The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 1: September-December 2020

[Durham]

You clearly didn't listen to the podcast. The couple did not use their titles. They simply introduced themselves as Harry & Meghan.

RandyDrx most definitely has a point.

After all this is from Newsroom Spotify:

"Today, Archewell Audio, the newly-formed audio-first production company created by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, has announced a multi-year partnership with Spotify"......

"The Duke and Duchess that will feature stories of hope and compassion from inspirational guests in celebration of the new year. In 2021, The Duke and Duchess will produce and host podcasts that build community through shared experiences and values."......

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may live in California, but the power of their voices rests in their status as citizens of the world"......

"We are proud to partner with The Duke and Duchess and look forward to listeners hearing directly from them and the other creators that they will be elevating via our global platform.”

That's an awful lot of dukes & duchesses in five paragraphs! Plus a prince at the start.

The titles debate is off topic on here now I think but clearly they remain important to both the couple & the businesses that they work with/for.

PS - so many capitals used in the wrong place!

 

[Osipi]

They don't need to introduce themselves as 'Their royal highnesses etc'; everyone knows who they are. Had it not been for Harry being the queen's grandson they would surely NOT have landed this deal with Spotify! So yes, they are making money of their royal titles/fame.

Even so, they're making deals because of who they are and not because of a role they have in the monarchy of the UK or the "Firm'. They can never change who they are and who they were born to and that just happens to give them a modicum of "fame" to start and build with. They can't erase what has gone before.

So, actually, they're making their own money based on themselves and the fame (or disfame if there's such a word) and not because of their "connections" to titles and the institution of the UK monarchy. They are who they are and that ain't gonna change anytime soon. ?

Let's face it. In this world today, *any* edge that will help promote and advance a person, they're going to take advantage of it. It's a dog eat dog world out there. Very competitive.

 

[Elenath]

They don't need to introduce themselves as 'Their royal highnesses etc'; everyone knows who they are. Had it not been for Harry being the queen's grandson they would surely NOT have landed this deal with Spotify! So yes, they are making money of their royal titles/fame.

In that case they can never make any money. Because whatever they do, they'll have people say they only got it because of their titles and therefor are making money of them.

Did William only got his job at the air ambulance because who he is? Or princesses Beatrice and Eugenie? Their husbands? Whatever they do from their weddings on will only be because of the BRF.

 

[Durham]

Even so, they're making deals because of who they are and not because of a role they have in the monarchy of the UK or the "Firm'. They can never change who they are and who they were born to and that just happens to give them a modicum of "fame" to start and build with. They can't erase what has gone before.

So, actually, they're making their own money based on themselves and the fame (or disfame if there's such a word) and not because of their "connections" to titles and the institution of the UK monarchy. They are who they are and that ain't gonna change anytime soon. ?

Let's face it. In this world today, *any* edge that will help promote and advance a person, they're going to take advantage of it. It's a dog eat dog world out there. Very competitive.

I find that a very interesting point of view.

To me & others it's seems quite obvious they're making money because of the opportunities that exist as a result of their connections. Quite blatant really.

That said they do have an audience & it would be churlish to say that they don't have appeal as individuals to some people. But it's obvious their status amplifies their voice immeasurably. And they're not shy to use it when it suits.

 

[Durham]

In that case they can never make any money. Because whatever they do, they'll have people say they only got it because of their titles and therefor are making money of them.

Did William only got his job at the air ambulance because who he is? Or princesses Beatrice and Eugenie? Their husbands? Whatever they do from their weddings on will only be because of the BRF.

This is an interesting debate. How do other royal families do this? Maybe we should have a thread on royal ethics?

I wonder if there's a British/non British difference here?

 

[Somebody]

Even so, they're making deals because of who they are and not because of a role they have in the monarchy of the UK or the "Firm'. They can never change who they are and who they were born to and that just happens to give them a modicum of "fame" to start and build with. They can't erase what has gone before.

