Duke and Duchess of Sussex, General News 2: December 2018 - February 2019

[Terri Terri]

Her visit to the USA was private since Friday until she started going out with her famous friends. What was she was supposed to do? Hide in her hotel for 5 days?

 

[duchessrachel]

Media waiting outside the Mark Hotel in NY tonight for Meghan to emerge following the baby shower.

. https://www.instagram.com/p/BuEk2zEDB-Y/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1plv73am5xlv0

How did the media find out about this shower in the first place? I wonder who leaked it.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I know the press in the US is different, particularly with the privacy aspect of things. But Meghan has flown under the radar before, as DOS, and she was with Henry without anyone knowing for a while.

As I said, there are ways and means to make a visit like this actually private. How did the press know she was going? Where she was staying? Who released the information? If nobody knows you're going, nobody knows you're there. Without hacking plane manifests or stalking every hotel in NY, they simply couldn't have found without already knowing where she was.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

How did the media find out about this shower in the first place? I wonder who leaked it.

Page 6 in NYC has spies everywhere. Someone spotted her at a French tea house in Soho, sent the news to Page 6. ---> Omid Scobie forced to confirm that yes, she was in the city, and by that time many were speculating that her friends were giving her a shower. It's a typical American thing, so it's not unusual if she's meeting with friends in NYC that they were going to throw a baby shower for her. ---> NYC is filled to the brim with paparazzi, and they staked out all possible hotels. Daily mail got the money shot of her last night, and from there it's not hard to deduce and the rest is history.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

I know the press in the US is different, particularly with the privacy aspect of things. But Meghan has flown under the radar before, as DOS, and she was with Henry without anyone knowing for a while.

As I said, there are ways and means to make a visit like this actually private. How did the press know she was going? Where she was staying? Who released the information? If nobody knows you're going, nobody knows you're there. Without hacking plane manifests or stalking every hotel in NY, they simply couldn't have found without already knowing where she was.

This is precisely what they did. I live in the area. They knew she was in town but they didn't know the hotel. It was a travesty last night seeing a bunch of them stalk out at least 5 hotels within my own vicinity trying to find her. There was only a number of hotels that she could have been staying at in the city. Hence, when DailyMail got the money shot of her leaving last night.

 

[M. Payton]

Just saying that if Meghan and Harry can fly around the world and go on honeymoon/vacations without anyone finding them surely Meghan can walk across the street or anywhere with out the media knowing and just know that she has had lots of very private time traveling with out the media and this could have been the same regardless of who found out she was in NY as there are many ways to do things being who she is without the media around as she has proven that already......use the back door of the hotel to go out and have a car waiting or the side door instead of going out the front where you know all the media are and can she walk 10 feet without holding the bump? Some things that Meghan does still adds up to Hollywood, attention seeking is one of them. I think it will take a long time for the effects of Hollywood that has been implanted in her to go away as that was her life before Harry.

 

[Lumutqueen]

This is precisely what they did. I live in the area. They knew she was in town but they didn't know the hotel. It was a travesty last night seeing a bunch of them stalk out at least 5 hotels within my own vicinity trying to find her. There was only a number of hotels that she could have been staying at in the city. Hence, when DailyMail got the money shot of her leaving last night.

You posted a few seconds after i'd asked the question, so it was a case of passing posts.

As you say someone spotted her, and then they stalked to hotels. There is an element to this of Meghan being popular in the US even before Henry. She's a recognisable face.

I don't really see it as an issue the press found her, in that unfortunately that's part of her life now. I do think her trip could have been handled better, they've both shown they can fly under the radar and it can be done, so why not use the ways and means this time? Also my main thought along all of this is why NYC? What connections does she have to the city? These are genuine questions because I have always thought she had ties to Toronto.

 

[jacqui24]

Just saying that if Meghan and Harry can fly around the world and go on honeymoon/vacations without anyone finding them surely Meghan can walk across the street or anywhere with out the media knowing and just know that she has had lots of very private time traveling with out the media and this could have been the same regardless of who found out she was in NY as there are many ways to do things being who she is without the media around as she has proven that already......use the back door of the hotel to go out and have a car waiting or the side door instead of going out the front where you know all the media are and can she walk 10 feet without holding the bump? Some things that Meghan does still adds up to Hollywood, attention seeking is one of them. I think it will take a long time for the effects of Hollywood that has been implanted in her to go away as that was her life before Harry.

