The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Step Back as Senior Royals: January 2020

[BaiSoSo]

He didn't walk because he is geared not to do so. I believe he said a while ago that he'd thought of walking out, but he wanted to do his job and support the queen.. so he stuck it out. British royals have grumped and complained and said they don't like the job but they have stuck at it because they are trained and expected to do so, and without it, they probably would not know what to do with themselves. Now Harry has a wife who is also having trouble with the job, who does not like the UK... and His onw mental health seems a bit fragile.. so he has not been able to keep on going....

I don't think Meghan had a problem with the work...she seemed to thrive on it, having 3 successful projects that had a lot of impact on some UK people, Charities & Businesses and she was marvelous at the tour part of the job as well. It was the media that she had problems with and I don't blame her the lies they told, the abuse they threw at her.

Harry had mentioned before that he was considering leaving but stayed because of his grandmother...probably the most important person in his life at the time. However, since then he has gotten married and his wife became his number 1 priority and then when they had little Archie the stakes were raised higher. Most likely he went back to this was not a healthy place for his family and he didn't want his son to be raised in it. So he decided that it was time to leave and with a strong partner by his side he was able to make the leap.

As for their mental health.... the Sussexes are not weak people they just know when enough is enough.

 

[Betsypaige]

Because unlike some others here I don't try to pretend to know why or state X as a fact UNLESS it's something they have said or it has come from official sources...I try to make sure I'm clear about it being my opinion as opposed to factual info.


Harry himself has stated in interviews for years about leaving. I've already talked about that in this thread. I'm not just making it up based on tabloid 'evidence' or rumor or 'someone's friend said'.

You can have all the opinions you want...but most of the time ppl here are stating it as fact instead of opinion. That's what I take issue with.

LaRae

Ok, I understand what you're saying, but we're not going to get (most likely) Meghan coming out and saying that she hates the U.K., that she doesn't want Archie to grow up inside the BRF, etc.. So, what we're left with is her friends speaking for her (possibly with her approval, possibly with not - most of these are anonymous, so I admit I'm guessing they're not speaking for her officially knowing Meghan's tendency to cut people off) and other circumstantial evidence....We do have some of her own words to bolster our opinions - such as her complaint in the Africa interview. We have her actions as well - such as fleeing to Canada ....It's not like there's nothing for us to base our opinions on. That old saying "where there's smoke, there's fire" has been around a long time for a reason.....it's true.

 

[Pranter]

Ok, I understand what you're saying, but we're not going to get (most likely) Meghan coming out and saying that she hates the U.K., that she doesn't want Archie to grow up inside the BRF, etc.. So, what we're left with is her friends speaking for her (possibly with her approval, possibly with not - most of these are anonymous, so I admit I'm guessing they're not speaking for her officially knowing Meghan's tendency to cut people off) and other circumstantial evidence....We do have some of her own words to bolster our opinions - such as her complaint in the Africa interview. We have her actions as well - such as fleeing to Canada ....It's not like there's nothing for us to base our opinions on. That old saying "where there's smoke, there's fire" has been around a long time for a reason.....it's true.

I don't think she hates the U.K., she spent some time in the U.K. before she ever met Harry. I don't think she hates the people or even Harry's family, I don't think she and Kate were besties but that doesn't mean they didn't get along. I think (just opinion) most likely she is very unhappy with the situation for various reasons:

The intrusive media, the barrage of negative media from day one that has taken a very nasty tone at times....and it's just never seem to let up.

I also wonder if they or she felt constrained to not work as much on projects she wanted to work on either for political reasons, sensitive social issues, or perhaps they didn't want them overshadowing (the number of jobs done per year seems to be a big issue...a no win situation because if you do 50 or 100 more than dad did you will be said to be trying to over shadow them, if you don't do enough you are lazy bums).

I had said that perhaps if she had come in and done basically nothing the first year or two would she of been able to get away with it ...or would she of been labeled work shy and lazy. Seems to be against her nature to do that though based on her work history.

