Sunday 10 December 2017

Sunday Wrap Up: Meghan in LA, When We'll see Harry and Meghan Next? & All the Latest News!

Since the engagement announcement, we have been inundated with a flurry of stories about Prince Harry and Meghan. On this chilly Sunday evening, we're wrapping up the most interesting pieces from recent updates along with updates on the couple and when we'll see them next.

Meghan is reportedly in LA... Since Harry and Meghan's day in Nottingham, there haven't been any reported sightings of the couple or of Meghan in London. Several outlets including E! News reported Meghan flew to LA early last week to spend time with her mother Doria Ragland. Doria has been papped out and about in recent days and there's no sign of Meghan with her. I imagine Meghan may be visiting friends too. Shortly after the engagement announcement, Kensington Palace confirmed Meghan would be doing quite a bit of travelling before the royal wedding. When she returns to London, the couple are expected to spend Christmas at Sandringham with the Royal family. Afterwards, it's been reported they will ring in the New Year with Doria before jetting off for a sun holiday. Harry and Meghan will be undertaking a tour of the UK encompassing a variety of engagements before the wedding. We don't know when this will get properly underway; perhaps February? Kensington Palace press secretary Jason Knauf said: "This is the country that’s going to be her home now and that means travelling around, getting to know the towns and cities and smaller communities."

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Prince Harry is also out of London at present; he flew to Germany for a private hunting weekend.

Harry and Meghan Will Attend the Queen's Pre-Christmas Luncheon... The Sunday Express and The Sun report Meghan is expected to join the Royal family for the annual festive event held at Buckingham Palace. It's believed the luncheon will take place on either the "19 or 20 December". Camilla Tominey writes the Queen throws the traditional festive knees-up at Buckingham Palace every year to ensure she sees relatives who are not invited to Sandringham on 25 December. This year’s event, thought to be on 20 December, will be attended by at least fifty royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, as well as relatives lower down the pecking order such as Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. "Plus it provides the perfect opportunity for her to meet some of the Prince’s extended family, especially as she was not at the Queen and Prince Philip’s 70th anniversary dinner last month.The lunch will see Meghan renew her acquaintance with the Queen’s corgis." We will see arrival/departure photos of the royals arriving on the day. Below, Harry arriving with the Cambridges last year.

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Meghan's Toronto home for sale... Meghan's former Toronto home on leafy Yarmouth Road in the Seaton Village neighbourhood is now for sale for £800,000. The three-bedroom property was 'home' for Meghan while she filmed seven seasons of Suits, and the location where Harry and Meghan spent much of their time during their first year together.


Shall we take a peek inside?


The listing reads: "Live Well In This Stylish Designer Inspired Home. Turnkey From Top-To-Bottom. A Perfect Home For Entertaining. Spacious, Light Filled Living/Dining Space. Luxe Eat-In Kitchen With Walk-Out To Professionally Landscaped Private Garden Retreat. Three Well Proportioned Bedrooms. Decorator Baths. Fully Finished Basement Area Perfectly Suited For Family Time. Awesome Two Car Garage."


One can easily see foodie Meghan cooking in the kitchen.


I love the minimalist decor with shades of grey and white.


You can view the listing and more photos here.


Andrew Morton to pen book on Meghan... Diana's biographer Andrew Morton is to author a "comprehensive" book on the future Duchess. Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, set to be published in April one month before the royal wedding, will be published by Michael O Mara Books. According to i News, Morton said: "I was a fan of Meghan’s long before she met Prince Harry. She has star quality, what some have called ‘the Markle Sparkle’. Confident, groomed and camera ready, she is a dramatic contrast to the blushing, coy royal brides of recent history." Morton said the book would be "a comprehensive, unparalleled look at her life prior to the royal engagement", adding that Markle’s life is "a fascinating story and I can’t wait to tell it".


Royal Jewellers will not be recreating Meghan's engagement ring... Designed by Prince Harry and featuring a central diamond from Botswana and diamonds from Princess Diana's private collection, Meghan's engagement ring is one of the most famous on the planet. For jewellers Cleave and Company the attention and demand since has been "a bit of a shock". Stephen Connelly, the director of Cleave and Company told the Associated Press: "We’re not going to be making replicas of it. If you want a ring, then we’ll design you a different one."


The Meghan Markle Effect... Is officially very much underway, with pieces she wears selling out in minutes. Indeed, brands are struggling to keep up with demand for items she's worn since the engagement. These statistics shared by Max Foster offer an early insight into the potential influence Meghan may have on the British fashion industry in the years to come.

