The Duchess of Sussex: Family and Background

[Tarlita]

I imagine Meghan and Doria Skype each other on a regular basis and keep a close relationship that way while there is physical distance between them.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Osipi

I don't think the Queen or Charles would ever override parental decisions made by the parents unless it was absolutely necessary for the welfare of the child. With William and Harry and overriding Diana's choices of guardians, it was because of their proximity to the Crown as William is a future monarch. I agree with the Queen on this move.

Why did William and Harry even need a guardian as they still had a father? Do all children with only one parent have an additional guardian looking over their parent's shoulder?

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Madame Verseau

Here's an interesting tidbit I ran across. Sr whines he may never see his grandchildren from Harry and Meghan. Well that could be arranged

https://amp.news.com.au/entertainmen...31304d4674bd3b

I'm surprised the law is still on the books. The sovereign has custody of minor grandchildren. That means the queen and Charles when he becomes king can block the Markle malcontents from having contact with Harry and Meghan's kids. They can use the public attacks and the adjudicated bad acts of the half sibs as grounds along with Dad's ties to the older kids. Dad, Sam and Jr don't have a legal leg to stand on, and going to an American court won't help. I wouldn't be surprised if Dad figures it out he may shut up and throw his older kids under the bus if distancing himself from them helps him gain access.

Agree, you don't have a right to see your grandchildren. - Especially if you abuse their mother as I think Thomas Markle is, on several levels.

Most grandparents would go to extraordinary lengths to see their grandchildren - and then there are some who see them as pawns...
- And for heavens sake, they haven't even been conceived yet, as far as we know!

Oh, and congratulations on your first 1.000 posts, Madame Verseau.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

My perception watching different royal families is that royal grandchildren have little contact with non-royal grandparents. There may be a few exceptions like the Middletons or the Westlings, who seem to be somewhat close to their grandchildren, but, generally speaking, we don't see non-royal grandparents very often with their grandchildren, at least not in public.

Your last sentence is probably the most important one. What we see is not at all indicative of their relationships. Of course, we will see them mostly with their royal family as that is part has both private and public aspects but that tells us very little about their relationship with their non-royal family members.

Originally Posted by Muhler

Agree, you don't have a right to see your grandchildren. - Especially if you abuse their mother as I think Thomas Markle is, on several levels.

Most grandparents would go to extraordinary lengths to see their grandchildren - and then there are some who see them as pawns...
- And for heavens sake, they haven't even been conceived yet, as far as we know!

Thomas Markle doesn't go to extraordinary lengths to see his existing grandchildren as far as we know. He probably messed up badly with them previously.

[Spheno]

Originally Posted by Somebody

Why did William and Harry even need a guardian as they still had a father? Do all children with only one parent have an additional guardian looking over their parent's shoulder?

They weren't "personal" guardians. They managed William and Harry's money, inherited from Diana.

Originally Posted by DeeT

The Middletons & William used to holiday with Gary, so they had more recent relationship. Gary went to Pippa’s church ceremony, but according to him, he wasn’t invited to the reception.

Gary didn't speak about Pippa's wedding. Photographers took his pictures on wedding evening in another place with his wife and daughter.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Spheno

They weren't "personal" guardians. They managed William and Harry's money, inherited from Diana.

Thanks! That explains a lot.

[Madame Verseau]

The Fail is still beating the dead horse of Meghan visiting the US to see Doria but now Doria is suppose to fix things with Dad. Really?

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Somebody

Why did William and Harry even need a guardian as they still had a father? Do all children with only one parent have an additional guardian looking over their parent's shoulder?

No, just the Royals. Think of the young Queen Victoria raised outside Court or the influence of the Monarch. She was raised to be a used as an ignorant puppet by her mother and a third party.

That would be impossible now. Being raised by the Spencer's would not have been in the best interests of William and Harry nor the monarchy and was never going to happen because they had a living father and their mother did not have legal "custody".

