Royalty Thread #7: Do They Get Frequent Flier Miles?

[kittyjake5]

Nice to see Kate again! She looks great.

 

[aftershocks]

Sorry to interrupt the Meghan lovefest

There's no need to be sorry, nor to dismissively suggest you are interrupting a 'Meghan lovefest.' I admire Meghan and I am interested in her fascinating life journey from California to Chicago to Toronto to London and all the journeys in-between (encompassing Hollywood, Buenos Aires, and Kensington Palace, etc). However, I am not uncritical of the various aspects of OTT interest that surround Duchess Meghan's every move and public appearance these days. To a degree, the heady interest and the OTT jealousy often intersect. How wonderful that the royals accept Duchess Meghan as a caring person and a loving family member. Her joining the royal family has certainly been a p.r. asset in many ways because she brings so many positives to the firm, beyond being a wonderful soulmate and boon to Prince Harry. I doubt any of the royal ladies after getting to know Meghan feel any huge sense of competition. That's largely in the minds of the media and some fans.

There's a lot of interest in Meghan and Harry right now due to the fresh appeal of their love story and because of their charismatic, generous, heartfelt and giving personalities. It's all new and interesting combined with the magisterial touch of British royal tradition and history. The appeal of M&H's relationship is making for sustained interest and engagement with the royals throughout the Commonwealth (that's surely why the recent documentary's focus on the Queen highlights the history and importance of the Commonwealth countries to Great Britain). The documentary is definitely about promoting the relevancy of royal traditions as well as solidifying Britain's relationship with the Commonwealth during a time of Brexit and economic uncertainties.

The marriage of M&H has placed a positive spotlight on the royal family which they are milking for all it's worth, as they should. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011 also led to a lot of positive interest in the royals, which has obviously increased over the course of M&H's romance and royal wedding. W&K have their own wonderful appeal, especially as loving parents and upstanding role models. Their personalities are a bit less outgoing than M&H's, but no less charming, caring and genuine. It's fine that W&K are more reticent and conservative due to the king/queen roles they will inherit. And it's cool that M&H's personalities are looser and more relaxed, which has to some degree loosened up W&K. It's all good, IMO. I think QEII is quite pleased with the forward-reaching, expansive and thoughtful, yet responsible direction her family's next generation are taking.

 

[Lorac]

Trust me @aftershocks Meghan marrying Harry has not 'loosened' William and Kate at all. Wills and Kate are fabulous ambassadors for the Queen and have a beautiful relationship that has clearly strengthened and deepened over the years. Harry has been growing into a more defined role and is still developing there. The next few years will show if Meghan can have a similar impact as Kate has had. The jury is still out on that score but to state as you do that because Harry has fallen in love that William and Kate have magically become these wonderful people is just plain condescending on your part.

 

[mag]

Some more great photos of Kate here:

https://whatkatewore.com/2018/10/02...s-for-return-from-maternity-leave/#more-55402

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Yep, a much more relaxed and casual appearance by Kate which is part of something she, William and Harry were already pushing toward. With the advent of Meghan joining the family, we see ever greater acceptance of a more casual, understated and less stuffy, traditional approach to certain public outings. And please hold your darts, as I'm not saying Meghan is necessarily the impetus, but she has definitely had some influence in that regard. It's all connected. Personally, I still see Meghan as trying to fit in sartorially as a royal Duchess and to downplay any sense of trying to be especially glamorous or over-the-top, 'look-at-me.' All eyes are on Duchess Meghan anyway, just as they are on Duchess Catherine. And I'm sure Kate offers advice and tips to Meghan in many respects, and who knows vice versa may happen in other respects. I do get the sense that Meghan is feeling her way and desiring to maintain her sense of self, while also blending in with the family and their traditions.

Trust me @aftershocks Meghan marrying Harry has not 'loosened' William and Kate at all. Wills and Kate are fabulous ambassadors for the Queen and have a beautiful relationship that has clearly strengthened and deepened over the years. Harry has been growing into a more defined role and is still developing there. The next few years will show if Meghan can have a similar impact as Kate has had. The jury is still out on that score...