Max Foster CNN

Scottish brand Strathberry reported an increase in searches of a whopping 2044% with stock selling out in eleven minutes. It's incredible to see the impact on a small business. The tote in Burgundy/Navy/Vanilla will be restocked soon with the company taking email addresses from those who wish to be notified.

Strathberry

Kurt Geiger is also taking pre-orders for the Violet boots Meghan wore in Nottingham.

Kurt Geiger

Cover Girl... Have you noticed the sheer number of covers Meghan has featured on in the past fortnight? I believe I counted nine in my local newsagent and considerably more elsewhere.


Hello! led with 'The Magic of Meghan'.


International magazines such as Elle France used older images.


As did this weekend's Fabulous magazine.


Follow the Blog... I received several emails from readers over the past week interested in subscribing. On the sidebar, there's a 'Follow by Email' widget. If you enter your email address and click submit you will be signed up and subscribed to receive updates. For mobile users, if you cannot view the sidebar and wish to subscribe, drop me an email at hrhcatherineblog@hotmail.com and I'll add you to the list.


For those on social media you can follow the blog on Twitter here and Facebook here.

I've added a Meghan's Calendar and included the info on the sidebar of the blog.


And that's our wrap up for tonight. Thank you for reading! :)

58 comments:

  1. Charlotte I do not know how you keep up with all the news on both blogs, and present it so lucidly and comprehensively, I have been a mostly silent daily watcher of your Duchess of Cambridge blog and now this one too. I take my hat off to you for unfailingly getting the news out and getting it right. I just hope you are going to be able to keep up the very high standard you have set.

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    1. Thank you for reading Barbara :)

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    2. I second that Barbara :) I have to give Charlotte credit for the fantastic way in she covers both Kate and Meghan. Charlotte, you are always so swift and up to date with your posts, you cover the lives of Kate and Meghan (and other members of the royal family when it's pertinent) in such a respectful and tasteful manner, you truly echo the grace and kindness that both these women exude. I applaude you for creating such a wonderful atmosphere on these blogs :)

      On another note, how lovely does Meghan's former home look? I would never have imagined it to be so spacious looking at it from the outside but the style and decor is really beautiful. Also, I spy a Union Jack pillow on the sofa ;)

      Love Avee in SA

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    3. Charlotte, you are a machine (or superwoman!) Truly :)

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    4. Avee, I agree! Her old house in Toronto is so nice inside...it looks deceiving from the outside. Such a cosy home.

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  2. What a fabulous post update about Meghan and your doing a great job with both of these blogs Charlotte. I'm so excited to see Meghan on Christmas day with Harry and the rest of the family and also we can finally see Meghan and Kate together omg I'm to excited right now. I love Meghan's style its so classy and elegant with an edgy twist to it and when I looked at some of clothes she wore in the past I knew she is going to be a style icon. Meghan looked absolutely gorgeous in all of these magazine covers, hopefully one day she will do a Vogue cover shoot. Also Charlotte can you do a post about a wedding dress speculation for Meghan like what type of dress she might wear or which designer brand she might choose to design her dress, I think it would be a fun post to read and comment about.

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    1. I'm planning a 'Royal Wedding' series of posts ahead of the big day with a special post all about dress options. Readers will also be submitting their ideas which is going to be great fun :)

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    2. Surfer Girl and Eve have been planning this for months no doubt!!! LOL :))

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  3. Charlotte, YOU are the best! Thank you for this wonderful summation and your ongoing attention to Meghan (as well as Catherine). For those of us not able to see the various covers (I'm currently in Tokyo until the end of January), thanks again. It's been wonderful to keep up with all the news via your excellent synopses from here.

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  4. Thank you Charlotte Im Faiza from France and your blog is a réally pleasure to read it (excuse my english )

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  5. Excellent, Charlotte. I didn't know how your excellent blogs could possibly get better, but they are. 🌷

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  6. Awesome article! Thank you so so so much for all you do!
    Love these wrap ups!

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  7. I bet she and Jessica are working hard on getting the clothes together for all Meghan's appearances, including Buckingham Palace and then all the Christmas activities! This is a dream come true for watchers. A truly nice person who is not shy. :)

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  8. Thank you for doing this. Royal watching is my “cheer up news” in a glum news cycle.

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  9. I just watched the video on the DM of Meghan aged 18, driving around Hollywood/LA. She is such an exuberant, bubbly person! A real chatterbox...she must talk the ears off of Harry & everyone else she meets LOL What a real sweetheart :) I laughed when she said, "I'm not on good terms with my dad right now"...reminds me of myself at that age; typical teenage angst, driving around acting like an adult & trying on clothes etc. (except the part about auditioning for a Shakira music video - only in LA!). It was really refreshing & sweet to see. Did Ninaki sell that footage to DM? There's a whole bunch of childhood photos of them together. I wonder how Meghan feels about all of it & whether she's confronting Ninaki right now in LA as we speak! She sounds like such a bitter friend who is totally selling Meghan out.

