Just call me Harry. (Everything Harry & Meghan)

[Tesla]

I really feel like some of the staff felt insulted that an "uppity n___r" was now their boss. I know that in the US there are many people who bristle at POC being in a position of authority. They're fine with POC as "the help," or in blue collar jobs, or as entertainers and sports stars, but when they climb the corporate ladder the micro-aggressions come out.

That plus she's American and divorced. A perfect storm.

I am not sure what people expect Meghan and Harry chose to give am interview that is a tell all of their truth of how they were mistreated.
They could have let sleep dogs lie. Let Finding Freedom be the voice.

You've seen the interview already? What did they say?

 

[Jenny]

Meghan Markle's Oprah eye makeup is making a serious statement.

... what might her super moody, badass smoked out eye, with lashings of eyeliner and mascara possibly mean as Meghan embarks on a tell-all about her life as a royal? Well, in my opinion either signalling that she's out to tell her real, raw story... or ...

 

[skategal]

Meghan Markle's Oprah eye makeup is making a serious statement.

Or when you have a toddler and are pregnant with the next one, you need all the help you can get to unzombify your look.

 

[Karen-W]

Good Lord... So, because the British tabloid press went down the racist route that must mean that the staff at KP/BP are racist also? My God... You would think, reading some of the comments here, that Britain's race problems are worse than the US. And let's just drag Australia into the mix too since Samantha Cohen, who moved from BP to KP to become H&M's private secretary at the request of the Queen, is Australian. I mean, really... Do you honestly think an American like Jason Knauf's email to the head of Clarence House's HR (since W/K/H/M staff were being funded by the POW's household), asking about how to protect staff from future abuse/bullying by a royal was motivated out of some deep-seated micro-aggression toward an "uppity black woman"? These are NOT stupid people who are amateurs. Not by a long shot. Knauf is a PR whiz. You think he wouldn't consider all of the ramifications and even look at this through the lens of both the British and American experiences with race relations and discrimination? Give both Knauf and Cohen a little bit of credit here instead of just defaulting to "they know not what they do because micro-aggressions."

 

[Judy]

Meghan Markle's Oprah eye makeup is making a serious statement.

Lol. She is gorgeous.

 

[Karen-W]

Meghan Markle's Oprah eye makeup is making a serious statement.

Lol. Anything for clicks. Which, yeah, I fell for the bait to read such a non-article. Like, what was the point of that word salad?

 

[MsZem]

Meghan Markle's Oprah eye makeup is making a serious statement.

Sovietology through makeup is one approach to take.

(the only statement my makeup makes is "this person is hopeless with makeup" )

 

[Judy]

Aside from all this I actually worked with a nurse (when I was working in private school) and she was married to her husband who worked in External Affairs and they were posted world wide. After Kate and William’s wedding she told me that she had treated Diana’s mom (she could curse and loved a drink) and she also knew Diana as a child. This was long before she married into the Royal family. She just said Diana was shy and quiet. We got interrupted and never resumed the conversation lol. I think she said she worked in a clinic.

 

[skategal]

(the only statement my makeup makes is "this person is hopeless with makeup" )

I'm pretty sure mine says "has young child so wears too much in effort to not look run ragged."

 

[puglover]

In the initial statement that Harry and Meghan provided - kind of the blockbuster if you will, it sounds to me like they were saying quite different things to what we hear now. They say "we intend to step back" (a description Harry vehemently denies in the JC interview) "while continuing to support Her Majesty The Queen". They speak about living in the US and UK, sort of half and half although I don't think they specify that exactly as they seek "balance" "while continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the commonwealth, and our patronages". They go on to speak of their desire to ...."raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born..." and their desire to "continue to collaborate with Her Majesty the Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge...". I would assume that many relationships have suffered to some degree or another as a result of much less actual physical contact. Obviously, they did not get what they wanted and I wonder if the terms had been more agreeable to them we would be having these conversations now. Again, we do have to wait for the interview and I would be more than happy to eat my words.

