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


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Also worth noting that while the couple was trumpeted by Time's promotional material as Harry and Meghan before the clip was released, when the actual clip was released, it had The Duke and Duchess of Sussex splashed across it as the pair talked about the US election.

Interesting indeed.
 
Harry stepping in and speaking about voting in the US is like me scrubbing in to assist in brain surgery. We both don't belong there. ;)

Well yes indeed he doesn't. The puzzle is why he thinks he does. Arrogance? Lack of judgement? Lack of awareness?
 
Well yes indeed he doesn't. The puzzle is why he thinks he does. Arrogance? Lack of judgement? Lack of awareness?

My first gut reaction was that Harry is turning into Meghan's parrot. :D It happens when one person in the marriage is a leader and the other is a follower. Dominant/recessive kind of thing. ?
 
I can't speak directly to what it would feel like as a US citizen to be hearing this message from Harry and Meghan. It is pretty clear, however, when they say that this is the most important election in their lifetime, or however they said it, that they are encouraging an anti-Trump vote. This is quite different from the Queen giving a neutral speech about voting as asked/approved by the government. The BRF handling of Prince Andrew, for good or ill, also has nothing to do with Harry and Meghan.



They are embracing the culture of (benevolent) celebrity. I speculate that Harry is not an equal participant in shaping their message, but we can't really know. Their efforts to be relevant in the US seem more than a little contrived to me, but that's just my opinion.
 
I agree with Osipi and caethi just to get started. I am a US Citizen for half a century, I would not give a nickel for Harry's or Meghan's opinion, or some of the Washed up Actors who believe they are allowed to control other people, because who they are, or think they are. The American people are way smarter and are able to THINK for them self's. American's don't mix Oatmeal with stupid pills. We all know what we want and need,believe it or not. Thank you for letting me post this my opinion ,if you feel it has to be removed. please do so.
 

This quote sums up my feelings the best:
“'I think it's appropriate for any private citizen to comment on the US election. The problem is that Harry has retained his HRH status and is not a private citizen but still a representative of this country,' Mr Baker told MailOnline. 'He needs to stop trying to have a foot in both camps - royal when it suits him and private when it doesn't.”

I would actually agree that Meghan falls into this category as well. As an American myself (who actually agrees with their political views) it also rubs me the wrong way to see two people using their British titles and styles telling me, as an American, to vote. If you’re talking about politics as a private citizen, style yourself as Harry and Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor, not The Duke and Duchess I’d Sussex.

I think they are much more outspoken and decisive than anyone in the royal family thought they would be. I never thought I would say this, but I am leaning more towards stripping them of their titles... or at least now allowing them to use them in a public capacity when not in the U.K.
 
You have to admit that this wonderful couple knows exactly how to embarrass itself in the most inventive and unexpected ways, and , again, with the greatest timing.
It's not foolishness at this point, it's an art.

It's really, really giving the stick to be beaten with.

Why... just, why ?
 
I really don't think this is appropriate. It's not Harry's place to be lecturing the American electorate on what they should or shouldn't be doing.




I agree. I understand Meghan as an American citizen encouraging others to vote in the upcoming election. However Harry as a British citizen, should not be involved in this at all.
 
Eh, I can't get too fussed about H&M urging people to vote. All kinds of celebrities urge people to vote. If Meghan had been encouraging people to vote without Harry sitting beside her, it would be weird.

Agree with the poster who mentioned Harry looking unhappy in the video. However, I wouldn't put much stock into why he looks that way.
 
So Harry has no agency; people are back on the scheming American Jezebel again? That was not a hostage video. Do people really think Harry longs to go back to a world where maligning his wife and child is a bloodsport? He and his wife bought a home in the States and entered a deal with Netflix. The fact they rather contend with California wildfires doesn't say much for what was left behind.
 
Eh, I can't get too fussed about H&M urging people to vote. All kinds of celebrities urge people to vote. If Meghan had been encouraging people to vote without Harry sitting beside her, it would be weird.

Agree with the poster who mentioned Harry looking unhappy in the video. However, I wouldn't put much stock into why he looks that way.

