Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Official Visit to Dublin - July 10-11, 2018

[Pranter]

Goodness Meghan talked about the politics of abortion in Ireland and nothing said if that was Kate she would in trouble but not Meghan. She won’t be able to get away this much sooner. She knows she can’t talk like that

Yes this was talked about a few pages ago right after it happened. She will learn she can't have or show any sort of opinions about political issues.



LaRae

 

[JuliannaVictoria]

Goodness Meghan talked about the politics of abortion in Ireland and nothing said if that was Kate she would in trouble but not Meghan. She won’t be able to get away this much sooner. She knows she can’t talk like that

Actually A LOT was said. It even made newspapers. It's something that she is going to have to learn. Don't trust anyone who's not in your inner circle.

 

[Royal Suitor]

Holding hands.

I'm kidding...sort of.

of course! They do tend to turn PDA into a sport. Unless HMQ starts crashing the party I think we're going to get handholding in all its variations. My new favorite from today and Ascot is the I'm going to walk holding hands while being in a conversation with someone in the entirely different direction. ?

Actually A LOT was said. It even made newspapers. It's something that she is going to have to learn. Don't trust anyone who's not in your inner circle.

Agree that taking a stance about abortion rights would've been out of bounds but I think it's worth acknowledging that the rules about what's "political" are very subjective. Meghan called LGBTQ rights human rights. That made the paper and no one raised an eyebrow. Her comments about the Me Too movement ruffled a few feathers but she and KP navigated that tightrope fairly well. No real backlash. Just saying it's not as cut and dry as we're suggesting.

 

[jacqui24]

Goodness Meghan talked about the politics of abortion in Ireland and nothing said if that was Kate she would in trouble but not Meghan. She won’t be able to get away this much sooner. She knows she can’t talk like that

First, it was talked about. Second, she didn't.

 

[royal rob]

Well she did she gave an opinion
I don’t know how she still is making mistakes like that. Thought the mess with her father talking was the end of talking.

 

[Ish]

Well she did she gave an opinion
I don’t know how she still is making mistakes like that. Thought the mess with her father talking was the end of talking.

But... she didn’t.

She said she had been interested in the referendum, but did not voice an opinion on the referendum. The woman she spoke to then tweeted that Meghan had been in favour of the outcome of the referendum, only to clarify that it was her opinion that Meghan was in favour of it - not that Meghan herself had said anything of the sort.

And not only has it been discussed a lot on the forum, it’s also been hugely misreported by the press, who have chosen to focus on the initial tweet, but not the clarification.

I’d say Meghan is being roasted for this just as much as if Kate or any other royal had done the same - that is to say, far too much, given as she didn’t actually give any opinion.

 

[Pranter]

AND she is NOT to blame for her father talking to the media.


LaRae

 

[jacqui24]

Well she did she gave an opinion
I don’t know how she still is making mistakes like that. Thought the mess with her father talking was the end of talking.

Where did she give an opinion? Because someone tweeting something that they admitted to be misleading and has clarified that the Duchess make a comment either for or against (although most of us can deduct what her opinion on this would be, but having private opinion isn't the same as expressing them publicly).

I'm not understanding what her father said has anything to do with anything here. She didn't divulge private family conversation unless I missed something.

 

[Royal Suitor]

Article includes the deleted tweets and clarification from the Senator as FYI.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/pol...an-markle-approved-of-abortion-vote-1.3560694

 

[jacqui24]

But... she didn’t.

She said she had been interested in the referendum, but did not voice an opinion on the referendum. The woman she spoke to then tweeted that Meghan had been in favour of the outcome of the referendum, only to clarify that it was her opinion that Meghan was in favour of it - not that Meghan herself had said anything of the sort.

And not only has it been discussed a lot on the forum, it’s also been hugely misreported by the press, who have chosen to focus on the initial tweet, but not the clarification.

I’d say Meghan is being roasted for this just as much as if Kate or any other royal had done the same - that is to say, far too much, given as she didn’t actually give any opinion.

Ok, you said the same thing I did, but just did it more eloquently.

