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

[kathia_sophia]

Oh my god! 84 pages! I was away in vacation, and it seems that many things happened while I was away from here.


Please, sorry to bother, but could someone here provide me info about what happened since the beginning? I don't want to "suffer" and read 84 pages in order to know what's happening. Thank you all.

 

[Hallo girl]

The press is never kind to anyone, and Harry and Meghan made some missteps early on--little things, perhaps, but which accumulated over time. That doesn't excuse some of the coverage, but it does give some context.

Harry and Meghan used to be an asset. It's far from clear that they could be in the future. They may have torched that bridge: torched and salted the earth. How can they ever be trusted again? That's the thing that made what they did with the wish list/demands so egregious. Pretty hard to come back from that.

And now they have Tom Bradby making implied threats about no-holds barred interviews if they don't get what they want, so they aren't even operating in good faith right now. It is not a good portent for their stability, reliability, or trustworthiness going forward.

Excellent post, you are correct, even if they came to an agreement tomorrow could they be trusted to keep to the arrangement.

 

[Mbruno]

I disagree strongly (and I'm a Canadian citizen!)

#2 and 4 are really questions of public opinion. A poll in the National Post showed that 60% of Canadians would approve of Prince Harry becoming Governor-General, including 62% of 18-34 year olds and even 47% of Quebecers. By contrast, an Angus Reid poll showed that 55% of Canadians approved of the incumbent Julie Payette's appointment in 2017.

As for #1, I don't think anyone is suggesting booting Payette immediately. I imagine he would be appointed at the end of her term in 2022-23. This would give the Sussexes 2-3 years to bolster his finances, place down roots, and enhance their reputation further and take on local patronages (Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment?).

#3 is the only real barrier, but it's hardly an insurmountable one, if the Prince is willing to tackle it . In any case, the informal convention of alternating between Anglophones and Francophones means that the next GG should be an Anglophone, so I imagine he has some leeway (and bilingualism too is not a a hard rule but a custom which is flexible to public opinion, although given that it's expected generally of high-ranking officeholders I imagine it is less flexible than #2 and #4).

I think this would be the best of both worlds. It would lend the office of de facto head of state a glamour and prominence on the world stage it's long lacked. It would allow the Sussexes to take on a role with the purpose they've lacked in the UK, but one they would-- given their unique stature-- they would probably have a lot of room to redefine. It would abrogate all sorts of financial concerns. It would revitalize the Canadian monarchy for and renew the Crown's link with the largest Commonwealth realm during what will probably be an uncertain transition period. This Canadian move may yet prove a very sound idea, even if the roll-out was botched.

I don’t think Harry will ever be GG , but since you raised the topic, as GG ,Harry would at least have to give speeches partially in French, including the most important of all, the Speech from the Throne ( the Canadian equivalent to the Queen’s speech). I don’t think Harry is ready for that , even if he had an intensive course in French.

Second, the GG in Canada plays pretty much the same state role that the Queen does in the UK. That means meetings of the Privy Council, signing bills into law, audiences with ministers, accepting diplomatic credentials , hosting state dinners, etc etc . I don’t think Harry has any interest or training to do such things ( to be fair , many past GGs didn’t either, but they were picked for political reasons).

I believe Harry would feel more at ease with the type of social work the GG does, like giving awards, taking patronages, etc as that is closer to what he already does on the UK, but that is only part of the job.

 

[yvr girl]

I am sure many of us could live the quiet private life they claim to want on that kind of money. I am prepared to give it a try.

I could live quite nicely on 30 million too, but I couldn't fund a Sussex lifestyle. If they get 5 to 10% return on their investments that is 1.5 to 3 million dollars a year would be taxed in up to 3 countries. That wouldn't cover their security. It would barely cover Meghan's clothing allowance.

