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

[TLSnell1981]

Devil's advocate --- If, IF the infamous Prince Harry quote about Meghan gets what Meghan wants is true, the first finger of blame should be pointed at Harry for that. If proven true, that statement can only be held against Harry without evidence that Meghan influenced it, endorses it or encourages or encouraged it.

It's also incredibly early days to say that they're not filing suit over the bullying story, therefore the claims must be true. The other lawsuits weren't filed within days of the actions they were objecting to occurring.

It does appear Henpecked Harry is an enabler but that doesn’t absolve Mean Meg of her horrible behaviors. She’s almost forty years old and soon to be the mother of two. Time to own her **** and grow up.

 

[Tink-osophy]

Devil's advocate --- If, IF the infamous Prince Harry quote about Meghan gets what Meghan wants is true, the first finger of blame should be pointed at Harry for that. If proven true, that statement can only be held against Harry without evidence that Meghan influenced it, endorses it or encourages or encouraged it.

Arguably, it seems each might be some kind of catalyst for the other. I don't know about the first finger of blame. It seems like a perfect storm that probably began before they even met. There are statements (not tabloid) that point to each of them separately.

The palace should have looked into these allegations of bullying before, but I don't blame them for looking into it now, because IF it's true they can't be sitting back while H&M do an interview hitting out at everyone else.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I wish I could disagree!!! There was such broad hope for them at the beginning.

They do seem oblivious to their own role in all this and/or they're getting terrible PR advice.

Meghan was urged to support Palace staff. Her reply? 'It's not my job to coddle people.' Not respectful or kind to those beneath her.

 

[mamamia2005]

Another thought that has just popped into my mind, is if they are a united front against the firm, the world etc etc, then why is Meghan doing a large proportion of the interview on her own? I don't mean that a married couple should be joined at the hip, or that she can't speak out for herself, but just something that struck me.

 

[Karin1984]

Another thought that has just popped into my mind, is if they are a united front against the firm, the world etc etc, then why is Meghan doing a large proportion of the interview on her own? I don't mean that a married couple should be joined at the hip, or that she can't speak out for herself, but just something that struck me.

I think this is to even out Harry's interview with James Corden. Now they both had time alone, and time together. Except Meghan got more time and more serious time.
It would be more fun if in her interview Meghan recreated that video her father released of her, of her playing Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods in highschool(?) Talk about a stomping her feet-character ;-)

 

[cabanafrau]

It does appear Henpecked Harry is an enabler but that doesn’t absolve Mean Meg of her horrible behaviors. She’s almost forty years old and soon to be the mother of two. Time to own her **** and grow up.

I wasn't defending anybody. Like I said, from the position of Devil's advocate I acknowledged that the comment hasn't been confirmed as having actually taken place in fact, and that even if it did, the comment in and of itself doesn't indict Meghan. There may be plenty of smoke pointing to both H&M playing with matches, but this comment so far only has smoke to support it.

Arguably, it seems each might be some kind of catalyst for the other. I don't know about the first finger of blame. It seems like a perfect storm that probably began before they even met. There are statements (not tabloid) that point to each of them separately.

My gut instinct suspects that this may be very close to the mark, that they might not bring out the best of each other in certain ways. That would be particularly unfortunate for people who are about to become the parents of two impressionable youngsters.

Another thought that has just popped into my mind, is if they are a united front against the firm, the world etc etc, then why is Meghan doing a large proportion of the interview on her own? I don't mean that a married couple should be joined at the hip, or that she can't speak out for herself, but just something that struck me.

This is something that's often jumped out at me in regards to pretty much everything to do with everything public about these two, there's always at the very least a subtle way that publicity is skewed to shine the spotlight even just a tad brighter on Meghan. Even the Corden piece had her making a virtual appearance, and of course the waffle anecdote made sure to place the earth mother tiara on her head (organic of course) by being sure to give her the shoutout for both making the waffles every morning, being sure to reference her bespoke mix. Initially I wrote off a series of these coincidences as a series of nothingburgers and chalked them up first to an overall attempt by Harry and the Palace PTB to make sure everyone saw the new bride in a flattering light. Then I thought it was a campaign to combat negative social media and press accounts. Finally I began to realize it was too consistent not to be a deliberate campaign and that there are only two possible candidates left who could be driving that bus.

Now it's down to wait and see what comes directly out of their own mouths to see if they in fact are intent to drive that bus over the family members Harry claims he loves deeply. I have a feeling I'm about to feel very sorry for William on a brother to brother level. Just because he's been raised with the knowledge the plan is for him to be king one day doesn't mean that he can't feel hurt and pain. He also suffered the loss of a mother he loved deeply. I really, really hope Harry has the decency and the dignity not to fling mud at his brother publicly, or attempt to trash the family business because he will never run the show or doesn't care to be involved anymore.

 

[Tink-osophy]

Meghan was urged to support Palace staff. Her reply? 'It's not my job to coddle people.' Not respectful or kind to those beneath her.

Yes, this allegation is part of The Times article, I think.

