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

[Sterling3763]

It seems to be all hearsay than and nothing tangible has happened. I can't see why we should run along with the celebrity obsession of the US entertainment press.

Agreed. The barest rumors and the most ill-supported speculation are being treated as hard fact on this portion of the forums.

How about we wait for Harry and Meagan to actually finalize a purchase, deal, or event before we begin reacting?

 

[Hallo girl]

Wouldn't that be a concern for the couple only. Why would the FT or anybody else be entitled to tell them how they are to spend their own money?



It seems to be all hearsay than and nothing tangible has happened. I can't see why we should run along with the celebrity obsession of the US entertainment press.

So the US do have the celebrity stories and press, possibly not tabloid newspapers but celebrity stories.
I asked previously on this forum ( not this thread ) about tabloid press in the USA and was told they do not have anything like that.
So the poster who told me they do not have tabloid newspapers was correct, but there is a celebrity style press , I wondered at the time because I had heard of different magazines that appeared to print rather wacky stories.

To me, it seems that Harry and Meghan not only did not get any of the changes they wanted. Instead, it looks like they got kicked out of the Kingdom! There are reports of moving vans at Frogmore Cottage and H&M official wedding memorabilia has been removed from sale at royal outlets.

So, not just the Kingdom but the Family as well. It is not a good look for the BRF as the Net releases stories of Harry "not being well" and "controlled by Meghan and Doria". Ugh, it all leaves me with a very nasty taste in my mouth.

I am not surprised re the moving vans, Archies things alone , also their clothes and personal effects. We all know they are going to be away for a substantial amount of time.
Another possibility is that some of the furniture, art etc is on loan from the royal collection and is being returned.

 

[Mbruno]

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.

Archie doesn't have to take any oath to become a US citizen as he is considered a natural-born citizen under US law (i.e. someone who acquired his citizenship when he was born).

However, if Archie decides to become a naturalized citizen of Canada, and if he is 14 or older at that time, he will have to take the following oath as required by law:


"I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen."

Note that the text of the oath uses British/Canadian spelling "fulfil" as opposed to the usual American spelling "fulfill".


PS: If he were under 14, I understand his parents would have to sign the oath on his behalf, but, in any case, Archie would be bound by it.

 

[wyevale]

We all know they are going to be away for a substantial amount of time.
Another possibility is that some of the furniture, art etc is on loan from the royal collection and is being returned.

One wonders if some resourceful person has calculated just how many nights this couple actually spent under the roof of this elaborately refurbished 'home' ?

 

[Hallo girl]

I consider a year and a half too short, especially since she moved to the UK the same month she got engaged. How much time did she really see Harry before that? A couple weekends a month, a couple weeks in the summer/winter here and there..that year and half becomes more like 3-4 months of total time together.

As for needing the help, at what cost? Both Sophie and the Duchess of Gloucester do lovely work but they are largely unnoticed in the UK, most people don't know they exist. So the low-key work of Sophie and DoG isn't worth the epic messes that are Fergie and Meghan. Imagine if the late Earl Snowdon and Mark phillips had represented the firm their scandals would have been exponentially magnified. It was very lucky for the firm that they were private citizens. The way I see it having married-ins of younger sibs in the firm is High Risk, Low Reward. And that isn't good business sense.

I do need to defend the Gloucester family on here, they do work low key but they have given up their entire married life to the royal family.

He was the second son ( the spare as we talk about on here ) he had a career as did his girlfriend. They were looking forward to living a completely private life , marriage children etc etc.
Fate stepped in and the heir died, everything changed for them.
They stepped up, and yes over the years the place in the succession dropped but they still supported the queen, as they do to this day. Quietly and with dignity.
Their children have kept a relatively low profile, just got on with their lives.

That is why i also do not think that Harry wanted to move away because he was just the spare.
There is a much bigger picture going on there.

 

[lirienn]

For some time Meghan was talking with Elen and will appear at the show. What a mess. Harry clearly had no clue what he was getting into. I believe he will start seeing it clearly now and it'd be tough.

 

[Alison H]

I don't know why the press report some of this stuff . They're not going to buy a whole new set of clothes, books, gadgets, baby stuff etc to have in Canada, and their stuff isn't all going to fit into the 23kg luggage allowance you get on a passenger plane!

