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

[muriel]

Originally Posted by FigTree

Well that is relative to a millionaire. He doesn't just fling money at them. He refused Harry more money for his household and this is the person who travels with his own personal harpist.

And several biographies have shown Charles being a stickler for hierarchy with his brothers in particular. I can't remember which but the writers like to jog out the anecdotes.

I don't know how much money he has but the royals themselves don't throw around money.

I think, fundamentally, Meghan was not content with being the wife of the 4th most important adult int he family / The Firm, after HM, Charles and William. IMO, she did not like that HM, Charles and William had far more influence and money, and she was dependant on monies provided by Charles for personal expenses as well as their office.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Claire

I think that Harry's book will confirm that he was promised that he would be treated exactly like the Cambridge. I understand from a number of people that William promised Harry that he would not treat him like Charles treats Andrew and Edward. And that is the biggest crunch of problem, and yes take it with a grain of truth. What was Harry promised and what did he think that entitled. He expected to get more money - he will get more money. Charles has a bigger piggy bank than the Queen ever could. He expected to have a bigger say in Charles and William's monarchy - he might have if things hadn't soured. But even if William promised to keep him as a equal partner - he would never be a joint monarch. So every unsure if Harry was expecting William's hopes for them to be a partnership to extend to that as well.

It is difficult to know what may or may not have been agreed between the brothers and at what stage of their lives. I can certainly see William explaining to Harry that Harry would always have a meaningful role in his court, and his support and thoughts would be vital to William throughout his life. I cannot see how an equal role could be offered to a younger brother in a monarchy. And even if such a statement was made, it was probably made and accpeted out of naivety than anything else.

[Denville]

Originally Posted by FigTree

Well that is relative to a millionaire. He doesn't just fling money at them. He refused Harry more money for his household and this is the person who travels with his own personal harpist.

And several biographies have shown Charles being a stickler for hierarchy with his brothers in particular. I can't remember which but the writers like to jog out the anecdotes.

I don't know how much money he has but the royals themselves don't throw around money.

how is that being tight with money, telling a grown man who had been saying that he wanted to make his own income, that he would not supply him with money indefinitely??? Charles gave Harry money to start up, in the US, why would he keep on giving him money?
Why does Charles travel with a personal harpist? who is this personal harpist? As for hierarchy, all the RF are conscious of hierarchy, that is not the same as sidelining his brothers.

[Alison H]

Originally Posted by muriel

That said, even if they did want to leave and pursue commercial careers in California, they could have left with grace and dignity and built their new lives in a positive way. 32 months since they announced their departures, and they continue to not just trade on their royal titles, but appear to use negativity as the primary tool in their trade.

They haven't got an ounce of either grace or dignity. Whatever they say will always draw attention, because of their relationship to the Royal Family, and they could have used that to promote good causes, of which there are any number in need of publicity. Or, as has been said before, the Archetype interviews could have been very interesting, with world famous stars such as Serena and Mariah on board. But 95% of what they say is complaining about the Royal Family and the media.

I don't see why Prince Charles should give them a penny. They're not carrying out any royal duties, and Harry inherited vast sums from Diana and the Queen Mother so he's hardly on the breadline.

[Curryong]

Originally Posted by FigTree

Well that is relative to a millionaire. He doesn't just fling money at them. He refused Harry more money for his household and this is the person who travels with his own personal harpist.

And several biographies have shown Charles being a stickler for hierarchy with his brothers in particular. I can't remember which but the writers like to jog out the anecdotes.

I don't know how much money he has but the royals themselves don't throw around money.

This is information about Charles’s Official Royal harpist.


From private secretaries to press officers, gardeners to chefs, it is well known that the British royal family employs people from a huge variety of professions. Many people may not be aware, however, that there are also some more unusual and specialist opportunities to work alongside the royals.
Among them is the position of the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales, a role that he reinstated in 2000 to encourage musical talent and raise the profile of the instrument. The post previously fell out of existence at the end of the Victorian era, but the position now offers a young musician the opportunity to perform at royal occasions and world-class events.


And Charles refused Harry more money for the Sussex office and staff while Harry and Meghan were still working royals, after the split with the Cambridges Royal Foundation. That was what Figtree was referring to, not their life in Canada or California after they had left the working royal life.

[Granada]

I also believe that Meghan and Harry thought they would be much more in demand and influential in the US, post leaving the UK with their announcement in Jan 2020

But then Covid and lockdowns came and literally everything changed, in March of 2020.
Perhaps the original plan, Business Model, was similar to the Speech that Harry did in Feb of 2020 at a JP Morgan Business Summit in Miami. Where it is believed he made around a million talking about losses, grieving and the impact the death of Princess Diana had on him.