Right, of course W&K are wonderful and lovely in their own right. There's absolutely no disrespect by me in saying W&K have 'loosened up' their public personas. It is my impression that W&K are quite happy for Harry and indeed they are also apparently feeling more relaxed in public themselves via showing more PDA than they have usually demonstrated (not that they have never shown PDA in public, but they have definitely been more reticent in that regard). Certainly, W&K have fun, loving, and engaging personalities too, as demonstrated on many occasions (e.g., their relaxed and witty hosting episode on Radio One).

The fact you feel the need to jump so quickly in defense of W&K says more about your perceptions as well as your perceptions of my perceptions than it does anything about W&K, M&H, their family connection and their individual relationships. Much about those intimate relationships, none of us will ever know.

FYI: Duchess Meghan has already had an important impact on the royal family, and on communities in Britain. Her work with the Commonwealth will definitely develop and grow over the years, and there is already tremendous interest in Meghan internationally, as well as in M&H's upcoming South Pacific tour. Once again, it's not a competition between Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan, thus there's no need to frame anything in that regard.

... to state as you do that because Harry has fallen in love that William and Kate have magically become these wonderful people is just plain condescending on your part.

WTF! Whoa boy. Your words @Lorac, not mine.

 

[ballettmaus]

The fact you feel the need to jump so quickly in defense of W&K says more about your perceptions as well as your perceptions of my perceptions than it does anything about W&K, M&H, their family connection and their individual relationships. Much about those intimate relationships, none of us will ever know.

And yet, you're the one insisting that your perception that it's all Meghan (and Harry) is correct.

There are plenty of "informal" photos of William and Kate with Charlotte and George at events, like this one. https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Prince-George-Kate-Middleton-Polo-Match-June-2015-37699219

This was way before Meghan was in the picture and I think you can't get more relaxed than that.

 

[aftershocks]

And yet, you're the one insisting that your perception that it's all Meghan (and Harry) is correct.

There are plenty of "informal" photos of William and Kate with Charlotte and George at events, like this one. https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Prince-George-Kate-Middleton-Polo-Match-June-2015-37699219

This was way before Meghan was in the picture and I think you can't get more relaxed than that.

Again, your perception and your overreading, because of how you are perceiving what I am saying. I qualified my observations. Clearly, W&K have shown PDA, but definitely not in the way we've seen between M&H, which has been noticed and remarked on. It's not even a big deal and nothing to be overly defensive about. Who cares? I observed it, others have too. Big deal.

 

[mag]

Again, your perception and your overreading, because of how you are perceiving what I am saying. I qualified my observations. Clearly, W&K have shown PDA, but definitely not in the way we've seen between M&H, which has been noticed and remarked on. It's not even a big deal and nothing to be overly defensive about. Who cares? I observed it, others have too. Big deal.

When we see Meghan and Harry dancing in the South Pacific in a flowered shirt / dress with flowers in their hair, you will insist that Meghan is changing royalty. Yet ... (fast forward to 2:15)

https://youtu.be/DWmAOjm0TVk

 

[MLIS]

I'm not going to argue about how much of an influence Meghan does or doesn't have on the personality of others ( for the record, I like both Kate and Meghan, although I realize I'm supposed to pick one and hate the other forever, at least according to the internet), but Kate has done loads of these engagements, wearing jeans and boots and sitting on a log around the campfire hanging out with adorable kids. This is not a new behaviour or look for her.

 

[fscric]

Again, your perception and your overreading, because of how you are perceiving what I am saying. I qualified my observations. Clearly, W&K have shown PDA, but definitely not in the way we've seen between M&H, which has been noticed and remarked on. It's not even a big deal and nothing to be overly defensive about. Who cares? I observed it, others have too. Big deal.

Is that a competition?

