The Duke & Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 4: April-June 2021

[Queen Ester]

The monarchy isn't "very popular". Its reasonably popular, and there's a certain sadness over PHilips death..

From this side of the pond the monarchy seems very popular, the pomp and the circumstance. All major networks kept a constant stream of the funeral, I don't know the statistics, but it seems the Americans in general were very tuned into it and then watched quite a few documentaries on the Duke of Edenborough's life, as well as Princess Alice's achievements. I noticed a big jump in the YouTube audience in those videos. Amazon prime also released more documentaries.

 

[Sionevar]

Perhaps we will see a Sussex vow renewal on the 29th for W & C’s 10th wedding anniversary.

Or they'll announce the birth plan / name / godparents / something else for the baby...

 

[Denville]

From this side of the pond the monarchy seems very popular, the pomp and the circumstance. All major networks kept a constant stream of the funeral, I don't know the statistics, but it seems the Americans in general were very tuned into it and then watched quite a few documentaries on the Duke of Edenborough's life, as well as Princess Alice's achievements. I noticed a big jump in the YouTube audience in those videos. Amazon prime also released more documentaries.

And lots of people don't pay the slightest heed to the whole thing. There were a lot of complaints about how much cover age there was of Philips death. Its much more that the system works reasonably well, and so people don't bother to think about changing it. But Harry and Meg are aiming at the American market.. and I tink tehy have fans there....

 

[Betsypaige]

All that signifies to me that the Sussexes can only ride on the coat tails of the remaining members of the BRF to stay relevant. They have yet to show that they have anything of importance to be noticed in their own right.

I think they're trying too hard to show and prove that they're still "in" with the British Royal Family where the truth actually is that they're "out". As in left field in a land far, far away removed from anything of importance that the BRF and it's "Firm" does.

I agree...while in the meantime, BRF are moving on, taking steps to secure the Monarchy for the future.

Perhaps we will see a Sussex vow renewal on the 29th for W & C’s 10th wedding anniversary.

The sad thing is, it wouldn’t shock me

 

[Erin9]

Louis' birthday isn't that big an event, and is probalby only noticed by royal fans.. but it seems odd to me that they suddenly have a photo appear, just like they published that photo in November of themselves in a miltiary cemetery....

I agree. Louis’ birthday isn’t a big event. (For him and his family it sure is! [emoji4] But the public- not really.) And neither is a photo of Archie. I wouldn’t be aware of either if I wasn’t on this forum.

I just find the timing odd, to say the least. 2 little boys who are rarely photographed/seen in public-have photos out on the same day. Which does seem to be following a pattern.

As to why the Sussexes would bother- if you think most people wouldn’t notice anyway- sometimes people do things strictly to get the attention of or annoy someone they’re angry with. Petty, yes. But...there seems to be a lot of that....it’s one thought anyway.

And lots of people don't pay the slightest heed to the whole thing. There were a lot of complaints about how much cover age there was of Philips death. Its much more that the system works reasonably well, and so people don't bother to think about changing it. But Harry and Meg are aiming at the American market.. and I tink tehy have fans there....

I think you are right: the key is the system works well enough that there’s no burning desire to take the time to change it.

I think Harry and Meghan are more popular in the US than the UK at this point. I also don’t think that’s saying a whole lot. Most people here don’t really care.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

I don't feel that a picture of Archie takes anything away from Louis's birthday. I also don't think William and Catherine will care if Meghan and Harry get headlines on their anniversary, it's not like they were planning a public celebration.

 

[Moran]

I agree. Louis’ birthday isn’t a big event. (For him and his family it sure is! [emoji4] But the public- not really.) And neither is a photo of Archie. I wouldn’t be aware of either if I wasn’t on this forum.

I just find the timing odd, to say the least. 2 little boys who are rarely photographed/seen in public-have photos out on the same day. Which does seem to be following a pattern.

As to why the Sussexes would bother- if you think most people wouldn’t notice anyway- sometimes people do things strictly to get the attention of or annoy someone they’re angry with. Petty, yes. But...there seems to be a lot of that....it’s one thought anyway.

