Tuesday 6 February 2018

Harry and Meghan's Scotland Visit Confirmed!

As reported by Emily Andrews last week, Kensington Palace has confirmed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit Edinburgh for a day of engagements, next Tuesday, 13 February. The Palace said the day was planned around meeting members of the public and learning about local organisations. The day will mark the couple's first official visit to Scotland as their pre-wedding tour continues around the U.K.


Prince Harry and Ms. Markle's first stop will be at the Esplanade in front of the iconic Edinburgh Castle, where they will be officially welcomed to the city by the Royal Marines Scotland Band. Prince Harry became Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Marines in December 2017. Inside the Castle, Prince Harry and Ms. Markle will observe the firing of the One O'clock Gun. The tradition of firing a gun started in 1861 to mark time for ships in the Firth of Forth.


Their next stop will be Social Bite, a social business and café located in Edinburgh's New Town. Social Bite runs social enterprise cafés throughout Scotland and use this platform to distribute 100,000 items of food and hot drinks to homeless people each year, as well as employing staff who have experienced homelessness themselves. The 13 February is Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday. I expect it's possible we might see the couple flipping one or two. Coincidentally, one of William and Kate's pre-wedding engagements in Northern Ireland took place on Pancake Tuesday in 2011.

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Finally, Harry and Meghan will attend a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to celebrate youth achievements, marking Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018. The Year of Young People is an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine. The Palace is the Queen's official residence in Scotland.


It's a very nice itinerary which I imagine will include an opportunity for the public to meet the couple at Edinburgh Castle. With visits in England, Wales and Scotland completed -  a visit to Northern Ireland could be on the cards in the coming weeks. As for what Meghan might wear on the day, there's a number of possibilities. If we look back to her outfit in Cardiff, which had a similar itinerary, she chose a very nice mix of British brands; a Stella McCartney coat, jeans by Welsh company Huit Denim, a Demellier London bag. Meghan's Theory jacket and Tabitha Simmons boots were very good choices too. The weather will likely be on the chilly side and with a walkabout, I'm sure we'll see a coat with separates underneath to take Meghan from the castle to the Palace reception. Perhaps a Scottish brand too?


Before then, we'll be continuing with our Royal Wedding series :)

161 comments:

  1. Ok I'm so excited for this trip some of these events sounds really interesting and I knew they were going to Scotland next. I really hope that Meghan can wear the Scottish colors in her outfit I think it will be a perfect nod to Scotland. Omg can you believe that the biggest wedding of the year is in the next 3 and half months like time is something else lol. I really love this beautiful couple they bring something fresh and modern to the monarchy and its so exciting to watch.

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  2. I'd be surprised to see her in anything but neutral shades. Still waiting for Meghan to add color to her wardrobe.

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    1. She's a neutrals person - 36 years old ( right?) and not in a position within the royal family where her sartorial choices even really matter.... I say, let her be. May not be you- may not be me- but it's her- and frankly, she's in the position where she can be who she wants to be...Given another 20 years , she'll be in the equivalent position of Sarah Ferguson ( except hopefully not divorced!) and few will be too worried, at all.

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    2. You probably won't see "color" until spring and summer, although technically black and neutral tones are color, but anyway orange, brown, sometimes gray and black are colors for autumn, dark colors but especially black and leather things for winter.

      Spring is for soft colors and summer is for bright colors but there is also the fact that not every color compliments one's skin tone or just them in general, so I'd say Meghan would probably only wear soft color or dark colors, nothing ever bright b/c she's never worn anything bright.

      Meghan has always said that she wears solid colors and she doesn't go for patterns but she likes some, band I believe she talked about neutral tones etc in an article

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    3. Neutrals for the win! Though I do hope/think we'll get a little relief from the all black looks. If she's flipping pancakes at a cafe who's mission is to support the homeless, then I'm not expecting couture. They do a good job of dressing for the occasion.

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    4. What makes the winter gloom brighten up is adding a touch of “color” and some jewelry to the black and neutrals. May be MM could have complemented the nod to Wales green bag she carried, with a black, white and green patterned PW scarf.

      Tartan patterned colors for Scotland.
      https://www.google.com/search?q=tartan+pattern+colors&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS737US737&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWyr7PjJXZAhXMt1MKHS8QC2kQsAQIXw&biw=1600&bih=769

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    5. Eve from Germany8 February 2018 at 13:52

      Anon 15: those tartan patterns were really interesting and beautiful!! I guess a tartan bag would already make a huge difference (especially against a monochrome clothing background), but maybe she would have to be careful not to (accidentally) use a specific tartan (as far as I know they have historic backgrounds and often belong to a certain family) that might be "upsetting" the other families with their own tartans? Maybe I´m paranoid by now and am reading way too much in this, but one of my colleagues was from Scotland and his family had their own tartan pattern which they were very proud of (naturally). It was always a huge thing for them what the Royal Family wore when they attended the Braemar Highland Games. So maybe just a Scottish brand for clothing - sans the tartan pattern? ;-))))))

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    6. Eve,
      Once again, I appreciate the information and your in put in this very much. It is very interesting about what tartan belongs to which family. In a way, it is like clan, tribal kind of expression within the same territory then.

      Infact, on second thought, Meghan can easily wear electric blue shade of a coat ( color she did not wear yet) without looking like theme dressed with Scotish flag. Her own choice will be a nice surprise as long as she will not wear 100 % black at arrival.

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    7. My memory was refreshed about The Cambridge’s evening dinner associated with their alma mater (SAU). That evening included an image of a gentleman in the blue and green tartan. Eve, now getting better idea, I researched the St. Andrews University’s tartan. The following two links became one good way to know about the tartan ID system. At least the theme color is blue and green in some shades.

      https://www.kinlochanderson.com/tartan/St%20Andrews%20University
      http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4kfBG8Jub-

      U/VIfl64FKouI/AAAAAAAAMwI/J8gUaAMwxWo/s1600/23ED157300000578-2867757-image-a-39_1418172138478%5B1%5D.jpg

      By the way, a white scarf may be another option on the 13th (more and more people are getting out of this restriction of "no white" after September (with autumn approaching). To be honest, whoever makes these rules, except for general usage, protocol and social skill purposes, a person should not necessarily be limited by fashion rules.

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    8. PLease disregrd both links. For a strange reason, these links are not the ones I thought were posted. One of them was St. Andrews University's tarta. The other one is the man in Newyork with the Cambridges for SAU fundraising dinner ( Kate wore her blue green evening gown with emerald accessories).

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    9. Eve from Germany9 February 2018 at 18:33

      Anon 15: That´s a very interesting website! You can create your own tartan pattern! Mind you, there´s even a "Scottish Register of Tartans! Here´s the link for those interested: https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/index
      You can find all the registered ones and you can register one yourself! Amazing!!
      I´ve searched and even found "the Edinburgh tartan" - would you believe it? http://www.scotlandshop.com/tartan.aspx/Edinburgh-13227?locale=en-GB
      Now that would be a nice pattern for Meghan to wear, a nice skirt maybe? This shop has the cutest gifts, btw.....

      Regarding the white: An all white outfit in winter is maybe best reserved for a festive evening indoors (like Christmas), otherwise you might be in trouble, with all the muddy, snowy, dirty wet roads outside! ;-))) But here in Germany we like to wear the (appropriately) so-called "winter white" - a slightly "off-white" shade, often used for blouses, jumpers and scarves. It´s an easy colour to wear with all the usual "winter-shades" like black, brown or dark blue, burgundy, etc. So there you go, no golden rule "no white after September" here in Germany! LOL! ;-)))

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    10. Eve-That is a winning link. The Edinburgh tartan with what looks like Scotland’s flag color blue and white (electric blue?) and the familiar colors of tartan, while being meaningfully green for the hills and landscapes of the surrounding area.

      There may also be a military type coat for her (The Marine Band will welcome them / her fiancé is a Colonel-in Chief of The Royal Marines).

      Your comment about wearing white in winter is precisely on point.

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  3. I really have only one wish and will be busy chanting in my head: “no messy bun, no messy bun, no messy bun”

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    1. I believe that part of the reason for messy bun may stem from the fact that in frigid weather hair like ours can become brittle & dry. In order to preserve length, must protect ends. Something she will want to do to have long luscious locks on her big day. On the other hand, Meghan seems to like the casual relaxed look so who knows? It may simply be totally speculative on my part. I would have done the same.