 

[aftershocks]

I personally am not arguing. I am correcting erroneous perceptions of what I've said. Everyone can feel whichever way they want to feel and it really don't matter. What goes on behind palace walls for real, we do not have the best inkling of, and so it goes. We can speculate based on what we see and hear, or know as coming directly from the mouths of the royals in question.

I betcha anything that Prince Harry appreciates everything about Duchess Meghan's positive influence on him and by extension on his family. As far as I can see though, Meghan is not trying to be influential, she is just bearing influence and impact in her own way simply by being herself. And as I already said, William, Kate and Harry already had their own ideas about the changes they wished to make in regard to old-fashioned royal protocol and the different ways they wished to start doing things to bring the royal family into the 21st century. Meghan becoming a member of the royals simply worked hand-in-hand beautifully with the young royals' more relaxed and progressive views of moving forward. It's all connected. They ain't called the Fab Four for no reason!

For me personally, I have not seen Duchess Kate typically wearing trousers at public events, until very recently. In regard to @ballettmaus' reference to polo event photos with W&K: Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan tend to wear casual clothes at polo outings which are really not typically official royal public events for the wives of the princes, even despite William and Harry playing for charity. In terms of Kate wearing trousers at official events, I have not seen it too often previously. Perhaps it's something she has wished to do more of, or has previously done on occasion, and now is doing more of at official royal events that warrant casual attire. It was striking to see Meghan wearing pants at a number of events prior to her wedding and afterward. Big f'ing deal about pointing that out! Panic button alert!

And whether anyone likes it or not, H&M have been much more publicly demonstrative during their courtship and after their marriage than W&K (i.e., holding hands and touching each other affectionately often during public occasions), which is notable but not earthshaking or something that needs to be obsessed over as indicative of anything in particular, other than just their personalities, and the fact that it has not been behavior typically seen between a royal prince and his significant other. Not that we've never seen hand-holding and touching and staring into each other's eyes. We just have not seen it to the extent and degree that's been demonstrated between Harry and Meghan. End of story. Get over it. It's not any kind of reflection against Will & Kate and their loving relationship. Egods!

Also, a number of events the younger royals are attending these days appear to be much more interactive and hands-on. Again, not a specifically Meghan-inspired influence, but certainly very in keeping with Meghan's approach to her own public service outreach well before she met Prince Harry. So, it's all of a piece and it flows. And there is absolutely no reason to get one's ire up if I post positive things about what Meghan is doing and I happen to note some of the positive impacts of her joining the royal family. Why are people getting their knickers in a twist about it, and reading so many erroneous assumptions into my posts?

I am not proselytizing OTT claims like some in the media are doing. I don't think Duchess Meghan has any thoughts about bringing 'change' to the royal family. She clearly wishes to fit in and to make a positive difference in the world while supporting her husband, his brother and all senior royals, especially HM QEII. But it's beyond silly to think that Meghan has had no impact whatsoever, or that it's somehow anathema and against W&K to say anything positive about Duchess Meghan. It's NOT a competition. If you can't or don't wish to accurately read and understand my posts, then don't. If what I say bothers you, tough. We don't have to think the same way. If you are tired of hearing about Duchess Meghan, oh well. Get used to it. You can always post about the royals you are more interested in and have a nice day.

Amongst themselves, I feel certain that William, Kate, and Harry have talked about making change. That's part of what the Heads Together Campaign is all about, which predates H&M's courtship, but has also flowed nicely with H&M's vibe, connection, and passionate interests.

In any case, yep, Duchess Meghan is on the inside and somehow that bothers some people in ways they don't even realize and can't seem to acknowledge. It goes without saying, even though I've said it plenty of times, I think both Kate and Meghan are very special young women in their own individual rights. William and Harry both know they are extremely fortunate in the life partners they each have by their sides.

When we see Meghan and Harry dancing in the South Pacific in a flowered shirt / dress with flowers in their hair, you will insist that Meghan is changing royalty. Yet ... (fast forward to 2:15)

https://youtu.be/DWmAOjm0TVk

By gosh, you guys are so revealing of your OTT anxiety re Meghan having married Harry.

