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

[Denville]

Then he's 'a bear of little Brain'.. this has been YEARS 'in the offing'.. none of it is remotely new...

I think that's more Meghan. I thnk she thought that royal life would be more glamourous and didn't realise that even for the queen and Charles and William, the direct line.. it is not that exciting.. and for a second string one like Harry, its not that grandiose.

On the other hand there is Princess Anne and the Wessexes. Shining examples of lowkey service and duty.
Yes, the Wessexes had some rough patches-mostly from trying to have careers in the beginning of their marriage. But ever since they have been an enormous help and support to the Queen and the DofE.

Yes Anne and the Wessexes have done an OK job.. but that was then.. in the future, as they get older, the royal worker bees are going to be just a very few..The public doesn't want to pay for tehm any more.. Charles does not want to have half a dozen royals that he has to help support.. THe RF DID have a large role in supporting chartiies, which was Ok for its time but now things have changed and it is not going to be such a major part of the Royal role. It will change but gradually. So for the time being Harry was required and Anne and the ohers were required.. but they wont be all htat much longer. They will retire and not be replaced.

 

[HighGoalHighDreams]

I keep seeing Harry's past interviews expressing his unease with his royal role as "evidence" against Meghan driving this decision. Frankly, however you see it-- that this was driven by Meghan, by Harry, or by a combination of the two-- I would think that Harry's comments from before he met Meghan would actually weigh in the other direction. For years, Harry was honest about how uneasy he was in his role, yet made no moves to step away from it. In fact, he spoke about how he could not step away from it because it was his duty to support his grandmother, then his father, then his brother. In other words, his own past words and actions show that he had every intention of overcoming his unease and sticking it out.

 

[Alison H]

I don't think anyone has suggested that Meghan hates the UK. She doesn't seem to want to be part of the Royal Family with all that that entails, and it would be very hard to get away from that by moving to one of the London suburbs, or even moving to the Scottish Highlands. If they want out, they need to get well away.


If she'd married a footballer or a film star, she'd probably be quite happy living here.


There's also the Duke of Windsor issue - if Harry and Meghan had stayed in the UK, being celebs instead of royals, there'd have been a danger of them overshadowing William and Kate, and that wouldn't really have been an option.


I've only been to Canada three times, for a couple of weeks at a time, so I can't really comment on how different the lifestyle there is, but I didn't find it that different ... but the difference between a royal lifestyle and a non-royal lifestyle is certainly different. Vancouver Island is lovely, although Harry the former "party prince" may find it very quiet compared to London.

 

[Eskimo]

You would be correct, Henry is not honorary colonel of any regiment. He was Commodore-in-Chief, Hon Air Commandant and Captain General.

However I do believe that there is some air of truth to what is being said about why Henry's military appointments have been removed. It's not something I ever contemplated.

There has to be a lot of truth to this... His military appointments were not in even in public discussion and the statement basically bought about a discussion of it. I don't believe the BRF would have seemingly gone out of their way to bring this into the public limelight unless they were forced to.

 

[Helen.CH]

The drama was made by Meg and Harry. They undertook a full time royal role. Perhaps in Willaims day there will be only the heir working.. and the younger children wll be completely free to work outside. But for the moment, in 2018/19 Will and harry were both considiered to be required for full time service and they undertook the job.

With drama was meant a lot of things happening in the past, if it was Margret, Diana Fergie or Andrew they lack to be capable to control inside, maybe the Queen was to weak, the upbringing was bad, not enough education given....
many reasons and wrong decisions were made.

 

[Denville]

I keep seeing Harry's past interviews expressing his unease with his royal role as "evidence" against Meghan driving this decision. Frankly, however you see it-- that this was driven by Meghan, by Harry, or by a combination of the two-- I would think that Harry's comments from before he met Meghan would actually weigh in the other direction. For years, Harry was honest about how uneasy he was in his role, yet made no moves to step away from it. In fact, he spoke about how he could not step away from it because it was his duty to support his grandmother, then his father, then his brother. In other words, his own past words and actions show that he had every intention of overcoming his unease and sticking it out.