 

[MsZem]

In the initial statement that Harry and Meghan provided - kind of the blockbuster if you will, it sounds to me like they were saying quite different things to what we hear now. They say "we intend to step back" (a description Harry vehemently denies in the JC interview) "while continuing to support Her Majesty The Queen". They speak about living in the US and UK, sort of half and half although I don't think they specify that exactly as they seek "balance" "while continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the commonwealth, and our patronages". They go on to speak of their desire to ...."raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born..." and their desire to "continue to collaborate with Her Majesty the Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge...". I would assume that many relationships have suffered to some degree or another as a result of much less actual physical contact. Obviously, they did not get what they wanted and I wonder if the terms had been more agreeable to them we would be having these conversations now. Again, we do have to wait for the interview and I would be more than happy to eat my words.

The question is whether QE had signed off on this plan, or if it was just wishful thinking/an attempt to force her hand.

Meghan would have probably benefited from guidance from Sophie and Kate - Sophie as the wife of a younger son, who had her own career and a somewhat rocky transition to royal life; Kate as a close relative and one used to an extreme media spotlight. But by the time Meghan moved to the UK, Kate was well into her pregnancy with Louis, and maybe Meghan and Sophie never hit it off. Either way, it doesn't seem like she was able to establish the kind of relationship that would have helped her adjust to royal life. It's such a shame, because I'm not sure people who haven't lived that life can fully appreciate what it's like.

One of the nice things with many of the European royals is that they seem to be friendly with one another. That's another support system that UK royals don't appear to have.

 

[Parsley Sage]

Kate was not only pregnant with Louis but her brother was having serious mental health issues and the entire Middleton family were involved in his treatment.

 

[MsZem]

Kate was not only pregnant with Louis but her brother was having serious mental health issues and the entire Middleton family were involved in his treatment.

I feel like William really lucked out with the Middletons - they seem close-knit and supportive. When one side of the family is the BRF, it's good to have that sort of thing on the other side (this is not to imply in any way that it's Meghan's fault that the Markles are what they are).

 

[Lemonade20]

I feel like William really lucked out with the Middletons - they seem close-knit and supportive. When one side of the family is the BRF, it's good to have that sort of thing on the other side (this is not to imply in any way that it's Meghan's fault that the Markles are what they are).

Agreed, certain families seems to understand better how to be supportive of each other. It's one thing to have a family member who's a celebrity, but to be thrown into the spotlight (royal engagement, marriage, etc), it's a lot to take in and it's sad to see a couple of family members had trouble adjusting to it. Meghan's mom is her rock; she's completely supportive and that's what you need to get through those difficult stages in your life. I know Harry & William were super-close, and it's sad that they are so divided over what's happening that they are unable to come to a solution. No one wishes this upon any family, royal or not.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I think Meghan had plenty of guidance. She simply didn't like it. I really think (and it is just my thought) that Meghan thought she would be on equal footing with Kate. Nope, not so much. Either she didn't understand the line of succession rolleyes or she thought she could change it.

Nope, you marry into that group, you follow the rules.

 

[Judy]

I feel like William really lucked out with the Middletons - they seem close-knit and supportive. When one side of the family is the BRF, it's good to have that sort of thing on the other side (this is not to imply in any way that it's Meghan's fault that the Markles are what they are).

Well you don’t get to pick your family. I am to have a good family but that is not the case for everyone .

 

[MacMadame]

Had Meghan ever had employees before she got married?

She had that lifestyle blog. My understanding is that it was big enough that it would have to have had employees. Plus she had a publicist and an agent.

I predict that the Oprah interview will be a "feel-good" time for the audience that focuses on H&M's family life, how they felt caught up in the circus of the media and BRF, trying to adjust to BRF, why they left and actually be a big fat nothing burger when it comes to spilling secrets or accusing the BRF of anything in particular.

This is all to get an audience for their Netflix specials.

That's what I think too.

As for the 4 or 5 am missives, I think there's a big difference between an email, which is normally viewed as something one answers while actively working, and a text, which is more immediate. There's also the nature of the texts - are they along the lines of instructions for the day's work, or are they demands to drop whatever they're doing (or wake up lol) and do something immediately?