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    2. I understand your dilhemma, but for people with hair like ours its tough keeping it open in frigid climates since it becomes brittle & dry, so it could be that in an effort to protect her ends & preserve the length she is opting to keep them tucked away so she can really show you her luscious locks on her big day. On the other hamd she appears to enjoy a relaxed look. Could simply be speculative on my part but that "might" be a reason.

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    3. Either way she will look beautiful however she wears her hair!!!

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    4. Yeah our hair don’t do well in the cold but I don’t think people have a problem with the bun part just the messy. She should try a neat bun so she can keep hair out of her face.

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    5. No, no, no. :) That lovely wisp of hair over the left side of her face frames her face and looks really good, even in photos.

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  4. Ooh this looks fun! Thanks for all the detail, it's great to be kept up to speed. I missed the Emily Andrews prediction last week - without you I'm lost!! 😄😄

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  5. Great post as always! I’m gonna go ahead and call it. Mostly neutral palette with a pop of color somewhere. I’m also going out ima limb (very out there considering history lol) but I think she’ll wear a skirt. Possibly a longer midi skirt like her first official appearance. If I’m wrong I’ll eat crow but in the meantime I might as well have some fun with the guessing game. 😬

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  6. Do you think the negative comments from her sister will affect the public mood for Harry and Meghan in Edinburgh?

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    1. I don't---the comments have gotten a bit milder as the half-sister searches for more barbs. She's tried them all. :) I think MM's policy of ignoring it has worked well. These years-removed relatives are the only ones in the universe, it seems, who don't really like MM. Even their mother likes her!

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    2. I would say no, not for the visit but it probably is affecting Meghan personally and thus Harry. It has to be disheartening to know a family member keeps yapping away to the press every opportunity she gets. In some ways it has to be easier to compile the invite list, just cross out the ones that have opened their mouths to the media. At least that’s what I’d do. If they can’t control themselves now how on earth will they keep quiet after the wedding?? My theory is that the sister has gotten some indication or word that she probably shouldn’t expect an invitation and that’s why she’s lashing out again (or still?). Invites are supposedly going out next month so my guess is that when she doesn’t get one, she’ll really go to town and cry to every media outlet that gives her any attention 🙄. Which is really sad and a bit pathetic IMO.

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    3. Bernadette, her half sister has been making negative comments since November 2016. Prince Harry nor the public gave turned away. I suspect they see her for what she is.

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    4. I just wish that these barbs would end

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    5. Samantha Markle Grant can say anything that she wants...what I find surprising is the media that give her "attention". She (S) has acknowledged that Meghan & her haven't spoken or been in contact for years...to me I find S "bitter" and the media "shady"...

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    6. I think given Harry's comments this Christmas about her family I suspect he has her back when it comes to her awful family and will provide firm support.

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    7. I believe the time-honored method for dealing with this type of relative is to provide a gift of money in exchange for a contract to STFU. That’s probably what the sister is angling for (although she also seems desperate for attention) and what she’ll probably, eventually, receive. I don’t blame Harry or Meghan for being resistant to the idea of rewarding the sister for her terrible behavior - but they might as well get it over with before she manages to inflict real damage on them. Damage to their reputation or just emotional damage.

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  7. I think after the black and neutral colors she should shake things up and wear some bright color either red or green. This event does not clash with anything else so a little touch of dazzle would be nice. I'd like to see a dress or skirt instead of pants. I look forward to seeing what local fashion she will source this time.

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  8. Am I right to assume that the reception at the palace will be a separate evening engagement that may require an outfit change from the daytime events?! I sure hope so!!!

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  9. I’m going to make a totally ''wild'' guess and say Meghan will wear trousers, predominantly black with a bit of white/beige/grey or maybe she'll go wild and add a little blue. And Harry will wear a blue suit. Oh, the excitement.

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  10. Thanks, Charlotte. Looking forward to the Scotland visit

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  11. Edinburgh is such a beautiful city. I lived there for a couple of years as a child. Matter of fact it was in Edinburgh that I encountered Americans for the first time. Glad that Harry and Meghan appear to be seeing new and old Edinburgh. I have such fond memories so I'm looking forward to the photos next week.

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    1. “encountered Americans”, lol. Sounds like an excerpt from “And They Came From Space”. 🛸

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    2. Probably not hard to spot. :)

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    3. Nice lol here from all.

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    4. They were not hard to spot, Allison! Very much different in dress and attitude. I was a schoolgirl going home on the bus and they were there obviously sightseeing. We were all a bit awed.

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    5. Many years ago in Florence, I was pleased that my mother and I were mistaken for Italians. Someone asked for directions. We weren’t wearing trainers or comfortable touring clothes.
      Of course, as soon as we spoke, our American southern accents gave us away.
      I’m excited to see our colonial energy and flair infiltrate the BRF. Thinking Diana would be pleased. I saw her shopping for casual clothes in a Gap store near my office when she came to visit her Brazilian pal, in the early 90s.

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  12. Very much looking forward to this day of events! I suspect Meghan will be wearing something versatile--simple but stylish. Although Edinburgh is gorgeous, I've visited in February and it can get bitterly cold! So, that may also have an affect on her (and Harry's) fashion choices. Lastly, Holyroodhouse is a fantastic venue for Meghan to visit as it has a recent Royal Wedding connection! Zara Phillips was married in the parish church and hosted her reception there as well.

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  13. Fingers crossed for no messy bun and more colour in her wardrobe .

    Hopefully she can do a nice coat dress .

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  14. Very happy with this engagement in Scotland

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  15. 🌸 The Palace at Monaco for New Year’s. The Palace at Holyrood for Valentine’s Day. Nice trend. :)

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  16. Bonjour,
    Je lis votre blog depuis plusieurs mois. J'adore. Je suis fan de ce couple.
    Vivement la prochaine sortie
    V

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    1. 15:41- I hope you don't mind
      Hello,
      I read your blog for several months. I just love it. I am a fan of this couple.
      Strongly the next exit

      Playing translator while I brash up my forgotten French / long live google translator

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    2. Eve from Germany8 February 2018 at 05:58

      "Vivement les vacances" means "I can´t wait for the holidays".
      So "Vivement la prochaine sortie" means "If only their next appearance was already here"/"I can´t wait for their next appearance".
      Google translator can sometimes be just hilarious and sometimes completely wrong (especially with whole sentences). I´ve fallen into that trap many times, LOLOL!!!! (Don´t mean to be disrespectful, Anon 15, as I´ve said, I´ve fallen into that trap many times! :-)) )

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    3. Dear Eve,
      I am so greatfully appreciative of your correction of google translator. No more feeling lost with the French posts here as long as your kind in put is here.

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    4. Or literally, “I’m living for their next outing,” which is something you might hear in English as well. :-)

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    5. Google left it hanging there. One can only guess, "until there next outong" / as in the next news on them, appearance and/or engagement. It was also misleading at least to me, I wonered if it was some expression in French.

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  17. Does Meghan have any Scottish ancestry somewhere? A gored midi tartan skirt with cashmere jumper would look wonderful. Tartan would definitely add color, for those longing for it on Meghan.

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  18. I am a huge fan of both M & H but every single day bad press from half siblings today it is the brother in dailymail. Oh my heart hurts for her.

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    1. Bernadette - I agree! I also don’t blame Meaghan a bit. I have relatives like this (although closer - actual full brother and sister) that I do not talk to because they are just toxic. People like to say “But that’s family!” My response? “No, that’s biology because these people have never treated me like family.”

      Stay strong Meghan!!!

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    2. You guys are like a support network. Thanks

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    3. Not to excuse the brother and sister, but the Daily Mail is clearly egging them on.

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  19. Yes, I hope MM doesn't read any more than she has to read. There is no telling what has happened to her in her past with her half-siblings. My husband has two brothers who were physically and emotionally abusive to him starting from when he was born, but they claim that "they and Jesus love" him. On the surface, people wonder why my husband has nothing to do with his brothers. I think MM is doing her half-siblings a favor by not saying anything!

    If she can insulate herself, and I think she has done so during her life---she once commented that she chooses to be happy---then we will probably hear more than her. I think they have lost any prospect of an invite, though!!

    And she can inspire children who have bad relatives to try to be happy despite their past. Her mom is obviously the influence she needed.

