277 thoughts on “Royal Round Up: Kate, Harry, Swedes, and more”

1. It did cross my mind if the trouble that the reporters had leaving the country at the end of Harry’s tour had a link to his supposed trip to Toronto on a private charter. If the reporters were not at the airport to see him, the plane he used couldn’t be ‘found’ at the destination airport.

   Camilla has a lot of nice dresses but this red one is not the most flattering. It is far too red – it could be a photo with overstaturated color.

   That is all.

   1. I like Camilla in the red. She usually goes for more muted colors, so to see her in bright red was a nice change.

      1. +1 Camilla looks great in this red dress.

         1. I think she looks lovely in red and the shape is good. I’m just very tired of lace overlay dresses right now.

      2. I agree with KMR that I don’t like her dress being all lace. It looks great from the waist up. But I think it would look better if the skirt was solid satin or some other material, and maybe in black.

         1. Perhaps what I don’t like is all the red. A black velvet skirt on the dress instead of the lace would be nice I think.

      3. + 1
         Lovely for the holidays in all HRH Royal, as she should and festive for such a worthy occasion.

   2. I’m not a big fan of all lace dresses, but I like Camilla in this red one.

   3. I think Camilla looks great. Love her jewels!! =)
      Has her Christmas party for the kids been announced yet?

      1. Yep, that is some sparkle!

      2. Oh, I always enjoy reading coverage of that party! She really gives so much of herself to the children and the party always seems so warm and wonderful!

      3. It was Dec 17th last year. Maybe in a week or two?

2. That picture of Prince Felix and his family is just lovely. I love the name Liam, too. But it seems like an unusual choice for them since it is an Irish name and I would have thought they would have chosen something more French sounding, no?

   Camilla looks great in red. I kind of wish the lace trend would start to die, though. I am getting lace overload every time I try to go shopping.

   I usually like Valentino but I agree Rania’s dress is too busy. Rania is a great public speaker, though.

   So Harry was only in Canada for less than 24 hours? What is the point? I don’t see how a relationship can last with 24 hour visits every month. Personally, I think I would want to live with someone under the same roof for at least a year before marriage and with all the baggage that comes with Harry I think it would be wise for him to live with any potential bride before marriage. Has Harry ever had a live-in girlfriend? Someone he shared a life with 24/7? Or has it always been just little vacations and romantic getaways every month or so?

   I don’t really feel that’s a real relationship. To me, a real relationship is when you are together past the honeymoon phase when your boyfriend holds your hair as you puke into a toilet because you have food poisoning. Or you spend your weekend doing laundry and going to run errands together. All of those mundane, every day things. I’m not sure if Harry has ever had that, not even with Chelsy. And now that I hear William say that marriage was a struggle for him because he needed to transition, I am questioning whether William ever had that with Kate before he married her, either.

   I think Edward and Sophie had that, though. They really lived together and shared a life together 24/7 before they got married. And their marriage has been really successful.

   1. I just saw that Tanna tweeted that Harry didn’t get back to the UK until this morning. So maybe he was there longer than originally thought.

      1. Interesting that Tanna had the scoop on his arrival time, no?

         1. +1
            Insider trading information on Prince Harry for what…whiny and waity take the expensive taxpayers trips all the time without any duties and millions of taxpayers funds spent on the middleton private upkeep.

            The trip was well earned to see his love until …even for a night. …King Henry will not harm HM and respect the Monarchy. I see Harry consulting for permission after Touring – with HM POW for this well deserved break.

      2. I can only imagine the jetlag of just staying there for less than 24 hours. No matter how much I would want to see my boyfriend I think that would be to much for my body.

   2. Re W&K, she was often in London or Bucklebury when she supposedly lived with him in Wales. Heck, he wasn’t on Anglesey nearly as much as reported because he skipped out so much on his work the RAF kept covering for him.

      This is why I don’t buy Harry jetted off for a day or less. It just makes no sense. And with her pap strolls, the necklace, all of it–it’s just proving she’s thirsty for fame and wants it through her relationship with Harry. Girl is super famous because of him, which is why I think she is the one who leaked it, then went crying to him because he’ll ‘rescue her,’ though none of the stories in that melodramatic release happened so I can imagine Harry believing her. He has a big heart and is too trusting and dare I say it naive.

      1. I’ll say I go back and forth between finding her hustle clever PR and just juvenile. The necklace thing made me eyeroll a bit.

         1. The necklace thing frustrates me. It comes off as a bit desperate for attention and media.

      2. Oh geeze!! Anyone that dates Harry will become famous especially someone with Meghan’s background (mix race, actress etc). I don’t understand why is it that once she started dating PH she is to stop going to the market, stop blogging, stop smiling, stop hanging out with friends! She is to hide in her home never to be seen again until PH decides to marry her or move on. American women just don’t give up there lives and everything they have worked for because they have a new boyfriend. I applauded Meghan for maintaining her independence. If she becomes a member (I said if) of the RF something’s will have to change. For now let them enjoy being in love and discovering if there is something there that could blossom into something wonderful. If not she will still have a life that hasn’t been completed uprooted because of PH.

         1. One word for Camilla…Jewelry! Who cares about the dress when you are wearing that beautiful jewelry.

            1. Have to admit that was the first thing I saw in the photo. Jewelry first, clothes second.

         2. + 1 crazy amg

      3. +1. I agree. We know you are dating Harry, Meghan. We got a huge statement from the palace saying as much. You don’t have to pose to show off your Harry bracelet and wear his initials for the world to see. That may be worse than Kate always placing her hand “just so” so that we can get a good look at big blue.

         1. If she just continued her social media accounts without the over the top cutesy media game I think people would take less umbrage against her. It’s similar to the Pippa Middleton hiding her left hand at the charity event to start the speculation of her engagement. Then next day announce it. It was childish and not needed.
            Similar for Meghan, don’t post pics of your dogs in a Union Jack sweater on your public account to start it up all over again. Make a private one for that then hawk your stuff/promote self in your public one.
            They are both acting so childish and it’s so icky

            1. Yeah, the Pippa hand thing was cringe-worthy. We haven’t seen much of her since the ring went on the finger; all the ‘good works’ did the trick. Mission accomplished.

               And of course, MM does not have to dress the dogs in Union Jack clothes. it’s tiresome, juvenile, and shameless attention-seeking. Just.Stop.it. This is what hardens hearts towards her. This. We’re all very, very jaded these days and this tripe doesn’t cut it.

      4. I don’t mind the idea of a letter necklace, and considered buying one myself recently. But I do think hers is very overpriced for what it is and how cheap it looks.

         1. KMR if it was diamonds and platinum can you imagine the outrage!!! Better that’it’s simple and understated. I have no problem with any gift that PH gives to Meghan. I mean really I think the reaction to this romance is over the top… but it’s like a train wreck and I can’t stop watching ?

            1. But then why does it cost $250? One can buy simple and understated for $30.

            2. I think she bought it for herself. It’s from an L.A. designer. Do you think Harry shops around like that? Looking for something like this online? I think, if he bought it, he’d have a jeweler design something and then he would approve it. I don’t know, I just get a feeling she bought it and stuck it on to garner publicity.

               Bad me?

         2. It cost $250? Who makes it? Is it gold? Goodness!

         3. Oh I just checked. it is gold lol. I have one with my children’s initials but I got it from etsy lol.

   3. re. Lux. The Lux family has several Guillaumes running around, plus they give each child 4-6 names, so it gets confusing.

      Liam is a version of William or Guillaume. It was a way to use a family name without taking the name that is likely to be used if the heir has a son.

      1. That totally makes sense. I didn’t even make the connection of Liam and Guillaume both being forms of William, but it makes sense that Felix named his son after her older brother and grandfather.

   4. Part of my Harry frustration over this is his behavior is that of a guy in his 20s instead of a man in his 30s.
      I’m sure many of here have been separated from a so/spouse for some duration and wanted to a hop a pane to see them but as adults with responsibilities we didn’t
      Jen was right in yesterday’s post saying he could have gone to London and then sneak off. None the wiser.

      1. I agree, Sarah. Harry is a bit immature. But then again so is Meghan.

         What surprises me, though, is that I thought harry had matured. There is a YouTube video of Harry in front of a class of young students during some sort of an engagement and they asked him how he likes social media. Harry’s exact words were “I hate twitter”. So it surprises me that he would be OK with having a girlfriend who is so eager to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow on her Twitter and Instagram as well as this public music site she has where she posted a picture of a gorilla laughing. I guess that was supposed to be in reference to the bananas? They are both acting like teenagers with her flaunting the bracelet and now the initial necklace. If Kate had social media back when she was dating William and she posted pictures of Buckingham Palace and wrote an article for Elle Magazine saying she believes in glass ceilings, not glass ceilings, the backlash would have been immense. I find myself rolling my eyes at Meghan and Harry’s antics so much lately. I am 27 and can’t believe that Meghan and Harry are in their thirties. Maybe they are a good match after all?
         If Harry didn’t like what Meghan was doing he wouldn’t be with her so obviously he approves of everything she does. It takes two to tango.

         1. I hope they don’t get married. More damage to the monarchy seeing as this relationship is not popular within the public.

   5. Oh no my 10 year marriage is in jeopardy!! My husband has never seen me puke in a toilet ?!!!

      1. Better buy some syrup of ipecac. 😉

3. I think it’s funny that someone on one of the last posts commented on how Kate doesn’t do anything with the scouts anymore and BAM! All the sudden she has an engagement with them. Sometimes it really does seem like her people pay attention to the comments on Kate ;). I do think it is odd how extra light her schedule has been lately.

