Duke and Duchess of Sussex, General News 3: February - May 2019


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With all the talk of the negativity and the various reasons why so much has been thrown at Meghan, we also have the huge success stories that, to me, outweighs what people don't like about Meghan. Perhaps the negativity increased because a new member of the BRF isn't supposed to be as talented, caring, hardworking and comfortable in their own skin as Meghan is. Those that vocally express their prejudices against someone they do not know and probably will never know reflects more on their character than it does on Meghan.

So there has been a good crowd trying to bring her down. There's also a good size crowd that has shown themselves to support the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as we saw with the overwhelming success of Meghan's involvement with the Hubb Kitchen and "Together: Our Community Cookbook". Then an overwhelmingly successful tour down under, amassing millions of followers the day they open up an Instagram account and now with the impending arrival of Baby Sussex, the wonderful support garnered by #GlobalSussexBabyShower. The fact that all this was accomplished in under a year. shows that its no small feat in my book.

It seems to me that Harry and Meghan both will continue to do what they do and make a difference in this world regardless of any kind of negativity thrown at them as they'll mostly think of it as "noise". It takes a strong character to be able to do this and together, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are a formidable team.
 
Not quite, IMO. The criticism of Meghan tacitly supporting her friends speaking on her behalf to the media stems from the parallel to the last member of the BRF who employed such tactics. That ended badly, and one would hope Meghan learns from the recent history.

Other current royals have had friends speak out on their behalf, why can't Meghan have that same opportunity? Many parts of the British media were upset only because it challenged all the outrageous claims that they have been throwing out there, especially the one that she ghosted her father.
 
All POC call it racism and we, white people, only have to listen and to validate.

For informational purposes, I am an African American woman.

I do see some of the some racism but its is not as overt as the Americanism and classism. And to be honest, some of the things that Muriel says (i.e. cost of clothing, lack of British fashion choices) IMO causes some of the criticism to Meghan (a small fraction of IMO) that could be done away with if she toned it down.

I don't have an issue (not that my opinion matters to the BRF and the British as a whole) with her friends being from Hollywood because I would like think that we make friends with our workmates and that is what she has done. A majority of her Hollywood friends are people she has worked with at Suits and/or met trying to break into Hollywood. They all started around the same time she did. That's like a college friend IMO.
 
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That is correct. I think William, Catherine, Harry and the HT team have done a fantastic job of bringing mental health into the broader conversation in the UK, and using the power of celebrities to widen that narrative. How is that a problem?

It's only a problem because royal reporters go crazy when Harry or Meghan partner with celebrities. Look how upset they got when it was announced that Harry was partnering with Oprah on mental health. The double standards with them is off the charts.
 
Other current royals have had friends speak out on their behalf, why can't Meghan have that same opportunity?

Apart from the War of the Wales', which was a pretty horrendous time for all concerned, do friends speak to the media on behalf of members of the core BRF?

It's only a problem because royal reporters go crazy when Harry or Meghan partner with celebrities. Look how upset they got when it was announced that Harry was partnering with Oprah on mental health. The double standards with them is off the charts.

I think Ista has very clearly articulated the issue in Post 508 above.
 
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I can honestly say as someone in the UK who reads/sees most mainstream media regarding the Royals I can honestly say I've never seen anything that suggests a dislike of her for reasons of race. Perhaps there are remarks in comment sections/forums/social media but not really in the mainstream media.

Is there anti americanism in the coverage? Well sometimes it can be taken that way but really I feel it is more about the way Meghan, as a "celebrity" did not fit into somepeople's view of what a royal should be. Sometimes I think these remarks are taken as anti-american as some of her traits as perhaps more acceptable in american society than in the British RF. Its not saying they are wrong just different. In reality there needs to probably be more of a compromise - keeping her distinct personality and things close to her heart but also adopting some of the RF's traditions - a meeting in the middle, which IMO is what is happening.

The only way you could say this is anti-Americanism is if another female celebrity who was British married into the BRF and the coverage was 100% different. I honestly don't see the mainstream's media as racist or even anti-American.
 
I have a strong impression covert racists can't stomach the fact that Meghan, a mixed race woman is confident, outspoken, highly educated, rich and successful in her own right, has powerful and famous friends and is a citizen of a more powerful country. On top of that she looks young, beautiful and dares to wear expensive clothes. All things reserved for whites only

I agree with a lot of this. Most women but especially those of color in positions of power are constantly attacked. They are always being reminded of needing to “know their place” in this society. So it’s no surprise other women who have experienced this feel the need to defend her. They know.
 
Actualy, the Yorks received quite a lot of criticism at the time of Eugenie and Jack's wedding for the high celebrity count. That said, Eugenie is not a working member of the BRF, so she is pretty free to do as she pleases. She is not supported by public funds, and does not work for the Firm.






