The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were back in New York City this evening for the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision awards where Meghan was honoured for her global work to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls.
For an occasion honouring women, it seemed incredibly fitting to see Meghan's mom Doria Ragland accompany the couple. Doria has been a constant, positive presence in the Sussexes' life. I still fondly remember Doria travelling to London for the launch of the Hubb Community Kitchen's Together: Our Community Cookbook at Kensington Palace. Almost five years later, following so much tumultuous change, she's there once again as an incredibly proud mother seeing her daughter being honoured. It comes just two days after Mother's Day in the US.
It's always a treat to see the couple in the Big Apple. I have no doubt the visit is tying in with meetings for both their business and philanthropic interests. It's been a busy month thus far for the couple with Prince Harry jetting to the UK briefly for his father's coronation, the couple marking Mental Health Awareness Month with a visit to Santa Barbara youth group AHA!, and tonight, a very special awards event.
The Ms. Foundation is celebrating 50 years of "progress and power" at the Women of Vision awards.
Meghan's close friend Gloria Steinem is at the very heart of Ms. Foundation as a founding member with half a century's participation and constant work supporting women behind her.
When Harry and Meghan moved to California, one of the first times we saw the Duchess was in conversation with the leading activist. Meghan spoke about "looking up" to her for so long. I recall she talked to Gloria about Harry's feminism: "I look at our son and what a beautiful example that he gets to grow up with a father who is so comfortable owning that as part of his own self-identification. That there’s no shame in being someone who advocates for fundamental human rights for everyone, which of course includes women." Gloria called it a "beautiful example".
To list Gloria's achievements in her lifetime would require ten posts. She is a force of nature who just ten months shy of her 90th birthday continues to inspire every single day. The Ms. Foundation shares the following which merely offers a cursory glimpse into Steinem's life.
'In 1972, Gloria Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine, remained one of its editors for fifteen years. She continues to serve as a consulting editor for Ms., and was instrumental in the magazine’s move to join and be published by the Feminist Majority Foundation. In 1973, Ms. Steinem joined with Patricia Carbine, Letty Cottin Pogrebin and Marlo Thomas to create the Ms. Foundation for Women.
In 1968, she had helped to found New York magazine, where she was a political columnist and wrote feature articles. As a freelance writer, she was published in Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, and women’s magazines as well as for publications in other countries. She has produced a documentary on child abuse for HBO, a feature film about the death penalty for Lifetime, and been the subject of profiles on Lifetime and Showtime.
Ms. Steinem helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, a pioneering national information center that specialized in nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group that continues to work to advance the numbers of pro-equality women in elected and appointed office at a national and state level. She also co-founded the Women’s Media Center in 2004. She was president and co-founder of Voters for Choice, a pro-choice political action committee for twenty-five years, then with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund when it merged with VFC for the 2004 elections. She was also co-founder and serves on the board of Choice USA (now URGE), a national organization that supports young pro-choice leadership and works to preserve comprehensive sex education in schools. She was the founding president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, a national multi-racial, multi-issue fund that supports grassroots projects to empower women and girls, and also a founder of its Take Our Daughters to Work Day, a first national day devoted to girls that has now become an institution here and in other countries. She was a member of the Beyond Racism Initiative, a three-year effort on the part of activists and experts from South Africa, Brazil and the United States to compare the racial patterns of those three countries and to learn cross-nationally. She is currently working with the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College on documenting the grassroots origins of the U.S. women’s movement, and on a Center for Organizers in tribute to Wilma Mankiller, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. As links to other countries, she helped found Equality Now, Donor Direct Action and Direct Impact Africa.
As a writer, Ms. Steinem has received the Penney-Missouri Journalism Award, the Front Page and Clarion awards, National Magazine awards, an Emmy Citation for excellence in television writing, the Women’s Sports Journalism Award, the Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society of Writers Award from the United Nations, the James Weldon Johnson Award for Journalism, the University of Missouri School of Journalism Award for Distinguished Service in Journalism and the 2015 Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award.