   1. Maybe since we talked about Kate skipping EACH and SportsAid’s recent big events she’ll do an event with both soon.

      1. I sure hope so. Skipping out those two events is deplorable but what else could we expect from her? The bar is so, so low.

      2. The new, improved Kate Middleton, Media Marionette Heh.

   2. I think they keep an eye on this blog too

   3. I also find it funny that the Scouts was originally touted as something she did on “personal time”. When her numbers came out so low, somehow the Scouts became an official thing.

   4. That was me. Scouts are awesome. I don’t get why she won’t support them more. I guess this counts, a little….

      1. She might get her hair mussed.

         1. But… she’d take her hairdresser along, surely??

4. Letter necklaces. Is that what it’s really come to? It’s all been a bit juvenile.
   I can’t believe there is so much hype and drama over someone who makes porridge seem fascinating.
   The actress is quite thirsty for fame/attention. That seems to be the biggest reason why people don’t particularly care for her.
   The association makes Harry look diminished imo.

   All of this attention has opened up the can of worms that harry was keeping fairly well contained, in regards to his approach to his royal duties. People were constantly forgiving him this and that.

   I thought Bill was the master at being glib, but it’s charming Harry who takes the cake. He says all of these wonderful things about privilege, duty, and being a prince.
   People want to believe him because he is so very good in his role, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that it’s all talk from him as well.

   When is BP and/or Charles going to pull rank with the trio? They are terrible at guiding their own roles. The fact they have the most ineffective, abysmal staff on record doesn’t help. It’s time for the pathetic court of kp experiment to be put out of it’s misery.

   One or both guys should be taking over the Prince’s Trust. Harry would be terrific with it and he is always better when focused on something like the IG or sentebale.
   They could use the old harry has to do it, william can’t, he has to be king line.

   1. Totally agree Kip, Letter necklaces IS juvenile. Some people say that re: Harry going to Toronto instead of London was proof that KP lied, but KP certainly lied on Harry’s orders. HE told his PR to say that he was going straight to London when it was a lie. KP would not lie without Harry’s approval or order. HE is the boss.

      1. Are any of the reports at all believable? It’s been a category 2 hurricane for the past month and there aren’t even pictures of them in the same room.

         There is just pr and instagram keeping it going. The fact that her lawyers were involved in the kp statement diminishes any grand gesture it was.

         Imo people are a little gullible about this story. The press lies all of the time. Where are the receipts? Pictures? The royal reporters share one flimsy credibility card between the lot.

         The media have been looking for a juicy royal story and are going to churn this which ever way makes them the most money.
         What is more lucrative? Post tour Harry in london or a scandalous trip to toronto.

         The whole thing from the original leak to the kp statement to the supposed post tour toronto trip seems to be orchestrated for maximum exposure. The reporters all seem to be speaking from the same script. Something appears to be rotten in the state of Denmark.

         It’s probably headed for a “mutual split, best of friends blah blah blah,” just in time to hit the talk show circuit and promote the new season. #justatadcynical

      2. Kate would have been slated — utterly slated — for wearing a necklace like that — at 25, not 35, years old.

         1. I agree! As much as we all critique her, she was incredibly discreet and respectful of protocol during her time as a girlfriend. The press would’ve raked her over the coals for wearing a necklace like this. Plus, not to be a debbie downer, but haven’t Harry and Megan only been dating for like 6 months? Seems a little premature to be buying initial jewelry. That’s just me though…

            1. From what I read, Kate was anything but discreet. To this day her family still do pap strolls and court press attention. But yeah, she’s still slated here for showing off the Big Blue ring, which is equally eyerolling imo.

            2. Carole Middleton has the DM on speed dial and used them quite often during the break up. How many photos do we have of Meghan drukenly climbing in a cab? Please Kate is no different than Meghan, well except for the having a job part, and doing humanitarian work without getting UK taxpayer money for doing it.

            3. Kate was not discreet at all.

               She’s been whitewashed, but there are millions of photos of her being the opposite of discreet.

               Verified stories of her taking advantage of her royal status including how she got her job at jigsaw and the attached conditions, the car discount she negotiated at royal discount rates not to mention the freebie club nights and clothing and you name it.

               She enjoyed the ride as a royal girlfriend which is why royal wife-ing came as a shock because she clearly thought life would be tge same and it was/is not.

         2. I wonder if Harry gave her the necklace and she wears it for him. Just a thought.

            1. That’s what I’m thinking as well.

            2. Since it came from an LA jewelry firm, perhaps it was a freebie from them to Meghan. Great exposure for company. Although she didn’t publicly thank them on her instagram….maybe, just maybe, that would have been too straightforward for her.

            3. So that he can see it in the pap photographs he’s not suppose to be paying attention to? That’s also stupid. Drawing attention to the relationship in literally any way that isn’t them just stepping outside as a couple going about their normal business is stupid. Anything else is attention-seeking. Attention-seeking brings public interest, and public interest brings the press.

            4. She wears a gift she may have been given and now she’s being slated because she is supposed to hide their relationship? Maybe she promised him she wouldn’t take it off, who knows?

               I think they’re trying to have a relationship and people are reading a whole lot into every little thing. They shouldn’t have to hide their relationship or live it according to how a bunch of strangers think they should.

            5. notasugarhere,

               It does seem like a conundrum.

               Do you have any ideas of the best way to handle their relationship for the sake of themselves, not PR particularly?

               Anyone? I certainly have no clue.

            6. I don’t know if anyone does. He’s the first really high-profile royal to date during the era of social media and tumblr. Or rather, English-language-related.

               Whole lot can be hidden when the people doing the royal watching don’t speak the language (Sweden, Lux, etc).

               Her job requires PR and that includes her social media accounts. If she stopped completely, she’d be attacked as being the next Waity, giving up her career in the hopes a man would marry her. IMO she has to keep up those accounts and sites or face even more criticism, but she has to skirt a fine line with them.

            7. It’s doable if both parties are disciplined, discreet, and tolerate no ‘leaks’. if you can manage never being seen together for months on end, you can be equally discreet on social media, that is, use it only for professional purposes.

               The MM blog is a legitimate self-promotional tool in support of her acting career. No need to stop; she has a career to manage. The blog topics comprise a range of generic things but visual clues to dating PH (or anyone else) are not integral. Private and professional start to collide here because a decision was made to do so.

               Career and private life can be kept separate – people do it all the time. If a relationship is new, who needs the rest of the world judging every move? Who wants that? Your private life becomes visible only if you make a conscious choice to trade on it. A rule of thumb I was taught: only put in writing what you are comfortable seeing on the front page of the newspaper. In other words, be careful, be discreet lest it bite you on the bum.

   2. Harry has eyes. I’m assuming he can also read. So he has to have seen her necklace/blog/social media etc. He obviously doesn’t care. Who he chooses to date and spend time with is his prerogative. But it will make it very difficult for any privacy concerns made by Harry or MM to be taken seriously from here on out.

   3. I also find Meghan very childish and really on the hunt for a Prince. Yet, she must be doing a great job of making Harry feel as if it is him, not his title, that she loves.

      I cut her slack in the beginning but am growing tired of her PR hunt. The necklace — whether he gave it to her, or not — is so juvenile and she just knew the spotlight would be on it when she took herself out in public. She is an actress and is gaining a good deal of exposure for herself and at 35, she knows that fame in tinsel town is fleeting. But, Royal fame goes on, doesn’t it?

      Gosh, I would like to like her more and be more tolerant of Harry’s childishness, too. But, he is really looking quite foolish. I want to research Grace Kelly’s early days in the Royal spotlight and see if she — who was truly a star — acted so stupidly while seeing Ranier. We are living in shallow times. Oh, things were probably shallow back in Grace’s day, but things were handled with more finesse . Of, so I think. Let me do a little checking and see if I am wrong in that statement.

      Harry has been looking for the right woman for a long time and perhaps, Meghan is the one, but I am finding their behavior a bit childish. When you hit 30 and you are Royal, Harry, for goodness sake, act more the part. Just don’t lose your caring ways.

      1. I think part of the issue was that many people assumed Harry had matured and his immature, impulsive actions were behind him after Vegas. It seems as though perhaps he was just better at hiding it.

      2. Grace Kelly met Rainier at the Canne Film festival in April 1955. She was dating a French actor at the time, but it appears Rainier was smitten and courted her and they corresponded via mail until he came to the US in December 1955. He met her family and after 3 days proposed and she accepted. Definitely shorter courtship than nowadays. Her family provided a dowry too when they got married.

   4. I don’t mind the idea of a letter necklace, and considered buying one myself recently. But I do think hers is very overpriced for what it is and how cheap it looks.

5. Im glad Harry went to see Megan. I like her necklace too. I also thought Rania’s speech was wonderful.

   1. Hi N. Lopez, I wonder if the necklace was a gift from Harry? I’m thinking it is, that’s why she’s wearing, probably, all the time! I too am glad that Harry went to see Meghan, very romantic and thoughtful on his part! I understand some of the uproar about this trip but I know I’ve done crazy things for love and my loved ones and as long as he is paying for the diversion himself, I say Go Harry! Great to see that on arriving back in London, he attended a trading event for his charities. I don’t recall many other royals doing engagements immediately upon returning from a 15 day tour.

      1. Hi Lauri from CA, I see what you mean, and I hope Harry paid for the trip also.

   2. I have never heard Rania speak before, but she has a wonderful speaking voice.

6. I really like Crown Princess Victoria. She seems so down to earth and really sensible. She seems like she’ll make a great Queen. And Princess Sofia seems to be making good on her public duties as well. Any idea what is going on with Princess Madeline?