 

[Hallo girl]

One wonders if some resourceful person has calculated just how many nights this couple actually spent under the roof of this elaborately refurbished 'home' ?

There will be somebody somewhere has it worked out, or in the process of.

For some time Meghan was talking with Elen and will appear at the show. What a mess. Harry clearly had no clue what he was getting into. I believe he will start seeing it clearly now and it'd be tough.

I am sure it will be to promote good causes and their foundation.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

So the US do have the celebrity stories and press, possibly not tabloid newspapers but celebrity stories.
I asked previously on this forum ( not this thread ) about tabloid press in the USA and was told they do not have anything like that.
So the poster who told me they do not have tabloid newspapers was correct, but there is a celebrity style press , I wondered at the time because I had heard of different magazines that appeared to print rather wacky stories.

Oh we absolutely have celebrity gossip magazines--People, Us, In Touch, National Enquirer, Star--just to name a few.

We even have TV shows devoted to celebrity gossip.

I don't know why the press report some of this stuff . They're not going to buy a whole new set of clothes, books, gadgets, baby stuff etc to have in Canada, and their stuff isn't all going to fit into the 23kg luggage allowance you get on a passenger plane!

But if they are moving all their stuff to Canada, then I would venture a guess that Archie may not come to Britain and any visits won't be for more than a few days at a time.

 

[caethi]

Sussex Royal Trademark

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-prince-harry-and-meghan-face-sussex-royal-trademark-challenges/

Things may not go so easily for them in terms of their "trademark". The article doesn't reveal much about the motivation for the challenge but it may hold things up a bit.

So it seems as if they are still going to use "Sussex Royal". Given that they are no longer working royals, this seems a bit rich to me.

 

[Kataryn]

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-prince-harry-and-meghan-face-sussex-royal-trademark-challenges/

Things may not go so easily for them in terms of their "trademark". The article doesn't reveal much about the motivation for the challenge but it may hold things up a bit.

So it seems as if they are still going to use "Sussex Royal". Given that they are no longer working royals, this seems a bit rich to me.

The Duke of Sussex is the son of the future king and thus he "is" Royal.

 

[Lumutqueen]

So it seems as if they are still going to use "Sussex Royal".

The attempt to trademark "SussexRoyal" was filed last June. An Australian gentleman, who was a Doctor in the UK for a period of 3 years, 6 years ago has filed an objection. Due to this objection the trademarking has been postponed until March.

I don't know the legality of withdrawing a trademark attempt like this so on that I cannot possible comment.

 

[Betsypaige]

Oh we absolutely have celebrity gossip magazines--People, Us, In Touch, National Enquirer, Star--just to name a few.

We even have TV shows devoted to celebrity gossip.

Right, the difference is that they aren’t considered “news” and not read daily, as seems to be in the UK. Well, of course they’re weekly magazines - bur still, they’re not separate and apart from regular news. The last two above are outright trash, and that’s being unfair to trash, lol

But if they are moving all their stuff to Canada, then I would venture a guess that Archie may not come to Britain and any visits won't be for more than a few days at a time.

Right, and also....why not leave some things there? The can afford to go shopping in Canada, and leaving some stuff at Frogmore would make it easier to travel when they return.

As to the trademark, I’m surprised the Queen is not objecting to the use of Royal in Sussex Royal

 

[Alison H]

That's weird! Objections are usually because the name is something general that anyone else might reasonably want to use, e.g. London Cakes, or because it's a name already used by someone else - Victoria Beckham wasn't allowed to register "Posh" because it's also the nickname of Peterborough United Football Club and has been for decades. I could understand someone from Sussex filing an objection, but I've no idea why a doctor in Australia would be bothered, unless he's just being awkward.

 

[Pranter]

Agreed. The barest rumors and the most ill-supported speculation are being treated as hard fact on this portion of the forums.

How about we wait for Harry and Meagan to actually finalize a purchase, deal, or event before we begin reacting?

Amen. Any other time (as evidenced by the lack of reaction to rumors from the same tabloid sources in other family member threads) folks would be coming out against all the rumor/gossip. Not sure why it's now okay to accept the tabloids as some sort of fountain of truth.