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I think that while Eugenie isn't popular its more because of her parents than herself.. so the crtiticsm was more on Sarah and Andrew for inviting all these "glitzy" people..
 
I can honestly say as someone in the UK who reads/sees most mainstream media regarding the Royals I can honestly say I've never seen anything that suggests a dislike of her for reasons of race. Perhaps there are remarks in comment sections/forums/social media but not really in the mainstream media.

Is there anti americanism in the coverage? Well sometimes it can be taken that way but really I feel it is more about the way Meghan, as a "celebrity" did not fit into somepeople's view of what a royal should be. Sometimes I think these remarks are taken as anti-american as some of her traits as perhaps more acceptable in american society than in the British RF. Its not saying they are wrong just different. In reality there needs to probably be more of a compromise - keeping her distinct personality and things close to her heart but also adopting some of the RF's traditions - a meeting in the middle, which IMO is what is happening.

The only way you could say this is anti-Americanism is if another female celebrity who was British married into the BRF and the coverage was 100% different. I honestly don't see the mainstream's media as racist or even anti-American.

Well put, tommy100.
 
Any racism is harldy likely to be overtly expressed...
 
For informational purposes, I am an African American woman.

I do see some of the some racism but its is not as overt as the Americanism and classism. And to be honest, some of the things that Muriel says (i.e. cost of clothing, lack of British fashion choices) IMO causes some of the criticism to Meghan (a small fraction of IMO) that could be done away with if she toned it down.

I don't have an issue (not that my opinion matters to the BRF and the British as a whole) with her friends being from Hollywood because I would like think that we make friends with our workmates and that is what she has done. A majority of her Hollywood friends are people she has worked with at Suits and/or met trying to break into Hollywood. They all started around the same time she did. That's like a college friend IMO.

I agree with a lot of this especially her friends. I will never understand why people have issue with her having successful friends. I get they have large platforms but they had them before Meghan met Harry. Many of these people were in her life before Harry, so why are people expecting her to walk away from a major support system just cause you can’t deal with their status?
 
Any racism is harldy likely to be overtly expressed...

Not to throw the thread off track but that is actually not true. Racism or prejudice can be overt like the KKK or undercover like, Not our kind darling. More like not attending the right schools, her hair is too kinky, urban, cutting someone out of the interview process based on their resume (ie. their name is too ethnic, it looks like they went to a black school, etc.) Have you ever been followed in a store because of the way you look? I have and its not fun. And its not because I was not dressed appropriately. I probably had on something from the actual store. And for the record it wasn't a cheap shop (but is a chain) that if the person following had looked in my closet, would have seen that I spent a lot of money there. I remember I walked in the same store at another mall with my sister, and she was like....AH...this is Zonk!

I remember the slights toward Kate and Carole Middleton..that were under cover but slights nonetheless because of her class.

I am of the opinion that issue with Meghan is more Anti Americanism and her work profession. It also has to do with she is the total opposite of Kate and the British tabloids love to add drama when there is none. Remember when they pitted Kate against the York Princesses. Add in that ghastly family. And there you have it! Instant Click Bait!
 
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Not quite, IMO. The criticism of Meghan tacitly supporting her friends speaking on her behalf to the media stems from the parallel to the last member of the BRF who employed such tactics. That ended badly, and one would hope Meghan learns from the recent history.

IMO, nothing was done that hasn’t been done by other members of the BRF, from the Queen through to others, recently with Prince William. Again, the criticism of Meghan is because certain people want to control a negative narrative & they don’t want any challenge against it.

Blatantly obvious, especially when certain former palace staff appearing in various media have stated the Duchess should accept false information being spread about her, but false information being spread about other BRF shouldn’t be accepted. People, in the UK & abroad, are watching what is occurring in the present and support of bullying tactics is disgusting.
 
I meant that commentators are hardy likely to say "They should get rid of Meghan because she's African American..." Im sure that such comments would quickly be taken down...
But there are nasty comments about her, on the web...
 
People have issue with Meghan's Hollywood friends and acquaintances because they came to Meghan's defense and they have a wide sphere of influence. The royal reporters and presenters may get traction in the UK and some Commonwealth countries about the royals, but they can't hold sway on the level of the likes of Oprah, Beyonce', George Clooney or Serena. Meghan's critics, I think, fear they will lose their exalted positions of arbiters of all things royal if they are ignored in favor of bigger names with bigger bank accounts and bigger platforms. Remember, Kate, Camilla, Sophie and Sarah didn't acquire celebrity friends until they became HRH; Meghan had them before she was HRH. Meghan was a public figure in her own right before she met Harry; the other ladies became public because of their royal connections. The royal "experts" were able to shape their narratives because they had no heavy hitters in their corners. I also think these critics believe they are powerful enough to bring down married ins. That's why I think Meghan's critics come out in various media to have Meghan "tow the line'' to keep the status quo. I can't wait to see Gayle King's, Oprah's friend, does her special on May 17th about the Sussexes and the baby, one year of marriage. It is suppose to cover the controversies, race and the coverage of Meghan. Gayle's show will get picked up by the world press.
 