I wonder if she felt somewhat isolated from friends and making new friends is great and all but who do you trust? That has to be tricky.

Archie will be in a position gazillion other kids are in..they don't live 'next door' to family. You visit a couple times a year and stay in touch via facetime etc. Planes do travel to Canada ..it would be nice to see family going to see them too. They (Sussexes) have said they will be spending time in the U.K. so I'm going by that...if they don't then I will change my view about it.

I firmly believe this was a joint decision however I do think Harry was the lead dog in the situation.

Fleeing to Canada? How about perhaps it was their plan for her to go back and stay with Archie while Harry handled the business with his family. It is HIS family afterall. There were no other ppl at the big meeting, Kate wasn't there, Phillip wasn't there, Camilla wasn't there.

Meghan has friends she's had since college. I don't agree with this idea she has a tendency to cut ppl off for some minor reason. When it comes to some of her family...they have proven it would be perfectly reasonable for most ppl to avoid contact. I certainly wouldn't have contact with them.

Here's another old saying..give ppl enough rope and they will hang themselves (or not). So right now I'm looking at their past history of behavior to give me an indication of how they will behave in the future.


LaRae

 

[acdc1]

I don't think she hates the U.K., she spent some time in the U.K. before she ever met Harry. I don't think she hates the people or even Harry's family, I don't think she and Kate were besties but that doesn't mean they didn't get along. I think (just opinion) most likely she is very unhappy with the situation for various reasons:

The intrusive media, the barrage of negative media from day one that has taken a very nasty tone at times....and it's just never seem to let up.


I wonder if she felt somewhat isolated from friends and making new friends is great and all but who do you trust? That has to be tricky.

I think that the pressure from the media and all the negative scrutiny was intense, but I also do think that she truly didn’t like living in the UK. There’s a big difference between visiting a place and spending time there, and living there all the time.

You said it below... she was isolated from her closest friends, and although we don’t know for certain, I don’t think she had really made many close friends in the UK. I don’t think she has much in common at all with William, Kate, and Harry’s other UK friends, and she probably did feel very isolated, especially with a new baby. I don’t fault her for wanting to be near those she was close to. I’ve said it before, the media did play a role, but I think her not liking the UK was a primary driver in this whole situation, but she could never come out and say it because that would be disastrous. The media is an easy thing to put the blame on.

 

[Princess]

It's only Prince Harry who's whingeing.


Incidentally, the very lovely and chocolate-filled state of Belgium has only been an independent country since 1830. The monarchy dates from 1831. The equally lovely state of the Netherlands has only existed as such since declaring independence from Spain in the 1580s.

I have great respect for Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel - she's struggled with anorexia, and they got hassle from the press when they got together, but they've worked through it all. The press also had plenty to say about Mette-Marit already having a child, Letizia being divorced, and Maxima's father's questionable activities, just as the press had plenty to say about Kate, Sophie, and many others, and yet Harry and Meghan are taking the attitude that it's somehow a million times worse for them than it is for everyone else. That's what annoys me. Everyone else deals with it.

Exactely
Princess Sofia herself told about her hard times at the beginning. She is still standing there for the SRF, doing a great job.
What's 2 year compared to all those others who went trough rough times?
Nothing. Not even a try

I very well know that Harry was not happy with his destiny, but maybe there would have been a better way to do this decently? Maybe right at the beginning with their marriage?

I don't blame them for wanting more privacy. I blame them for HOW they wanted to pick and choose.

 

[Elenath]

Please what?! I'm speaking for myself, not on everyone else, ..and, I personally do put a lot on Meghan, and yes, I understand you don't agree.

It was really a hypothetical question, but I find it interesting that you're saying that Harry is the one who really wanted to walk away, but then you can't offer up any opinion as to why he didn't. I'm not itching for an argument, but you keep saying that those of us blaming Meghan (at least in part) have no reason to believe so...and implying that we need to keep our opinions to ourselves. My answer to my own question is that Meghan encouraged him. That's my opinion......