Like I said a page or so back (this thread is moving fast ! ), I really hope she didn't say that bearing in mind she complained TO THE MEDIA that no one was asking her if she was OK! I imagine her friends and family were asking her. I would hope Harry was!

My gut instinct suspects that this may be very close to the mark, that they might not bring out the best of each other in certain ways. That would be particularly unfortunate for people who are about to become the parents of two impressionable youngsters.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My point is the media is all over the Duchess of Sussex and forgetting that somebody else used to hang around with Epstein a lot

While true, it’s more her/them that’s all over the media. They seek it out, having a PR team and lawyers who speak for them, as well as doing things to blatantly promote themselves (after blaming the media for their woes) like a no-holds-barred Oprah Winfrey interview and the James Cordon show, etc. They are working hard to keep themselves relevant riding the coattails of the RF whom they have little problem trashing in the media even though they’ve been very patient and giving to them. Their hypocrisy and tone-deafness are the things that people are reacting so negatively to, and they can’t or won’t see it because they are too selfish and arrogant to look past their own desires. I suspect this interview is only going to intensify peoples’ dislike for them, and I’m glad their former employees’ voices are finally being heard, too. Not much of it is new news, but the picture is becoming more complete now. And that is much their own doing. Had they gone off and lived a quiet life of privacy like they said they were going to do, all of this likely would’ve stayed under the rug. People have a right to defend themselves.

As for Andrew, pp’s got it right, his day will come. In many ways, it already has, as he no longer has the power and stature that he once did. He’s lost a lot of his Royal duties and caused tremendous embarrassment for the RF and his own daughters. He’s not as popular as H&M are, so the stories about him aren’t as widely broadcast - you have to look for them, but they’ve been there, too. If he were to promote himself the way these two have, I’m sure we’d be hearing more. But Andrew is laying low, which is probably smart on his part.

 

[Tink-osophy]

Another thought that has just popped into my mind, is if they are a united front against the firm, the world etc etc, then why is Meghan doing a large proportion of the interview on her own? I don't mean that a married couple should be joined at the hip, or that she can't speak out for herself, but just something that struck me.

Interesting.

It will all have been carefully planned and designed to the last detail to send particular messages. So, it's probably more than just about her having her own voice (important as that is for every person equally. ...Including ex-employees from their old royal team).

The uncanny similarity to Wallis Simpson must mean something conscious or subconscious. Did you see the photos?

 

[mamamia2005]

Interesting.

It will all have been carefully planned and designed to the last detail to send particular messages. So, it's probably more than just about her having her own voice (important as that is for every person equally. ...Including ex-employees from their old royal team).

The uncanny similarity to Wallis Simpson must mean something conscious or subconscious. Did you see the photos?

Yes, I saw the Daily Mail article pointing out the similarities - the dress, the hair and the bracelet. The hair I think is a fairly normal Meghan style to be fair though.

Poor Kate - I don't think there's any love lost between the sisters in law. She must have glad to have been shot of Meghan, and now with the bullying investigation may be dragged into that as a "witness" as they shared staff for a while I believe.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I noticed there was a comment by Harry about how hard it must have been for his mum (it must! ), since it's been hard for Meghan and him and they, at least, have each other.

It strikes me that he is seeing 'everything' through the lens of (his experience of) what happened to his mum (not surprising given his age at the time and how tumultuous and tragic it was) and , of course, there's relevance to that -- but it's not accurate to filter 'everything' through that lens, it skews your perspective.

Does he now think everything that has happened, happened TO them and they haven't played any part in how it's all unfolded? The problem with not taking any responsibility is it disempowers you and you stay stuck in victimhood.

He must have been carrying so much resentment and pain for so long (well before Meghan) and this has enabled him to vent it, but is it appropriately directed? Is it going to help him in the long run?

 

[Tink-osophy]

Yes, I saw the Daily Mail article pointing out the similarities - the dress, the hair and the bracelet. The hair I think is a fairly normal Meghan style to be fair though.

Poor Kate - I don't think there's any love lost between the sisters in law. She must have glad to have been shot of Meghan, and now with the bullying investigation may be dragged into that as a "witness" as they shared staff for a while I believe.

Yes, the hairstyle is a norm for her (it suits her) -- it's still uncanny when you look at the two photos side-by-side, though, the dress, the expression... maybe it's a subconscious thing!

I've noticed that a lot of people defending Meghan are trying to do it by criticising (and in some places insulting) Kate. Pulling someone else down to lift yourself or someone else up never works, because it's not real. I agree Kate must just want to be free of it all.

 

[design_mom]

My gut instinct suspects that this may be very close to the mark, that they might not bring out the best of each other in certain ways.

I am not royal-watcher in the least... but this is my guess based on reading this thread. My SIL and her husband are like that. They validate each other's perceptions whether they have any basis in reality or not. And it usually ends up with them both worked up into a frenzy about how they've been wronged or cheated out of something they "deserve." I've also seen them do it to go "all in" on a poor decision, then when it inevitably fails, it's someone else's fault, or some circumstance that they couldn't possibly have been expected to have foreseen (even though it's often something everyone else could see, and warned them about, but were written off as "haters.")

 

[EMom]

I know! I keep hoping this isn't true - that Harry didn't really say it!