The scenario you just described is what's in your own head for whatever reason. You sound like some trivial OTT royal reporter for Daily Fail trying to stir up some WTF faux angst between W&K and M&H. The brothers are very close, and I'll bet you anything, they do not allow trivial shizz, much less tripe media and royal fan-created shizz to get anywhere near coming between them. They are too smart and too on point about understanding what really matters to them re their conduct, goals, stature, private lives, and position in the world.

Princess Eugenie's royal wedding is nearing, so stay tuned for that. And maybe brace yourself for M&H's South Pacific tour. I don't know what to expect in any regard. But I trust that both Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have their heads together and their passions aligned, and know what they are about. The media and bickering fans can have at it in advance, during and afterward. Personally, I am chill, and I will make my observations to my heart's content. If you wish to express differing points of view, voice such on your own terms, but stop misinterpreting my posts and making fantasy scenario claims yourself that you then try to attribute to me.

 

[aftershocks]

Is that a competition?

I am the one who already said that it's not a competition. The competition is up in your own heads everyone who is imagining what they think I said. If you can't understand what I said, stop making things up. Simply by your posting one of my comments addressing erroneous claims made by other posters, means zip @fscric. Now, if you ain't satisfied quite yet, and you're still antsy about who knows the f' what, try again if you will.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Loved the videos of Kate. Her authenticity and heart show through

 

[Lorac]

Is that a competition?

Regardless of how much they may post in verbose posts stating how it isn't a competition unfortunately one poster by their very words has certainly set up the 2 relationships as a competition. No amount of posting sarcastic comments and emojis in response to others calling them out on it will hide that fact.

It's a pity really as it has really ruined this thread. I have have tried not to respond to said poster but maybe feeling yucky from a cold lowered my resistance unfortunately.?

Hopefully the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a good trip to their namesake today.

 

[skatesindreams]

Hopefully the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a good trip to their namesake today.

I'm with you!

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Regardless of how much they may post in verbose posts stating how it isn't a competition unfortunately one poster by their very words has certainly set up the 2 relationships as a competition. No amount of posting sarcastic comments and emojis in response to others calling them out on it will hide that fact.

It's a pity really as it has really ruined this thread. I have have tried not to respond to said poster but maybe feeling yucky from a cold lowered my resistance unfortunately.?

Hopefully the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a good trip to their namesake today.

Ignore has certainly been my friend in several instances - no reason it can't be yours.

 

[mag]

Great photos of Harry and Meghan in Sussex.

https://whatmeghanwore.net/2018/10/03/the-duchess-in-armani-hugo-boss-for-first-visit-to-sussex/

 

[PDilemma]

Regardless of how much they may post in verbose posts stating how it isn't a competition unfortunately one poster by their very words has certainly set up the 2 relationships as a competition. No amount of posting sarcastic comments and emojis in response to others calling them out on it will hide that fact.

It's a pity really as it has really ruined this thread. I have have tried not to respond to said poster but maybe feeling yucky from a cold lowered my resistance unfortunately.?

Hopefully the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a good trip to their namesake today.

This. The thread was, for the most part, light-hearted discussion of Royals around the world. Now every time I open it, it is to another essay on the finer qualities of Meghan and how extraordinarily special she is. Philosophical musings with quotes from her defunct blog on a really good day (seriously, did she download that entire thing and organize it into a searchable document before it was taken down????). And endless observations on how she is changing the monarchy and changing Harry's lives and possibly all of our lives by her mere existence. No more cute pictures of royal kids around the world. No more light hearted discussion of sartorial choices (I assume because if anyone suggests that Meghan isn't the best dressed person in the history of all humanity, we get another essay), I doubt we will even be able to debate potential baby names if she announces a pregnancy as we'll instead be having to read essays about what the naming of her previous dogs indicates about her humanitarian motivated fashion forward tastes in royal baby naming and how it will affect the entire commonwealth (if not the world and the unknown universe) and what the rest of us call our fish from here until the end of time.

