Shuter: Doria Ragland told Meghan ‘to think very carefully’ about the UK move

When Prince Harry and Meghan first announced their move back to the UK, our first thoughts were along the lines of “What about Doria Ragland? And what about the rescue chickens?” As it turned out, Doria, the chickens and the koi are all staying in California, but sources claim that Meghan “plans to see her mom regularly” and they’re “incredibly close.” I still say that Doria should have been used as an “excuse” this whole time – circa 2019, that’s what they could have said, “Meghan wants to be closer to her mom.” Meghan also should have used Doria, now 70 years old, as an excuse to skip this “move back to England” crap too, but you didn’t hear that from me. Anyway, Rob Shuter has a new Captain Obvious piece on his Substack: Doria tried to warn Meghan about the UK move this summer.

Meghan Markle may be embracing her new chapter in Britain, but sources tell Naughty But Nice that one person had serious reservations about the move from the start: her fiercely protective mother, Doria Ragland.

Doria, who turned 70 Wednesday, remains in California after Meghan, Prince Harry, Archie and Lilibet relocated to the UK last week — and insiders say she warned her daughter that returning could reopen painful wounds.

“Doria told Meghan to think very carefully before moving back,” a family source tells Naughty But Nice. “She watched what Britain did to her daughter the first time. She saw the pressure, the criticism and the toll it took. She’s terrified history will repeat itself.”

There has been no falling out. Meghan and Doria remain extremely close. But sources say the protective mom wasn’t going to stay silent simply because Meghan had made up her mind.

“Doria loves Meghan enough to tell her what she doesn’t want to hear,” says the source. “Meghan believes she’s stronger now and can make Britain work on her own terms. Doria desperately wants her to be right.”

The biggest heartbreak, however, may be Archie and Lilibet.

“Those grandchildren are Doria’s world,” adds the insider. “A few weeks ago they were close enough to hug. Now there’s an ocean between them. That’s devastating.”

Still, Doria is supporting Meghan’s decision.

“She isn’t rooting against Meghan,” says the source. “She’s protecting her. That’s what mothers do.”

[From Rob Shuter’s Substack]

Yeah, I believe all of this. Doria absolutely saw what those people did to Meghan and Doria heard what they said about her grandchildren. I know what my own mother would have said in this situation and it would have been a real “hard truths” moment which would have left me in tears (along the lines of “they’re never going to change and they’ll try to finish what they started in 2018”). That being said, maybe Doria knows something we don’t, like the date of their “hard exit” from Britain. At least that’s what I hope – that this bulls–t is not open-ended, that Meghan has only signed on to a year of this mess.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Meghan’s Instagram and Netflix.

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25 Responses to “Shuter: Doria Ragland told Meghan ‘to think very carefully’ about the UK move”

  1. M says:

    This is all just common sense. Doria and “sources” are not talking to the press about her relationship with her daughter.

  2. Brassy Rebel says:

    Happy to stand with Doria! Please listen to Black women.

  3. Wesley says:

    Harry dragging Meghan & his children back into that viper’s nest of UK media just because he was homesick is reprehensible & irresponsible.

  4. YankeeDoodles says:

    I think Doria and Diana would have been amazing friends. Like, life-altering friends. Like, lightning in a bottle. That’s just my hunch.

    • Connecticutie says:

      It really looks like the ghost of Diana is standing behind them in that closeup selfie at the UN. 🙃

    • Dee says:

      I agree! I think Diana and Doria would be having girls nights, shopping trips, lunch dates with the grandkids together… oh how I wish Princess Diana were still here. 😞

  5. workdog says:

    Doria is an amazing role model; not only as a mom but by being a person who is her own person, with her own interests, her own opinions, her own strengths, her own life. Granted, I obviously don’t know her personally, but by all appearances, she’s a very kind, thoughtful, yet fiercely strong woman, who is very well loved by those in her life. Meghan, Harry, and the babies are blessed to have such a steadying force in their lives. It’s not surprising Meghan is so well grounded.

    • sunniside up says:

      And I am sure that Doria would have been offered an opportunity if she wanted to come. She has a life of her own there as well.

  6. Ariel says:

    Doria is regal in a way that the royals can’t even understand.
    Doria was in the car in nyc when the British press plants tried to chase them to their deaths. She has to be so worried.

