Just call me Harry. (Everything Harry & Meghan)

[becca]

Honestly, I think Great Britain should take the opportunity of the Jubilee to say: "Thank you for your long & successful service, Your Majesty, but you are a difficult act to follow, and let's allow your reign to stand as the best possible end to this instititution." and simply abolish the whole thing.

I personally think there are benefits to the institution. As head of state they can do things the Prime Minster cannot. It provides stability.

I don’t see the benefits though for Caribbean countries

 

[mella]

Honestly, I think Great Britain should take the opportunity of the Jubilee to say: "Thank you for your long & successful service, Your Majesty, but you are a difficult act to follow, and let's allow your reign to stand as the best possible end to this instititution." and simply abolish the whole thing.

I personally think there are benefits to the institution. As head of state they can do things the Prime Minster cannot. It provides stability.

I don’t see the benefits though for Caribbean countries

@clairecloutier a few years ago I think I'd have agreed but there is value in the institution for the country. But I dont think there is a tangible benefit to the so called "Commonwealth" countries.

@becca I dont think they can do anything that the Prime Minister cannot. Like what? They have no constitutional power as Johnson has demonstrated to chilling effect.

I think the concept of the RF providing stability is an illusion created by the monarch having served 70years. I dont think there is intrinsic stability in the institution.

I do think that the history and grandeur associated with the monarchy has a financial value from a tourist perspective although personally I'm not sure that value outweighs the costs associated with them. I dont think any decision to remove them should be a snap one. It should be carefully assessed on a cost/benefit basis like pretty much everything else in life.

I strongly believe that Harry was wrong to make the comments he did about his father and brother being "trapped". I think it is likely true - they effectively live in a gilded cage but that isn't his story to tell. But I think that life also has a "cost" to the individuals involved that should be part of any analysis. But its not like they could suddenly live like Joe Blogs if the monarchy was dissolved anyway. The Press would never allow it.

 

[cygnus]

I wouldn't say William and Kate are living in the past per se, I think the BRF as an institution is living in the past and holding on to protocols that are outdated and in desperate need of updating and education and this is past on from generation to generation. It's mind-blowing to think that William was the first heir to the throne who was allowed to remain in the line of succession even though he married a commoner and it's sad and infuriating that Charles didn't have the guts to say to hell with it all, I'm marrying Camilla whether you like it or not. I don't think he was raised that way but if he'd done that, he could have spared a lot of people a lot of suffering (and while Harry would not be Harry, I do think that this includes what Harry and Meghan went through. Things would have been very different had Charles been able to stand up for himself and the British monarchy might already be closer to the 21st century if he had).

I definitely think Harry had an advantage growing up because I would imagine that he had more liberties and was able to become a more independent person.

There is and was no law that a person couldn't marry a commoner and remain the line of succession. Past monarchs and members of the family could marry anyone they wanted(with the Queen's permission),except for a divorced person or a Roman Catholic (this has been changed recently). The former for religious reasons and the latter for political reasons. Diana was technically a commoner (her title of "Lady" is only a courtesy title), and yes, she had an aristocratic background, but she was a commoner by law, as was the Queen Mother. Was Princess Anne booted when she married Mark Phillips? Or Margaret when she married Armstrong-Jones? Or further back, the Duke of Kent when he married Katherine Worsley? Last I looked they can still succeed.

Charles could have married any of his untitled girlfriends back in the day and stayed heir, as could the Queen before him. The fact that they didn't says more about their social circles and who they meet than any rule.

 

[Wyliefan]

And we have a Lilibet pic! What a cutie! The red hair is STRONG in this family.

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1533914005672284165

 

[overedge]

And we have a Lilibet pic! What a cutie! The red hair is STRONG in this family.

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1533914005672284165

Whew, when I saw the link I thought it was going to be an out-of-focus long-range-zoom paparazzi photo. Nice to see a proper legitimate photo

 

[DFJ]

What a cutie. So nice to have a picture. The kids of William and Harry are just gorgeous.

 

[canbelto]

But but but … @Lemonade20 says Lilii isn’t real!

 

[sk9tingfan]

Whew, when I saw the link I thought it was going to be an out-of-focus long-range-zoom paparazzi photo. Nice to see a proper legitimate photo

Plus another:

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Release Brand-New Portrait of Lilibet in Honor of Her 1st Birthday

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just released a brand-new portrait of Lilibet, who turned 1. See the pic here.

www.purewow.com

 

[Prancer]

And we have a Lilibet pic! What a cutie! The red hair is STRONG in this family.

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1533914005672284165

And not just the red hair. Good lord, she looks like Harry.

 

[Karen-W]

And not just the red hair. Good lord, she looks like Harry.

She really does look like Harry. The Windsor genes run strong in Lili. Trade the red hair in for blonde and she'd look like her great-granny, and trade it in for brown hair and there's a strong resemblance to Charlotte at the same age. Really quite a lovely photograph. She's a gorgeous little girl.

 

[AxelAnnie]

But in fairness I don’t they arranged that.

I don’t think anything Meghan did before the interview was really damaging.

That interview though was damaging IMO.

Harry was an equal part of course.

It wOul

 

[DreamSkates]

I wish them all the best wherever life’s opportunities take them.

 

[canbelto]

She really does look like Harry. The Windsor genes run strong in Lili. Trade the red hair in for blonde and she'd look like her great-granny, and trade it in for brown hair and there's a strong resemblance to Charlotte at the same age. Really quite a lovely photograph. She's a gorgeous little girl.

I've noticed Windsor genes run strong in everyone. Like Charlotte and George also favor the Windsors.
Lili looks like Harry and is a cute girl.
From what I've seen Archie has red hair but his face favors Meghan more?

