Is it okay to put family first? (Response to royal family stuff)

[snappy]

The thing is, as I mentioned before, that not a lot has changed with these two, it’s just intensified. I was firmly in their corner, too, and very happy to see Harry finally settling down with someone special. Until news started trickling out about their “separating” from Wills and Kate in their living arrangements at Kensington Palace, their shared office at Buckingham Palace, and the foundation they started together, etc. Hmm. That took me by surprise because Wills, Kate and Harry had always seemed so happy and close together as a “threesome” for so long. Then there were the wedding stories - tiaras, “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets”, family issues, the $3million Frogmore Cottage renovation fiasco, the “don’t want to be working royals anymore but want to keep the security and titles”, and on and on. Now it’s past the point of ridiculousness, but at least people can see the type of people they are, all by their own doing.

A picture is worth a thousand words

View attachment 565119

View attachment 565123

View attachment 565122

View attachment 565120

View attachment 565121


View attachment 565126

View attachment 565128

If ever “a picture is worth a thousand words,” these qualify.

 

[NotUrsula]

Meghan has been the more active of the two, seems like. She's the one who shopped around for the super high-level PR team to shape her "brand," and so on. Harry seems angry and passive-aggressive. Meghan seems aggressive.

Just my take....

I would agree with that. I also think that perhaps as they each appeal to the other's strongest needs, they also may bring out one another's worst tendencies when it comes to people outside their little circle of two. (And yes, I wonder if the marriage will last. Sometimes it's a wonderful thing when a couple find in one another just what they need for affirmation, but sometimes that "you and me against the world" position can become to much to sustain over the long term, especially if one or both of them is the type of person for whom the devotion of one person is not enough. Also, sometimes living within that dynamic can be less than wonderful for kids.)

PS: One of the things I find noticeable in those photos is that in the earlier ones, Harry is apparently playing the clown every single time.
That kind of always making light of the occasion can be something of a defensive shield when a person doesn't feel all that comfortable.

 

[cabanafrau]

Sorry, for the double post. Fighting with my phone.

I don’t remember exactly what I said in the post I had to delete, but this is what I’ve been saying all along. The issues within the Royal Family go deeper than this. I’m sure she added to it, but it can’t all be laid at her feet, like some posters would like to do. Even going as far as to find things to blame on her.

There are some who will agree with the choices they’ve made. Some who won’t agree with a single one. And many of us who understand why they’ve made the choices, but still wish they had made some different decisions. But clearly, for better or worse, they are a team. It can’t all be Meghan’s fault. The idea that Harry is some naive, unsuspecting bystander being manipulated and dragged along by Meghan is ludicrous.

So maybe some of the vehement Meghan bashing can temper down and some of this can also be put on Harry. All while realizing neither side is 100% innocent, nor are either being 100% honest.

Oh I'm sure there are dirty hands on the other side, but the family doesn't really engage in this way with the media, and it's also challenging to try to separate responsibility between royal family members' behind the scenes behavior and what's really the doings of the support staff. Harry and Meghan's own statements attest to the family not being free of the power the support staff wields. If they're telling the truth and their declaration of his father and brother being trapped are true, and that he loves his family, why wouldn't he have made a point to properly point the finger at the support staff when making bunches of allegations? IMO that's because the support staff aren't in a place to forward the type of funds he clearly feels he's owed. But maybe if he hurls murky accusations publicly like a cudgel his father might decide to pick up the phone and cut a check.

I think it's very unfortunate his grandfather was already at such advanced age when Harry was forced to leave active military duty. If anyone could have understood the tough spot Harry found himself in while he struggled to find a way to be productive and fulfilled, Philip could have been a great mentor and sounding board -- and maybe helped steer things through for Harry to find a good professional outlet that would suit him. I suspect that no matter how spry he seemed for someone in his nineties, he may not have been up to the task of being there the way Harry might have benefited from they way Philip might have been able to do ten years earlier.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Sometimes I just wish that Harry and Wills could see eachother, alone, without other people, interruptions or hoopla, for an even just an hour. I feel like if they were to do that, and re-connect on a human, and brotherly, level, things would feel better for them. Maybe I’m a dreamer. But all this back and forth in the press, with global headlines and accusations and all that, is never going to bring them back together. They need time alone together. And they should probably agree not to talk about anything other than themselves and their relationship to eachother. Yeah, Kumbaya! Seriously, though, I bet both would be overcome with emotion and try to figure out how they’ll forge their future together. It’s so easy to ”stay apart” when you’re not seeing someone in person. I feel like they’re probably both utterly miserable right now with all that’s gone on between them when it’s clear how much they love eachother. So sad.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

The thing is, as I mentioned before, that not a lot has changed with these two, it’s just intensified. I was firmly in their corner, too, and very happy to see Harry finally settling down with someone special. Until news started trickling out about their “separating” from Wills and Kate in their living arrangements at Kensington Palace, their shared office at Buckingham Palace, and the foundation they started together, etc. Hmm. That took me by surprise because Wills, Kate and Harry had always seemed so happy and close together as a “threesome” for so long. Then there were the wedding stories - tiaras, “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets”, family issues, the $3million Frogmore Cottage renovation fiasco, the “don’t want to be working royals anymore but want to keep the security and titles”, and on and on. Now it’s past the point of ridiculousness, but at least people can see the type of people they are, all by their own doing.