I think he would have stayed but been rather unhappy a lot of the time.. if he had stayed single or married someone else. He had the loyalty to his Grandmother and father and brother.. He also had no real expeirence of life outside the RF.. so I think he would not have taken steps to go.. He might have complained a lot and taken long holidays in Africa to escape.. but he would have stuck out the job. But he has married someone who is from totally outside the RF and upper class life.. or even middle class Englsh life. She has givene him a new perspective that it might be possible to do the unthinkable and go. And Im sure that she was the one who said "We don't have to rely on your father etc for money.. we can go to America and make our own.. "!

 

[csw]

Diana wasn’t doing Royal engagements in 1997. She was divorced. The archive would need to go back further for Diana to be included.

Thanks! I didn't think of that.

 

[Gawin]

This blog post was written on Thursday, but it’s still worth reading ...I couldn’t agree more.

https://fromberkshiretobuckingham.blogspot.com/2020/01/thoughts-on-sandringham-summit.html

So do I! I agree with the author so much I've even bookmarked her blog.

 

[Ista]

There was a mildly interesting opinion piece in the Telegraph today by Martin Townsend, who used to be the editor of OK! in the 1990's. It's a piece for subscribers but in it he points out some of the potential pitfalls of the Sussexes monetizing their celebrity, and also makes some suggestions as to how to avoid some of those pitfalls. Here's an excerpt:

--"In the world of celebrity media in particular, the word ‘exclusive’ comes at a high price - both to buyer and seller.

For the buyer it means being able to obtain something that no other magazine, newspaper, television company or website have had access to before.

For the seller - Harry and Meghan - it requires them having such stories to sell, but here is the rub: each time they deliver an exclusive a little bit of their mystique ebbs away, the bank of material they can draw on diminishes and the future market value of any exclusive falls. How many times could Harry and Meghan lift the lid on their relationship with William and Kate, even assuming they wanted to ? If Meghan ‘told all’ about how she might have been tormented by her father or pushed around by Royal lackeys, how often could she repeat those allegations without sounding bitter and washed-up ?"--

--"When I was Editor of OK! Magazine in the late 90s, the highest prices we paid were for stars photographed in their own homes and for exclusive access to their weddings and the birth of their children.

The prices for these exclusives ranged anywhere from between £20,000 to over a million, depending on the star’s celebrity status.

Will Harry and Meghan willingly let a magazine into any home they might share, particularly if photographs of Archie are part of the deal ?

Most of these exclusives are brokered on the basis of Worldwide rights, meaning that the buyer can ‘sell on’ the interview and pictures, globally. On this basis, and at current market rates, it might be possible for Harry and Meghan to secure at least £10 million for a single at-home and exclusive interview. But they’d have to be prepared to include the child they have been at great pains to protect, divulge some juicy Royal secrets, and not mind if the whole thing turned up in the Chinese equivalent of Take A Break next to an advert for incontinence pants."--

He also points out that such interviews would inevitably serve notice to paparazzi that it would be no holds barred from then out, and suggests that they might be wiser to forgo that kind of quick and easy money to establish a quieter and more selective lifestyle that might not reap such quick cash payouts, but have longer benefits.

As I said, an interesting read from someone whose bread and butter this stuff used to be.

 

[Betsypaige]

I don't find them immature as much as self-absorbed. They seem to have a sense of entitlement that is hard to dismiss.

But perhaps I see it that way because I simply can't imagine anyone hating the UK! It's one of my favorite places in the world- I visit every year, sometimes twice a year- and I just can't fathom someone not liking it as much as I do. So, I am struggling with attempting to be fair to M & H.

Self-absorbed? Absolutely. I call them immature because of the way they threw a proverbial temper tantrum and posted on their website, deliberately defying the Queen and Charles. I call them immature because Harry can't figure out if he hates the Royal life or wants to be part of it - OR if he's just jealous of William. Mercurial is definitely the right description for him - and I've seen that several times in the media.