Why wouldn't they bother, though? They bothered with literally the stupidest tabloid story, aka who made who cry. They didn't deal with the stories about Meghan bullying her staff, the stories about the baby shower or something.
Honestly, I can't see what this pattern might be aiming at but I've noticed the pattern and this picture fits it. In fact, it might be them realizing that it might be impossible to garner any significant chunk of attention over a big event like Catherine and William's 10th anniversary. Louis' birthday might be lesser on this scale but by this same scale, it's easier to be noticed at.
But once again, I can't see any purpose to this series of releases on RF's big days as a whole. It just points that "we're still royal, look at us" thing and nothing more. It fits with their constant comparisons between themselves and William and Catherine but nothing more.

 

[Alison H]

The picture of Louis was on the headline page of the BBC website and the front pages of a lot of the papers, and was mentioned in all the news bulletins - not particularly because anyone thought his birthday was a big deal, just because it's nice to see pictures of a cute little boy with a bike and a big smile. It's become a standard thing to release photos of each of the Cambridge children on their birthdays.


I would love to think that even Harry and Meghan aren't petty enough to try to play PR games over a three-year-old's birthday, but, given their obsession with suing people, I'd have expected them to complain if the photo of Meghan and Archie hadn't been authorised.

 

[Osipi]

Or they'll announce the birth plan / name / godparents / something else for the baby...

My crystal ball predicts that there'll be an elaborate gift for the Cambridge couple and an extensive report on its meaning that went along with a beautifully handwritten note by Meghan expressing her abiding love for her dear brother-in-law and his wonderful wife. The "leak" will also show the picture we've just seen of Archie again as that is what Meghan and Archie were doing while Harry was at lunch. Shopping for the wonderful occasion of the Cambridges' 10th wedding anniversary.

Also... there will be leaks from the British side of the pond where it's will be revealed that the anniversary gift package had to be OK'ed by police dogs and scanned with x-rays to assure that it was "safe" for delivery to the couple themselves.

 

[ACO]

Or maybe... the very Murdoch paper posted the image knowing it would predictably rile people up. They are no fans of Meghan. I mean honestly the conspiracy theories over this is so over the top its comical.

Louis picture was adorable but Meghan way in LA isn't going to "overshadow" him. And if you think that then that is a different issue...

 

[Erin9]

I agree but the question is who is authorizing the leaks. Are the leaks being authorized by Meghan and Harry? Are the palace leaks being authorized by a member of the royal family? Both sides likely have friends and staff who are providing information without authorization and there is very little control. We also know that the media sometimes invents sources.



I am reasonably sure that the royal family has not authorized leaks over the last few weeks. At the same time, I am sure that many of the leaks that we have seen from the Sussex side were authorized (the calls to the Queen and the details about the wreath). I tend to think that if Omid reports something, (ie, such as Harry didn't write a letter) he has authorization from the Sussexes based on his previous experience and relationships with them.

This all makes a lot of sense to me.

What the Sussexes may have personally authorized doesn’t make me think too highly of them.

 

[Sunnystar]

Eh, I'm not so sure we'll see something the day before or day of the Cambridges 10th wedding anniversary. Not when Charlotte's birthday is a few days later. We'll see some Archie stuff again then.

 

[rominet09]

All that signifies to me that the Sussexes can only ride on the coat tails of the remaining members of the BRF to stay relevant. They have yet to show that they have anything of importance to be noticed in their own right.

I think they're trying too hard to show and prove that they're still "in" with the British Royal Family where the truth actually is that they're "out". As in left field in a land far, far away removed from anything of importance that the BRF and it's "Firm" does.

I really share your opinion !

 

[Betsypaige]

I’ll be interested to see what happens when Harry comes to the UK for the Diana statue. I’m sure he and William will be civil and maybe pleasant, but will they spend time together outside that ceremony? Will Harry and Charles meet up ? That will be telling

 

[Eskimo]

Only, the Sussexes haven't really taken the focus off of Louis's birthday. The only place that I have seen the Archie photos even being discussing is here at TRF.

So IF that was the intention (I am not truly convinced that it was tbh) Meghan and Harry have badly miscalculated. Again.

This. I don’t see Archie’s photo story anywhere in mainstream US media. I saw articles about Louis and his birthday pic though.

 

[soapstar]

I’ve deleted a number of comments. Please move on from speculating about whether Meghan was trying to overshadow Louis' birthday.

Posts claiming the William wasn’t nice to Meghan, have been deleted as speculation.