   I love, love, love that Queen Rania was honoured by A Heart for Children organisation. And I’m really pleased to see that she is being honoured for some of her work by the Western world.

   And despite the laciness of the dress (lace dresses are probably best on 20 somethings methinks), red really is Camilla’s colour. I hope she wears it more.

   1. Maddie lives a pretty private life in London with Chris and the kids. Royal events are a little more rare for her. Although, I do expect to see her at the Nobels.

   2. Madeleine lives in London, supported by her husband, and works for Childhood, her mother’s anti-trafficking charity. She’s also dealing with two kids under 3. When she does an event in Sweden, she receives reimbursement for the costs and nothing else. She is not supported by the taxpayers.

      She has done what the spares in Sweden are supposed to do – get off the taxpayers dime. Her brother and SIL, however, are milking the taxpayers for all they’re worth instead of supporting themselves as they should. There are discussions going on from 5 major parties in Sweden about forcibly getting the spares off the tax rolls. They are extraneous, and if they fail to recognize it, the government will make it crystal clear.

      Politicians are demanding access to the king’s records, to ensure that he cannot sneak any money to spares behind the scenes. They only want taxpayer funding for monarch and spouse, all others cut off. If the UK is moving to 6 working royals for 65 million people, Sweden doesn’t need 6 working royals with a population of less than 10 million.

      I like Victoria a lot but she isn’t down to earth. There are instances of her honestly not understanding why anyone would dump the monarchy. With rising Republican sentiment in Sweden, she needs to wise up quickly. Like Letizia wised up Felipe, I think Daniel is helping Victoria, but she has a ways to go.

      I like the color on Camilla, very festive. And a flattering shape on her.

      1. Nota, Thanks for the information. Clearly you are more up on the Swedish Royal Family than I. 🙂

         What I meant about down to earth was the ‘no pretentiousness’ dimension, not the ‘understanding the commoners’ dimension. I don’t see her as acting to impress, even if she is clueless about what the average Swede’s struggles are. Lol…royals.

      2. Edit, should have said “funding for monarch and heir and no one else”.

         Linds I just get tired of people thinking that Madeleine is wrong and CP&S are right. Madeleine gets bashed all the time, but she’s doing what the spares are supposed to do – go away and stop living off the taxpayers.

         CP&S are extraneous. The government is trying to force them off the payroll, and they keep sucking off the taxpayer teet regardless.

         1. But isn’t the King engineering this for his son? CP and S are sucking at the teet, for sure, but enabled and protected by CP’s father. I am glad to hear that the Swedish government has a backbone, demanding full transparency. If only successive UK governments were more forthright with the BRF.

            1. I’m sure the misogynistic king is engineering a lot of it, but CP&S are lapping it up and going along with it. They have free will, and as CP owns 3-4 luxury properties and has millions in the bank, they can afford to support themselves.

               It makes me admire Chris and Madeleine, esp Chris’s refusal to accept even a courtesy title, even more.

            2. There have been rumblings in their parliament about abloshing the monarchy. Victoria by all accounts is popular but I don’t know if it’s enough to hang on. WhenI was going to Sweden all my travel books talked about how egalitarian the swedes are. As much as I like the Swedish Royal I find that statement inconsistent with their practices. How do you say everyone is equal than have a royal family?
               Jen, I wanted to give you kudos on a post yesterday for finding s way to use the word of the yr in one of your posts =) post truth society indeed

            3. Ha! Sarah… ‘post-truth’ is a polite term for bulls**t!

            4. Or as my peeps call it, the lying liars and their lies =)
               Post truth seems so much more PC in a pc world

7. I don’t have a problem with letter necklaces but I do have a problem with it being flaunted as much to say ‘I’m in a relationship with PH’. Her love of the attention and limelight is making me think she’s a hard faced player. Jeez Harry could have had just about anyone such is the esteem he’s held in. I know half the battle is finding girls that want to take the role on Royal Family an all but does she need to be quite so keen to get her Princess stripes.

   I do wonder what the Queen’s going to make of all this because Harry is showing himself every bit as emotionally reckless as Diana could be in affairs of the heart.

   1. She’s going to do what she does best, stick her head in the sand=(

      1. I expect she willl do exactly that too. But I want to be absolutely clear about this. The problem isn’t Meghan as an individual it’s the playing of the media, social media etc… The secrecy one minute and the flaunting the next. Whoever is advising them how to manage this has got is so wrong. I don’t give a hoot who he dates if they make him happy but start playing games and manipulating the public affection for him he will soon come crashing down. He’s not that bright and as another commentator on here said he needs structure to his life. All this contrived excitement, secrecy and flying by the seat of his pants bodes very ill for him. Now whether MM is behind the thrill of the chase or it’s being poorly managed by KP or a combination of both I’m not sure but I not comfortable with the tone coming from PH & MM at all.

         1. I’ve just written much the same thing though you have articulated it far better. It is the disparity between the private (never been seen together) and the flaunting via social media, the necklace, the bracelet etc. that is just so…tiresome and juvenile. I can only conclude they are both playing this game (not MM only) and as you say, being very poorly advised.

         2. I think this has been handled poorly from the beginning and only seems to be escalating.
            If I were Jason, I would be actively searching for a new job. Whether it’s voluntary or forced, I see a resignation looming.
            It’s time Charles had a talk with both of his sons since we know the queen never will.

         3. There are two big problems I see with how they are currently conducting things.

            1) Posting on social media, wearing initial necklaces etc will make it very difficult for them to request privacy at a later date. If they do, it will reflect very poorly on them and be seen as hypocritical. Whether Harry’s good will and charm will be enough to withstand any negative press that may come from that remains to be seen. (I want to make clear that I think the first statement, though convoluted, was necessary. No over in this day and age should be subjected to attacks based on race/sex etc.)

            2. This relationship is being conducted more like a Hollywood romance. The celebrification of the royal family is a slippery slope. They aren’t celebrities. If they become indistinguishable from celebrities it may become a problem. The consequences that come from that they may not like, especially because celebrities fund themselves.

            1. Eh, I mean, just because one is willing to violate one’s own privacy when one decides to does not give anyone else permission to violate one’s privacy when they do not give permission. I don’t think Meghan posting on social media will mean that she cannot request privacy at a later date.

         4. Sounds very much like a Kardashian/celebrity thing. I just read about the necklace. Yep, it is juvenile in unnecessarily flaunting it. Who does that at 35?

            ETA: Oops. Carter, I see you mentioned the celebrity thing first. ITA.

8. People have lost their minds over MM and Harry.

   To extent that Harry is suddenly the worst royal ever, an embezzler of public funding, and goodness knows what other worst thing he can be.

   I thought KMR blog was a refuge from the insanity, but apparently not so much.

   It’s sad to see.

   MM and Harry ,and any potential future GFs if MM doesn’t work out, need prayer circles around them.

   1. +1

   2. There seems to be a sense of ownership of Harry that is above and beyond concerns for royal protocol. Fandom gone amok?

   3. Most of the criticism regarding Harry’s role/accountability is valid and is also directed at W&K. Too bad it’s being lost in the middle of this Meghan craziness.

      1. Yep.

      2. Yes, Paula. For me, this particular issue is less about Meghan and more about the fact that Harry lied and had his staff lie for him. Imagine if William and Kate told the press multiple times that they would go home to London immediately following their tours of Canada or India, and at the very last minute, they switch their ticket/airplane and took off on vacation to Mustique instead. The media would have a field day. I just think that Harry should be held to the same standards of accountability and taking responsibility for his actions. He and his team have now lost credibility for lying like this. Harry should have gone back to London as planned and then made his private plans to visit Meghan. He can do whatever he wants in his private time. But it is breaking protocol IMO to mix a private vacation with an official tour like this.

         Just to be clear: I have always been a bit of a Harry sugar, and one incident won’t immediately make me ‘hate’ him. I still like him. And I personally think he did a really good job on this tour. But considering how the Prime Minister of Antigua made a bit of a gaff by talking about Meghan and it risked overshadowing the tour a bit, it seemed foolish for Harry to finish the tour by visiting Meghan.

         I just feel a bit disappointed to realize that Harry is more like William than I had previously realized. I have a feeling that if and when Harry gets married, he will hide his wife and children away like recluses the same way William does.

         So my point is simply that if Harry does something that seems like something William would do, if I would criticize William for it, I also need to criticize Harry for it in the spirit of fairness. I don’t want to be a hypocrite and only criticize William and Kate and let Harry get away with everything because I like him.

         1. I really respect this comment. That is a fair way to look at it– holding both brothers to the same standard and critiquing Harry if he does things we call William out for.

         2. Very well expressed

         3. +1

      3. W&K taking luxury vacations in the middle of their tours, lying to cancel previously-scheduled events so they can go on vacation vs. Harry working 15 days straight then paying his own expenses to take 24 hours off.

         It isn’t the same situation to me.

         1. I commented in the last thread too late, so I’ll repeat it here:

            “The Palace lies all the time, for all of them. Why so much upset this time?”

            Because it is Harry who seemed different from WK and is eminently likeable. Now, maybe not so much. /end comment

            Harry seems to be showing his true colours and some sugars and other are not too happy about it and some sugars and others will keep defending him as different. I guess we’ll see in time. But IMO, it’s not a good start. I’ve always liked Harry, even though critical, but now, I’m beginning to wonder about the prince.

            1. +1, Maven.