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    1. Allison in US, I agree 100% with you...I have relatives that I keep at a distance.

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    2. They come across as more and more desperate as they continue to speak to the press. Silence is the best policy. I truly hope that her mom is the only one with an invite. Even dear old dad makes me wonder given that he has not met Harry. How very odd given that cost would not be a problem if a meeting was *desired.*

      On the bright side, it appears that Sarah will act as the Windsor's distraction. Any bets on an interview? :-)

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    3. Allison in US, I’m so sorry for the abuse your husband went through :( as a Jesus follower it breaks my heart when people try to use Him to cause pain to others, especially because He is love. It’s frustrating knowing some give bad testimony and misrepresent Christ by their actions. My words may offer little comfort, all I can say is paraphrase a pastor I know of by saying that sometimes it’s best to love certain family or friends as the case may be, from a far. It’s how I deal with some family. I can love them because they are my family, but from a far. Far away lol. All my best to you and your husband :)

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    4. Allison.:) Like Roxana, I am sorry that your husband’s family claimed to follow Jesus and yet were abusive. Even as follower’s of Jesus we often, at times, miss the mark in hearing and following His leading. We grow in love from faith to faith. In the overall picture though, by their fruits you shall know them.

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    5. Like you, rf, I am not convinced that her father will be at the wedding. And, I think that her mother will be the only one present. I don’t see how it can be any other way to avoid a circus.
      God help Meghan and her family.

      As for an interview from Fergie? lol
      For sure, is my guess. She is commenting on her daughter’s engagement already. That’s normal but might just prime the pump. Might be lots of interviews in the future for Fergie. And do I ever hope I am wrong about that? Definitely. I would like to see Andrew and Fergie remarried and functioning “normally” within the Royal family.
      I believe in miracles.

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    6. The most telling point about both half DISTANT siblings is that their relationships with their own GROWN children who are around Meghan's age are strained as well. These two grown half siblings should be looking towards their children for care and not their half sibling.

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    7. Amen surfer girl! Well said :) as for Fergie, I’m glad she’s being invited (assuming the reports are true). I believe very much in healing family rifts, from personal experience. But I realllllly hope she keeps her mouth closed. This is an olive branch that’s being extended to her by H &M. I hope she takes it with the seriousness it deserves. Show you can be trusted. Any more than “I’m very happy for them, I wish them a lifetime of happiness” would be seen as a sign maybe she can’t be so. Commenting on her own daughter’s wedding is a whollllleother topic lol. But that’s her daughter and I doubt anyone could keep her away no matter what she says. Hopefully she’ll be discreet too.

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    8. Mimi. :) Her half-siblings could turn to their children for all kinds of support, mental, emotional, financial. They might get it, but most likely it isn’t established already so therefore it’s most likely not available.
      But the one thing their children can’t give them is rapport and peace with their half-sister, Meghan.
      I don’t think Meghan’s half-siblings have asked for financial help have they? (except for her half-sister’s request for their father).

      Again, I don’t think the half-sibling situation is going to dissipate or go away. So I think professional advice and protocol should be given to Meghan regarding that situation just as it is with encountering any diplomatic scenario. Meghan has a wealth of political advisors at hand. People trained in handling “people” situations. Hopefully she’ll choose to seek solutions from the experts. It all affects the Monarchy and it would be appropriate for her to do that, in my opinion.

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    9. Oh! THAT Fergie. I kept wondering what the Queen would think of the Black-eyed Peas
      performing at a Windsor reception.
      Sarah is invited? I don't see why not. Andrew has included her as an equal in the wedding invitation. And Sarah will certainly be at her daughter's wedding with the whole royal clan. Excluding her would probably be more of a scandal than including her would be.

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    10. SG, I would not be too surprised if health issues are not the reason cited for her father being unable to attend the wedding. It may be the diplomatic way to go here.

      As far as the chatty relatives are concerned, I truly believe she should ignore them and let them dig their own you know what. If they have zero contact with her (and no response from her), they will have nothing new to share and their value to hungry media will diminish rather quickly.

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    11. Agree royalfan, their desperation is obvious, and since they've had no recent contact that we know of, they have a limited supply of stories/anecdotes to share. The sooner they disappear the better, for Meghan in particular.

      Also agree that the Windsors might welcome the walking distraction that is Sarah Ferguson, to take the focus from the Markles the next few months ;) Harry is said to be intent on inviting her.

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  20. Many toxic relatives do not appear to be so---even though it's pretty obvious MM's are toxic, there is still probably so much that we can not know. And their "news" stories are getting a bit weak.

    Well, cross the off the invite list! I hope that makes room for the Obamas. :)

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  21. The main theme with her siblings is that they want money. For some odd reason they feel entitled to Meghan’s. Her brother is abusive and toxic and sister is jealous and bitter neither one deserves any space in Meghan’s life.
    Meghan has a good support system her mom, real family, her hubby to-be and friends. She knows better than we do just how vile her siblings are. I doubt Meghan is going to let their antics bring her down she has too much to be happy about than to let people she hasn’t talk to in years mess with her mood. They share the same father but they are definitely not her family.

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  22. It is like someone who starts arson, and asks for help to put out the fire. In the latest family affair, the half-brother is complaining about his life, three residential moves, and his prospect for employment is affected by the media’s spotlight on his family. He cooperated with the media initially though. In the latest news, he sought consultation from the palace how this can be stopped. The same man who complains, goes to the media and details the four ways communication which allegedly took place between MM lawyer and TM Jr. representative / lawyer? Now it is hearsay from a third party; Meghan’s lawyer who supposedly quoted her to Thomas Markel Jr, that she said, “I don’t know these people”. The media run with it, why not? It makes a nice headline.

    At this point, love is sacrifice too; whatever the family’s affair, the same “parents” who sent a joint congratulatory message to the engaged couple will have to take it upon themselves to congregate with the half siblings’ mother, Samantha and Thomas Jr, and resolve whatever the family’s affairs had been. They need to set a standard, and even a reliably neutral and trusted representative to speak on "the family's" behalf. Meghan should not ignore this anymore; it can come to sting her in ways she will not expect. She doesn’t have to deal with whomever she wishes not to deal with, but her side of the “family” needs a representative and have her parents make a pact that her siblings will remain out of any commentary on her life. Times before one’s wedding is a time to have a family’s support too (I don’t care how strong a person she is). This is also a time no matter how great her self-esteem is, she is entering into a new “career” in her new country with in-laws whose business is the people and the public. I think her fiancée should stay out of making any comments about it while the fire is burning.

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    1. Those people want money they don’t care about fixing whatever real issues they have with their sister. If they did it would’ve happened before Suits and Harry.
      Toxic people are a waste of time and energy to try to reason with when they don’t own up to their own issues in order to fix things.

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    2. It's time for her to change the narrative. Hopefully there are lessons to be learnt from this PR nightmare.

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    3. Anon15
      All these people are adults. They are not going to be able to dictate to ex spouses, step children, children, parents etc what should be done. It is clear, at least to me, that the type of family interaction you propose is not going to happen. I could be wrong, I just do not see any evidence of it, either in the past, and I mean past 30 years or in the current moment that this family operates as a unit. There appear to be a few more "stable" "healthy" adults, but plenty of adults who have not functioned well in many years and for a variety of reasons basically operate on their own. Some of the adults because of their own very real needs have to stay separate and out of this even if it would serve the greater good.

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    4. IMO, if she responds it will only add fuel to the fire. The press and her relatives are LOOKING for a reaction. Meghan should let them look increasingly pathetic and simply ignore them. Likewise for Harry.

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    5. ali,
      That is a realistic assessment in life. Families have unresolved issues even they, themselves do not comprehend fully in some cases. By the time the interaction of the kinship as adults had processed, much negative energy can be suppressed and/or exerted causing unnecessary pain in some cases.

      What Samantha labeled as “our father is the glue of the family”, is the central figure who shares kinship by blood and/or by marriage with all the members. It is not easy to pinpoint much else in any family’s affairs. If only her siblings give it a rest, the parents can have peace of mind in their golden years after having done what they could have done. At least, for God’s sake, the brother and sister need to be quiet during her pre-wedding, bridal and honeymoon months. This should be a time for merriness, love and optimism.

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    6. royalfan, I agree. Were either of her parents at her first wedding?

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    7. royalfan, I agree. Were either of her parents at her first wedding?

