The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 6: Aug. 2021- Oct. 2022

[Curryong]

The Sussexes were given a twelve month period by the Queen in which to decide whether they would resume royal duties and patronages etc so they weren’t cut off by the royal family. It was their decision to go and not return.

As for this visit to NY it’s clear that both of them are there to assist Global Citizen and other groups with the goal of equable supply of vaccines. They may have asked to speak to the dignitaries who came to meet and greet them about various issues but it’s obvious that these people were more than eager to meet and speak to them.

[Mirabel]

Originally Posted by Queen Ester

Perhaps, this is the reason, he does not care anymore what New Yorkers think of him, he can chill with whomever he wants

The rumors say he plans to run for Governor of NY.

[HenRach Dominion]

It's nice to see HRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex working with Global Citizen again after Vax Life. The organization's values seem to align well with theirs, and their focus on providing COVID-19 vaccinations to the rest of the world is a great cause. Hopefully, HRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's star power can bring that need more to the forefront. The world definitely needs it.

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by HenRach Dominion

It's nice to see HRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex working with Global Citizen again after Vax Life. The organization's values seem to align well with theirs, and their focus on providing COVID-19 vaccinations to the rest of the world is a great cause. Hopefully, HRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's star power can bring that need more to the forefront. The world definitely needs it.

Just my opinion but when we're discussing Harry and Meghan's work outside of anything to do with the BRF and the monarchy, perhaps it would be best to *not* refer to them as HRH in their threads as its basically for Sussex news and what they're doing and not about them, per se, as royals. They do retain the HRH for private and family use but drop it for public business.

It helps too to set straight in all of our minds that when the Sussex couple is out on public engagements and causes, they're *not* HRH at that time.

Just an odd suggestion floating through my addled brain tonight.

[rominet09]

Originally Posted by camelot23ca

I don’t think they’re being royal on their own terms. They’re being celebrities who happen to be royal. No matter what the couple may say now or in the future, this is very much not the half in/half out arrangement they initially demanded. They wanted to remain senior working royals but also to be given the free time (and funding) to do other things, likely the very celebrity lifestyle things we see them doing now. They did not envision themselves having to hustle to make it as full time celebrity do gooders in the US after being quickly and completely cut off from official royal life in the UK.

They also wouldn’t be appearing with high profile American politicians if the Royal Family or the UK government had any real opposition to them doing so. If the couple hadn’t so thoroughly burned their bridges in the UK, these sorts of appearances could have been potentially problematic. By being so public and so vicious in their repudiation of the BRF and what it represents, they broadcast their loss of official status loud and clear. I doubt the BRF cares if Harry and Meghan want to be Brangelina 2.0, as long as there’s no danger of them being treated as people who represent the Queen or her government.

I completely agree with you !

Originally Posted by Osipi

Just my opinion but when we're discussing Harry and Meghan's work outside of anything to do with the BRF and the monarchy, perhaps it would be best to *not* refer to them as HRH in their threads as its basically for Sussex news and what they're doing and not about them, per se, as royals. They do retain the HRH for private and family use but drop it for public business.

It helps too to set straight in all of our minds that when the Sussex couple is out on public engagements and causes, they're *not* HRH at that time.

Just an odd suggestion floating through my addled brain tonight.

There are two of us (you and me) sharing the same thoughts.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by camelot23ca

I don’t think they’re being royal on their own terms. They’re being celebrities who happen to be royal. No matter what the couple may say now or in the future, this is very much not the half in/half out arrangement they initially demanded. They wanted to remain senior working royals but also to be given the free time (and funding) to do other things, likely the very celebrity lifestyle things we see them doing now. They did not envision themselves having to hustle to make it as full time celebrity do gooders in the US after being quickly and completely cut off from official royal life in the UK.

