Royalty Thread #8.....A Pregnant Pause

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You can get used to noise surprisingly fast. A friend of mine grew up with train tracks running through their property, and while guests noticed that the house shook and the china rattled every time one passed, the family would just shrug, barely noticing.
 
You can get used to noise surprisingly fast. A friend of mine grew up with train tracks running through their property, and while guests noticed that the house shook and the china rattled every time one passed, the family would just shrug, barely noticing.

I've lived under flight paths (we were an air force family). I agree you get used to it; but it isn't an idyllic setting. For Meghan, it seems like a downgrade. Unlike Catherine, who likely wanted the country life when they were first married, Meghan seems to enjoy the spotlight. Obviously Harry does not want his kids in it though.

It's all speculation of course, we have no idea what they want, what they are happy about, what the internal politics are.
 
I've lived under flight paths (we were an air force family). I agree you get used to it; but it isn't an idyllic setting. For Meghan, it seems like a downgrade. Unlike Catherine, who likely wanted the country life when they were first married, Meghan seems to enjoy the spotlight. Obviously Harry does not want his kids in it though.

It's all speculation of course, we have no idea what they want, what they are happy about, what the internal politics are.

I wouldn't call having a 10 bedroom house all to yourself a downgrade :) And as many have pointed out, Windsor is essentially a suburb of London, they're not moving to say, some remote village on the far reaches of Wales. They'll still be very much in the thick of things, and that spotlight isn't going away any time soon.
 
It's all speculation of course, we have no idea what they want, what they are happy about, what the internal politics are.
What strikes me is that Harry lived in Kensington Palace as a child both before and after his parents separated. While I doubt he would ever say as much publicly, I would not be surprised if he wanted his children to grow up somewhere less fraught with memories.
 
... the present Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard, grew up in Apt 1

Correction: Richard, Duke of Gloucester's parents moved into Apt 1 in 1968, so Richard did not actually grow up there, as by that point, he was a young adult.

Frogmore Cottage ... was previously the Windsor home of Queen Mary.

Correction: Queen Mary was widely thought to have lived at Frogmore Cottage, but apparently she only stayed there on occasion. It was never a full-time residence for her.

Meanwhile, contrary to their usual practice of remaining silent in the face of exasperating noise and made-up gossip, there are reports that Buckingham Palace knocked down the recent widely disseminated claims that Meghan and Kate have been engaged in feuding. The tabloids are so desperate and egregious.


And here's a delightful June 2016 tourist video of Windsor Great Park and the environs of Frogmore House (there's a passing view of Frogmore Cottage, but chiefly many views of Frogmore House, inside and outside, along with the Victoria & Albert mauseoleum). We see a wide angle glimpse of the white steps and the back of Frogmore House where Meghan and Harry posed for their engagement and wedding photos. Plus, beautiful scenery of the lovely grounds...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Y0hjsQM4w

ETA: There is a brief view of the front of Frogmore Cottage near the end of the video at 5:53.
 
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Contrary to their usual practice of remaining silent in the face of exasperating noise and made-up gossip, there are reports that Buckingham Palace knocked down the recent widely disseminated claims that Meghan and Kate have been engaged in any kind of feud.
That's good to know.
 
I agree you get used to it; but it isn't an idyllic setting. For Meghan, it seems like a downgrade. Unlike Catherine, who likely wanted the country life when they were first married, Meghan seems to enjoy the spotlight.

See the linked video in my last post. The area around Frogmore Cottage and Frogmore House is definitely an idyllic setting. Tourist groups are restricted to limited periods during the summer, usually one week in June, and several designated times in August, when the royals are usually in Scotland or other vacation locales. The tourist footpaths currently situated near Frogmore Cottage will most certainly be diverted elsewhere. And the overhead planes may surely also occasionally be diverted as much as possible when the Sussexes are in residence. I would suspect, there's also the possibility of some kind of soundproofing being added to parts of the residential structure.

Contrary to the belief by some of Frogmore Cottage being a downgrade, apparently Meghan and Harry are not interested in living in a 20-room apartment at Kensington Palace next to the Cambridges. KP's press release indicated that Harry & Meghan have a fondness for Windsor, and that has been mentioned a few times. Plus, there are reports from 'inside sources' that Harry and Meghan prefer a country setting and do not enjoy living in London. They are said to have been spending their weekends at a rented home in the Cotswolds. Interestingly, there has also been some speculation that the cost to upgrade Apt 1 to modern-day standards is quite expensive, and the work required is extensive. Some observers still believe that the Gloucesters are planning to eventually move out.