I want to be fair to them also - I supported Meghan up until now as my posts here will attest to, and of course I loved Harry. It's hard for me to be kind to them when I feel they've been unfair to Charles (not just now), especially, but also of course the Queen and William. I also adore the UK - I've been several times, including last year and the year before, and I'll be visiting again in June.

I feel like there's some mixed messages here - in the engagement interview we got confident Meghan, ready to hit the ground running Meghan, we got Harry saying that she will be great in the job part. Yet now we get "I didn't know the press won't be fair" Meghan? What? When was the press fair to BRF? Did the treatment of Diana or Catherine seemed fair? Was Meghan's treatment in the press fair during their engagement? I don't believe she was unprepared to this extreme and I honestly feel like the "bad press" is being used as a scapegoat here, a convienient excuse for this decision.

The ground rules that BRF has are pretty clear - keep quiet, keep working, don't complain. They might offer support and reassurance in person, but they KNOW any public statement will cause more scrutiny than the lack of it. When they have that option, they take legal measures, but it requires having solid ground for the case.

A perfect example of how manipulative they are - and probably how dumb they think people are that they wouldn't remember this. I'm not surprised - Harry is annoyed that he's being pushed out, upset that his father agreed with the Queen about not allowing them a separate "court", but then we find out that for months he's been working on an exit strategy. It's like he has no idea what he wants, like he changes his mind with the wind.

I'm furious with Meghan at how ungrateful she is to the BRF, specifically Charles and the Queen, who DID welcome her warmly into their family.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Halley View Post
So Harry will be based in Canada, with trips to the US and UK. He will have left his friends and his way of life. Let us hope that his relationship with Meghan and Archie is enough to make him happy. No. Harry has not won.
You're right, Harry didn't win. But his wife might have.

His wife definitely won.......and Harry thinks he's won, though he's lost. Archie has lost.

 

[Eskimo]

A couple of people have bought up the money Charles has outside of the Duchy of Cornwall. A few points about that: it forms a small portion of his wealth and he cannot pay 4-5 million a year for Harry in perpetuity on it. If the public want to ask questions (and certain portion of the press will make sure that they do) even this money is linked back to the benefactor's ROYAL status and an argument is made that it was derived from public funds. Not saying it would be true but it might not be the scrutiny that Charles and the BRF want.

Given all that has transpired "they" will never be able to come back to the UK as senior royals-however much they want to. It is obvious that Harry's reputation has taken a massive hit and a lot of rehab will be needed. It seems that the BRF is setting the stage for a "poor, gullible Harry taken advantage of by Meghan" narrative to do this. This requires that Meghan not be in the picture for it to work. I do not see how in the world they would be able to rehab BOTH their images with the British public even if they want to.

 

[Gawin]

In the Queen's statement, she said "I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life."

There's a very interesting article about royal coverage in The Guardian this morning:

"So, when reading about Harry and Meghan, it really does pay to keep your wits about you. There is a surface level to the story – not all of it untrue – and there are many anonymous sources of varying degrees of reliability to give colour and context. And, in the background, there are quite a lot of worried newspaper executives and former editors, who have absolutely zero interest in treating the couple kindly or even-handedly."

I recommend reading the whole article by Alan Rusbridger (who is is principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, and chairs the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism) here:
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...-read-all-about-it-prince-harry-meghan-markle

Agree 100 percent. The article was very informative and should be required reading. Thanks for posting it. The tabloids publish stories that will generate big $ for them and will ignore accuracy and even fair play. I don't agree with what Harry's done but I sympathize with the reason for his unhappiness.

 

[Queen Claude]

Rosa Monckton, Close friends of Diana, Princess of Wales has tweeted;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1218873183434088448

This is interesting because throughout all of this I've been thinking that Harry is showing that he truly takes after his mother. Basically this is shaping up to be very similar to Diana's post-divorce set up.

Diana dismissed her royal security which, had that still been in place, IMO (and others), she would not have met her untimely death. My understanding is that security is one of the items still being worked on, and I hope that all involved have cool heads and compassionate hearts.