Not to mention the dog pile onto Meghan being responsible for all this...when we see over and over evidence (interviews etc) of Harry being the primary one saying he wanted out long before she even came into the picture.




LaRae

 

[Betsypaige]

It’s not all on Meghan, but if Harry wanted so desperately out, if he wanted away from his family, if he were that unhappy....why didn’t he try and leave before now? He could have done so with his girlfriend (I’m sorry, I forget her name) who broke up with him because she couldn’t deal with a Royal life..

 

[ashelen]

To me, it seems that Harry and Meghan not only did not get any of the changes they wanted. Instead, it looks like they got kicked out of the Kingdom! There are reports of moving vans at Frogmore Cottage and H&M official wedding memorabilia has been removed from sale at royal outlets.

So, not just the Kingdom but the Family as well. It is not a good look for the BRF as the Net releases stories of Harry "not being well" and "controlled by Meghan and Doria". Ugh, it all leaves me with a very nasty taste in my mouth.

Wow, Already their moving staff from Frogmore Cottage? Wow that means one thing: they are not coming back!
This is really sad if it is true!
Unless when they went to Canada they did not know they were not to come back and it is just essentials that they need to bring

Both William and Harry have expressed that they are, even as adults, in some awe of their grandmother and there's no way they'd be able to pick up a cell phone and simply call her - that's not the way the system or the Queen works.

This is terrible you can not go to yourgrandma when you want! very sad!

There used to be a rumour that the Queen didn't want any of her descendants to marry until they'd been with their partner for at least 5 years, after what happened with Charles and Diana. Times have certainly changed - William and Kate living together before marriage would have been unthinkable a generation earlier. I would think she did have concerns about how quickly things moved between Harry and Meghan, but how much could she have done about it? If she'd refused permission, they'd have got married anyway, and it would have been awkward and embarrassing and caused bad feeling.

We've probably all had times when we've felt that a friend or relative was rushing into things, but there's not much you can do about it. Commenting on someone else's relationship or choice of partner is a sure-fire way to cause offence, however well you might mean it!

She could not wait 5 years, she would have been over40 and no chances of kids

 

[_Heather_]

I don't know why the press report some of this stuff . They're not going to buy a whole new set of clothes, books, gadgets, baby stuff etc to have in Canada, and their stuff isn't all going to fit into the 23kg luggage allowance you get on a passenger plane!

While that's very true, it also does appear to indicate that they will not be returning to the UK or, if any of them do, that it will be only a short visit that a suitcase will suffice for. Which then begs the question of why they need to retain Frogmore Cottage. No one, including these two, would pack up and ship an entire household's worth of furniture, clothing, personal effects, etc. each time they decide to change continents which they apparently will be doing rather routinely according to their most ardent supporters. Clearly their trips back to the UK, if there are any trips back to the UK, will be fleeting.

 

[Pranter]

It’s not all on Meghan, but if Harry wanted so desperately out, if he wanted away from his family, if he were that unhappy....why didn’t he try and leave before now? He could have done so with his girlfriend (I’m sorry, I forget her name) who broke up with him because she couldn’t deal with a Royal life..

Please...the vast majority of ppl here commenting are putting the majority if not all the blame on Meghan. You can go back a few pages and read post after post showing this.

You'd have to ask Harry why not before...perhaps things weren't as bad with the media before, perhaps he thought they would be able to tolerate it...or that things would settle...who knows.


LaRae

 

[Denville]

It’s not all on Meghan, but if Harry wanted so desperately out, if he wanted away from his family, if he were that unhappy....why didn’t he try and leave before now? He could have done so with his girlfriend (I’m sorry, I forget her name) who broke up with him because she couldn’t deal with a Royal life..

Brtitish royals do not usually "wlak out" on Royal life. The DUke of Windsor was the only one and his fate was pretty sad.. so IMO Harry might have moaned and groaned but he wuodl have stuck by his duty, unless there were other factors. if Meghan doesn't like England and/or can't cope with Royal life.. that's another reason that has come up since he got married and IMO that's what pushed him to leave....

