Prince Harry: Relationship Suggestions and Musings 2016-2017

[Osipi]

I think the Duke of Edinburgh sums up the media onslaught and stories the best. He said: "You have mosquitoes. We have the press.". We all know mosquitoes are pest and annoying but we really don't spend a lot of time thinking about them. What we can do though is ahead of time, if we're having an outdoor event, spray the area with Yard Guard to keep them at bay. It seems to me that Harry's PPO and the protection detail that the Middletons hired did earn their pay and do an excellent job.

Here it is a couple of days later and we still don't know for certain a lot of things surrounding the wedding. Did Meghan get invited to the church or not? We don't know. What was the evening party like? We don't know. There's a bazillion stories circulating on various aspects but not one that can say what's what. We saw the bride and the groom and the wedding party and family for a brief time during the wedding day and to be honest, that was all that was allowed the public to see.

As far as Harry and Meghan going out and about to clubs and nightspots and restaurants and among the people, one thing we do have to realize is that before any of that happens, Scotland Yard does what is called a recee where they scope the place out for trouble spots to guarantee security for Harry. It probably was far easier to schedule a visit to a museum after hours than to guarantee security for Harry and Meghan if they were there when it was open to the public. For the wedding alone, Scotland Yard provided four protection officers. One for the kids, one for Harry, one for Kate and one for William. On top of that, the Middletons had their own security detail surrounding the place. They were easily recognizable too during the live stream provided as guests walked the path to the church.

No matter where Harry goes for the rest of his life with or without Meghan, every move he makes and everywhere he goes will be monitored by security. That's life as a royal. So in reality, when Harry and Meghan step out, its not as a couple but as a threesome. Man, woman and PPO. These two marry and it becomes a foursome with two (count 'em) PPOs. That has to be daunting for a couple and would take more getting used to than public attention and tabloid fabrications.

If Meghan had been invited to the church with Harry, she could have easily been there without the crowds outside and the press being able to focus on her and Harry and "overshadow" Pippa and James. Didn't Harry and William sort of arrive themselves by the back way? That probably was due to security measures. Nothing was seen of the reception and the evening party. The security was that good. As it stands, there are "stories" circulating even to the point of being ridiculous. One states that Meghan created a big "faux pas" for wearing a black evening gown. Anything to fit click bait.

I seriously don't believe that anyone associated with these people that did or did not do something concerning the wedding gave a second thought to the people, press or tabloids. To them, they were mosquitoes. The mosquitoes weren't given the chance to bite those that attended the wedding though and that's a job well done in my book.

 

[Queen E]

If the media hadn't acted so crazy when news of H&M relationship first broke, I believe we would be seeing more of the couple now. Then add to the mx the bitter & jealous rantings of a crazy half-sister whose rage flares up every time a full moon is out doesn't help either. The attacks on Meghan were unprecedented to the point that Harry had to release a statement & I think after that point the couple decided to retreat.

I'm sure H&M would love to be able to do all the things that normal couples do. But let's be real here, if the media got wind of them dining at a restaurant or going for a walk in the park it would cause a frenzy & ruin their moment. The hunger isn't going to die down once they are photographed more, it certainly never did with Diana. I believe this is about the couple setting boundaries & letting the world know that they are calling the shots.

We also don't know the status of their relationship. Most people have them married off already however H&M might not be at that stage yet. Every public outing they make turns into engagement fever so the decision to lie low might also be an attempt on their part to diffuse the engagement talks.

Sensationalist headlines are constantly being written about Meghan even from doing ordinary things like going to the gym. A recent trip to the gym in London had her bum plastered across several front pages. The media have shown time & time again that they have no respect so the couple are well within their rights not to play along. I honestly believe that until there is an engagement the public will only see the odd outings with these two.

As for the trolls let them eat cake! These nut jobs believe every photograph of the couple is fake, that H&M have a contract, that they have broken up since December, and MM is a prostitute. Their level of delusion/insanity/hatred is so strong that no amount of evidence staring them in the face will change that.

 

[rominet09]

I don't think I'm a voyeur or gawker, really, just a longtime Royal watcher and Harry supporter. Of course the couple will do things their way. I wish them well, and just wish others did.