You can't think of a reason? There wasn't enough incentive before he married Meghan. He wasn't completely happy with how things were, but not unhappy enough. If he had broken from the BRF back then he would have been alone. Now he met Meghan and the press and social media has been far from kind. It seems to make them both unhappy. Perhaps Harry even more than her. So now he has incentive, he wants to protect his family from A, a situation he wasn't completely happy with from the start and B, an extremely nasty press and social media. If B had been nicer there wouldn't have been enough incentive to leave and things would still be the way they were. And no, nicer doesn't mean not critical.

This all sounds perfectly logical to me.

 

[Alison H]

We have all sorts of celebrity gossip magazines too. I have no idea who some of the "celebs" on the front covers even are, sometimes - they have a very loose definition of "celebrity".

Harry had two long-term girlfriends who both reportedly broke up with him because they felt that royal life wasn't for them - Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas. Cressida's been in the news because she's in a TV series that's on at the moment. She and Harry were together for about 2 years, and she's friendly with Princess Eugenie and part of upper-class circles, far more so than Kate was before she met Prince William, but she didn't want to give up her acting work. Harry and Chelsy were together for about 6 years. That might help to explain why he didn't want to wait, once he'd found someone who said she'd be up for royal life: he must have been starting to feel that he'd never get married.

 

[Betsypaige]

You can't think of a reason? There wasn't enough incentive before he married Meghan. He wasn't completely happy with how things were, but not unhappy enough. If he had broken from the BRF back then he would have been alone. Now he met Meghan and the press and social media has been far from kind. It seems to make them both unhappy. Perhaps Harry even more than her. So now he has incentive, he wants to protect his family from A, a situation he wasn't completely happy with from the start and B, an extremely nasty press and social media. If B had been nicer there wouldn't have been enough incentive to leave and things would still be the way they were. And no, nicer doesn't mean not critical.

This all sounds perfectly logical to me.

The point is, he wasn't so desperate to leave that he felt he had no choice.....so yes, Meghan plays a huge role in this despite this idea that she's little to do with it.

As to the media, Harry ought to know by now that it's nothing personal - the media can be vicious to everyone. His mother, father and step-mother.......heck, the Queen herself as well - had to deal with it, and somehow they did. You have to ignore it and get on with it, like his family has. With social media, don't engage it. I'm sorry, but if Harry chooses to read what people have to say about him, then that's on him. Some people can be vile - the best thing to do is avoid reading any of that awful garbage so that you don't get upset. Now, it's fine if he just prefers to live elsewhere and away from Royal life - my bigger problem is how he and Meghan went about it.

 

[Betsypaige]

I don't think she hates the U.K., she spent some time in the U.K. before she ever met Harry. I don't think she hates the people or even Harry's family, I don't think she and Kate were besties but that doesn't mean they didn't get along. I think (just opinion) most likely she is very unhappy with the situation for various reasons:

The intrusive media, the barrage of negative media from day one that has taken a very nasty tone at times....and it's just never seem to let up.

I also wonder if they or she felt constrained to not work as much on projects she wanted to work on either for political reasons, sensitive social issues, or perhaps they didn't want them overshadowing (the number of jobs done per year seems to be a big issue...a no win situation because if you do 50 or 100 more than dad did you will be said to be trying to over shadow them, if you don't do enough you are lazy bums).

I had said that perhaps if she had come in and done basically nothing the first year or two would she of been able to get away with it ...or would she of been labeled work shy and lazy. Seems to be against her nature to do that though based on her work history.

I wonder if she felt somewhat isolated from friends and making new friends is great and all but who do you trust? That has to be tricky.

Archie will be in a position gazillion other kids are in..they don't live 'next door' to family. You visit a couple times a year and stay in touch via facetime etc. Planes do travel to Canada ..it would be nice to see family going to see them too. They (Sussexes) have said they will be spending time in the U.K. so I'm going by that...if they don't then I will change my view about it.