I agree. Taylor Swift has also urged people to vote, as have many others in the public eye as of late. The counter argument could be the Sussexes shouldn't because of their royal connections, but they are no longer working royals, so in my view they are free to do what they want with their platform. And encouraging people to vote is a very worthy thing to use your platform for - because they do have many people around the world who will listen to them and be influenced by their words. I can imagine that Harry himself has always been exposed to political opinions as Charles in the past has been criticised for being too political - Harry also seemed genuinely disappointed at not being able to vote in the video, so I can imagine he has an interest. The Sussexes have been clever as well in this message at not pinning their words on one political party so people can relate them to either Republican or Democrat, depending on what your political spectrum is.
 
There's been a trend in recent years for celebs to try to dictate to people about politics, and it's very annoying - I don't know why the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch and Hugh Grant think they have the right to tell other people how to vote. But at least they're citizens of the country they're speaking about. Harry telling Americans how to behave - I know he hasn't spelt out which candidate he thinks people should back, but he's still talking about a presidential election - is just wrong in every way.


I don't know what they think they're doing. Surely anyone can see that Harry shouldn't be making comments about an American election. He's upset people in the US, embarrassed the Queen, and now one of Donald Trump's advisors has hit out at him. Have we not all got enough problems at the moment without him causing a row?!
 
I wouldn’t be surprised if the US has already registered a formal complaint with the Foreign Office.
 
I don't know what they think they're doing. Surely anyone can see that Harry shouldn't be making comments about an American election. He's upset people in the US, embarrassed the Queen, and now one of Donald Trump's advisors has hit out at him. Have we not all got enough problems at the moment without him causing a row?!

What can be done? I think the monarchy will looking increasingly complicit if this sort of behaviour continues. And I presume it will. The duke is clearly contemptuous of convention.
 
Buckingham Palace has somewhat responded, according to Chris Ship (ITV news royal editor)

Chris Ship @chrisshipitv
Asked about Harry’s comments, Buckingham Palace would only say: “The Duke is not a working member of the Royal Family and any comments he makes are made in a personal capacity.”
Sounds to me like they are seeking some distance
1:36 AM · Sep 24, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone

Other reporters were more cynical. For example Rebecca English (Daily Mail) and Camilla Tominey (The Telegraph)


Rebecca English @RE_DailyMail
Buckingham Palace have told me that they are not commenting on this, adding: ‘The Duke is not a working member of the Royal Family and any comments he makes are made in a personal capacity.’
Which I personally think IS a comment in itself.​


Camilla has published two tweets with two different articles attached individually

Camilla Tominey @CamillaTominey
'He is not a working member of the #RoyalFamily', says Palace after #Harry jumps into US voting drive #HarryandMeghan
4:52 AM · Sep 24, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone​


Camilla Tominey @CamillaTominey
It’s hard to see any way back into the #Royal family for #HarryandMeghan after risky decision to appear in US voting video
4:54 AM · Sep 24, 2020·Twitter for iPhone​

The two articles attached to Camilla tweets are
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-f...ns/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_iosshare_Av77p3vMrVg8(For first tweet)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-f...ar/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_iosshare_Av8DRrmT1yvj(For second tweet)

Russel Myers (Royal Editor for the Daily Mirror and Royal commentator for Lorraine) has not responded to the Buckingham Palace's release, but has tweeted out earlier

Russell Myers @rjmyers
In a rare moment for a member of the royal family to comment on politics, Prince Harry urges Americans to 'vote against hate' in the upcoming US election
7:15 PM · Sep 23, 2020·Twitter for iPhone​

The attached article to his tweet: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-ne...r.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar
 
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Harry and Meghan are members of the British Royal Family already, Camilla, as son and daughter in law of the Prince of Wales, so don't need to return to the Royal Family. If she's saying there's no way for them to return as working members of the Firm, have they made any statements that they wish to, because I haven't heard any?

Meghan was marking National Registration Day yesterday, so that put her remarks about voting in context, and neither she nor Harry told people to go out and vote Democrat.