 

[Nico]

Tom Bradby says:


So the truth is probably somewhere in the middle but perceptions can hide the truth for us personally. One side perceives H&M as difficult, while H&M see jealousy & unfriendliness. This family needs mediation to resolve these deep rooted issues so they can operate as a cohesive, supportive team. I said before that they resemble a disparate group doing their own thing rather than 'the firm' they're supposed to be.

I don't see jealousy from other members of the BRF, but surely i see maybe exasperation from members who spent ages playing by the rules and see the Sussexes basically doing what they want. It's not envy it's a reaction to a situation profoundly unfair to the other members of the BRF and sureley judged as selfish compared to the usual "team" spirit of the Firm.
Again we can judge the Monarchy as an old intitution, out of touch with bygone rules. It's probably not wrong but again changing takes time and reflection and above all it has to come from the top.
Who do the Sussexes think they are by declaring themselves reformer of the Monarchy ? It's not their role to try to unilaterally modernize the Monarchy, it's their role to SUPPORT the head of the House who will eventually try to changes things.

Last night i rewatched the interview with Kenneth Harris of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. It's amazing how history is eerily repeating itself.

 

[texankitcat]

To me, it’s quite clear that KP didn’t leak this story. But someone in the Sussex Camp did. Henry and Meghan weren’t getting their way with negotiations and appeared to be forced to announce the information.

That’s why Archie was left in Canada, naively Meghan and Henry believed they could come back, everything would work their way and they’d hop back to Canada before all coming back smelling like roses before Henry’s engagements next week.

I agree with you. It was completely to their advantage to leak it since they apparently already had their plans in place and we’re moving forward regardless of any official approval. They certainly got it expedited, but the question remains of whether they will be able to do all they have already publicly declared on their website. I certainly hope not.

 

[evolvingdoors]

Excellent post, you are correct, even if they came to an agreement tomorrow could they be trusted to keep to the arrangement.

“They”? No, I think Meghan has proven to the family this past year she is not trust worthy, and that William request of Harry to wait were spot on!

As for Harry and Harrison? The family may, over time, trust him again and welcome them both back into the fold (partially- with a major big brother over seeing eye on his decisions, should he take on royal duties again) if he leaves,

 

[texankitcat]

Oh my god! 84 pages! I was away in vacation, and it seems that many things happened while I was away from here.


Please, sorry to bother, but could someone here provide me info about what happened since the beginning? I don't want to "suffer" and read 84 pages in order to know what's happening. Thank you all.

The good news is you don’t need to read all 84 pages since it is all over the world media. Going back a few pages here to get the gist of the discussion.

 

[Erin9]

To me, it’s quite clear that KP didn’t leak this story. But someone in the Sussex Camp did. Henry and Meghan weren’t getting their way with negotiations and appeared to be forced to announce the information.

That’s why Archie was left in Canada, naively Meghan and Henry believed they could come back, everything would work their way and they’d hop back to Canada before all coming back smelling like roses before Henry’s engagements next week.

Agreed- It seems unlikely anyone in KP wanted this leaked. For sure William and Kate did not. It didn’t benefit them at all for this mess to become public before decisions were finalized. It’s not their way anyway. It’s possible some advisor leaked this- but it seems less likely. Especially when you take into account what happened after the leak.

It makes way more sense for someone on the Sussex side to have leaked this. And look at their response: they announced with no notice to the family they were doing this.

There was no effort to work with the family. People can say they “had” to announce due to the leak. I don’t agree, but even if you accept that premise- nothing explains not acting WITH the family in making the statement. They blindsided them instead.

They added more fuel to the fire by publishing a wish list- that was long, detailed, vague and clearly hadn’t been tossed together in an hour- making it sound like everything was agreed upon. No excuse for any of that imo. (BP responds by saying- they know about the Sussexes desires, but they’re in the early stages of working on this.) So- clearly nothing has been finalized. With that in mind- it looks like they’re trying to force the family to accommodate their desires by publicizing their desires and making it sound like a done deal. It’s an appeal to the public.

They took the dogs to Canada and left Archie there. Speaks for itself imo.