I firmly believe this was a joint decision however I do think Harry was the lead dog in the situation.

Fleeing to Canada? How about perhaps it was their plan for her to go back and stay with Archie while Harry handled the business with his family. It is HIS family afterall. There were no other ppl at the big meeting, Kate wasn't there, Phillip wasn't there, Camilla wasn't there.

Meghan has friends she's had since college. I don't agree with this idea she has a tendency to cut ppl off for some minor reason. When it comes to some of her family...they have proven it would be perfectly reasonable for most ppl to avoid contact. I certainly wouldn't have contact with them.

Here's another old saying..give ppl enough rope and they will hang themselves (or not). So right now I'm looking at their past history of behavior to give me an indication of how they will behave in the future.


LaRae

I agree with a lot of what you said. About family visiting, I had mentioned this upthread - I was under the impression based on what I read that Charles isn't allowed to just visit without first getting permission (but William and others could). I also agree that this is a common situation - I think it's sad, though, especially if it's true about Harry and Charles not getting on well lately. If I felt that they were all on good terms, I might feel better about it - though, I'd still feel it sad (which a large part of it is, that it feels so permanent, and it feels like Harry won't visit the UK much - which, I admit, is pure speculation).

Fleeing is not the best choice of words, probably - and you're right about no other spouse attending.

I imagine being in the BRF is isolating - you're not going to be hanging out with regular people, lol....and even had she lived in the UK before marriage, people know who she is; like you said, who do you trust?

 

[BaiSoSo]

Exactely
Princess Sofia herself told about her hard times at the beginning. She is still standing there for the SRF, doing a great job.
What's 2 year compared to all those others who went trough rough times?
Nothing. Not even a try

I very well know that Harry was not happy with his destiny, but maybe there would have been a better way to do this decently? Maybe right at the beginning with their marriage?

I don't blame them for wanting more privacy. I blame them for HOW they wanted to pick and choose.

I doubt Princess Sofia was maligned in the media because of her race (and it was there in the media whether or not some want to believe it), had her child compared to a chimp. Was her husband deemed a 'race traitor' and threatened because he married her? Was Sofia berated for 'preaching' about a topic she never mentioned? Was Sofia degraded for supporting women to have an education, a voice? Was Sofia harassed by a TV host for well over two years simply because she didn't invite him to her wedding?

If Meghan had been living in Sweden perhaps the outcome would have been different. Princess Sofia's experience is not the same as Meghan's so it is hard to say Meghan should have just stayed and taken the abuse. What would be a good reason to do so?

As for doing it a different way, they worked on it for MONTHS (per the Queen) and it was dragged on until it was leaked to the media. That is when the couple felt they had to speak up/out. Why should Harry & Meghan once again be handed on a platter to the media just so that others in the family would come out looking good (when they weren't), why should Harry & Meghan bear all the sacrifices with little to no support from the BRF?.

I agree with a lot of what you said. About family visiting, I had mentioned this upthread - I was under the impression based on what I read that Charles isn't allowed to just visit without first getting permission (but William and others could). I also agree that this is a common situation - I think it's sad, though, especially if it's true about Harry and Charles not getting on well lately. If I felt that they were all on good terms, I might feel better about it - though, I'd still feel it sad (which a large part of it is, that it feels so permanent, and it feels like Harry won't visit the UK much - which, I admit, is pure speculation).

Fleeing is not the best choice of words, probably - and you're right about no other spouse attending.

I imagine being in the BRF is isolating - you're not going to be hanging out with regular people, lol....and even had she lived in the UK before marriage, people know who she is; like you said, who do you trust?

I doubt the royals will visit them in Canada, they didn't even seem to have time for them when they were in the UK. Nor do I think the brothers are on good enough terms for a visit. Harry & Charles seemed to have a good relationship right after the wedding, but after the success of the Oceania tour and the media onslaught started Charles has been fairly silent. When is sad because Harry seemed to have kind words for both Charles & Camilla.