Harry's remarks

He said he couldn’t vote in this year’s election, nor had he ever voted in any UK elections, (making his status clear) but said he hoped Americans would remember that “it’s vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity. When the bad outweighs the good, for many, whether we realize it or not, it erodes our ability to have compassion and our ability to put ourself in someone else’s shoes. Because when one person buys into negativity online, the effects are felt exponentially. It’s time to not only reflect, but act.”

That's partisan? is Hate Speech so identified with one side that everyone should automatically think that he is speaking against one particular Presidential candidate?
 
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I agree. Taylor Swift has also urged people to vote, as have many others in the public eye as of late. The counter argument could be the Sussexes shouldn't because of their royal connections, but they are no longer working royals, so in my view they are free to do what they want with their platform. And encouraging people to vote is a very worthy thing to use your platform for - because they do have many people around the world who will listen to them and be influenced by their words. I can imagine that Harry himself has always been exposed to political opinions as Charles in the past has been criticised for being too political - Harry also seemed genuinely disappointed at not being able to vote in the video, so I can imagine he has an interest. The Sussexes have been clever as well in this message at not pinning their words on one political party so people can relate them to either Republican or Democrat, depending on what your political spectrum is.

He’s no longer a working member of The Royal Family but he still has his succession rights and is still using his royal ducal title. He’s currently one family tragedy away from being the next Head of State of the UK.

I find it funny that Harry talks about not having been able to vote in the UK but clearly doesn’t have any insight as to why this might be. If he had any understanding of why members of the BRF don’t vote in domestic elections he’d probably also grasp why a member of the BRF in the line of succession- working member or not - shouldn’t be making any sort of comment about a foreign election.
 
I think Harry does understand why he's unable to vote. He told a member of the public a few years ago who asked him that he was unable to speak about what he thought of Brexit?
Or give any opinion on domestic elections? As I do remember two non working sisters, members of the Royal Family attending Boris Johnson's post election victory party. Surely a statement in itself.
 
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And Trump has commented on Meghan Markle.....
 
Trump says many things, nonsensical and otherwise. Wishing Harry luck? I'd say that probably some are wishing him the same in six weeks, considering the latest polling.
 
I am commenting again as I just read the BBC article where Harry's spokesman commented that "His message is not in reference to any specific political party or candidate, but is instead a call for decency in how we engage with each other, interact, and consume information - especially online."

I am shocked by how rude this comment is (not the statement from the spokesman, but Harry's), even more so than I found Harry's statement without the clarification. Of course, if Harry was calling for these things in general, that would be one thing, but he is calling for them specifically in the context of another country's election.

I cannot imagine sitting in a pub in the UK with an election upcoming and saying to a local resident, "You know, with the vote around the corner, you all really should be a bit kinder to each other and watch what you say and not spread what I as an outsider think is false information." It would be the height of rudeness and I can imagine being asked to leave.

Not to mention that with what many American citizens feel they have at stake in the current political climate, someone who is not a citizen here and therefore does not have those things at stake coming in and telling people who feel victimized and unheard to "be kind" and "not spread negativity"... it's not on.

You just don't go to other people's countries and comment on how they are conducting themselves in their elections and sensitive political processes, no matter who you are. It's culturally insensitive.

Speaking of Jeremy Corbyn, the book Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn by Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire did mentioned his communication with Harry and Meghan.

According to The Week article:
Republican Corbyn bonded with the Sussexes
In an unlikely meeting of the minds, Corbyn and his wife, Mexican businesswoman Laura Alvarez, bonded with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over the royal couple’s “treatment at the hands of the tabloid press”, says Left Out.

While attending the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, Alvarez “slipped them” a collection of writings by 17th-century Mexican poet Juana Ines de la Cruz.

Alvarez “hoped Meghan might find a kindred spirit” in De la Cruz, a nun whose “willingness to attack the hypocrisies of the colonial classes had made her a target for Establishment hate”.

The following day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent a personally signed note of “great thanks” to “Jeremy and Laura”, who had “privately offered sympathy” over their media battles.

