With just days until Christmas, I'm finalising my own preparation for a week spent with family. Are you all set for the weekend if you're celebrating? For their Christmas card, Harry and Meghan chose a beautiful black and white photo from the Ripple of Hope gala with the accompanying message: "Wishing you a joyful Holiday Season, from our family to yours, and on behalf of our teams at the Archewell Foundation, Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions, we wish you health, peace, and a very Happy New Year."
I haven't covered Harry and Meghan's Netflix programme in depth here yet. There are such intense emotions on both sides, and for the past four years it has felt like relentless screaming and shouting rather than listening and learning -- the latter being sorely needed. I will say it paints a heart-breaking and devastating portrait of the breakdown in family relationships. It was especially saddening to hear Harry talking about what he'll miss in the UK, the "weird family gatherings when we are all brought together under one roof for certain times of the year". Meghan recalled her first royal Christmas at Sandringham in 2017: "I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham. Calling my mum, and she's like, 'How's it going?' And I said, 'Oh my gosh, it's amazing.'" Meghan added: "It's just like a big family, like I always wanted. There was just this constant movement and energy and fun." A clear message conveyed in the docu-series: they would have continued working as members of the Royal family for the rest of their lives if they could.
Harry & Meghan has become Netflix's biggest documentary debut of all time, with over 175 million hours watched. In the UK, it is the most watched subscription television series, beating the likes of Stranger Things and The Crown.
Our biggest documentary debut ever.
— Netflix (@netflix) December 21, 2022
Harry & Meghan. Now on Netflix pic.twitter.com/iF7hP83c3x
The impact of the series, which focused heavily on the abhorrent and cruel portrayals of Meghan in the media, has been a renewed awakening among many to the appalling abuse she is subjected to in the British press. Leading media figure Jeremy Clarkson penned in the Sun, without a second thought, that he "hates" Meghan. Not content with that blanket statement, he continued: "Not like I hate Nicola Sturgeon or Rose West. I hate her on a cellular level." As the vitriol continued, he wrote, "Dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her." The disgusting "piece" was met with an immediate outcry of horror. Sixty cross-party MPs wrote to the Sun’s editor, Victoria Newton, to demand an apology and demanded Clarkson face action. It has become the most complained about article IPSOS has dealt with. Over 21,000 people contacted the press standards organisation to express their outrage, and it has opened up conversations, debates and made way for voices of reason across the media sector to share a unified message: this is not Okay, this is not acceptable.
Today, The Sun issued a statement.
We'll see their next production with the streaming giant far sooner than thought. On 31 December, the couple presented and executive-produced Live to Lead, a docu-series inspired by Nelson Mandela highlighting leaders from all over the world. It will feature a host of inspirational figures including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem and Greta Thunberg. The Nelson Mandela Foundation said: "Extraordinary leaders reflect on their legacies and share messages of courage, compassion, humility, hope and generosity."
Meanwhile, Archewell has been focusing on Gifting Back.
'On Friday, the Archewell team including The Archewell Foundation, Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions gathered to celebrate the holidays and participate in This Is About Humanity’s annual Holiday Party for Reunified Families represented by Immigrant Defenders Law Center. Led by The Archewell Foundation, the company organized holiday gifting for over 30 reunified and refugee families. This Is About Humanity creates a community of allies and advocates dedicated to raising awareness about separated and reunified families and children at the U.S.-Mexican border'.
Harry and Meghan are undoubtedly looking forward to Christmas with Archie and Lili, surrounded by Granny Doria (a lady of dignity and strength we were lucky enough to hear from for the first time) and close friends in California. As they continue to build their new life and make memories for their children's future, I hope it's a week filled with peace and joy.
On that note, I want to wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas. (Remember this snowy day of engagements in Bristol in 2019?)
Thank you for reading Mad About Meghan in 2022.
Charlotte, The Sussex family, and all readers,
ReplyDeleteHappy Holiday to all. and yours. Merry Christmas to those who observe/celebrate.
To you too 🎄🎁👏🏾
DeleteMerry Christmas - posted comment a few seconds ago w/o my name. Anon15
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte thank you for being such a steadfast, cool headed, stickler for truth and fairness. The world needs more people like you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlotte for still covering what Meghan does. She emanates such strength !
ReplyDeleteFrom my point of view as a stranger to your country, it's really unfortunate that Harry and her couldn't continue their Royal work. They could bring so much, but perhaps they attracted too much light in spite of themselves compared to other members of the Royal family. But as they said, they found another way to "serve".
It is funny that you mention this engagement in Bristol because I was thinking about it some days ago. The idea of writing a positive word on the banana was great, it inspired me for writing some positive words that I will drop on the Christmas table...
Happy holidays to you !
🤣 Honestly when Meghan wrote about bananas didn't bother me much but I understood the intention while fearing the reaction of haters but now when I imagine your Anne family scene where you write kind words on fruit on the Christmas table I find it very cute and exciting for the guests and I think I will do the same: it will be fun for the children for sure.👍🤣
DeleteThank you for venturing out into the noise! It is so unfair to you and potential readers to not be able to enjoy this site. I love the Christmas card. We have seen so many ADORABLE images of the children that I think we should be satisfied for a bit. I noted how often Harry was tending to the kids -- I think he is extremely happy with his family. I love how much fun H&M have -- they retain childlike abilities in the most magical ways. And I'm sending even more love to Eugenie; she's just amazingly undervalued, although not by me. This new series sounds very interesting; I'm continually in awe of Meghan, and I give most of the credit to her. I love Harry but Meghan seems very smart and innovative. Ruth Ginsberg was a fascinating woman; very human, very fun, and a pioneer. It should be a great interview. I noticed that Archewell organized gifts for 30 reunited families at the US border. There's a lot of problems at the southern US border but these are all humans of no lesser worth than we citizens. Blessings to the people who struggle to take care of them.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you will print my comment, but the media was not alone in the torture of Meghan. They were playing the "dirty game" with members of the Royal family, particulary Kensington Palace (i.e. William) as stated clearly by media briefed by Kensington Palace.
ReplyDeleteR
Like many, I am filled with conflicting feelings re this documentary and the last years of conflict. Filled with sadness that a family is clearly broken, with frankly, little chance of repair. I believe there is probably mistruths and mistakes on both sides. I like Meghan and Harry - I also like Kate and William. Meghan and Harry have had ample opportunity to air and share their grievances, I would like to see them stop that now, and move on with their philanthropy and other endeavors, and stop the vitriol. It is no longer a good look for them. Happy Holidays to all, and thank you for your work with this excellent blog.
ReplyDeleteMay I remind you, 20:20,that any vitriol does not originate with Harry and Meghan but very powerful persons in the British media. Clearly, that vitriol also serves the interests of Kensington Palace. Enough people have verified it for us to have no doubt.
DeleteWith all due respect for your right to your own opinion on the subject, your argument that H&M have had "ample opportunity to air and share their grievances," your wish that they "move on with their philanthropy and other endeavors" because it's not a "good look for them" is akin to asking any victim of very real threats and sexually violent abuse to make their police statement, then be quiet and get lost and go do some good works somewhere because they don't look pretty if they persist.
Great wrongs have been done here. Much more complex and nuanced than "mistruths" or "mistakes" on "both sides. Remaining silent about such facts is being complicit and siding with the perpetrators. Silence is still consent under the law. I can appreciate that Charlotte won't want her blogs to become a place where trolls and bots play their filthy games. Nor do I wish to start anything on this forum as it's not in my power to rectify the situation. However, neither am I prepared to consent with my own silence.
Anonymous 22:34 I agree with you completely. Silence is complicity with those who have been working to destroy Harry and Meghan.
DeleteI agree for your instructive and good comment bravo
DeleteI have also conflicting feelings. They are absolutely right about the Brittish media, I just cannot believe there cannot be a law that protects individuals' dignity and privacy.
DeleteI also agree that the Firm missed a huge opportunity with Meg and Harry, they were very innovative.
But I also think they went way too low now with all this sharing. These are private matters. I understand the pain, but this outrage clearly does not help anybody. Sad situation
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlotte for this thoughtful and measured response to the deeply perverted Jeremy Clark, and your wise thoughts about the Netflix series.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your hard work and attention to detail in a tumultuous year.
Best wishes for a beautiful Christmas and happy 2023.
-Karen in frigid Virginia
Hi Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time commenting anywhere. I'm not on any social media as I like my privacy (I'm an engineer and prefer my corner :-)). However, I would like to let you know that I've been following your blogs from the very beginning. Your writing style along with what comes across as a very logical, empathetic and compassionate personality, have always inspired me. Meghan is a 21st century woman who girls and women should look upto for many reasons. I genuinely hope you continue blogging about her and her work.
Hope you have a great holiday and happy new year.
Warm regards,
Humaira
Welcome here Humaira.
DeleteHappy holydays. 🎁🎄
Oh thank you 😊. Happy holidays to you too and hope you have a great uear ahead.
DeleteCharlotte, I sympathized with you as I watched Harry and Meghan's documentary. I know you are a Royalist and are interested in making the Royal Family look good. Harry and Meghan spelled out very clearly what members of the Royal Family -- Harry's own family -- did to him and Meghan. Their reports of abuse were confirmed right after their docuseries by the dispicable Clarkson and the Sun. And they continue to be confirmed every day by the new briefings about how William hates Harry, and how Kate feels betrayed, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere must be a great inner conflict involved in trying to stay neutral in this. It seems to me that one must either decide that Meghan and Harry are lying and nothing we have observed with our own eyes has actually happened, or one has to accept that members of the Royal family and their staffs have engaged in very shameful acts and attacks against them.
