The Heir, The Spare and the “Baby Brain” -The Prince Harry and Meghan show rumbles on…

[once_upon]

Meghan thought they were getting Frogmore House, not Frogmore Cottage.

How the hell do you know that?

 

[Lemonade20]

How the hell do you know that?

They had their wedding reception there, so she assumed that's what they were gifted.

 

[once_upon]

They had their wedding reception there, so she assumed that's what they were gifted.

And you know this how? She personally told you that? Like "lemonade, I know Queen Granny is giving this castle as our wedding gift"

 

[Lemonade20]

And you know this how? She personally told you that? Like "lemonade, I know Queen Granny is giving this castle as our wedding gift"

It's out there in the news, Google it. So dumb

 

[once_upon]

So dumb is true.

Hatred comes across loud and clear.

 

[Lemonade20]

So dumb is true.

Hatred comes across loud and clear.

Okay Karen.

 

[once_upon]

Great argument. I know very nice people who are named Karen. Maybe even me.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Also out there in the news, repeatedly, is that it was a wedding gift from the Queen.

 

[Rainbow]

She was alive when they stopped being working members of the BRF, and she could have "ungifted" it to them while she was alive.

Except she sort of did "ungift" Frogmore Cottage well before her death. It was part of the stepping back as working royals deal. They were allowed to keep the "grace" as in using the historic mansion, but the "favour" as in using it rent free was revoked. They were required to pay commercial rent. The lease was renewed for a year last year by H+M, now the contract has obviously not been offered to be renewed by the crown estate, thus the lease expired.

If the Queen had wanted to make sure they could keep it, she would have found a way and made provisions as she did with her assistant Angela Kelly, who can live out her days in a grace and favour home. Same with how she set up Andrew.

 

[taf2002]

Okay Karen.

So insults to people who don't agree with you? Who does that make the karen in this scenario?

 

[MacMadame]

Okay Karen.

That's not what a Karen is.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Except she sort of did "ungift" Frogmore Cottage well before her death. It was part of the stepping back as working royals deal. They were allowed to keep the "grace" as in using the historic mansion, but the "favour" as in using it rent free was revoked. They were required to pay commercial rent. The lease was renewed for a year last year by H+M, now the contract has obviously not been offered to be renewed by the crown estate, thus the lease expired.

If the Queen had wanted to make sure they could keep it, she would have found a way and made provisions as she did with her assistant Angela Kelly, who can live out her days in a grace and favour home. Same with how she set up Andrew.

She sort of did lots of things. She left it to her son to not renew the lease, when she could have made it clear she wanted them gone by not leasing it to them in the first place. It has not come out/been leaked by any parties that the deal was an explicit one-time only transition out.

It is possible that Prince Charles (at the time) proposed the short lease solution knowing that he would fall on the sword by cutting the cord, especially if she was already ill or getting that much more frail.

 

[once_upon]

I choose to believe Karens are people who get caught up by a group of people wishing to call out a stereotype who can't come up with a term.

Those people just pull an innocent group of people named Karen into their insult battle.

I also happen to believe that one can't know what someone thought, unless they were told personally by that person what they thought.

At this point, neither H&M nor Andrew are working Royals (whatever that entails). The difference is H&M are not granted housing and Andrew apparently is. But, at least on paper, none of them are working Royals as far as I know

 

[morqet]

Has Prince Charles served a Section 21 notice? Was the EPC and gas safety certificate up to date? Is the deposit held in an approved protection scheme???

 

[marbri]

Andrew signed a 75 year lease on the place Charles want's him to leave.
Apparently he refuses to leave.
Harry and Meghan renewed their lease in Spring 2022 with a 12 month rolling contract.
Harry and Meghan apparently are fine with being asked to leave.
Harry and Meghan apparently think the whole world is a lot more upset over this than they are ?‍

I have no doubt if Harry and Meghan choose to go to the coronation Charles will let them have a few rooms in one of their castles. Security sorted.

 

[Winnipeg]

BTW, what does the "baby Brain" refer to? It sounds really odd as part of the title to this thread?

 

[once_upon]

BTW, what does the "baby Brain" refer to? It sounds really odd as part of the title to this thread?

Apparently evil Meghan referred to Kate as having baby brain - or something like that

 

[MsZem]

I had some time to kill at the airport yesterday and skimmed parts of Spare. How did any of you manage to finish it? What I read was just mind-numbingly dull.

 

[MLIS]

BTW, what does the "baby Brain" refer to? It sounds really odd as part of the title to this thread?

In Harry's book he said that Kate was offended by Meghan referring to her having "baby brain" while she was pregnant. Kate felt it was dismissive and inappropriately intimate (she didn't feel they were close enough to talk about her body), Meghan said it was just the way she talks to everyone. It became another example of how the royals were cold and unwelcoming to Meghan and didn't understand her and her breezy American ways, or how Meghan was inappropriate, offensive, and not suited for royal life, depending on whose side you're on.