I know this was touched on in the Oprah interview, but I’ve deleted comments comparing the media treatment that Meghan and Kate each received. It’s not a contest. It can be true that they both received unfair treatment by the media. There is no need to pit one woman against the other and speculating about who had it worse, only serves to diminish each woman’s experiences.

And on another note, there has been a lot of back and forth bickering about the Oprah interview. Please remember that not everyone is going to view, or interpret the interview in the same way. Some may have a favorable view, while others may have an unfavorable view. Recognizing that other members see things differently, will go a long way in cutting down on the back and forth arguments about which view is right.

 

[Eskimo]

Oprah’s views on the interview

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...sed-Meghan-Harry-open-went-way-interview.html

 

[Betsypaige]

Oprah’s views on the interview

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...sed-Meghan-Harry-open-went-way-interview.html

Just more of the same...she’s pushing Harry and Meghan’s truth...

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

I wonder if this picture was taken earlier this spring? The weather in California is in the 60’s and 70’s - a bit warm for hats, sweatshirts and coats.

 

[UglyAmerican]

Backtracking a bit to the "closing the lines of communication" discussion, I just had another thought about WreathGate. Is it possible that Meghan sincerely wanted the family to know how much thought she'd put into the wreath, and just didn't see a better way of conveying that information? Because let's be real, if Charles isn't taking Harry's calls, the Queen certainly isn't taking Meghan's. Accepting a brief conversation to convey condolences is one thing; picking up whenever Meghan happens to ring is another. And if I were Harry and was trying to forge some sort of peace with my relatives, "Let me tell you all about Meghan's wreath" isn't what I'd have led with.

I don't think the notion that they 'had' to tell Oprah all about their experiences because they had no other way of communicating about those experiences to Harry's family makes sense for anything discussed in that interview, because all of it was ancient history by the time they talked about it. But the wreath was relevant to their current events, and I can see how Meghan would have wanted them to know what was involved while they still had the chance to see it. Still terrible judgment all around, but I can see it making sense in her head if she couldn't just call them up.

 

[valeas]

Looks as if Archie is going to a nursery, carrying the little rucksack and starting before the sibling is born [...]

 

[Betsypaige]

Backtracking a bit to the "closing the lines of communication" discussion, I just had another thought about WreathGate. Is it possible that Meghan sincerely wanted the family to know how much thought she'd put into the wreath, and just didn't see a better way of conveying that information? Because let's be real, if Charles isn't taking Harry's calls, the Queen certainly isn't taking Meghan's. Accepting a brief conversation to convey condolences is one thing; picking up whenever Meghan happens to ring is another. And if I were Harry and was trying to forge some sort of peace with my relatives, "Let me tell you all about Meghan's wreath" isn't what I'd have led with.

I don't think the notion that they 'had' to tell Oprah all about their experiences because they had no other way of communicating about those experiences to Harry's family makes sense for anything discussed in that interview, because all of it was ancient history by the time they talked about it. But the wreath was relevant to their current events, and I can see how Meghan would have wanted them to know what was involved while they still had the chance to see it. Still terrible judgment all around, but I can see it making sense in her head if she couldn't just call them up.

FYI, Charles was taking Harry’s phone calls..it’s just that at a certain point, temporarily, he wasn’t

 

[suztav]

Just more of the same...she’s pushing Harry and Meghan’s truth...

I'm surprised that a woman as shrewd and successful as Oprah would allow herself to get caught up in this mess. Being a journalist/interviewer in the hunt for a good story is one thing ... but, it's obvious that there is alot more to this story than meets the eye.

Stupid on the part of Oprah. JMHO

 

[Betsypaige]

I'm surprised that a woman as shrewd and successful as Oprah would allow herself to get caught up in this mess. Being a journalist/interviewer in the hunt for a good story is one thing ... but, it's obvious that there is alot more to this story than meets the eye.

Stupid on the part of Oprah. JMHO

She’s only interested in one side of the story....

 

[Estel]

I'm surprised that a woman as shrewd and successful as Oprah would allow herself to get caught up in this mess. Being a journalist/interviewer in the hunt for a good story is one thing ... but, it's obvious that there is alot more to this story than meets the eye.

Stupid on the part of Oprah. JMHO

Royal Family sells, that's why. It's a great chance to have HRHs sit down with her. Regardless of how USA views an RF as being archaic, they're pretty obsessed with famous families and last names themselves. Oprah just tapped into it. Now she should start being clever about it, and stop talking about it.