Ms. Steinem graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College in 1956, and then spent two years in India on a Chester Bowles Fellowship. She wrote for Indian publications, and was influenced by Gandhian activism. She also received the first Doctorate of Human Justice awarded by Simmons College, the Bill of Rights Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the National Gay Rights Advocates Award, the Liberty award of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Ceres Medal from the United Nations, and a number of honorary degrees. Parenting magazine selected her for its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995 for her work in promoting girls’ self-esteem, and Biography magazine listed her as one of the 25 most influential women in America. In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. In 2014, she received The Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal Award and in 2013, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor. Rutgers University is now creating the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture and Feminist Studies.
In 1993, her concern with child abuse led her to co-produce and narrate an Emmy Award winning TV documentary for HBO, “Multiple Personalities: The Search for Deadly Memories.” With Rosilyn Heller, she also co-produced an original 1993 TV movie for Lifetime, “Better Off Dead,” which examined the parallel forces that both oppose abortion and support the death penalty.'
Gloria taking to the stage tonight.
“Now you know why I’m here, I’m the only one who remembers all 50 years,” Gloria says to a standing ovation #WOV2023 pic.twitter.com/MtZinErTqe
— emily burack (@emburack) May 16, 2023
'At the Women's Media Center's 2022 Women's Media Awards, Steinem told PEOPLE that Meghan is a "great human being."
"I'm not an expert on the media, but it seems to me that she is different from the picture of her in the media," the feminism activist told PEOPLE. "She's smart and funny and devoted to social issues."
The mission of the organisation is to build women's collective power in pursuit of equality and justice for all. Through their core values -- integrity, trust and respect, interconnectedness and social justice -- they continue to speak out on behalf of those who are all too often voiceless. The Ms. Foundation focuses on investing in and strengthening the capacity of women-led movements to affect real change for women.
Other women presented with the Women of Vision award include award-winning visionary thought leader Latosha Brown; co-founder of Dr Shalon's Maternal Action Project (DSMAP) Wanda Irving; and campaign and communications strategist Kimberly Inez McGuire. The emerging leader award was given to women's rights activist Olivia Julianna, while the Free To Be You and Me award went to sixteen-year-old author and emerging activist Rebekah Brueshoff.
"Funds raised at the foundation’s annual gala will be used to further the organization’s equity-centered initiatives and its mission of advancing women’s collective power. Teresa C. Younger, Ms. Foundation president and CEO, said in a statement that the honorees will be celebrate for “their many accomplishments and tireless work on behalf of gender and racial equity across the country and the world".
Below, the Duchess with CEP Teresa C. Younger.
Carly Ledbetter shared a portion of Meghan's speech. The Duchess walked on stage to an ovation with Alicia Keys' 'Girl on Fire' playing.
Here’s video of The Duchess of Sussex heading on stage, and the beginning of her speech.
— Carly Ledbetter (@ledbettercarly) May 17, 2023
Full clip is too long to post, #WOV2023 pic.twitter.com/Vn2klIgIcq
The gala was held at Manhattan's Ziegfeld Ballroom.
Opened in 1969, the Ziegfeld was a legendary grand single-screen theatre built by Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. Until 2016, it was home to countless Hollywood premieres -- more than any other theatre in Los Angeles. In late 2017, it began its second act as a luxury events space. Architect Richard Bloch completed his vision of incorporating timeless art deco elements with a crisp palette of silver and white.
Guests included multi Tony award-winning sensation Audra McDonald.
And a Suits reunion was in order inside the Ballroom with Wendell Pierce in the house (Rachel Zane's dad Robert).
The trio leaving the event.
Doria, Meghan and Harry leaving Ms Foundation Awards NYC 2023.
— Alexis 🎖️MNOSL (@ArchewellBaby) May 17, 2023
"Mama Doria we love you🥺"
"Meghan we love you" pic.twitter.com/KIrVN8ZLzi
The Duchess looked stunning in a gold ensemble.
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Doria Ragland are all smiles as they arrive at the Woman Of Vision Awards in New York City. pic.twitter.com/B5kFK1eHYy
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 16, 2023
Meghan's jaw-dropping strapless dress is a bespoke version of the Ideal Universe dress by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz.
The sold-out gold jacquard midi dress features an open back and an opening in the front. Meghan's piece has the straps removed.
The California-based designer was a very natural choice for the night, with a business committed to supporting women. Johanna is married with three sons.