I'm just looking forward to the days of seeing them do what normal couple do, go to restaurants and nightspots together, entering and leaving and maybe holding hands! And I am, I confess, a bit disappointed that we have no photos of them together at the reception!

I really share your opinion....life is sometimes so sad.... it helps to get a little sunshine

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Eugenie, can go out and do as she pleases and is not bothered by reporters. That is not the case for William and Harry. So that is not a fair comparison.

It's been a year now for Harry and Meghan so I don't think they will out in public much at all like now until they announce their engagement.

Eugenie is getting off topic but-- maybe the reporters (photographers) don't bother her like they do her cousins--but then why do we see so many photos of her leaving restaurants?
But mainly I was pointing out that generally royals dating do not do PDAs with their girlfriends/boyfriends.

 

[Mirabel]

ntering and leaving and maybe holding hands! And I am, I confess, a bit disappointed that we have no photos of them together at the reception!

So am I.

Even though I approve of Pippa and James turning down the deal with HELLO, in a way I wish they'd taken it.

I know...very contradictory...

 

[Osipi]

I don't think there's one among us that wouldn't love to have the ability to metamorph into the proverbial fly on the wall at times. We can respect the privacy of others yet a certain part of us wants to really be that fly on the wall.

I think we all do want to see Harry and Meghan out and about, holding hands and smiling ear to ear but these are people that cannot just decide they're going to go mall walking and head out the front door and go do it. Everything and anything has to be cleared through security before Harry even puts his beanie on. Its security measures as much as a wish for privacy that dictates how little we actually see of them.

Security is going to be even tighter now, I imagine, since the bombing at the concert in Manchester last night. A concert like that is also something that Harry and Meghan couldn't just decide at the last minute to go to and enjoy. Its all part and parcel of being part of the British royal family and definitely not one of the perks methinks.

 

[Mirabel]

The Telegraph claims that Meghan wore a stunning backless maroon dress to the reception.

No picture, of course, so we'll have to imagine it.

 

[American Observer7]

I just read 2 posters saying that they don't think Meghan was invited to the church ceremony. Now, how exactly do you know this for sure?

Pippa would not do that to Harry, much less tell him that or else he would not have showed up. He loves his girl!

It's my understand that she was invited but they decided together that she should attend the reception only in order to keep the attention on where it should have been --- The Bride!

She did not attend her castmate's wedding for that same reason.

 

[Ish]

I just read 2 posters saying that they don't think Meghan was invited to the church ceremony. Now, how exactly do you know this for sure?

Pippa would not do that to Harry, much less tell him that or else he would not have showed up. He loves his girl!

It's my understand that she was invited to they decided together that she should attend the reception only in order to keep the attention on where it should have been --- The Bride!

She did not attend her castmate's wedding for that same reason.

We have absolutely no idea whether or not Meghan was invited to the church ceremony. All we know is that she wasn't there - the reason hasn't been released to the public.

The idea that she wouldn't have attended so she could avoid stealing the attention from Pippa is absolutely ridiculous. The only people who would have cared more about Meghan than Pippa are the press/general public. The people who matter - those who were in the church - were there for Pippa and James and would have been unaffected by by Meghan'a presence.

 

[Curryong]

This is a rather rubbishy article. However, in the middle of it is info I didn't know. Apparently in April Meghan's agent, Chantal Arthur, answered an enquiry by e-mail about Meghan's religion, and answered stating that Meghan was not Jewish. So that is from the horse's mouth, or as near to it as you can get, and puts the theory of Meghan being Jewish to bed, I think.

Is Meghan Markle Prince Harry’s Jewish Princess? – The Forward

 

[Queen E]

Here is an interesting interview from one of Meghan’s friends Priyanka Chopra, who was recently on the Wendy Williams show. Around the 7.45 mark she is asked about Meghan’s relationship with Harry.

She didn’t give too much away but when she was asked whether she thought Meghan & Harry would get married her response was “I hope so”.
Wendy also referred to Meghan simply as Prince Harry’s girlfriend, and Priyanka cleverly put her straight by saying Meghan was an actress in her own right with her own achievements!