So, actually, they're making their own money based on themselves and the fame (or disfame if there's such a word) and not because of their "connections" to titles and the institution of the UK monarchy. They are who they are and that ain't gonna change anytime soon. ?

Let's face it. In this world today, *any* edge that will help promote and advance a person, they're going to take advantage of it. It's a dog eat dog world out there. Very competitive.

That's indeed what happens and what I think is what completely goes against the queen's values and is wrong to the core: the institution of the royal family (and their titles (which they use!) and fame - which was partly by accident of birth (by Harry) and by choice (for Meghan) because of their choices in the royal family without the commitment needed) should NOT be used in that way. Royalty is about serving the people not about serving oneself.

But I guess, I've explained multiple times that them building a celebrity life based on their connection to the royal family (and little else!) is what should never have happened (but was hard to avoid once they decided to go this route). Of course, now they have to continue to stay relevant (and it seems Meghan is rather good at cold calling and inserting herself as 'Duchess of Sussex' in all kinds of ways) but it is clearly not about their previous espoused ideals as they could have easily stayed within the Firm had that been the case... as they themselves indicated: 'professional income' is what it was all about. They felt they should profit from being their wonderful and important selves piloted by the fame of the BRF. [sorry, getting cynical]

 

[Somebody]

In that case they can never make any money. Because whatever they do, they'll have people say they only got it because of their titles and therefor are making money of them.

Did William only got his job at the air ambulance because who he is? Or princesses Beatrice and Eugenie? Their husbands? Whatever they do from their weddings on will only be because of the BRF.

NOPE! The difference is clear as day: there is a huge difference between building your life FULLY based on your fame and royal connection that you stress each time you use your title; versus doing a 'normal' job (Harry might be able to pick up being an helicopter pilot again with some additional training - and yes, he would benefit from being 'prince Harry' but they wouldn't entrust a helicopter to him just because of his name) and having some limited advantage because of who you know in life. That's something that non-royals also experience.

 

[Durham]

That's indeed what happens and what I think is what completely goes against the queen's values and is wrong to the core: the institution of the royal family (and their titles (which they use!) and fame - which was partly by accident of birth (by Harry) and by choice (for Meghan) because of their choices in the royal family without the commitment needed) should NOT be used in that way. Royalty is about serving the people not about serving oneself.

But I guess, I've explained multiple times that them building a celebrity life based on their connection to the royal family (and little else!) is what should never have happened (but was hard to avoid once they decided to go this route). Of course, now they have to continue to stay relevant (and it seems Meghan is rather good at cold calling and inserting herself as 'Duchess of Sussex' in all kinds of ways) but it is clearly not about their previous espoused ideals as they could have easily stayed within the Firm had that been the case... as they themselves indicated: 'professional income' is what it was all about. They felt they should profit from being their wonderful and important selves piloted by the fame of the BRF. [sorry, getting cynical]

Excellent post. Pretty much nails it for a lot of us.

 

[angieuk]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...y-wife-Meghans-Radio-Woke-podcast-parody.html

Money, their obsession!

 

[Durham]

There's also the rather more patrician Daily Telegraph for those who prefer the posh media :

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/10-cringeworthy-moments-harry-meghans-new-podcast-trailer/

 

[ACO]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...y-wife-Meghans-Radio-Woke-podcast-parody.html

Money, their obsession!

Piers Morgan whining about Meghan? Another day that ends in "Y"

 

[Durham]

Piers Morgan whining about Meghan? Another day that ends in "Y"

To be fair it is one of his more readable pieces. And he does make some valid points. But yes I can see what you mean. The boy who cried wolf & all that.

 

[UglyAmerican]

There are plenty of jobs they could do without capitalizing on their royal connections. Around 99% of the US has no famous or important family connections, and most of them manage to support themselves just fine. Some of those jobs require advanced education or training, but there's nothing stopping them from getting it. But being a plumber or FedEx driver or even an accountant or doctor isn't going to support their desired lifestyle, nor will it land them in the news every few days. If they didn't want to work at all, they could also have paid cash for a big house on a large acreage in a cheaper part of the country and lived comfortably off the interest on the remainder of Harry's fortune. They had a lot of options. I don't know which one the royal family had in mind when it agreed to this arrangement, but I doubt it was the one they chose... especially since they claimed they intended to live in Canada at that time.