They also wouldn’t be appearing with high profile American politicians if the Royal Family or the UK government had any real opposition to them doing so. If the couple hadn’t so thoroughly burned their bridges in the UK, these sorts of appearances could have been potentially problematic. By being so public and so vicious in their repudiation of the BRF and what it represents, they broadcast their loss of official status loud and clear. I doubt the BRF cares if Harry and Meghan want to be Brangelina 2.0, as long as there’s no danger of them being treated as people who represent the Queen or her government.

You make very good point camelot23ca.

[Curryong]

I don’t believe that the dignitaries that they’ve met on this NY trip, or Jill Biden or any other prominent US figure, political or otherwise who’s met the Sussexes over the past year, is under any illusion that they represent the Queen or HM Govt.

However, the couple are royals and high profile royals at that, and it is blindingly clear that many equally high profile people in the US are happy to meet them, keen to speak with them and are very happy to be photographed with them.


This couple isnt about to fade away however much officials at BP and the British media and other observers would like it to be so.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Durham

So the Mayor of NYC & the Governor of NY State formally greet a private couple who represent nobody but themselves & who live in the same country.

Do elected officials normally line up to meet celebrities in the USA? I would have thought it was the other way round. Maybe one of our US members could explain.

Originally Posted by Durham

Yes that's all very well but why do these two get access to this US ambassador?

Can any US citizen get a meeting with such a senior member of the US diplomatic service? He's not even an American!

All good questions.

There has been speculation that, whilst in NY, they had security by the Department of Homeland Security, I wonder why that may be appropriate?

[Heavs]

Originally Posted by muriel

All good questions.

There has been speculation that, whilst in NY, they had security by the Department of Homeland Security, I wonder why that may be appropriate?

I suppose the mayor or governor approved it, if it is true. I certainly don't think they were paying for all that security themselves. There was more security than anyone else in some of the pictures.

This is where it gets a little messy and blurring lines for me. They're not there representing anyone but themselves and everyone knows that thanks to the the public nature of the "break up". But they're still royals and to me acting as royals without portfolio and given the perks of Internationally Protected Persons of tax payer funded security whilst meeting politicians.

If NY is paying for it that's their issue.

I suppose my biggest question is still "why this tour?" even with the worthy cause involved.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Heavs

I suppose the mayor or governor approved it, if it is true. I certainly don't think they were paying for all that security themselves. There was more security than anyone else in some of the pictures.

This is where it gets a little messy and blurring lines for me. They're not there representing anyone but themselves and everyone knows that thanks to the the public nature of the "break up". But they're still royals and to me acting as royals without portfolio and given the perks of Internationally Protected Persons of tax payer funded security whilst meeting politicians.

If NY is paying for it that's their issue.

I suppose my biggest question is still "why this tour?" even with the worthy cause involved.

As I see it, if the Americans want to pay for H&Ms security, that is really for them. They are not doing it at the request of the UK government.

As to why the tour, it is really for the couple and Sunshine Sachs to work out. That too around the time the Un General Assembly has been in session. Perhaps they have seen Maxima attend UN events and want to be attached to it?

[Curryong]

I wouldn’t class this as a tour for the Sussexes, more a working trip away from California, discussions about world poverty, climate change, mental Heath etc with various officials, and the main event occurring this weekend with Global Citizen Live Event.

[ACO]

Harry and Meghan have kicked off today with a visit to a Harlem elementary school

https://twitter.com/madinatoure/stat...29016410349576

[Leopoldine]

Originally Posted by muriel

All good questions.

There has been speculation that, whilst in NY, they had security by the Department of Homeland Security, I wonder why that may be appropriate?

I think they may get threats, like any high-profile activist types.

[Claire]

I was curious to see how the event was covered by the New York press.

The Daily News and the New York Times there is not a piece on it at all - I suppose they might cover events later but nothing yet.

Only piece in the New York Post is a comment section about "NY pols fawn over ‘tourists’: Stop treating Harry & Meghan like royalty"

https://nypost.com/2021/09/23/new-yo...meghan-markle/

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Claire

I was curious to see how the event was covered by the New York press.