 

[ashelen]

It’s not all on Meghan, but if Harry wanted so desperately out, if he wanted away from his family, if he were that unhappy....why didn’t he try and leave before now? He could have done so with his girlfriend (I’m sorry, I forget her name) who broke up with him because she couldn’t deal with a Royal life..

Yes I know who are you talking about Chelsea I think, her name! she is gorgeous! Yes agreen with you Why he did not do that for her!

 

[acdc1]

Amen. Any other time (as evidenced by the lack of reaction to rumors from the same tabloid sources in other family member threads) folks would be coming out against all the rumor/gossip. Not sure why it's now okay to accept the tabloids as some sort of fountain of truth.

Not to mention the dog pile onto Meghan being responsible for all this...when we see over and over evidence (interviews etc) of Harry being the primary one saying he wanted out long before she even came into the picture.




LaRae

I do think the dog pile onto Meghan as being solely responsible for this is unfair. Harry isn’t a shrinking violet, I can’t imagine that if he didn’t want out at all, that any of this would have happened. I don’t know if they could have worked something out where maybe Meghan could step back and Harry continue on as a working royal, or if he could have persuaded her to stay on. But the fact that they both have stepped down, and that they are both leaving the UK, indicates that he did want out to some degree, even if it wasn’t the total exclusion that they were made to do.

I do think that they way that they have stepped down, and how they will live after, is mostly driven by Meghan. I think that Harry probably would have been happy to move to Africa and focus on charity work there in a more low-key capacity. But the move to North America, and building the global Sussex brand and capitalizing from it, and becoming celebrities and influencers, I do think that’s mostly Meghan’s dream and not Harry’s. I think that he is going along with it because he loves his wife, and I think saw how unhappy she was in the UK (I think that the fact that Meghan did not like living in the UK and had seemingly not made any close friends there was a big driving factor in the decision- she didn’t strike me as having much at all in common with Harry’s UK set, and I think she wanted to be near her support system in North America). I think that the whole sudden announcement and the PR stunt of the website and laying out demands was driven by Meghan too.

I will be very interested to see how happy Harry will be in the new life. He has always struck me as being very down to earth and not into all the trappings of royalty and fame. Like I said earlier, I think he would be perfectly happy living a low-key life and focusing on his chosen charities (Invictus Games and Sentebale). I think we’ll see him still focusing on these, of course, but I don’t see him as the type who likes being in the glitz and glamor of the public eye that it seems like this new life they’re creating for themselves will entail.

 

[Denville]

Oh we absolutely have celebrity gossip magazines--People, Us, In Touch, National Enquirer, Star--just to name a few.

We even have TV shows devoted to celebrity gossip.

there are certianly tabloid magazines in the US, which are wildly off the beam for the most part. The British tabloids are mean, but no more inaccurate than the American variety....

I do think the dog pile onto Meghan as being solely responsible for this is unfair. Harry isn’t a shrinking violet, I can’t imagine that if he didn’t want out at all, that any of this would have happened. I don’t know if they could have worked something out where maybe Meghan could step back and Harry continue on as a working royal, or if he could have persuaded her to stay on. But the fact that they both have stepped down, and that they are both leaving the UK, indicates that he did want out to some degree, even if it wasn’t the total exclusion that they were made to do.

I d

I will be very interested to see how happy Harry will be in the new life. He has always struck me as being very down to earth and not into all the trappings of royalty and fame. Like I said earlier, I think he would be perfectly happy living a low-key life and focusing on his chosen charities (Invictus Games and Sentebale). I think we’ll see him still focusing on these, of course, but I don’t see him as the type who likes being in the glitz and glamor of the public eye that it seems like this new life they’re creating for themselves will entail.

I cant see how it would work, for Meghan to give up her royal duties. I think she has grown to dislike England and the RF here as well as just being stressed by the Press and public duties...

 

[Pranter]

I do think the dog pile onto Meghan as being solely responsible for this is unfair. Harry isn’t a shrinking violet, I can’t imagine that if he didn’t want out at all, that any of this would have happened. I don’t know if they could have worked something out where maybe Meghan could step back and Harry continue on as a working royal, or if he could have persuaded her to stay on. But the fact that they both have stepped down, and that they are both leaving the UK, indicates that he did want out to some degree, even if it wasn’t the total exclusion that they were made to do.