 

[Osipi]

That's indeed what happens and what I think is what completely goes against the queen's values and is wrong to the core: the institution of the royal family (and their titles (which they use!) and fame - which was partly by accident of birth (by Harry) and by choice (for Meghan) because of their choices in the royal family without the commitment needed) should NOT be used in that way. Royalty is about serving the people not about serving oneself.

But I guess, I've explained multiple times that them building a celebrity life based on their connection to the royal family (and little else!) is what should never have happened (but was hard to avoid once they decided to go this route). Of course, now they have to continue to stay relevant (and it seems Meghan is rather good at cold calling and inserting herself as 'Duchess of Sussex' in all kinds of ways) but it is clearly not about their previous espoused ideals as they could have easily stayed within the Firm had that been the case... as they themselves indicated: 'professional income' is what it was all about. They felt they should profit from being their wonderful and important selves piloted by the fame of the BRF. [sorry, getting cynical]

This, in it's entirety is the conundrum that the Sussexes face. The stark realization though is that the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex are peerage titles rather than strictly royal titles and styles such as "HRH" and "Prince Henry or Princess Henry". There are many peers in the private sector that can and do use their titles or simply their "of X" as a surname

The big difference here is that Harry and Meghan were once part of the monarchy and working for the "Firm" and what it stood for. They've decided to go into the private sector, on their own and yet it would take an act of Parliament to remove their peerage titles. As far as I've seen, they've refrained from using anything along the lines of "royal" or "highness" and I've yet to see Meghan referring to herself as "princess". Even Andrew, in all his disgrace and disfavor because of his actions is still The Duke of York.

It's been really a relatively short time since the grand exit and exodus to the US and the memory of Harry and Meghan being "royal" and "hignesses" and "prince and princess" is still fresh in the general minds of the people. This can and does allude to the fact that it seems their using their "royal" titles to advance themselves when actually, they're sticking to their peerage titles which are horses of a completely different color. Beatrice and Eugenie use "York" as a surname in their professional lives and no one bats an eye. Then again, they always were in the private sector and never "working royals" for the "Firm".

So, its along this line of thinking that Harry and Meghan using their peerage titles when they wish to is their right and privilege as Harry *is* a peer of the UK still. Until Parliament deems otherwise (which may happen in time... anything is possible), the Sussexes are using what is appropriate for them. to make money or philanthropic work or anything they do,

 

[Durham]

The spotify statement I posted refers to "Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex".

And the peerage was awarded to Harry only because he was to be a working member of the family. He wouldn't have it otherwise. It is a huge honour after all. Not exactly many dukes around.

I would much rather agree than disagree with you Osipi but we definitely have a different take on this. Which is all good.?

 

[TLLK]

This is an interesting debate. How do other royal families do this? Maybe we should have a thread on royal ethics?

I wonder if there's a British/non British difference here?

Or perhaps a thread on royals from reigning families who are employed in the private or public sector and who may or may not participate in state/national events.



A few examples of royals with parents or siblings who are the former or current reigning monarch: The Netherlands: Prince Constantijn, Spain: Infanta Elena, Luxembourg: Prince Felix.

 

[Osipi]

The spotify statement I posted refers to "Prince Harry Duke of Sussex".

And the peerage was awarded to Harry only because he was to be a working member of the family. He wouldn't have it otherwise.

I would much rather agree than disagree with you Osipi but we definitely have a different take on this. Which is all good.?

Then again, it was Spotify that referred to Harry as "prince". Has there ever really been a time since last March where either Harry or Meghan have referred to him as "prince"? I'm genuinely curious.