[Dman]

Very nice commentary on the Markle Debacle in ITV’s new series, The Royal Rota-

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJsHha...ature=youtu.be

Although KP’s PR team messed up here and can help fix it - a lot of this is down to father and daughter. They’re the ones that will determine how long this mess will go on.

[Madame Verseau]

Dad needs to shut his pie hole and reach out to Meghan to settle this quietly. The interviews are not helping and Jr playing Daddy's in anguish and dying tape is turning the public against the whole family. Harry and Meghan are not going to cave and they shouldn't. Dad needs to act his age and clueless about royal protocol and tradition is a dog that won't hunt.

I mentioned on the Royal Library thread about a two night TV program called The Story of the Royals. It's probably why there is a new round of Markle madness. People Magazine worked with ABC on this program and I picked up the magazine with same title. On Meghan's section the Markles are completely left out; Doria is mentioned a tiny bit but her photo is in the special edition. The Markles will see this as a slight, especially if they are blanked from the show. Here comes a new round of outrage.

[jacqui24]

I can completely understand if Tom Markle doesn't understand royal protocol. But some of the things he's done crosses the line of human decency, especially for a parent. That's ultimately the issue here.

[Madame Verseau]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

I can completely understand if Tom Markle doesn't understand royal protocol. But some of the things he's done crosses the line of human decency, especially for a parent. That's ultimately the issue here.

And that's why he needs to grow up and act like an adult.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

I can completely understand if Tom Markle doesn't understand royal protocol. But some of the things he's done crosses the line of human decency, especially for a parent. That's ultimately the issue here.

Exactly. Common damn sense, respect and decency. Three things he seriously lacks. It is not hard to not attack your child. He does it every time he opens his mouth. There is nothing to fix because he has essentially killed that relationship. I agree with the correspondents who point out that maybe Meghan has told them to NOT talk to Thomas. Maybe she wants nothing to do with this man right now. Who can blame her?

I am glad that the senior royals will be back to work in the next week. Enough of giving this man a platform. Time for him to sit and stew in the crap he created and let his daughter live her life -- away from him.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by ACO

Exactly. Common damn sense, respect and decency. Three things he seriously lacks. It is not hard to not attack your child. He does it every time he opens his mouth. There is nothing to fix because he has essentially killed that relationship. I agree with the correspondents who point out that maybe Meghan has told them to NOT talk to Thomas. Maybe she wants nothing to do with this man right now. Who can blame her?

I don't think the aide that was helping him would just all of sudden stop responding unless Meghan instructed him/her to do so.

[Dman]

Originally Posted by ACO

Exactly. Common damn sense, respect and decency. Three things he seriously lacks. It is not hard to not attack your child. He does it every time he opens his mouth. There is nothing to fix because he has essentially killed that relationship. I agree with the correspondents who point out that maybe Meghan has told them to NOT talk to Thomas. Maybe she wants nothing to do with this man right now. Who can blame her?

I am glad that the senior royals will be back to work in the next week. Enough of giving this man a platform. Time for him to sit and stew in the crap he created and let his daughter live her life -- away from him.

That’s just it. Nothing is being done to squash this mess and it will continue and start overshadowing what the focus should be on.

[ACO]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

I don't think the aide that was helping him would just all of sudden stop responding unless Meghan instructed him/her to do so.

Thomas said repeatedly in his many interviews that he rejected the help. Harry had sent the aid to Thomas who told the man "no" and so he returned to London. Again, not sure what else they could have done. They weren't going to beg him though that is probably what he wanted.

Now we have Tom Jr going on record how Thomas has been changing his numbers as well. And that Snr has never dealt well with Meghan having independence and not needing him so she should make him feel better by calling him. Is this the real issue? Meghan didn't ask "how high" when Snr said jump? She just kept on with her life and married a man she loves.

