Engagement of Prince Harry of Wales and Meghan Markle: November 27, 2017

[Zaira]

Originally Posted by Gawin

She's not simply giving up her place of residence - she's moving to another country! No matter how happy she is with Harry there undoubtedly will be times when she feels very homesick and misses the family and friends she left behind. And she's also giving up her "voice." Yes, she'll be able to dedicate herself to causes she supports but royal protocol will demand that she remain silent on political issues she feels strongly about. For example, in in the past she's publicly voiced her dislike of Donald Trump but in the future she will be required to remain silent and even chat politely to him if they ever meet. That will be a big adjustment for her. And she's also a vocal advocate of gender equity. How will she feel if Harry is given a ducal title but with the usual stipulation - sons can inherit the title but not daughters? I suspect Meghan will very quickly learn the art of smiling while biting one's tongue.

Harry, on the other hand, will remain in the country of his birth, surrounded by his friends and family, and continue doing what he's always done, except now he will have also Meghan's help.

As you state "maybe she sees it all as not giving up anything but rather reconstructing her life to make it even bigger and better and even more fulfilling" and I think she and Harry will make a wonderful team, but the fact remains that Meghan is the one who will make the biggest adjustments.

Agreed. These are not simply material things. Giving up your country is difficult. Moving away from friends and ever further from family is difficult. Giving up your source of income is BIG to me. At least in the America I grew up in, having your own income and means to support yourself/doing work that matters to you is a huge thing of value and worth. I couldn't imagine giving up that degree of independence to basically be reliant on the wealth of my husband and of his father. Meghan has her own wealth which will be well invested, but that is IMO very different than continuing to work for your own income. That goes beyond a matter of mere materiality to me.

Giving up her ability to speak freely and to make decisions about her life without having to stress about the political or optics/PR issues that will result is also big. I mean, we can talk all we want here about the royals being able to do what they want, but that isn't true. Just look at the furor caused b the cost of her engagement dress. They are up for public consumption whether that is right or not. That lack of control isn't something to take lightly. Meghan had to give up her roles in organizations she seemed to really care for and be excited. Also a hard thing to do.

Not only that, yes Harry comes with a job and a lot of privilege and wealth. But marrying him also comes with some pretty significant subtractions. Meghan is only human, and love isn't enough to cover all issues that come up in a royal marriage, as we have seen.

I think these two will be great, but those pretending love or marriage is automatically in and of itself sufficient for all that Meghan is giving up have a rather sanguine view. Harry will IMO really need to go the extra mile to be a support and advocate for Meghan as she tries to carve out a place and role for herself.

[Terri Terri]

Excellent points! And I agree whole heartedly. But let's give Meghan some credit. She is not some 18 year old innocent being led like a lamb. She is a mature, intelligent, educated woman with life experience. If she didn't want to be in the position she is now in, then she wouldn't be there. True, there will challenges but in Harry, Meghan has a partner who supports and protects her. I think Harry is well aware of all that she has given up.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Curbside

I think he might "fib" because it is slightly unseemly/stalkerish to see some chick on TV and start asking around about her based on what she looks like. Not to mention the fact that it's the kind of detail I think most people would want to keep private. I would guess they looked each other up after the idea of meeting up was floated to each of them separately.

I think she may have been at the tail end of a relationship with a chef in Toronto, and she/they may not want to raise the specter of fooling around on one's bf, and that may be why their timelines didn't exactly match up.

It's questionable if he'd watch Suits. It's an American cable show, and while millions do know it, there are more people in US doesn't know it. I don't know how well known it is in UK. That whole story came from Katie Nicholl, whose sources are dubious at best. It's not stalkerish if he knew an actress from a TV and was a fan and wanted to meet her. That's pretty normal.

As for Meghan, we know that relationship was over and multiple guys were chasing after her by the time she came to London for Wimbleton. There is no reason to believe anything overlapped with that relationship. Even if they knew each other before then, which I don't believe there are credible reports of it, it was over before then. Cory doesn't seem bitter about it, and he's been quite about this whole thing even though media threw a lot of money at him. That shows that he doesn't think anything happened with them. There is no reason to believe otherwise other than people trying to stir up drama.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by Terri Terri

Excellent points! And I agree whole heartedly. But let's give Meghan some credit. She is not some 18 year old innocent being led like a lamb. She is a mature, intelligent, educated woman with life experience. If she didn't want to be in the position she is now in, then she wouldn't be there. True, there will challenges but in Harry, Meghan has a partner who supports and protects her. I think Harry is well aware of all that she has given up.