People forget that Meghan is an accomplished woman in her own right which I’m sure must be very frustrating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZmuf5SH_Qw

 

[QueenPenny]

We have absolutely no idea whether or not Meghan was invited to the church ceremony. All we know is that she wasn't there - the reason hasn't been released to the public.

The idea that she wouldn't have attended so she could avoid stealing the attention from Pippa is absolutely ridiculous. The only people who would have cared more about Meghan than Pippa are the press/general public. The people who matter - those who were in the church - were there for Pippa and James and would have been unaffected by by Meghan'a presence.

Yes! Thank you!

1)No one except the principal players knows for sure whether MM was invited to the church or not. Those of us who think she wasn't, as well as those who think she was, are guessing. But for some reason, those of us with the former opinion are being asked to provide proof of our thoughts & opinions by those with the latter opinion

2)While I don't 100% agree that Pippa and her family don't care about the press coverage, I also think that MM would be barely a second thought for those who should matter to the bride & groom. I had a celebrity couple at my wedding (hubby was high school friend of then-boyfriend now-husband of the couple; they married about a year after we did but we couldn't go due to a family wedding the same day, darn it). He's a hometown boy, and my hometown is pretty chill about these things. Anyway, except for one or 2 "I didn't know you and King Penny knew____" comments, no one said a word. I didn't feel in the least upstaged or that my day was "stolen", because my friends & family were there to share in my & my new hubby's joy, not to gawk at celebs. Of course the media had no reason whatsoever to be at my wedding, so there's that But if MM was invited to the church & didn't go in order not to upstage the bride, I consider it more self-importance than anything else. Or a continuation of the (MY OPINION!) games that MM & PH are playing with the press. We all know they are dating, and this is not a random date that could be construed as an invasion of privacy. A walk from the car to the church is not that serious. Really.

 

[Queen Claude]

I agree! We are all guessing and my guess is that Meghan was not invited to the ceremony and to me it is OK that Pippa did not invite Meghan and it is OK that Harry chose to attend without her.

I read the E and Lainey articles and the Lainey article in particular was absurd to me. Maybe Meghan was invited but ketchup got spilled on her dress and she did not attend for that reason, I prefer to believe something like that rather than the upstaging argument or Lainey's assertion about "how protective Harry is about Meghan’s reputation and how engaged he is in managing the narrative around her right now."

 

[Blog Real]

Meghan's reason for not attending the ceremony may never be known. I think she was invited but she chose not to go because of the press. But she was at the reception, there is a photo that proves this.
What is certain is that this relationship is serious. Meghan is Harry's most discreet girlfriend.

 

[jacqui24]

I'm not seeing how Meghan not going so that the press wouldn't be all over her is ridiculous? Have you seen the media frenzy before the wedding? The engagement speculations? If she had gone, and they had gotten a picture of her and Harry near each other at the wedding, that'd be the front page the next day with speculation about a possible engagement and Pippa would be an after thought. It's one thing if Kate takes the cover over her own sister, it's another when it's Meghan and Harry. Then you also have the who had better style, the bum wars, etc. Don't think they aren't concerned about the press coverage. If they weren't Pippa wouldn't have hired a PR firm, and Kensington Palace wouldn't have helped organize the media exposure.

 

[Abbigail]

We have absolutely no idea whether or not Meghan was invited to the church ceremony. All we know is that she wasn't there - the reason hasn't been released to the public.

The idea that she wouldn't have attended so she could avoid stealing the attention from Pippa is absolutely ridiculous. The only people who would have cared more about Meghan than Pippa are the press/general public. The people who matter - those who were in the church - were there for Pippa and James and would have been unaffected by by Meghan'a presence.

I'm confused. You first say we have no idea why Meghan wasn't there but then completely dismiss speculation/opinion as to why she wasn't there? Huh??

The idea that Meghan didn't want to steal the attention is about the press coverage...her being on all the front pages of the tabloids, multiple articles focused on her and Harry, what she wore, etc. And based on all the photos we saw of the bride and groom and their guests, it's clear that the ceremony wasn't a completely private affair. Had Meghan been there, she certainly would have gotten plenty of attention, feeding into the naysayers' arguments about how she is an attention seeker and only cares herself and being seen. Now, I don't completely buy into this speculation but I also don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that Harry and Meghan considered the attention from the press and decided that it was best for her to stay away.