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    8. Anon15, in reading my comment it sounded black and white, sorry truly did not mean it that way, really love your hopefulness and what is good advice, I just have not gotten the sense that Meghans half siblings would be open to that or that her Father or Mother would be able to help even with expert advice from a professional.

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    9. Her mother was present. The brother said, he did not make it. It seems he must have been invited. ( it was in Jamaica? / a beach side party? / may be another reason her wedding gown was simplified in her first wedding). I am not sure if the father and her sister attended.

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    10. Her mum was there. In fact there is evidence in form of photographs to show that her mum has been with her at every milestone in her life even attending the awards.

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    11. I accepted your remark fully, and yet, I lingered in my thoughts yesterday after I posted my own comment. I revised in my mind, that it is possibly a realistic evaluation case by case, and not necessarily in life in general. Your thoughts considered based on what the family had been like (the sporadically reported family history from what we have known as members of the public). In practice, it can be very difficult to have adults of two sets of families and their offspring behave a certain way to one another. Where I skipped the factors, you filled the gap. I am glad you posted that comment.

      If the three parents continue separately in peace and for the greater good, well whatever works for them. My concern is her brother; I felt someone needs to pay some kind of attention to the brother. His case is a public and almost legal plea in claiming all his problems are associated with the new publicity. This is the kind of time a family, friend, or stranger can provide practical support. From what I noticed, it is a turning point which needs intervention soon enough. To err is human, and in the beginning, he shared way too much almost risky information of the family. Now it is backfiring as the “tabloid media” returns for more information. Chances are his arrangement with the media may have gone bad, or they did not pay him the amount he expected. Regardless, he is at a desperate point; a good job, absence of the haunting tabloids and some counseling will transition him back to get hold of at least his previous life before the publicity.

      Delete
    12. ali,
      The one thing about your comment which once again has some truth because I have witnessed it in different families, and life goes on is, “There appear to be a few more "stable" "healthy" adults, but plenty of adults who have not functioned well in many years and for a variety of reasons basically operate on their own”. The disadvantage to that is the second and third generations of the distanced families’ offspring also continue to be distant; families can easily continue to disperse this way. In this case, Sam and Tom Jr both seem to long for some kind of family unit. That is common even when apart is better for the greater good, although a delicate matter in practice. Another risk, is all apart can long for each other’s presence in their lives, find it difficult to accommodate, and sometimes regret after it is too late.

      Delete
    13. Samantha Grant, Meghan's half sister has three children one of whom is a lawyer, Ashleigh Hale. What is interesting is the fact that Meghan and Ashleigh are close and obviously keep in touch with each other while they do not connect with Samantha. Why is that so? Maybe because none of them grew up with her at all as it's widely reported that Ashleigh and her brother Christopher grew up with their father's parents and not Sam. To top it all off 31 yr old Ashleigh was the inspiration behind her aunt Meghan character in suits. Quite interesting don't you think Anon?

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    14. Bernadette,
      Sometimes I read from the bottom of the blog and scroll up. I found yours after I read Allison’s comment 11 February 2018 at 15:56. This is completely news to me, and the best one I have heard. That is another thing I have witnessed in different families. The senior members pass the hostility of the opposing relatives. In some cases, the younger off spring find ways to form friendly kinship. In other cases, the off springs have been convinced / even brain washed to have any flexibility to embrace first, second and third cousins. In this case, her daughter had not been necessarily affected by the venom, had reached her own independent conclusion that Meghan is good. What first surprised me was the relationship between daughter and mother, and that it went public. Well that being what it was, this is the first time I know there is another niece who is in good terms with Meghan. I found Meghan’s cousin Noelle’s comments reasonably judicious, matured and seemingly well processed (especially with Sam’s mother present, it was more believable). If and when the second and third generation has its own freedom not to be prisoners of the adults’ animosity, in the long run it will help the family in many ways.

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  23. hmm i love the color of Scotland color i hope she wears anything Scotland hmm i hope and pray Samantha and her half siblings can stop bothering her and stop accepting in their behalf if Samantha and her siblings have something too say ot talk her personally

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  24. If I wear in Meghan’s situation, I will want good will, forgiveness, and acknowledgement of the facts of family affairs before a wedding. I will want a closure of the past by having in person communication regarding unresolved and buried matters caused by grudges and distance over the years. I think she will have to acknowledge to them in a private family meeting that, yes they wear in her life and vice versa when they shared the same family, and that there wear obviously unresolved matters. No, they have not communicated with her for almost a decade, her life and their life paths had evolved into different directions.

    The sound bite, “I don’t know these people” is very unfortunately misinterpreted as if she is now on an ivory tower, and she “doesn’t know these people”. That sound bite is a complementary remark to Harry’s Christmas comment that his family are, “the family she never had”. Obviously H&M are irritated with the half siblings’ comments. Sound bites are unfortunately more risky than silence, or speaking much about it. The consistent pain people cause to others sometimes can result in dismissing them as ever having known them, because it is easier to part, move on and be pain free. In her case, her half siblings have bottled up much along with their shocked surprise, envy and her new fortune. While they want to be a part of her success, they did it the wrong way switching between love and hate, good and evil. They need to resolve their own issues before they have a say on her, or in relations to her.

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    1. 🤷🏽‍♀️ “I don’t know these people” is a powder keg, not unlike “let them eat cake”. 🍰
      And some historians are saying that Marie Antionette said no such thing. Yet there were definitely reverberations from it. Thomas, Jr. said he has an electronic/paper trail to confirm Meghan’s quote.
      I agree, Anon 15. To circumvent many future years of defaming banter, perhaps Meghan should seek professional advice (the Queen, etc.) about how to
      best take care of the situation. It would be better for Meghan and the Monarchy in the long run. I don’t think the half-siblings problem is going to go away otherwise. It won’t fizzle out. Everything that puts Meghan and Harry in the headlines will be stimuli for an interview opportunity for the siblings. Plus, Thomas, Sr. would most likely get much joy and relief to see some kind of peaceful negotiation between his children. And Harry and Meghan’s children will not have to grow up in the shadow of squabble.

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    2. SG-That is exactly the analogy even with a bitter taste how it was all communicated through the media, and the thousands of people who commented about it on The dailymail site. Whenever the siblings play victims, they feed the critics who have not welcomed her, and at times are harsh about her.

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  25. "I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free." Georgia O'Keefe

    Someone on this blog wrote once that Meghan had posted that quote in the past. I hope she is abiding by it otherwise she may have a rough time.

    While I doubt bitter siblings alone would upset her too much (sounds like the type of people you wouldn't want in your life anyway) she has bitten off a whole lot. How many of us have given up a career and a country for a partner and to top it off she isn't just relocating. She is expected to fully adopt, promote, and spend many hours working in the service of a new country other than her own for the rest of her life, oh, and have her every move scrutinized while she learns the customs and expectations of her new job and country oh, and plan a very public wedding! I'm glad mental health is at the forefront of W,K,&H's lives because Meghan may need some extra empathy and TLC for a while.

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    1. Good memory florida girl :) I suspect she reminds herself of that now more than ever.

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    2. Well Said florida Girl! I Totally Agree! If She can't get support from her Family of Origin, perhaps We can continue to Be Kind & Supportive While Lifting Our Voices Up to Be Louder Than The detractors! Let's Let Her Feel Our Honor & Support for Her! :)

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  26. Samantha is the worst and the shame on media that are giving so much print and tv space for her to spew venom .

    It’s so obvious how jealous and money hungry she is yet the press are putting her on so that they can show Meghan in a bad light !

    What does Meghan owe her 15 years older HALF sister anyway ? Why can’t she seek help from her own children ! Why doesn’t the media shine light on the fact that Samantha doesn’t have relationship with anyone in the family !!

    Regards to Meghan helping her dad out , maybe Samantha should give him some money she is making off talking B.S about Meghan !

