Harry and Meghan: Relationship Musings

[ladongas]

Something no one has mentioned...

Those who are saying that a wedding might be as much as a year away because of various events, birthdays, anniversaries...

If my granny were 91 and grandpa 96, I sure as heck wouldn’t postpone my wedding date for months on end.

Nothing wrong with marrying on great-aunt Tilly’s birthday or wedding anniversary.

 

[Somebody]

Kate is 35 and Meghan is 36.

Indeed, in fact, they are only 5 months apart:
August 4, 1981 and January, 9, 1982

The difference is the age difference between the brothers: William is only 5 1/2 months younger than Catherine, while Harry is a little over 3 years younger than Meghan.

 

[Countessmeout]

The queen is in excellent health. And showing no signs she may not be as long lived as her mother or close.

But yes Philip is a concern, especially considering his recent retirement. Harry seems very close to his grandparents, and I would think he'd like his grandfather to be at his wedding.

 

[duchessrachel]

In reality, Meghan isn't that much older than Kate is. Meghan is 36 and Kate is 33. Three years age difference isn't that much. There's more of an age difference between Meghan and Harry if we really look at it this way.

I thought Kate was 35. I think she will be 36 in January.
Whoops!! I am sorry. I just saw that someone else had posted that. I need to completely read through all the posts before I respond.

 

[scriptgirl]

I still like a Sept or Oct wedding.

 

[FashionMaven]

Add me to the list of people who don't think Meghan will be spending Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with Harry near Sandringham at Amner Hall.

If this is truly going to be her last Christmas as an American, and as a commoner, I tend to think she'd want to take some time during the holidays to be with friends and family and shore up her connections before she flies over the big drink to London.

So maybe instead Meghan and Harry would meet up right after Christmas somewhere romantic and he'd propose? Then they'd announce early in the New Year? I think it would be lovely if he proposed between Christmas and New Year's and then they waited to announce after the New Year so they could experience being engaged in private for a bit and ring in the new year as an engaged couple.

Then next year I'd look forward to seeing a married Meghan and Harry at Sandringham - with her parents invited too (can that happen?).

I do wonder what will happen at Thanksgiving. Meghan will probably spend most of her time with family then - since Thanksgiving isn't a "family" time for Harry, maybe he would join her? That takes some of the pressure off this Christmas thing - with her spending time with friends catching up and shoring up her life on this side of the pond before getting engaged (if that's the plan).

 

[Countessmeout]

Their first trip as a dating couple was to Norway to see the Northern lights. It was right between Christmas and New Years. Definitely a romantic memory if he chose to propose in a similar way.

Her parents would not be attended to spend Christmas at the estate, by that I mean the main house. That is just the family. Now if her and Harry were married, and had a home on the estate, the couple could be invited to join them like the Middletons have, at their home. Or perhaps if they have no home there, Charles may extend an invitation. Or an invite for them to come to Scotland for new years.

Harry and even Meghan spending Thanksgiving with her family will depend on their schedules. Neither may be free every year to fly back to the US for it. Possibly her family or friends could visit during this time. It would be a good alternative to Christmas.

 

[scriptgirl]

I have to say I hope Harry and Meghan get to be their own seperate entity and won't still be lashed to the Foundation.

I wonder if Meghan will join the board of Sentebele and Invictus.

 

[Osipi]

I don't see them becoming separate from the Royal Foundation at all. There is just too much that Harry is already involved in with the Foundation that he'd even think about leaving it. I think the foursome will most likely remain with the Foundation at least until William becomes King. The Foundation is the vehicle through which most of their philanthropic work is done.

The Invictus Games is governed by a board of trustees with Sir Keith Mills, GBE as its chairman. Sir Mills is also the chairman for the Royal Foundation. So, here we see that the Invictus Games, in its roundabout way, is also close to the Royal Foundation. Harry is the royal patron of the Games.

Sentebale also has its own board of trustees that are the moving force for Sentebale. Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso are the founders of the organization.

So, with this in mind, I don't see any possibility that Meghan would be on the board for either of these endeavors because, frankly, neither is Harry.