 

[suztav]

She’s only interested in one side of the story....

True ... certainly at the beginning of this mess. However, it has been proven that much of what Meghan is accusing the Royal family of ... was not researched and challenged by someone who is allegedly a serious journalist.

I just don't understand ... you would think that Oprah would have figured out that she should just quietly back away and say nothing.

Stupid. JMHO

 

[Fem]

'I didn't see Harry and Meghan before but I did text them and say intention is very important to me, tell me what your intention is, so that we can be aligned in our goal. And our shared intention was the truth. 'They wanted to be able to tell their story and tell it in such a way that allowed them to be as truthful as possible.'

Does somebody has a count of how many lies were already discovered and explained in that interview? If that was the Sussexes trying to be "as truthful as possible" then I'm really afraid of what they might do next.

 

[Alisa]

She’s only interested in one side of the story....

But there's no way for her to get the other side of the story. It's not like the RF is going to call her up and say " we're ready to tell you our side".

True ... certainly at the beginning of this mess. However, it has been proven that much of what Meghan is accusing the Royal family of ... was not researched and challenged by someone who is allegedly a serious journalist.

I just don't understand ... you would think that Oprah would have figured out that she should just quietly back away and say nothing.

Stupid. JMHO

Oprah is Oprah for a reason. She attended the couple's wedding and has interviewed other royals before. She gets the big interviews...this one was no different.

Looks as if Archie is going to a nursery, carrying the little rucksack and starting before the sibling is born would be a clever step to avoid jealousy, which his parents both seem to know well from their own siblings LOL

It looks that way..too bad he was wearing a beanie. It would have been nice to see his hair color.

 

[Heavs]

Does somebody has a count of how many lies were already discovered and explained in that interview? If that was the Sussexes trying to be "as truthful as possible" then I'm really afraid of what they might do next.

I remember personally getting up to 15 verifiably false claims and most of the newspapers claimed at least 12 plus. Then there are the ones like the "I talked to HR and they refused to help and let me go to an in treatment place" which are unverifiable but seem completely off the wall and had no follow up like "because HR can't help a royal because they aren't employees and Harry didn't talk to his family and I didn't talk to my OB".

My personal favourite is Harry specifically mentioning taking Archie on the back of his bike which his Dad never did and the press immediately pulling out dozens of photos out of the archive of Charles doing just that. There are plenty of things that he probably didn't do with the boys but it really crystallises "their truth" and "recollections may vary".

Backtracking a bit to the "closing the lines of communication" discussion, I just had another thought about WreathGate. Is it possible that Meghan sincerely wanted the family to know how much thought she'd put into the wreath, and just didn't see a better way of conveying that information? Because let's be real, if Charles isn't taking Harry's calls, the Queen certainly isn't taking Meghan's. Accepting a brief conversation to convey condolences is one thing; picking up whenever Meghan happens to ring is another. And if I were Harry and was trying to forge some sort of peace with my relatives, "Let me tell you all about Meghan's wreath" isn't what I'd have led with.

But Scobie has been at pains to assure us that Meghan and Archie were (allegedly) zooming with HM before the funeral. Surely she could have mentioned the thoughtful symbolism of the flowers then? Or included a private handwritten letter of personal condolence to HM that included why she chose those flowers and how very fond she was of Philip. HM knows the language of flowers, her own wreath had a lot of symbolism on it.

And announcing it publicly just as the procession was starting and making sure to include just how thoughtful it was to the world completely takes away from the actual thoughtfulness of it, even if HM didn't immediately understand what the flowers meant. It just makes her and the rest of the family more annoyed at the publicity when everyone else kept their wreaths private. Given that Harry and Meghan shooting their mouths off publicly is part of the problem it was an own goal even if the intent was to communicate with the family and not the entire world.

 

[Winnie]

Did she kinda give away that they lied? ?

I am sure that she wants everyone to know she didn't realize there were ANY lies. She is protecting herself in public. Our choice whether we believe or not. Since many of Meghan's statements have been proven false, I believe O is covering her back the only way she can.......Personally I believe she should have stated that she didn't realize there were lies blatantly stated and didn't realize until after the many were proven. Then, and only then, will the public ever believe in O interviews again. Would certainly make her out a better and proper interviewer. Now she looks like a laughing stock enabler. JMO