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    1. Rhea,
      You nailed it so well! I knew exactly what Meghan would have meant if she really said, “I don’t know these people”. Among other actions, Samantha joined the public (strangers who speculate on the cost of the engagement dress, and why Meghan spent that much on a dress while their father could have used the money). A family member, especially a sister knows you closer than outsiders. In this case, the “sister” did not know if MM actually spent that much, or it was an engagement gift, and for all the unknown it could be what her fiancée chose for her to wear ,and may be gave her as a gift. When a sister, half or same parents, claims “if MM Markel can afford a $75,000.00 dress, she should help our father” to the media, she made herself as an outsider-insider who officially made herself an outsider. Samantha goes between the older caring sister, the author who will release a book about the family’s dynamic, then turns into the sister who begs forgiveness in public, and before you know it, she attacked, of all the times, her sister’s memorable engagement portrait dress. The public has anonymity and can speculate all they want. Not a family member going to the media and showing the family’s laundry. No, MM in fact, “does not know these people” according to their complicated behavior in less than six months after a decade of distance. This is as much about what is right and just. Still, MM will have to consult solid professionals including her own priest if she has one, and hopefully will not ignore how to solve the siblings matter.

      Delete
    2. Rhea. :)
      I think it has been the other way around. I think Thomas, Sr. has been helping his daughter in her health situation. That might explain his simple lifestyle and seeming lack of funds. I don’t know that Thomas, Sr. would accept any financial help from his children anyway. Men can be sensitive about that. Not that making the offer to help wouldn’t go unaporeciated though. We don’t know what offers of assistance have or haven’t been made but it is my guess that if any had been made the noise about wouldn’t be so loud. Just a guess. No offense to anyone.

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  27. When it comes to those half distant siblings. Meghan needs to hire the real Olivia Pope to handle those people. Some professional fixer to handle their extortion . While I highly doubt that Meghan said anything that was attributed to her. Any high priced lawyer would know you don't negotiate with extornionists, also you don't make your client vulnerable by giving Dumbo and his ambulance chasing lawyer a supposedly direct quote that they can run to the press with. I would hope that Meghan and or KP have BETTER PR lawyers than that. If not they need to get busy and stop allowing the press and those siblings to control the narrative.

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  28. I found a brief article in which the first wife of MM's father said that the three siblings were separated by age and miles and she basically supported MM's claim that she didn't know the half-siblings. A few baby pictures or adolescent pictures in their company does not make a close relationship. I think the siblings will be supported by people who are like them but even their children are against them.

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    1. Allison I have gotten the same sense as you. The age distance is huge alone, I doubt any of them know much about each other.

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  29. I agree about the siblings. Still I do no think it is only about money. They come out as very unhappy people, leading lifes that are usually labeled as failures. This situation is clearly maddening for them. If they were only trying to make money out of it, they could have done so in a much cleverer way and by playing their cards accordingly could even have got an invitation for the wedding. If Meghan were marrying someone else, I think she should reach out to them and help them. After all, she is trying to help perfectly unknown persons through her charities. Granted it is always easier to care for those who are far away... But there is the problem of the BRF and scandal... Still she could help them in a subdued way. She has the winning hand, after all.

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    1. Anon 15:45, possible but there may be histories and issues that we know nothing about. I would assume that Meghan is a decent person and she is doing the right thing.

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    2. Those two aren’t the brightest colors in the box I highly doubt they would’ve figured out a clever way to get money from Meghan. Her half brother is an abusive drunk and according to Samantha’s own daughter mother has hated Meghan since she was born. I don’t like the daily fail but you can read up on Samantha from her daughter http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4384654/My-mom-Meghan-Markle-s-sister-hates-Harry-s-girl.html
      Those two have daddy’s issues dad didn’t treat us as good as he treated her. Meghan can’t fix that, it shouldn’t be her job to do so nor should she give money to people who bad mouthed her and she barely knows.

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    3. Those people are her family, and when you have a drunkard brother, an invalid sister and a recluse father, all of them broke,you may not be able to fix it, nor feel it is your job to do so, but if you are an humanitarian, why not have a try with your own family? At least acknowledge they exist. I don't think they are very nice people, I understand she doesn't want anything in common with them, but she has been lucky, they weren't, she is happy they aren't, she could afford to be generous and kind.

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    4. I was rereading the emails to and from the brother's attorney in In Touch and at one point the brother says maybe MM has been embarrassed by him and then says maybe she'll be even more embarrassed by additional interviews, an obvious threat. The sister and brother hate each other, and the siblings' children don't like them. I do believe Daddy is the problem.

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    5. Anonymous, Meghan has always spoken of her dad and mom so that's acknowledgement. The half siblings she hasn't spoken of because there is no connection so why talk abt them. Her parents split when she was 2 divorced when she was 6 then she lived with her mom at that time her older siblings had already flown the nest so whatever ties they had with her weren't maintained hence the distance relation quote attributed to them. They all should shut up and i am glad she did tell Tom Jr to get loss otherwise he is a leech and loke leeches would have been approaching her for some more help later on in life.

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    6. Two points anon 13:46-I agree with the sentiment expressed in your comment-one should always be kind. Since all we have for the most part is the relative's version, I think we need to reserve judgement on the kindness aspect.

      Generosity, other than generosity of spirit, as a contribution to their happiness is another matter. Some people are hanger's on and some are parasites and users. At some point one gets to the throwing good money after bad point. There may have been financial help over the years. Maybe not.
      If her Father has not yet met Harry in person it is possible he was not the sugar daddy for Meghan that commenters have indicated the relatives claim. A number of actresses who have mixed-race heritage
      have spoken and written about the difficulty of forming a career. Women have a hard enough time being recognized as it is. Meghan herself has spoken about this. I think it was likely her own hard work and determination, not just luck that brought her the roles she was able to acquire. In addition, she is the "baby" in the family. Older siblings often complain the youngest gets benefits the older ones don't. Part of the reason is that most parents are more financially stable and secure by the time the last one arrives and more in a position to help. I have seen this help become a pitfall, as well as an advantage, in a number of ways.

      I need to qualify my remarks by explaining that I haven't read any of those sibling stories since the first one gave me a clue what they were about. I based my remarks on what commenters have said here.

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    7. Anonymous 13:46, you seem really invested in telling Meghan what a humanitarian should do...I have studied many religions and according to Jesus Christ (a "true" humanitarian) he says & I quote the Bible, "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet." (Matthew 10:14). Jesus himself instructed his disciples to 'move on' from people who refuse to listen & obey- that is 'free will". You nor I know what she has done or not done- it is no of our business. If you are a humanitarian maybe this is Your opportunity to assist the "drunkard" abusive brother, the 'invalid" sister and the "reclusive" father.

      Delete
    8. Monica at 04:29,

      This is the first time I read or viewed the video. It is from April 2017. WOW,that is the way it had been unfortunately. This family matter should be left alone then. It is worse than I thought.

      Delete
    9. Anon 13:46, Those people are relatives not her family. Family doesn’t wait until you’re famous to want to suddenly be apart of your life. Family doesn’t threaten to blackmail you for money. Family doesn’t trash you to strangers for money. Meghan herself says she was raised as an only child.
      We don’t know if she hasn’t tried to have a relationship with them. After a while you stop trying with people.
      As far as her father go I would love for him to set the record straight just one time on his kids. Just so his two oldest kids can stop acting like they are his mouthpiece.

      Delete
    10. IF Meghan had a close relationship with these members if the family and enjoyed wealth while they struggled I, too, would question her humanitarian side. And, frankly, I did so when I saw her mom at the laundromat; my first thought was why on earth couldn't she buy a washer and dryer for her mother if she can spend money on Erdem, etc.

      But if she does not have a close bond with these people and they are a toxic part of her life, then I'm sorry but she owes them nothing. And IMO their obvious resentment and bitterness over her personal success only serves to validate this in my mind.

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    11. @Anonymous at 18:35: Agree 100%!!

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    12. Royal fan, the mom was at the laundromat to wash her bedding (look at the photos). I have washing machines & dryers & I take them to the laundromat when I need to wash them because they are too big for my machines. Also some laundromats have services that provide pressing, sewing, etc...that you can utilize.

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    13. Royalfan for heavens sake, her mother lives in one of LA's wealthiest suburbs. Maybe she had something specific to do at the laundry that day, maybe she was taking wash for someone else. Every action someone connected with Meghan makes does not need to be a direct reflection on Meghan herself.

      Delete
    14. Claudia, I made a reference to my *initial* reaction at the time and repeated it here as a preface to the point i was trying to make. A positive one on Meghan's behalf and one you did not acknowledge. No need to get upset. :-) May I respectfully state that not every comment needs to be seen as entering into potentially tricky territory.

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    15. The Daily Fail is not a good source for credible information. MM's mother works as a social worker and lives in a neighborhood known as the Black Beverly Hills in which home values are even higher than most homes in London.