 

[Queen Claude]

Why would Meghan and Harry care about a "media frenzy" over their attending Pippa's wedding together and not care the week before when Meghan unexpectedly showed up at a polo match the week prior and stood at the front of the railing for the spectators and then she showed up the next day and she and Harry kissed in an open area?

The media frenzy is happening in the newsrooms (if those even exists anymore) rather than out on the street. Meghan is not being chased down the street like what happened to Diana numerous times and happened to Kate on her 25th birthday. This wedding was on private property and my understanding is that there were only a few reporters and photographers allowed to cover the event. I can't imagine that an actress who has gone to industry events and given a speech before the Secretary-General of the United Nations can't handle walking across a church green.

 

[HRHHermione]

Why would Meghan and Harry care about a "media frenzy" over their attending Pippa's wedding together and not care the week before when Meghan unexpectedly showed up at a polo match the week prior and stood at the front of the railing for the spectators and then she showed up the next day and she and Harry kissed in an open area?

The media frenzy is happening in the newsrooms (if those even exists anymore) than out on the street. Meghan is not being chased down the street like what happened to Diana numerous times and happened to Kate on her 25th birthday. This wedding was on private property and my understanding is that there were only a few reporters and photographers allowed to cover the event. I can't imagine that an actress who has gone to industry events and given a speech before the Secretary General of the United Nations can't handle walking across a church green.

Because the polo match and other events weren't someone else's event and special day. There's a difference between disruptive media focus on someone else's wedding and it on a polo game or other public event.

 

[Osipi]

When it came to Pippa's wedding day, the last thing that I think anybody focused on whether it be friends or family is what the media would do, say, print or who they bash and call attention to. I don't think that other than assuring that the media was kept pretty much at bay for the entire day, that's as far as it goes. I seriously doubt that any of them check avidly everything that's printed about them in the morning and then plan their day accordingly. They don't give the media that kind of power.

The *only* people that really give the media so much power is those that read what they print. The *only* people that form opinions on what these sources write are the outsiders and want a peek into these people's lives. We need to remember that these reporters and photographers and columnists know the "insiders" about as well as we do and we don't. Its the media's job to feed the general public "scoops" and they know whether its based in actual truth or exaggerated truth or even just made up stories, its the general public that is going to read it, believe it and take it as gospel and they get a big, fat paycheck for it.

Does it really matter that Meghan was absent from the wedding ceremony and why she was absent? I don't think so. Its how it went and no one is talking.

 

[Abbigail]

Why would Meghan and Harry care about a "media frenzy" over their attending Pippa's wedding together and not care the week before when Meghan unexpectedly showed up at a polo match the week prior and stood at the front of the railing for the spectators and then she showed up the next day and she and Harry kissed in an open area?

The media frenzy is happening in the newsrooms (if those even exists anymore) than out on the street. Meghan is not being chased down the street like what happened to Diana numerous times and happened to Kate on her 25th birthday. This wedding was on private property and my understanding is that there were only a few reporters and photographers allowed to cover the event. I can't imagine that an actress who has gone to industry events and given a speech before the Secretary General of the United Nations can't handle walking across a church green.

Keyword here is "unexpectedly"...no one knew Meghan would be there and it was just a polo match, after all. She wouldn't be taking attention from anyone. Completely different from a wedding that has been hyped and reported on for weeks now, with the media expecting, waiting to see if Meghan would show.

 

[jacqui24]

Why would Meghan and Harry care about a "media frenzy" over their attending Pippa's wedding together and not care the week before when Meghan unexpectedly showed up at a polo match the week prior and stood at the front of the railing for the spectators and then she showed up the next day and she and Harry kissed in an open area?

The media frenzy is happening in the newsrooms (if those even exists anymore) than out on the street. Meghan is not being chased down the street like what happened to Diana numerous times and happened to Kate on her 25th birthday. This wedding was on private property and my understanding is that there were only a few reporters and photographers allowed to cover the event. I can't imagine that an actress who has gone to industry events and given a speech before the Secretary General of the United Nations can't handle walking across a church green.