In regard to Meghan enjoying the spotlight, it makes sense that she's used to cameras and the spotlight since that was a big part of being an actor. For the type of family she married into, her former career and experience in the public realm is definitely an asset. In any case, she was not an extracurricular attention-seeking actress during her career. She spent a lot of down time at home with friends and on vacations. In addition, she made time in her busy schedule to pursue humanitarian work, which is one of the first things she and Harry immediately bonded over when they met.

It seems to me that Meghan walked into the marriage and the royal firm with her eyes open, knowing the restrictions and the perks, the upsides and the downsides. She willingly made a number of sacrifices (leaving her older dog behind with friends, ending lucrative contracts, shutting down her popular website and her social media accounts, and ending her acting career) because she's in love and seemingly very committed to the work she and Harry will be doing under the umbrella of the Royal Foundation.

I also think that Meghan is fully aware of and appreciates the fact that her husband wants to protect her and their family's privacy from overdone public scrutiny. She said in the engagement interview that she'd already 'ticked that box' of having a successful acting career, and that she was looking forward to her new life with Prince Harry, and the work ahead of them. I think it's obvious that Meghan has a strong work ethic and that she enjoys being busy and helping others in need. Of course, no one's life is perfect, but they aren't going to be sharing their imperfections with us. ;)

Actually, Meghan used to be quite open and sharing with her fans, in a professional but genuinely engaging way. But now that she's so famous, being protected from too much over-attention must be a relief.
 
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A very sane take on the latest Kate / Meghan news:

https://honey.nine.com.au/2018/12/03/06/36/kate-middleton-meghan-markle-relationship

I completely agree with the thought that Kate and Meghan are quite different people. It doesn’t mean they don’t get on, but it also means they may not be best friends. It really doesn’t matter. I am not best friends with my sister in-law as we have quite different interests. I do, however, care for her very much and get on with her very well.
 
Many news outlets are getting Frogmore House and Frogmore Cottage mixed up. The cottage is nearby, but it's situated slightly northwest of Frogmore House, surrounded by greenery. Checking out the earlier video linked to post #68, there are numerous views of grand Frogmore House, and a brief front view of Frogmore Cottage at 5:53.
 
For Meghan, it seems like a downgrade. Unlike Catherine, who likely wanted the country life when they were first marrie, Meghan seems to enjoy the spotlight. Obviously Harry does not want his kids in it though.

I'm sure that in agreeing to marry Harry, Megan knew that compromises would have to be made, and she would give up the relative privacy and liberty she had when she was less in the public eye as an actress.
 
^^ Yes, I think that's true. At the same time, Meghan was in the public eye a lot as an actor. It's just that she was focused on the work, promoting her show, parlaying her success into other lucrative ventures, while also sharing her success by giving back to others at every opportunity. Part of that giving back involved adopting rescue dogs and advocating for others to do the same. What I miss most about Meghan's former Instagram is all the photos she shared of her dogs, Bogart and Guy. She practically grew up on a television set, and she acted in a lot of school productions from an early age right through high school.

Aside from the sacrifice of having to give up her dog Bogart because he couldn't travel, I don't think Meghan has a problem giving up the relative privacy and freedom she used to have. At this point, she has to be protected. Everything has changed, but she's willingly made the sacrifices because of being in love, and also having the opportunity to do more for people in need with her husband, under the aegis of the Royal Foundation. She was formerly a working actress who was not that widely known by the public. But still, she was often in the public eye, giving interviews, doing fashion shoots, appearing on red carpets. Ironically, there's less details known about Meghan's personal life, vacations, and outings with friends these days than when she was active on Instagram and writing features for her very successful lifestyle website, The Tig.

Between 2014 to 2016, Meghan was becoming very well known and admired within entertainment, fashion, lifestyle and humanitarian circles. Plus, while living and working in Canada, she'd developed a number of important friendships with Toronto movers and shakers, which is what led to her eventually meeting Prince Harry. If Meghan hadn't met Prince Harry, I think she still would have gone on to do important things. She has a compassionate social conscious and she's very articulate about and devoted to promoting women's causes.

The public-at-large and the tabloids now want to get into Meghan's privacy 24/7 due to who she married, but Harry has the RPOs ensuring the public really doesn't know a whole lot about their whereabouts and personal activities from day-to-day. As we can see, a number of the events they attend and projects they work on are kept private (embargoed) until after the fact, surely so as to keep paparazzi and tabloids off the scent. A few weeks ago the Fab Four attended a Royal Foundation dinner, but it wasn't made public until a few days later.