R
What briefings (that William hates Harry) are you talking about? I have never read or heard anything like that. I very much doubt that William hated his younger brother.
DeleteMy cellphone carries all the made-up "news" items -- I have seen that William is "livid" but not that he hates his brother. But all the "news" from "Royal insiders" is of course very complimentary to W&K and critical of Meghan in particular. I honestly think I as king would say "enough" and make up with Harry and his family and then pot out weekly denials of the negative press. And take control of my own press reports!
Delete"William really, really, really hates both of them now. It’s really toxic and destructive for all of them." from the Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/harry-and-meghan-netflix-show-is-a-dollar100m-bust-says-royal-insider
DeleteAs far as I know, there has been no denial of this from the palace.
R
R, thank you for the Daily Beast source -- I had not seen it. I have thought for a long time that Meghan was "not liked." Not because she was biracial but because she had thoughts and plans that moved beyond getting permission for every idea. She was too old to be molded. When people don't fall in line with what the family expects, the outcome is often bad
DeleteI don't think KP reads the daily beast, I wouldn't.
DeleteThank you so very much, Charlotte. Here's hoping that all can move on and find whatever level of peace they may now that it's almost all out there. Harry's book yet remains, of course. May 2023 be the year of looking towards the future. The "Live to Lead" production sounds like a wonderful start to all that. I'm eagerly anticipating it.
ReplyDelete❤️
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I wish you a wonderful Christmas and full of blessings as you enter the year 2023 which for me represents a year of positivity and hope.
ReplyDeleteThanks for thinking of us with this cute little article.
I also wish all of the 2 blogs, happy holblogspot,
To the Sussex family too, I blow a whole wind of happiness and sussex to them. I can't wait to see them again in 2023, always amazing, charming and innovative in their various engagements; Archie is very handsome boy I think and I hope for beautiful photos of little Lili Di.
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Thank you Charlotte for your excellent coverage in this blog. I agree that the media treatment of H & M has been abhorrent and some kind of accountability in the media has to happen. That being said, I’m still very sad that Harry & Meghan made this documentary. As much as they desired to tell their side, I don’t believe it will change the media and has only deepened the brokenness between family members…and that is what is the most heartbreaking. While I love Harry & Megan as a couple and all they can accomplish, it felt odd to me that such private moments were captured by cameras. Was their plan all along to execute a calculated PR campaign? They indicate they want to get on with their new life, but have they been obsessed with their old one if they went to such lengths to document all these moments? Not that they are taking revenge on the royal family, but i like the quote "the best revenge is a good life". No family is perfect, even the royal family. lessons need to be learned from this, but I wish Harry & Meghan had just continued to live their good life and that would show who they really are.
ReplyDeleteOne thing i've garnered from your readers & the comments is that those who love Harry & Meghan AND the royal family are just very, very sad at all that has transpired.
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas as we all deal with family & relationships, hopefully in an honorable way.
Donna, Very will said. I agree.
DeleteDonna - you express my views better than I could.
DeleteYes - one of several issues with the NetFlix series is the question of all these pre-planned video clips of themselves being distraught. Who would pre-arrange a film crew to be present at a moment of family distress?! Only someone who scheduled the cameras along with the drama. It does appear that their intention was to capture these film clips for future use. And perhaps they played it up for the cameras.
How early in the marriage was the NetFlix deal established? From marriage to Megxit was only 18 months. How much of H&M's very brief royal story was changed (embellished) by the presence of the cameras they arranged and their need to provide enough drama to create ratings?
Megxit is the sexist term, pls let's not use it in this page 🙏🏼
DeleteI believe many of those candid videos were recorded on their cell phones and shared to the Netflix series later.
DeleteI cannot support the view the Harry and Meghan should have remained quiet. They were betrayed by their family members. William broke Harry's heart by briefing to the media about him, breaking a promise the two brothers had made to each other years ago that they would never do that to each other. The briefings from the Royal family members and the articles written by the media based on those briefings resulted in death threats to Harry and Meghan.
Countless hundreds of untrue articles have been written about Harry and Meghan. But they should remain quiet so as not to hurt their relationship with their family members, who have thrown them under the bus for years?
I applaud Meghan and Harry for telling their own story. They have a right to do that after so many others have been writing totally false stories about them for years.
Harry said that they wanted to close this chapter of their lives so they can then move on to the next.
Many people are seeing their truth for the first time, and no longer hate them. This series was the best thing they could have done.
R
So did they record with their phones how Harry was leaving for Phillip's funeral?
DeleteAnd William betraying Harry is Harry's view. If you ever listened to William maybe things would sound different. You're all chiding to believe a one sided story
Merry Christmas, Charlotte. Thank you for your generosity of time, thought and grace throughout this year. You have helped so many of us to see a well rounded perspective of Meghan and Harry’s life and evolving story. Your site has been a place of calm and a respite from resentment and bitterness. My desperate hope in the coming years, is that we all recognize the right of free speech is an enormous privilege, and expressing it venomously and cruelly comes with a cost that affects us all - physically, emotionally and spiritually. May Meghan and Harry, and those as courageous, help bring us to a more healthy place.
ReplyDeletethank you for this . I thought it was important you covered the Jeremy Clarkson article because to my mind it proves everything H&M have said about the press decision to allow abuse of these two and the RFs refusal to defend them. Whilst not wanting to create too much drama I am shocked and disappointed that neither Charles nor William have come out against this terrible article, particularly in light of Camilla’s friendship with Clarkson. I have complained to IPSOS, something I have never done before.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family and all readers here a very happy Christmas, or holiday season if you do not celebrate Christmas. It is sad to see a family so torn apart they cannot spend these special times together. LRB
+1
DeleteBeautiful Christmas post, thank you!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Merry Christmas ! Second, if no one believed H&M before , that Clarkson person made their case. It’s so sad and unhealthy that a media game rules the royals, and the game split a family. I realize the palaces can’t go after everything said, but they could limit the rota to legitimate newspapers and exclude the tabloids.
ReplyDeleteSusan in Florida, please remember that the media has older buried stories on the royals that could be used to besmirch their names posthumously or even currently. So the Palace appeases the media by offering up enough fodder for today's news to try to push forward their own agendas. It's not just the media "game" that split the family, but long-held (many generations) and deeply-seeded dysfunctional behaviours of its members that do a great deal of harm at many levels.
DeleteThank you, Anonymous @ 22:46. This dirty game has used Harry and the scapegoat his entire life. It killed his mother. He could not allow it to kill his wife. He had no choice but to leave. Fantasies about his returning to his "loving family" are just that -- fantasies.
DeleteR
It looks like the media has been ruling the royals for too long.
Delete(part 1) Dear Charlotte thanks for all your hard work. Hope you and everyone has a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. This doc was heartbreaking to watch. Felt sorry for everyone involved in this. It is so sad what H&M went through, especially M. When she spoke and cried of being fearful in her house because of the hateful comments wanting her dead it was heartbreaking to hear. Harry and Meghan had so much potential to make the institution better. The racism by the press and social media directed at her can be viewed in what Fulani experienced as they tried to destroy her and her charity. Camilla didn’t make any direct statement at the time but they got Hussey to apologize and she resigned. Camilla also went to a lunch with Morgan and Clarkson (2 people who hate M!). I found that despicable.The media has been vile to M just as you said Clarkson’s recent opinion piece.He thought he could get away with it because Black women’s bodies are devalued this way. Not one royal has condemned it. If he had said this about Kate it would of been a different reaction from the Royals.I am sorry Meghan was suicidal and that she lost a child. I’m glad she’s still here.Glad Harry acknowledges he failed his wife by not seeking her help. He runs a mental health charity and knows how to access help.I don’t like that Harry threw his brother under the bus.I do not think Harry is lying.However, saying William screamed at him was a low blow. I don’t like tit for tat or revenge and it looks like that. He only has one brother and one dad despite any wrongdoings.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I agree with much of what you wrote here. However, William threw Harry under the bus long ago. He briefed against Harry and Meghan, didn't correct the lie that Meghan made Kate cry when it was the other way around, etc. etc. After all these years, Harry is telling his truth about his heartbreak that William briefed against him -- breaking a promise the two had made to each other years ago.
DeleteR
(part 2 cont) I know he wasn’t supported the way he should of been.I wish they took some accountability for mistakes they made too. He already lost his mom and life is too short for such bitterness. He will regret this as it will be hard now ever to be reconciled with his brother. W won’t trust him again and vice versa. His dad Charles was called a liar by H too.I feel this all should of been handled privately not dragging family through the mud. It is pretty unforgivable. I am very sure Wills screamed at H which isn’t nice but W is human. I bet if I was in the same spot I would of screamed at H too.Because he’s my brother and I want to protect him from making a big mistake and throwing all he knew away. Also because I’m scared I’m losing my support. Also it hurts my ego as it’s embarrassing for my family and I.I would also scream cause it’s stressful and upsetting. We have all had challenges with family and screaming but you work this out privately not on Netflix for the world. Also why was someone filming them watch Oprah? That was odd. Why did they read Beyoncé’s private text to the world?Hope they got permission from Beyoncé it came off like showing off. Also in the documentary M said she never knew she was Black until she went to the UK. I found that hard to believe as a biracial woman myself America is very much a racist country as well. Also her mom is Black so how didn’t she know ? She basically was saying she passed as white. She also said no one talks about being biracial but there is great discourse on the subject. I hope Charles won't disinvite them to the coronation as I would like to see them there and some reconciliation. If not that will be very sad because that’s Harry’s dad. You only get one they used to be so close. In the doc both H&M stated how much Charles did for them to get their dream wedding. It’s very isolating losing your fam. I agree it was sad to hear H say he misses family gatherings and his friends in the UK. He directly blames W for planting the stories and if true that is terrible of W (as he knows what his mother went through) but I still feel H shouldn’t put it out like this airing of dirty linen.I really didn’t like Harry stating he and M did the job better than Wills and Kate. It came off spiteful. I agree with H that he and Meg eclipsed the fame of Wills and Kate. One because Harry had a more likeable fun personality. He put people at ease like Diana did. Meghan is beautiful/down to earth and they were new and exciting.K&W come off more standoffish and serious. I’m sure jealously ran both ways. Diana would be heartbroken by this all. She always wanted Harry to support William and she loved them both dearly.I hope H&M move forward and a miracle family reconciliation happens. Not sure if Charles will remove their titles and their childrens but there may be a chance after the new book to come.I am worried what will be in Harry’s book to only add fuel to the fire and damage his relationship with his dad and Wills even more. He is sitting down for an interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 mins as well on Jan 8th and I hope there aren't any painful accusations in it. This doesn’t just damage the relationship with his brother and dad but also his niece and nephew and Kate. The kids
ReplyDeletewon’t have the relationship with Charles and their uncle/aunt that they should of had.After “Spare” comes out I hope they move on and live their best life continuing to do their good work you highlighted. They obviously are still in so much pain from this family trauma. Lots of people are suffering in the world and they are very privileged by constantly talking about this it only will pull his family further apart and leave them all eternally bitter.Their new doc Live to Lead looks good wish they stuck to that.