Just one thing to add, but not only did some papers do what you said. Some of them included both tweets in their article, but of course the headline is that she gave an opinion and then starts the article with she gave an opinion, but once you get down to the middle of the article, they point out that there was a clarification by the person and she actually didn't say anything either way.

 

[royal rob]

Sorry but I think the tweets were taken off when they realized she should have not been discussing or making any comment at all.

Sorry this had already been discussed but I live a busy life and don’t get to keep up with all posts.

 

[Royal Suitor]

Sorry but I think the tweets were taken off when they realized she should have not been discussing or making any comment at all.

Maybe. But there were only two people in the conversation. The person who tweeted said the comments were apolitical. The other person can't/won't say anything so at this point everyone's going to believe what they want.

 

[Chloep]

Well she did she gave an opinion
I don’t know how she still is making mistakes like that. Thought the mess with her father talking was the end of talking.

No, she didn't. See my comment above. The DM just has zero journalistic integrity.

 

[Ista]

Article includes the deleted tweets and clarification from the Senator as FYI.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/pol...an-markle-approved-of-abortion-vote-1.3560694

Personally, I think the significant thing, and something it would be useful for all of us to remember, is that when someone comments on something that was said to them by one of the royals, there is always a certain amount of interpretation going on. In this case the senator thought that Meghan seemed pleased by the outcome of the referendum. Perhaps Meghan was; or perhaps she had a pleasant, neutral expression on her face, and the senator thought that meant she was "pleased" instead of being noncommittal. Who knows? So it is not only the DM whose reporting we should take with a grain of salt. Even first hand accounts come through the filter of that person's expectations.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

But... she didn’t.

She said she had been interested in the referendum, but did not voice an opinion on the referendum. The woman she spoke to then tweeted that Meghan had been in favour of the outcome of the referendum, only to clarify that it was her opinion that Meghan was in favour of it - not that Meghan herself had said anything of the sort.

And not only has it been discussed a lot on the forum, it’s also been hugely misreported by the press, who have chosen to focus on the initial tweet, but not the clarification.

I’d say Meghan is being roasted for this just as much as if Kate or any other royal had done the same - that is to say, far too much, given as she didn’t actually give any opinion.

Very well said.

I think the tweets were taken down because they were blown out of proportion, and the senator actually got called out for her initial tweet being misleading by other twitterers.

 

[Countessmeout]

Meghan was asked a question.....heaven knows a question she shouldn't have been asked in the first place. She answered it exactly how she should have. Diplomatically. She didn't give an opinion either way, simply said she had followed it. She doesn't live under a rock, she listens to the news, of course she would have heard of it.

This tour has been quite the success IMO.

Love the pictures with the little kids. The little kid and her hair is so sweet ?

I loved seeing the visit to the Book of Kells but it was the famine monument that really touched me.

I look forward to their trip to Australia/NZ/Fiji/Tonga even more.

 

[Lady Nimue]

I think all the reaction to Meghan (potentially) expressing an opinion strange. Royals express opinions constantly, whenever they show up to make a speech in support of a charity, or a cause. Happens constantly with Charles. One can pretty much suss out Charles' politics given what he has been supporting with his Prince's Trust, or the books he has published. Unavoidable. It will be the same with Meghan, as it is with Harry, and William, and Kate, and any of the other royals.

This is the one area that Harry and Meghan must have discussed and come to some sort of agreement on how to proceed. Harry, in marrying Meghan, could not have expected her to put aside that much of what makes her who she is: an outspoken advocate for causes she holds dear. I will be interested to see how this plays out. I have even wondered if Meghan will have a public life of charity and causes that is 'establishment approved', but will have a private life where she continues her activism in her own way. We all know the royals can cruise under the public radar, they do it all the time, so Meghan may do that. It's the only way I see for her that doesn't make her untrue to herself.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Well she did she gave an opinion
I don’t know how she still is making mistakes like that. Thought the mess with her father talking was the end of talking.

No, she actually didn’t. It was later clarified by the Senator that all Meghan herself said was she had followed the referendum with interest. The rest was the Senator’s speculation. Of course that doesn’t get the headlines.