    I’m beginning to believe my own conspiracy theory that the duke and duchess know after Charles dies, living in the uk would be far more difficult.
    As stupid and lazy as scooter is, his main reason for getting out of bed everyday seems to be his anger and jealousy of his younger brother.
    Doing every petty, dangerous, racist thing he could think to harm them.

    This time in England may be the only time for them to live there with *only* this level of insanity and racism.

  7. Shiela Kerr says:

    Gutter rats sure know a-lot about supposed private conversations

    • sunniside up says:

      If the sources are not named it is better not to believe them. The journalist who said that Doria had been in prison was forced to publicly apologise to Doria for lying.

  8. Eurydice says:

    I’d believe this if Doria knew as little about the situation as we do.

  9. QuiteContrary says:

    There is no way in hell that Doria, or anyone who knows her, is talking to Rob Shuter.

    But sure, this all tracks because it’s obvious. Returning to England is a risky proposition for Meghan. And having one’s grandchildren move thousands of miles away must be painful.

    While we’re imagining conversations, I imagine that the kids must be missing their wonderful grandmother Doria, and that makes me sad for them.

    • sunniside up says:

      It makes me sad as well but she will see them at Christmas and it is so much easier to see and talk to them with modern communications. At least we are going to see our grandchildren at half term.

  10. Amy Bee says:

    Who are these sources close to Doria who’s talking to a blogger on substack? Look, I think it’s normal that Doria would have some reservations about the move and that she will continue to support Meghan. I just don’t think we needed a substack post about this. These people should leave Doria alone.

  11. Over it says:

    I don’t believe any one close to Doria is talking to rob shutter because we all know that Doria protects her child business and doesn’t blab. However I can totally agree that Doria must be worried sick for Meghan and her grandchildren because we heard what she said in that Netflix series. She said they were there and no one to protect her being Meghan and that she was glad that they were back so she could be close to them. And we see the love Doria has for Archie and lily. She said they are her only grandchildren. They made her a grandma so yes . I believe she is worried about them . And yes , Archie and lily should be in Cali where they can get hugs and kisses from mama Doria whenever they want and she wants. Meghan is not my child and I am worried for her. I am worried for those children. I want her to get the f out that country and go back home to her beloved paradise and her mama and her friends who have her back . I want her to be peaceful with her chickens . To be able to drop her children off at school and not have to worry about some crazy person stalking them and selling their pictures and the kids security getting separated because of traffic or whatever else. . And don’t come at me with any of this noise about Harry and Meghan know what they are doing and we don’t know what’s going on behind Close doors . I don’t need to know what is going on behind close doors. I can judge from all the madness I see happening in front of our very eyes in public. It’s a nightmare and why would anyone willingly put themselves back into hell after barely making it out alive the first time?And any excuse about Charles being sick is not good enough. He did not care if Harry or his family lives or dies so why should they care how much time he might have left ? If they need to care about that . Then do it from cali . They aren’t seeing him there so makes no difference. He still has no time for them even though they are in the same county

    • Gtwiecz says:

      I agree with you that Charles deserves no worry or love from Harry and the children. A rich man like him went to the U.S. recently and couldn’t fly to California or fly the family to meet with him for a few days in the East Coast? If I were Harry’s mom I’d be proud to take them to that cocktail in NYC and introduce them proudly to everyone there. I was hoping at least one person he met would have asked him if he was going to see his son.

  12. NoBS Please says:

    “a family source tells Naughty But Nice”… what a joke!

    Really, it’s just too easy nowadays for so-called journalists and reporters to make up obvious stuff and attribute it to “a family source” or some other mythical “source”. There is no verification, no quality assurance, it’s all just utter made-up BS.

    When will the general public wake up to being taken for a ride?

  13. RavenBlue says:

    No way is Doria talking to journalists regarding this. If you believe this then I’ve got bridge to sell you.

  14. Robin Samuels says:

    If you believe Doria spoke to anyone, especially a rag reporter, about Meghan, then I am confident you don’t understand responsible independent black mothers. They don’t talk to reporters or police. Speculation is what it is, far-reaching. Doria wasn’t in Montecito every day; she lives in LA; they live in Santa Barbara. Technology is child-friendly; they can FaceTime with their grandmother regularly. Because you don’t always see her in photos doesn’t mean she wasn’t there. They protect her from the media. Leave Doria Ragland alone 😣

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