 

[Mbruno]

Exactely
Princess Sofia herself told about her hard times at the beginning. She is still standing there for the SRF, doing a great job.
What's 2 year compared to all those others who went trough rough times?
Nothing. Not even a try

I very well know that Harry was not happy with his destiny, but maybe there would have been a better way to do this decently? Maybe right at the beginning with their marriage?

I don't blame them for wanting more privacy. I blame them for HOW they wanted to pick and choose.

Actually, of all royal brides, I think Queen Letizia is probably the one who had to endure the worst in my opinion. From the moment she was engaged to then Prince Felipe, she was called an abortionist, an atheist, a republican, the woman who would bring down the monarchy, "Letizia la ficticia"and so on, so forth. Her family was insulted because her grandfather was a taxi driver or whatever. And the insults and the abuse have continued up to today even though she is now queen consort (it suffices to read certain Spanish blogs and YouTube channels; it is vicious !). Her fashion style is constantly criticized in Spain (even though it is on the contrary generally praised in the US and the UK) and she has also been accused of being a control freak, of keeping her daughters from her in-laws, forcing her husband to distance himself from his sisters, ignoring protocol and etiquette, and she has even been booed in public.



In fact, even poor gentle Queen Mathilde , who is normally immune from tabloid gossip, had to deal with rumors that she had conceived her (four !) children by artificial insemination ! And CP Victoria had to wait 10 years I guess until she was allowed to marry Daniel.



So, yes, many royals get their fair share of roughness and feeling like they are somebody else's "possession". To be fair, however, Letizia or Victoria for example did not have a choice really because one was married to the heir to the throne and the other is the heir herself. It is not so easy for them to walk out then as Harry and Meghan can do.

 

[Helen.CH]

I guess some are spinning in a circle and others try to make some pecking order ,
because nothing new has happened since Saturday.
And though it is somehow understandably tempting to speculate, I agree very much that one shouldn't rely on tabloids, tweets or whatsoever and then create a false impression based on the wording. Some posters who just drop in from time to time take these " facts" as evidence and a lot of discussion starts over again until somebody mentions that it had been picked from tabloids aso....
Maybe it is time to get on with other things and wait&see ;-)
Have a nice evening, morning... wherever you are.

 

[Pranter]

I agree with a lot of what you said. About family visiting, I had mentioned this upthread - I was under the impression based on what I read that Charles isn't allowed to just visit without first getting permission (but William and others could). I also agree that this is a common situation - I think it's sad, though, especially if it's true about Harry and Charles not getting on well lately. If I felt that they were all on good terms, I might feel better about it - though, I'd still feel it sad (which a large part of it is, that it feels so permanent, and it feels like Harry won't visit the UK much - which, I admit, is pure speculation).

Fleeing is not the best choice of words, probably - and you're right about no other spouse attending.

I imagine being in the BRF is isolating - you're not going to be hanging out with regular people, lol....and even had she lived in the UK before marriage, people know who she is; like you said, who do you trust?

I don't know that I believe Charles has to get permission to go but even if it's true, he's taken all manner of vacations outside the U.K. in the past so presumably he's able to get it if he needs/wants it.

I wonder if things can settle down and the first few times they go back for patronages etc things don't go crazy if that will make it easier so they can spend more time there.

It was interesting that this week Kate, at her engagement, mentioned how isolated she felt in Wales with a tiny baby and she is though to have a lot of support from family and friends...so I can imagine if even she felt that way what it might of been like for someone who is a newcomer, add that on top of the craziness with the media...it might all get to be a bit too much.



LaRae

 

[Hallo girl]

Joining the RF must be difficult, do you leave your old friends behind, and blend in with royal circle.
Does the royal friendship circle accept you, especially if you are a total newbie.

Can you trust your old friends not to give up tales, however innocent about you.