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  30. 🌸 Truly not trying to stir the pot, but comments have previously been made here on the work schedules of just about everyone in the Royal family, especially Senior Royals. It seemed to be that Harry and Meghan were going to be busier than they have been. Some were expecting something on their schedules at least once a week, etc. I know they have a wedding to plan and other things to be accomplished for Meghan’s assimilation into a new culture but they don’t seem as busy with work as I thought they might be. No offense to anyone. Harry said that during the times that they were dating that they had “been everywhere” and met all the “key people” in the Royal family. So they seem to be active people. And, having seen much of the Royal landscapes already and having met all the key people has already been accomplished so they don’t have to be busy with that as much now. I just thought they would be out and about with work events more than they have been. Not complaining, just wondering.

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    1. Not all work is out in the public. Harry has had meetings with his various patronages, he has been to Veteran hospitals, he went to Africa for African Parks and was a part of their major announcement with National Geographic, next week they go to Scotland. Also they have coordinate their schedule so it does'nt clash with William and Katherine. They are doing fine.

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    2. Surfer girl, I see your point. I think your complaint needs to be directed at Harry more than Meghan. Meghan is in the process of obtaining her immigration "papers"...what she is doing now can't be called work for legal purposes...she needs to get married within 6 months of her application...

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    3. Meghan has to work on her citizenship, learning more about protocol especially since she will be filling in for Kate at the commonwealth events in April (which is a huge deal so she has to be prepared for that), she has to be baptized and confirmed before the wedding and plan their wedding on top of all that. Once they’re married I expect them to be having many engagements. Now I think they’re moving at a good pace considering she just moved to the UK at the end of November.

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    4. Engagements are set up months ahead and require a lot of planning, both locally and with the royal's staff. I think it is possible the two are following the schedule Harry already had in place. Some are likely more adaptable to a couple visit than others. I don't think she is allowed to leave the UK during the application process. That would rule out overseas events, if true.

      I am sure we will see more of them as a couple. She will also make some solo engagements at some point before the marriage if she follows Kate's example. Of course, with Meghan's differing situation, as a non-resident, for example, matching her to just the right charity/event may be tricky. Also, Camilla and Sophie are already involved in some of the women's issues Meghan favors. Openings and ribbon-cuttings would be more appropriate after she marries Harry.
      She may want to get out and about more but procedure and protocol could be slowing her down. I don't think it is a matter of planning around William and Catherine; as we have seen, they have already had at least one same-day engagement.
      I think where that conflict in schedule issue arose was with events that would distract from Charles/Camilla tours and more significant activities or HM's. Andrew may have complained. ;+)

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    5. I don't recall seeing anything that they were going to be out once a week, surfer girl. Harry has been out doing his engagements, but Meghan is not yet married to him so she will not be doing official engagements yet. If I recall correctly with other engaged royal couples, it was the same way. The royal did his regular work and they did joint engagements together, just the same as here.

      When there's headlines like the one I saw about Meghan snubbing the rugby match today, when the actual article said no such thing I start to wonder about the narrative around her. I don't recall the same being said about Kate or Diana. Yet there are all kinds of veiled and not so veiled things being said about her, most of which are entirely irrelevant and some of which downright racist. So Meghan snubbed the rugby match, but nothing at all was said about William, the patron of Welsh rugby, snubbing the match!

      Why should Meghan try to mend fences with her family? Sometimes the best thing that can be done is to just move on and let them be. From everything I've seen about the Markles, I think Meghan is well served by ignoring them. They are manipulative and exploitative and obviously thought she was beneath them (calling her mother the maid???) until she started to do well. Then she's their sister and apparently owes them money and attention. She owes them nothing. I would ignore that bunch of money hungry bigots and give them no recognition at all if I were her.

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    6. The “work” royals do is not work in the sense as immigration laws defines it. She is wether an employer nor an employee in any legal sense right now. The RF as employees but I am not sure is a Royal as individual is registered as employer. More likely a company is set up that holds the role and is legally responsible.
      Her process of immigration will definitely not be a big thing. She speaks the language and the rest is just a bit of learning. It’s not as she has to graduate. It will be interesting if they cut her some slack about the time she will be allowed outside the UK.
      Getting baptised isn’t a time consuming process either.
      Right now, most of her time is hopefully packed with protocol training and wedding planning. But honestly a lot of things for the wedding ceremony wise are already set in stone so I hope she can still feel she has enough input on their big day.
      The workload of the BRF will tremendously increase in the next ten years. More seniors can’t pull those numbers due to age anymore and Charles himself said he will streamline it. Less people working, probably less people on the payroll, less engagements. It’s fine though. No other RF has so many engagements and pays so many people.

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    7. bluhare Thank you for bringing up the press narrative around Meghan. They deliberately try to stir the pot around her. Always reframing any story that is simple or sweet as a negative hence using words like snubbing or saying she is Hollywood because she hugs children or Kardashian because she high fives when Kate and William do the same thing but they are labeled refreshing while Meghan is breaking protocol. They can't be deliberately racist so they use code words or dog whistles to communicate to their rabid worldwide base that hates Meghan because of her otherness.

      They keep the half siblings on retainer so they can deliberately embarass Meghan even though they have no current contact or information. This is a form of bullying and harassment by the British press.

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    8. A hearty round of applause for you bluhare! Very well said.

      Also agree that I'm not sure why anyone had the impression they'd be out weekly, that's virtually unheard of. And I'd remind everyone we found out after the fact, that Meghan not only attended some recent "public" events, but attended private meetings pertaining to them as well. As someone who's seen new royal brides several times over, this is an amazing start.

      And Anon, Immigration is actually quite a big thing, and a time consuming thing, and baptism and confirmation require time and study as well. Especially when you do it under the supervision of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he's not going to allow it to be done in a half-hearted fashion.

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    9. Bluhare, Mimi & Claudia thank you...you guys are so 'spot on'. If the media were truthful they would have said that Prince William snubbed the rugby events. If I recall both Harry & William are patrons. I imagine that William & Kate are off on a break (holiday) because George and Charlotte are on a break from school this week. I also came to this conclusion because I notice there is nothing planned on the CC until the 18th of February.

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    10. I think they are doing fine SG.:) If I'm correct, I believe Will & Kate did 3 Pre-Wedding Events? Please somebody jump in if I'm remembering wrong? What's dawning on me is The Crash Course Meghan is Going Through To Become A Royal & All That Entails! :o Remember how it came out that, once William & Kate made their pact to get married one day, (after their 2007 break-up) Kate began her Training Process! Which continued into her years living with William Pre-Engagement in Angelsey. While Kate had literally Years... Meghan has Months! :o I think that's no small thing, especially while planning Their Wedding! By the time Kate was deep into planning her Wedding, she had been through her years of Royal Prep! Also, we shouldn't underestimate how different it must be for Meghan, compared to Kate! Kate had a British Mum & Sister, who went through all the planning with her. Meghan is hear "boots on the ground" alone! :( No doubt, she's phoning her Mom & her friend/stylist
      .... I forget her name already, came over for a bit, but Meghan's basically doing this alone (you know what I mean) without The Sister & Mum that Kate had to help her. No matter How Helpful The Royal Family & Friends & Harry are to Meghan, it's got to be hard not having those bonds that Kate had. So I personally think she's juggling a lot behind the scenes, not to mention all while she's still becoming acclimated to a new country & way of life. Props to Meghan from me. :)

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    11. Claudia. :) I just thought that’s what they meant by now having “boots on the ground”. I think the Queen, Anne and Charles have at least one engagement or more every week. I thought Harry and Meghan would also. Perhaps after the wedding.

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    12. Thank you Natasha and Mimi (and you, Claudia!). I think there's been a dancing around that topic, but it's obvious to me that at the very least there is some veiled bigotry in the media coverage of Meghan, whether it be because of her ethnicity, nationality and/or career. I'm not going to shut up about it any more.

      That being said, I am very pleased to say that the disgusting man who is running for US congress -- and is both racist and an anti semite has finally been shut down by Twitter. It took long enough, but his account is suspended. He's the man who posted the disgusting tweet about Meghan. I think he's around in non-official accounts, but not the blue check marked one. Score one (finally) for the good guys.