After 36 years in the limelight and front pages as "Prince Harry", its going to be a long time before it's 'correctly' dropped. Heck.. people still refer to "Princess Diana" and it's been 23 years since she died.

I love our discussions! ? It's informative and I could be totally wrong but I enjoy the discussion.

 

[evolvingdoors]

NOPE! The difference is clear as day: there is a huge difference between building your life FULLY based on your fame and royal connection that you stress each time you use your title; versus doing a 'normal' job (Harry might be able to pick up being an helicopter pilot again with some additional training - and yes, he would benefit from being 'prince Harry' but they wouldn't entrust a helicopter to him just because of his name) and having some limited advantage because of who you know in life. That's something that non-royals also experience.

Hit the nail!
In the world of real jobs, jobs where you need training and education to do, merely being the grandson of the Queen would not be enough.
William was able to be an air ambulance pilot because he knew how to pilot. this was a skill he had.

Same with Zara, yes she is the Queen granddaughter, but she made it to the Olympics and won a medal, because of her skill and hard work.

I'm sorry, but being an influencer and talking on a podcast is not a skill (persay)- evident by the ever growing number of them.

 

[Durham]

Then again, it was Spotify that referred to Harry as "prince". Has there ever really been a time since last March where either Harry or Meghan have referred to him as "prince"? I'm genuinely curious.

After 36 years in the limelight and front pages as "Prince Harry", its going to be a long time before it's 'correctly' dropped. Heck.. people still refer to "Princess Diana" and it's been 23 years since she died.

I love our discussions! ? It's informative and I could be totally wrong but I enjoy the discussion.

Likewise of course. Can I just add that the "prince" bit was obviously important for Spotify to mention in its promotion of this latest pod cast. I'm a little skeptical that Harry objected.

Not that I'm after the last word or anything.

 

[Durham]

In my opinion, there's nothing abnormal with asking (If she really did) to be included…

I, and all of my (Elementary to University and beyond) friends were taught to do just that—ask for whatever we desired. It's nothing for us (*Americans) to ask for that internship, that job, that promotion, that 'good word or two' to become part of 'the perfect' organization etc. In fact, just the other day, I phoned my friend and was like, friend, I see your website is gaining traction, kindly do me a favor; place my product on your website…

*Last I checked, Meghan is still an American

I don't know much about how things are done in the UK but Americans are taught at a very young age to be go-getters; it's the norm here!

I'll even piggy-back on what President Obama said just the other day, It's what we do!

Going through the thread from the last time I was on TRF this post made me giggle.

I keep expecting the theme from Bonanza or The Big Country & cries of "YEE HAW".

 

[Osipi]

Likewise of course. Can I just add that the "prince" bit was obviously important for Spotify to mention in its promotion of this latest pod cast. I'm a little skeptical that Harry objected.

Not that I'm after the last word or anything.

I will add too that it annoys me to no end that, a lot of times, I see them referred to as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. That just happens because I've been hanging around here too long and *know* "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex" designates her as being divorced. Maybe it's on purpose to show she's divorced from the "Firm"? (ducks and runs for cover)

Titles and styles can be tricky business to say the least! They still comfuzzle me at times.

 

[Durham]

I will add too that it annoys me to no end that, a lot of times, I see them referred to as Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. That just happens because I've been hanging around here too long and *know* "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex" designates her as being divorced. Maybe it's on purpose to show she's divorced from the "Firm"? (ducks and runs for cover)

Titles and styles can be tricky business to say the least! They still comfuzzle me at times.

Now that is a wondrous word. And sounds exactly like what it describes.

 

[Alison H]

The Earl of Snowdon designs furniture (or used to). I don't suppose the fact that he's the Queen's nephew exactly hurts when it comes to getting his stuff sold in places like Harrods, but he still has have the ability and application to make stuff that people want to spend large sums of money on it. Zara, as well as her eventing, is a physiotherapist: she had to do the training and pass the exams, the same as anyone else would. If anyone can make huge sums of money just by doing podcasts or advertising products, then good luck to them - I wish someone would offer me a lot of money to talk on a podcast! But I wouldn't call it "a professional income".