Agreed. Her sacrifices are large but at the end of the day she knows what she is doing and made the decision to do it. She not going in this blindly. She is well aware of everything. They are partners and will go through all the challenges together. I think they will be an excellent team but they human she they will have theirs ups and downs as they adjust to their new lives together. It's expected. But again, they seem well prepared and they love and support each other. That's the important thing.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Pranter

I don't think Harry lied about having never seen Suits or knowing who Meghan was. There's no reason for him to not tell the truth about it.


LaRae

I agree. It would be stupid to make up a story. Even if Harry had seen her in Suits and asked a friend if they knew her and the friend offered to introduce them, so what? Why not tell the story as it was, if that was the story? Not everything is a conspiracy or intrigue. And sometimes a story that a tabloid made up gets repeated by others as the truth, even though it never was. Very few fact check anymore.
It is so much harder to continue a lie. I think we got the basic truth.

[soapstar]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

As for Meghan, we know that relationship was over and multiple guys were chasing after her by the time she came to London for Wimbleton. There is no reason to believe anything overlapped with that relationship. Even if they knew each other before then, which I don't believe there are credible reports of it, it was over before then. Cory doesn't seem bitter about it, and he's been quite about this whole thing even though media threw a lot of money at him. That shows that he doesn't think anything happened with them. There is no reason to believe otherwise other than people trying to stir up drama.

Neither Meghan or Cory are talking, so we actually don't know when the relationship was over, or how Cory feels. Now to clarify, I'm not saying there was overlap, just that we have no idea what transpired in their relationship.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by soapstar

Neither Meghan or Cory are talking, so we actually don't know when the relationship was over, or how Cory feels. Now to clarify, I'm not saying there was overlap, just that we have no idea what transpired in their relationship.

There have been some good hearted jokes on IG. One of Cory's friends posted on IG on his birthday that he'll always be his prince. I'm assuming if that kind of joke would only happen if no one is butt hurt over it. And I'm sure Cory was the one that informed Meghan he's been contacted by the press when the relationship came to light. I think there is enough evidence that it's not ugly, and cheating usually is ugly.

And I don't think Pier Morgan is dumb enough to lie about something like this on TV and in print. So yes, according to his account, Meghan did say that was over by the time she came to London in late June for Wimbleton and obviously, there are other people that already knew.

[Curbside]

Originally Posted by soapstar

Neither Meghan or Cory are talking, so we actually don't know when the relationship was over, or how Cory feels. Now to clarify, I'm not saying there was overlap, just that we have no idea what transpired in their relationship.

Agreed. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, I'm just pondering why they (or anyone, really) might not give all the details of the circumstances of their meeting. So if he saw Meghan on TV and pined for her for months before tracking down every single person she might know to demand a blind date, thus sabotaging her relationship with the previous boyfriend (just throwing out some off-the-wall scenarios), or if it was exactly as they say it was, it's private and I wouldn't fault anyone for wanting to keep some details of their relationship private. It's none of our business, and all's fair in love and war!

I do recall during the interview that they seemed to slightly disagree on when they met, but I just sort of shrugged it off as not all that important.

[Zaira]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

There have been some good hearted jokes on IG. One of Cory's friends posted on IG on his birthday that he'll always be his prince. I'm assuming if that kind of joke would only happen if no one is butt hurt over it. And I'm sure Cory was the one that informed Meghan he's been contacted by the press when the relationship came to light. I think there is enough evidence that it's not ugly, and cheating usually is ugly.

And I don't think Pier Morgan is dumb enough to lie about something like this on TV and in print. So yes, according to his account, Meghan did say that was over by the time she came to London in late June for Wimbleton and obviously, there are other people that already knew.

What is more, I would imagine that a friend would not set up another friend on a blind date when one of these people going on the date is still in a relationship. I mean I know these people move in different social ways than us mere plebs, but I still think that is a safe assumption.

[Lady Reem]

Originally Posted by Gawin

She's not simply giving up her place of residence - she's moving to another country! No matter how happy she is with Harry there undoubtedly will be times when she feels very homesick and misses the family and friends she left behind. And she's also giving up her "voice." Yes, she'll be able to dedicate herself to causes she supports but royal protocol will demand that she remain silent on political issues she feels strongly about. For example, in in the past she's publicly voiced her dislike of Donald Trump but in the future she will be required to remain silent and even chat politely to him if they ever meet. That will be a big adjustment for her. And she's also a vocal advocate of gender equity. How will she feel if Harry is given a ducal title but with the usual stipulation - sons can inherit the title but not daughters? I suspect Meghan will very quickly learn the art of smiling while biting one's tongue.