A VERY well paid Speaker on the lecture circuit, talking about issues close to him. The environment, ( is his eco travel company Travelyst still around ?)
Mental health -grieving , disabled Veterans - Invictus, ect.....
But then Covid lockdowns destroyed that. So much for "carving out a PROGRESSIVE NEW ROLE within the Institution of the Monarchy" as they stated in their ill fated departure manifesto.
I think they thought they would be as influential as the Obama's and rub shoulders with the Media and Political Elite. The Obama's were known to have a a warm relationship with Harry.

That lovely video add for The Invictus Games in April of 2016 with Harry, The Obama's AND The Queen was just fantastic. So cute and funny !
And Harry had worked previously with Jill Biden on Veteran issues as a bonus. Especially after Joe Biden became President and took out VERY vocal Meghan critic Donald Trump.
But then, that didn't happen either.

No invite to Barack Obama's big splashy 60 th Birthday Party, no White House visits with The Biden's either. Meghan attempted to ingratiate and influence Female Senators on Federally paid Maternity Leave Rights last year got ignored too. She cold called a few and introduced herself as Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. One Senator dismissively remarked later that She was more interested in what her constituents thought anyway. Not Meghan.

I have loved reading all the posts and commentary here on The Sussex's and their continued quest to be relevant, " authentic " and agents of social change as they continually malign and disparage The Family and Institution that gave them the platform to begin with.

Poor Charles, he already has big shoes to fill and challenges to face when The Queen dies in the sadly not to distant future. Will the Sussex's ever grow up and cease and their never ending recriminations and vengeance filled interviews ? Or is wounding the British Monarchy, Harry's own Family more important ?
These strikes and blows they keep lobbying only fuel anti monarchy feelings. Pretty ironic coming from these two who cling to their Titles like life preservers on a sinking ship.

[Tatiana Maria]

Originally Posted by Hallo girl

The reaction of the UK media would suggest they took it as referring to them and not the readers.

Originally Posted by SirGyamfi1

She was definitely referring to members of the royal rota. But the thing is that was it one person or the entire group of reporters on the rota? We will probably never know.

The words of the Duchess of Sussex were "Royal Rota" and "the very people", in the plural. The Cut's reporter interpreted it as referring to the UK media/tabloids in general.

https://www.thecut.com/article/megha...interview.html

“There’s literally a structure by which if you want to release photos of your child, as a member of the family, you first have to give them to the Royal Rota,” the U.K. media pool, she explains. Usually, the photos would be on media outlets before she could post them herself. That didn’t sit right with Meghan, given her strained relationship with the British tabloids (“Harry’s girl is [almost] straight outta Compton” is how the Daily Mail introduced her to the British public), and especially since she would soon have a child of her own to protect. “Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child?” she asks, still ruffled. “You tell me how that makes sense and then I’ll play that game.”

[muriel]

Originally Posted by FigTree

Well that is relative to a millionaire. He doesn't just fling money at them. He refused Harry more money for his household and this is the person who travels with his own personal harpist.

And several biographies have shown Charles being a stickler for hierarchy with his brothers in particular. I can't remember which but the writers like to jog out the anecdotes.

I don't know how much money he has but the royals themselves don't throw around money.

Additional funding was refused by HM and the PoW to fund a standalone office for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The only people who have stndalone offices are Charles and William, both direct heirs to the throne. All other members of the RF (including Anne, Edward & Sophie) operate thorugh BP. I think that is entirely fair, and H&M needed to realsie, like it or not, that Harry is not a direct heir.

[Kaye1850]

Originally Posted by FigTree

Well that is relative to a millionaire. He doesn't just fling money at them. He refused Harry more money for his household and this is the person who travels with his own personal harpist.

The Queen appoints a Poet Laureate for the country; that doesn’t mean she travels with them!

This comment is similar to the tired trope about toothpaste on his toothbrush ~ yes, maybe when he had an injured shoulder.

[Curryong]

Yes, but it’s clear from this and other articles that Charles has his harpist play at various occasions, especially when staying in Wales or when he attends musical evenings and events elsewhere. That doesn’t occur with the Poet Laureate.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/...pist/77530900/

[Denville]

not much point in having a harpist if you dont expect the man to play. that remark about him sounded like Chas went everywhere with a little man with a harp and at nights if he couldn't sleep he sent for him to play for him. it doesn't make Charles seem extravagant, it makes him seem like a man who was interested in music and wanted to give a musician a chance to make a living using his skills.

Originally Posted by muriel

Additional funding was refused by HM and the PoW to fund a standalone office for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The only people who have stndalone offices are Charles and William, both direct heirs to the throne. All other members of the RF (including Anne, Edward & Sophie) operate thorugh BP. I think that is entirely fair, and H&M needed to realsie, like it or not, that Harry is not a direct heir.

thanks for this info. I did think that teh reference was to Charles refusing to give H any more money after he had moved, but didn't know about this. why did the Sussexes want a stnad alone office?