Johanna Ortiz's career history offers the following:
'Johanna has kept her commitment to social causes and female empowerment a cornerstone of her design and business ethos. What began as a resort line centered around swimwear organically evolved into a complete lifestyle brand that creates RTW, Resort, accessory, and Home Collections throughout the year. Today her vision has materialized into a successful business that employs over 450 individuals, most of whom are women heads-of-household.
She has crossed borders, becoming an international fashion guru known for her distinct silhouettes, unique prints, and general “joie de vivre” in every collection. Today she is one of the top Latin designers that has successfully crossed over into mainstream fashion. She has had the honor of being part of the BoF 500 since 2017.'
As the choice of designer was not simply by happenstance, neither was the colour. A fellow follower of the Duchess predicted we'd see gold tonight. It is the colour of the International Alliance of Women and has connections to the inception of women's rights movements.
According to the Alliance:
'Colors were important in the iconography of the suffrage movement. The use of the color gold began with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony’s campaign in Kansas in 1867 and derived from the color of the sunflower, the Kansas state symbol. Suffragists used gold pins, ribbons, sashes, and yellow roses to symbolize their cause. In 1876, during the U.S. Centennial, women wore yellow ribbons and sang the song “The Yellow Ribbon.”
In 1916, suffragists staged “The Golden Lane” at the national Democratic convention; to reach the convention hall, all delegates had to walk through a line of women stretching several blocks long, dressed in white with gold sashes, carrying yellow umbrellas, and accompanied by hundreds of yards of draped gold bunting. Gold also signified enlightenment, the professed goal of the mainstream U.S. suffrage movement.'
It's also one of the hues used for the Women of Vision awards' official website.
Meghan's earrings are the sold-out Trapezoid earrings by J Crew (with thanks to MegandCath via Instagram). A selection of designs with similar elements are available at J Crew right now.
Meghan's gold sandals are by Tom Ford. The Lock Metallic Stiletto Sandals are made in Italy and feature a pointed open toe and adjustable halter ankle strap. They are currently in stock at Neiman Marcus. The Padlock style is available in different colours and heel heights at Nordstrom.
Meghan carried Carolina Herrera's gold Metropolitan clutch. The Duchess owns the piece in white with gold trim and carried it on several occasions during royal engagements in the UK.
Meghan accessorised with Diana's Cartier bracelet and her gold Cartier Love bangle.
This post will be updated as the evening continues.
Beautiful! And how gorgeous does Mother Doria look?! *sigh* Perfection!
ReplyDeleteI wish Meghan would have kept the straps on her dress. When seeing the pictures, I was distracted by her bathing suit tan lines. Doria looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteI have to question the color choice tonight. Gold is the color of the International Alliance of Women. If I were Meghan, knowing that, I'd think about wearing gold to this event. If I investigated why the gold was their color, however, I might hesitate. As a historian (PhD candidate), I was a bit confused reading the "Our Color" note from the Alliance website. While gold was an important color in the suffrage movement, there were many other colors used (notably white and purple in the United States). Most women in the U.S. have traditionally worn white to show their support for women's suffrage. In 1876, women may have sung “The Yellow Ribbon,” but, in American folklore, yellow ribbons have typically represented an absent loved one (often a soldier off at war). Americans would know "Round Her Neck She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (a song that predates the U.S. suffrage movement) or "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" (an early 1970s pop song). It’s the reference to the color gold being introduced into the suffrage movement by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony that surprised me the most. The suffrage movement, at least in the United States, was deeply racist. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony fought for (white) women’s suffrage, but they were also both against the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave Black men the right to vote after the Civil War (votes for Black women were not on the table). The 19th Amendment (1919) granted women the right to vote in the U.S., but most Black women (and men) would have to wait till the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 to actually cast a vote. If I were there tonight, I’d definitely ask “Meghan, why the gold dress?” Sometimes a gold dress is just a gold dress?
ReplyDeleteAs a historian (with the earning of my PhD years in the past now), I have to say that I believe you're overthinking this. Most people are not historians and not only wouldn't make the rather complex associations you are making, they would also consider them a bit of a stretch in the context of a mere dress. Yes, sometimes a gold dress is just a gold dress, or rather, sometimes a gold dress refers solely to the organization giving the award and is not a reference to the much older suffrage movement or to its historical racism. In other words, I don't think Meghan Sussex needed to research and thereby vet her choice of a color for possible negative associations. If we start traveling down that road, we'll eventually have to go stark naked.