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    13. Becca, yes, I believe W&K had a handful of joint appearances during their engagement. SG, I think there has been a more aggressive approach with H&M because of the length and circumstances of their courtship. However, I do NOT expect to see them out and about on a weekly basis. There is a lot to be done behind the scenes and, realistically, they cannot simply add her to engagements that have been planned as solo engagements (perhaps one year in advance) for Harry.

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    14. Hi surfer girl, we must remember that Meghan and Harry are not married yet and Meghan is not royal yet. I think that boots on the ground will be after they get married and Meghan is actually royal. We have to remember that Meghan is still in training and learning her job.

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    15. HalleluYah. Kudos Twitter. That brought much joy to me after a trying day. It is joyful news on any day.

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  31. Eve from Germany9 February 2018 at 19:15

    Honestly, I don´t read ANY of these reports/interviews - or whatever they call it. The first time I read here on the blog that Samantha was talking dirt about her sister - apparently because she wanted to "protect" Harry? - I knew what I was dealing with here. Too many "coincidences" to be true and NOT fueled by money-hunger and the desire to hurt/harm someone you envied for their success, their looks, whatever.... You feel infinitely "inferior" to this person, you don´t like it, you explain it to yourself: "Ah, she always got the better treatment! SHE was the princess - and what about me?", etc, etc, etc. So this fairy-tale story about marrying a Prince is too much. You HAVE to do something in order to feel at least SOME importance and get SOME acknowledgement. "Better "bad" attention than NO attention" - one of the reasons some children "like" to do "bad" things all the time - sadly often the only way to get their parents´attention... So they spill dirt, as a "revenge", get money for it on top of it - and the only thing I wonder is why so many people are still reading it.... It´s SO transparent! And the media print it, as long as it assures clicks, paper sales are going up, etc, etc. They´re businesses, after all, not non-profit-organizations, right? The whole thing is disgusting, for sure, but Meghan knew what she was getting herself into.... "difficult" family relationships are the first ones to come out when you marry a Prince - and let´s not kid ourselves, her family is not the picture-perfect, lovey-dovey, close-knit clan that you might probably need nowadays in order to keep the media at bay. The fact that Harry hadn´t even met her father before announcing the engagement - it is most unusual and doesn´t indicate a very close, healthy relationship. But I´m sure she knows what she´s doing, and must have prepared herself for the worst, knowing her family and the problems which surely didn´t just pop up out of the blue once her relationship with Harry became more serious....
    I guess no matter what you do, you can´t "win" this. Even if she uses very good lawyers it would only enhance the image of a "bad, broken family" ("..or why else would she need fancy lawyers?") in the eyes of some parts of the public. And that, of course, would then be used as an argument against Meghan. Which, of course, carries some truth in it. It´s human nature to "naturally" fall into ("bad") behavioural patterns you´ve once learned in your own family - without even wanting it!! It´s an easy trap to fall into, we all know that..
    I hope both Harry and Meghan are well aware of what they´ve experienced in their respective childhoods and how it is still affecting them today, particularly in relationships. I keep fingers crossed for them, I really do!! And continue to happily ignore all "half-sibling is saying" reports wherever I might stumble across them... ;-))))

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    1. Eve, agree so much with what you said.

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    2. Eve, you are so right. And I feel a need to explain that I work on the computer at hoe all day long. When I log on I first check my mail and then these two blogs! I love the Kate blog mainly because the photos of her and the places she goes are excellent and so interesting! I love the Meghan blog because I find her such an interesting person---and she has a killer smile.

      In between work I need a little mindless diversion, so I Google "Meghan Markle" and a list of non-news news pops up. I enjoy seeing the sibling complaint stories disappear down the line to be replaced by the other gossipy items.

      I am liking the father less and less---there's no reason these two siblings could not be fine people. I think they have resented MM since she was born and their worst fears came to pass---MM became more well known until she was an actual princess!! Again, we don't know the history of what these two may have done to MM. The brother is very controlling (telling Harry to propose now and demanding that his children not be invited to the wedding) and has no boundaries, which makes me think he's abusive. I think they would all benefit from the father standing up and saying that he let down his first children. It's rather pathetic that he's so silent. I think it will be MM and her mom and maybe some relatives on her mom's side.

      I think it is a good lesson for this rather small young woman to arrange her life as she wishes.

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  32. One good thing is that even when these comments from the relatives come out, they are soon replaced by a myriad of other MM "news," like Elton John canceling his Las Vegas weekend presumably so he can be at the wedding, MM's jewelry makers, MM's jewelry style, Wendy Williams saying that MM's DNA is in her studio (!), how MM loves peonies, and on and on so that the relative's comments get shuffled to the back of the list!

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  33. I am really intrigued how so many people are concerned by the comments made by people, who hardly know or have had any relationship with Meghan in years. I would be more interested in comments from her mother. Sam & Tom are opportunistic...& from their behaviour they don't care for Meghan nor hope to form any "bonds" in the future. That's fine...eventually the media's interest will die down just like it did with Kate's uncle & cousin & ex friend.

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    1. Absolutely spot on Anon, well said. I was going to say the same but you beat me to it :)

      The estranged siblings have done nothing but prove time and again exactly WHY they don't have a close relationship with Meghan. They have been absolutely awful at what should be the happiest time of her life.

      They have been opportunistic to an extreme. We have on public record how Samantha has changed her tune multiple times to suit whatever agenda SHE has. Not what's best for Meghan, what's best for HER.

      We know so little about this, but I would say to everyone here and anyone in my own life, remove toxic, negative people from your life. Don't waste a moment of this precious life on them. They cause stress, worry, conflict, upset. STOP. Remove them as a source of pain and surround yourself with good people who show you love, respect, encouragement, kindness. Life is too short.

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    2. Exactly Claudia..."Sometimes you have to Love people from afar"...The half brother Tom stories have been proven to be untrue (recall he said that the father had met Harry...but the father hasn't spoken to him in years)...The half sister is so bitter it's sad. They're entitled to their options and can say whatever they wish. I mainly blame the media- they seem to enjoy dragging this "circus" of desperate opportunistic strangers (only related via a father). I also detect a bit of racism interjected in their reporting. I'm glad that others are seeing it & calling it out. That is the only way we as humans can evolve and grow.

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  34. In case anyone missed it. Charlotte was very well quoted in this People Maginzine article about her fantastic blogs.
    How Meghan Markle Is Changing the Fashion Blog World - People
    https://apple.news/At2HPwq27R-615FtvIa9zIQ

    Ash -USA

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    1. Charlotte,
      Each and every time, it had been a pleasant surprise to find your interviews and/or commentary on other media. It was nice to find what motivated you to start MAM.

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    2. Just read the piece.
      Congratulations Charlotte!!!!
      All the best to you !!!
      Thank you for the great work!!!!

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  35. Great article! And I liked that you were quoted as thinking that Meghan had substance. I think that's why people are interested. I love your Kate blog but never thought to comment but Meghan is such an interesting person, and one feels protective at times, that I started to comment, and now really like the fellow bloggers. :) Article made it clear that yours is the premiere blog.

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    1. Kudos to “People” for acknowledging excellent workmanship. Glad they called you out on that, Charlotte. Me thinketh that that is just the beginning, along with the other mentions you have received.

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  36. I have been thinking about the cost of her clothes. It was reported that she has either $5 or $7 million that she has earned. If she has $5 million, at a mere 1.5% interest, she would have $75,000 a year to use for clothes. I truly think she paid little or nothing for her engagement photo gown, and $75,000 can go a long way toward basic black pants. :)

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    1. Although after taxes, fees to agents etc and her own living costs and perhaps debt I suspect it is not 5 million in the bank, but hopefully she was able to stock up 2-3 mill which is still a nice chunk to generate a lovely stream of, in her case now, income that she can use for whatever she wants.

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  37. Good point, Allison. :)
    A trust with a principle of 5 million dollars would, in the U.S., typically generate around 5% to 6% interest. What portion of that interest that would be taxable depends on where she keeps that interest and how she has that structured. So, generally, a tax-sheltered, spendable annual interest gain of 5% to 6% would give her $250,000 or more.