 

[Eskimo]

There was a mildly interesting opinion piece in the Telegraph today by Martin Townsend, who used to be the editor of OK! in the 1990's. It's a piece for subscribers but in it he points out some of the potential pitfalls of the Sussexes monetizing their celebrity, and also makes some suggestions as to how to avoid some of those pitfalls. Here's an excerpt:

--"In the world of celebrity media in particular, the word ‘exclusive’ comes at a high price - both to buyer and seller.

For the buyer it means being able to obtain something that no other magazine, newspaper, television company or website have had access to before.

For the seller - Harry and Meghan - it requires them having such stories to sell, but here is the rub: each time they deliver an exclusive a little bit of their mystique ebbs away, the bank of material they can draw on diminishes and the future market value of any exclusive falls. How many times could Harry and Meghan lift the lid on their relationship with William and Kate, even assuming they wanted to ? If Meghan ‘told all’ about how she might have been tormented by her father or pushed around by Royal lackeys, how often could she repeat those allegations without sounding bitter and washed-up ?"--

--"When I was Editor of OK! Magazine in the late 90s, the highest prices we paid were for stars photographed in their own homes and for exclusive access to their weddings and the birth of their children.

The prices for these exclusives ranged anywhere from between £20,000 to over a million, depending on the star’s celebrity status.

Will Harry and Meghan willingly let a magazine into any home they might share, particularly if photographs of Archie are part of the deal ?

Most of these exclusives are brokered on the basis of Worldwide rights, meaning that the buyer can ‘sell on’ the interview and pictures, globally. On this basis, and at current market rates, it might be possible for Harry and Meghan to secure at least £10 million for a single at-home and exclusive interview. But they’d have to be prepared to include the child they have been at great pains to protect, divulge some juicy Royal secrets, and not mind if the whole thing turned up in the Chinese equivalent of Take A Break next to an advert for incontinence pants."--

He also points out that such interviews would inevitably serve notice to paparazzi that it would be no holds barred from then out, and suggests that they might be wiser to forgo that kind of quick and easy money to establish a quieter and more selective lifestyle that might not reap such quick cash payouts, but have longer benefits.

As I said, an interesting read from someone whose bread and butter this stuff used to be.

This is a very eye-opening article and IMO, the main reason why they wanted to remain "part-time" royals. In order to continue to make bank, you need to keep the public interest alive.

I can see them getting millions over the next year or two while the public interest remains. However, once it wanes (and it always does sooner or later) they will find lucrative opportunities hard to come by.

Meghan can return to acting but that is not a long term solution either. She is controversial to say the very least and that will effect ticket sales. She cannot realistically hope to keep getting offers if she does not put a massive amount of bums in seats.

This leaves a Kardashian style model as the only option and that option will cost them significantly with the BRF.

 

[Zaira]

It was ONE ex marine who spoke out, to Nigel Farage and others and it was before the deal. He said he spoke in haste about the not wishing to drink a toast, paid tribute to Harry's years of service, Invictus etc, but objected to the 'privatisation of the military'.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nigel-farage/prince-harry-cannot-privatise-the-monarchy/

Its disgusting to see posters and aspects of the media try to denigrate Harry and his commitment to veterans. Especially when so many in the military in the UK have been speaking out in support of Harry.

 

[Osipi]

Will Harry and Meghan willingly let a magazine into any home they might share, particularly if photographs of Archie are part of the deal ?

Most of these exclusives are brokered on the basis of Worldwide rights, meaning that the buyer can ‘sell on’ the interview and pictures, globally. On this basis, and at current market rates, it might be possible for Harry and Meghan to secure at least £10 million for a single at-home and exclusive interview. But they’d have to be prepared to include the child they have been at great pains to protect, divulge some juicy Royal secrets, and not mind if the whole thing turned up in the Chinese equivalent of Take A Break next to an advert for incontinence pants."--

He also points out that such interviews would inevitably serve notice to paparazzi that it would be no holds barred from then out, and suggests that they might be wiser to forgo that kind of quick and easy money to establish a quieter and more selective lifestyle that might not reap such quick cash payouts, but have longer benefits.