Then you have Tom Bradby: It looks incredibly bad that their known mouthpiece is walking around saying:

if they don’t get what they want, they’ll give interviews that trash the family. Nice bit of blackmail there. If that’s not true, this would be a good opportunity for the Sussexes to personally say that’s not the case. Again- he seems to be their mouthpiece. Trusted by them. It doesn’t sound like gossip coming from him. And it’s one more reason to consider that the Sussexes wanted this leaked.

You also have him claiming jealousy is part of the reason this happened. He threw everyone under the bus except HM and Philip with that. Nice- so that means even Charles isn’t exempted from that.

There is clearly a lack of trust within the family. I’m sure there is on the Sussex side, but where it is painfully obvious- the rest of the BRF is constantly getting publicly blindsided by these two.

As listed above and starting- at least- with that interview- where they complained about their lives, Meghan complained about no one asking about how she’s doing (whether she meant the press, the family, everyone- who knows- but it was left open for interpretation), and Harry chose to acknowledge the rift with William. No one knew the documentary was going to go in that personal of a direction.

Honestly- it is more believable imo that someone on the Sussex side leaked this based on how everything has been handled since and the BP statement. Maybe someone in KP did it without William and Kate’s knowledge, but that seems far less likely imo. Based on the Sussex responses - ALL of them- it feels like more of a negotiating tactic on their end. They just claim it wasn’t them.

 

[angieuk]

I don't doubt they have already worked out the lucrative business deals at their disposal now they have jumped ship! Some figures being suggested are £400-600 million in private enterprise earnings. The incomes they can generate will be vast.

Compare this, to a rainy Wednesday afternoon, attending a Royal Engagement on some rundown Council Estate.

Unlike the Duchess of York, who also cut and run; Meghan is not going to let the same thing happen to her. She's a hardnosed business woman, and at nearly 39, will do whatever it takes while the sun still shines. I doubt she'll ever see the Queen again face-to-face, or be part of Royal Christmas events. Harry has a mind of his own and wants the same I would suspect. Although I wonder if Harry had NOT agreed to jump ship; Meghan would have just marched on, on her own, and left the toxic UK; as she calls it, far behind, and then instructed top of the game Lawyers to protect her personal interests. In the next few years I think they will have many challenges to face. They will either stick it out together, or the marriage will start to unravel; and the inevitable marriage-over stories will start to surface. I don’t believe the HRH titles are in jeopardy, at the moment, as Harry will want to retain those.

I had expected Meghan to attend the crisis meeting; and was shocked when I heard she had left the country, rather than face the royals with Harry, around the table. I expect Harry will be gone from the UK by the end of next week.

I don’t think Catherine and Meghan had a falling out; I believe they never related to each other right from the beginning. William and Catherine once they become King and Queen in the distant future, will focus on that. William feels badly let down, and whether he blames Meghan for the brothers' broken relationship; or Harry as well; only William knows.

The Duke of Windsor spent most of his money buying jewellery for Walls, and after most of their money ran out; they attended numerous parties almost anywhere for a free lunch. Sadly, King George V1 and the Duke of Windsor's relationship was never the same again. I wonder what the Queen Mother would have made of it all. Charles, whether fairly, or unfairly comes across as weak and ineffectual.

 

[Eskimo]

I disagree strongly (and I'm a Canadian citizen!)

#2 and 4 are really questions of public opinion. A poll in the National Post showed that 60% of Canadians would approve of Prince Harry becoming Governor-General, including 62% of 18-34 year olds and even 47% of Quebecers. By contrast, an Angus Reid poll showed that 55% of Canadians approved of the incumbent Julie Payette's appointment in 2017.

As for #1, I don't think anyone is suggesting booting Payette immediately. I imagine he would be appointed at the end of her term in 2022-23. This would give the Sussexes 2-3 years to bolster his finances, place down roots, and enhance their reputation further and take on local patronages (Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Regiment?).