Yesterday, it came out after the fact that Meghan had attended Michelle Obama's book tour talk at Southbank Centre in London. The Duchess met privately with the former First Lady afterward, though it's probably not the first time they've met or spoken to each other.

https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1069959822521626625
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR53aglyDS4
 
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a carol service in honor of Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund: http://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royal...rry-henry-van-straubenzee-carol-service-2018/

Meghan is said to have done a reading of Marianne Williamson's Our Greatest Fear. This is unsurprising since Meghan always posted encouraging quotes and words of wisdom on her former Instagram. But in light of all the swipes, gripes, rumors and criticism thrown at Meghan since the success of their recent South Pacific tour, I'd say there's a message on many levels in her reciting these words. According to reports, "before Meghan made her reading she said she and Harry believed it was the perfect reading because 'it sums up he spirit of what the Henry van Straubenzee Fund does to empower young children.'" I guess it's hard though for some people to accept that Meghan is who she actually is: a positive, caring person who's learned how to love herself, be herself, succeed in life, and give back to others. These words remind me too of some of Michelle Obama's speeches:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Now, I do not think Meghan nor Michelle Obama are perfect, and I doubt neither do they. ;) But they do obviously strive to be the best they can be, and to encourage others to don wings too. Life ain't easy, but I guess it helps to find the blessings in each moment, to take good care of yourself, and to laugh, and to care about others.

Commentary in support of Meghan:
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/new...r-late-mother-in-law-princess-diana-1-9477169
 
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In other news, the Countess of Wessex met with Angelina Jolie this weekend, at a film festival event:

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celeb...ie-sophie-countess-wessex-psvi-film-festival/

https://www.etonline.com/angelina-j...-of-wessex-in-chic-winter-white-outfit-114505

It's another instance of a royal attending an event without advance publicity, which appears to be happening more and more these days.

IMO that's not news-worthy anyway. Who cares who meets Angelina Jolie or any other celebrity? I see things on my news feed all the time that are so insignificant it's hard to believe they call them "news". I don't care if Ariande Grande removes a tattoo or Kim K wears sweats to the airport (2 big news on my feed!).

This rant is not directed at you aftershocks.
 
I feel that way when I see a headline like "Cardi B announces break up with Offset." On CNN. Three stories above a follow up story on the GM plant closings, because you know, it's obviously very important that some popstar I only know from tabloid headlines has broken up with what appears to be a printing process.

:wall:
 
IMO that's not news-worthy anyway. Who cares who meets Angelina Jolie or any other celebrity? I see things on my news feed all the time that are so insignificant it's hard to believe they call them "news". I don't care if Ariande Grande removes a tattoo or Kim K wears sweats to the airport (2 big news on my feed!).

This rant is not directed at you aftershocks.


I think here the role Angelina Jolie met her in was a celebrity, but as "special envoy" for the UN High Commissioner of Refugees.

If a royal met with some other humanitarian aid envoy, would that be news? Usually it is, and they do all the time.

It kind of seems like a weird rant for someone who follows a royals thread, since the only thing that makes them famous is birth (and they do various amounts of actual good work depending on the specific royal.) Now, I don't know what about the royals you specifically follow- but I've seen tons of talk about Catherine's gorgeous dress last night across the internet. Why does that matter? Aren't a person's clothes insignificant?
 
@Skittl1321, the fact that I follow this thread doesn't mean I want to know every little detail of royals' lives or anyone else's for that matter. I like to watch the royal weddings & to see the fashions & photos of their events like Trooping the Colors but I don't care about all the invasive stuff the tabloids are printing about Harry & Meghan. But then I'm not British so I'm not interested in stuff like the Countess of Wessex met Angelina Jolie. Maybe that's important news to UK citizens. As to why I follow this thread, is that really your business? And why do you care?
 
For anyone who's interested in belly laughs, take a gander at the below Twitter thread:
Kier Simmons of NBC to Piers Morgan of Good Morning Britain
A little background first: (Piers has continued his asinine bellyaching about Meghan 'ghosting' him once she began dating Prince Harry -- mind you that Piers didn't put two-and-two together anyway until after Harry/Meghan's engagement interview when it was revealed they met around the time Meghan was in London and had briefly chatted with Piers over drinks, perhaps the day of or day before she met Harry on a 'blind date'). Apparently, Meghan's casual acquaintanceship with Piers began when a couple of years earlier, she'd responded to a tweet he wrote about the need for gun control.