“Such was Corbyn’s dislike of the press that it had even convinced him to moderate his lifelong republicanism,” claim Pogrund and Maguire.​
https://www.theweek.co.uk/107884/five-things-we-learned-left-out-jeremy-corbyn-book

I have also looked at the preview of Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn on Google Books
"...hypocrisies of the colonial classes had made her a target for establishment hate. In Sister Juana, Alvarez hoped Meghan might find a kindred spirit. The Corbyns had privately offered sympathy for the duchess's treatment at the hands of the tabloid press, whose misdemeanours they felt similarly familiar with. The following day, the Sussexes sent a personally signed note of 'great thanks to Jeremy and Laura' for their support and said they look forward 'to learn more about her life and works!' Such was Corbyn dislike of the mainstream press that it had even convinced him to moderate his lifelong republicanism"​
https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Left_Out/HerODwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover

Laura Alvarez is Jeremy Corbyn's wife.

Harry & Meghan's private conversation and friendship with the Corbyns are not the same as making "public politics related statements". I do think Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez are just providing moral support, who happen to share similar opinions.
 
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Meghan should not comment on politics with her title. I hope the Queen removes their title, I say this as someone who is not a Republican at all.

Good on Trump!
 
I think Harry does understand why he's unable to vote. He told a member of the public a few years ago who asked him that he was unable to speak about what he thought of Brexit?
Or give any opinion on domestic elections? As I do remember two non working sisters, members of the Royal Family attending Boris Johnson's post election victory party. Surely a statement in itself. .

As for Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie, Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor attending Boris Johnson's post election victory party, it's not really the same as making statement (by Harry) "As we approach this November, it's vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity". Other guests for the party included: Mick Jagger, David and Samantha Cameron, Rachel Johnson (Boris' sister), Daisy Lowe, Matt Smith, Jemima Goldsmith, Sadie Frost, Peter Mandelson (former Labour MP), Anna Friel, Tracey Emin, David Walliams, Lily Cole, David Hasselhoff, Eddie Izzard (who joined Labour candidates in campaign trials).

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...rties-night-away-Carrie-Symonds-Annabels.html

I wouldn't called these guests who attended the party "conservative" or "right-wing". Most of them are just there for a Christmas celebration. They probably attended because they are "Annabel's club member" or close friends of Boris Johnson. I have saw pictures of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie leaving Annabel's recently, so I think they attended as club members.

As I mentioned in earlier post, I have no problem with Harry and Meghan being friendly with Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez, because their conversations were in private.
 
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I’ve deleted a number of off-topic comments discussing President Obama/Brexit and the differences between right and left-leaning politics. Further comments discussing those topics will be deleted.
 
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Meghan should not comment on politics with her title. I hope the Queen removes their title, I say this as someone who is not a Republican at all.

Good on Trump!

If the Queen didn't remove the titles of Nazi sympathizers, I see no reason why she would do so for urging people to vote. The Sussexes aren't telling people to take up arms and storm the White House, for heaven's sake.
 
If the Queen didn't remove the titles of Nazi sympathizers, I see no reason why she would do so for urging people to vote. The Sussexes aren't telling people to take up arms and storm the White House, for heaven's sake.

Different time now and the Royals should be neutral. Harry should remain a Prince but his dukedom should be removed. It's a no wonder they had a tantrum and left.
 
Harry stepping in and speaking about voting in the US is like me scrubbing in to assist in brain surgery. We both don't belong there. ;)

Very apt, I agree. The fact that he and Meghan are undoubtedly aware of the uncomfortable position statements like this put the British government and especially his family in...yet they continue to do as they please, seems really obnoxious at this point.
 
“But many of you may not know I haven’t been able to vote in the UK my entire life”.

What on earth is he talking about? How can a man who has had all the advantages of the best education on the planet say something so foolish?

:previous: THIS is the part of Harry's comment that irked me the most. I have no problem with influential people getting out the vote, but does Harry forget that he's a literal prince? His title is in direct opposition to the democratic process of voting, of course he couldn't vote. How can he victimize himself when the United States is battling a pandemic, racial tension, and a polarizing election? I'm amazed no one stop him from saying this.
 
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