DeleteMeghan has worn many stellar white outfits. Also, black, red, and blue. The gold looked great when she was on stage. I think it ha both an elegant and a causal feel.
DeleteThe Yellow Ribbon was a protest song :
DeleteProtest Song Lyrics (logo)
Protest Song Lyrics Song lyrics categories Social Justice songs by Year Top 10 songs Musical Links About Protest Songs website
Well , PhD’s : THE Yellow Ribbon is suffrage protest song. Found on a protest song website : I found it by putting in the name of the song.
Song: The Yellow Ribbon
Lyrics: Marie Le Baron (1)
Music: to the tune of "Wearing of the Green"
Year: 1876
Country: USA
Oh, we wear a yellow ribbon upon our woman's breast,
We are prouder of its sunny hue than of a royal crest;
'Twas God's own primal color, born of purity and light,
We wear it now for Liberty, for Justice and for Right.
'Tis just a hundred years ago our mothers and our sires,
Lit up, for all the world to see, the flame of fredom's fires;
Through bloodshed and through hardship they labored in the fight;
Today we women labor still for Liberty and Right.
This song was originally posted on protestsonglyrics.net
We boast our land of freedom, the unshackling of the slaves;
We point with proud, through bleeding hearts, to myriads of graves.
They tell the story of a war than ended Slavery's night;
And still we women struggle for our Liberty, our Right.
I 100% agree that Meghan does not need to research or vet her color choices. As you say, most people are not historians and wouldn’t make such complex associations nor do I expect them too. I, however, also 100% enjoyed my deep dive into the historic significance of the color gold (I’m a research nerd). I referenced being in a doctoral program in history in order to point out that I am not a normal person (though it’s nice to know you can’t escape the hierarchy of the Academy even on a blog about the life and style of the Duchess of Sussex). I follow Mad About Megan (and Chronicling Kate) because I enjoy Charlotte’s reporting that links the history/purpose of an event to the fashion. I love the concept of sartorial diplomacy.
DeleteI meant "casual," not "causal"!
DeleteVittoria, I agree entirely with you.
DeleteI’m trying to reply : the song THE Yellow Ribbon was a suffragette song written in the late 1870s, the lyrics mention white dresses and yellow ribbons. A simple google search was all that was needed to find it. You can read all lyrics on a website that has lyrics to protest songs. -Susan in Florida
DeleteBek, another PHD here, though not in history. Never mind academic hierarchy, the wider world doesn't care! Just enjoy the research and writing, and be yourself. All the best.
DeleteHi Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for resuming updates on Meghan. It's amazing to see her like this, thriving and successful in her work. It reflects accordingly on her face and I can see she feels like herself again. All the updates we've got so far makes me excited about the upcoming projects and Meghan's execution. Looking forward to seeing them come to fruition.
Humaira
Beautiful! Love this dress/look! -op
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for resuming updates on Meghan. It's amazing to see her like this, thriving and successful in her work. It reflects accordingly on her face and I can see she feels like herself again. All the updates we've got so far makes me excited about the upcoming projects and Meghan's execution. Looking forward to seeing them come to fruition.
Humaira
Honey dripping Meghan
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely 🌹🌹🌹🌹
ReplyDeleteThis is what I called OMG moment, the Sussex are looking good
ReplyDeleteYou can't put a good woman down...... Cos she will always rise above it
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely 👌
DeleteLet the maker of the dress change the model pic with that of Meghan...... Cos this dress belong to her
ReplyDeleteMeghan and Harry have the IT factor like someone once said
ReplyDeleteShe looks so beautiful and happy!
ReplyDeleteThat's a trio of love, elegance and great charm. When I see them like this I imagine how sublime this photo would have been with Diana's presence.
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlotte for these beautiful photos and rich article.
Glad to see the Duchess receive this award. She's been looking terrific lately, and I admire that dress -- glamorous but simultaneously sleek and simple, in keeping with her minimalist aesthetic. A perfect choice.
ReplyDeleteMeghan looks fabulous. That’s a great dress, and it’s perfect for her. I forgot how tiny she is.
ReplyDeleteGloria Steinem was an icon of my youth and I still have that first edition of Ms. Magazine. With the tights of American women under well planned attack, it’s good to know she’s still with us.