Not in NYC. Once they found out she's there, there is no way around it. They went to Africa without anyone finding out. It's hardly the same thing. And there has been other places where they've been that we've been told. Perhaps no photos as the privacy laws are different, but US doesn't really have much laws to prevent someone from taking a picture of her while she's walking to the car. I'm not sure how you went from the media finding out she is in NYC to she's seeking attention.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

You posted a few seconds after i'd asked the question, so it was a case of passing posts.

As you say someone spotted her, and then they stalked to hotels. There is an element to this of Meghan being popular in the US even before Henry. She's a recognisable face.

I don't really see it as an issue the press found her, in that unfortunately that's part of her life now. I do think her trip could have been handled better, they've both shown they can fly under the radar and it can be done, so why not use the ways and means this time? Also my main thought along all of this is why NYC? What connections does she have to the city? These are genuine questions because I have always thought she had ties to Toronto.

NYC is easier for everyone to convene upon. Some live here already, some were already here for work, and it makes it easier for her to get here and back to London in good time. Apparently there will be another baby shower in London after the Morocco trip for her friends who live there.

Also, before she was the DoS, her and her girlfriends would always visit nYC for girl trips. This was probably one last "hurrah" of the girls before baby was born.

Her ties to Toronto was mostly for work. Yes, she lived there, but the majority of her friends were in the states, with the exception of her co-workers and Jessica and her family.

 

[jacqui24]

You posted a few seconds after i'd asked the question, so it was a case of passing posts.

As you say someone spotted her, and then they stalked to hotels. There is an element to this of Meghan being popular in the US even before Henry. She's a recognisable face.

I don't really see it as an issue the press found her, in that unfortunately that's part of her life now. I do think her trip could have been handled better, they've both shown they can fly under the radar and it can be done, so why not use the ways and means this time? Also my main thought along all of this is why NYC? What connections does she have to the city? These are genuine questions because I have always thought she had ties to Toronto.

She's loved NYC before. It's a good spot for girls' trip in general. She's talked about going there for trips, work or otherwise. It's a place where you can do a lot of things and get to and leave from easily since it has three airports in the area. Her friends are in geographically dispersed locations, so being easy to travel to probably makes it easier to accommodate everyone's schedule. However, a few of them either work part time or live part time in NYC. It's also easier for her than LA. It seems like a number of them decided to make it a few days trip rather than just the baby shower as Jessica has been in town a few days and so has Abigail Spencer.

It's also a place that you either go unnoticed or you'll be easily found. It's only when Page Six got their tip that it became a problem. With NYC, it's really all or nothing.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

You posted a few seconds after i'd asked the question, so it was a case of passing posts.

As you say someone spotted her, and then they stalked to hotels. There is an element to this of Meghan being popular in the US even before Henry. She's a recognisable face.

I don't really see it as an issue the press found her, in that unfortunately that's part of her life now. I do think her trip could have been handled better, they've both shown they can fly under the radar and it can be done, so why not use the ways and means this time? Also my main thought along all of this is why NYC? What connections does she have to the city? These are genuine questions because I have always thought she had ties to Toronto.

I don't think that they found her. Someone spotted her at the tea house, could have been the waitress, the restaurant owner, receptionist at the restaurant, anyone and sold it to Page 6 in NYC. All it takes is a lead, and NYC gossip columns and paparazzi are like blood hounds.

 

[jacqui24]

I don't think that they found her. Someone spotted her at the tea house, could have been the waitress, the restaurant owner, receptionist at the restaurant, anyone and sold it to Page 6 in NYC. All it takes is a lead, and NYC gossip columns and paparazzi are like blood hounds.

I can't remember which one I read, but one of them had a quote from someone they identified as someone that works at Laduree.

 

[Ista]

I don't think that they found her. Someone spotted her at the tea house, could have been the waitress, the restaurant owner, receptionist at the restaurant, anyone and sold it to Page 6 in NYC. All it takes is a lead, and NYC gossip columns and paparazzi are like blood hounds.