            2. +1. I don’t see any difference between the three. The transparency issues and the self-serving behaviour are the same. It’s starting to show they are no different when it comes to taking advantage of the public not knowing what they do with their days.

         2. +1000 notasugar

   4. +1

   5. so much agree 🙂

      I think her necklace is romantic and delicate without being over-the-top gaudy (or cheesy).

      For now, whatever she does is a pap walk by virtue of her being followed by paps. That means we cannot know if they are staged by her, or if she’s simply picking up flowers from a Christmas party and walking to her car.

      Harry paid for his ticket. Stayed with Meghan (for free) and flew home in time for his duties.

      If he paid for his ticket, where is the corruption?
      What is the problem, exactly?

      His tour was over. He didn’t skip work. No cost to taxpayers.

      Am totally not understanding the ire *puzzled face*

      1. +1

   6. Don’t you think there’s an element of not wanting to see Harry’s feet of clay and finding out our golden boy is as pampered and spoilt as his brother with as questionable judgement at times?

      The trouble is Hera this relationship and how it’s been conducted do far has all the making of celebrity and not royalty. And you know as well as me that take away the mystique and that’s where things really start to snowball into dangerous territory. There is such anti establishment feeling worldwide at the moment that our RF need to beyond criticism and reapprach. I don’t thing it’s over egging the pudding to believe that we could have a real whiff of increased republicanims in the air if some of this bad press across the entire family continues. That would break my heart.

      I don’t want Harry to be unhapoy and loveless but I am very concerned that MM is playing the greatest role of her acting career at the moment. Have your relationship by all means but FGS stop courting social media, press, celebrity and get some credible staff into KP to manage this situation a whole lot better that Jason is doing.

      1. I agree with you. People thought better of Harry. I also think it’s a dangerous time to be so cavalier about things. People are frustrated over several things, especially the bp renovations. Now more than ever, accountability is needed.
         I’m sure now that there is outrage, they’ll say things were above board. He not only paid his own way but that of his RPO’s but if people didn’t question things, the palace would still be peddling us the story that William works as many days as possible that’s why he can’t do more Royal engagements. We’re not lemmings to blindly go where they lead us.

         1. The days of the masses just accepting any old bullshine that the Palace feeds us have long gone. Everything is up for scrutiny these days with 24 hour rolling news and social media. There is a worldwide air of cynicism re. anything to do with the establishment. Bankers, Policticians, Royalty…..journalism has long since scented blood and spinning your way out of bad news isn’t the easy option anymore. Now whether MM is leading PH astray or he’s getting monumentally dreadful advice or his heart is ruling his head I just don’t know but he needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

            You are absolutely right, it is a dangerous time in history to play the people.

      2. Hi, Mrs. BBV, and I agree with you. I am trying to like Meghan more. In the beginning, I admit thought she was a great humanitarian and would be so suitable for Harry. Now, I am afraid I am more jaded and I am trying to be more open in regard to her. However, I think this is a great snow job (acting role) of this woman. She just has her eyes set on the prince and I frankly, am skeptical of her.
         ANd, Haarry is coming across a tad too smitten. Grow up, PH! Please!

         The necklace was so childish and yes, Kate would have been slammed for wearing a similar one when she was dating William M’s blog — those two bananas spooning–, also ridiculous. Yes, I want Harry to be happy, but I think in any relationship, there is more to happiness and longevity than such childish moments. And, Harry is the star of the duo — like it or not. I don’t think he will fare well with a partner who is as into stardom for her self as Meghan is. In the beginning, it may seem cool, but unless the two mature and are truly selfless, he’s going to get tired of her stealing his thunder and she’s going to want more of the spotlight, too! (She’s an actress for goodness sake)!

         There, I said it and now I hope I am not too jaded. As I said, I want Harry to be happy.

         As for Camilla in red, I think she looked smashing And, that baby Liam is darling So, is his sister, reaching out to him!

         Rania is a true caring individual and very well spoken and lovely. My one question is “what was on that dress? Crayons? Firecrackers? Dear Heaven, what a choice! But, still, my applause to Queen Rania for being so kind and caring. So active in important issues.

         1. I’m really shallow because I would love to see a Duchess Meghan v Duchess Kate smackdown (or royal walkoff a la Zoolander). Heh.

   7. I totally agree. One of the reasons why I like this blog so much is because its tone is different from the other Kate blogs. On those, the commenters act like Kate is their close personal friend and they know all of her thoughts and feelings based on her public persona and the few things she says when the cameras are around. It’s not typically like that here. But recently, with the MM and Harry relationship, a lot of the criticism of her makes me uncomfortable and seems to be based on assumptions that are really just that – assumptions. So what if she’s wearing a necklace with their initials on it? What if Harry gave it to her? She’s not supposed to wear it because the press would see it and then people would know that they like each other? Even though we already got a press release from KP confirming just that? It kind of reminds me of the way extreme Benedict Cumberbatch fans talk about Sophie Hunter, ie the conniving harpy who trapped poor lovesick Benedict in her attention-seeking web of lies. Which isn’t a good look on anyone tbh.

      1. Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter are an apt parallel.

         With no facts and LOTS of assumptions and LOTS of fanfiction.

         1. “With no facts and LOTS of assumptions and LOTS of fanfiction.”

            Whose fans are doing this, Cumberbatch’s or Harry’s?

            1. Cumberbatch’s. His fans went crazy when it was revealed that he was with Sophie Hunter.

         2. NOT on this site, Herazeus. There are some who are OTT (largely new), but largely NOT on this site. I just don’t get how that is not obvious.

   8. All royals and government officials should be accountable and transparent when on official business using tax payer funds. Harry is not above criticism for that. The fact that it just so happened to be Meghan that he visited doesn’t really matter. It would be equally as questionable if he lied and last minute went to Vegas or Miami etc for a guy trip. A lot of people side eye and criticize W and K and other royals when they make similar choices. It would be hypocritical of all of us to not do the same for Harry.

      1. +1 Carter. Absolutely.

      2. Yep, that’s it exactly.

   9. +1 Herazeus.

      The way the press is handling this is interesting too. They are calling out Harry for things that for the most part, they let slide with William and other members of the faily. A few grumbles but nothing like this. They’re making it personal and have lost professional perspective.

      If he paid his own way for Toronto, again I don’t have a problem. He didn’t skip out on work, he took a day off after working 15 days straight. The press were misled so they didn’t destroy the tour and camp out in Toronto? Not crying big tears for them; they press are starting to act like petulant children around this.

      Sophie is a PR master. If she had dated Edward in an era of social media, would she have received so much criticism for being good at PR? My guess is no, because she was dating Edward not Mythical Prince Harry.

      1. I think the difference between Sophie and Meghan would be that Sophie’s job in PR was to promote others, not necessarily herself. Meghan’s job is to promote herself–her looks, her clothing line, her TV show, her activism, her blog. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but I do think she needs to be more discreet.

         1. Sophie job has always been to promote herself as valuable, whether it was promoting herself via her PR business or as a member of the BRF. When you run your own business, you are selling yourself and your image to the clients as much as you are selling the client’s product to consumers.

            Sophie understands this is a PR job, that’s why she’s so good at it.

      2. Until recently, William had not been criticised in the press because he is the heir. For decades his messes have been cleaned up. Harry has been constantly thrown to the wolves to deflect from his brother’s moves; it has been done by W+K, the BRF and the Middleton’s ie it is internal sabotage. It has occurred for years, and is not a phenomenon associated with his current dating choice.

         While Harry is liked there has been critique for a little while that pre-dates Meghan:
         1. Harry needs to get a job – he left the army awhile ago.
         2. Needs to step up royal work.
         3. He picks and chooses and often that takes him overseas rather than the UK.
         4. Harry is spoiled too, but his charm helps him hide it better.

         Harry has also scored some own goals:
         1. The relationship leak came from either himself/MM, family or friends.
         2. Clumsy KP letter.
         3. Visual teasers on IG – I’m assuming both parties agreed to this.
         4. Appearing to not keep private expenses very separate from public funded work.

         Both PH/MM have been able to avoid all scrutiny for many months – they have never been seen together. So if they can be that discreet, why do they the drop all these hints via friends, blogs etc? I respect the former approach because it’s their private relationship. But the latter smacks of attention-seeking and game-playing which is as juvenile as the letter necklace. There are two opposite strategies at play. I think this is what irritates people.

         1. I think he needs a formal job, but I think he is bound by his promise to Diana. He will not publicly outwork his brother, no matter how bad it makes him look.

            He puts loads of uncounted time into Invictus and Sentebale. As long as that isn’t tallied up, he looks bad and by doing so he is being loyal to his brother.

            Ultimately, much of this doesn’t appear to be about how taxpayer funding is used and how transparently. It is about some people not liking this relationship and using this as an excuse.

            I think all royals should pay the expenses when the RPOs are taken out of the daily routine – ie. for vacation hotel costs, flights, etc.. The furor over this trip feels a lot like Harry as scapegoat though.

            Who covers HM’s costs when she’s on her private properties of Sandringham and Balmoral? Who covers KM basically living with her mom? Who covers Camilla at Ray Mill?

            If RPOs cover all the (working) royals on their personal time, then why is Harry supposed to be the exception? Everyone else gets coverage for personal time, but if he wants that personal time to include a girlfriend some people don’t like – suddenly it is a problem?

            1. “I think all royals should pay the expenses when the RPOs are taken out of the daily routine – ie. for vacation hotel costs, flights, etc..”