This is something completely under an employee's control though. I keep my phone on my work desk which is on the entire opposite side of the house from my bedroom. If someone texted me in the middle of the night (which is what I consider 5 am to be. ), I would have absolutely no idea.

 

[Judy]

I can absolutely believe that the smear is coming from William. But it could be the Queen herself. Or maybe some palace staffer with an axe to grind. However like everybody else here I have no idea since I'm not part of the inner circle. Stating definitively that "Meghan just craves the spotlight" "the rift was all Meghan's idea" "everything is just money & attention with them" etc isn't helpful. None of us really know for sure.

So what if Meghan started issuing emails at 4am? I know a lot of early risers who do their best work in the wee hours. No one said anyone else had to get up & answer emails before their own work hours. Also it sounds like Meghan may have expected palace staff to work harder than they were used to & they then saw that expectation as bullying. Maybe the pace was too much for those staffers who quit.

Lol. Anything for clicks. Which, yeah, I fell for the bait to read such a non-article. Like, what was the point of that word salad?

It is called media . Get a grip.

 

[canbelto]

Good Lord... So, because the British tabloid press went down the racist route that must mean that the staff at KP/BP are racist also? My God... You would think, reading some of the comments here, that Britain's race problems are worse than the US. And let's just drag Australia into the mix too since Samantha Cohen, who moved from BP to KP to become H&M's private secretary at the request of the Queen, is Australian. I mean, really... Do you honestly think an American like Jason Knauf's email to the head of Clarence House's HR (since W/K/H/M staff were being funded by the POW's household), asking about how to protect staff from future abuse/bullying by a royal was motivated out of some deep-seated micro-aggression toward an "uppity black woman"? These are NOT stupid people who are amateurs. Not by a long shot. Knauf is a PR whiz. You think he wouldn't consider all of the ramifications and even look at this through the lens of both the British and American experiences with race relations and discrimination? Give both Knauf and Cohen a little bit of credit here instead of just defaulting to "they know not what they do because micro-aggressions."

The UK has racial problems just like the U.S. It's not an oasis of racial harmony at all. There have been a number of racist incidents against black football players.
There was an article about this less than a month ago:

English football is consumed by racism and hatred. Can the cycle be broken? | Jonathan Liew

Wave of abuse directed at players on social media is part of a deep societal crisis but perhaps football can provide a solution

www.theguardian.com

The people who would work for BP are all Tory, traditionalist types. It's a self-selecting group. I wonder if the Palace employs ANY POC or it's all just Tommy Lascelles types.

There have been articles about the lack of diversity in the BP staff:

Royals asked about lack of women and diversity in Queen's Body Guard

THE ROYALS were last night at the centre of a racism storm after it was claimed that no one black or from an ethnic minority background had ever served in the Queen’s Body Guard.

www.express.co.uk

It's totally not outside the realm of possibility that the old-fashioned, white, middle-aged men that the palace employs would bristle at taking orders from an American black woman.

 

[Jenny]

She had that lifestyle blog. My understanding is that it was big enough that it would have to have had employees. Plus she had a publicist and an agent.

Hmm just looked into it and didn't realize it was that extensive. It's possible she had someone or someones working for her, but should could have done it on her own too. Doesn't sound like there was anything directly income earning, but more the kind of freebies influencers get to gush about products and places.

I wouldn't count the publicist and agent as employees - the relationship is different, and she would have been one of many clients. And unless she really screwed them, people in those professions are a lot less likely to diss former clients because it's bad for business in the long run.

 

[skategal]

I assume she would have had a personal assistant. Don’t most actors/actresses have those?