The Daily News and the New York Times there is not a piece on it at all - I suppose they might cover events later but nothing yet.

Only piece in the New York Post is a comment section about "NY pols fawn over ‘tourists’: Stop treating Harry & Meghan like royalty"

https://nypost.com/2021/09/23/new-yo...meghan-markle/

I am sure Sunshine Sachs will organise a piece or two in the press.

[_Heather_]

I've pondered the question of why this tour was necessary and I still have absolutely no good answer for that other than to drum up publicity for themselves. Make no mistake, this absolutely is a tour. Meeting dignitaries (even if the dignitaries agreed to the request and it wasn't demanded), posing for photo ops, starting the day off with a visit to a school (why, they're not experts in some educational field, etc.), and having a massive security detail (even if they aren't paying for it themselves). These are all hallmarks of a royal tour and they very much appear to be trying to give the impression and illusion of a pseudo-royal visit. It does appear to be quite self-aggrandizing, self-important, and publicity hungry.

All in all it's ridiculous. There's an awful lot of celebrities involved in the event they're there to attend and not one of them is creating this kind of circus around themselves and pretending to be anything but exactly what they are but then again, that's exactly what these two do best. I doubt very much that any American taxpayer, including myself, would be absolutely thrilled to be on the hook for security for these two who are, for all intents and purposes, nobody special. Yes, they're celebrities but celebrities are on the hook for their own security. They're not foreign dignitaries, they're not world leaders, they're not heads of state. They're celebrities who are famous but certainly not for their talents as we see with the other celebrities involved.

[Erin9]

Originally Posted by _Heather_

I've pondered the question of why this tour was necessary and I still have absolutely no good answer for that other than to drum up publicity for themselves. Make no mistake, this absolutely is a tour. Meeting dignitaries (even if the dignitaries agreed to the request and it wasn't demanded), posing for photo ops, starting the day off with a visit to a school (why, they're not experts in some educational field, etc.), and having a massive security detail (even if they aren't paying for it themselves). These are all hallmarks of a royal tour and they very much appear to be trying to give the impression and illusion of a pseudo-royal visit. It does appear to be quite self-aggrandizing, self-important, and publicity hungry.



All in all it's ridiculous. There's an awful lot of celebrities involved in the event they're there to attend and not one of them is creating this kind of circus around themselves and pretending to be anything but exactly what they are but then again, that's exactly what these two do best. I doubt very much that any American taxpayer, including myself, would be absolutely thrilled to be on the hook for security for these two who are, for all intents and purposes, nobody special. Yes, they're celebrities but celebrities are on the hook for their own security. They're not foreign dignitaries, they're not world leaders, they're not heads of state. They're celebrities who are famous but certainly not for their talents as we see with the other celebrities involved.

Agreed on all of it. Seems like a good opportunity to get themselves publicity. They represent no one. It is a tour, for all intents and purposes imo. And they are only celebrities now to me. Which this country is full of.

Apparently the book reading today to promote literacy is using Meghan’s book- The Bench. I admit- I haven’t read it, but the excerpts I saw didn’t make it sound appealing to 7 year olds. But I could be mistaken. Anyway- nice opportunity to plug her book.

[Lucy Scot]

Visiting one state is not a "tour".

And they never said that they would go away. They are living their lives and promoting their goals, which I think are good ones.

It seems that some people just want them to disappear and go away completely and will never be happy with whatever they do.

[MajorCats]

Originally Posted by Lucy Scot

Visiting one state is not a "tour".

And they never said that they would go away. They are living their lives and promoting their goals, which I think are good ones.

It seems that some people just want them to disappear and go away completely and will never be happy with whatever they do.

I agree with you. Harry and Meghan are doing good.

[caethi]

Originally Posted by muriel

I am sure Sunshine Sachs will organise a piece or two in the press.

Sunshine Sachs has organized a great deal for Harry and Meghan.