               +1 It irks me that we have to pay for RPOs for the senior royals on their private time when the minor royals only have RPOs during public duties (and they do just fine). I wish the BRF would make a move to RPOs only during public duties for all but the monarch and their spouse. Personal security is one of the few unreported costs of the BRF since it’s not paid by the Sovereign grant and it’s purported to run into the 8 digits on an annual basis. I do recognize that about ?5 years ago? the BRF did move to utilizing the local law enforcement for security when a Royal is in another country on personal time in order to deflect criticism aimed specifically at this issue. I have no idea who picks up the tab for the local law enforcement. ?the royal? ?the country in question’s taxpayers? The royal still takes a UK RPO or two with them when they make the flight.

            2. @Linds, how much does it cost to protect the Cambridges and Prince Harry annually?

            3. “Ultimately, much of this doesn’t appear to be about how taxpayer funding is used and how transparently. It is about some people not liking this relationship and using this as an excuse”.

               Not so, notasugarhere. I respectfully don’t agree with you and I don’t agree with Herazeus that somehow comments on this blog have changed dramatically. Sure there’s a few OTT people, but largely I find a lot of sense in what people say. Not much has changed in critiquing Brit royalty, and now Harry’s up. Most really don’t care about Meghan on this blog. I sure don’t. Perhaps the Meghan dealio has brought matters to light- I think it’s the trigger, not the reason. On this blog.

               “Everyone else gets coverage for personal time, but if he wants that personal time to include a girlfriend some people don’t like – suddenly it is a problem?”

               Then why is this considered an official breach of protocol? There is a reason that it is in place. And Harry breached it.

               And just because others did it, it doesn’t make it right for Harry, or the others. It seems to me that WK get legitimately ripped at every turn, we hear less about others, and now it’s Harry’s turn.

               I do agree, however, that Harry roundly gets trashed by media. And Jason is not helping, is derelict in his duty and is making it so much worse instead of fighting the media. The fact that he works for both princes suggests, at this point, a major conflict of interest.

               I also don’t subscribe to the notion that Harry is nobly following Diana’s wishes about doing less work than Willy to support Willy. 1. But if it is true, he needs to grow up. 2. If it is not true he’s showing his true colours, that he’s as self-indulgent, immature and willful as his big brother, because, after all, their occupation is “Prince” and that’s what matters most to both of them.

            4. I don’t buy the excuse that Harry doesn’t work more because William isn’t stepping up. Anne out works Andrew and some years Charles, both of whom are above her in the line of succession. Him being in the army was a legitimate excuse to not be doing more. But now? Nothing is holding Harry back but himself.

            5. Funding for the BRF needs to be reviewed and publicly, really thrash out full costs via ongoing debate. RPOs should be used for work-related occasions only; for anything else, the BRF pays from its own purse.

               I agree with Maven re. Harry’s ‘promise’ to Diana, which may well have been mythologised by now. Harry is responsible for his choices about the level of work he is prepared to undertake. I reckon he does what he likes, pops his head up enough not to be considered MIA, and people gave him a pass. Sweet life. It’s all a bit vague and only comes to light when there are leaks of trips for personal reasons. Then people say, ‘Hang on, how come you can do all this at will? What is it you actually do? And what are we paying you for again?’ As someone said, Meghan is the trigger, not the reason.

            6. It is “strongly discouraged” to combine personal and professional travel, not forbidden and definitely not to be encouraged. But not something that requires so much pearl clutching, especially when media outlets don’t clutch those pearls for anyone else in the BRF who do the same thing.

               Not a good idea to pay for himself to travel to Toronto from the Bahamas instead of flying home first. Not a good idea, but if he paid for the travel and RPOs extra expenses himself it is covered.

               He makes himself a good target.

               Him having his RPOs with him in his personal time isn’t a breech of protocol, it is a requirement. He should pay the additional expenses, as the others should, when they’re taken out of the regular routine.

               He should pay their travel costs and accommodations in Toronto. If no one else has to pay for RPOs out of their pocket on personal time, why keep beating Harry up when he’s following the standard procedure of the RPOs being paid by taxpayers during personal time?

               I often think Harry behaves like an idiot. He does good work, and could be doing more, but is human and often acts like an idiot.

               One of those idiot things is following his late mother’s command to be loyal to his brother. Easy enough to say he should grow out of it, when I didn’t lose my mother at 13. He is loyal, idiotically so. That more than anything else may be his downfall.

               Charles would never dare try to stop Anne from doing anything. With W&H, it isn’t related to place in succession. It is related to Harry’s misplaced loyalty to his brother.

               I sense a change in many royal forums based on his choice of partner, here included. You may not, but I do.

            7. Quick addition. There are forums on the fringes of the fandom. The Royal Forums on one side, RoyalDish, RoyalGossip, and cotilleando on another. I don’t belong to or post on any of them.

               I skimmed over RD today and they have shut down the Meghan Markle thread because of the unrelenting negativity. RD, a site that didn’t even shut down the threads over Sofia and her questionable past? And the MM section got so negative they shut it down.

               So yes, the negativity around the MM discussions going on all over feels very different to me.

            8. Notasugarhere, you brought up a subject I’ve been meaning to ask about for a while. Is Harry not allowed to work more than W&K? By whom? Did he promise his mother this? How do you know? Do people agree with this? Are the BRF in agreement with this?

            9. Like someone mentioned above, some of the animosity against MM is reminiscent of those who hate Sophie a Hunter because she dared marry Benedict Cumberbatch. Not really here on KMR, but while I think it is fair to critique if Harry is using taxpayer money inappropriately, I just find the whole “OMG she left the house and was photographed what a media whore” to be unreasonable.

            10. I think the royals should pay for their own personal security (if they so want) when off on their holidays and what not. I’d could see an exception for the reigning monarch.

            11. notasugarhere,

                ” But not something that requires so much pearl clutching, especially when media outlets don’t clutch those pearls for anyone else in the BRF who do the same thing.”

                I’m confused. “Pearl clutching”, as an argument, is to me, an ad hominem attack. I am not sure how valid that description is, especially on this site.

                It’s like me calling you a Harry sugar.

                Also not fair to equate comments with the media. We all know that the media is an ass, right? 🙂

            12. Oh, yeah! Preach it, notasugar.

                Harry has managed to fly under the radar in his love life for months. We don’t even have a photo. For most of the time we don’t know what the royals are doing.

                So, I’m not understanding the need for all this protection when no one knows. It almost seems pretentious.

            13. Interesting that RD shut down the MM thread. I peaked in there when it was first revealed that she was dating Harry, and the comments and outright hatred were ridiculous.

         2. @Jen do you think they will get married?

            1. I have no idea, Kitty. It’s early days and they would be wise to be discreet and proceed slowly.

         3. notasugarhere,

            Him having his RPOs with him in his personal time isn’t a breech of protocol, it is a requirement

            That wasn’t the point. The breach is in his choice to divert from the official schedule and the consequences thereof. I am sure you understand this.

      3. Honest question: Is Sophie really a PR master? I know she worked in PR and had her own PR firm, but I really haven’t seen anything from her since I’ve been following her that would lead me to believe she’s a master at PR.

   10. I’m not part of the Prince Harry fandom and I couldn’t care less who he dating or what he does in his private time. Meghan is a private citizen and so I don’t care what she does or what she’s like until she becomes a part of the BRF (or utilizes British taxpayer’s money).

       I do care that the public get a good return on the money we put forth for the Royal Family as taxpayers and see them work in the public realm for the greater good of the commonwealth. And I do care that the taxpayers money is spent wisely. As you can see, these two things have nothing to do with Meghan…she sounds nice by the way.

       And I don’t see Prince Harry as the worst royal ever (that title goes to someone else), but I am starting to see him has somewhat lazy and entitled (just like Kate) since he quit the army and hasn’t stepped up his Royal duties to an acceptable level (or gotten a job). And now he’s making unwise decisions in conjunction with royal duties and public funds. Unfortunately, it just took him dating someone on another continent to unmask the unsavory behaviour.

       But you are right, I hope the public doesn’t start to blame Meghan for Prince Harry’s actions. Someone on here said Prince Harry is a grown man of 32 and can make his own decisions and they are right. And the repercussions of those actions should be all his. Which is why I’m not giving him a pass.

       1. + 1. Very balanced and sensible.

       2. +2 Very nicely said.

       3. +3

       4. +4. You took the words right out of my mouth.

       5. Very well said.

   11. +1000

9. Rania is gorgeous and I love her “busy” fashion sense. For me this dress and her other fashion choices reflect the colorful universe that is the Middle East.

   1. I usually love busy dresses but I really dislike this one. Her speech was amazing though.

   2. Rania is one of my favorites. She’s incredibly eloquent whenever she makes a speech or gives an interview. One of the first thing I noticed in pictures of her was how actively she listens to the people she is with. I also love how the Jordanian Royal Family gives little sneaks into their lives through social media. They are a great example of well-executed Instagram use.

      Her fashion isn’t always my taste, but my friend from Dubai said that it’s very Middle East-chic, so I think it’s just not something I’m used to. She always looks regal and put together, though.

      1. I’ve started skimming Emirates Woman online, because they cover Rania and Mozah fashion. Gives me a perspective on fashion I don’t usually get. They loved her wardrobe from the Australia visit.

         http://emirateswoman.com/queen-ranias-australian-tour-wardrobe-is-seriously-sensational/

      2. I so admire Rania. I even loved her children’s book. I think she represents her country and women so well.

         I used to love her style, too, but lately it has been too over the top for me.