So perhaps the lesson here is that NYC is not a good place for Meghan to have a girls' get-together if she wants any semblance of privacy? I'm not sure where else would have been a better choice.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

Also, just want to point out that she made it almost 4 whole days out of a 5 day trip without anyone knowing. Maybe this is something that she will have to learn. Keep it short and sweet. In and out in a few days and no one is the wiser. Which is probably why her and Harry were able to keep a lot of their trips under the radar. NYC is big in population density, however, it is still geographically small, especially if she is staying here on the island. After a few days, she was bound to be spotted unless she locked herself away in her hotel room.

 

[jacqui24]

So perhaps the lesson here is that NYC is not a good place for Meghan to have a girls' get-together if she wants any semblance of privacy? I'm not sure where else would have been a better choice.

Nowhere she's had previous ties to at this point. Once Toronto started to have paparazzi, you know it's bad. NYC was probably the safest bet had the Laduree employee not talked. That's how this whole things started. It's much easier to blend in, especially in winter. But once they knew she was in town, it became probably the worst place.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

So perhaps the lesson here is that NYC is not a good place for Meghan to have a girls' get-together if she wants any semblance of privacy? I'm not sure where else would have been a better choice.

Perhaps, but it is a convenient location for all. Again, I think she should keep it to around a few days, perhaps 3. However, this time around, I can understand it and she's friends with people who have very different and hectic schedules.

To me, this is a huge learning curve for her, and I hope she learns from this and adjusts for the future. Shorter visiting times, probably spread between NYC, Chicago, Toronto and LA. HOWEVER, if a trip like that was discovered, I could imagine the media storm of multi-stop trip.

 

[Ista]

Sad but true. And now that the press knows that she slipped in to New York once, they'll be on the alert more in the future. Not that it's likely to be an issue for a while, what with Baby Sussex, etc.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

I can't remember which one I read, but one of them had a quote from someone they identified as someone that works at Laduree.

YEP...that's where it started, at the tea house. I saw it in Page Six (I get a lot of News papers delivered to my home and office in the morning) and dismissed it. However, as soon as Omid tipped his hand 24 hours later, I knew it was true.

Sad but true. And now that the press knows that she slipped in to New York once, they'll be on the alert more in the future. Not that it's likely to be an issue for a while, what with Baby Sussex, etc.

Nah, they are always on alert unfortunately. They literally stake out the the 3 main airports in the area for VIP arrivals. We also have some small airports in Westchester, and the paps are always there also. Since no one spotted her at the airports, they arranged everything quite well. Again, it was just that someone at the restaurant told Page Six, and now we're discussing it.

BTW, I'm glad that I'm getting to discuss the nuances surrounding the media in NYC. It's fascinating to watch, although I do feel sorry for her that she couldn't finish off her trip in privacy. Shorter trips I think is the key.

 

[Dman]

I know the press in the US is different, particularly with the privacy aspect of things. But Meghan has flown under the radar before, as DOS, and she was with Henry without anyone knowing for a while.

As I said, there are ways and means to make a visit like this actually private. How did the press know she was going? Where she was staying? Who released the information? If nobody knows you're going, nobody knows you're there. Without hacking plane manifests or stalking every hotel in NY, they simply couldn't have found without already knowing where she was.

Meghan and Harry are very good at going under radar, but it’s not always going to be like that. There are times we will see this happen.

Also, she’s our American Princess. The Princess has come home to America, so the interest is much more higher than before.

I’m glad she’s enjoying herself with her friends, but I hope she don’t have much a problem getting back home in this weather. There will be flight cancellations.

 

[jacqui24]

Nah, they are always on alert unfortunately. They literally stake out the the 3 main airports in the area for VIP arrivals. We also have some small airports in Westchester, and the paps are always there also. Since no one spotted her at the airports, they arranged everything quite well. Again, it was just that someone at the restaurant told Page Six, and now we're discussing it.

BTW, I'm glad that I'm getting to discuss the nuances surrounding the media in NYC. It's fascinating to watch, although I do feel sorry for her that she couldn't finish off her trip in privacy. Shorter trips I think is the key.

I'm surprised they don't have regular stakeouts at Teterboro tbh. This conversation about NYC is bringing me back to the good ole days of NY gossip.