Y'know, reading this part of the post you made put a daunting thought into my head. If Harry and Meghan were to go this route with "exclusives" for hefty sums of money, wouldn't that put them exactly on the same level as Meghan's father and half sister?

 

[Denville]

This is interesting because throughout all of this I've been thinking that Harry is showing that he truly takes after his mother. Basically this is shaping up to be very similar to Diana's post-divorce set up.



Diana dismissed her royal security which, had that still been in place, IMO (and others), she would not have met her untimely death. My understanding is that security is one of the items still being worked on, and I hope that all involved have cool heads and compassionate hearts.

I read somewhere recently that Charles found botht sons rather volatile.. taking after Diana in that respect. But WIliam seems to have calmed and become stable and postivlely dull. Harry has gone more volatile IMO. I never thought he would walk out on royal life.. I thought maybe Meghan might htough it wasn't all that likely. never thought the 2 of them would go.

 

[Elenath]

Y'know, reading this part of the post you made put a daunting thought into my head. If Harry and Meghan were to go this route with "exclusives" for hefty sums of money, wouldn't that put them exactly on the same level as Meghan's father and half sister?

That would depend on what the exclusives are. Meghan's father and sister sold Meghan. That's not the same as Harry and Meghan selling Harry and Meghan.

But I doubt they ever would, just like I doubt they'll start selling products. Unless it's more like the Duchy and Charles.

 

[Eskimo]

This is interesting because throughout all of this I've been thinking that Harry is showing that he truly takes after his mother. Basically this is shaping up to be very similar to Diana's post-divorce set up.



Diana dismissed her royal security which, had that still been in place, IMO (and others), she would not have met her untimely death. My understanding is that security is one of the items still being worked on, and I hope that all involved have cool heads and compassionate hearts.

As a Canadian here is my opinion, which is shared by a lot of other Canadians as evidenced by the comments on Canadian new sites:

Even if I had the compassion for them (and I don't*) I do not want my tax monies used to pay for their security as private citizens. I do not mind paying for them when they come for a short visit representing my head of state but not if they want to live as a VISITOR in Canada in a private capacity.

*- I lost all compassion for them when they had the audacity to complain about "existing not living" and no one had asked "how they were doing" in a documentary that was meant to highlight the plight of some of the most disadvantaged people on the face of the planet.

 

[Betsypaige]

I really don't see any of this that has gone down relating to a like or dislike of the UK. Perhaps the sticking point was the UK and its royal connotations for them would be too detrimental to starting up their own charities and foundation as a "business" rather than being connected to their royal roles. Perhaps the Canadian way of life is more appealing as it seems to give more "privacy" and "freedom to move". We have to remember too that their original plan included remaining royal and still working for the "Firm" part time.

Now as independent totally from the "Firm" and devoid of being able to use anything in connection with being "royal" in their professional lives, I think they're going to find that "privacy" and "freedom to move" turns out to be more isolating and distant than they had hoped to be. Harry's family "Firm" will go on strong even with the changes that have happened within the past year. Without the "royal" connections, as they're not allowed to use their HRH for professional ventures, they may find that without that HRH "perk" people aren't going to be that drawn to do business with them. Their "chutzpah" has severely decreased as they lose the ability to "promote" themselves as royals. They've also lost their hope of doing "part time" royal work which would have had an influence on their "private commercial" angles.

So, welcome to the "real" world Harry and Meghan. Its a dog eat dog world out there and you've chosen to wear Milkbone underwear. Lets see how that pans out for you.

Congrats, you used "chutzpah" nicely

You know what the old expression is - "be careful what you wish for" ? Well, they've got it - kind of. Even if they hit the ground running, I just don't see this life plan of theirs lasting permanently. I really don't even see what's so appealing about it outside of the potential money. By the way, when did Harry decide he wanted to be a businessman ? He's now no different than any other businessman, she no different than any other business woman. Who's to say their ventures will be successful? Are they still hoping to attract people based on their connections? They don't have the HRH anymore, they aren't Royal......That might work in terms of getting publicity, but people are NOT going to invest in them simply based on who they are. Harry and Meghan had better know what they're doing, have a plan, choose wisely.....everything a normal business person would need to do

Agreed. They may do very well- but they’ve also lost some respect and good will that will be difficult- if not impossible- to get back.