Harry, on the other hand, will remain in the country of his birth, surrounded by his friends and family, and continue doing what he's always done, except now he will have also Meghan's help.

As you state "maybe she sees it all as not giving up anything but rather reconstructing her life to make it even bigger and better and even more fulfilling" and I think she and Harry will make a wonderful team, but the fact remains that Meghan is the one who will make the biggest adjustments.

Well travelling from all over to marry their Princes doesn’t appear to have done Mary, Maxima, Charlene et al any harm. I mean they haven’t keeled over as yet Mary all the way from Australia to become a Danish Princess, imagine that? Maxima from Argentina to the Netherlands. These were previously high flying career women. South African sportswoman Charlene left it all behind for her Albert. There’s also the French Marie. Plus a few other women from other countries marrying into the British Royal Family.

Meghan will do just fine, she loves charity work and had her acting to put a roof over head, a job she obviously enjoyed. But whereas before, her charitable endeavours were time-limited, she will now have plenty of time to devote herself fully to a career of charity work on a much bigger platform. She also wants to start a family and at her age a change of direction regarding her acting career was likely needed anyway.

[ACO]

Maybe they were in a "It's complicated" stage. Been there, done that. I could see it. I do recall the disagreement on 1 1/2 vs 2 years. It's no biggie though.

[Lady Reem]

I wouldn’t like to speculate about the timeframe of her last relationship and don’t think it’d be fair to tbh. I rather go by the premise of what the couple themselves revealed during their engagement interview. They began a relationship in July 2016. And she was free and single. I have no reason to doubt them.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Curbside

Agreed. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, I'm just pondering why they (or anyone, really) might not give all the details of the circumstances of their meeting. So if he saw Meghan on TV and pined for her for months before tracking down every single person she might know to demand a blind date, thus sabotaging her relationship with the previous boyfriend (just throwing out some off-the-wall scenarios), or if it was exactly as they say it was, it's private and I wouldn't fault anyone for wanting to keep some details of their relationship private. It's none of our business, and all's fair in love and war!

I do recall during the interview that they seemed to slightly disagree on when they met, but I just sort of shrugged it off as not all that important.

They didn't disagree when they met. It was early July. Meghan just can't do math. Which isn't surprising if you've heard her talk about her math abilities before. Besides, this woman can't keep track of which time zone she was in in the last 18 months, I think we can forgive her for feeling like it's longer than it is. And really, if we really want to make the argument for May, that's still not two years. Her math was off. I'm not sure how a fan could've sabotaged any relationship.

And early July is consistent with what she told Piers when they met.

[Gawin]

Originally Posted by Lady Reem

Well travelling from all over to marry their Princes doesn’t appear to have done Mary, Maxima, Charlene et al any harm. I mean they haven’t keeled over as yet Mary all the way from Australia to become a Danish Princess, imagine that? Maxima from Argentina to the Netherlands. These were previously high flying career women. South African sportswoman Charlene left it all behind for her Albert. There’s also the French Marie. Plus a few other women from other countries marrying into the British Royal Family.

Meghan will do just fine, she loves charity work and had her acting to put a roof over head, a job she obviously enjoyed. But whereas before, her charitable endeavours were time-limited, she will now have plenty of time to devote herself fully to a career of charity work on a much bigger platform. She also wants to start a family and at her age a change of direction regarding her acting career was likely needed anyway.

Yes, I have no doubt Meghan will do fine, but the discussion was focused on who was giving up more. And it's definitely Meghan.

Crown Princess Mary has in fact talked about the loneliness she experienced when she first arrived in Denmark and had to adjust to a new way of life. That's not something Frederik had to deal with and neither will Harry.

[soapstar]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

There have been some good hearted jokes on IG. One of Cory's friends posted on IG on his birthday that he'll always be his prince. I'm assuming if that kind of joke would only happen if no one is butt hurt over it. And I'm sure Cory was the one that informed Meghan he's been contacted by the press when the relationship came to light. I think there is enough evidence that it's not ugly, and cheating usually is ugly.