Is that why we do not really know who are the close friends of the royal family, in particular the older members. We seem them at Ascot etc with people, but are they true friends, acquaintances, or a request by the government to entertain.
I have been critical of Meghan in the past but I do not under estimate what she faced, IMO she did under estimate.

 

[Betsypaige]

I don't know that I believe Charles has to get permission to go but even if it's true, he's taken all manner of vacations outside the U.K. in the past so presumably he's able to get it if he needs/wants it.

I wonder if things can settle down and the first few times they go back for patronages etc things don't go crazy if that will make it easier so they can spend more time there.

It was interesting that this week Kate, at her engagement, mentioned how isolated she felt in Wales with a tiny baby and she is though to have a lot of support from family and friends...so I can imagine if even she felt that way what it might of been like for someone who is a newcomer, add that on top of the craziness with the media...it might all get to be a bit too much.



LaRae

Good points....I'll assume Charles and co. will find a way to see/visit/communicate with their son and vice versa; he's in Canada, not Antarctica.

I would think that would make everyone feel a lot better, yes. If baby Archie is there, all the better - maybe just a family get together is what everyone needs. Surely even the BRF does those - even if rarely, lol.

Maybe that was Kate's way of offering support to Meghan.....it wouldn't surprise me. I can buy that Meghan was overwhelmed - who wouldn't be?

 

[Eskimo]

If you are a citizen through birthright do you actually need to take an oath? I'm sure Archie could get a US passport just by filing some documents.

He does not need to take the oath but needs to apply for a passport. Since Archie was born in the UK, I am not sure if they have applied for it yet

 

[ACO]

It is interesting that Kate can say she felt isolated and she is praised but Meghan says the same and she is berated. The same with Charles being seen with Greta yesterday was great but Meghan featuring her in Vogue was criticized. This is just another example of the many, many double standards she faced.

But it I agree it is interesting having someone like Kate admit that in the wake of Meghan wanted it. Maybe a nice reminder to folk it is not as simple as people want to make it. We have zero idea what any of them go through. Some have to grin and bear it more than others.

But a change of topic -- It will be interesting to see the coverage of Invictus Games this year. It would been months afterwards and I am sure despite his feelings of the media that he will invite them all. It will likely be the first time we see them in that capacity in a while. Wonder how it will all go down.

 

[BaiSoSo]

Good points....I'll assume Charles and co. will find a way to see/visit/communicate with their son and vice versa; he's in Canada, not Antarctica.

I would think that would make everyone feel a lot better, yes. If baby Archie is there, all the better - maybe just a family get together is what everyone needs. Surely even the BRF does those - even if rarely, lol.

Maybe that was Kate's way of offering support to Meghan.....it wouldn't surprise me. I can buy that Meghan was overwhelmed - who wouldn't be?

Really? There wasn't any reference to Meghan in that statement so how could it be offering support to her? But it does highlight the continued double standards between other royals and Meghan. Meghan was berated for even suggesting that she wasn't getting support as a new mom. Catherine says something years later and is getting prasied for it.

 

[Frelinghighness]

Actually, of all royal brides, I think Queen Letizia is probably the one who had to endure the worst in my opinion. From the moment she was engaged to then Prince Felipe, she was called an abortionist, an atheist, a republican, the woman who would bring down the monarchy, "Letizia la ficticia"and so on, so forth. Her family was insulted because her grandfather was a taxi driver or whatever. And the insults and the abuse have continued up to today even though she is now queen consort (it suffices to read certain Spanish blogs and YouTube channels; it is vicious !). Her fashion style is constantly criticized in Spain (even though it is on the contrary generally praised in the US and the UK) and she has also been accused of being a control freak, of keeping her daughters from her in-laws, forcing her husband to distance himself from his sisters, ignoring protocol and etiquette, and she has even been booed in public.



In fact, even poor gentle Queen Mathilde , who is normally immune from tabloid gossip, had to deal with rumors that she had conceived her (four !) children by artificial insemination ! And CP Victoria had to wait 10 years I guess until she was allowed to marry Daniel.