#3 is the only real barrier, but it's hardly an insurmountable one, if the Prince is willing to tackle it . In any case, the informal convention of alternating between Anglophones and Francophones means that the next GG should be an Anglophone, so I imagine he has some leeway (and bilingualism too is not a a hard rule but a custom which is flexible to public opinion, although given that it's expected generally of high-ranking officeholders I imagine it is less flexible than #2 and #4).

I think this would be the best of both worlds. It would lend the office of de facto head of state a glamour and prominence on the world stage it's long lacked. It would allow the Sussexes to take on a role with the purpose they've lacked in the UK, but one they would-- given their unique stature-- they would probably have a lot of room to redefine. It would abrogate all sorts of financial concerns. It would revitalize the Canadian monarchy for and renew the Crown's link with the largest Commonwealth realm during what will probably be an uncertain transition period. This Canadian move may yet prove a very sound idea, even if the roll-out was botched.

Parterre---Let you give me my perspective on this as a Canadian living in the US:

I am a supporter of the current ruling Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. However, if he chooses to recommend ANY non-Canadian for GG (including Harry) I will be the calling for his immediate resignation as PM. And I am pretty sure that is what a majority of Canadians will do. So politically speaking it is a non-starter.

 

[QueenMathilde]

I just saw this and was about to post it. I’m not sure what to think about it, but the fact they say to become “financially independent” struck me as odd. Sounds like they’re wanting to commercialize all things Sussex related which just makes me think they only want to be royal if they can make money off of it.

I didn't think to come here until today. All the talking heads on TV know nothing about the royal family - I'd rather listen to the opinion of people who actually have followed them for years like I have.



Yes, this is the only thing that bothers me about their leaving. They're minor royals and from what I've read (and believe - look at the pictures behind the queen during her last speech - no Meghan and Harry) is that they were told they were going to be part of the "slimming down" of the royal family so they decided to act. Supposedly the Sun knew this and was going to publish it the next day so they beat them to the punch.


No I don't like the idea of the "sussex royal" website and all the merchandise they've trademarked. I think I'd rather they continue getting their money from Charles and the Queen. In the past Sophie, Edward and Fergie all tried to sell their royal connections with disastrous results. This is not new territory. She can work, he can work (she can go back to acting - there's a story going around that she's doing voice over work for Disney.) I don't see a problem with that.



I also think they shouldn't have the HRH if they're not really going to be working members of the royals. I think that title should be saved for those in direct line. I don't think they have to lose all their titles - Andrew should have to but that's a different conversation. They didn't do anything wrong they just want to step back and become more like Zara and Peter who earn their own money. No one criticizes them.

 

[QueenMathilde]

As someone who lived in the US for many years, and studied the various visas, and who has many immigrant friends with American spouses: Meghan would have little issues sponsoring Harry and the process would not take several years, but at most a year. She will need to apply for a spousal green card for him. He can in the mean time live in the U.K. and continue working (or do whatever the hell he wants). It takes about a year max year and half. They can also enter the US and apply from there, but that can be tricky as Harry, who would be entering at that moment on tourist or diplomatic visa, would have to falsely say upon entering he has no plans to immigrate.
They could have gone the first route, say they were planning to retire and have decided to move to the us as private citizens. They could have continued royal work and slowly ending their commitments in the U.K., as they were waiting for Harry to be approved for his green card.

One of the two biggest issue regarding Harry having a US citizenship will be, imo, the IRS.
The second is: upon a dicvorce Harry will be screwed custody wise. And I absolutely can not see him loving living in California in the long run.

I think they'd both apply for Canadian citizenship. That's where they want to live.

 

[Betsypaige]

I got the impression they were implying part of the reason Charles wanted Geidt gone was he "foresaw" challenges with Meghan and Harry, though given he left before they were even engaged I'm not sure there's truth in that (plus HM gave him a role in same organisation as H&M regarding Commonwealth)

I can believe Andrew wanted him gone because Geidt was happy to tell HM the truth including about her second eldest son and the future role of his daughters.