I also hope Meghan didn't really say it isn't her job "to coddle people", bearing in mind she was complaining TO THE MEDIA that no one was asking her if she was OK!

The stories about her abusive treatment of the staff are not new. Bits and pieces trickled out, even as it took place. People noticed that she kept losing staff, who had been with the family for some time. Reports say that when she was told "we do not treat the staff that way/you shouldn't treat staff that way," her response was, "It's not my job to coddle them." What a diva. Those employees are said to have signed NDAs, so they are limited in what they can say, but Meghan can spin all she wants.

As my mother would have said, "That one is a piece of work." Look at her history. No one from EITHER SIDE of her family (except her mother) was at the wedding. She has a long, and well earned IMHO, track record of using people.....even relatives and friends....and ghosting them once they have served their purpose. She obviously lied about no knowing who Harry was. Sheesh. At some point, it becomes obvious that SHE is the problem and not the victim.

It seems William chose his wife wisely, and Harry did the dead opposite. Thank goodness William was born first.

 

[Cheburashka]

Harry: Needs to get a grip, grow a pair, and open his eyes. He experienced one trauma within the context of an extraordinarily advantaged and emotionally supported childhood. No, I don't feel sorry for him, and it amazes me that any normal person does.

Meghan: Needs to retire to her newly acquired (via her royal connections) cocoon of wealth. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Me Gain.

The Queen: Needs to strip the couple of their HRH and Duke & Duchess titles before they do any more damage to the royal family's reputation. They're denigrating the family publicly, so why would they legitimately want to keep any royal links?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Do we really expect this Oprah interview to be some hard hitting expose of the royal family? I imagined it was going to be mostly fluff — a look at their new home in LA, talk about their transitions into parenthood and life outside the palace gates, blah, blah, blah — peppered with a few generalized, vague mentions of the “difficulties” of royal life, dealing with the press, etc. I think it’s highly unlikely they’re going to air the royal family’s dirty laundry or offer much of anything in the way of specifics. I’ll fall off my chair if one of them says, “Well, the problems began when William cheated on Kate...” It’s just not going to happen. Of course, afterwards there will be people who claim they made direct attacks on the queen, because there seems to be a certain segment who think everything H&M do is a direct attack on the queen. But to a casual observer like me, I think the palace has done themselves a disservice with all the recent insider statements and the launch of the investigation.* It’s now getting news coverage and has only made me more interested in tuning in to the H&M interview whereas previously it didn’t seem interesting enough to appeal to me.

*The palace employees deserve a safe and dignified workplace just as much as anyone, so if bullying or harassment is taking place it absolutely needs to be investigated and addressed. An investigation should have been started when the claims were first made, not covered up until now. If Meghan’s guilty of creating a hostile work environment, she’s guilty, and shame on her, regardless of when the investigation is done. To wait until now, however, makes it look like the palace’s motivations are more an attempt to smear her credibility than to maintain a healthy workplace.

 

[Cheburashka]

Do we really expect this Oprah interview to be some hard hitting expose of the royal family?... I think it’s highly unlikely they’re going to air the royal family’s dirty laundry...

Have you seen the promos?

 

[Cheburashka]

If Meghan’s guilty of creating a hostile work environment, she’s guilty, and shame on her, regardless of when the investigation is done. To wait until now, however, makes it look like the palace’s motivations are more an attempt to smear her credibility than to maintain a healthy workplace.

Or rather they waited because they didn't want to damage a royal's reputation. Imagine that, the palace courtiers not wanting to create a public scandal... That's actually the issue that's being complained about here. They've been shielding Meghan all this time. The palace's failure to protect staff from an abusive royal is what the core of this complaint is about, and what Buckingham Palace is now investigating.

The complaint was lodged 2 years ago- not even Markle's camp denies the allegations were made at the time. They aren't new & if you've followed Meghan's coverage (the serious coverage, not just puff piece coverage) over the years you've seen the behavior allegations many times, in the forms of rumors about her behavior, before this 2 year-old official email surfaced.

 

[snappy]

I think Meghan would style herself the victim no matter when the staff harassment investigation would have been held. It’s a role she knows well,

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Have you seen the promos?

Just what’s been discussed here and the clips that have made it to CNN.

Or maybe they waited because they didn't want to damage a royal's reputation? Imagine that, the palace courtiers not wanting to create a public scandal... That's actually the issue that's being complained about here. They've been shielding Meghan all this time. The palace's failure to protect staff from an abusive royal is what the core of this complaint is about, and what Buckingham Palace is now investigating.

The complaint was lodged 2 years ago- not even Markle's camp denies the allegations were made at the time. They aren't new & if you've followed Meghan's coverage (the serious coverage, not just puff piece coverage) over the years you've seen the behavior allegations many times, in the forms of rumors about her behavior, before this 2 year-old email surfaced.

If by “they” you mean the palace as a whole, well then they’ve only served to damage their own reputation by participating in a cover-up. If the concerns were brought up two years ago, then the palace had an ethical obligation to investigate this two years ago. Because now it’s both a scandal and a cover-up, which is not a good look for any of them.