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    1. @Kiwi Gal - that woman sounds like a piece of work! With "friends" like that, who needs enemies (I refuse to even write her name)!! I read that she sold all of those (50) photos and videos to the DM for over $100,000 (or maybe it was 100,000 pounds!). It seems like they had a falling out when the old friend sided with Meghan's ex-husband in their divorce. The fact that both relationships ended around the same time made me wonder whether that "friend" had been a part of the reason the marriage ended? But even if not, what kind of person takes the side of the ex over the friend you'd been close to for 20 years?!

      I totally agree with you that she sounds very bitter and is a horrible person for selling all of those photos/videos and lies about Meghan. It's hard because I feel like so many negative people - this woman, Meghan's half-sister - have been putting so much horrible information out about Meghan...but her real friends and those who have happy, positive stories to tell about Meghan aren't going to betray her trust by running to the media. So, the negative stories are writing a lot of the narrative about her. This is partly why I want her to do more engagements and be visible so people can see the real her and not let the negative narrative frame the picture of who she is. You know what I mean?

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    2. I think there's no question Meghan has no problem talking. (Example 1: engagement interview!) But, yes, I think it's something her friend sold. I don't know where else they would have got it especially if it was only two of them in the car.

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    3. inthekitchen- definitely. Will the real MM please stand up LOL I can't wait till she's doing more engagements in the UK etc. The public will love her. And all these articles & stories about her ex/family will be long forgotten (i hope!).
      bluhare - yep, I should've known how eager she is to chat during the engagement interview. I thought it was a bit of nerves, but I think she had to keep herself contained from completely dominating the interview! LOL

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    4. Meghan may indeed be calculating as her ex-friend said. As in she correctly calculated that these people needed to be cut out of her life long ago. It seems to me that Meghan was able to gain her own financial security for the first time in her adult life and in a place far out of the LA bubble, which allowed her to rediscover the girl who went to Northwestern and had career aspirations beyond acting.

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  10. Thanks for the great update, Charlotte! I also love the addition of the calendar - thank you. I've been struggling to find details on her upcoming events and activities and now I'll know just where to come :) Although I suppose she just doesn't have anything official booked yet that the BRF want to share with us. Charlotte, do you have a sense on when things like her attendance at the queen's luncheon or Christmas celebrations would be announced? Or would we just see her there on the days? I can't remember what happened with Kate. I'm also impatient for her and Harry's future UK tour to be announced. And wedding details! I'm just so impatient for it all. I guess I need to figure out how to bide my time for the next 6 months or I'll go nuts.

    On the various topics of the post, I know it's "what they do" but I am really disappointed that Harry flew to Germany to hunt (or will continue to hunt for sport). I may be a hypocrite since I'm not vegan, but I don't believe in hunting for sport. I wonder how Meghan will reconcile this or whether it's something they talk about. There was another article I saw in the DailyFail that said Meghan has encouraged Harry to stop smoking. Hopefully that's true and they can continue to have good, healthy influences on each other. To me, that's what a good relationship should be - bringing out the best in your partner, supporting them, encouraging the to grow.

    I hope Doria will be able to have more privacy once the initial excitement of the engagement and marriage have passed a bit. I feel bad for her being papp'd outside her home, at the dry cleaners, etc. She seems like she's taking it all in stride but it must be annoying!

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    1. The Pre-Christmas luncheon is a private family event, so we'll just know on the day. We will get official confirmation on Meghan's plans to spend Christmas at Sandringham soon.

      Speaking of Christmas, I imagine the Queen will mention and congratulate Harry and Meghan during her speech.

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    2. Is there any way that we here in the U.S. watch the Queen's speech real time?🎄

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  11. Charlotte, do you know where the current photos for some of the magazines like Elle are coming from? I;m sure MM is not posing for all of these now. Would there be stock photos that magazines can buy?

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    1. Hello Allison,

      They are from old photo shoots and interviews promoting Suits. The image on the cover of Elle France is from a shoot Meghan did for Vanity Fair Mexico by Christian Blanchard. The full set is here http://christianblanchard.com/meghan-markle/

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    2. Thanks---she looks pretty stunning! I like how she looks in colors that are bronze or copper like.