These Markles are ridiculous. They ALL reveal exactly why she has avoided them most her life. They tell these tidbits thinking it is a slam to Meghan when it just confirms what most already know.

Originally Posted by Dman

That’s just it. Nothing is being done to squash this mess and it will continue and start overshadowing what the focus should be on.

Overshadow what? Their vacations? The Markles getting obnoxious press in August where they talk about anything and everything means very little to me. They call it "Silly Season" for a reason. Most are exhausted by the Markles and very little take them seriously. Snr once had many feeling sorry for him but now many think he is worse than Samantha.

Soon every single royal will be out and about. We saw how easily the Markles were yesterdays news whenever a new engagement popped up. What more can they say at this point? Nothing. It won't ever be "squashed" because the Markles don't want it. They crave the attention. It is not about Meghan or having a relationship with her. Listen to what they actually say. You want Meghan to bend over backwards to people who have been cruel to her. Pass on that. She just needs to work and the majority will focus on that. History has already shown it.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Dman

That’s just it. Nothing is being done to squash this mess and it will continue and start overshadowing what the focus should be on.

Again I ask, what should be done that will squash it? Because as long as the money is coming in, I don't think they'll stop. The only way is if no one bothers with the Markles and they no longer generate enough clicks for the tabloids to pay them. Notice how they haven't gone onto to GMA or Today?

Originally Posted by ACO

Thomas said repeatedly in his many interviews that he rejected the help. Harry had sent the aid to Thomas who told the man "no" and so he returned to London. Again, not sure what else they could have done. They weren't going to beg him though that is probably what he wanted.

Now we have Tom Jr going on record how Thomas has been changing his numbers as well. And that Snr has never dealt well with Meghan having independence and not needing him so she should make him feel better by calling him. Is this the real issue? Meghan didn't ask "how high" when Snr said jump? She just kept on with her life and married a man she loves.

These Markles are ridiculous. They ALL reveal exactly why she has avoided them most her life. They tell these tidbits thinking it is a slam to Meghan when it just confirms what most already know.

Uh, all I said was that the aide wouldn't have stopped responding without Meghan's instruction. Which all happened after the GMB interview. So I'm not sure what the point to my comment was?

[ACO]

I was agreeing with you. He did it before the wedding so why would Meghan even engage by sending yet another aide? Of course they are listening to Meghan. He is her father. She knows him better than anyone there and if she doesn't want to interact with him then it is for a reason.

[Fros]

The Markles are never going to stop and since you don't negotiate with terrorist the only way to stop this is for the media to dump them.

The obpy way for the media to dump them is if the Sussexes pony up and start giving exclusives to the media on exchange for no/very limited Markles coverage.

Far too many reporters have been going for the sympathetic Markles angle but if Harry or Meghan ever spoke to the media the media would sing their praise because the media is fickle that way.

The media is fickle so even if Harry and Meghan give some sort of exclusive it might hold off the Markle stories for a month or two but they would go back to that pot eventually. It would be a band aid solution for a much bigger problem.

More importantly of would be a kin to rewarding the media and submitting to their demands. "Give us something and we'll stop reporting on the Markles for a bit"

[MARG]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

I don't think the aide that was helping him would just all of sudden stop responding unless Meghan instructed him/her to do so.

Thomas Markle Snr refused the security and aid that Doria Ragland did not. The result of this was when Snr's brother sold him out and gave his address to the media, he was targeted by some very unethical journalists. Nevertheless, while he may have chosen to live incognito in Mexico, initially it seemed neither Jnr nor Samantha had the address.

I think he thought he was so far off the beaten track that nobody would find him, even when he made his first statement he acknowledged that he had refused "help" from Harry and Meghan IMO because of pride which led to his being manipulated into foolish photographs.

Even then he said that Harry and Meghan forgave him and were worried about his health and wanted to come to him. He refused, for whatever reason. Now he is trying to change the narrative and only those new to the debacle believe that total 180-degree change.