Interesting HM was travelling to church today with her lady in waiting Lady Susan Hussey, one of the more experienced Ladies in Waiting - William's godmother, and who was "lent to Diana" in the very early days. Whether on purpose or by chance HM seems to have her A-team with her including people who've known the family for long enough to not be intimidated by them.

Thanks !

Without knowing the man, I’d like to see him brought back to his old position, replacing ..I think his name is Sir Edward Young?

 

[angieuk]

North America; The USA, or Canada. Whatever happened to the.... We're the Family she never had!

I don't doubt they have already worked out the lucrative business deals at their disposal now they have jumped ship! Some figures being suggested are £400-600 million in private enterprise earnings. The incomes they can generate will be vast.

Compare this, to a rainy Wednesday afternoon, attending a Royal Engagement on some rundown Council Estate.

Unlike the Duchess of York, who also cut and run; Meghan is not going to let the same thing happen to her. She's a hardnosed business woman, and at nearly 39, will do whatever it takes while the sun still shines. I doubt she'll ever see the Queen again face-to-face, or be part of Royal Christmas events. Harry has a mind of his own and wants the same I would suspect. Although I wonder if Harry had NOT agreed to jump ship; Meghan would have just marched on, on her own, and left the toxic UK; as she calls it, far behind, and then instructed top of the game Lawyers to protect her personal interests. In the next few years I think they will have many challenges to face. They will either stick it out together, or the marriage will start to unravel; and the inevitable marriage-over stories will start to surface. I don’t believe the HRH titles are in jeopardy, at the moment, as Harry will want to retain those.

I had expected Meghan to attend the crisis meeting; and was shocked when I heard she had left the country, rather than face the royals with Harry, around the table. I expect Harry will be gone from the UK by the end of next week.

I don’t think Catherine and Meghan had a falling out; I believe they never related to each other right from the beginning. William and Catherine once they become King and Queen in the distant future, will focus on that. William feels badly let down, and whether he blames Meghan for the brothers' broken relationship; or Harry as well; only William knows.

The Duke of Windsor spent most of his money buying jewellery for Walls, and after most of their money ran out; they attended numerous parties almost anywhere for a free lunch. Sadly, King George V1 and the Duke of Windsor's relationship was never the same again. I wonder what the Queen Mother would have made of it all. Charles, whether fairly, or unfairly comes across as weak and ineffectual.

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/reputation.php?p=2281858​

 

[Betsypaige]

No doubt Meghan knew all about the Brit newspapers going in and to this day it mystifies me why she projects a blindsided injured public persona when it comes to the press. Her tough activist feminist woman in her thirties persona is so at odds with this. I expected to see a silent fierce dignified spit in your eye response and what I saw instead was that weak tea ITV mess.

But I think on a personal level your assessment is probably very close to the mark.

She was an actress, she knows how to put on a good performance to elicit sympathy. Unfortunately for her, a leopard can’t change his spots..l

 

[yvr girl]

In the Diana 7 days documentary, William very clearly showed an understanding of Diana's games with the media. He also appeared very clear eyed about his mother , also expressing extremely diplomatically that it was unfortunate that his memories were of her being upset and feeling the need to rescue her. Also implying how unfair it was on a child. Harry talked mainly about himself and guilt. Guilt was one thing missing from William.

William and Harry are very different characters. Harry was only 12 when his mother died and William was 15. It's not a large gap now but it is huge at that age. While I think the loss of their mother was huge for both of them, it wouldn't be unusual for Harry to be impacted more adversely.

I think William also has a clearer perspective as a parent. He's obviously more experienced with 3 children. Harry is still in the first new baby stage, and most parents are way more cautious with their first child.

George, Charlotte and Louis do not get anything like the same exposure as William and Harry did. They do not have regular photo calls. Most of the pictures that are released are taken by Catherine. I think part of this is a parenting choice but also a change in the media. It is not acceptable to 'pap' children anymore. But the Cambridges understand that their children belong to the nation a little bit too. Most people just want to share in their happiness.