   3. I like that dress too. I think it looks extra busy due to the busy background she was standing in front of. If she had been in front of a solid background, I bet that dress would look much better.

      1. The dress does stand out on the red background of the stage (as you suggested) so focus was on her as intended. Can someone tell me why her walking across stage seemed so stilted? Are those floors slippery?

10. It seems our ginger prince has some long-standing, under the rug impulse control issues.

    1. I don’t think this was a surprise trip. A surprise to the press and to us, but I think it would have been planned for security reasons.

       He needs structure, thrives when he has it, gets in trouble when he doesn’t. I’m not saying MM is trouble, obviously I don’t think their relationship is a bad thing. But he needs a formal job, possibly with MOD in rehab, because he’s better with structure.

       1. Ah! Well stated.

       2. I agree with everything you’ve said here!

11. Let me get this straight. MM is flayed for wearing a letter necklace while Cressida got a pass on much worse because she was an aristo English rose? Bonas posted pictures to her social media while dating Harry that were beyond attention seeking, including the shot of the ski slopes from the private heli during that unsanctioned Eastern European weekend jaunt courtesy of one of Uncle Andy’s shady oligarch buddies. And what about the picture on her facebook page of her licking (ugh) a tusk and smiling seductively at the camera? The photo was quickly snatched from her account but not before screenshots made their way around the net. Then there were the staged emotional cell phone conversations while leaning against the wall of her employer’s office in full view of the paps. Lastly the tacky ad she did for Burberry where she playfully runs from a suitor – a slim, redhead in a nice suit who is watching her from the bottom of a flight of stairs. But not a peep from naysayers or taxpayers all around.My problem is with the fact that a 35 year old woman thought it would be a good idea to wear a piece of letter jewelry lol.

    1. I’m thinking that Harry bought her the necklace so of course she’s going to wear it.

    2. I definitely do remember peeps. Nobody who’s Harry’s GF is ever going to get off scot free, especially with social media lying in wait.

       1. Peeps? Is that a nickname or a reference? Whatever it is it makes me giggle.

          1. 🙂

             “But not a peep from naysayers”

       2. There definitely was peeps. And endless commentary about whether it would ever really work out due to her wanting to be…. an actress and a dancer, which need publicity. And, she was what, 24? 24-26? This woman is 35. I expect more, and I expect more sense — from them both.

          1. If you are a UK taxpayer I understand that you have the right to expect things from Harry. But what, exactly, do you expect from his girlfriend, short of her just going away? Liking her or her actions is one thing but she owes us nothing.

             1. I expect her to have the sense as a grown woman approaching middle age (and I am very close to her age) of his role, future, and history and therefore act accordingly and not like this is a setup relationship for publicity with some other actor. Because that’s what would be expected of her later.

             2. @ bluejay
                She is not his wife, however. She is his girlfriend. If she simply said and did only the things that ingratiated herself to Harry’s status as prince she would be blasted for being a demure mannequin with no life, interests or personality of her own. It’s 2016 and it’s hard to imagine a woman like MM voluntarily climbing onto the pyre of pure perfection just because she’s dating a member of the BRF. It’s also telling that the expectations you have of her indicate she has no “sense” unless she is hyper-aware of Harry’s role. Is it not his responsibility to determine how his own actions affect his role as a royal? Is it not her right to be herself within the confines of a relationship of her own choosing, whether we like it or not? I can’t work up a yawn about her social media accounts or her goofy necklaces, much less real feelings over dashed expectations. The handwringing is unbelievable and oddly fascinating to me.

             3. Until MM starts posting selfies of the Queen and Charles or snapchats during a trip to Balmoral, I dont think anything she has posted on social media has been bad. But dear god the bananas ! What a crime !

             4. Hydrangea,

                Is it not her right to be herself within the confines of a relationship of her own choosing, whether we like it or not?

                I can’t disagree. What I take issue with is that this is not the way a mature adult acts.

             5. Nic
                Lol!

                MTF
                Very good point I guess I am defending her right to be cringeworthy lol. Heaven knows non-royals don’t have a monopoly on that ha ha.

             6. “It’s also telling that the expectations you have of her indicate she has no “sense” unless she is hyper-aware of Harry’s role. Is it not his responsibility to determine how his own actions affect his role as a royal? Is it not her right to be herself within the confines of a relationship of her own choosing, whether we like it or not? I can’t work up a yawn about her social media accounts or her goofy necklaces, much less real feelings over dashed expectations. ”

                Yeah, and it’s my right to think it’s stupid and idiotic. See how that works? I don’t think she should disappear. I think she could be more discreet about her relationship with one of the world’s most famous men. I think she should want to be more discreet about it because countless relationships and women before her have suffered when they haven’t done that, at the hands of forces that they can’t control. I think that as a grown women, she should understand these things. I think that any relationship would strain under such pressures, so why not just avoid them? I think wearing the letter necklace, especially since it’s so obviously a gift from the designer is juvenile. And I’m going to go ahead and keep on thinking these things because this a free country and I get some enjoyment out of commenting on the lives of these particular famous people. C’est la vie.

             7. No one is saying that she needs to be be a “demure mannequin” nor do we want Harry to a monk or Saint. Part of Harry’s initial charm is that naughty boy persona, now that he’s in his 30s tho not so charming.
                In an ideal world people could post whatever they wanted without repercussions However, we don’t live in such a society and we hold politicians and royals to different standards/expectations. On their public accounts they can’t just post whatever without supposition. Whether that’s fair or not is a discussion for another day.

    3. Harry and Cressida were criticized for taking a ski trip to Kazakhstan – Harry moreso than Cressida as he is the public figure obviously. Human rights groups, including amnesty international, came out and publically criticized him for taking a vacation to a country with a less than stellar human rights record.

       http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2589427/Harry-faces-human-rights-row-Kazakh-ski-jaunt-Campaigners-attack-Prince-choosing-country-repressive-regime.html

    4. From what I remember, Cressida did get a lot of flak for her attention seeking and PR campaign for the ring. She got a lot of crap from a lot of people. There were so many people who didn’t even want to believe they were dating for well over a year.

       1. You only have to look at the Cressida thread on Royaldish to see the sort of abuse Cressida endured. They are still at it even now. Ditto the Chelsy thread.

12. Regarding Kate’s upcoming event with the Scouts, when I first read this all I could think was “sigh…skinny jeans, inappropriate high heels and a stripped shirt…big sigh…”

    1. She may wear her beloved boots, but otherwise I agree.

13. Camilla looks fabulously fab. The bling, oh the bling…and it looks so happy nuzzling against her, extra sparkly, swelling with pride. She wears it so, so well! Sigh and swoon. She’s missed her calling as a bling Top Model.

    I can’t wait for photos with Dolittle and the Scouts. The body language is always amusing. Poor kids. They should get danger pay.

    “On December 19, Kate will join William, Harry, and Heads Together for a Volunteer Christmas Party….”

    Dare I hope that it is the precious prince(ss)lings who will be doing some actual volunteering at the party, putting up decorations, serving treats, or are they just gonna swan in and anoint the unwashed with their fragrant presence, and maybe schmooze? Oh, who am I kidding? Bwahaha! Any bets Dolittle will wear something new and outstandingly princessy? Will any of them use the phrase, “Keep up the good work”?

    Nice, succinct round up KMR.

    1. Hi Maven, we could have a drinking game with the phrases “keep up the good work” and ‘well done”, a shot or sip for each phrase uttered. Thank goodness their engagements only last about 30 minutes or we’d all be snookered by noon.

       1. Can we add “shine the light on” and “keen” to the game?

          1. And also any “George/Charlotte loves” mention.

          2. Oh gawd, if we used the word “keen” we’d get alcohol poisoning LOL

             1. But it would be “amazing” alcohol poisoning, LOL!

       2. You’d need to include ‘learning’ and ‘listening’ into the mix along with ‘massive’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘well done’.

14. I understand people want to believe that the news being reported is real. Journalists (Richard Palmer) want to trust their source, especially official ones. I trust real people Chef Cory Vitello might be under a NDA, but his friends, neighbors and long time coworkers are not. The place that Cory & Meghan shared was leased in his name thru 12/01/16. When they broke up unexpectedly in May he was very hurt. He stayed at friends house when she was in town and stayed there with dogs when she traveled. She finished filming Suits mid Nov. Flew to LA to do Airbnb Christmas ad for her blog instagram with yoga friend and to see her Mom. She didn’t go near her Mom’s house. All pics of Turkey, parents hands palm trees old & posted strategically by pr/blog team. She then flew back to Toronto because Cory had moved all of his stuff (all furniture was his) out of house. She had to get her stuff. She/pr team did staged pap pictues at store/yoga etc to be released later. She then flew to Barbado under the cover of the Warrens. She was with Harry during tour. The “sod turning” stop was not on original list but added last minute. PH flew by helicopter. UK press didn’t go or report, after all it was just a boring sod turn….not. It was a 2.6billon$ resort/racetrack deal brokered by John Warren who runs QE race horse business. Uk press go on to next stop but oops ship broke?? So PH flownback to island……another night with Meghan. fast forward to departure. PH is scheduled to fly home commercial with KP team instead cancels last minute and flys privately with Meghan to private airfield in Scotland. Word gets out to press that Harry wasn’t on British Airways flight and story is leaked that he went to see Meg everyone assumed in Toronto. Harry reimburses cost of his ticket and he thinks noone question it due to “goodwill” & drinks with press on tour. Arrives in London this morning to do hour pr for Sentebale then back to Meghan. Press & people fooled. On a side note Megs best friend Lindsayjillroth has a blog too. Meg was bridesmaid at her wedding. The story of her wedding dress was featured in NYTimes ie public news and on her instagram. Lindsay father is a lawyer for Norton Rose & Fullbright. Offices in NYC &London……you can figure rest out for yourself 🙂

    1. Okay, but is there any evidence of this?

       1. My guess is no, there isn’t evidence for any of it as it is likely some very hard work at fan fiction. Time will tell.