Melissa, you make a good point about getting permission to read what Beyonce wrote. I just have to assume that H&M received permission to show images of or relating to Beyonce, Eugenie, etc. I think they would run the risk of losing friendships otherwise -- there are friends who are not cited, so I have decided (hope I'm right!) that those shown or mentioned gave permission. :)
DeleteWe do need to remember that H&M technically did not make this documentary. They have a contract for a lot of money that will include, I think, a docu about Invictus. They have few ways of making money and are hitting them all while people are still interested. And even if the press did not have stories to suppress about the RF, we have seen that accuracy is not an issue: if they wanted to hammer the RF, they will come up with lies we never saw coming. Like when Meghan was destroying the world with her avocado brunch! But much worse.
DeleteThank you Melissa for voicing what I also feel personally, and thank you
DeleteCharlotte for letting it be said. I support Harry and Meghan, but I do not agree with how this is all playing out in the public like it is, especially after the Queen's death. There is accountability on both sides that need to be addressed, and other sides that need heard and considered. I too feel, there was no need to throw William under the bus like he did - it did seem spiteful. Who of us haven't yelled or screamed at a sibling, especially if in our minds we feel that they would regret their action. I don't think anybody's voice should be silenced, but we don't know the context of it all and this public forum of attacking seems particularly damaging, and most likely the book will only add fuel to this bonfire; it just doesn't seem healthy all the way around. I wish the best for Harry and Meghan and will remain a supporter, but some of my warmth towards them has cooled off. They do live a very privileged life, and have so much going for them that many others don't have, it just felt somewhat tone-deaf to me. I agree Melissa, and I too hope that after it is published and out that they will move on and let their actions speak for their intent to fulfill a charitable role - their new documentary does look good and where they should put their energies - THIS is what I imagined for them. Live to Lead is a great mantra for the New Year!.
Thank you Melissa for having the courage to write what you wrote. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said.
DeleteWhat is the saddest part of the whole family situation -- and one that can be corrected -- is that Archie and Lili may grow up saying that the king is their grandfather but they don't see him. Then, saying that their uncle is king but they don't know him. And then that their first cousin is king but they have never met. Why did the meeting by Charles and the Queen have to be in near secretiveness when photos of them with Charles' other grandchildren abound? I believe that Meghan's talents with the public and Americanism were equally unwanted by those "guiding" the monarchy. I do believe there is a balance to give the press "villains" in exchange for providing "heroes," sacrificing H&M. And I believe Harry has every right to go public with every wrong he has endured -- since his life has been made public, he can voice his thoughts in public.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
DeleteSo true
It seems that the reason no pictures of the meeting was in "near secretiveness", was likely because this documentary was known of already, they didn't want the Queen being used in that way. There are photos with her and Philip meeting Archie. There are family photos from his Christening. This was quite a different situation, as it was said during this meeting that H&M had their own photographer that was turned away... in retrospect, quite likely for this documentary.
DeleteI’m just so tired of the tabloid talking points in the comments on this blog. Charlotte does such a lovely job being fair and informative and sharing what is known as fact. “It was said” they brought a photographer? Who said? The Daily Mail? Twitter? I’m begging us all to be more discerning with our media sources so many of them lie and manipulate the narrative. Harry’s exact point.
DeleteThank you for all you do, Charlotte, and for your family & friends who support you. My main question, not only about what was said in the Netflix show but also what Harry said in his book, why on earth did Meghan and Harry read all the press anyway? There are many celebrities and other people in the public who have said they have never read one piece of media about themselves - ever. And, many who din’t even watch themselves in a movie or on the television. Who would even have time to keep up with it? I recall Meghan (or Harry) saying she was staying up at all hours scouring the media to see what was being said about them. That would cause anyone to have a meltdown. And Harry later states much of this (& their lawsuit) is what caused Meghan’s miscarriage. I believe true maturity comes when one has lived much more of their lives than they have. If they were in their 60’s, would they feel the need to publish all of this? As another reader stated, what will it be like for their children to read this later in life? I believe we learn so much (good and bad) from our parents, will they grow up hating their grandfather, uncle/aunt, and cousins as well? I believe they have been quite immature in having so many private details of theirs and others in their families made public. They, like all of us, have family dysfunction & difficulties in their lives - theirs being in the spotlight unlike the majority of us. Is any of this going to help anyone? There is something to be said for just getting on with your life no matter what is thrown at you/said about you. I have spent a great deal of time with my therapist, learning what my family does or does not do/say to me or other members of my family is no concern of mine. They have to live with all their anger & any regret they may or may not have - I certainly do not. Obviously, when you live with a great deal of privilege & opportunity (such as living in a 15 million dollar mansion), it seems meaningless to those of us who do not, to cry to the public that you family cut off your money & how wrong everyone has been to you. They say they have a right to give their side. True, we all do. The question is, does any of this help anyone?
DeleteDear Charlotte,
ReplyDeletethank you so much for your excellent coverage in 2022. I wish you a very Happy Christmas from Germany. As a therapist I have been interested in the British Royal Family because they sort of mirror or reflect what we want to be, our desires, values, expectations, roles etc. With Diana there was a shift in how people want to conduct themselves. A huge shift from strict self composure to showing more feelings especially vulnerability.
With Meghan and Harry a new scheme of royal personality appeared. Both wanted to be seen as who they are, be in close touch and work with that freedom. They tried for a certain time to play their role but when that horrific public humiliation set in they felt it was not possible to carry that for the rest of their lives.
This is a big process in all our lives. It is a struggle and a fight in our culture. I find it reflected in lots of ongoings. Do we allow ourselves or others to be themselves and accept that. Or do we want us or them to play their role and function well? The Royal Family allowed us to project ourselves on them because we did not really know them and they did not want to be truly seen. I think this shifted with Harry and has always been different in Meghans personality.
Kate evolved into her Royal role as a rich British girl from a very different standpoint. She decided for adaption like William at a certain point. She created consciously that picture perfectness and developed this modern Victorianism for herself and her family.
Meghan might have been „naive“ about her expectations from Royal life but the crucial point is not her lesser understanding of aristocratic life and British press but her willingness to remain herself and be accepted. Above all other things Meghan believes in love. This is absolutely naive for a section of people while another section feels this is highly evolved.
We have seen now very placidly that in some structures new energies can not survive. They are being fought very aggressively. Yet the seed remains waiting for its time to see the light.
Williams path now grants him protection, He will be taken care of. Like we would take care of a dinosaur still living amongst us. William and Kate will further perfect their roles. Yet I do see how fast peoples consciousness is changing and growing. It is a question of two or three generations. The younger generations will not appreciate Royalty as perfection of past ideals. They are constantly communicating and will have difficulty with nonspeaking Royalty. The younger generations are building new structures and relationships which do not claim their integrity or major sacrifice. Williams decision to choose the institution above his brother will weaken the institution - not now and not on the outside. But on the long this will be a factor in eroding the energies carrying the system. The Prince of Wales and his wife will be King and Queen one day. But I doubt George will want to carry the crown unless it is possible to fill it with new life. He will see his cousins on the other side and know: I may have the British Crown but they have themselves and the world.
Wow 👌
DeleteYour comment is good and instructive. Thanks 👏🏾
One of the best, insightful comments I've read on this blog! There is always a tension between tradition and innovation. People have chosen sides. It doesn't make either side evil per se, but it's a fact of cultural life.
DeleteVictoria, Oregon
I just love this analysis and i think it is spot on. Bravo to you
DeleteThank you, you have said this so well. You have grasped what happened in this family and why one brother bent to the institution and the other had to get out. I too believe that George will feel differently about his role and be an entirely new heir to whatever the British want a monarchy to be in 50 years or so.
DeleteKaren in Virginia
Anon 04:36 I agree that George and his siblings will lead a minor revolution and throw out all the archaic trappings. They will have real occupations and act more like historians.
DeleteThank you so much Charlotte for your very thoughtful post.
ReplyDeleteI am a Harry and Meghan supporter...not a fan. I make that distinction because while I support their relationship and their right to have a peaceful life I don't believe that everything they do is right.
And so it was with this documentary. I was torn about whether or not they should be doing this.
Having watched the full series I am glad that they did. It gives much information about their journey and how they got to this point.