[Curryong]

This article states that the harp played by the Royal Harpist (a woman by the way) has a home at Clarence House.

https://www.classical-music.com/feat...-role-involve/

[Curryong]

Originally Posted by Denville

thanks for this info. I did think that teh reference was to Charles refusing to give H any more money after he had moved, but didn't know about this. why did the Sussexes want a stnad alone office?

Well the Sussexes did get staff of their own, working from BP. This article from 2019 names them.


https://www.townandcountrymag.com/so...-female-staff/

[Vinniebeetham]

Originally Posted by Curryong

Well the Sussexes did get staff of their own, working from BP. This article from 2019 names them.


https://www.townandcountrymag.com/so...-female-staff/

Amazing I like the Royal Family they have a great history and they even have the best event to let people go to

[Queen Claude]

Some comments on recent discussion points:

• From what I read, Charles is considered a generous man when it comes to himself, his wives and children. What I can believe is that Charles is a stickler for having budgets submitted in advance, and on the backend the recipient(s) adhering to that budget.

• Yeah if William and Harry had some kind of deal, William is not and has not been in a position to make anything happen when it comes to monies or Harry's position once he left their joint endeavor. The only area where I can see there being a beef with William is if William initiated the Cambridge-Sussex split versus the Sussexes which led to the chain of events where the Sussexes' position was deemed beneath that of the Cambridges, and both scenarios regarding who initiated the split have been reported. That does not mean that I would be Team Sussex when it comes to the beef, but I can see that as being viewed by Harry as William reneging on their deal.

• It was not a big story, but I recall reading that when the Cambridges and Sussexes were parting ways that William went to bat for the Sussexes to get generous funding, their own household or both.

• Archie and Lilibet will be HRH Prince/ss when Charles ascends. The only way for that to not happen is for The Queen to take action, and that is highly unlikely. Even the action taken by Charles will be them being retroactively stripped of their titles and styling, and the position Charles will be is to devise the LP in such a way that only the Sussex children will be stripped of their titles and styling, and there will be fallout from that, or to broaden the LP and additional royals, who have had HRH Prince and/or HRH Princess for decades will be stripped of their titles and there will be fallout there as well.

The other option is to issue a LP that only affects children born during / after Charles' reign. If that happens, then the ball will be in the Sussexes court regarding whether they will start referring to their children as HRH Prince Archie and HRH Princess Lilibet, and if they go that route, guess what, they will experience fallout.

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Curryong

Well the Sussexes did get staff of their own, working from BP. This article from 2019 names them.


https://www.townandcountrymag.com/so...-female-staff/

so which is it then ? One poster seems to be saying that Charles would not give extra funds to Harry to have a stand alone office and that hes a big meanie with money, but this seems to indicate that they did get their own office.

[Curryong]

I read in another article, which I now can’t find to post, that the Queen agreed to pay the salary of a Private Secretary for the couple from Duchy of Lancaster funds. Charles paid for the other office staff needed, I believe.

[Denville]

so Charles while probably reluctant, did pay for staff for Harry. It does not seem like evidence that he's tight iwth money. he is CAREFUL certainly and so are most royals apart from the queen mother... and one or 2 others.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by Curryong

I read in another article, which I now can’t find to post, that the Queen agreed to pay the salary of a Private Secretary for the couple from Duchy of Lancaster funds. Charles paid for the other office staff needed, I believe.

It was never about money, from a financial point of view nothing changed in either situation. It was about them having a separate household, not different from what the Cambridges have now. While it makes sense for the heir(s) to have individual hoseholds, for the others not so much. The Sussexes would have had the same allowance from BP and from the Duchy of Cornwall as they had when they were in the KP household.

[Queen Claude]

Originally Posted by Denville

so which is it then ? One poster seems to be saying that Charles would not give extra funds to Harry to have a stand alone office and that hes a big meanie with money, but this seems to indicate that they did get their own office.

The distinction is that the reportedly Sussexes wanted a standalone office / household which meant a household would have been created to function alongside the existing standalone households: Buckingham Palace (The Queen, her children (except Charles) and her cousins), Clarence House (Charles and Camilla) and Kensington Palace (the Cambridges, formerly the Cambridges and the Sussexes).

What they got may have been referred to as an office or household in the article, but Harry and Meghan moved from a household / office where their name was on the door to a household / office that was subsumed within the Top Lady's* household / office which served the Top Lady herself along with ten (give or take) other royals. Harry, and then Harry and Meghan together, always had dedicated staffers, along with staffers that they shared with William and Kate, and later on shared with the Buckingham Palace royals.

* A term Diana used for The Queen.