 

[clairecloutier]

I thought this was a good opinion piece about racism in Britain:

Opinion | Black Britons Know Why Meghan Markle Wants Out (Published 2020)

It’s the racism.

www.nytimes.com

A co-star of Meghan's has spoken on her behalf in this Twitter thread. He's someone who used to star with her on Suits:

https://twitter.com/halfadams/status/1367882070098288642

I'll say it just this once more: I think it was a mistake for the BRF to announce this investigation. I don't think they are going to win this war. As Meghan's co-star points out in his thread ... They're taking on a woman who is the wife of a current heir (however far down) and mother to two other heirs. What's more, a woman who is savvy about media and has some very powerful friends in media (Oprah, for one). I don't think this is going to work out any better than their attempts to smear and marginalize Diana did.

 

[MsZem]

The UK has racial problems just like the U.S. It's not an oasis of racial harmony at all. There have been a number of racist incidents against black football players.
There was an article about this less than a month ago:

Yes, William commented on that, which I believe you argued was hypocritical.

Of course there's racism in the UK, as British FSUers can no doubt attest. This does not mean that it is the same as US-style racism, or that it was prevalent among royal staff members.

The people who would work for BP are all Tory, traditionalist types. It's a self-selecting group. I wonder if the Palace employs ANY POC or it's all just Tommy Lascelles types.

Did this information also come from watching The Crown/reading tabloid coverage?

I don't know who works at the palaces. This is all I was able to find:

Meet our People

www.royal.uk

BTW, is there any reason why you keep coming back to Tommy Lascelles? According to his Wikipedia entry, he's been dead for almost forty years and last worked for the royal family in 1953.

 

[canbelto]

BTW, is there any reason why you keep coming back to Tommy Lascelles? According to his Wikipedia entry, he's been dead for almost forty years and last worked for the royal family in 1953.

Tommy Lascelles is only THE best character on The Crown. He exemplifies the gray men, with their unshakeable sense of protocol, tradition, royal duty, and propriety. Tsk tsk how can you be a royal watcher and not know about the amazingness that is Pip Torrens as Tommy Lascelles.

 

[Karen-W]

Tommy Lascelles is only THE best character on The Crown. He exemplifies the gray men, with their unshakeable sense of protocol, tradition, royal duty, and propriety. Tsk tsk how can you be a royal watcher and not know about the amazingness that is Pip Torrens as Tommy Lascelles.

Why are you taking anything that appears on The Crown as fact? It is historical fiction, at best. It's like the Phillipa Gregory books on the Tudors for TV.

 

[becca]

Costars are not the same as employees and as for agents you want have a good relationship with them too.


The people to talk would be former cleaning people thinks like that.

She was never a huge star that could get away with being a diva on set.

Look I don’t know what happened and so not going to talk on that. But I do think giving this interview is in poor taste why not let sleeping dogs lay and especially with her husbands grandfather coming out of a heart procedure.

 

[MsZem]

Tommy Lascelles is only THE best character on The Crown. He exemplifies the gray men, with their unshakeable sense of protocol, tradition, royal duty, and propriety. Tsk tsk how can you be a royal watcher and not know about the amazingness that is Pip Torrens as Tommy Lascelles.

I don't watch TV, and I don't assume that someone who died when Meghan was a newborn and Harry didn't exist is relevant to their experience over the past few years.

Here's what Harry said about The Crown:

"They don't pretend to be news," he said. "It's fictional, but it's loosely based on the truth. Of course it's not strictly accurate, but loosely, it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that.

 

[clairecloutier]

Support from Meghan's friends and fans:

Supporters Rally Behind Meghan Markle, Call Out Racist Attacks Ahead Of Oprah Interview

"Those British papers really cannot tolerate that Prince Harry loves a Black woman," author Roxane Gay tweeted.

www.huffpost.com

 

[overedge]

Look I don’t know what happened and so not going to talk on that. But I do think giving this interview is in poor taste why not let sleeping dogs lay and especially with her husbands grandfather coming out of a heart procedure.

As was discussed earlier in the thread, H&M would have signed a release before doing the interview. They probably have little, if any, control over when the interview airs.

 

[kedrin]

She was never a huge star that could get away with being a diva on set.

I don't know anything about her, so this is a general comment, and not regarding Meghan: you don't need to be a huge star to be a diva on set.