Karen in Virginia
Breaking news... Harry, Meghan and Doria have been involved in a 'nearly catastrophic' car chase in NYC - LRB
ReplyDeleteSo true. They were ln schock.
DeleteGod protect them 🙏🏻 🙏🏻
I thought of Diana..
I am afraid for them..
They are in danger .
I live in the NYC area and this was not in our news until midway through the next day. This would certainly be big news at the time. How was there a nearly 2 hour chase through the streets of New York with no video documentation, no pedestrians calling to report to police, no police documenting the incident? NYPD even said its was not as their spokesperson described. Glad they're safe, but something is off.
DeleteIt wasn’t two hours according to the police and cab (taxi) driver. But only paps follow a car and a cab . Who is stupid enough to surround a stopped cab in big city traffic to take photos ? That is the dangerous part. The cab driver and the police have stated it wasn’t a chase. But the cab was followed, and when they stopped , the paps surrounded the cab to take flash photos. They could have been hit by other drivers.
DeleteAny argument that this couple isn't in danger from the paparazzi is insane at this point. Hopefully this won't happen again. -op
DeleteThe NYC police says rather less „catastrophic“ than they said. I am sure they were terrified but „near catastrophic“ it was not. Manhattan is not laid out like Paris nor is the traffic vaguely similar. If anything „near catastrophic“ had happened, there would have been arrests on the scene.
DeleteThe Duchess looked lovely the Prince happy and my isn’t Doria elegant?
Pandora
For those saying 'but what about witnesses', etc, I'm sure the American authorities will investigate and there will be arrests if there was any law breaking but the evidence won't be in the public domain yet! Thank goodness they are all safe.
DeleteI think the catastrophic part was related to the safety of people outside of their car -- that is what I read and that makes sense. I'm sure H&M would feel terrible if a pedestrian was injured.
DeleteI think people have misinterpreted what was said. The spokesperson did not claim that this was a "high-speed" chase. Obviously, something like that in Manhattan would not have gone unnoticed. It was, however, a chase by many paparazzi, following the Sussexes through the streets of Manhattan for a couple of hours, because they did not want these people to know where they were staying. They wended their way through the streets and at least a couple of times stopped at police stations looking for assistance, which they were given, and got into a couple of cabs, in an attempt to throw the paparazzi off the scent. This worked. By the time they got into the second cab, the photographers had gotten what they wanted and weren't dogging them.
DeleteIt's clear from the video that they were being swarmed and followed. Why does anyone doubt that? Their spokesperson should not, perhaps, have used the word "chase," since your average person imagines a "French Connection"-style chase when he or she reads that word, but what is a "chase" if not people getting into a car and trying to go home but followed intensely and relentlessly by photographers?
A desire for publicity in certain contexts should not result in open season in all contexts and on all occasions. I have always maintained that as far as the British royals are concerned in general. This is why trashy British tabloid culture needs to be reined in.
I say that in full recognition of the accusations of censorship that might be hurled in my direction. As I've said elsewhere, I don't believe in censorship in any way, shape, or form. I DO believe in letting the Anglophone public know exactly what's going on at the tabloids and why Meghan Sussex was targeted for vilification before she ever married Prince Harry.
Those that were part of the chase thought it was near catastrophic for pedestrians. The Lying British interviewed people (taxi driver) that were not part of the organized pap chase. While Harry and Meghan vehicle obeyed the traffic signals, the Paps drove towards oncoming traffic above the speed limit to catch up with them. It clearly was organized to scare Harry and Meghan and to get a picture of them scared- that is what one of the Paps implied. It helps to get information from a reliable source and definitley not andy source from Britain or Australia
Delete"Golden Duchess"...Perfect statement well imaged Charlotte. Hats off to Madame Doria who I find has nothing to envy to an 18-year-old girl.
ReplyDeleteFLAWLESS Meg. Gosh how I love this family! Bless them!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning, although I think I actually prefer the dress with the straps. I love that Doria was there, and didn't she look beautiful as well! Hopefully Meghan and Wendell got to catch up :)
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte
ReplyDeleteWhat a rich post! I love the first 2 pix, especially the one with Meghan, Harry & Doria. (I too fondly remember Doria’s presence at the launch of the Hubb Community Kitchen. What a wonderful day that was!) And then Meghan with the legend, Gloria Steinem. The evening and the speeches hit all the right notes.