Ignore has certainly been my friend in several instances - no reason it can't be yours.

Ignore doesn't really solve the problem of the degree to which this thread has been hijacked.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Ignore doesn't really solve the problem of the degree to which this thread has been hijacked.

You're also always free to start a new one - with your own delightful anti-Meghan Markle point of view.

 

[Jenny]

I guess it's inevitable that on a board focused on competitive figure skating, that every happy thread will eventually turn into

 

[ballettmaus]

Great photos of Harry and Meghan in Sussex.

https://whatmeghanwore.net/2018/10/03/the-duchess-in-armani-hugo-boss-for-first-visit-to-sussex/

I'm loving the picture in which Harry is peeking behind the "curtain"

 

[aftershocks]

The thread was, for the most part, light-hearted discussion of Royals around the world. Now every time I open it, it is to another essay on the finer qualities of Meghan and how extraordinarily special she is. Philosophical musings with quotes from her defunct blog on a really good day (seriously, did she download that entire thing and organize it into a searchable document before it was taken down????). And endless observations on how she is changing the monarchy and changing Harry's lives and possibly all of our lives by her mere existence. No more cute pictures of royal kids around the world. No more light hearted discussion of sartorial choices ..., I doubt we will even be able to debate potential baby names if she announces a pregnancy as we'll instead be having to read essays about what the naming of her previous dogs indicates about her humanitarian motivated fashion forward tastes in royal baby naming and how it will affect the entire commonwealth (if not the world and the unknown universe) and what the rest of us call our fish from here until the end of time...

Yep, all up in your own head, complete with OTT snark and false claims. Ditto for @Lorac's false claims toward my posts. You should both try writing fanciful diatribes for the Daily Fail.

I have responded to inaccurate representations of my posts, and I also responded to the suggestion there's some kind of 'Meghan lovefest' simply because I post updates on what's happening with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are newly married and in general right now are the objects of particular interest to many in varying degrees around the world. You can all gripe and turn up your noses at my lengthy posts, and those who dislike Meghan can hide behind throwing darts at my observations. It's nothing new when you disagree with my posts but yet can't really argue anything reasonably, so resort to exaggerations and faux claims about what I actually said. And so it goes. Ignore what you don't like at your will, and hate on at your will. What's really important and what really matters rarely happens in these threads in the first place.

Those who are so put out by my positive M&H updates and my granted often lengthy rebuttals to your own dismissive comments, and those who wish to pretend that your obvious negativity toward Duchess Meghan is only due to my posts, can just return to your European royals of preference discussion and celebration.

... if anyone suggests that Meghan isn't the best dressed person in the history of all humanity, we get another essay...

Unsurprisingly, this is another completely made-up falsehood and OTT exaggeration on your part. I have often made critical comments regarding some of Meghan's sartorial preferences, but yeah, ignore what you wish and make exaggerated claims because you have trouble dealing with the truth. I am used to some people not accurately reading my posts, and being bent on disliking anything and everything I post, just because. As usual, carry on, as you will.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be carrying on as well, regardless of who dislikes positive attention and praise being given to Meghan: http://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/

Interesting and positive insights by royal photographer, Arthur Edwards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eINeT6N4Tzo
On H&M: "... When I see them together, they are so tactile. I've never seen a royal couple so tactile. They're always holding hands... or arm around her waist. It's quite lovely to see. And that would be typical of Harry. It's all or nothing... He shows his love for her and she shows her love for him..."

On W&H: "You couldn't really get a cigarette paper between them. If someone attacked either brother, they'd leap to the other's defense. But when they're with each other, they're always taking the mickey out of each other..."

There are a number of royal podcasts and vlogs that have arisen in the aftermath of the recent royal wedding (Scobie/Andrews' OnHeir podcast, and ITV's Royal Rota on Youtube, which is now at three episodes). As I said, in regard to W&K and M&H, it's all good, and both couples support each other, while OTT media stirs things up, and OTT fans and haters engage in going nowhere back-and-forth that's only revealing of their own characters and motivations (myself included, though at least I take a step back and try to be honest).