 

[Somebody]

If Harry had wanted his own foundation he wouldn't have joined up with his brother and sister-in-law in the first place, so I am sure the idea from the start has been that a future wife would join the three of them.

 

[Curryong]

Didn't it just start out as William and Harry's group of charities before William married? IMO it's going to be mighty clunky in the loooong title of the Foundation alone, and in administration of it all, with four people in there. Especially when Meghan has her own group of charities under this umbrella.

Also four people rather than the trio turning up to some engagements such as Heads Together. Very unwieldy, IMO.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Didn't it just start out as William and Harry's group of charities before William married? IMO it's going to be mighty clunky in the loooong title of the Foundation alone, and in administration of it all, with four people in there. Especially when Meghan has her own group of charities under this umbrella.

Also four people rather than the trio turning up to some engagements such as Heads Together. Very unwieldy, IMO.

I understand what you are saying but I don't think I agree.
Yes, the name could be streamlined but I think the charities are stronger under the umbrella of the Foundation.

 

[scriptgirl]

I am not sure when the Harry and William Foundation started. It was def being Kate got married and unless I am wrong, I don't she joined right away, either.

I agree with Curry, I think some changes have to occur. Harry and William will soon have their own families-that foundation needs to be split up. Will and Kate have their own foundation/press office, etc and same for Meghan and Harry.

 

[Osipi]

From what I've read, the Royal Foundation was thought up by William and Harry in 2009 but it didn't become operational until 2011 and by the that time, William had/or was in the process of getting married so it became the Foundation for the three of them.

I also think that Meghan would just make the Foundation a foursome. I do think they might want to alter that very, very long name after Harry marries though. Perhaps just The Royal Foundation because eventually, the names are going to change again. The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Hogwarts is more like a paragraph. Oh wait. It could also change to the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Hogwarts. Yeps... I think just The Royal Foundation would be the way to go.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

I can't see any reason to split up the Foundation to basically duplicate something already in existence.

From the Foundation's Mission Statement--
"Through our Foundation we intend to bring a spotlight to bear on some key challenges facing society today at home and abroad, and to lend whatever support we can to those individuals and organisations leading the fight to confront and overcome these challenges."


From Wikipedia:
"The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry received charitable status from the Charity Commission on 8 October 2009.
The Duchess of Cambridge formally became a Patron of the Foundation alongside her husband and Prince Harry at the Board of Trustees meeting on 29 September 2011."

 

[Pranter]

I don't see them splitting their Trust up...adding the wife of Harry isn't that big of a deal..they will all work together in it.


LaRae

 

[Osipi]

I am not sure when the Harry and William Foundation started. It was def being Kate got married and unless I am wrong, I don't she joined right away, either.

I agree with Curry, I think some changes have to occur. Harry and William will soon have their own families-that foundation needs to be split up. Will and Kate have their own foundation/press office, etc and same for Meghan and Harry.

I don't agree with the Foundation being split up. Actually, I think the way that they've set things up where so many different areas of focus are all under one umbrella is the wave of the future for royal charities and patronages. Its so easily possible for each of them to have their own specific areas of interest but yet under the auspices of the Royal Foundation. Its also more feasible this way as far as the operational aspects of all the Foundation handles.

In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[HRHHermione]

I don't agree with the Foundation being split up. Actually, I think the way that they've set things up where so many different areas of focus are all under one umbrella is the wave of the future for royal charities and patronages. Its so easily possible for each of them to have their own specific areas of interest but yet under the auspices of the Royal Foundation. Its also more feasible this way as far as the operational aspects of all the Foundation handles.



In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Agreed completely. I've always thought part of why they rebranded as the Royal Foundation was to create a cohesive umbrella organization for the future.

I also expect the four of them (should Meghan and Harry get married) to do at least a few engagements together which will be a lot of fun to watch.

 

[Curryong]

Would the Royal Foundation not of necessity have to be split anyway when William and Kate become Prince and Princess of Wales? I think their engagements etc would no longer necessarily be handled by KP while Harry and Meghan's would ?