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I think the racism is there in some of the articles the infamous Compton' headline anyone? But American and actress "Hollywood liberal feminist" are more prevalent these days, especially in the false "OMG! Protocol!" hand wringing articles which often turn out to be completely inaccurate.

There was always going to be a Kate vs Harry's wife media blowout. It happened with Chelsy and happened with Cressida. Commoner Kate vs aristocratic Cress. Now it's fair English Rose Kate vs American Hollywood hippy (biracial) Megan.

Plus the RRs are incensed they're being challenged on things and are surprised the Sussexes are just going about it their way and not briefing them all the time whilst they write whatever they want to get clickbait and sell papers.
 
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I think at the beginning, there were overtly racist reporting. That "straight out of Compton" headline being one of the absolute worst and not to mention royal commentators stating that "Harry would never marry her because...". Then came that unprecedented palace release from KP and Harry and they had to find another way to show their dis-approval without outrightly talking about her race.

I can honestly say that the reporting is not overtly racists "they are not going to call her the N word on national TV or in print media". However, it's covert and very "dog whistling." The "OTHERING" of Meghan.

"Know your place"
"Vulgar" for dressing the same way as many other women in the RF to include the Queen
"We own you, so do as we say"
"Exotic DNA"

I could go on. Also, not to mention this constant moving of the "gold post".

And the Xenophobia is so blaring. The "breaking protocol and tradition" is another form of showing their xenophobia. I can't think of any royal protocol that Meghan has broken or any tradition. And remember that "tradition" is something that goes back several generations, and not something that has been happening for 50 years (that is call a habit).

"hiring of the American nanny" (even if that is tabloid rumour)
"not having the Queen's doctors and having her own team (Kate did the same with the Queens doctors in the next room)
"having famous friends" (even though this has been talked about at length that the majority of Meghan's core friends are not famous)

There is also a bee in most people's bonnets that she is a feminist (don't even get me started on that one).
"a woman/BRF should not be outspoken on such issues" when other females in the family tackle such issues i.e. Camilla and Sofie.
 
I meant that commentators are hardy likely to say "They should get rid of Meghan because she's African American..." Im sure that such comments would quickly be taken down...
But there are nasty comments about her, on the web...

2nd largest circulating UK paper insinuated as much when they published in print & online that Meghan was ‘almost straight out of Compton’. Definitely about race & not just anti-American. And again, totally fabricated by that paper, then copied & spread to other media, like it was the truth.
 
People have issue with Meghan's Hollywood friends and acquaintances because they came to Meghan's defense and they have a wide sphere of influence. The royal reporters and presenters may get traction in the UK and some Commonwealth countries about the royals, but they can't hold sway to the likes of Oprah, Beyonce', George Clooney or Serena. Meghan's critics, I think, fear they will lose their exalted positions of arbiters of all things royal if they are ignored in favor of bigger names with bigger bank accounts and bigger platforms. Remember, Kate, Camilla, Sophie and Sarah didn't acquire celebrity friends until they became HRH; Meghan had them before she was HRH. The royal "experts" were able to shape their narratives because they had no heavy hitters in their corners. That's why I think Meghan's critics come out in various media to "tow the line'' to keep the status quo.

Many of them have made this quite clear. It’s not just celebrities either. I’ve seen royal correspondents upset at reporters like Keir Simmons because he went on his US morning show and called out the UK press in defense of Meghan. There was a big blow up on social media because they felt attacked. It was fascinating to watch but just highlighted they are uncomfortable with people with large platforms being able to EASILY express their opinion against what they feel is horrible media coverage. I can see how that can be frustrating to UK royal beat.
 
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Other current royals have had friends speak out on their behalf, why can't Meghan have that same opportunity? Many parts of the British media were upset only because it challenged all the outrageous claims that they have been throwing out there, especially the one that she ghosted her father.

For some reason some just don’t remember other members of the royal family had their friends speak out on their behalf. I remember it like it was yesterday. The media did get upset their reporting was challenged, too.
 
I have a strong impression covert racists can't stomach the fact that Meghan, a mixed race woman is confident, outspoken, highly educated, rich and successful in her own right, has powerful and famous friends and is a citizen of a more powerful country. On top of that she looks young, beautiful and dares to wear expensive clothes. All things reserved for whites only

Honestly, this resonates with some of what I've seen, including a comment elsewhere on the net asking "Where did she get the right to feel and act beautiful? Who told her it's ok to do so?"

