbert. He did well on this interview.
Smart of Harry’s PR to schedule this.
When Harry said California was beautiful and he loved living in America, it was like pouring salt into a wound! (pun intended)
But but but….surely he hates it there and is miserable and is dying to move back to England, right!?!?!?
I think one of the reasons that the Colbert interview was so successful is because Stephen managed to establish a nice rapport with Harry. Also, a late night show has a completely different atmosphere than a news show, and allows Harry’s affability and charm to come through. The Cooper interview was excellent, but it was very efficient and business-like.
I also think Harry was advised of Stephen also having lost a parent at a young age in a tragic way, which would help create a bond of understanding.
I think this is true — and Stephen briefly alluded to his own terrible loss when they discussed Harry’s magical thinking about Diana merely hiding, not being dead.
This was just an excellent interview — Colbert skillfully wove together painful topics (grief, war) with amusing ones (the tequila, the “Crown”) — and Harry’s empathy, intelligence and charisma just radiated.
Colbert does a great job of not stepping on his guest’s comments. Like Harry, he’s a good and patient listener. Maybe his years of teaching Sunday school have honed that skill, but it’s more likely his personality. The two really seemed to hit it off.
And the sketch with Tom Hanks was perfect.
I think Meghan would’ve embraced the rota had they not been jerks from the beginning and is easier to work with than Harry. I’ve always felt that the media wanted to break Meghan through hazing. They saw fresh stories and click-baits and they pounced. They were desperate for access to her as well and Harry wasn’t allowing it. So they also wanted to punish Harry by bullying and brutalizing her. Meghan unfortunately has been a victim of the Harry vs Tabloid war that’s been simmering for years. Her coming into the picture just pushed this over this edge. Meghan has been a catalyst, a lightening rod and she didn’t do anything wrong.
YES, Brit. I think you are exactly right. I have always suspected that Harry advised Meghan to remain aloof from the rota rats. Left to her own devices, Meghan could have schmoozed the crap out of them. Of course, that just would have made the palaces come for her even harder….
So maybe in retrospect that approach was a mistake. Or maybe not, who knows. But even if it was a mistake, that could never justify the classiest, racist, xenophobic, sexist, bitchy, petty, and unapologetically cruel treatment she receives from the UK media every damn day.
racism makes people stupid. Meghan was money. She knew how to give photographers their shots. She would have had the rota in to Frogmore for tea. She would have teken them behind the scenes at Smartworks or Vogue. They would have gotten exclusives that set them up financially for life. They would have been commenting on TV interviews all over the world.
I hope they all realize what they have lost. They have lost financial security that no one else in the royal family will ever afford them. They are kissing their Hermes bags and second homes goodbye. Good riddance. They are getting exactly what they deserve. Nothing. They get to pretend that Kate’s asinine pie charts are cutting edge research. They get to prentend that her showing up once every 8 years to a philanthropy means something. They get to listen to her go plink plank plonk on a piano and pretend she is a prodigy. They get to paint the red lipstick they claimed Meghan was wrong to wear on a pig and pretend that pig is Cinderella.
“It’s a Princess, really! Ignore the oinks!”
After starting in on the book, I get why Harry didn’t want her to schmooze with them.
Did y’all notice the natural way in which Harry made an effort to acknowledge and treat the crowd as humans? For example, pointing out the person who said “Awww” and saying he’d hug them later — so many of Colbert’s guests focus entirely on Colbert and don’t even look out at the audience except to wave briefly. Harry’s a natural.
Some of his facial expressions are pure Diana, too.
Seeing Prince Harry at these various interviews, we are again and again reminded ..Its UK’s loss in hounding Prince Harry and Meghan out of BRF and UK.
Thank you for that lovely morning coffee interview. I just want to hug that man so damn much it’s insane. He simply fits. He sees. He learns. He tries. He’s humble. He’s empathetic. He laughs. He cries. He fights. They spread warmth. They embody truth and cooperation. They entertain. They simply bring together by being together. Yes yes, I started with him and ended with them lol.
On another note, this interview and his others, have started something within me I’m not so sure about. Confronting trauma. I’ve posted here and there about grief, but I know the kind of grief that debilitates, and even though embarrassingly 1999 is so long ago, I’m still adrift with those losses. I don’t want to walk down that road. Like at all. Crikey. Harry is making something stir and it’s uncomfortable lmao. Not funny. Maybe a little.
He’s his mother’s son. I feel you, Mabs. You have written quite movingly about your own story. That’s another thing I love about this community. Wishing you peace and resilience. You’re not adrift, but it’s okay to feel that way. You’ve got your feet firmly on the ground, even as grief swirls around you. It’s there–sometimes its easier to deal with, sometimes its more difficult, and yet still you rise. Don’t forget that.
This is so beautifully said, like everything you post on here, @lanne.
And @Mabs……..ive seen a glimpse of what you might be facing just from this post of yours and it seems really heavy. I hope you have the support around you that you need and that you will be okay when youre ready to face whatever awaits you.
Thank you so very much lanne. Yes, your words are beautiful. This community helps through many layers. A tribute to all who post. May we all rise every day.
Kingston, thank you for words as well. It’s so funny that I’m surrounded by men…who, by design, are…men lol. I’m doing good. Really. Just being able to come here every morning and bark a post or two, but mainly read from intelligent and inspirational women, has poked a few holes in my walls as well.
Mabs, it seems you’re at a crossroads but having read all your wonderful, thoughtful (and often hilariously funny) posts, you’ll take the right road, walk a new path, and be inspired by all the Harry’s of the world in your journey. Wishing you much happiness.