 

[Tarlita]

Perhaps as she has been in NY since Friday she has kept her meetings with friends within the confines of the Hotel. All Hotels today have very nice lounging rooms and coffee bars. It was the fact she went out that was her downfall with Baby Sussex Bump probably giving the game away, as confirmation that yes the person I am looking at - Is the Duchess.
That is the problem with being in the public interest, you become a virtual prisoner of your surroundings unless you want to take the risk of the press finding you out.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

I'm surprised they don't have regular stakeouts at Teterboro tbh. This conversation about NYC is bringing me back to the good ole days of NY gossip.

Oh, it's just as bad today as it was back then. Today however, we have social media. You sell your story to the highest bidder and then post about it yourself.

 

[Pranter]

From what I am reading on Twitter (royal reporters etc) since it was leaked or the media found out she was in NYC it was confirmed that she was having a baby shower. Then they (her security etc) arranged or allowed the media to take pics of her coming/going today ...kinda like in the old days when the royals would allow pics (photo op) and then the media would leave them alone the rest of the time.


LaRae

 

[Terri Terri]

If there are already flight cancellations, maybe she could leave tonight instead of tomorrow. I can imagine the brouhaha if she missed the official trip to Morocco because she was stuck in NY.

 

[Madame Verseau]

I am glad to see some fun news about Meghan. It looks like a Hollywood pap stroll but I'm glad she did it. The nasty press and the disgruntled relatives (who are still running to the media) are still trying to take her down but Meghan walking out of the hotels , cradling her bump is her message to the world negative forces are not going to get her.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

If there are already flight cancellations, maybe she could leave tonight instead of tomorrow. I can imagine the brouhaha if she missed the official trip to Morocco because she was stuck in NY.

No flight cancellations yet in NYC. Hopefully she has an early morning flight, or perhaps she's leaving tonight. The storm is rolling in at about late morning to early afternoon tomorrow, so as long as she is out of NYC by about 10Am, she should be fine.

 

[Pranter]

Her visit to the USA was private since Friday until she started going out with her famous friends. What was she was supposed to do? Hide in her hotel for 5 days?

Yep and apparently everyone here (or almost everyone) forgot when William went to a stag party in Memphis and was photo'd going out and about...he didn't stay hidden in a hotel.

I can't believe folks are getting down on her because she didn't sneak out the back door.


Personally I think it was smart of her security/press people to get control of things and allow a photo op and she was coming/going. So she wasn't chased around with them trying to get the elusive shots.

LaRae

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

IMO Meghan is playing the full Hollywood game of a B or C list star, only that it won’t work in Britain and with the BRF. When I saw the ‚hit the ground running‘ comment during her interview I thought that she‘s really, really full of herself what is not a bad thing for the job she used to hold.
Given that previous trips remained private, I guess this is just the royal superstar behind sunglasses seeking attention. It won’t do her any favors in her new adopted country.
The show will continue and the tabloids and spectators have their popcorn ready.

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

Yep and apparently everyone here (or almost everyone) forgot when William went to a stag party in Memphis and was photo'd going out and about...he didn't stay hidden in a hotel.

I can't believe folks are getting down on her because she didn't sneak out the back door.


Personally I think it was smart of her security/press people to get control of things and allow a photo op and she was coming/going. So she wasn't chased around with them trying to get the elusive shots.

LaRae

After the Mail got her photo last night, her security had two options:
1. Try and play coy with the press and have a chase through the streets of NYC (the worst possible thing that could happen).
2. Manage the situation. Give the photos their picture, satisfy their thirst and then go on her way. (which is what they did).

Once they got the picture and their headline, they're fine. If you try to dodge the paps in NYC once you're spotted, good luck. They are like a dog with a bone.

 

[alvinking]

IMO Meghan is playing the full Hollywood game of a B or C list star, only that it won’t work in Britain and with the BRF. When I saw the ‚hit the ground running‘ comment during her interview I thought that she‘s really, really full of herself what is not a bad thing for the job she used to hold.
Given that previous trips remained private, I guess this is just the royal superstar behind sunglasses seeking attention. It won’t do her any favors in her new adopted country.
The show will continue and the tabloids and spectators have their popcorn ready.

This is getting really tiresome. So can you explain clearly and in detail with supporting examples or evidences what is the full Hollywood game of a B or C list star.