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    3. Allison. Meghan absolutely rocks those colors. Like they were specially made for her. Definitely stunning as you said. :)

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    4. Aren't they great on her? I imagine she has to look not so sexy for awhile now unfortunately.

      And I am so nosy---I want to know the number of (combined) carats of her ring and read anywhere from 2.5 to 6! I hope that instead of giving her a carpet of diamonds as a welcome present from Prince Charles, they give her some BIG solitaire pendents and earrings. And everything looks good on her with that smile! Without being catty, I was so sure Harry would end up with some British aristocrat blonde and am so excited that he had such good sense! I imagine Kate and William are happy, too.

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    5. Allison, I so agree with your last two sentences. A blonde aristo would've seemed the predictable choice for a spouse, but I am glad he chose wisely, also. I somehow had a feeling he would end up with either a) an American or b) someone of African heritage...turns out Meghan is both! He's always had close ties with Africa & his personality seems more suited to an American...kind of like his mother (I read that Diana was thinking of moving to the US at some stage).

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  12. Looking forward to seeing her with the rest of the royal family!

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  13. Everything I've seen from Meghan's former friend just makes me like Meghan more. I really hope she's able to leave a legacy of true positive impact in the world. Go Meghan! (ps. I totally bought the cheapest bag Strathberry makes).

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  14. As Josh Duboff of Vanity Fair said, it has only been days since we have seen Meghan but it seems like a year, lol. Doesn't it? What amazes me is how she has managed to allude the cameras. Surely the media has people placed everywhere hoping for a glimpse of Meghan. Shades of pre-engagement stealth. :)
    Harry. You are wrong. You truly can hide Meghan. :)

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    1. SG- I can only imagine she is somewhere attending some princesses crash courses on everything from curtsy, to what to say, and what not to say. How about one writer who commented, “she mums him" / well that comforting lite pat on the back from her to him in UK public might have to say good bye. I can also imagine she is in some lovely and glamourous place (LA or not) with several hours of coordinating with designers for may be a year’s worth of clothing? and then, there is that selection of sparkling sparkles to choose from. Don't forget the wedding planning. For that, they will have to contact you, or vice versa. May be she is doing all this and also bonding with special people in her life, like her father and mother. Where is Meghan? And Where is Eve?

      By the way, Meghan takes very well to the cameras and looks adorably charming and pretty on the magazine covers here.

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    2. lol, Anon 15. :) They can contact me anytime. I'm at the ready. :) As for what Meghan is doing. I say perhaps she is doing a little of all the above.

      And, yes, Eve, we are giving you a shout out.
      Where are you? :)

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    3. Charlotte since I'm a worrier by nature do you have Eve' s email as a way to contact her?

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    4. Hello Cherie,

      I'm afraid I don't have Eve's email. I'm sure she'll pop in soon though :)

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  15. Ok, I am going to be nerd here! I am so looking forward to the photos of Meghan and Catherine working together, attending events together, etc. Maybe Wimbledon next year? I also can’t wait to see the Cambridges and Harry and Meghan once she is part of the foundation. What about the families and babies? It’s going to be great! I’m going to go hide in a corner now, lol.

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    1. Mika. :) that's not nerdy. If it is then welcome to nerd city. :)

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  16. Courtney, MD, USA12 December 2017 at 00:15

    Thanks for the update, as always, Charlotte! And thankful for adding the sidebar with her calendar. I’m excited for the prospects of Christmas - I imagine the walk to church might be our first sighting with Kate and Meghan together?

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  17. thanks charlotte. I wonder. How can you do that ... Im hoping she will spend her last christmas in her family before joining next year with the royals

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  18. Mika - I think you are being an optimist. Cheerleaders don't hide, enjoy the upcoming future like many people who look forward for excactly what you posted.

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  19. Really exciting that Meghan will be attending these Christmas festivities and a great opportunity for her to meet and get to know more of the RF extended family. It makes sense too that PP and QE are making the most of everyone being around the Christmas table to make some lasting memories and celebrate such happy times ahead.

    Now what will she be wearing....