It's like Harry and Meghan are in quicksand...They are thrashing around fighting for their lives which only makes it worse. What they really need to do is calm down, take a step back and float.

 

[Mirabel]

She not going to let Harry be in Canada without security. I don't care what anyone says. He will always be a royal and he and his family need security.

Beatrice and Eugenie are also royals; they do not get public money for security unless they are doing an official engagement.
Why should H&M be any different?

 

[Claire]

I don't know who leaked the plan - if indeed it was leaked. It is just prudent to think that BP told less people then the Sussexes. They seem to have invested a lot of money and time on this in the last year - this didn't happen in six weeks. Many people could have been told and since they are new people, with unknown loyalties chances are they might have leaked.
I would not be surprised if Canadian citizenship had already been applied for.
The telegraph made a list of what was on the list of things to be discussed tomorrow - I noticed that the they left out how deeply the Sussexes would be allowed to voice their opinion and be involved in politics of any country. I believe that will also be discussed. Made me wonder if Meghan had her eyes on the President of USA position as well?

 

[Eskimo]

Not a simple matter, AT ALL :

HMQ cant rescind the HRH or their titles, since the first is automatic thanks to the 1917 Letters Patent of George V and the second became legally 'incorporeal hereditaments' when they were granted by Letters Patent under the Great Seal.

The Sussexes would have to become subject to a Bill of Attainder in order to revoke them.

A bill of attainder was last passed in Britain in 1798, against Lord Edward FitzGerald.

Attainders by confession, verdict and process were abolished in the United Kingdom by the Forfeiture Act 1870

Are you suggesting that George V had a greater right to issue Letters Patent under the Great Seal that EII does?

She can revoke both the HRH and Duke of Sussex title and there is recent precedent.

HRH: Under the Letters Patent issued in 1917, only George had the right to the style of Royal Highness and yet the Queen issued Letters Patent to grant all of William's children the HRH. If she can grant HRH's she can take them away.

Duke of Sussex: This Royal Dukedom was granted by the Queen to Harry on his wedding day. She can just as easily take it away.

Given the damage done to the Monarchy's reputation by Andrew cashing in on his HRH and royal connections (let's not even discuss the other stuff), the BRF should take the titles and styles away before the Sussex pair associate them with unsavory characters.

Having said that, I don't think that the BRF will do this until there is a massive scandal with the Sussex using them inappropriately. And this failure to act will hasten the demise of the BRF (along with everything else)

 

[Helen.CH]

I accept the press has not always been kind, social media has been vile, even on here.
If this was just about the press they could have chosen to walk away from royal duty to have a private life but with charitable work as part of that private life. Still received money from the family to do all that. Or even taken a year away from royal duty.

No they have set up a new website, with a new copyright name, branded the name with goods. They do not want a quiet private life, they want to make money and raise their profile,
Then claimed their hand was forced.
Fed pet journos stories.
The latest story today from the pet journo has totally trashed the rest of the royal family. He did not do that without speaking to them first.
So it is alright for them to trash the royals but not alright for the other journos to write about them.

This was no rushed action because of a leak, this has been long in the planning.
IMo it is obvious that somebody wanted to raise the status big time, but failed to understand the royal family and how it works.

I have a horrible feeling that after the meeting tomorrow , Harry will fly to Canada and that will be it.

If inly he did�� I find this possible aswell the way the two behaved like angry teenagers. But another possible solution is, when HM decides they'll make the compromise without any explanation as usual and be honest after a few months the Brits will aceept and life will go on, the RF has had bigger crisis' than this and for example even the Andrew thing seems to be forgotten already.....