So, yes, many royals get their fair share of roughness and feeling like they are somebody else's "possession". To be fair, however, Letizia or Victoria for example did not have a choice really because one was married to the heir to the throne and the other is the heir herself. It is not so easy for them to walk out then as Harry and Meghan can do.

Thanks for listing some of the horrors the other royal brides have faced. I agree that letitzia is continually hounded. And I think of Matilde as gentle also

 

[Fem]

Really? There wasn't any reference to Meghan in that statement so how could it be offering support to Meghan? But it does highlight the continued double standards between other royals and Meghan. Meghan was berated for even suggesting that she wasn't getting support as a new mom. Catherine says something years later and is getting prasied for it.

I think you're missing some important context here, tbh, because these two situations don't have much in common, if they do at all.

Anglesey is a bit... remote. As in far from everything, including their families. Catherine said she was alone, William was working during the night, their house was out of the way too. And all she said was that she would love to have a community of mothers to meet and talk to - she never, not even once, suggested she didn't have enough support, just that it's sometimes lonely when you sit alone with your newborn at home. Not to mention, she did so while visiting a place where new moms can meet and spend time with, so it was a bit, how can I say it, on the subject of the whole visit. What she said might have been shared and understood between the mothers she was meeting with, because it's a very universal experience for a parent.

Meghan though - a bit different story? She, with tears in her eyes, told a journalist, a member of the very press that poisoned her life apparently, her sad story, how no one asked if she was okay as a new mom/wife/royal. And she did so in Africa, basically making sure the whole coverage of the tour instead of focusing on the charities they visited, of the real, horrific problems of the people who live there, was about her and her sad story. I doubt a mother who doesn't know if she will have food for her newborn tomorrow or a father who doesn't know if his teenage daughter will come back home from school safe would understood Meghan's struggles. (EDIT: Which, I want to say, doesn't make Meghan's struggles somehow not valid - just a case of wrong place, wrong time.)

You know what, I actually never thought of it like this, but now I feel like we do need to praise Catherine for what she said.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Dr. Jane Goodall spoke to BBCRadio4 today and touched on the Sussexes’ news:

“Well it doesn’t surprise me, having met them both. I know that Prince Harry really felt constrained and he desperately wants little Archie to grow up away from all the pomp and royalty, I know that.”

Why should Archie have to grow up away from all the pomp and royalty? Archie is the grandson of the future King Charles III of Great Britain.

 

[ladongas]

I’m surprised that Harry’s large group of longtime friends (and their spouses/partners) didn’t make more of an effort to befriend Meghan. Of course, I don’t know that for sure. I thought they were happy during the months they were staying in the Cotswolds, and that they were socializing with his friends then. But suddenly they were living in rather isolated fashion at Frogmore...

 

[Erin9]

Really? There wasn't any reference to Meghan in that statement so how could it be offering support to her? But it does highlight the continued double standards between other royals and Meghan. Meghan was berated for even suggesting that she wasn't getting support as a new mom. Catherine says something years later and is getting prasied for it.

I guess it depends on how you read it. It’s not the same to me.

To me, the two situations are very different. Kate’s talking about an issue she’s dealt with. It didn’t come across as a bid for sympathy and complaining. It was directly related to the work she was doing that day- very specifically. She was talking about how a place like this would have been nice for her and why. She was connecting with other people there.

The tone and contexts aren’t even remotely similar to me.

 

[Alison H]

Kate was making a point about how she empathises with many other women who find it difficult to cope with a new baby, in the context of visiting a support centre for new mothers who are in precisely that situation. A lot of women do feel guilty about admitting that they find it hard to cope, because they think they'll be seen as bad mothers. She wasn't asking for sympathy, especially as she was talking about something from six years ago. Harry and William have done similar things by saying that it's OK to speak out about mental health issues: there's a big problem in the UK with men in their 20s and 30s not speaking out.