Renee
Excellent choice of dress and designer! Meghan simply has incredible style. I love this post full of inspirational content. Doria is such a beautiful woman and soul. Harry is a happy man with these gorgeous women around him….. Kristina
ReplyDeleteThe dress looks nice, but I prefer it with the straps.
ReplyDeleteGloria is such an important figure; I worshipped her when I was a teenager in NY.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like Meghan's changes to the dress. It fits her very well and she looks gorgeous.
I have to add that I have been binge-watching "Project Runway." In the 18th season, a designer made a gorgeous white dress with a very full skirt. A judge said she could absolutely see this on Meghan Markle or Michelle Obama -- I felt like a proud mother.
The choice of gold color is perfect for Meghan, but there is something that bothers me with the dress : is it the lack of straps or is it slit in front ?
ReplyDeleteIn any case, it was a great opportunity to see her again (finally !) and I hope she will take part in other engagements soon.
Hi Anna. I was also thinking the fit of this dress is off. It seems to be pulling through the waist. I think it's a bit tight on her?
DeleteThe fabric of the dress looks quite thick and rather stiff. By dint of looking at the dress, I end up wondering if it wouldn't be more beautiful in a short dress ?
DeleteThis is my new favorite dress and I love Doria's dress!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Charlotte, for this very informative post. Meghan looked radiant tonight, as did her beautiful mother and her handsome husband.
ReplyDeleteI just found a place to hear Meghan's full 6 minute speech: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a43917211/meghan-markle-women-of-vision-ms-foundation-speech-transcript/
It's tragic that the night ended with a horrifying, organized chase by British Paparazzi, particularly the Daily Mail and the Mirror, who printed photos taken of the Sussexes in a taxi as they tried to escape. I fear for Harry and Meghan and Doria. When Harry took on the media in such a forceful way, I feared they would endanger him...
It's no longer telling, but validating of what we all know about Harry's biological "family members" that they have nothing to say about this danger they seem to approve of or worse.
I pray for the Sussexes safety.
R
The facts will come out but I think their security have a few questions to answer, C
DeleteIt just occured to me while looking at gold swirls on the poster for this awards ceremony, that this is the 50th, or golden anniversary, of the Ms. Foundation. Megan's choice of gold may have been nothing more than honoring this golden anniversary.
ReplyDeleteR
Very concerned about the car chase that happened after the event and the absolute chaos of the media storm since. Will this family ever know peace? I understand that Meghan hate sells in the UK, but my God. It makes me sick to see one human so obviously used as a scapegoat no matter where she goes or what she does. I just want it to end!
ReplyDeleteHi Becca, I feel absolutely the same. They felt the need to issue the statement. That says a lot. They would not deliberately overshadow that beautiful evening.
DeleteIf you read the various press you find the timeline of everything after entering the police heavily reported. Everything before is only covered by what the Sussexes security man said. Of course everyone would have been much more civil after police involvement.
I do not expect tabloid media to follow journalistic standards at all but I am disapointed in media like CNN especially Max Foster to lose it in such cases. Watching him when the Sussexes anounced their withdrawl from Royal Duties and now made it clear how scared these writers are to lose their royal sources. In many of the Royal Reportings especially from Brits of the better media outlets you see that they have given up their Independent view.
If I were the Sussexes I would learn from this and document these events. Think about them for a few days and get the lawyers busy. The media will not reflect itself. When they were heavily under fire after Dianas death they launched the vile and sucessful attack against the „unfeeling“ Queen. They have the power to be King Makers or otherwise. Everyone buckles before them. But of course they also depend on the Royals to sell. It is an odd relationship. I think the law is a better place to fight these battles- not easy but I really wish for the Sussexes the fairness and peace they deserve.
Kristina
I agree, Becca. I can't imagine how traumatic it is for Harry (with Diana's paparazzi stalking) and then for Meghan and Doria, too.
DeleteI recently read an interview of Harry's ghostwriter and he was aghast at the media intrusion into Harry's life, and then by extension, into his own, once people found out he was the ghostwriter. It opened his eyes.
Charlotte, any thoughts? I understand if you don't want to post on this and give it any more fire.