When people say things that blatantly divorced from reality and good sense, and their reactions are so based in hate, that there must be something broken in them and I suspect that brokenness is systemic racism.
 
Remember when the Daily Mail unmasked what they considered the worst Meghan Trolls (yes, the hypocrisy is/was something to behold), one of the women expressed concern that people would now know it was her that was saying some really mean and nasty things. She was concerned about being judged. So like many internet bullies, she has no problem saying mean and nasty things under a the mask of a user name but is not brave enough to say it without the protection of anonymity.

Look, I am not saying Meghan, Harry or the BRF as whole are perfect. There are certain things that I believe Meghan could be doing (i.e. wearing British brands, not appearing to spend so much money with designer clothes, etc.) that would alleviate some of the negative press but knowing how the British press works (as evidenced by some of the insane articles that are written about Meghan will raise the baby as a vegan, will give birth in a pool of water, etc.) if they weren't writing about the clothes, her family they are going to write about something else.

And again its all about the clicks. Its very rare for people to buy an actual newspaper/magazine these days. The industry (as many know) is dealing with true decline in print readership. That's you have to pay a monthly fee to read the newspaper or a magazine after you have read your 5 free articles for the month when you used to be able to read it for free. So the press will continue to print whatever they want without concern so they get the clicks and the advertising revenue. And on the rare occasion when the BRF hits back, these stories go unchallenged. And people who don't know or don't care...believe them.

And for the record, if I recall this woman was also a minority.

Don't even get me started on how the press makes it out like this is all Meghan's doing. Like she kidnapped Harry and he has no role in making decisions for their family. HE is a hen pecked husband who can't think for himself. It's all Meghan, Meghan, Meghan.
 
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As I said before, I’m hopeful things will calm down a bit once the baby gets here and, Meghan, is allowed the time and space to really make her mark within the “Firm.” I think some folks have to come to an understanding that she’s not a threat to the old royal institution and nor is she a threat to her sister-in-law. She’s a team player in the royal family firm.

I also hope people will stop trying to make it seem like, Meghan, is breaking these fake royal protocols and traditions. Enough is enough.
 
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For informational purposes, I am an African American woman.

I do see some of the some racism but its is not as overt as the Americanism and classism.
Initially Meghan was attacked for her racial background. After Prince Harry issued a statement condemning the “racial undertones” in the press coverage, tabloids have changed their narrative. ''Straight outta Compton'' is now being replaced with cryptic synonyms for bad black woman. They are eaten up with envy of Meghan's (woman of color!) success.

I'm white woman and for long periods of time I've lived in 3 different countries and I know what some white people can say about blacks and other minorities behind their backs, when they feel safe to do so. In public they deny everything, gaslight victims of their racism and pretend to be victims themselves

Any racism is harldy likely to be overtly expressed...
At least not publicly...
 
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This thread is not about Kate vs Meghan, so let’s steer clear of that conversation, please.

Also, everyone has gone around and around and around about the media’s treatment of Meghan. Nothing new is being said, so let’s please move on.
 
What I was trying to say in my original post was we should go back to the way we posted before the advent of Meghan. Honest and comfortable, without fear or favour, disagreeing with some posts and totally endorsing others without OUR members reflecting the tension of 'outside", worrying if our post could be perceived as racism, sexism, trying to undermine Meghan, taking a swipe at Catherine.

Asking, no demanding, the source of a piece of information and utterly rejecting vague answers. We are better than that, or we used to be. Vegan? Oh please, rubbish from the net. Vegan paint? Good grief does it even exist? Non toxic and environmentally friendly, yes.

Is there a chance that we can just call it as we see it? Some of us have "known" each other for years just like Muriel knows I am unlikely to agree about where Meghan sourced her clothes being an issue and she is going to tell me why it is. We all have interactions like that, they are exactly what the seem. Can't we just continue to debate the issue without someone being over-sensitive?

Usually ugly stuff just oozes off the net. The fight of the Duchesses followed by the fight of the Dukes. We are too afraid to post it, laugh, demand a reputable source and call BS when none is forthcoming.
 
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..........

There is also a bee in most people's bonnets that she is a feminist (don't even get me started on that one).
"a woman/BRF should not be outspoken on such issues" when other females in the family tackle such issues i.e. Camilla and Sofie.



That was something I was kinda concerned with at the beginning of the relationship ...but when I saw the various videos of her talking about issues and how inclusive she was of men (she's not a rabid anti-man feminist) then I wasn't concerned with it any longer...and nothing has come up at her various engagements that is out of line.



LaRae
 
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