And I don't think Pier Morgan is dumb enough to lie about something like this on TV and in print. So yes, according to his account, Meghan did say that was over by the time she came to London in late June for Wimbleton and obviously, there are other people that already knew.

As I said, I'm not disputing whether there was overlap. My point was that we don't know how Cory feels about the relationship ending. He's never discussed it and the joke his friend posted on Instagram, doesn't tell us one way or the other about his feelings.

As for Piers, I don't know what to make of his comments. He also stated that Meghan got a handful of texts that night from someone that he thought was Harry. Which doesn't sound right because Harry and Meghan said they didn't meet each other until July, while her dinner with Piers was June 29th.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by soapstar

As I said, I'm not disputing whether there was overlap. My point was that we don't know how Cory feels about the relationship ending. He's never discussed it and the joke his friend posted on Instagram, doesn't tell us one way or the other about his feelings.

As for Piers, I don't know what to make of his comments. He also stated that Meghan got a handful of texts that night from someone that he thought was Harry. Which doesn't sound right because Harry and Meghan said they didn't meet each other until July, while her dinner with Piers was June 29th.

Again, actions speak a lot louder than words. If I'm bitter about a break up or upset at how it happened, logical mind would say my friends would not make a joke about that ex on my birthday. And it is consistent in the respectful manner he has behaved since this relationship came to light. He could've cashed in. I'm just pointing to the evidence. Just drawing a reasonable and feasible conclusion based on different evidence.

I take Piers' comments as what they are. I'll take what he said Meghan said as true, and what he said he thought as what he thought. That's his business and I could careless for it. However, I don't think he'd go on TV or write articles about their meeting that wasn't true. He could be wrong with what he thought, but the chances of him inventing Meghan saying something being made up is less likely. He only thought the texts could've been from Harry because months later, the relationship came to light. Otherwise, he wouldn't know because Meghan didn't tell him. What was very clearly told to him at that time was that she was single and there are guys (multiple, not singular) that are being persistent.

[soapstar]

People move on. Even if he was bitter when the relationship ended, doesn't mean he would stay bitter. Unless we hear from Cory directly, how he felt is pretty much speculation.

That's not the only reason Piers thought that though. He said when she got the texts, she said there was some guy who was pursuing her pretty heavily. She then told him she was heading to some private club to meet friends. It was only later that Piers realized the club she went to, was the one she met Harry that night.

[ACO]

Eh. Friends can poke fun whether you good or not. I have plenty of friends who have douchey moments to take the mikey out of each other especially over embarrassing stuff like exes. Though Corey and Trevor have both stayed quiet, I suspect that also is because they don't want anything twisted. They both have public careers so they don't need that drama. Either way I do believe they started dating in July and it went from there. Just like I'm sure they omitted things cause it was none of our business. Haha.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by soapstar

People move on. Even if he was bitter when the relationship ended, doesn't mean he would stay bitter. Unless we hear from Cory directly, how he felt is pretty much speculation.

That's not the only reason Piers thought that though. He said when she got the texts, she said there was some guy who was pursuing her pretty heavily. She then told him she was heading to some private club to meet friends. It was only later that Piers realized the club she went to, was the one she met Harry that night.

Joking about a bitter situation on their birthday? Yea, that's unlikely even if people move on. That's some...odd humor. If we must, I'll change it to it's more likely based on what we've seen that Harry wasn't the reason.

She spent a lot of time at SoHo House. We don't actually know which night they actually met there given that. She didn't tell Piers it was one guy, she said a couple of guys, as in plural. So I'm just going to listen to his recount of what Meghan actually said. While I don't think he is stupid enough to make up things Meghan said, I do think he embellishes in his own assumptions based on previous stories I've seen from him.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by ACO

Eh. Friends can poke fun whether you good or not. I have plenty of friends who have douchey moments to take the mikey out of each other especially over embarrassing stuff like exes. Though Corey and Trevor have both stayed quiet, I suspect that also is because they don't want anything twisted. They both have public careers so they don't need that drama. Either way I do believe they started dating in July and it went from there. Just like I'm sure they omitted things cause it was none of our business. Haha.

I will say, I chuckled a little when Harry was talking about sharing a tent in Botswana in 2016. I thought that was a bit of oversharing that people can make a few headlines about. I'm sure we are over the days of thinking royals don't have sex, but really. I did see one op-ed peace later that talked about this, but the media actually didn't make a big deal of it.