Because a kiss at a polo match is significant in that it's a semi formal event, but going to a wedding together is on a different level for the media. Particularly because they like to point out the only wedding William and Kate arrived together is one after they were engaged, but before it is announced. Polo doesn't have that problem, and it's not someone's special day. BTW, the ceremony wasn't entirely on a private property. That's why there were spectators and media there. There was an old law that makes it non private. The Middleton estate, which the reception was held on, was on private property, which is why we only have that grainy photo of them arriving.

 

[QueenPenny]

I'm not seeing how Meghan not going so that the press wouldn't be all over her is ridiculous? Have you seen the media frenzy before the wedding? The engagement speculations? If she had gone, and they had gotten a picture of her and Harry near each other at the wedding, that'd be the front page the next day with speculation about a possible engagement and Pippa would be an after thought. It's one thing if Kate takes the cover over her own sister, it's another when it's Meghan and Harry. Then you also have the who had better style, the bum wars, etc. Don't think they aren't concerned about the press coverage. If they weren't Pippa wouldn't have hired a PR firm, and Kensington Palace wouldn't have helped organize the media exposure.

Several posters on the Pippa wedding thread stated that Pippa and the Middletons wanted nothing to do with the press - just a quiet, family affair. My point was if that is the case, then why would MM or anyone 'stealing' the spotlight matter, when supposedly Pippa wanted nothing to do with said spotlight. Of course we know that the hiring of a PR firm to keep the wedding in the news is not the action of someone who wants nothing to do with media attention. Pippa would have been very aware that MM would have garnered press attention, so that is one reason I do not think MM was invited to the wedding. But, only a guess on my part. The very thought of being famous practically makes me break out in hives, so stealing the stealing of spotlights & hiring PR firms to keep one's wedding in the news are foreign concepts to me.

The whole wanting to manage the narrative around her sounds ridiculous to me. What narrative? They're a couple; we all know this. If MM wants to marry into the BRF, and I believe she does, she & Harry must realize that the media intrusion will only get worse before it gets better. She looked mighty comfortable with the attention in the clip I saw of her arriving in London for the wedding, so I think it is Harry with the reservations in regards to the media. If he were willing, I think MM would be front & center whenever possible, and probably have hired her own PR firms. I don't blame Harry for his feelings about the press - they can be beyond intrusive and I would hate to have to live that way - but I also think he should know by now that they are not going to be left alone until seeing them together is not a novelty. And if he thinks he is protecting MM, I think she is OK with the attention.

 

[Osipi]

Let's think of it this way. The media went into overdrive before, during and after the wedding day. Lots of words were written of what may have been.

For a sensationally hyped up social event and the primary people attending, the media itself got very little as far as coverage. We did get photographs outside of the church and some other photos that really aren't worth writing home about. That is it. Not one person talked to the media. We saw people walking to the church. We saw the bride and groom and their family and friends for a short period after the ceremony. Basically, that's the *only* factual information we have about the entire day.

One thing does ring true. It was a private wedding day and the media was left with very little to write about. If they had to stick to actual "facts", the articles would have been very repetitious and consist of maybe one or two paragraphs. Now, three days later, they're still writing oodles of noodles of text. Not reporting but feeding the hungry masses that want to "know" every little detail they weren't privvy to in the first place.

Several posters on the Pippa wedding thread stated that Pippa and the Middletons wanted nothing to do with the press - just a quiet, family affair. My point was if that is the case, then why would MM or anyone 'stealing' the spotlight matter, when supposedly Pippa wanted nothing to do with said spotlight. Of course we know that the hiring of a PR firm to keep the wedding in the news is not the action of someone who wants nothing to do with media attention. Pippa would have been very aware that MM would have garnered press attention, so that is one reason I do not think MM was invited to the wedding. But, only a guess on my part. The very thought of being famous practically makes me break out in hives, so stealing the stealing of spotlights & hiring PR firms to keep one's wedding in the news are foreign concepts to me.

Ever think that all those "reports" didn't come from credible sources? Actually, the only real credible source pre-wedding was the press release from Kensington Palace that Prince George and Princess Charlotte would be in the wedding party.

