
re
"they appear to stay in what has now become the acceptable level of bitchiness"
There's a lot of coverage of M&H in the U.S. which is understandable since Meghan is American. Much of the coverage of the Sussexes in the U.S. is fairly positive, aside from some media picking up U.K. stories that run a negative narrative. Still, the major mainstream U.S. outlets don't pile on with a load of critical commentary about Meghan. In general, petty U.S. tabloids that carry negative, questionable stories are simply not given the same kind of widespread daily emphasis and attention in the U.S., as tabloid counterparts are given in the U.K.
It certainly makes a lot of sense for the Sussexes to take time out to spend the holidays with Meghan's mother and close friends, particularly with Archie experiencing his very first Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's been awhile since Meghan has spent time with family and friends in her home state.
IMO, the Sussexes are simply standing their ground after letting it be known where they stand. As Harry said in the recent documentary,
"I will not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mom..." This reiterates what I mentioned awhile ago in the other thread: M&H are not going to give in to gnarly media tactics by royal reporters who want to gain more access to the Sussexes as well as control the narrative about them, which has been largely negative, especially toward Meghan. The Sussexes have been showing how they plan to proceed by sharing news about their events and charitable causes direct to the public on their Instagram, in addition to embargoing advance news about some of their appearances, e.g., Meghan's recent private visit to Luminary Bakery (in addition to keeping her guest editorship with
British Vogue in support of SmartWorks, et al, quiet for months), and M&H's recent private visit with the families of deployed military in Windsor, was reported after the fact.
Behind-the-scenes it is not just M&H who need to assess what has been happening in terms of the royals' relationship with the British media, and the overly negative nonstop coverage of Meghan. Rethinking needs to be done regarding palace leaks and how to counteract untruths, unfairness and OTT intrusiveness by the media which is deleterious to personal safety and security, to royal family interactions, and to peace of mind.