A picture is worth a thousand words

View attachment 565119

View attachment 565123

View attachment 565122

View attachment 565120

View attachment 565121


View attachment 565126

View attachment 565128

Sorry, but these pictures are cracking me up! The first 5 look like they were taken while William was still trying to ignore the affair taking place between his wife and brother, the last two after he confronted them about it and told them to knock it off. No, I don’t actually believe that’s true but, come on, look at his face!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

PS: One of the things I find noticeable in those photos is that in the earlier ones, Harry is apparently playing the clown every single time.
That kind of always making light of the occasion can be something of a defensive shield when a person doesn't feel all that comfortable.

While I agree with that premise in general (I have known people like this), I don’t think that was the case here. Harry has said Kate was “the big sister he never had”. I think that Harry was always known to be a bit of a clown while William was more the serious one. The three of them just had a very happy and congenial relationship and they took advantage of being their goofy selves whenever they could.

 

[snappy]

Sorry, but these pictures are cracking me up! The first 5 look like they were taken while William was still trying to ignore the affair taking place between his wife and brother, the last two after he confronted them about it and told them to knock it off. No, I don’t actually believe that’s true but, come on, look at his face!

God I sure hope no one tells Meghan about that. We will all wake up the next am to the gory details being spilled by Gayle King on CBS morning show. Harry won‘t be grinning then.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

God I sure hope no one tells Meghan about that. We will all wake up the next am to the gory details being spilled by Gayle King on CBS morning show. Harry won‘t be grinning then.

I would watch that!

 

[snappy]

That makes one of us

 

[Mermaid02]

When Harry said his Father and Brother were "trapped" and he had been trapped too- but he didn't know it until MEGHAN... I heard everything I needed to. If a woman got into a new relationship- stopped seeing her family, her friends and moved far far away from everything she knew, people would be screaming abuse. It's a common tactic of an abusive control freak.

 

[Tigerlulu]

Prince Charles reportedly wanted to release a point by point reply to all the "issues" raised in the Oprah interview. But thought better of it because he didn't want to give more ammunition.

That was the right thing to do. Glad he didn’t give in to the temptation.

When Harry said his Father and Brother were "trapped" and he had been trapped too- but he didn't know it until MEGHAN... I heard everything I needed to. If a woman got into a new relationship- stopped seeing her family, her friends and moved far far away from everything she knew, people would be screaming abuse. It's a common tactic of an abusive control freak.

It is and that was my first thought too. Idk if that’s what’s happening but it’s certainly not a good look and is concerning.
But I also don’t think Harry is innocent in any of this.
I don’t believe this marriage will last. I don’t say that lightly.

 

[cabanafrau]

I don’t believe this marriage will last. I don’t say that lightly.

He will then likely be a man without a country, a man without a family, a man without his money, a man without his reputation, a man without his children, and well and truly a man without his family jewels. He's the one who's driven Mach 10 to wind up where he is today by his own choices.

He'd be subject to no end of grief to attempt to return to the UK. His family relationships can be patched hopefully, but he's smashed significant portions of them beyond complete repair. He's taken up residence in CA, where community property is king.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I might have missed it but I didn’t see anyone post the news this past week that two current staff have left their employ, at least one of which seemed rather sudden.

It’s a pattern with Meghan. She ghosts people when she has used them up or they have told her no.

Don't think there is much of a way back for Harry. No one in the RF will trust him anytime soon. And now Megs has two bargaining chips. Talk about trapped! Haz has made his bed for better or worse.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Harry obtained an O-1 Visa in the US for “people with extraordinary abilities”.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ry-ability-experts-claim.html#reader-comments

And Meghan parts ways with her long time agent.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Markle-drops-longtime-agent-repped-Suits.html

 

[snappy]

Harry obtained an O-1 Visa in the US for “people with extraordinary abilities”.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ry-ability-experts-claim.html#reader-comments

And Meghan parts ways with her long time agent.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9402115/Meghan-Markle-drops-longtime-agent-repped-Suits.html

And another one bites the dust.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I had a quick look at The Guardian's articles about Harry's A'levels. Neither side's claims seem to have been proven, so who knows?