-Victoria in Oregon
My only comment about the incident in NYC is why were none of the three occupants in the cab wearing seat belts. Have no lessons been learnt.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point - safety first! I say this after just having visited my nephew in the emergency room where he got hit by car while riding his bike and he wasn't wearing his helmet. Thank goodness he will be ok but we should all take common sense precautions (safety belts, helmets, etc).
DeleteI live in Manhattan and I’m amused to see several comments declaring that a high speed chase is impossible in New York City. I’ve had numerous white-knuckle cab rides that felt like high speed chases! Reportedly part of the chase was on the FDR Drive where high speed weaving in and around traffic is not an uncommon occurrence. Meghan, Harry and Doris reportedly were in an SUV for the first hour, before stopping at a police precinct where they were put in a taxi but were still followed and returned to the police station. The cabbie said there was no high speed chase which there is no reason to doubt, but they weren’t with him very long. According to local reports the police finally cleared the streets so they could get to their friend’s apartment unpursued. What a way to have to live! I hope it didn’t spoil their evening because they all looked fabulous and happy.
ReplyDeleteJanet from New York
Would pursue be a better word than chase? I don’t know what you call it when you are following someone when they don’t want to be followed?
ReplyDeleteIt’s interesting that the agency that bought the photos won’t release them to H&M and these photos that were shot by paparazzi got pulled from UK tabloids that initially posted them. Look if the photos were taken and no crime or traffic violations were committed in getting them then, why pull them? Why not share them with H&M team? Be transparent to the world.
I hate to see the sheer craziness in the British Press over H&M take root in the US. There’s so much division and hate already, can’t we just get a divorce and stay in our own lane? It has already gotten political and nasty with the way UK press treated President Biden over the coronation. If this was a person, and not the press, acting out in this way, it’d be like the crazy, obsessive, spurned woman in “Single White Female.” This is the US with more guns than people and it wouldn’t take much for a nutter to go into deep tabloid hate-filed world and do something truly horrible. The predictable outcome is an immediate goldmine for SM and the press. The new bloodsport.
I love this dress! And its origins! The cut out in the middle is a neat touch. Meghan just glows and looks so youthful. Doria as always looks lovely and elegant. Most importantly it’s so nice to see Meghan getting recognition in this way. She’s been an advocate and involved in charity since she was a child. You go girl!
ReplyDeleteI love this dress on Meghan. And I'm glad she removed the straps. Love the accessories (Stilettos, evening purse, bracelets and incredibly affordable earrings). The fit of the dress IMHO is perfect for her body. I think this dress will remain in the top 10 of my list of dresses for Meghan. Such a lovely event honoring women. I just wish there was a way to stop the paparazzi. Could they stand briefly when exiting public events so that photographers (that are independent businesses) can get the photos? They exit wtih the body guards, kinda rushing to their car. They are public celebrities. Wouldn't every photographer have the best shot (or opportunity) for a few seconds - what's the point of a blurry photo of Harry and Meghan in a car? I just wish it would stop (by law). My 2-cents - Elle
ReplyDeleteThe British Establishment is working overtime to destroy this couple however they labor in vain. Our earnest prayer is that Almighty God will continue to bless, keep, protect, guide and prosper Harry and Meghan together with their marriage and children always.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm angry that the legacy of this award continues to be abuse about the car chase. Even though it was scary, it's been clear to me that the greatest danger was to pedestrians. I'm thinking about the poor lady who was killed by the motorcade in the UK. I wonder if this contributed to Meghan skipping the Gracie award show?
ReplyDeleteShe looks so beautiful my word! im sad they were so afraid in this car chase whatever the truth to it is even the taxi driver said they were scared. I doubt it could be 2 hours in nyc though got lots of family there and it is pretty impossible. Funny how the british media on gb news and talk tv especially are saying harry and meghan are over after this award event... to me they look united and happy. Like Allison im sad that a woman died from a police officer in Sophie's motorcade. Thanks Charlotte for the coverage.
ReplyDeleteMeghan always makes her mark and looks great, so does Prince Harry and her mum. They looked united and it was lovely to see that. Sadly the press hound them and also they are subject to some people’s comments that just trolls. They are for me, people that try to live right and do good.
ReplyDeleteI applaud them