 

[Prancer]

Those who are so put out by my positive M&H updates and my granted often lengthy rebuttals to your own dismissive comments, and those who wish to pretend that your obvious negativity toward Duchess Meghan is only due to my posts, can just return to your European royals of preference discussion and celebration.

How about a different option--you and PDilemma can take your personal attacks to PM and stop responding to one another in this thread.

 

[aftershocks]

How about a different option--you and PDillema can take your personal attacks to PM and stop responding to one another in this thread.

Sure @Prancer. And that should go for others as well, as it's clearly not just @PDilemma making false claims and responding in a negative way toward my posts.

 

[Prancer]

Sure @Prancer. And that should go for others as well, as it's clearly not just @PDilemma making false claims and responding in a negative way toward my posts.

So far, I have been asked only to have you and PDilemma take it outside. But you should definitely feel free to start PMing anyone else you want to argue with. I doubt if anyone will complain if you do.

 

[aftershocks]

So far, I have been asked only to have you and PDilemma take it outside. But you should definitely feel free to start PMing anyone else you want to argue with. I doubt it anyone will complain if you do.

As always, thanks for your tnoughtful admonitions @Prancer.

 

[Lorac]

Well it looks as if Princess Eugenie's wedding will be televised after all. ITV - the main commercial channel here in the UK - will be covering the wedding as part of an extended version of This Morning show. As I don't have to head out to work until 1pm on Friday next week I will probably put it on as I do love a good wedding and if Prince George and Princess Charlotte are once again attendants it will be a good excuse to see some cute royal kids again.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45709989

 

[taf2002]

I watched Jeremy Vine's interview of Samatha (Markle) Grant this am. She did not come off well. She had excuses for everything she's said or done. She said if they didn't say anything the media would make things up & if they did speak their words would be twisted. Apparently the media circus isn't her fault, in fact nothing is her fault.

Jeremy didn't let get away with it. He did get her to admit the staged photos her dad did was her suggestion but she explained those away, in her mind at least. She had an explanation for everything even though she didn't make sense. He didn't argue about any of her nonsense but he read all the tweets (insults) from her & asked her what she hoped to gain. Apparently she hoped by shaming Meghan she would contact or go see her father.

What gets me is that Meghan & her father had no reason for hurt feelings on either side. He was invited to the wedding & to walk her down the aisle. It was his choice or his health that he didn't come. I'm sure that the photos embarrassed Meghan but it's her father. She would have probably forgiven him & reopened communications. There was no need for Samatha to start the public war. She even insulted Harry on his birthday. You have to watch the interview to understand how smarmy she comes off.

 

[aftershocks]

Samantha (Yvonne is her given name) was on the warpath against Meghan from the beginning. It goes back to the whole dysfunctional Markle family dynamic, many details of which most of us are unaware. There are some parts of the puzzle mentioned in Andrew Morton's recent book on Meghan (as related by Tom Jr, and friends and neighbors of Doria & Tom Sr from back-in-the-day). Suffice to say Tom Sr married young, had disagreements with his first wife (was an admitted workaholic), and was probably too young emotionally to marry and have kids. The older two kids were neglected to an extent, especially by their father after the split/divorce and subsequent move by Tom Sr from Chicago to LA for work as a lighting director. As teenagers, Tom Jr and Sam/Yvonne hooked up with their Dad in LA after many years of his absence in their lives.

Doria and Tom Sr. met on the set of General Hospital, and married in the late 1970s. Tom Jr and Sam/Yvonne lived with them for several years prior to the birth of Rachel Meghan in 1981. After marrying Tom Sr, Doria generously tried to be a good second mother to his two older children. Tom Jr responded a bit better to Doria's outreach than did Sam/Yvonne who joked with friends about Doria being their 'maid.' From what I've read, it appears that Tom Jr and Sam/Yvonne never got over, nor ever forgave their Dad for being a more attentive and loving father to Meghan in her childhood than he was to them. That seems to be at the root of Tom Jr's and Sam/Yvonne's angst and bitterness toward their younger sister whom they are 15 and 17 years older than, respectively.