I just checked and the first place to announce that Pippa hired a PR firm was (drumroll) The Fail. Other publications picked up the story and ran with it afterwards. Yeps.. that's the ticket. If it was in the Fail, its credible.

 

[jacqui24]

Several posters on the Pippa wedding thread stated that Pippa and the Middletons wanted nothing to do with the press - just a quiet, family affair. My point was if that is the case, then why would MM or anyone 'stealing' the spotlight matter, when supposedly Pippa wanted nothing to do with said spotlight. Of course we know that the hiring of a PR firm to keep the wedding in the news is not the action of someone who wants nothing to do with media attention. Pippa would have been very aware that MM would have garnered press attention, so that is one reason I do not think MM was invited to the wedding. But, only a guess on my part. The very thought of being famous practically makes me break out in hives, so stealing the stealing of spotlights & hiring PR firms to keep one's wedding in the news are foreign concepts to me.

The whole wanting to manage the narrative around her sounds ridiculous to me. What narrative? They're a couple; we all know this. If MM wants to marry into the BRF, and I believe she does, she & Harry must realize that the media intrusion will only get worse before it gets better. She looked mighty comfortable with the attention in the clip I saw of her arriving in London for the wedding, so I think it is Harry with the reservations in regards to the media. If he were willing, I think MM would be front & center whenever possible, and probably have hired her own PR firms. I don't blame Harry for his feelings about the press - they can be beyond intrusive and I would hate to have to live that way - but I also think he should know by now that they are not going to be left alone until seeing them together is not a novelty. And if he thinks he is protecting MM, I think she is OK with the attention.

To say that Pippa or the Middletons don't care about the media narrative is just odd. Kate will be Queen one day, and the royal family definitely does care about the narrative in the press. They know that the press has its benefits in promoting their issues, but they also are irritated (rightfully so) at the intrusiveness of the press. So by the extension, the Middletons will care about what the press say, at least for Kate's sake. They are part of that image by extension.

Also to say Meghan would be happy to be front and center if it weren't for Harry's wariness of it is just plain unfair. The woman has gone above and beyond to avoid the press at her own expense, no less. Not only is she shying away from promotion work for her show, she's had to terminate business arrangements to accommodate this. I'm not sure how much she would have to do for others not to call her media whore in different ways.

 

[loonytick]

Because the polo match and other events weren't someone else's event and special day. There's a difference between disruptive media focus on someone else's wedding and it on a polo game or other public event.

Yes. The polo match was also an event where other celebrities were seeking out and posing for photographers. Given the context, Meghan gave the cameras very little there.

There's a sort of dance than anyone in public must do with the press. If you dole out the photo opportunities with a certain frequency, you can slightly ease how intrusive they'll be tempted to be in the times between those photo ops, but giving them a chance to see you never works to lessen the intensity of coverage. The market -- the interest of people like us who visit sites and/or buy tabloids -- is the only driver of that. If Harry and Meghan were to start living a little more openly, that wouldn't make their experience with the paparazzi even a bit easier as long as the public is interested in the photos. And frustratingly, if the market has an appetite for the pictures, and if a person has allowed a certain kind of picture in the past, the paps will feel a great deal of entitlement to always and forever be "allowed" to aggressively pursue the same sort of photo again.

That's why I think these two are judiciously phasing in what sort of photo op they opt into. They're not going to be seen together at an event in a manner that clearly inviting photos until they're ready to have that happen all the time. They know that can't be a one-off that they retreat from. Once it starts, that's it. That's the level of cooperation with the press that will be expected of them from that point forward, and any pulling back would be used as rationalization for the paps to get even more aggressive than they are now with the long lenses and such.

They've got an advantage in distance; the paps in Toronto are much less aggressive than those in the UK, and when she's visiting him she's able to be within the bubble of his protection unit, so it's never really possible for the London paps to rush her the way they did Kate or Diana.

 

[QueenPenny]

Hi jacqui24,

I absolutely respect yours & everyone else's opinions. We can agree to disagree

My opinion is that MM has made these changes in her public life due to an understanding that that is what would be expected of her as a member of the BRF. Otherwise, it does not seem prudent of her to do so. If she & Harry end their relationship, his public life will go on as usual, but she will have to rebuild these partnerships &/or form new ones.