I believe that the best revenge is living well but the BRF only pretends to not complain and explain. They use the media to get their side of the story out and they punish Harry and Meghan. That has not stopped. The briefing against Harry and Meghan continued apace even when the family was supposed to be deeply grieved after the passing of the monarch and matriarch of the family.
There seems to be a zero sum approach - Harry and Meghan must fail for the family to thrive.
I was drawn to this story in Oct 2018 when the smear campaign began in earnest. It was not subtle. I was not really familiar with the BRF but I very quickly came to the conclusion that the stories were coming from within the family and my initial thought was that the goal was a miscarriage.
In addition, I have seen what they have done to Diana...much loved, but still enough creditable people spouting that she was paranoid, unjustifiable so.
I wish both sides of the family peace even if there cannot be reconciliation.
But, because I am a supporter and I followed them so closely from 2018, I wish Harry and Meghan joy, peace and continued success.
Amen 🙏🏼🙏🏼
DeleteI agree. Thank you.
DeleteR
Charlotte, I would like to echo the comments of many before me: you provide fair and un-sensationalized coverage for which we are all grateful. I wish you a troll- and hate-free new year!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you highlighted the Jeremy Clarkson article and the reckless and racist character of the media it further highlighted. I wanted to also shine a spotlight on this article (https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/harry-meghan-docuseries-buckingham-palace-1235464017/) in Variety that further corroborates the claims about the palace communications offices and their willingness to lie to further a narrative. This example seems to have gotten much less press coverage, but to me, seems to be the most tell-tale of them all.
I look forward to your insights on the documentary, Charlotte. Thank you for all that you do.
What a wonderful Christmas card and a very beautiful family. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte , thank you 👏🏾 for your good and great work.
ReplyDeleteMervelous Holydays for you and your family 🎄❤
I watched both first 1-3 and then 4-6 (now several times) seeing & hearing different things I didn’t spot on first time. What I find surprising is the hatred poured on H & M, why does anyone feel they can rain epithets down on people they have never met,
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of Harry and Meghan and William and Catherine, 2 couples with very different path’s.H & M aren’t receiving any public funds (correct me if I’m wrong)
So why the constant drip trying to paint H & M as avaricious & clueless. IMO u can like both families and want them to succeed.
But..the Sussex’s interview with to me was rather awful & Netflix series has its moments. There were a few answers in the Netflix series that were incompatible with the answers they gave in the Oprah interview. Wishing both families a happy Christmas & new year
I don’t know what H&Ms life would look like without these big reveals. Do they have any money? It seems like they don’t. Without doing the Oprah interview and the Netflix documentary, I don’t know if they could pull in the funds to continue to support themselves (at the level they are accustomed to). Their charity work is good, but is it profitable? I wonder how many people will watch their upcoming Netflix series v. The one that just came out? While it seems distasteful to many for them to air the laundry, it’s the only currency they have. Meghan could go back to acting I suppose, but that takes the shine off of her royal status. It just seems like they’re in a tough spot.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder what would have happened had they stayed the course. Just put their heads down and ignored the press (which I realize is totally unfair and would be hard to do) and kept moving forward. They are so likable and relatable - very much like Diana. I think the long game may have paid off better for them. They did such good work and touched people’s lives - the optimist in me thinks that eventually they would have “won” that way.
Lauren, you make the point that I have thought is very overlooked -- their income. They probably could have gotten jobs like the cousins and been comfortable. But Meghan has always had plans that required her to be well known, to generate money and alliances for charity work. I think her plans would not be approved had they stayed in the UK -- she had some new ideas, such as creating books for a good cause, that were popular, and the palace would want those ideas to go to the heirs. There's a reason we rarely hear about Eugenie's endeavors.
DeleteMeghan's suicidal ideation could not be ignored. Harry was right to remove them from the scene.
DeleteR
To OP - It's been said Harry received quite a bit of money from Diana, as she knew William would be financially set, she left most of her money ot Harry. Judging from their home, I believe their quite well set. As far as needing to do these projects to finance "living at the level their accustomed to", how very nice for them, but hardly a justification of entitlement, is it?
DeleteMaybe they would have “won” by ignoring the hatred in the press and briefings from KP and what frankly seems like it was a toxic working environment but at what cost? There is more to life than winning. I think they won by choosing the path they did. Jessie
DeleteI agree with your conclusion, Lauren, had they played the long game they would have been beloved over time. As for these big reveals being their currency... Knowing that, would you feel at ease having any kind of personal or vulnerable conversation with them, if you where the RF?
DeletePlaying the long game is not always the best option. If an environment is affecting your mental health you shouldn’t be expected to tough it out. Meghan was suicidal during her pregnancy. I hate to think what would have happened to her or Harry playing the “long game”.
DeleteLovely post thank you.
ReplyDeleteThat Jeremy Clarkson article is horrific. I used to think that Meghan should just toughen up against the briefings from the palace and what the media were saying about her just like the the Princess of Wales, the Queen Consort and other RF members had to do, but no other royal family members have been subject to this sheer level of hate. The lingering doubts I had about the level of abuse targeted at Meghan and why her and Harry feel the need to speak out about it have now evaporated.
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlotte for your continued coverage of Harry and Meghan. I too have been very grieved at the obvious rift between Harry and his family.
ReplyDeleteI have been conflicted as to whether I am helping to feed some of this drama by following the Royals. If we all stopped reading anything about them, the media would most likely stop their constant trashing.
But I understand that the Royals and Harry & Meghan are also trying to bring attention to good causes which needs the media.
At the end of the day like many before me have mentioned. The saddest part is that a family is fractured. And I hope behind the scenes at some point, reconciliation can happen. I lost both my parents in the last 6 months. My siblings are my family and i am so blessed to have them to walk this journey of grief with me.
Happy holidays Charlotte & all!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Netflix doc; there were some parts I didn't cotton to, but overall I learned a lot and hope the couple can move forward as they wish. Cheers to 2023 & another great year of this blog! -op
The Sussexes/Mountbatten Windsors have found a way to make money and support themselves without relying on Great Britain's public purse. Reports indicate that they have no regrets about the documentary. So, basically they have given the naysayers of the Royal Family what they have been waiting for - a black mark on the RF. And, who could ask for more - it is coming from the son of the King himself. And Harry has been paid very well for it. I find it very sad to see Harry turn on his family this way and especially his brother and father. I understand they were upset when they could not negotiate their terms for continuing as part-time royals. (And William should not have screamed, but human beings get upset when they are disappointed. So, I imagine William had difficulty controlling his disappointment.) I agree the press was harsh/relentless on Meghan, but the press has been harsh on Charles his entire life, and all he did was marry the wrong woman whom he was forced to marry. He has paid a very high price for that mistake. I can imagine that the horrible things some reporters were saying were scary for Meghan, but I cannot believe the RF were behind that. I just cannot support this documentary which purpose is not to tell their love story, but to sling arrows at his own family. How does this make them better than Meghan's father and stepsister and the press they abhor. This just feels like Judas and his three pieces of silver. I hope they can move on now that they have aired their grievances publicly. But, I fear they will not move on, and will continue to replay this narrative over and over. If that is what they need to do, I hope it is helping them emotionally. I know it is helping them financially. And, the stories seem to grow each time they are told. First in the Oprah interview we just talk about the surprise that she has to curtsy to Harry's grandmother, then in this documentary the curtsy turns into this ridiculous gesture mocking the custom. When you see things like that and the contradictions/discrepancies, it makes it difficult to believe all you see and hear from their narrative.
ReplyDeleteOk wait a minute…You are comparing H&M to Samantha and Thomas Markle? Ouch.
DeleteI’m dating myself but I been a RF supporter since the pre-Diana days and I can’t remember any instance when a picture was published comparing any of Charles newborn children to apes or where a reporter stated he hated him on a cellular level and is dreaming of the day when he would be paraded naked through the streets and have $&!@ thrown at him. I like Charles, his own indiscretions unsurprisingly resulted in negative press, but he has not contended with this brand of abuse.
DeleteAgreed JB. This to me is nothing but sad all around. While I wish Harry and Meghan nothing but healing and happiness, putting all of this out for the world to see and slinging mud at your family whom you know will not answer is not in any way going to help them to heal or heal the rifts within the family. And many of the accusations either contradict what they have previously said or can be seen as not accurate by those who remember the events unfolding in public. It’s terribly sad, and the Queen’s response of “recollections may vary,” never seemed more true. They are obviously hurt, but our memories are very skewed by our perspective, and are not always accurate. I see two people who are very much hurting—Harry with long standing issues of grief that he has never resolved which seem to have resulted in a lot of insecurity and if not paranoia at least a sense of things’ being stacked against him and Meghan who really struggled to fit in with a culture and environment which were so foreign to her. Sadly, it seems like they are helping each other rehash and relive their worst moments instead of helping each other to heal. I pray that healing comes. But this continual public rehashing of their perspective is unlikely to help them or bring healing to any of their relationships. There is another side that we don’t hear and never will. We cannot afford to forget that and take everything at face value. The things they are putting out—Oprah, docuseries, books, etc. are meant to do exactly what they are accusing the RF of trying to do—to craft a narrative. I don’t know how they cannot see that they are creating the very frenzy they say they want to avoid by doing this. It’s all very sad to see.
DeleteAnonymous - So the horrid things "reporters" said in the rag press about their children and Meghan are William and Charles' fault?? You think that justifies a public airing of their family issues and makes it helpful? I feel the Sussexes narrative is just entertainment for people who enjoy conflict for which they have been paid well. Because if you are looking for the real story, I don't think you will ever truly get it. And, more one-sided account of the villainous RF to come in the biography, Spare. I am so very saddened it came to this. I really loved watching how much fun William, Catherine and Harry used to have and how much they truly seemed to enjoy each others company. It is so disappointing it has come to this.