 

[Madame Verseau]

Una Mulally is an Irish journalist who put up a Tweet that Meghan supported Ireland's referendum on abortion. She hasn't taken down her Tweet. I read she and the senator are pro choice, for abortion, so to have a royal to appear to support abortion strengthens their positions. The problem is , the senator walked back her comment, Kensington Palace has no comment, and there is no hot mic moment, which is Meghan is caught on audio tape saying she supports the referendum. This snafu falls in the category of Tom Sr going on GMB saying Harry told him to give Donald Trump a chance and he supports Brexit. Neither statements have been substantiated independently. We don't know exactly what Meghan said, but the lesson learned is to be careful about who you're around and what you say is subject to interpretation.

 

[Osipi]

All of this kind of puts Meghan between a rock and a hard place. People are going to ask her questions that she knows she cannot answer and she can't come out and say "I don't talk about that" or "How 'bout those Mets" but has to quickly think on her feet for something innocuous that can't be misinterpreted.

Saying something along the lines that she was well aware of the vote going on by saying "it was interesting" is about as good as anyone can do. It showed that she was informed about what was going on in Ireland without giving a point of view about it.

Personally, I think she handled it beautifully and has absolutely nothing to worry about.

 

[jacqui24]

Una Mulally is an Irish journalist who put up a Tweet that Meghan supported Ireland's referendum on abortion. She hasn't taken down her Tweet. I read she and the senator are pro choice, for abortion, so to have a royal to appear to support abortion strengthens their positions. The problem is , the senator walked back her comment, Kensington Palace has no comment, and there is no hot mic moment, which is Meghan is caught on audio tape saying she supports the referendum. This snafu falls in the category of Tom Sr going on GMB saying Harry told him to give Donald Trump a chance and he supports Brexit. Neither statements have been substantiated independently. We don't know exactly what Meghan said, but the lesson learned is to be careful about who you're around and what you say is subject to interpretation.

Actually she didn’t say Meghan supported. She chatted with Meghan about the referendum and Meghan’s feminine activism. It’s a difficult situation when she can’t talk about politics and yet they invite all these people that have such strong views on a certain issue and that’s a hot topic for them right now. And given the fact that she’s lived a life before Harry and have expressed opinions on women’s issue, although I don’t think we’ve heard her specifically on the issue of abortion, it’s not hard for most people to assume her position. And if she started the conversation smiling and smiled throughout, I do understand how they would assume she agrees with them even if she sidesteps saying she supports it.

 

[Lady Reem]

Una Mulally is an Irish journalist who put up a Tweet that Meghan supported Ireland's referendum on abortion. She hasn't taken down her Tweet. I read she and the senator are pro choice, for abortion, so to have a royal to appear to support abortion strengthens their positions. The problem is , the senator walked back her comment, Kensington Palace has no comment, and there is no hot mic moment, which is Meghan is caught on audio tape saying she supports the referendum. This snafu falls in the category of Tom Sr going on GMB saying Harry told him to give Donald Trump a chance and he supports Brexit. Neither statements have been substantiated independently. We don't know exactly what Meghan said, but the lesson learned is to be careful about who you're around and what you say is subject to interpretation.

I completely agree. It’s also worth remembering that this was not a private tour/visit, Meghan was there as a representative of the Queen and the U.K. government. It is not her place to even hint at a preference either way regarding any internal policy to do with a foreign government. And as much as it pains me to say so, she knew what she was signing up for when she decided to leave behind her old way of life and marry an active senior member of the British Royal Family. She had it all explained to her. She is going to have to learn to be blunt and cut out right from the outset conversations that stray into uncharted territory with those that would seek to drag her into controversy for their own gains. Though as you pointed out about those tweets, the claims about Meghan’s alleged leanings are unverified. Still, it’s enough to have caused some damage regardless that the Irish politician had since deleted and then attempted to polish up her original tweet. It’s just impossible to polish a ‘T’. Two people made claims about Meghan’s alleged sentiments on matters she had no business getting involved in, which may well just be the ramblings of a couple of Irish opportunists. But if there is any truth to those claims I would hope she doesn’t make a habit of political slip ups. And I say this as someone who has always been a staunch defender of the Duchess of Sussex.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

I thought it was cleared by the senator, that Meghan was simply interested, and didn't express any opinion in any way? I think this has been blown way out of proportion, as Meghan did actually nothing wrong.