Hiring a PR firm for an in-law's wedding is over the top to me. The press would maybe have been interested in a couple of pics of W+K and the kids but that would be about it if left to their own devices. Again, my opinion.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Several posters on the Pippa wedding thread stated that Pippa and the Middletons wanted nothing to do with the press - just a quiet, family affair. My point was if that is the case, then why would MM or anyone 'stealing' the spotlight matter, when supposedly Pippa wanted nothing to do with said spotlight. Of course we know that the hiring of a PR firm to keep the wedding in the news is not the action of someone who wants nothing to do with media attention. Pippa would have been very aware that MM would have garnered press attention, so that is one reason I do not think MM was invited to the wedding. But, only a guess on my part. The very thought of being famous practically makes me break out in hives, so stealing the stealing of spotlights & hiring PR firms to keep one's wedding in the news are foreign concepts to me.

Someone pointed out earlier that a PR firm doesn't only get people into the news, they also keeps people out of the news and manage the press. So someone who wants to keep the crazy stories, that they know will appear, to a minimum would also hire a PR firm.
Whether Meghan was invited to the ceremony or not, I don't think Pippa cared about being "overshadowed" but I think everyone involved wanted to keep the absurd, hysterical stories to a minimum.

 

[loonytick]

Hiring a PR firm for an in-law's wedding is over the top to me. The press would maybe have been interested in a couple of pics of W+K and the kids but that would be about it if left to their own devices. Again, my opinion.

Do we know what all the PR folks did for Pippa and James? PR folks can be used to invite attention, or they can be used to control/limit press access.

They had to have one in order to successfully keep press corralled into a designated spot on the wedding day. In that case, the PR folks communicate the limitations in advance and police them on the day. They needed someone to handle requests for interviews, photos, details, etc., if only to be on retainer to keep repeating "nope, we're not sharing any of that" or else the family would have had to keep up the "no comment" patrol themselves. And a good PR person can be key to anticipating all the ways photographers might try to find a position for unauthorized pictures and develop a strategy for preventing that. That we're seeing absolutely nothing of the reception tells us that they used their PR people in that capacity.

Did we see advance cooperation with the press of a sort that would indicate that they also used the PR folks to generate interest? If so, I've missed it. The idea that people wouldn't have been interested in the wedding other than William and Kate is laughable to me. Whether or not she deserves it, Pippa gets attention all on her own anymore.

And of course part of that is because Pippa has certainly had periods of courting the press, often with little sophistication to her approach. Her attempts to spin her notoriety into paying gigs were clumsy at best. If anything, her ups and downs in the public sphere are probably one of the case studies that Harry and Meghan are able to learn from as they try to control things better than she has through the years.

 

[Queen Claude]

Regarding taking attention away from the bride and groom, as others have pointed out there are multiple aspects that makes one's wedding day memorable and joyous. Pippa (and Kate) have been that girl who attended a society wedding and the media coverage led with pictures of Pippa (or Kate) and then further down was the picture of the bride and groom. I am not sure it would have played out that way but if Pippa invited Meghan then she of all people would have been prepared for that.

The property where the wedding ceremony was held was private enough that not just any reporter or photographer could show up, they had to be granted access. Also, not sure if it is true or not but I read that the only members of the public who could come on the property had to be local residents and they were issued wristbands. The main point I was making about it being private property was to note that it was a highly controlled environment. Neither Meghan nor anyone else had to worry that Arthur Edwards and crew were going to hop over the barrier and breach their personal space or yell crude remarks to get a reaction.