DeleteJB: In short, Charles has been fighting to be more popular than his first wife and his children for decades. We talked about it on the original Duchess Kate blog years ago, before Harry ever met Meghan. His publicity staff was playing this game then. Yes, it’s the King’s fault he let this continue. He needed good press. I don’t believe he ever intended to see it get so vile and out of control; but at the time he didn’t know his younger son was going to fall in love with an American who knew her own mind and wasn’t accustomed to the rigid order of precedence and rules of life in the gilded cage. Meghan was never going to fit in. There’s no evidence that William or Charles helped her. They sat back and let her be eviscerated by the nasty British press. I’ve blamed them for years. I gave Catherine a free pass but no more.
DeleteYes, it is awful to tell all about your family in public but it’s also awful to eat your truth to protect their image when they chose not to protect you.
I don’t think anyone in the family comes out of this well, but certainly the most senior members of the family business had the most power to help.
Few of us care about the entitled moans of the wealthy, but in this case, I understand why Harry bargained for his future health and sanity with the only coin he had. Now he can lay the ghosts to rest and understand the family has closed ranks against him to survive and go on parading like circus animals for the people who still care about royalty.
Annonymous - And, there it is...We will all believe what we want to believe is 'truth." But, no one can possibly know the "truth." So, we all have to be careful about drinking the Kool Aid. We will all believe the truth is being told by the person we favor. (myself included here) There is always some truth but not all truth. And, I don't think the "ghosts will be laid to rest" anytime soon. As the Behavior Panel said as they analyzed these interviews, if Harry cannot be King, "they are now the most famous ex-royals." Well played Harry and Meghan.
DeleteThank you Charlotte for such a wonderful post! I’ve so enjoyed reading this blog over the last 3+ years and look forward to your continuing coverage of the Sussex’s and their incredible journey!
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope that 2023 brings you and yours all the very best!
Asha Rangappa, a Yale University professor and expert on disinformation and information warfare, has the best take I’ve seen on Harry and Megan’s Netflix documentary, which she calls “a master class in how to launch a counterattack against false narratives.” This isn’t surprising, she points out, given that Harry is one of 15 commissioners on the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder.
ReplyDeleteWhat Harry and Meghan’s Netflix series is really about, she says, is exposing the monarchy’s symbiotic relationship with the Royal Rota, in which the tabloids provide flattering coverage of various royal “principals” in exchange for dirt on other members of the royal household — providing a powerful example of how the media outlets profit from disinformation. These false narratives are then amplified by a small network of social media “hate” accounts, completely swamping what she calls the public “information space.”
According the Rangappa, the surest way to lose an information war is to not fight it. Given the scale of the character assassination being waged against them, Harry and Megan had no choice but to fight back by telling their story. “The British tabloid press is not an insignificant player in the pop culture media ecosystem and one that has significantly more reach and power than Harry and Meghan have as individuals,” Rangappa writes. “What the couple understood was that to compete with this system, they had to find a way to compensate for this disparity and reach their audience where they already are — a digital streaming platform was a perfect vehicle.”
Rangappa says that we should keep our eyes on how Harry and Meghan fight the onslaught of disinformation, because they “may know better than anyone how to go up against a well-oiled propaganda machine.” For more on Rangappa’s analysis, see https://asharangappa.substack.com/p/what-harry-and-meghan-can-teach-us
Best wishes for a happy new year, everyone!
Janet from New York
Thank you, Janet. Going over there to read now...
DeleteVictoria, Oregon
Janet, thank you for posting this summary of the Asha Rangappa's wonderful article.
DeleteR
Thanks, for your good and instructive Comment.
DeleteI've having trouble with the refrains that now Harry and William will never reconcile. When was their relationship good? Harry was very unhappy with issues related to his mother and I believe he was truly a spare; he drank too much, partied too much, etc. He finally found someone who would stand by him and gave her everything he has. I don't think the four were ever "fab" -- I don't believe Meghan and Kate understood each other -- at all. (And I do think Kate is PERFECT for her role.) I think it was horrid to have the wedding so soon after Louie was born, but I don't know who to blame for that. I think once Meghan showed how great she was on the Australia tour, the palace tried to ruin the end by splitting the foundation. William should have objected. It went downhill from there. And you don't allow your brother's wife to be abused without being distanced from your brother. (Just look at the treatment of Jason Knauf by Harry's brother and sister-in-law and father. Is this what reconciliation looks like?) And you don't ignore your brother's children without expecting ire. Harry has adorable children and a super wife -- why in the world should they not be his first priority? The RF reminds me of my husband's family -- they keep saying how much they love him while they do horrible things.
ReplyDeleteI just saw a clip from Harry's interview with Anderson Cooper and I am underwhelmed. Frankly the amount of time that M&H have spent talking about their family rift and history has been quite extensive and I have a hard time imagining what else there is to be told after about 8 hours of TV (Oprah+Netflix), several magazine cover stories (Cut, Variety) and other outlets that I have lost count of, with a whole book coming up. It must be exhausting for them to relive that again and again and it also feels a bit exhausting to me as a watcher. (When are we as the audiendlce going to have the definitve account and be able to move on?) Side note, Harry' s claims to Cooper ("I want to have my father back", "I cant solve it privately cause they wont respond" etc.) are painfully similar to Thomas Markle's claims about Meghan back in the day. Ndt it certainly hasn't proved an efficient way to repair a broken relationship to voice these pleas through mass media. 2023, please bring a clean slate for the Sussexes to just develop their charity endeavours and leave their family issues to rest (or to be handled out of spotlight - sure there is a way to handle it that is not entirely private but also not broadcast if what Harry says is the case).
ReplyDeleteI have some insight into family dysfunction, as I'm sure a lot of people do! It is so frustrating when you become the "problem" by not buying into the real problem. So you avoid your family. When your family is known around the world and publicly diminishes you or the mother of your children, it's hard to ignore. Not to mention the triggering of when your mother was abused. I think Harry is an amazing soul. I cannot imagine how much he loves his family and wishes to protect them -- social media makes people do crazy things when they believe what's in the media. If Harry is scared for Meghan, would that not extend to those sweet babies of his? How can anyone who loves him not care?
ReplyDeleteI love the documentary, have watched thru many times. It’s my little ray of sunshine, why to the ugly trolls try to take away my little ray?
ReplyDelete"A clear message conveyed in the docu-series: they would have continued working as members of the Royal family for the rest of their lives if they could." This is the part I'm not sure I agree with, Charlotte. Would they? Honest questions: at what conditions? Because I think it's fair that the family didn't see a half-in-half-out balance feasible, after past experiences with the Wessex - who didn't have the same visibility at all and yet unwillingly created more than one embarrassment. So I wonder what terms would have to be agreed upon, for the Sussex to work within the frames of the RF? Because Harry mentions several scenario in the Netflix documentary, but doesn't specify any.
ReplyDeleteEven worse- if that is true, they basically admit they would have stayed quiet about all of this if the RF would have let them have their way. Sorry but there goes their integrity out of the window. With more and more allegations with every new million dollar projet it really makes them look opportunistic more than anything else. And I say this, while believing most of what they say and I do think the RF is a complicated and ruthlkess terrain to navigate.
DeleteDisclaimer: I am a bit confused about the ongoing self contradicting points. So Meghan did overstep and made Kate cry after all. They were obviously not close, so calling out the postpartum mum on baby brain and hormones and what this implicates of course didn't fly well. Harry is basically putting the blame back to Meghan.
It's odd, too, that the "baby brain" comment is only now being mentioned and is in the book. Why didn't that come up in the Oprah interview? I kind of got the impression that these were two separate incidents, but it's still odd they didn't mention at all.
DeleteIm thinking she didnt want to reveal all the details for Kate’s benefit. the Oprah interview was two years ago and since then they have continued to be slandered so theyre motivated to provide clarity.
DeleteThank you for your commentary on MAM (and CK!) over 2022. I enjoy your perspective and appreciate the work and time both blogs would take for us fans of royals and of strong, empowered women.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked, dismayed and disgusted by the words of Jeremy Clarkson. I was never a fan, but nothing excuses the vile piece he wrote about Meghan. Surely he should be fired (at the least). There is NO PLACE and NO EXCUSE in our society for such disgusting commentary.
I actually started watching their Netflix docu today instead of relying on snippets and I just love those guys. Wish I lived next to them so I could be their neighbor. A few more things come to mind. First, I know a lot of people don't want to hear anymore. This is just so typical -- my husband's family refuses to address what they did to him, instead saying to stop repeating himself and just forget about it now. With no acknowledgment or apology. Second, we see snippets of Harry speaking about wanting a family and not an institution, and then a "source" puts out a response. There should be zero response by anyone except a related human being. Third, I wonder if the new series that includes some American idols like RBG and Steinem will be as interesting outside of the US as they are to me, in the US. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Charlotte, readers, and yours!
ReplyDeleteThe wisdom of King Charles will be tested by how he will manage and handle his two sons’ affairs. The restricted content of Harry’s upcoming memoir is already here. The brothers are adults and might have had their own issues, but it will not look good on a father whose coronation is a few months away. It may in even trigger sentiment for their late mother and an aversion for a queen consort and there by the husband as well. It is perplexing such a big family regardless of the institution is not finding a way to mend what continues to be broken. It is even more mysterious in a family and system where much matters, as of now, there does not seem an outstanding and healthy grip on the situation.
Anon15
I would like to propose, for the mental health of our amazing blogger, Charlotte, that we do not comment on the contents of Harry's book. Our opinions will run a spectrum and we do not need to burden her. Just a thought. :)
ReplyDeleteAllison in US - Excellent idea!