 

[Pranter]

I’m surprised that Harry’s large group of longtime friends (and their spouses/partners) didn’t make more of an effort to befriend Meghan. Of course, I don’t know that for sure. I thought they were happy during the months they were staying in the Cotswolds, and that they were socializing with his friends then. But suddenly they were living in rather isolated fashion at Frogmore...

They were driven out of the Cotswolds by media sending drones to take pics thru the windows of their home. A shame they couldn't stay there longer..it might of helped if they could of.


LaRae

 

[ACO]

Why should Archie have to grow up away from all the pomp and royalty? Archie is the grandson of the future King Charles III of Great Britain.

Well Archie and his parents aren't seen as royals anymore in the bigger picture. So the decision was made for him. And really it’s probably for the best.

 

[Pranter]

It is interesting that Kate can say she felt isolated and she is praised but Meghan says the same and she is berated. The same with Charles being seen with Greta yesterday was great but Meghan featuring her in Vogue was criticized. This is just another example of the many, many double standards she faced.

But it I agree it is interesting having someone like Kate admit that in the wake of Meghan wanted it. Maybe a nice reminder to folk it is not as simple as people want to make it. We have zero idea what any of them go through. Some have to grin and bear it more than others.

But a change of topic -- It will be interesting to see the coverage of Invictus Games this year. It would been months afterwards and I am sure despite his feelings of the media that he will invite them all. It will likely be the first time we see them in that capacity in a while. Wonder how it will all go down.

Most ppl miss it or they have just forgotten that a few months ago how the other side of things went. It's just more of the same double standard that has gone on since they got married, if not before.

Omid's latest podcast had Laniey (I'm not that familiar with her) on to discuss possibilities of what comes next ...there were some rather interesting insights they brought up on options of a way forward among other things. Nothing however was said about IG.

I for one hope they regroup get things set up and blow everyone's doors off.


LaRae

 

[poppy7]

I’m surprised that Harry’s large group of longtime friends (and their spouses/partners) didn’t make more of an effort to befriend Meghan. Of course, I don’t know that for sure. I thought they were happy during the months they were staying in the Cotswolds, and that they were socializing with his friends then. But suddenly they were living in rather isolated fashion at Frogmore...

I think a lot of Harry's closet friends had moved on with their lives. A few are in America..I don't k ow who they were hanging out with in the Cotswolds But if it was near the Soho farmhouse. Where I think they liked to hang out, it would have been with the van cutsems et al. Given Rose Astor's faux pad on social media I think that nicity to Meghan is over. If it ever existed.

 

[Pranter]

I think a lot of Harry's closet friends had moved on with their lives. A few are in America..I don't k ow who they were hanging out with in the Cotswolds But if it was near the Soho farmhouse. Where I think they liked to hang out, it would have been with the van cutsems et al. Given Rose Astor's faux pad on social media I think that nicity to Meghan is over. If it ever existed.

Rose tweeted again within 24 hours I think ...and called the DM a not very nice name so not too sure that you can take one tweet and use it to base that they don't like or support Meghan.


LaRae

 

[Betsypaige]

It is interesting that Kate can say she felt isolated and she is praised but Meghan says the same and she is berated. The same with Charles being seen with Greta yesterday was great but Meghan featuring her in Vogue was criticized. This is just another example of the many, many double standards she faced.

But it I agree it is interesting having someone like Kate admit that in the wake of Meghan wanted it. Maybe a nice reminder to folk it is not as simple as people want to make it. We have zero idea what any of them go through. Some have to grin and bear it more than others.

But a change of topic -- It will be interesting to see the coverage of Invictus Games this year. It would been months afterwards and I am sure despite his feelings of the media that he will invite them all. It will likely be the first time we see them in that capacity in a while. Wonder how it will all go down.

I didn't hear Kate say it, but there's a difference between saying she was in Wales and feeling isolated - because she was physically away from everyone - and Meghan, giving an interview in Africa (where people struggle just to barely survive) complaining that she wasn't given enough support.

None of us are wrong and none of us are right- we just interpret things differently.