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  20. Hi All, The Elle magazine cover with Meghan in the denim jacket (photographed by Christian Blanchard) was originally shot for Gritty Pretty an online magazine dedicated to all things beauty. It's the brainchild of Australia's Eleanor Pendleton. I will link more info on Gritty Pretty below, along with a link to the original Gritty Pretty cover story on Meghan who's interest in the online magazine led to the feature. By the way, Charlotte, your link to additional pics of Meghan by Christian Blanchard does not work. It's possible to go direct to christianblanchard.com, the photog's main web page, then click on the picture of Meghan (the Vanity Fair pic which is also from the original Gritty Pretty shoot) and the full set of photos will appear. Most of the photos from the Blanchard shoot will also show up on a general Google Images search for 'Meghan Markle Gritty Pretty', e.g., here's one of the images: https://rm-content.s3.amazonaws.com/54063dca33c505f432cc700d/222445/upload-126dae20-5421-11e5-b129-53e2d6629a8c.jpg
    Other links:
    http://magazine.grittypretty.com/222445/spring-2015-in-the-city-meghan-markle-1/
    http://grittypretty.com/about/
    And I love this pic of Meghan with her bestest nonromantic male friend for life:
    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/38/6b/c5386b1287c2fd7065f78ec4282a9408.jpg
    Best to all MM followers & Hugh thanks to Charlotte for this super blog! :)

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    1. Thank you for posting that video link on Meghan’s interview. It is up close and personal. She favors the word, “organic” here too (the last one was in her engagement interview about her relationship with Harry). When the core belief, interest and passion is rightly genuine (organic) the rest seems to flow with effort and persistence. She shared her experience and belief so unselfishly, confidently and freely; it was inspirational. She may not necessarily be a conformist. Put that chemistry in the oldest and traditional institution of British monarchy, time will tell how it will all work out. I agree with Harry that his mother would have been good friends with Meghan. She also seems to have the substance to make a good/an excellent leader in politics and/ or media.

      Now, respectfully, I add to my comments from 02:25 - what she may be doing as she is away from the public these days. Chances are, she is also researching and learning more about her future engagements in UK which will take place before the wedding.

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    2. By the way, I like her ankle boots, and her whole presentation. I bought ankle boots on line last week, and I will pick them from the store tomorrow. Her boots gave her outfit some personality and a feminine touch. I will reconsider and see if I can find a pair similar in style as long as they are comfortable.

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    3. The twin /duplicate15 December 2017 at 00:33

      Thank you Charlotte

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  21. Ha ha, I meant to say 'Huge' thanks to Charlotte in my previous post! And Hugs too!!!

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  22. I just came across this fascinating interview with Meghan at the Create & Cultivate conference in Atlanta 2016. She talks about establishing The Tig, and the opportunities that came her way as a direct result. Also, she discusses the hard work of auditioning and dealing with rejection.
    https://meghanmarklesmafia.tumblr.com/post/168220188408/create-cultivate-atlanta-2016-its-been-said

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    1. 19:42. I wish she had included the lady sitting next her, the host, more as far as eye contact goes. And that she would have talked more to the audience too instead of seemingly just talking out in space sort of. Know I'm being picky, but....

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    1. She is at Windsor Castle helping the Queen greet the 900 Royal household employees at their Christmas party. For real. 🎄🏰

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  24. "The Force is strong on this red carpet." ⭐️⭐️

    That is what Kensington Palace, yep, none other than Kensington Palace, tweeted about William and Harry's appearance on the red carpet at the premiere of the latest "Star Wars" movie. How cool is that? :)

    AND, that's not all. William and Harry invited 400
    people to be special guests at the premiere. Those guests included young people, military people, volunteers and people from their various charities and victims from the Grenfall Tower tragedy, including emergency workers and also people involved in helping in current recovery. WHAT AN AMAZINGLY COOL THING TO DO. ❤️

    And, there's more.
    You just have to see this. Kensington Palace did a very creative Star Wars promo of their own for William and Harry. It is in "People", Simon Perry, 12/13/17.
    You will love it. Kensington Palace. Who knew? George Lucas watch out. lol

    Charlotte. I hope you can include their video here.
    (please.) :)

    Oh and William and Harry are storm troopers in the movie. Or at least they were before their scene apparently got edited out. But the boys did get their own stormtrooper helmets so...., not so bad.
    Guess they'll keep their days jobs though. :)

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    1. LOL surfer girl...& here I was thinking that Meghan's acting tips were gonna help Harry hit the big time :P At least they got to keep the helmets! It all sounds very cool :)

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    2. :), Kiwi Gal. You think they would a left that scene in just for posterity (and to thank the boys) if nothing else. :)

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  25. P.S.S. lol, oh, and any proceeds from the premiere evening go to Wiiliam, Harry and Kate's Charitable Trust. win win win situations all around. :)

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Welcome to Mad About Meghan! We do so look forward to reading your thoughts. Constructive, fair debate is always encouraged. Hateful, derogatory terms and insults are not welcome here. This space focuses on Harry and Meghan, not any other member of the Royal family. It's not the place to discuss politics either. Thank you for reading, we look forward to your comments :)