 

[Baby Yoda On Skates]

I had some time to kill at the airport yesterday and skimmed parts of Spare. How did any of you manage to finish it? What I read was just mind-numbingly dull.

Audio set at speed 1.75.

 

[Winnipeg]

It was a very boring book, I did not finish either. I wish I had been "Spared the Spare."

 

[once_upon]

Since my friends and I, when we were pregnant back 40 years ago talked about baby brain when doing things like put the milk in the Cupboard and not the Frig - as a caring phrase and sometimes like we couldn't wait for baby brain, it seemed to be a big to do about nothing to me. Same if Kate said it to another royal.

But just another divisive thing.

 

[airgelaal]

Since my friends and I, when we were pregnant back 40 years ago talked about baby brain when doing things like put the milk in the Cupboard and not the Frig - as a caring phrase and sometimes like we couldn't wait for baby brain, it seemed to be a big to do about nothing to me. Same if Kate said it to another royal.

But just another divisive thing.

You were talking to your friends.
I had friends who reacted differently to such comments. One of the friends could make fun of herself, and some reacted aggressively. That is why you need to know a person closely in order to understand when you can say such things, and when it is better to remain silent.

 

[MLIS]

As usual, I think two things can be true at the same time. Meghan has a more casual, laid back approach to things, she is informal, hugs people the first time she meets them, jokes about baby brain, wore ripped jeans and was barefoot to meet her husband's brother and sister-in-law for the first time, etc. Kate is more reserved, private, takes time to warm up to people, doesn't want to discuss her hormones with someone she barely knows (especially when she has highly scrutinized, difficult pregnancies), wore a skirt and heels to meet her brother-in-law's new girlfriend for the first time. It doesn't make either of them wrong, or bad people, but it absolutely could mean they got off to a rough start and were then quick(er) to take offense in other interactions.

 

[marbri]

Yes, when I heard the baby brain thing I ?‍ but I don't know the context of the situation it was used in and I think without that information it's hard to opine on whether Kate was overly sensitive or whether Meghan was making a dig ?‍

I think it's an odd thing to include in your book without context because it had to have been said in response to something specific.

 

[airgelaal]

Honestly, I think it's better not to violate personal boundaries with people you either don't know or don't know well.

 

[mattiecat13]

It was a very boring book, I did not finish either. I wish I had been "Spared the Spare."

The only parts I thought were boring were the ones when Harry was serving in the Army. I thought the behind-the-scenes look at the royals and how they live was very interesting. The constant complaining about the press got tedious, too, but he has a legitimate gripe about that. I got the sense he skimmed over some events that may have put him and Meghan in a bad light.

 

[once_upon]

Honestly, I think it's better not to violate personal boundaries with people you either don't know or don't know well.

I would be guilty of engaging in conversation like that with someone I thought was my family. Especially thinking we might bond with things like motherhood. It's obvious Kate and Meghan didn't see eye to eye on being sister in laws.

 

[airgelaal]

I would be guilty of engaging in conversation like that with someone I thought was my family. Especially thinking we might bond with things like motherhood. It's obvious Kate and Meghan didn't see eye to eye on being sister in laws.

As I said, I have very close friends to whom I would never say this. They are ready to kill anyone who talks about their baby brain. And I'm not exaggerating.
It is wrong to think that you can say whatever you want to your loved ones and they will not be offended.

 

[MLIS]

People magazine has an exclusive this morning about Lilibet's christening: https://people.com/royals/meghan-ma...ghter-princess-lilibet-christened-california/

In it a spokesperson for the couple refers to "Princess Lilibet." This of course sent royal Twitter into a tizzy, but various royal reporters have confirmed from sources that Harry and Meghan have chosen to "exercise the right given to male line grandchildren" and have their children styled as Prince and Princess, and their titles will be updated on the official line of succession on the royal family's website (they are currently Master and Miss). Apparently someone at Buckingham Palace said that now that the Duke and Duchess have "expressed a preference," BP will follow their wishes, implying it was up to them all along.

I find this super interesting, because Meghan in particular made such a big deal about Archie not being given a title (making it out to be a decision that was made specifically about him, which it wasn't, according to existing law any child of Harry's would not be prince/princess until Charles became king), and made an explicit link between his lack of title and them not having security provided for them (when the two things have nothing to do with each other). This was one of their biggest grievances in the Oprah interview. But when Archie was born he could have been Earl of Dumbarton, which is one of Harry's "lesser" titles -- this is common in aristocracy, for the oldest son and heir to use one of his father's secondary titles. They said at the time they didn't want that.

Can anyone who has read Spare say if Harry addresses the title thing after Archie's birth? The message at the time was very much that it was by Harry and Meghan's choice that Archie was "Master Archie" with no title. But by the time the Oprah interview happened the message was that Archie was being denied a title and, by extension, other privileges (like security).