The solution, if to trust the recent poll, most Brits would favour is not going to happen, because the RF can do as it likes, it has always been like this and especially now that many Brits will fave huge changes by Brexit who really takes monarchy that important?
That accepting H&M wishes is a huge mistake will show in the future but then HM will be gone and again as explained before they always acted the way they wanted.... especially under EII reign she did not control anything inside and as Zaira well explained before many many changes who are necesaary have been ignored for decades now... the RF never ACTS in a positive way of regarding their own development but RE-ACTS to selfmade problems by their members.
After all at least some if them will take a drink, sit back, watch the polls and take a good laugh because the Brits still go along with them....
In total difference to any other european monarchy they simply do not care about their people, sad but true and the long lasting reign has not made things better.
In total respect of HM qualities and service in other parts, she missed a lot of other important things, to carry on just like her parents did and what else did she know, without proper education aso was simply not enough. And after the death if her father, which I really can't see as a sacrifice because he used to smoke 50 or 60 cigarettes a day and yes, human bei gs die soonet from this, only the Queen Mum was left just the same, not educated, not well prepared...... look how HM brought up her children will tell you all, done like 150 years before mostly......
if compared to other RF again, they have done much better since decades!!!

 

[Betsypaige]

Well, IMO its pretty established that the Firm is ruthless. At the end of the day its a group of people who want to retain their power and privilege. No one is doing this out of the kindness of their hearts so of course the BRF isn't some bastion of fraternity or love.

I think we have learned that all of them: Harry, Charles, William and the rest all prefer yes men. This was a complaint for many in the early days in the Cambridge marriage when we got the "William the tyrant" articles before the tune changed.

It has been reported by just about everyone over the years that none of the Windsor men do well with being told no.

Now personally I think its all rather rich that Geidt is being given all this credit in hindsight when who knows if he would be doing any better with the situation? Arguably, part of your job as a leader is to make sure those behind you can step up and take over well. It seems none of Geidt's deputies have done so, if reporting is to be believed. And the issues with the Wales Brother setting up their own court and being hard to "wrangle" (before Meghan came along) have been reported about constantly and also happened under Geidt to say nothing of the Andrew debacle hardly being a 2019 shock.

Nevertheless, it is clear there is a dearth of leadership within the BRF. The Queen is old and tired. Philip is done. Charles is...well idk but this isn't an auspicious start for him. And who knows about William. There is an argument to be made for an institution that desperately needed renewal many years before now.

It really is all and well a mess but also largely a reflection of the mess that is UK politics and institutions overall IMO. Times are a changing and thats a painful and ugly process.

Of course they aren’t saints, but I think it’s nasty hyperbole to call them poisonous and Machiavellian - and it doesn’t help Bradby’s point, because to me it makes it impossible to take him seriously.

As to the “it” they are doing that you refer to, I would say that all started with H and M. If they hadn’t acted so rashly and disrespectfully, this would have been taken care of in time. Based on reports, I think it’s safe to say that the Queen and Charles are acting out of love for Harry. Of course they aren’t going to let he and Meghan get whatever they want to - it’s not wrong that they are trying to reign them in. I mean, if the Sussexes really hate being Royal, then they should step away completely; it’s unfair to expect HM to upend Royal tradition to cater to H and M.

I do agree with much of what you said, although I’m confident that Charles will make a good King. During the Andrew crisis, he was acting in concert with HM - and decisively. Sadly for him, he likely will have to deal with H and M issues during his reign...so in that sense, no, it’s not auspicious.

 

[Claire]

I don't think Archie been left in Canada was suppose to come out. I think Meghan intended staying to talk to the Queen but when that came known there was too much of a risk of the people asking why they had left their child in a foreign country when they refused to leave him in Britain when they were going to South Africa. Too much possibility of making them look like bad parents. That is why we had the unscheduled visit to the Soup kitchen, I think it was supposed to happen during the week. I have been told that the visit to Canada House was to provide pictures for the newspapers to accompany the announcement - this has just fueled conspiracy theorists.
Hopefully we will have a nice statement, probably by the Sussex's first explaining what actually will be happening.