DeleteI am joining you, Allison.
DeleteElla
100% supporter if H&M in everything but I don't think it helps to start debating everything the book says. It would be wiser to not rely on the UK press' interpretation of leaked paragraphs as the total source. I would love to argue against anything said here that is negative but I don't see the point. I believe Harry and others won't. I do find it amusing that Harry has been handled/is being handled just like my husband's family handled him -- "you're wrong, you're confused, it was long ago, it didn't happen, it's not important, why are you making trouble?" People will be angry that Harry's truth threatens the mystique but everyone involved is just an ordinary human -- no gods here.
ReplyDeleteI personally respect whatever Charlotte chooses to do regarding the discussion in relation to the book. I also have full confidence in Charlotte’s strength and wisdom in handling various news and topics. The choice and decision is up to her as this blog’s administrator and editor for over ten years between the two blogs.
ReplyDeleteAnon15
Dangerous flooding ongoing in Montecito. Ellen showed a video of a raging "creek." Evacuation is ordered for all of Montecito now, although H&M may be in NYC ahead of being on Tuesday's show with Steven Colbert. Hope everyone is OK in CA including the rest of their family.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I don't know if you are posting comments currently, or will publish this..... I can't even imagine how exhausted you are by all the fall out from "Spare".... I know that I myself am already so exhausted by the hullabaloo from the early excerpts released, that I don't have the interest or the mental energy to read the actual book, that I ordered & dropped today on my kindle.... However, I did want to share an "Opinion Guest Essay" by Patti Davis (daughter of the late President Ronald Reagan) in today's New York Times on "the wisdom of being quite".. It's so wise & just the wisdom & well rounded sanity I needed to see on a day like today.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/07/opinion/prince-harry-and-the-value-of-silence.html
Thank you for all you do & really really take care of yourself & be selfish = put your own self first! Remember, "this too will pass"! History & time will tell how the story of this whole family will work out, like it did for their ancestors before them.
Becca, It's so funny that I read your comment and then realized I had done the same thing! I read so much about the leaks and then so much on Harry-friendly sites that I just accepted the book I had ordered and forgot to start reading! (I did pick it up and it's good to read complete contexts, but it seems like an afterthought at this point.)
DeleteThe article is excellent, thank you for the link
DeleteVery sad to hear Becca USA that you will no longer be following, very sad indeed. I have always enjoyed your comments. The article is excellent, and can see perhaps you are stepping back to look through with a wider lens. The sting of all the intimate details of this family exposed runs deep and has hit many of us, who have followed for so long reeling. We feel so vested and it is isn't easy to follow both blogs (or writing them) without feeling like there needs to be a loyalty to just one, but there are other truths to be heard. I think Patti Davis hit a nerve and has offered some sage advice, but I do hope that after time you can find the way to come back and be a part of this blog, as you will be missed.
DeleteSadly, finding oneself already so exhausted by the early excerpts released, that we don't have the interest or the mental energy to read the actual book is precisely why the British press stripped these excerpts of all their context and over-saturated too many news cycles with them.
DeleteCharlotte, I have been thinking of you and frankly worry about you. I cannot imagine the comments you are receiving. Wish that, at least for some time, you could limit comments to maybe just thumbs up or down, something that would keep you from having to read comments. And I am reminded of a reader from years ago who did not want anything remotely personal mentioned about the royals -- she wanted them just to do their jobs and then retreat. I think of her now.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte: I have been missing your posts both here and on Chronicling Kate… hoping you are ok and will be back soon… your sites are my favorite escape places…
ReplyDeleteWith your factual, rational and warm reporting and stunning pictures… always a feel good read that sets my day off on a good note… hope to see you post again very soon
Nance
Thank you for your comments, dear readers.
ReplyDeleteI've been taking a much needed breather and only popped back into the blogging sphere today. A belated Happy New Year to you all.
Because we are on this site, I think it's safe to say how much I enjoyed Harry on Colbert. The tabloids tried to say Colbert mocked Harry, but of course Colbert is a genius at comedy and satire -- that's what the show is about. The interview was superb -- I did not know Harry had such excellent comedic timing! The little skit involving Tom Hanks was so American, and Harry played it well. (I do think a HUGE problem has been that Meghan is an American.) The show had the highest viewing audience since Obama in 2020, and the audience just loved Harry, which made me happy. But it's an hour and lots of fun: https://www.aol.com/prince-harry-shares-todger-blushing-194033530.html
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I just finished reading "Philly's" farewell post on "ChroniclingKate". Sadly I must do the same. I ended up reading the book & it's true that it's entirely different within the context of the story & perspective. I found it very thoughtful & non-sensational. I would be lying if I didn't admit that the scales fell from my eyes & I don't want to give this sad institution/family anymore oxygen.
ReplyDeleteI have long been a student/fan of British History & yet these are not things that happened hundreds/decades of years ago.... this is a distasteful reality that is happening right now... Even signing on to "CK" today & seeing W&K's big smiles, left me empty inside. "All the world is a stage"...... & I'm just feeling a shift within myself.... I too need to say good-bye.
I can not emphasize enough how much joy your blogs have brought into my life. They were places to feed my interest in the British Royal Family & British History as well. I no longer feel the same joy or interest in it all. I realize that it is a big historic year, but I don't have the same interest that I once did for it.
Thank you very much for all your efforts, hard work & exemplary reporting!
Fondly,
BeccaUSA
you will be missed Becca you will be missed very much. It is a very sad time all around for any royal watcher so understand your feelings.
DeletePhilly here. Becca, your comments are both beautiful and wrenching. I feel much as you do on many of the points you've raised. While I have said farewell to the CK blog, I will remain here for awhile. How long I can't say.
DeleteI was a longstanding follower of Meg on the Tig long before she met H. Although I have been interested in royal histories in various forms (voraciously reading biographies going back centuries as an adolescent, exploring the deeper themes concerning kingship in Shakespeare's works, and watching movies and serialized TV) throughout my life and into present times, I haven't really been a "royal watcher" per se. Though I'll watch a wedding or a funeral or a service of Thanksgiving (mainly for the glorious music), and I will admire people for their rare gifts, I'm not given to worshipful fanning over anyone--my upbringing and my natural inclinations, I think.
However, I will continue to pop in on this site to read, comment sometimes, and follow Meghan because she was forced to give up the blog she was so incredibly good at. This is probably the last place where I might (reliably) read about her which I could consider the next best thing. Thankfully Archetypes has emerged and likely other projects with her hand on them will as well.
I will never forget the image of light breaking over her as she progressed through the chapel alone on her wedding day to the strains of Handel's "Eternal Source of Light Divine." Such symbolism--an astonishing "anointing" reminiscent of mythological and Biblical tropes--enough to send goosebumps down my spine whenever I think on it. I want to be present as her destiny (and Harry's) unfold.
Beautiful and bittersweet comments all around. Never “meet” your heroes is the theme for these times. Everyone in the royal family just needs some sensible advice and guidance, from people who read these blogs!
DeleteDearest Charlotte, I do can imagine how hard is your work. In these days I'm constantly worrying that you will close Mad about Meghan blog because of the comments and pressure. But this is my favourite blog, the only place where I can read true informations and enjoy your always correct interpretation. Can you promise me not to close this blog?
ReplyDeleteI wish you strength and energy to continue. We, readers love and respect you so much.
Eve from Hungary
Eve thank you very much, I have no plans to close the blog. It's very much a case of taking a short breather :)
DeleteHello to Charlotte and the MadAboutMeghan community!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to direct everyone to Bryony Gordon’s Substack, where she’s just published an interview with Prince Harry. https://bryonygordon.substack.com/p/a-cup-of-tea-with-prince-harry
In my opinion, it is the best and most clarity-giving of all of his interviews. I know anyone who follows the Sussexes will so appreciate the insights Bryony was able to bring forth.
And lastly, I just want to say that the book is a deeply moving reading experience. I hope you’ll have a chance to enjoy it. Harry will make you laugh, make you cry, and teach you many things about the times and ways in which we live.
I just read Bryony's interview and did enjoy it a lot!
DeleteThank you for the link to Bryony who used to be a regular contributor to a Sunday newspaper magazine, and gave some very interesting comments on a number of topics. I had not heard from her recently. Looking through all the comments above the one thing I would says is… READ the book… don’t believe the very tabloids that Harry is criticising. So much is clearer when read in context. You may still disagree, but you will disagree from a point of having heard it from the horses’ mouth , not the biased, evil tabloids. The tabloids are, I suspect, the ones making the money from this. I think Harry’s money from the book is going to charity. LRB
DeleteBook deals often come with requirements for publicity interviews, so he has to be on the talk shows.
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte, who has always done such a wonderful job of providing a balanced portrait of two very fascinating and complicated women, I think I’ll be joining others who will no longer follow this blog.
ReplyDeleteIt’s become very unpleasant to me watching this story unfold. My feelings about H&M have definitely evolved through the years. I won’t elaborate except to say that in the beginning I was really rooting for her, and for them as a couple.
Even as I became disappointed in the way they handled their exit from Royal duties, I was interested in what they were going to do with the opportunity they carved out for themselves.
Until now. Certainly Harry has the right to acknowledge and deal with his grief and hurts from his upbringing. And no question to me that the BRF missed an opportunity to speak out about the tremendous vitriol hurled at Meghan by the press. But I can’t continue to vest energy in sympathizing with how Harry, with Meghan’s backing, has openly dragged his family into his truth seeking. For goodness sake, he’s made the tears of his 3 yr old niece a principal argument in his case about how poorly Meghan’s image was portrayed by the media. Three! Charlotte was three! I’m sure that W&C are appalled that Harry has dragged her into this sordid tale. And now he goes on to say that he’s on this crusade for the sake of his brother’s children? While acknowledging that William has stated his children are none of Harry’s concerns, Harry has decided he alone knows what’s best for them? When has this kind of arrogance ever been ok?