There’s something a bit distasteful to me about the fact that the ONLY reason they’re in the position to make all this money is through the family they just dragged through a public and publicly embarrassing divorce. It doesn’t sit well. Without this family- no one would know their names.

Especially Meghan. She gave this less than 2 years- and could make a fortune because she married into a famous family, couldn’t or didn’t want to handle what came with it, threw a public fit with her husband- and can now profit from that. Nice. (Harry has his own responsibility in this mess, but it is a little different.)

This. Maybe the reason Charles is still funding his pouting younger son and his wife is because he suspects they may not have as much success as they wish.

 

[ladongas]

It is Harry’s life..

Why should he live it to the specifications and expectations of others?

There’s probably more than one member of this forum who has an adult child whose life and lifestyle they disapprove of, don’t like his spouse, hate his choice of career, disapprove of his political opinions or hobbies, etc...

Do you, can you force him to live his life as you see fit? Or is he entitled to make his own choices regardless of what you think?

I don’t think HM, the PoW, William, all the extended family, the U.K. newspapers and their readership, Piers Morgan, or the general public worldwide have the right to force H&M to live in a fashion that makes them unhappy. Charles said that his relationship with Camilla was “ non-negotiable”, no matter how much pain and embarrassment it caused others. No one objected to his spending Duchy money on his mistress. (Well, maybe they did!)

But Harry, currently 6th in line, is to have no autonomy just because others think he should do something different? Too bad, so sad, it is his life and he is entitled to live it as he pleases.

Of course, we are all entitled to our own opinions, I think a little more compassion is in order.

 

[Denville]

That would depend on what the exclusives are. Meghan's father and sister sold Meghan. That's not the same as Harry and Meghan selling Harry and Meghan.

But I doubt they ever would, just like I doubt they'll start selling products. Unless it's more like the Duchy and Charles.

So what are they going to do to make this independent income that they claim to want? Public speaking?

 

[wyevale]

I sympathize with the reason for his unhappiness.

I'm afraid l differ from you on this : Sussex failed a] to adequately convey to his Girlfriend/Fiance quite the restrictive nature of the life she was considering, and how vicious the Press could be here and b] failed to allow enough time for her to acclimatise to the UK, the role she CHOSE to undertake c] IF he saw her as an 'escape route' he led his family, this Nation, indeed the World 'up the garden path', when he could [at the outset] chosen another way

- refuse the Dukedom, the vast panoply of Wedding/Frogmore/Commonwealth role etc. etc..and 'retired' to live a secluded life using his large inheritances, and whatever monies his wife could generate.

 

[Zaira]

So what are they going to do to make this independent income that they claim to want? Public speaking?

Whatever they do no matter how great it is or not, people will moan and complain I am sure.

 

[Denville]

Why should he live it to the specifications and expectations of others?

There’s probably more than one member of this forum who has an adult child whose life and lifestyle they disapprove of, don’t like his spouse, hate his choice of career, disapprove of his political opinions or hobbies, etc...

Do you, can you force him to live his life as you see fit? Or is he entitled to make his own choices regardless of what you think?

I don’t think HM, the PoW, William, all the extended family, the U.K. newspapers and their readership, Piers Morgan, or the general public worldwide have the right to force H&M to live in a fashion that makes them unhappy. Charles said that his relationship with Camilla was “ non-negotiable”, no matter how much pain and embarrassment it caused others. No one objected to his spending Duchy money on his mistress. (Well, maybe they did!)

But Harry, currently 6th in line, is to have no autonomy just because others think he should do something different? Too bad, so sad, it is his life and he is entitled to live it as he pleases.

Of course, we are all entitled to our own opinions, I think a little more compassion is in order.