 

[Betsypaige]

I find that a very interesting point of view.

To me & others it's seems quite obvious they're making money because of the opportunities that exist as a result of their connections. Quite blatant really.

That said they do have an audience & it would be churlish to say that they don't have appeal as individuals to some people. But it's obvious their status amplifies their voice immeasurably. And they're not shy to use it when it suits.

Harry can’t change who he is, but he is trading off of his titles and connections - if he wasn’t, then why isn’t he going by the name Harry Mountbatten-Windsor, which is how he said he wanted to be? Duke, Duchess. Prince, Sussex...everything he and Meghan are connected to use these titles or references - so that the public can not forget who they are. This idea that Harry just wanted to be out of the spotlight is ridiculous to me - if he wanted that, he wouldn’t have moved to a ritzy neighborhood in the entertainment capital of the world, and he wouldn’t be using his titles/names (outside of M-W) to promote himself. Netflix probably had NO idea who Meghan was before she dated Harry, and if Harry’s name was Harry Smith, with zero experience in production experience, no way do they give a huge contract to them. If H’s name was Smith, no way do they land big deal with Spotify.

 

[Osipi]

[....]. She married a Prince of the UK, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

 

[Curryong]

Harry has never said he wanted to be Harry Mountbatten-Windsor, which isn't his surname anyway. Nor has he ever demanded that others call him HRH or Prince.

So, Harry should pretend that he isn't the Queen's grandson, should pretend that he isn't the son of a future King, should pretend that he isn't really a Duke and his wife a Duchess, even though Harry holds the Dukedom legitimately. And what is more, object when others refer to him as a Prince and/or Duke.

Why? To satisfy the demands of the couple's detractors on Twitter, forums and other forms of social media? If I'd been a Princess from birth I'd be damned if I would cave in to the complaints and demands of people online who don't know me, don't know anything about my private life and little of the public one I'd led since babyhood.

If they demanded that I just crawl away under a rock somewhere and never be seen again because I had 'the temerity' to dare to leave a life where my spouse was becoming more and more miserable, guess what I'd do? Show myself more and more, (which in fact Harry has not been doing at all.)

I would in fact do exactly what I thought was the right thing for me and my spouse in going forward.

 

[Osipi]

Diana used to correct people that would call her "Princess Diana" but it never made any kind of a difference. If she couldn't change what the public called her before the onslaught of social media, I doubt Harry and Meghan would make a difference either. They'd be fighting the same uphill battle in 5 feet of snow in winds of blizzard proportions.

 

[Lady Daly]

Harry and Meghan share more about their upcoming podcast plans.
In partnership with Spotify’s Gimlet studio, Archewell Audio will release a holiday special hosted by The Duke and Duchess featuring “stories of hope and compassion from inspirational guests in celebration of the new year.” And it seems the Sussexes plan to host even more podcasts in 2021. In a joint statement, the royal couple said, “What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction. With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.”

This seems to be their ongoing current mantra of spreading positive messages through connections with inspirational others. There's no better time for hope and joy than Christmas 2020. I hope it is inspirational with substance and not just preaching to the choir.

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/20...ampaign=VF_RW_121520&utm_term=VYF_Royal_Watch

 

[Kataryn]

Just as many had predicted, these two really are using their royal titles to make money.

I guess that's why they introduce themselves as "Meghan and Harry"...

 

[Kataryn]

The spotify statement I posted refers to "Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex".

And the peerage was awarded to Harry only because he was to be a working member of the family. He wouldn't have it otherwise. It is a huge honour after all. Not exactly many dukes around.

I would much rather agree than disagree with you Osipi but we definitely have a different take on this. Which is all good.?

All male offspring in direct line gets a title when they marry. Not the minor Royals, not the ladies, but the males do. Has always be done that way and is not connected to being "working Royals". Edward, AFAIK, was not considered to be a future "Working Royal" and still got his titles.