If Harry has chosen therapy (and psychedelic drugs) as his methods to deal with his issues, I applaud him for it. I’m tremendously sympathetic to the trauma of losing a parent at a young age having lost my own mother when I was 10. Like Harry, I had a father who wasn’t very well equipped to help me and my sister cope with that trauma. I’ve done a lot of therapy myself and can report that I’ve come to a lot of peace in recognizing that my dad, and other family members, did the best they could with what they had in their emotional toolboxes at the time. But that’s what’s worked for me. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Harry’s family to come around to his prediction that they’ll end up thanking him for using these public forums to set the standard for how they should handle their own mental health, but sounds like he’s delighted to think of himself as the only one who’s figured it out.
I totally agree Zipzipzippy. Harry has gone too far revealing medical conditions of his father and brother and implying that he will look out for William's children so that none of them become a 'spare'.
DeleteKeeping in mind that the Sussexes have been openly dragged by leaks from the palaces for years. Leaks that are confirmed. We’ve been hearing one side for too long. I understand it is hard to hear the ugly side of the perfect royals. I fought with this feeling because in my mind they never put a foot wrong, but it’s time for a reality check. Which IMO is not a bad thing. Leslie
DeleteI think some people are angry that Harry has taken away our fairy tale images of the RF. I certainly had them. I imagined Charles babysitting Archie!! Reading Harry's thoughts about how W&K's "apartment" was furnished shocked me, because I had assumed he hung out there, with his niece and nephew. The "fun" the three had lived mostly in our minds. Also, it's very strange to think a 3-year-old would actually cry over an ill-fitting dress. Unless she felt she should be upset. There's two things I think are at play here. One is the frustration H has had trying to make his words heard over the years. The second is the anger he must have at how his real family (M and his children) has been treated. I don't see his children being of value to the institution, and that would enrage me. And there are entire areas not mentioned, like the christening of Archie. He says he kept the worse out of the book. Regardless, it is his story. When people write autobiographies, they talk about their life. The RF is free to say he's lying. If they are not free, that is their fault, not Harry's.
ReplyDeleteOne more thought please. I remember when I said, finally, to my mother (I was in my 20s) that Dad was an alcoholic. She was so angry and said he wasn't. (They both were and never went a day without.) The problem there was that I said the words, not his behavior. That's how I feel about "Spare." The problem is the behaviors he writes about, not that he chose to write. And these behaviors and lies were on a world stage.
ReplyDeleteZipzipzippy, pointing out an (one) experience that Harry had (being the spare) in the hope Louis will fare better is not arrogance. My husband had a few thoughts on things in the life of his niece and nephew and was loudly told off. Grown now, the niece has been in prison multiple times for drug offenses and the nephew has not done much better. Harry seems to confine his discussion to his immediate family, not cousins, so saying that his therapy has been useful does not imply he thinks he is the only one -- he seems to have a lot of mental health connections.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who studies English history can read how messy royal lives are. Its 1000 year history is full of backstabbing spouses, parents, children, siblings, incest/inbreeding, violence, murder, nefarious plots, treasons, divorces, adultery, contrived wars, etc. The adage has always been enter the palace with great caution and your knives ready.
ReplyDeleteThe Windsor saga is mild in comparison. The British media tried to sell the soft core fairy tale version on the one hand, but they also make way too much money off salacious daily royal gossips. It’s naive to pretend before Harry or Meghan or Diana or Margaret or Edward VIII came along, everything was hunky dory in la la land.
We are talking about human nature with all its vanity, grace and pitfalls.
- history lover
Thank you Anon 21:23 for writing so well, what I have been at a loss to express!!
DeleteIt was just a lot in a relatively short time period, along with the death of The Queen & Charles becoming King.... & it was just a lot to process. Reading the book.... I think the 2 things I struggled with the most to process were 1) that Will & Harry weren't the "in lock step" duo I/& many thought they were, since we all saw them walking behind Diana's coffin. 2) that Harry truly believed, until into his twenties, that his Mom was just in hiding, waking most mornings wondering if "this was the day she comes for us".... This was so heart breaking & disturbing to me & just was too much for me to process.
I'm still in recovery from Brain Tumor surgery 2yrs ago & I not only have to be careful what I put into my mouth (heath wise), but also what I put into my mind! So I had to step back. However now that I've had time to process things a bit, I'm venturing back to Charlotte's blogs.... the only fair & balanced coverage I trust. I'm just taking it slow.
I have been an avid reader of both your blogs, dear Charlotte, since day 1 for MAM and since the early days of HRHDuchessKate. The Netflix documentary and SPARE had me change my opinions about both Meghan and Harry, I continue to admire your dedication but I'm not interested anymore on following this blog. Thank you dear Charlotte, I will continue to follow you on twitter and Chronicling Kate.
ReplyDeleteSorry for my bad English :)
Elena from Italy
This all makes me incredibly sad. I have been a royal watcher since Diana married Charles. I was 8 years old, and my grandmother was obsessed with the BRF. I followed in her footsteps. I understand H&Ms need to defend themselves, but had hoped it wouldn't have been in such a dramatic way. I've been rooting for W&H since their mom died, and I'm heartbroken over the apparent permanent dissolution of their relationship 💔.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot that H&M have "struck out" to family members who cannot reply. I feel Harry is answering what has been thrown at Meghan since she met him. I think Harry would have continued to be abused but he found someone who gave him happiness, who made his life meaningful. I absolutely adore Meghan, but even for people who don't, a good rule is to never abuse your son's/brother's wife! What kind of person would allow that? And that cartoon of two people with a monkey probably propelled Harry to act -- abusing his children?? Harry will stand up for his mom and his new, real family. I so wish they would stay in California during the coronation -- ugly stories are out now about Meghan and going will just mean time away from Archie on his birthday. Meghan is really into birthdays; they seem to mean a lot to her.
ReplyDeleteHere's my perspective. Great Britian has a royal family with a Monarch who is Head of State. This Head of State employs family members to represent them when they are not available to be present. Harry and his American wife did not want the job. Because the job is to do what the Monarch and British Government ask you to do. They were not hired for their opinions and expertise. I am someone who doesn't read the tabloids, but he appears quite obsessed with the culture. Meanwhile, his father is now the King and he is writing memoirs about his privileged life where he was able to go on a trek to the North Pole and speaks about his private parts while attending his brother's wedding. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteExactly
Delete
ReplyDeleteI was, at first, a bit surprised at all the detail Harry shared. It seemed so out of step with the usual Royal protocol.
Next, I felt he was using the book as a cathartic release of his emotions about some of the horrible things that were done to him by his family members and by the media — a kind of psychological “getting it off his chest” as an exercise of cleansing and healing. Was that appropriate? At first, I thought not. But I recall seeing videos of Harry years before where he talks about all the lies that are written about him and how he was keeping notes, and would love to have a column in a paper where he could set the record straight. This was his chance to finally speak his truth after 38 years of lies about him. I applaud him for that, and I see the value his writing provides to other victims and those in the healing professions trying to help them. It also could provide the royal family with a lesson of what not to do with other second and third born children.
I think the book provides fertile material for discussion and change in quite a few areas of psychological, military, personal and societal life.
As an “escaped scapegoat” myself, and one who has experienced the healing transformation of a long Jungian inner journey, I am filled with sympathy for Harry. Unlike me, he had the complete, unconditional love of his mother for 12 years, allowing him to form a solid, whole psyche. The strength of this love in his early years allowed him to retain a sense of himself despite all the neglect and abuse that followed her death and lasted throughout his years in the institution. I am amazed by his ability to fair as well as he did.
At one point Harry quotes the end of a poem written by a soldier who died shortly after writing it, he last line being something like “Help me to die well.” And Harry says he realized he didn’t want to die. He wanted to live.
This passage, in such a subtle way, tells us that his loneliness, his longing for love and family, his constantly being misrepresented by his family and the press may have made him feel that life was not at all worth living. No girlfriend wanted to be subjected to the vicious press. He was not understood by anyone. He was the object thrown about by members of the institution to distract from their own short-comings. He was brought into the world as a source of spare parts for the heir! Can any of us imagine how that would make a child feel?
I am truly awed by how well Harry did despite unbelievable neglect and abuse. I am so grateful he found Meghan, that they seemed to understand each other immediately, and that they have been able to escape the torturing institution. I am so grateful that Harry has had good therapists to help him heal, and release his amazing potential.
There is much in this book for psychological study.
R
The second issue I understand quite clearly is the colluding relationship between the royal family and the British press — the most savage media in the world. Isn’t it interesting that the King is beholden to these sleazy people and is quite controlled by them? How can you call someone a King who lives in fear of the chattering hordes? How can you call this a family when they sell each other out to these jackals for better press for themselves?
ReplyDeleteProfessor Zeynep Tufekci of Columbia University does an excellent job of exposing the “dirty game” in the New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/opinion/harry-meghan-tabloids.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytopinion
R
R, thank you so much for your reviews, which are very realistic. That has been the problem with monarchies -- truth versus what subjects need to believe. At this point, I believe an angry British press could quickly bring down the monarchy. We have seen the craziness put out about Meghan, and there have been just a few things about William, which I believe to be completely made up to sell papers. If the press were let loose, the amount of true and false stories could be impossible to recover from. If the players had been better family members, a lot could have been avoided. As long as the fairy tale is more important than the reality, outliers will always be abused.