Samantha and Meghan reportedly have not been in contact with each other since 2008, and before that sporadically. From her public behavior as well as written and spoken words on the Internet and in many media outlets, Sam was incensed when she found out that Meghan was dating Prince Harry. From the beginning, Sam set out to publicly undermine, slander and demean Meghan with the admitted intent of breaking up her sister's relationship with a royal prince of Great Britain.

The general public is unaware of the egregious extent of Sam's slanderous outbursts on Twitter, tumblr sites, etc. I don't know all of it either, but I have heard and read quite a bit about some of the outrageous things Sam has said throughout M&H's courtship well before the engagement announcement. Ever since the engagement announcement (which Sam was ignorantly and uselessly trying to prevent happening), Sam has been attempting to slyly change her tune, almost in a schizophrenic way. I think by now most of the public are on to Sam's two-faced behavior, but many still don't realize the extent or origins of her jealousy and bitterness. Sam and Tom Jr and members of the Markle family were not at Meghan's first wedding. Why did any of them need to be invited to her second wedding? The Markles lost their chance to be close and loving family members to Meghan when they carelessly looked down on her because Doria is her mother. And of course Tom Jr and Sam/Yvonne were never able to contain or release their sibling rivalry with each other, much less release their jealousy toward Meghan.

Sam's recent traveling to Britain stunt is just part of the silly aftermath of her own cruel and envious trashing of her younger sister. Karma is biting Sam in the butt big time. Meghan surely never had any intention of reconciling with her older siblings nor with any of the Markles, but she had definitely stayed in contact with her Dad and she clearly hoped he would walk her down the aisle. Meghan was probably praying Sam would not interfere and infect Tom Sr's thinking. It's clear that Sam did sway Tom Sr in some of his poor decisions in the lead-up to the royal wedding, and in the immediate aftermath.

Meghan is much younger than her older siblings, and she apparently had to deal with attitudes from them that we don't know the details about since Meghan has always been positive and upbeat about her childhood. Partly due to their age differences and the bitterness they emanated, Meghan surely didn't have too many intimate interactions with Tom Jr and Sam/Yvonne over the years. Meghan's Mom and her maternal grandmother nurtured, grounded and protected her. Tom Sr nurtured Meghan as well, probably complicated by his older two children's jealousy and probable attempts at guilt-tripping him.

 

[aftershocks]

I heard on Royal Rota Ep3 and on Scobie/Andrews' OnHeir podcast about Princess Eugenie's wedding being televised by ITV on October 12. The BBC reportedly declined to broadcast. Some details about Eugenie's wedding plans: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45709989
I think there's good reason for this wedding to be televised, so I'm glad it will be. I understand that the interest is not at the same level (as @Vagabond pointed out awhile back), still it is going to be a high profile royal wedding with high profile celebrity guests and all major members of the British royal family attending. There's surely high interest in Britain and the Commonwealth, as well as in the U.S. by royal watchers whose level of interest has already been piqued by an American becoming a member of QEII's family.

As some observers expected, it is being reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will soon be moving into newly refurbished Apartment 1 at Kensington Palace (which adjoins Apartment 1A where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reside). Apt 1A used to belong to Princess Margaret, and Apt 1 was recently vacated by the Gloucesters who are now empty nesters in any case and have relocated to smaller quarters. Here are details, and interesting history that both Apts 1 and 1A used to be one abode that was at one point occupied by the former Duke of Sussex in a different era. The huge residence was divided into 2 separate adjoining apartments in the 1950s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC3VdVY-QJw

And this is timely and funny: Duchess Meghan burst out laughing when handed a gift by an illustrator who had drawn a pen and ink cartoon of her beagle Guy 'dismantling patriarchy.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IycFIcXXOzA