But who is stopping him living his own life? THey are just saying that he can't be half royal and half normal person. The queen has made it clear that she can't stop him leaving royal life..a nd she will always be his grandmother.. but he's not allowed to use his HRH in hi new life.

Whatever they do no matter how great it is or not, people will moan and complain I am sure.

But what are they going to do? If they went away and lived quietly as private people, complaints would fade away. If they are still in the public eye and tyring to make money they will still get noticed. That's inevitable.

 

[bertie5252003]

The Guardian article is beautifully written as you would expect However it does not excuse this behaviour that has caused this final outcome. I believe that Harry is not the sharpest tac in the box and given that he is also not that worldly it is difficult to see that he has made this decision M on the other hand has street wise cunning and real survival instincts those two alone can cause major mayhem... and they have if they have done that. if they wanted this and I see no reason why they should not have have it ,set in motion a plan so that when the Queens reign ends they too can move on and it may have been done with less fanfare. When one looks at the life of Princess Margaret .. then their lives are just as important as the heir and no one would like to see that again.This is horrible IMO it is unkind and ungracious and self serving it is not what the Queen herself has shown by example nor those other royals Gloucester's the Kents etc it makes a mockery of their long service.This is only IMO of course

 

[Betsypaige]

I think he would have stayed but been rather unhappy a lot of the time.. if he had stayed single or married someone else. He had the loyalty to his Grandmother and father and brother.. He also had no real expeirence of life outside the RF.. so I think he would not have taken steps to go.. He might have complained a lot and taken long holidays in Africa to escape.. but he would have stuck out the job. But he has married someone who is from totally outside the RF and upper class life.. or even middle class Englsh life. She has givene him a new perspective that it might be possible to do the unthinkable and go. And Im sure that she was the one who said "We don't have to rely on your father etc for money.. we can go to America and make our own.. "!

Too bad they are relying on daddy's money.......

I'll say it again, if Harry truly hated the life, then why would it bother him that he thought he was being pushed out? To the point where he's had issues with both his father and brother? I think it's fair to say that he was torn - and I did read that last week - and that Meghan encouraged him, as some newspapers in the U.S. editorialized, to take that step to freedom, away from the BRF.

 

[yvr girl]

So what are they going to do to make this independent income that they claim to want? Public speaking?

There is a whole world of influencers who take in the cash. People on this forum are interested in Harry and Meghan because they are members of the Royal Family. Most people don't care about royalty. They like them because they are famous. Lady Helen Taylor made a living as a brand ambassador. Lady Amelia Windsor is one now. Their level of fame doesn't even begin to compare with Harry and Meghan's.

The Sussexes will have no trouble making money and they won't need to sell their story to the tabloids to do it.

 

[Betsypaige]

I read somewhere recently that Charles found botht sons rather volatile.. taking after Diana in that respect. But WIliam seems to have calmed and become stable and postivlely dull. Harry has gone more volatile IMO. I never thought he would walk out on royal life.. I thought maybe Meghan might htough it wasn't all that likely. never thought the 2 of them would go.

I don't know that Charles has commented about his sons in that regard, but others have, in stories I've read on-line and even in Robert Jobson's recent book on Charles. I think both are somewhat volatile in terms of personality, but William has never shirked his responsibility. Harry seems to carry the burden of "the spare" with him and isn't wearing it well. At various times he seems to be jealous of his brother, upset with his father, hating the royal life, wanting to be more a part of that life......My head spins at how he changes his mind.

 

[Ista]

Y'know, reading this part of the post you made put a daunting thought into my head. If Harry and Meghan were to go this route with "exclusives" for hefty sums of money, wouldn't that put them exactly on the same level as Meghan's father and half sister?

I'd be really astonished if they did decide to go this route, but if they did, and the exclusives featured their version of the "inside scoop" on how they were "mistreated" by the BRF, then yes, they would indeed have lowered themselves to that level.

I have zero expectation of that happening, but hey, I've been wrong before about the Sussexes, so I guess we'll see.