Piers professed to Meghan his love for Suits, and subsequently he and Meghan struck up a Twitter acquaintanceship, which clearly was a way for Meghan to help promote her show, not a 'best bud' relationship. :P Piers ended up contacting other members of the cast, and he eventually began receiving inside info about the production along with advance copies of Suits episodes. Piers was miffed when he no longer had this access. But again, he didn't seem to be upset about no longer hearing anything from the cast, until he realized the Harry/Meghan dating timeline and figured that Prince Harry had put Meghan off being in touch with him.

A lot of people in the U.S. don't realize what a nasty tabloid voyeur Piers is considered to be in the U.K. In fact, Piers was implicated in a hacked voicemail scandal involving Prince William (I believe) that occurred some years ago. As well, Harry and William do not like Piers for his tabloid treatment of their mother.

In any case, casual acquaintances drift apart or lose connection all the time for all variety of reasons. Neither Meghan nor the cast and producers of Suits are beholden to Piers for anything! It's more the other way around. Piers was the derivative hanger-on. Weirdly, there are people in some quarters of the Internet who are casting aspersions on Meghan for being so-called 'rude' in cutting off Piers. :lol: :rofl: The way Piers aggressively used Meghan's father to gain intrusive information during the surprise early June interview on GMB, I'd say Meghan was very smart for not ever contacting Piers again after she began dating Prince Harry. For most people it's obviously common sense, but I've seen some inane comments voiced against Meghan that are simply mindboggling. (The Duchess of Sussex is a pregnant woman who is minding her own business and living her life. It's laughable that Piers seems to think she owes him something!) Piers can't get out of the way of his own ego, plus he's trying to keep this self-pitying negative narrative afloat for his own nefarious interests.

Again this Twitter thread is hilarious reading, especially the post with the clip from Fatal Attraction. :rofl:
https://twitter.com/KeirSimmons/status/1070331017188270080?s=20
"piersmorgan calling out Meghan for attention-seeking (and preferring the attention of Prince Harry) is a little rich..."

Scroll down for the below posted reply:
"Mind u [Piers] is a MARRIED man who can't get over a drink he had 1 afternoon. If this isnt a restraining order case I don't know what is. Fatal Attraction" [gif from the movie]
 
@Skittl1321, the fact that I follow this thread doesn't mean I want to know every little detail of royals' lives or anyone else's for that matter. I like to watch the royal weddings & to see the fashions & photos of their events like Trooping the Colors but I don't care about all the invasive stuff the tabloids are printing about Harry & Meghan. But then I'm not British so I'm not interested in stuff like the Countess of Wessex met Angelina Jolie. Maybe that's important news to UK citizens. As to why I follow this thread, is that really your business? And why do you care?

I really don't care. Merely that a rant about celebrity seems misplaced in a thread about royals.
Especially if you are not a British citizen, a royal wedding is as insignificant as a celebrity one. Who cares?

I follow this thread because I find them to be interesting people. I don't follow Angelina Jolie, but certainly she is interesting, and her humanitarian efforts show she has done more than just live in the shallow trappings of fame she could have.

I was only responding to your rant.
 
I generally don't care about rehashing the daily lives and histories of British royals, but Sophie Wessex is great. Also, when I want to change the subject I post pictures of Princess Estelle or Queen Maxima instead of complaining. Sometimes this works ;)

Nothing on the Estelle front at the moment, but I'm sure there will be something Christmasy soon. Meanwhile, Queen Maxima has blessed as with various Maxima outfits. She is a treasure.

For the British-inclined, here is Kate in a tartan skirt and looking fabulous.
 
For the British-inclined, here is Kate in a tartan skirt and looking fabulous.
I adore this look. Amazing skirt.

I also find the royals kind of fascinating - which is weird, because I am kind of a socialist and thoroughly against monarchy and aristocracy in our modern times. But I find the aristocracy and by extension the monarchy interesting from an anthropological standpoint and believe that they once had an important place in the history of mankind.
 
For me it's a bit of an indulgence, like they are a real life fairytale, actual princes and princesses with pretty clothes and jewels and beautiful homes. And that I'm not the only one, so something to share with others, like figure skating used to be for me, which is how I ended up here in the first place. So much of the world is awful, it's nice to have something pleasant and fun and light to enjoy now and then.
 
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