 

[fortimo]

Meghan was a hardworking actress, she worked often 10-12 hours or more per day, had visions, plans, energy to make her and this world better. I can imagine, that she thought at the beginning, she can help and make more with the support of the royalhouse.. But then she recognized that these royals are only marionettes, who do not really care for issues behind the doors and sure not work too hard... (sure not so much as Meghan in filmindusty)... The english people can be happy, that Meghan doesn't want to paid for this laziness, and I think other royals should rather think about it and take an example.

 

[ladongas]

Blackmail is UGLY, and [via their proxies] the Sussexes grow uglier by the hour,, but if they seriously think HMQ will 'cave' out of fear of being labelled a 'racist', they are wrong - Did Michelle Obama find her so ? Do any of the COUNTLESS Commonwealth leaders she has dealt with over her reign believe her to be so ?

Any slanderous accusations cooked up in any interview will be seen [Worldwide] for the lies they are...

I believe the accusation was that there was racism in the households; courtiers, servants, and other staff would be more likely than members of the family.

 

[Betsypaige]

Sounds about right to me. I don’t doubt that Meghan loves Harry, but I don’t think for a moment she has any intention of staying in this marriage if she doesn’t get what she wants. She absolutely has a plan to become a global voice and brand independent of the BRF and I have no doubt that Hollywood will play a huge role in her agenda. I truly think she is done with the obligatory traditions and duties of being a Royal and will do as little as possible going forward, staying in Canada or the US with Archie while Harry makes appearances at obligatory functions in the UK.

I really don’t see this marriage lasting. If she doesn’t get what she wants, she could divorce him tomorrow and go on to make millions branding herself as Duchess of Sussex and having her pick of incredibly lucrative endorsement deals and have complete freedom to make her life what she wants. The only thing that would be a huge sticking point is her son, which she would fight tooth and nail to keep with her full time. It would be incredibly ugly should it all come down to this.

I think if she truly loved Harry - or, better yet, cared enough for him - and she knew that she couldn’t adapt to the BRF lifestyle, she shouldn’t have continued the relationship. She really didn’t give this a chance, but then I suspect her intention all along was to create waves.

 

[Helen.CH]

Meghan was a hardworking actress, she worked often 10-12 hours or more per day, had visions, plans, energy to make her and this world better. I can imagine, that she thought at the beginning, she can help and make more with the support of the royalhouse.. But then she recognized that these royals are only marionettes, who do not really care for issues behind the doors and sure not work too hard... (sure not so much as Meghan in filmindusty)... The english people can be happy, that Meghan doesn't want to paid for this laziness, and I think other royals should rather think about it and take an example.

will you pay for them?

Not to mock on you, but you did not get the point in this, do you?

 

[wyevale]

I believe the accusation was that there was racism in the households; courtiers, servants, and other staff would be more likely than members of the family.

Ah - the 'little people' ? That will hardly make the 'waves' required, and doubtless the victims will contest these allegations in Court..

 

[Betsypaige]

I agree with you. It was completely to their advantage to leak it since they apparently already had their plans in place and we’re moving forward regardless of any official approval. They certainly got it expedited, but the question remains of whether they will be able to do all they have already publicly declared on their website. I certainly hope not.

They wanted to make themselves victims - first of the media and then of the BRF (how dare they react badly). NOW I think the Africa interview was a HUGE set up, planting the seeds in trying to get public sympathy in their side before nuking everything to bits. Tom Mouthpiece is lousy at his job, though, because between his insults to the BRF and his blackmail comments, what he’s done is turn people against H and M

 

[amisirio95]

They are doing all this because they want to be financially indipendent and want privacy, but all they're getting is more attention and criticism from the media and the public.
Meghan was never suited for this life nor wanted to adjust to it and Harry is doing everything in his power to make her happy, not thinking about the consequences.
It's a pity Harry has alienated himself from his brother and sister in law, from his father and grandmother. I think one day he'll regret this decision.