 

[Countessmeout]

Would the Royal Foundation not of necessity have to be split anyway when William and Kate become Prince and Princess of Wales? I think their engagements etc would no longer necessarily be handled by KP while Harry and Meghan's would ?

Yes. William will not simply have charity obligations but duties as well. He will require a larger staff and it would be natural for him to have his own office. It is very unlikely, in a few years at least, that they will remain an unit when Charles takes the throne. William will be expected to step up and take over the roles and work his dad and Camilla now do. Naturally things will change.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Would the Royal Foundation not of necessity have to be split anyway when William and Kate become Prince and Princess of Wales? I think their engagements etc would no longer necessarily be handled by KP while Harry and Meghan's would ?

Why, if they wanted to continue sharing space, their offices are at KP now, not sure why that would change. Charles is PoW but his offices are not at BP.
Naturally, some things would change and staff added for W&K in the future, but not sure why that affects the Foundation.

 

[JessRulz]

Several off-topic posts and responses have been removed.

 

[Osipi]

I agree. As Prince of Wales, Charles has that role and those duties and engagements but he also continues with his own personal endeavors such as The Prince's Trust and his interests with the Duchy of Cornwall.

William could do likewise. Its very possible that along with his role as The Prince of Wales and the Duchy of Cornwall, he could remain totally involved with the Royal Foundation. Its not like his involvement with the Royal Foundation is on a day to day basis as it is run by a board of trustees that do the actual governing of the foundation with the royals as their patrons.

I don't think we have anything to worry about here.

 

[scriptgirl]

I don't know if this makes sense, but do we know how the Foundation is structured per se? Like are Harry's charities listed with and coordinated with the Foundation? I don't know if I am being as articulate as I would like.

Also, how long after the marriage will Meghan announce her charities, do you think and how many will she take on?

And as someone very kindly mentioned upthread, when Wills takes over the Duchy of Cornwall, he will most likely have to step away from the Foundation, but then again, is the Prince's trust under the Duchy? Not sure.

 

[Osipi]

I think reading the thread devoted to The Royal Foundation will answer most of your questions. Actually, the Invictus Games that Harry is patron of is one of the projects of The Royal Foundation. There's a whole lot of different causes and charities and organizations that have the Foundation as their umbrella.

The Foundation is actually run by a board of trustees. We saw just a little bit upthread that it was the board of trustees that officially named Kate as a patron in September 2011.

I don't see any reason whatsoever that William would have to step away when he takes over the Duchy of Cornwall. That is also governed by a separate board of trustees that do the work and make the decisions. As an example, Charles didn't tell the duchy to buy Highgrove, he presented a suggestion that the duchy purchase it and they agreed.

 

[Jacknch]

Indeed, specific questions and more information about the Foundation can be found in the http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...hess-of-cambridge-and-prince-harry-33994.html thread. Let's stick to the topic of Harry and Meghan here.

 

[Dee Anna]

Getting back to the original question as to when people became aware of the relationship, for me it was when Harry made that public announcement, back around this time last year? For me THAT was making it official!

 

[Osipi]

I think when Harry made that statement, it did make the relationship a fact. Up until then, we'd just had rumors and speculations that he was seeing Meghan but then again, Harry looked cross-eyed at any woman and the media had him halfway up the aisle with her.

It really has been remarkable just how private these two were able to keep their relationship out of the public eye. In a way, that's a good thing because it sets the groundwork on how their privacy will be if and when they marry and start a public life together.

 

[CTchic]

I became aware of the relationship when the original story broken by Camilla Tominey in the press.

I knew who she is was as I watched Suits and envied her character's chic workwear. I was very surprised at first but always thought she came across as an intelligent, attractive and classy girl in interviews.

The November statement made me realise that this was obviously a serious relationship and I have been shipping them ever since.

Hoping for a December announcement and a late June or early July wedding.

 

[Dee Anna]

I'm thinking similar.

Kate had to get engaged (although not official in the public sense) before William turned up at a friend's wedding with her! Several years into their relationship!

Harry appears much more straight up. He still wants his and Meghan's privacy, but has no problem letting it known who he is in a relationship with. It comes across as an equal partnership. Have to like that.