 

[renzii]

Well she did she gave an opinion. I don’t know how she still is making mistakes like that. Thought the mess with her father talking was the end of talking.

Meghan made no mistake. The senator to whom she spoke later clarified that while Meghan seemed interested and even approving, that was purely her own, subjective opinion, and not from anything Meghan said.

 

[Dman]

I thought it was cleared by the senator, that Meghan was simply interested, and didn't express any opinion in any way? I think this has been blown way out of proportion, as Meghan did actually nothing wrong.

This happens because the media and some folks online are looking for the newcomer to make that big mistake so they can come down on that person like a ton of bricks.

 

[jacqui24]

So we haven't talked a lot about the attention this trip is getting in Ireland, which if you think about it, is the point of the trip.

From what I heard from a few fans, there were a lot of coverage of it. In fact one said the last princess that people obsessed this much was when Princess Grace visited.

Irish Times also had an article calling it a national obsession this week. Feel free to ignore the other stuff trying to analyze why as I think people are fascinated for different reasons.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and...how-her-sparkle-dazzled-ireland-too-1.3562725

 

[AlowVera]

I thought it was cleared by the senator, that Meghan was simply interested, and didn't express any opinion in any way? I think this has been blown way out of proportion, as Meghan did actually nothing wrong.

She did nothing wrong. There are no direct quotes or even video footage. It sounds as if she did her research and knows the people who where at the party and maybe expressed interest in what that person does. Small talk at a cocktail party with no direct quotes is not a controversy. Commenting about a historical event is not controversy. If she made a speech before the referendum was voted on that would be controversial.

I think Meghan is now aware of the "No win" zone in which there are no right or wrong answers. During the trip she talked with a fan of Suits who said she misses Suits and Meghan said "so do i". Cue the clickbait think pieces about how Meghan regrets her life. Its ridiculous but in the end its all just noise as Meghan says.

 

[Lady Nimue]

Actually she didn’t say Meghan supported. She chatted with Meghan about the referendum and Meghan’s feminine activism. It’s a difficult situation when she can’t talk about politics and yet they invite all these people that have such strong views on a certain issue and that’s a hot topic for them right now. And given the fact that she’s lived a life before Harry and have expressed opinions on women’s issue, although I don’t think we’ve heard her specifically on the issue of abortion, it’s not hard for most people to assume her position. And if she started the conversation smiling and smiled throughout, I do understand how they would assume she agrees with them even if she sidesteps saying she supports it.

Excellent point. Meghan had a life before marriage and she has a corpus of public work that can be referenced to make assumptions. Likely what happened here.

Just wondering: what if Meghan has a pov that beekeeping is essential to the health of the bio-system. (It is, grounded in science). For some reason there winds up being some opportunists, paid off by a chemical company, that claim that certain chemicals that demonstrably kill bee colonies are benign. Meghan is touring a hobby beekeeper and agrees with the hobby beekeeper that the chemical in question needs to be banned. Is that Meghan (or any royal, Harry or Charles) being 'political'? What is the line?

 

[Osipi]

Just wondering: what if Meghan has a pov that beekeeping is essential to the health of the bio-system. (It is, grounded in science). For some reason there winds up being some opportunists, paid off by a chemical company, that claim that certain chemicals that demonstrably kill bee colonies are benign. Meghan is touring a hobby beekeeper and agrees with the hobby beekeeper that the chemical in question needs to be banned. Is that Meghan (or any royal, Harry or Charles) being 'political'? What is the line?

To be honest, I think Meghan would direct the conversation to a more neutral place and perhaps talk about the health benefits of using pure, raw and organic honey. That's being diplomatic and avoiding any type of issue.

 

[Lady Nimue]

To be honest, I think Meghan would direct the conversation to a more neutral place and perhaps talk about the health benefits of using pure, raw and organic honey. That's being diplomatic and avoiding any type of issue.

Ah, but, Osipi, you have diplomatically side-stepped my question.