DeleteThe third thing that strikes me is the reaction of royalists to this book. I compare the admiration of and need for this royal family to my own indoctrination as I was raised in the Catholic church which taught me that I could not live or go to heaven outside of that church. The press and the family have established in the minds of people their role as the height of virtue and all things good, a template on which people project the perfect family they may lack in their own lives.
ReplyDeleteTo have the curtain pulled away from what was sold as the close relationship between the brothers, and much else, must be very threatening to those who need, for their own feelings of security, to keep this family in a position of reverence and security.
But, to anyone who doesn’t need this security, Harry has made the reality quite clear. And these family members are anything but a family. And Harry was truly abused by them his entire life.
Although we are all shocked at some of the things Harry shared, I think he was still quite reserved and protective of his family members, as one gets the feeling he could have shared far worse about all of them. In fact, we know from what appeared in the media over the years, that there was far worse he could have discussed.
I hope that the royal families might take an opportunity to change some of their misguided ways. But, they don’t seem to have learned anything from Diana’s death. So, I won’t hold my breath.
I think that if they cannot change and modernize, their popularity will continue to wane, especially with the young.
R
After seeing all the wonderful images of Meghan and her family (my favorite is the little tots helping with gardening), and the financial success of Harry's book, I hope they are enjoying some downtime, although I think Meghan is always working. Ellen or Portia put up a video of their birthday/vow renewal party and H&M were there. I got a kick out of seeing Harry with the guys and Meghan with the women, including Carol Burnett.
DeleteIt pains me to see really hideous stories coming out about Meghan as well as an obsession on whether H&M will be invited to the coronation and/or will attend. The institution is indeed more important than the family. The only response I can see (would be wonderful if good things were happening in privacy but I have little hope) is more effort to harm Meghan *who did not write the book).
DeleteOne last thought. Harry displays the excitement of someone newly liberated from the dysfunctional scales and chains that bound him for so long. I think all of us who experience this rebirth want to share it with the family members we grew up with and who we longed for a real relationship with.
ReplyDeleteIt is my personal experience and observation that this almost never happens. Breaking the generational dysfunction liberates us to live a healthy life, but we carry the grief of never experiencing the closeness with our families of origin that we continue to long for on some level.
One is tempted often to try for that relationship, but it only leads to renewed hurt and disappointemnt.
I hope that Harry will stick to his terms of requiring a real sit-down with his father and brother, and a real acknowledgement of wrongs done before aquiescing to attending the Coronation, for example.
R
It is very interesting to go through this comment section. I have been commenting earlier and now again since reading Harry’s book. I can feel the irritation, resistance and disturbance all this is causing for people. We go to these blogs and articles to experience something elevating and uplifting. Transcending our everyday life and be it through fashion and good causes being presented to us. Royal Drama of course was welcomed as well. A distraction from our own. But Royal life and the publication of it followed certain patterns, served certain expectations and needs. We did not really think about the price these people pay for entertaining us. Not even with Diana’s death. But Harry’s decisions and words burst that bubble. He won’t fit into our desire for the mystery and romanticism of Royalty- the desire for life determined by destiny, not performance, a life which is lived and shaped by finest and highest standards in all areas. Of course we knew this is not the reality of the Royal Family. But it has been the rule of the game on both sides to pretend it would be.
ReplyDeleteDisappointment can be met by resistance or avoidance. This is a choice. It can also be used to see through the illusion we have created for ourselves. We can be upright like Harry. We do not need a Royal Show- I don’t. I don’t mind seeing real people with real problems. In the past months we have witnessed a witch-hunt, a king not clarifying on wich side of it he stands. The preparations for another medieval spectacle - his coronation, are on its way. The timing for splendour and guilded things is not the best among recession and strikes. Harry is living in the US without any support from his birthfamily or country. He sells his experiences to protect and to feed his family. It is hard to put this all together. Everything seems illfitting . What can we look up to?
Maybe we can just start looking at ourselves and each other kindly and attentively.
Wow. Thank you R. for your frankness and analysis.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t paid as much attention to news/gossips about royalties lately. Life gets in the way and I’m not hard core as some readers here are. I so appreciate Charlotte for her well researched and nuance writing, fair coverage and all the hard work to keep the platforms open.
I still follow news about royalty mainly for the curiosity how such an anachronistic institution survives in modern time and all the ugly concessions it makes to keep the top guy or gal in situ. It makes for a compelling read to see how far the monarchy eats its young. Such toxicity belies the goofiness and the glitters.
I have to agree with R. Eating the young isn’t how to engage future generations- whether it’s for the benefit of the current monarch or in the bigger global stage, where world leaders fail to govern for the people and instead govern for personal gains). Not to mention the neglect and abuse of earth itself, we are destroying the future for humanity. Lots of parallels here.
-history lover
As always I appreciate the candid yet non-confrontational expression of opinions here, doubtless due to Charlotte's editing as well as the discretion of the regular posters here. It's what makes these blogs different from all others. This situation is sad, but it's been a long time coming. I agree that by the time George is monarch,the institution will be very different as may well be the kingdom. Other European monarchies seem to have coped in what I see as better ways.The British monarchy will have to find its own way. FWIW, I don't think Harry is off base in having concerns for Charlotte and Louis. While they are being raised to support George, each seems to have her/his own strong personality which may well not be content longterm with being a fulltime support to George and his future family.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to see some comments -- I'm just sooo tired of all the junk I see about H&M and all the delightful stories about the other members of Harry's family. I don't understand how a parent can ignore a child who asks over and over for the slightest bit of real attention. A few things come to mind: when Harry and his brother were left "parentless" while Charles spent time with Camilla, Charles saying he couldn't afford to fund both families, H&M paying for renovation to a house they don't own, the lack of public acknowledgment of Charles' "other" two grandchildren. It seems so obvious that Charles feels he benefits from not fixing his dysfunctional family -- bringing H&M into a non-toxic environment would take attention away from the heirs. I believe Harry, and photos from Netflix just permanently endeared me to the whole family (as if I needed them!). I'm very upset about the coronation situation -- I SO hope Harry will not allow Meghan to go through another family ordeal yet I know she won't want him to have to handle it alone. I hope they stay home and celebrate Archie. Thank you for providing a safe place to vent. And I love that Meghan has been out of sight (good for her psyche) but I miss her!!
ReplyDeleteDon't get too upset. This is only one side of the story. As a counselor, I can tell you everyone is biased towards themselves and often the other side of the story gives much insight and balance. We can get more insight by looking at people's character and actions not just words. After this tell all book, the other family members must feel just as hurt as M& H claim to feel. Publicly criticizing your own family repeatedly is an extreme form of betrayal and not beneficial in any way. This is a very sad situation and now I don't see how trust can be rebuilt with the fear that anything said in private will be broadcast to the public.
DeleteSusie, what you are not saying is that we have heard one side of the story (and still are) for 30+ years. This is the "other" side. Most people don't live in the public eye but Harry does, so his response is public. And I know it has been very beneficial for Harry -- the actions of his family do not deserve silence and respect.
DeleteSusie, what you are not saying is that we have heard one side of the story (and still are) for 30+ years. This is the "other" side. Most people don't live in the public eye but Harry does, so his response is public. And I know it has been very beneficial for Harry -- the actions of his family do not deserve silence and respect.
DeleteI have been following this blog for quite a while but have never commented. I have enjoyed it thoroughly. I had the opportunity to watch The Netflix documentary and I have just finished reading, SPARE. Unfortunately, I won't be following this blog anymore. After watching the series and reading the book, it has left me very disappointed and disillusioned in both Harry and Meghan. Thank you for a very informative and comprehensive blog. Sincerely
ReplyDeleteEven though we have so many adorable photos from Netflix and Harry is the current focus, which seems appropriate, I'm missing my girl. Because of that, I seized on the TikTok video by Clevr Blends. It is mentioned that Meghan is wearing her emerald/diamond necklace. It's the Logan Hollowell Baby Queen Water Drop Emerald Solitaire Necklace in Gold, although I saw one photo of it surrounded by small diamonds. I love looking at new jewelry!
ReplyDeleteI know you only cover official events, but I have to report M&H out for "date night." She loves so happy and bouncy, as does Harry. She is wearing a cashmere (says others) "scarf jacket" with tied sleeves. It's an amazing little jacket -- full of curves and scallops.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte, I came across an article about H and M are asked to vacate their Frogmore Cottage, what is this? Do you know what is going on?
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte and Dear Readers, it really took me some time to digest the Kings decision to take frogmore cottage away from the Sussexes. I always had a heart for Charles. He was very courageous to promote certain ideas and thoughts way ahead of time. His life was blessed and tragic likewise. I always felt for him when he was scapegoated to an unbearable extend.. But this decision is petty. It is a typical reaction of narcissistic insult. Not atypical for a king- in history. But is it what inspires people now? Do we really need more selfrighteousness and measuring?
ReplyDeleteI it is unbelievable yet fitting what happened. Ignoring the suffering of the Sussexes, their mental health. Not providing care for suicidal thoughts of a a family member. Briefing against them. Taking away their security. In the full knowledge of what happened to Diana after she lost protection. Cutting them off financially, emotionally. Letting Harry down Harry when the Queen died. Taking their home in Britain from them. After they had paid for its renovation. Refusing to even talk to them or meet them. Kate lied straight away in all the cameras when Lily was born. She knew by that time that there would never be a meeting nor would she want ist. She just played nice and sweet. On the platinum jubilee William and Kate flew to Wales to see the preparations for a concert! Nobody there! To avoid Lilis birthday. My support for the British Royal family has definitely ended here. It is a very petty place right now and no inspiration for what we are today or want to be in the future. I do understand when you are not publishing it, Charlotte. I just really needed to say this.