 

[puglover]

She is a beautiful child. She is kind of squinting in the sun so I can't really tell her eye colour. I don't know Archie's for sure either. Red hair and brown eyes is a lovely combination if that is what they have.

 

[Jimena]

She looks like her dad so much. Just an adorable baby.

 

[MacMadame]

But but but … @Lemonade20 says Lilii isn’t real!

Channeling conspiracy theorists: that isn't her kid/that portrait was faked. We still haven't seen her at the Jubilee!

 

[Prancer]

She is a beautiful child. She is kind of squinting in the sun so I can't really tell her eye colour. I don't know Archie's for sure either. Red hair and brown eyes is a lovely combination if that is what they have.

And highly unusual. Her hair looks like it will get darker as she gets older, though.

 

[ballettmaus]

And we have a Lilibet pic! What a cutie! The red hair is STRONG in this family.

I'm a bit surprised that both children are red heads. A friend told me that she hoped her child would be a red head as red heads are dying out because the genes are recessive. Either she was mistaken or it has something to do with who traits are passed on from.

Either way, she's a cutie.

And highly unusual. Her hair looks like it will get darker as she gets older, though.

I had a friend who was almost platinum blond as a kid and now has brown hair and I was going to ask if it's something that's observed with red hair as well. That answers that

 

[becca]

@clairecloutier a few years ago I think I'd have agreed but there is value in the institution for the country. But I dont think there is a tangible benefit to the so called "Commonwealth" countries.

@becca I dont think they can do anything that the Prime Minister cannot. Like what? They have no constitutional power as Johnson has demonstrated to chilling effect.

I think the concept of the RF providing stability is an illusion created by the monarch having served 70years. I dont think there is intrinsic stability in the institution.

I do think that the history and grandeur associated with the monarchy has a financial value from a tourist perspective although personally I'm not sure that value outweighs the costs associated with them. I dont think any decision to remove them should be a snap one. It should be carefully assessed on a cost/benefit basis like pretty much everything else in life.

I strongly believe that Harry was wrong to make the comments he did about his father and brother being "trapped". I think it is likely true - they effectively live in a gilded cage but that isn't his story to tell. But I think that life also has a "cost" to the individuals involved that should be part of any analysis. But its not like they could suddenly live like Joe Blogs if the monarchy was dissolved anyway. The Press would never allow it.

The Queen though is a rallying point as a symbol that someone like the Prime Minister could never be.

Precisely because she is not political. So the people can celebrate here as symbol of the nation.

It’s not just the whole trapped thing. It’s the fact that neither William of Charles can trust that conversations won’t end up in the press.

They have little privacy as is and someone personal to them airing their personal grievances on tv.

At the end of the day I feel the royal family did try and part of the issue I suspect is they were always going to be supporting players and they didn’t want that.

 

[once_upon]

My grandson was a red head when he was born. It's now brown.

His dad was a dark brown when he was little. His hair and beard are now auburn with definite streaks of red.

I was platinum blonde when I was little...it changed to dark brown...now it's platinum blonde again albeit by hair stylist now

 

[becca]

I am totally jealous of Lilli’s beautiful red hair! Lucky girl

 

[MacMadame]

I was platinum blonde when I was little...it changed to dark brown

Me too.

 

[clairecloutier]

My uncle, his daughter, and her son all have gorgeous true auburn hair. For her, it didn't change as she grew up, it's still the same fiery red-gold. Her son is about 10ish now, and his is still the same, too. Their shade is several tones brighter than Lili's, though.

 

[vgerdes]

I'm a bit surprised that both children are red heads. A friend told me that she hoped her child would be a red head as red heads are dying out because the genes are recessive. Either she was mistaken or it has something to do with who traits are passed on from.

Either way, she's a cutie.


I had a friend who was almost platinum blond as a kid and now has brown hair and I was going to ask if it's something that's observed with red hair as well. That answers that

I'm a redhead, in large part because both of my parents were gingers. But as I understand it, it's more about the genes being on both sides of the family tree. My sister, who also has red hair, had four daughters who did not. But she has two grandchildren with red hair.

My hair actually got more blonde as I got older, not darker.

 

[Judy]

Plus another:

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Release Brand-New Portrait of Lilibet in Honor of Her 1st Birthday

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just released a brand-new portrait of Lilibet, who turned 1. See the pic here.

www.purewow.com

Oh my - she is precious!

 

[skatingfan5]

Lilibet is really cute and has such a strong resemblance to her father beyond her hair color.

Re hair color, I don’t think I had ever heard the term platinum blond/blonde used to describe children, but then I am behind the times in other things. My siblings and I all had fairly light blonde hair as children (up to about age 4 or 5) but only my youngest sister retained the blonde as an adult. She took after my father — a “towhead” with nearly white-blond hair (my dad’s nickname in grade school was “Whitey” — in rural Vermont nearly 90 years ago.) Anyway I will try not to automatically think of Jean Harlow or other “platinum blondes” from ancient Hollywood films.

 

[Judy]

My uncle, his daughter, and her son all have gorgeous true auburn hair. For her, it didn't change as she grew up, it's still the same fiery red-gold. Her son is about 10ish now, and his is still the same, too. Their shade is several tones brighter than Lili's, though.

Life’s not fair lol.

 

[once_upon]

Oh, I remember going to the small corner grocery store for things like bread and milk for my grandparents when I was around 7.

 

[MacMadame]

Oh, I remember going to the small corner grocery store for things like bread and milk for my grandparents when I was around 7.

Wrong thread?

 

[MsZem]

I've noticed Windsor genes run strong in everyone. Like Charlotte and George also favor the Windsors.

Charlotte does, though you can see some Carole Middleton there too. George is a mix. Louis is very much a Middleton.

Archie and Lili are cute. Kids that age usually are