When I saw a photo of him at 18, though, I did suddenly feel really sorry for him.

On top of his parents' unsettling divorce and, then, the awful grief of losing his mum (both tough for any kid), he was brought up with levels of special treatment and entitlement that must have been weirdly alienating. I realise millions have much worse in childhood, of course, but alienation is still alienation. Special treatment is not always an advantage, it can be confusing and misleading.

More than that, however, if he wasn't academically inclined (his skills lay elsewhere - sports, team leadership, the military etc.) and he didn't have a clear path ahead of him like his brother did, he may well have suffered from low self esteem and a sense of not belonging anywhere. It might even have limited his academic potential in the first place.

I don't think that excuses the "interview" at all,. I still think that was a pretty shocking misjudgement at best, but I can see why he might originally have jumped into a new world with his wife, regardless of how wise that particular world might be in the long-run.

As someone mentioned a few pages back (sorry, I can't remember who) - it's a shame he didn't get more obvious support and guidance when he left the military, or even that he left the military. If he had got onto a more solid path back then, he might not have been swayed this way now. He could also have got what he's always said he wants, greater separation between his private and public lives. (Which makes that TV show choice even weirder.)

Of course, I could be way off. It's just a sense I got.


P.S. Those photos of him over time are interesting. He says he's happier now, but he actually seems more consistently resentful and angry and, along with M, unable to let go. .....Perhaps, he should watch Frozen.

 

[Tink-osophy]

Prince Charles reportedly wanted to release a point by point reply to all the "issues" raised in the Oprah interview. But thought better of it because he didn't want to give more ammunition.

That was the right thing to do. Glad he didn’t give in to the temptation.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I think it's very unfortunate his grandfather was already at such advanced age when Harry was forced to leave active military duty. If anyone could have understood the tough spot Harry found himself in while he struggled to find a way to be productive and fulfilled, Philip could have been a great mentor and sounding board -- and maybe helped steer things through for Harry to find a good professional outlet that would suit him. I suspect that no matter how spry he seemed for someone in his nineties, he may not have been up to the task of being there the way Harry might have benefited from they way Philip might have been able to do ten years earlier.

It was you that suggested this, cabanafrau! I couldn't immediately find it when I wrote my post.

 

[redrosesix]

It was a column in the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/comment...and-meghan-if-you-want-to-hang-with-a-listers
She basically says that the really rich, famous, humanitarian people of these world operate a very similar method as the royal family based on 'never explain, never complain'.

Final paragraph of the column:
I wish the couple only well, because – chrissakes! – why not? However, they may have catastrophically miscalculated reverting to Meghan’s Suits-level fame strategy (Push. Publicise. Repeat.). When (oh, the irony!) the royal family’s oft-maligned, tightly buttoned “never explain, never complain” reserve would have far better endeared them to the elite circles they wish to join. They say you should dress for the job you want, and perhaps, exposure-wise, the Sussexes should have maintained self-control for the social position they want. It’s a bit late now.

That's the one! And I hadn't gotten as far as the quoted part ^^

I got a little past "Put it this way: has Michelle Obama ever sat on a TV sofa *****ing about her sister-in-law?" Another thing that article didn't quite say, but really did say...the serious people are not name-droppers. They wouldn't go out of their way to make it known that they were a "friend" of a tennis player. I'm sure they're very careful about who they share their personal details with.

Sean Penn was able to get out of the tabloids and do some serious charity work, most recently during covid. I saw him do an interview about a testing site he set up, and he didn't talk about himself at all -- it was all about the people who were able to make it happen, and how important the first responders were for the community. From the article below: "I do get that people are struggling in ways that I can't even imagine," he said. "And I think we need a really accurate picture of how much testing is happening nationally."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-testing-sean-penn-nonprofit-california/

It only took him like 30 years to completely change his image so there is still hope for H and M.

 

[redrosesix]

Tom Bowers is writing a book on Meghan...alleged annulment, divorce, domestic partner, when she met Harry, throwing hot tea on a servant in OZ, etc. This will not be a flattering unauthorized biography. She’s asked for this. IMO

I'm very happy they're going to talk about the tea incident. Not that it would be ok if it was a member of her own staff, but the woman she threw the tea at wasn't even a member of her own staff.

H and M have been saying the workplace bullying investigation is a smear campaign to take focus from their interview, but now I think the interview was to make her look like a victim before the truth got out. As soon as they had some distance from the RF, people started talking. It's likely the RF was keeping things quiet and I'm not sure that was the right thing to do. I hope all of the people Meghan slapped or threw hot tea at got paid off very well. This isn't the middle ages -- royalty can't treat commoners like crap anymore.