I do think that they way that they have stepped down, and how they will live after, is mostly driven by Meghan. I think that Harry probably would have been happy to move to Africa and focus on charity work there in a more low-key capacity. But the move to North America, and building the global Sussex brand and capitalizing from it, and becoming celebrities and influencers, I do think that’s mostly Meghan’s dream and not Harry’s. I think that he is going along with it because he loves his wife, and I think saw how unhappy she was in the UK (I think that the fact that Meghan did not like living in the UK and had seemingly not made any close friends there was a big driving factor in the decision- she didn’t strike me as having much at all in common with Harry’s UK set, and I think she wanted to be near her support system in North America). I think that the whole sudden announcement and the PR stunt of the website and laying out demands was driven by Meghan too.

I will be very interested to see how happy Harry will be in the new life. He has always struck me as being very down to earth and not into all the trappings of royalty and fame. Like I said earlier, I think he would be perfectly happy living a low-key life and focusing on his chosen charities (Invictus Games and Sentebale). I think we’ll see him still focusing on these, of course, but I don’t see him as the type who likes being in the glitz and glamor of the public eye that it seems like this new life they’re creating for themselves will entail.

Most of the things you are stating are coming from tabloid sources. We have ZERO information from them or their website or official PR ppl that they intend to become celebrity influences or create a global brand.

Harry himself stated Africa would not work in that recent interview. So that is why they aren't there. It's not Meghan dragging him to Canada instead of Africa.

Meghan has never, even when an actress been involved in things you now think she is demanding or wanting. She was not even on the tabloid radar, barely known as an actress unless you watched Suits. She has been involved in various charities and groups for years and years.

I look at patterns and past behavior and their stated goals which most folks here seem to be ignoring and instead have created this whole new life with them being some sort of celebrity jet setters going to be selling Sussex key chains in order to fund their high flying lifestyle. It doesn't match with what we know about them previously.


LaRae

 

[wyevale]

their stated goals

The problem is 'their stated goals' change with alarming regularity.. [devoted to Service/Commonwealth/Africa/Queen - morphed into financial Independence/living in North America] so no-one knows what to believe.. such is the collapse in trust occasioned by their ACTUAL conduct in the last three weeks, few are inclined to give them 'the benefit of the doubt'.

Their 'past behaviour' seems no help in gauging who they are now..and we each draw our own conclusions.. some benevolently, many harshly.

 

[Betsypaige]

Please...the vast majority of ppl here commenting are putting the majority if not all the blame on Meghan. You can go back a few pages and read post after post showing this.

You'd have to ask Harry why not before...perhaps things weren't as bad with the media before, perhaps he thought they would be able to tolerate it...or that things would settle...who knows.


LaRae

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......

Brtitish royals do not usually "wlak out" on Royal life. The DUke of Windsor was the only one and his fate was pretty sad.. so IMO Harry might have moaned and groaned but he wuodl have stuck by his duty, unless there were other factors. if Meghan doesn't like England and/or can't cope with Royal life.. that's another reason that has come up since he got married and IMO that's what pushed him to leave....

That's right, so my point was that Meghan was certainly a trigger for him. Harry's girlfriend walked away, Meghan didn't........now they are married, and it gives him a reason (married, now with a toddler) as he sees it to make a move whereas he didn't want to (or have the courage) to do it on his own.

 

[Denville]

Please what?! I'm speaking for myself, not on everyone else, so don't get aggravated at me........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......

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....

 

[ladongas]

It’s possible that Meghan needed to have more to do. She’s always been a go-getter with several projects going at once, and the rather glacial pace of Royal life and work may not have suited her. If she could have been like the male marry-ins and been permitted to continue her career, things might have been different.

The cookbook project and the wardrobe project seemed like the kind of things she could have happily done, along with other similarly organized ideas. I wonder if the senior courtiers put the kibosh on that sort of activity? Harry could have continued with regular Royal work, and she could have had her own career, a worthy one.

 

[Betsypaige]

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 can buy this......

 

[Pranter]

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......

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