          1. I don’t see how Meghan could possibly have been in Barbados with Harry. Surely the press would have discovered that.

          2. Yep. Fanfiction at it’s finest.

             Royaldish was so dismayed at the turn of comments and fanfiction conspiracies their board that they’ve closed the comments on the MM thread.

             1. Technically, Maria also said she shut down the Meghan Markle board on Royal Dish because posters couldn’t stay on topic / were posting excessive amounts of pages & posts with no real content. Last time I checked I think it had over 200 pages of regurgitated dissection of grocery paps ?

             2. I don’t know if Royal dish should be used as a barometer of acceptability.
                A poster once posted a link of George out with Maria and i clicked on it and the posters over there were down right mean about the children. I child’s looks should always be off limits accept saying who they may resemble. I haven’t been back which is sad because they appeared to cover lots of royals.
                I’d say catty at best and down right cruel at worst.
                So acceptability seems to be at the whimsy of the administrator
                I like this site because for the most part, the posters are offering up constructive criticism and insightful posts that even when diametrically opposed (had to get my Hamilton verbiage in ?) views are stated. For the most part, we’re still nice about it.

             3. I peaked into RD when the news first broke about Harry and Meghan and the comments there were horrible.

             4. RD shouldn’t be used as a barometer of acceptability, BUT when *they* can’t stand the direction of the comments, it tells you how far people have gone or are heading. And RD is by no means the worst.

             5. There are just too many articles about Meghan for me to keep up with them all…it would be a full time job. But wasn’t Meghan papped in Toronto a few days in a row going shopping while Harry was in Barbados? Or was that during a different part of his tour? Unless Meghan has Hermione Granger’s timeturner it seems impossible for her to be in both places at once.

                I only looked at RoyalDish a few times, KMR is the only blog I comment on. But RD really turned me off when I saw them picking apart Charlotte’s looks. When you say a one-year-old is ugly that crosses a line. “The Royal Forums” seems to be better moderated with less hateful or crazy comments.

       2. Kmr, I can’t give you the address or names of people moving in to Cory & Megs old place in Jan or the people who saw her friend taking some of the pictures. They are private people living & working in Toronto. May I ask you a question? What is more believable, that professional photographers captured Meg Friday at store Saturday at flowershop (showing necklace perfectly I might add) and Sunday at yoga yet failed to get anthing of Harry coming & going from the airport & or her house? Only a blurred picture of someone wearing a hoodie getting into a car? with no police like the first pictures in early Nov? or that the pictures were staged for pr? Is it more believable that his circle of friends (known for years that they take group vacations)were also in St Lucia resort including Warrens and Meg and the plane they rode on was already paid for their return. He simply joined them instead of flying commercial with kp team or that he spent extra hours & money flying to Toronto for one night? Which is easier to explain away & sweep under the rug? Airplane ticket or his girlfriend joining him on the tour. https://stluciatimes.com/2016/11/28/sandals-hosts-fun-prince-second-time# Have a good evening.

          1. That link doesn’t say anything about his friends. It talks about the resort being his base for that portion of the tour.

             What am i missing?

    2. Whoa!

    3. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4008766/Harry-s-hasty-exit-Besotted-Prince-leaves-girlfriend-Meghan-Markle-s-Toronto-apartment-cover-dusk-head-home-two-night-stopover-way-Caribbean.html

    4. I find it odd that Meghan was possibly with Harry during a official tour with the press pack nearby and was never spotted, but Camilla used to do the same thing with Prince Charles’ solo tours while he was still married to Diana and there aren’t photos of her…albeit Camilla always did it on her own money. As long as public funds aren’t being used for Meghan’s benefit (or extra expenses aren’t undertaken so Prince Harry can be with her), I don’t particularly care if she was there or not. He did his public duty without missing a single event or any sour behavior during the tour.

       As the only comment on the legitimacy, I do find it incredible that they booked a private plane from the Caribbean to Scotland (or even to Toronto). That’s very expensive on the order of 75-50,000 GBP and even someone with a purported 30 million private fortune would probably consider that needless when there is already a booked direct commercial flight for much less. Prince Harry’s wealthy, but he’s not that wealthy, nor is he a big spender based on past actions.

       1. It wouldn’t have cost anywhere near that. More in the $10,000-15,000 range if that, Bahamas to Toronto. Has anyone seen the Duke of Westminster’s plane recently?

          1. Nota, Haha…well, weren’t the Warrens there too? Don’t they also know the Grosvenors as well? …It’s entirely possible. Anyway, it’s ~2000 nm to Toronto? For a direct flight, it would still require a 2 pilot medium business jet with the smallest seating 8-10. They don’t rent cheap. It may not be quite 50K (maybe 25K?) but 15K is probably a tad on the low side. Of course, he could have used a small jet, that might bring it into the 15K range, but they would have stop off somewhere.

             Regardless, the point is that people with fortunes in in the low to mid-millions range don’t usually fly private alone. A lot of them don’t fly private at all if they are personally footing the bill and and can’t use it as a tax write off. It’s just too expensive for long haul travel.

             1. Oh, you raise a good question, Linds. Harry can’t use that side trip as a tax write off. Do the RPO’s still get written off? It’s not like it’s a business trip. Just wondering.

             2. The RPOs salaries and expenses come out of the police budget.

                I doubt the royals know the true cost since it’s kept secret for security purposes – not kidding. A journalist once tried to use FOI to get the actual sum and was turned down for security reasons.

                What we do know is an estimate based on other factors.

                The bill is sent directly to the Police.

15. My eyes are still blinded by Camilla’s bling! I think Victoria looked lovely as well! Raina’s fashion is hit or miss with me. This one, I didn’t like so much but I’ll forgive her since her speech was wonderful!
    Should we start taking bets if Sofia will have her hair in a center part updo for the Nobel awards=)

    1. I’m going to be an optimist and say no center part.

16. Can I just say, I finally ventured over to the official BRF website to see if I could find of Camilla’s holiday party was on there. It’s terrible. I just gave up. So thanks KMR for wading into that to get us info.
    I thought it was redone to make user friendly? Bleh it was a maze.

    1. Yes, it’s more flashy and looks nice, but it’s a nightmare to navigate. It’s the popular style nowadays. The Court Circular is hiding under the ‘Media’ tab (or ‘Press’ or something).

    2. Yeah, their new website is the worst.

    3. It is terrible, breaks all the time, and they eliminated a lot of good historical information in the revamp. Almost as if they don’t want all of us able to track their movements…

       1. The Internet Wayback Archive, my friend. You can find the super old 90s website too! It’s a blast from the past for sure. http://www.archive.org 🙂

          1. Thanks!

17. I love that red on Camilla! She radiates warmth.

    I can’t wait for info about her Christmas party for the families and children in hospice. It is my favorite royal event of the year. 🙂 I love how he spends so much of her day with them and just makes their year.

    1. I’m no longer a fan of the royals, but Camilla’s outreach seems genuine. I adore seeing the photos every year- so heartwarming, gives me the warm fuzzies, and don’t we all need some of that these days? I think this is the only royal engagement that I find moving.

       1. I think so. And she does it out of the genuineness in her heart and the warmth and care she has for the kids and families. Like, you just can’t FAKE that. No matter what one says about Camilla she picks her causes with heart and wanting to use the position she’s in to make a difference, ie sexual assault, the hospices, etc. I do like her a lot.

          I can’t wait for this engagement. It gets me all teary, I feel like a dork, but you can see just how happy those families are and the break the parents get must be phenomenal, with Camilla serving them herself and taking care of any need they may have.

          1. Well, Ellie, I think you just described what it is to be genuine. To serve. With heart.

             1. I agree. It’s why I like Camilla. She doesn’t have airs or pretenses and really connects with people in a genuine way.

                Her serving–literally: pouring their tea, getting them their sandwiches and cakes, taking the children to play and letting them decorate the tree so mum and dad can have a bit of a break–the parents and the children is a lovely gesture and I think indicates what sort of a person she is. It is not for show. It is to take care of them and make sure the parents have a nice, relaxing day that’s about them and their children, so the parents can relax and enjoy their afternoon at Clarence House where their needs are met instead of how rough it must be for them otherwise with very sick children. My heart goes out to them.

18. KMR, found this on Instagram, it’s really quite a sweet story regarding Kate being warm and huggy with someone for once. Apparently, they was a Royal Foundation fundraising dinner for mental health charities? I don’t know what it was precisely. Weird it was never advertised though?! Kate’s wearing the Preen red dress again.

    Here’s the Instagram link.

    THought you may want to know. 🙂

    1. Thanks for the link. I’ll look into it.

    2. That is the first time Kate has looked comfortable in public to extent that the hug she gives that girl looks properly committed as opposed to her usual don’t-touch-me awkward hugs.

       1. I wonder if Harry being present helped her be more social. She does tend to be a bit more animated when he is around.

       2. Yes, I was amazed and pleased to see her looking so warm and engaged. Points to Kate! It’s a Christmas miracle! I’m genuinely glad to see it.

          I just noticed the typos in my post. Oh man. My kid was trying to play with the laptop when I was typing. Sorry. lol

          1. I am dubious given her history. I don’t get the feeling that she is empathetic. At. all. I believe she is always “on”. I sure as heck don’t see the warmth.