Jaded you are so right. And know this, you’ve been a part of that as your posts always having me going, “Yup. Damn straight.” Your words are meaningful and received with much love.
Crikey, I feel all gooey inside. ╰(*´︶`*)╯
Great interview, thank you for providing the link!
I’m so proud of him. This interview made me cry with pride. I’m a mom of boys, so I get emotional easily when I see a young man overcome hardship to triumph. I know that he is a grown-ass man, but I’m old enough to remember his birth and I watched him grow up.
Just finished watching it. Great interview. One of the best ones I’ve seen with Harry. I couldn’t stop laughing at the end with the Todger frostbite story!
Maybe Harry can take over and revive Adam Driver’s “Arts in the Armed Forces” organization ( Aitaf.org ) which is being dissolved in February. The Screenplay writing contest was abruptly canceled a couple days ago too, days before entries were due. It’d be great if he, or anyone, could step up.
Great interview! Smart of him and his team to do at least one talk show. We can see a more relaxed Harry. Felt more real and intimate. Gah I’d love to have dinner with Haz and Meg! I’m so proud of you Harry if you’re reading this!
Watched the whole extended interview on YouTube this morning, and it was great! It felt like Harry was assuming the tone throughout would be lighter than it mostly was, but he had an amazing rapport with Stephen, who has always been a great interviewer, and at least the last few minutes they got to transition to comedy by talking about the frostbite dick anecdote. I genuinely laughed when they reeled off a list of dick euphemisms. And Harry’s sense of comic timing when paused and then confirmed he fact checked The Crown was literally perfect.
It was sooooo good!
I just loved the audience’s reaction when they found out it was PRINCE HARRY! They seemed honestly stunned, star struck and ecstatic.
The whole interview is great. Colbert is a fantastic interviewer and Harry presents both his emotions and sense of humor so well.
Harry drinks Tequila. *chef’s kiss*
This was a really good appearance. Loved the opening skit with Tom Hanks, especially when Harry threw the rose petals! The audience was so encouraging and supportive and you could see him
visibly relaxing more as they got further in the conversation. They spoke quite seriously on topics. Harry can be messy, has his blind spots and contradictions but his story will resonate with others, and he does draw you in. I really like what Harry said about grief and directly addressing that nasty distortion of what he said about killing in combat. Enjoyed the show even though what was discussed wasn’t always easy to hear, he looked great and had that ability to be both well prepared but able to pivot and improvise as well, going from serious to funny. This is why they want him to stop talking.
The moment where Harry was talking about this feeling like group therapy, capped with the joke of taking Colbert’s hands and staring him in the eyes, you could see that Colbert was BEAMING with pride at this spectacular ‘get,’ and utterly, overwhelmingly CHARMED with the sparkling, warm charisma of Harry. What a fantastic interview!
The best interview out of all of them for me. Harry really sparkles before a live audience, they both feed off each other. And l died laughing over that opening skit, he really goes in with the joke and has such deprecating humor. The rose petals were the best.
What became glaringly apparent to me after reading the book and watching the interviews is that his family did to him what they did to Meghan — they tried to dim his light. It was a concerted effort to prevent him developing any self-confidence and esteem, to deliberately keep him in his place so William would always be seen as the golden boy. Harry was only there to serve his father and brother, and to not develop a path for himself that would bring him a sense of doing something important and helpful in the world, or that heaven forbid allowed him to outshine his useless brother. Fortunately the military gave him that confidence and sense of purpose that was sorely lacking in his family life and was the catalyst going forward for him to reach for the stars.
I just watched it, and it was magnificent! I love the interview and the audience was perfect! He loves living in California, take that Salty Island!!
Honestly, I was concerned that SC might be rough on H, so I waited to watch. I was pleasantly surprised by the interview. H has charisma like crazy, seemed totally at home in front of an audience and “justifies” his reasons for writing the book perfectly.
Flawless interview. Stephen Colbert looked disarmed, charmed, surprised and undone. They really looked like they were old friends catching up. Even the heavier stuff he talked about, like trying to prevent suicides was succinct and then balanced with something light to shift the mood.
Nothing like boooos for the heir and chants of “Harry, Harry” for the spare. Midway through Harry reading his book to me! So so proud of him and glad he took his beautiful family and made a home, filled with love, for himself. Boy did he need/deserve it.
Harry and Meghan, If you are reading this, Thank you. We are proud of you ❤️
Loved the show and interview . It also displayed how relatable and relaxed Harry is . He was able to engage a live audience and the audience warmly embraced him back . I always liked Stephen Colbert interviews and with great humor , and this was a good setting for that .
Not to mention Deadline just reported that the show had their highest rating in 2 years (with almost 1B impressions in social media). So when we hear some in the US media a week or so ago , and majority of the British media saying Americans are tired of HM, they must be hitting themselves when they see the ACTUAL result of the record breaking sales in the UK and the success of Harry’s US ratings. Fact is, Americans aren’t tired of HM (and there’s still obvious interest of HM in the UK). The US media outlet now sees it , with recent articles from the NYT having an opinion piece on why Americans are falling hard for HM and USA Today’s article on Thanking Harry for speaking out and telling the Truth.
Even the BBC acknowledges that the US is more pro-Harry than the UK. Just goes to say, Even with all our problems , majority of Americans doesn’t like bullies no matter who they are. And we like rooting for the underdog esp those who have been abused and bullied- And applaud those who speak out and call them out.
Harry tossing rose petals at Tom Hanks is everything 🌹
This was great, and so heartwarming. The part about him fact-checking The Crown made me laugh out loud.
Yes, Harry was flawless. And quite a snack (sorry not sorry).