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  38. ABSOLUTELY APPALLING AND DESPICABLE what this - I won´t even mention the name of this lunatic, it´s giving him WAAAY too much credit - dared to post on twitter!!! BRAVO to Meghan´s colleague Patrick Adams for setting this... straight!! - the next best thing to officially deleting this disgusting tweet by Twitter themselves and closing down the account. The kind of people runnning around on this planet - honestly, as a child I´ve always wondered why God found no other solution than the Flood - the older I get the more I can understand it! :-(((((
    Sorry, Charlotte, for this rant "out of the blue", but I´ve just been on your twitter account and found Patrick Adam´s answer.... Why we still have to talk about "race" in today´s days is BEYOND ME. WE ARE ALL HUMANS. THERE ARE NO RACES. JUST PEOPLE. BEING INDIVIDUALS. BY DEFINITION. With individual characteristics, NO MORE, NO LESS. GET IT IN YOUR HEADS. Boy, these ignorant empty-heads are making me SOOOOOOO angry!!! (Insert all swearwords I know for those......) GRRR!!!!!!

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    1. That lunatic is running for political office too. Insane.

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    2. Eve from Germany, I hear you. Thank you for caring & speaking up!! If more people cared...think where this world would/could be.

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    3. Completely agree Eve. There's terrible ugliness in the world right now and it should be denounced immediately whether in subtle or obvious forms. Meghan needs all the strength and support she can get, and every decent person should stand with her in principle if nothing else, even if she's not your cup of tea. Everyone should say this is not who we are, this is not how human beings treat other human beings.

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    4. Claudia, Amen! Amen! Amen! Way to go Eve & Anon for speaking up! Even One Person Can Change The World!!! :) xoxo

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    5. Are you speaking of the Congressional candidate in Wisconsin? This person wants to represent the American people and tweets the most revolting bigotry. I am shamed for my country.

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    6. I am extremely ashamed that this absolutely horrid man is running for public office in my state. News reports today indicate his Twitter account has been suspended due to that disgusting tweet. Good riddance! Sadly, this sorry excuse of a human being continues to walk amongst us.

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    7. I didn't read it or any news stories discussing it. That sort of tripe is one reason I don't have an account. One can get drawn into the ugliness, whether one agrees with it or not. Plus--the greater their audience, the more such commenters are encouraged. Negative attention is still attention. Disagreeing and protesting a comment is still recognizing it.
      It is frustrating to stand by and seemingly let such comments go; however, they will continue as long as someone is reading them. Objecting directly to that person is a waste of time as well as an exercise in futility- there is no changing a mind focused on causing conflict and division or of one who craves attention- no matter how it is acquired. One can, however, express one's feelings in other ways: for example, on this site; at the polls; and by one's personal example in daily life.

      The really frightening reality to me is there are movements that have received significant encouragement that are dedicated to spreading fear and distrust in ways more ominous than a Twitter comment. Those commenters can be shut down for a time in one forum but will not be silenced .
      Again, I am basing my response on what Eve and others have written here. I did not read it myself. Probably somewhat unfair technically, but I have over time learned to trust and respect the opinions of certain commenters here. Eve is one of them.

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  39. Eve- you must have been an inquiring child. I hope you will not let it affect your day. It can be between the voice of reason, the absurd, the comical and the evil out there sometimes. I am neither on twitter nor on face book. Now and then I read the daily mail for peoples’ comments on various issues, and quickly exit before it affects me in a negative way.

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  40. Charlotte, I have a question. I have not seen any negative attitudes of people in the crowds waiting to see Kate over the years and wondered if you knew of any problems. I know there are people against the RF in general (as there are people against everything on Earth), and wondered if any nasty posters or people shouting bad things are ever part of the venue. Maybe the police filter them out before the RF arrives? I remember that MM seemed almost surprised at her enthusiastic welcome, and I though Harry looked on edge at first. I'm sure he would like to tackle anyone who says anything bad about MM. It seems that most of the hate toward MM has come from her "close-knit" family, but Eve reminds us of the ugly reality. And, Eve, I can't comment on the situation because I'm in the US and can't bring politics into this discussion. :) But it's very nice of MM to have such a quick defender and reaffirms that all the people she has met and worked with realyl like her.

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    1. Hello,

      The only instance I can recall was at an Olympic gala in 2012. William and Kate arrived and a photographer shouted an obscene term to get Kate to turn around and look. I heard something similar happened to Meghan in Nottingham during the walkabout with a photographer. Thankfully, the crowds tend to be supporters and royalists in general.

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    2. Allison in US, my take is a person doesn't have to like Meghan. Everyone is entitled to their opinion & sometimes there are people that you don't like- That's human nature! I do think that everyone should respect each other. I have a serious problem with racism. Dislike Meghan for whatever reason; criticize her fashion but to dislike her for her ethnic make-up...

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    3. Admin yes in Nottingham there is video of Harry having a few choice words with a pap, then he physically blocked the pap from taking pictures of Meghan.........it was kind of hot......

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  41. Hi Meghan fans, as observers to her journey with Harry all we can do is simply watch and comment as everything is revealed. I look fwd to their engagement in Edinburgh on Tuesday and I pray that their genuine warmth and concern will be felt by all who they meet. Families aside, they are a lovely couple!

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  42. Just read something really nice and encouraging!! The sister has three children and at least the two girls are friends of MM. This made me feel really good.

    NOELLE RASMUSSEN

    Meghan’s niece Noelle Rasmussen jumped to the future royal’s defence last year after her own mother criticised her.

    The 19-year-old daughter of Samantha Grant is also not on speaking terms with her mum, who she claims is “abusive” and a “liar”.

    In an interview, Noelle claimed her mother’s tell-all book, The Diary Of Princess Pushy’s Sister, would be fuelled by hate and her longstanding jealousy of her half-sister.

    “You can essentially write a book full of lies but it’s not a tell-all. It’s literally just going to be her versions, her ramblings, of things that have happened. None of it is going to be true,” she told the Mail Online.

    Noelle, an anthropology student based in Albuquerque, claimed her mother loathes Meghan, and has spent years telling the rest of their family about it.

    She said: “When [Meghan] started dating Prince Harry, [Grant] got an interest in Meghan which she had never had before.

    “She wanted to be nice, to be friends, to say how much she loves her sister — but after years of telling me and the rest of the family how much she hates Meghan, how much of a narcissist Meghan apparently is and what a horrible woman Meghan is, which isn’t true at all.

    “ ... She’s just completely bashed Meghan, said the most horrible things about her to the entire family, and just been completely jealous of her.

    “She hasn’t shown her any type of love or appreciation unless she wants money. That’s it.”

    According to Noelle, Meghan is a “very, very nice person”.

    “She is very sweet, very genuine. She is nothing like my mother. She is actually the complete opposite — she is just a great, great woman.”

    ASHLEIGH HALE

    Ashleigh Hale, 31, is the other daughter of Samantha Grant, and is said to have been the inspiration behind her aunt Meghan’s character on legal drama Suits.

    As a child, Ashleigh was reportedly brought up by her grandparents, along with her brother Christopher, because of personal problems their mother was dealing with at the time.

    Before she deleted her social media, Meghan posted photos of herself with Ashleigh, alongside sweet captions praising her pro bono legal work.

    In one Twitter post, Meghan promoted Ashleigh’s role with a non-profit organisation called Gray Haven, set up to fight the trafficking of vulnerable adults and children.

    She wrote: “Please help victims of human trafficking! Support @thegrayhaven (my niece, Ash, does pro bono work for them!)”

    It was accompanied by a photo of Meghan and Ashleigh in the back seat of a car.

    In another post, back in 2012, Meghan shared a picture of a bouquet sent to her by Ashleigh.

    “The most beautiful flowers from my niece, Ash. xoxo,” she said in the caption.

    Last year, before news of Harry and Meghan’s engagement broke and she quit Suits, a source told UK publication Express that the pair have remained close over the years, and catch up whenever they can.

    “Meghan has spoken to her about what it’s like to work at a law firm. And if Meghan does marry Prince Harry then Ashleigh will definitely have a starring role in the ceremony.”

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    1. Allison at 15:56,
      It is good you posted the details here for the record. This had been one blog the family’s affair has more discussion from the brother’s latest issues, the usual back and forth, and good and bad confusing negativity. I join you in feeling good, although I was sort of shocked about relationship between Sam and her daughter after I watched the video which link Monica at 04:29 posted. The rest of my comment will continue where Bernadette Clarke at 14:56 left off.

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  43. I'm having a vision of MM in blue, a cross between robin's egg blue and turquoise. Hope it is true.

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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 :)