I think that if Harry and Meghan remain a couple they will get substantial media coverage for the next 10-15 years but barring any major scandal each story / incident will run it course. Yes Meghan walking in with or without Harry would have gotten extensive coverage and analysis about fashion, how Meghan fits in with Harry's friends and family and what it signifies about their relationship because it generates clicks, but I don't see where it would have been much beyond what we already have seen about the couple when the letter came out, when Harry visited Meghan after the Caribbean tour, when Meghan attended the wedding in Jamaica, when Meghan closed down her blog, when Meghan ended her relationship with Reitmans, when Meghan showed up at the polo match, etc.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying that Meghan's presence at Pippa's wedding would not have gone beyond what has gone on before but IMO not to such a great degree that Harry and Meghan would decide to park Meghan in a hotel room for a few hours rather than attend an event that she was invited to. Is it really prudent to try to control or outfox the tabloid media? I definitely understand trying to control that element of the media who will pounce on you when you walk out the door or bug your phone but I think that it is very foolish to try to control the media from writing goofy stories about battle of the bums or X outshines Y at the wedding of the year. Just show up and walk across the grass and let the chips fall where they may because if an attractive and charismatic royal would like to marry and have a family and meets the woman of his dreams, and a woman falls in love with and wants to marry that attractive and charismatic royal and join his family business, there is no way that they are going to be able to control the intrusive and silly tabloid media other than by getting older and/or less attractive whilst having the younger generation come of age which will trigger the tabloid media inflicting their silliness and profit motives on them.

 

[QueenPenny]

Someone pointed out earlier that a PR firm doesn't only get people into the news, they also keeps people out of the news and manage the press. So someone who wants to keep the crazy stories, that they know will appear, to a minimum would also hire a PR firm.
Whether Meghan was invited to the ceremony or not, I don't think Pippa cared about being "overshadowed" but I think everyone involved wanted to keep the absurd, hysterical stories to a minimum.

Do we know what all the PR folks did for Pippa and James? PR folks can be used to invite attention, or they can be used to control/limit press access.

Ahh, makes sense. Thanks! Clearly I am not in PR.

I was wondering why there were so many incorrect stories if the involved parties were supposedly feeding them info. The fact that the press prints whatever they want as 'speculation' and 'maybes' is horrid. And yes I was using Pippa's former courting of the media as my guide.

Regarding taking attention away from others, as others have pointed out there are multiple aspects to someone's wedding day. Pippa (and Kate) have been that girl who attended a society wedding and the media coverage led with pictures of Pippa (or Kate) and then further down was the picture of the bride and groom. I am not sure it would have played out that way but if Pippa invited Meghan then she of all people would have been prepared for that.

The property where the wedding ceremony was held was private enough that not just any reporter or photographer could show up, they had to be granted access. Also, not sure if it is true or not but I read that the only members of the public who could come on the property had to be local residents and they were issued wrist bands. The main point I was making about it being private property was to note that it was a highly controlled environment. Neither Meghan nor anyone else had to worry that Arthur Edwards and crew were going to hop over the barrier and breech their personal space or yell crude remarks to get a reaction.

I think that everything that Harry and Meghan do (for the next 10-15 years if they remain a couple) is going to get media coverage and each store and incident will run it course. Yes Meghan walking in with or without Harry would have gotten extensive coverage and analysis about fashion, how Meghan's fit in with Harry's friends and family and what it signifies about their relationship because it generates clicks, but I don't see where it would have been much beyond what we already have seen about the couple when the letter came out, when Harry visited Meghan after the Caribbean tour, when Meghan attended the wedding in Jamaica, when Meghan closed down her blog, when Meghan ended her relationship with Reitman's, when Meghan showed up at the polo match, etc.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying that Meghan's presence at Pippa's wedding would not have gone beyond what has gone on before but IMO not to such a great degree that Harry and Meghan would decide to park Meghan in a hotel room for a few hours rather than attend an event that she was invited to. Is it really prudent to try to control or outfox the tabloid media? I definitely understand trying to control that element of the media who will pounce on you when you walk out the door or bug your phone but I think that it is very foolish to try to control the media from writing goofy stories about battle of the bums or X outshines Y at the wedding of the year. Just show up and walk across the grass and let the chips fall where they may because if an attractive and charismatic royal would like to marry and have a family, and a woman falls in love and wants to marry that attractive and charismatic royal and join the family business, there is no way that they are going to be able to control the intrusive and silly tabloid media other than by getting older and/or less attractive and having the younger generation come of age which will trigger the tabloid media inflicting their silliness and profit motives on them.

Agree completely. I do not approve of how the media acts sometimes, but this will be MM's reality if she marries into the BRF. IMO the sooner one gets used to it the better.