             1. I just liked seeing her seeming genuinely engaged or interested instead of stiff and touching someone barely. At least she hugged the girl, usually she doesn’t dare touch any gross plebeians even children because eww cooties. Or something. (Or more likely she’s just naturally cold and calculating which is how I see her for the most part. Even with her own children. Shoving George.)

                I agree, though, that she’s not empathetic at all. She only cares about her own little orbit genuinely, the rest… not so much. But hey at least she can pretend to care for once!

             2. I agree with both of you. I think she’s not empathetic and she is a cold fish.

                We’ve been subjected to hugs were she looks like the barest contact is too much. Be it her husband or strangers.

                She always looks like she’s being forced into a hug and stiffens her body or has her arms crossed in front of her such that the end result looks very awkward. Her arms rarely raise except to act as barriers to the person trying to hug her. And it’s always others hugging her not her hugging them.

                This hug looks like full commitment from her, arms around the other person, full body contact and when chatting to them is fully engaged and looking like she’s leaning towards the person as opposed to her usual lean away whilst craning her neck.

             3. +1 KM has on her over the top Joker smile. Her hug looks awkward. The young woman looks much more comfortable being hugged by Harry.

19. It must be the apocalypse if Kate is showing empathy, (though I’m still side eyeing her for not showing up at EACH or sportsaid ) and PH is the one breaking policy or blurring lines, must be the end of the world *whistles

    1. Well, if 2016 has shown me anything, it’s that anything can happen this year.

20. I’m surprised no one has commented on the fact that Victoria took six weeks off from royal duties.

    1. I wonder why. It’s not as if she really works very hard or often like certain other royals do. And it’s not like in Sweden they need the others around leeching off taxpayer funds. Six weeks off for…what? If Oscar were brand new I’d understand.

       1. I haven’t seen any reason given for her six week absence. I haven’t even seen anyone mention it. To me, what’s more interesting is how no one is making a big deal about it. If it were Kate, everyone would be calling her out right and left. Hell, people are already calling Kate out for having a light schedule in November and December and yet Victoria took six weeks off and no one made a peep about it.

          1. I noticed it in the write up and was going to ask if this was usual for Swedish royals since i don’t follow them, but i was distracted by the MM/H comments.

             So i guess am asking now?

             Is this normal for her or normal for Swedish royals?

             1. It’s not usual for Victoria to take so much time off in October and November. The Swedes usually take a few weeks off at the end of December and into January, and they take all of July off except for Victoria’s birthday on the 14th. They also usually take time off in August. But it is unusual for them to take time off in the fall.

             2. Maybe she’s the Royal that’s going to announce a pregnancy =J I thought the Scandinavian’s and Europeans technically got a yr of maternity leave? I know she was at a UN meeting relatively soon because we got pics of her nodding off. =)
                I’ve always thought her a hard worker and not one to shirk her duty so I’d like to say it was more than her goofing off

          2. I think because people don’t really follow Victoria as much and don’t know a lot about her. All I know is she seems like a nice person, if a bit dim. I have no idea what her role is as Crown Princess except she goes to government meetings sometimes. She’s no Charles. Do people expect as much of their RF in Sweden as some do in Britain for example?

             1. A bit dim? She’s no Charles?

                I suggest you do more research before making pronouncements like these.

             2. Why do you think she’s a bit dim? I think she a,ways comes off articulate and well informed for her events. Someone mentioned that she and Daniel hold salon like events for writers, scientists and what not to keep abreast of current items. That does sound dim to me

       2. “It’s not as if she really works very hard or often like certain other royals do”

          Sorry, but this is wrong. All you have to do to is go to the SRF website to view Victoria’s calendar – and she works.

    2. Sweden has a very generous maternity/paternity leave policy. Both parents share 12 months of paid leave, i.e. mother can take some time off, then switch off with father. If you start working part time, you can stretch your paid maternity leave into a couple of years!

    3. I was surprised by that. Any idea what happened?
       Also sad that this whole MM thing has overshadowed most other royal news. Rania’s speech was fantastic and I would have loved to know more on the work she’s doing but the MM necklace, PH detour have just blown up. I honestly loved MM (big Suits fan) and I was excited when she started dating Harry but I’m not liking this relationship anymore. The Instagram posts, questionable decisions from PH which keep fuelling the press, constant media cycles, it’s just tiring. They probably are in love and I’m happy for them but the media insanity is overboard.

    4. I thought it, just tired of being negative.

       Wish I had Rhiannon’s temperament. She’s unbelievably kind. By the way, where the heck is she?

    5. So do you mean no one in the Swedish media said anything about Victoria taking six weeks off? I don’t follow the Swedish royals like I do the British ones. But I do know in Sweden they have different maternity leave polices. Is she still on maternity leave?

    6. Victoria met with RG Aktiv Rehabilitering (a nonprofit organization for people with spinal cord injuries) On November 22. She didn’t just disappear for 6 weeks.

21. Hey guys I have a question that may be off topic, but I was hoping someone who has followed the royals longer and more closely than I have could answer this for me.

    Did Chelsy pull the same kind of press games that people say Kate and Cressisa did when they were girlfriends and what people are accusing Meghan of doing now when she dated Harry? All this arguing back and forth about who is or isn’t/has or hasn’t played PR press games got me wondering if Chelsy did it too. I never hear her name mentioned when people bring it up.

    1. Chelsy didn’t play press games, BUT the press hounded her worst of all. They took pictures of her in the library whilst she was studying, through the windows of her home, inside her garden, on her balcony, followed her when she was out and about. It was crazy.

       All her family were written about, lies fabricated, the works.

       When she came to Britain it was worse. She made the mistake of not crafting a public image so one was crafted for her based upon club/party pictures taken every so often and posted repeatedly as if she were out every single night. Deliberately unflattering pictures.

       She was the unwilling participant of a media narrative that pitted her against Kate who was seen as the cool, polished GF vs the party-mad, drunk, unkempt Chelsy. The idea being pushed that Kate was a better future royal than Chelsy.

       The irony being that Kate was drunk and falling out of nightclubs 4 nights a week for years, had no job and went on 2wk vacations at a rate of 9 every year with William or her family. Meanwhile Chelsy was studying for her 2 degrees, one in Economics and the other in Law and only occassionally went out during term time though she upped that during the holidays.

       Whilst both girls faced abuse from the public, Chelsy got it worse because she was the spare’s GF thus making it ok to treat her appallingly.

       Frankly, after what she endured, i’m surprised anyone has been willing to step upto the plate.

       I think the Middletons realised early the need for Kate to hire PR and to craft a public image such that by the time she graduated from university, she appeared polished and ready to join the royal family.

       With Cressida it’s twofold. She wanted to be an entertainer, coming from a family of artists who include 2 actors, so she was always going to need a publicist if she wanted to pursue that career. She also had to manage said public career if she wanted to be taken seriously instead of being dismissed as Harry’s latest girlfriend and nothing more.

       Given the interests of the family as well as their connections in the media, it was/is always going to look like Cressida hired whether that was coincidence or not.

    2. Carter- I was very young when Chelsy and Harry dated. But at that time, William was the golden son who could do no wrong. I remember I believed his image that he was studious, serious, and dutiful while Harry was the party prince who smoked pot and drank too much. At that time, William could do no wrong and Harry was put through the wringer. Now in hindsight I realize William partied just as much as Harry, if not more, but he was just more protected because he was the future King and he was going to St Andrews while Harry didn’t go to University so he wasn’t under that umbrella.

       Kate was protected also because she was a student in Scotland with Harry. She was portrayed as the normal, middle class girl who captured a prince’s heart. Like Cinderella.

       Although I was young, I can remember that Chelsy was called “Miss Piggy” “fat” “stupid” and “airhead” and other horrible things. “Miss Piggy” stands out in my memory the most because I thought it was particularly cruel. Does anyone else remember that?

       I recently read one of the commenters here say that Chelsy also had a tracking device put on her car, it was that bad.

       Harry was the most affectionate with her in public though. He was less guarded at the time. There are pictures of him kissing her at the Concert for Diana and they would cuddle and kiss all the time right in front of photographers and not care who was looking.

       The pictures make it seem like they were really in love. And I don’t think she played games with the press. I think she really loved Harry but sometimes he wasn’t the best boyfriend. One time he forgot to pick her up from the airport and he was an hour late. She had to stand there in the airport calling him and the paparazzi took pictures of her until Harry arrived. He looked like he just rolled out of bed. They were also really on again/off again in their relationship. I am not sure if they ever lived together besides Chelsy staying at Kensington Palace for a few days here and there. I don’t think they ever had their own place where they lived together full-time. Apparently they argued a lot. Really heated, loud arguments. And they liked breaking up and then making up again. It was tumultuous.

       I think Cressida played more games with the press and her public image but she is an actress so she has a publicist and stuff. Yet, Cressida didn’t seem to be as hounded as Chelsy was. Maybe she was protected because her family is aristocratic?

       1. I remember the tracking device, and the ‘Miss Piggy’ moniker. It still crops up in DM comments under Chelsy articles. Sidebar: i’ve noticed ‘duchess/duke/princess of pork’ has started to crop up in DM articles on the Yorks and their daughters.

          Cressida’s entire family is linked to the media and the establishment at large plus they have Richard Branson as an in-law. Cressida is the beloved youngest child of the clan, it’s inconceivable that they would not use their considerable connections and money to protect her.

          Her being an aristocrat had nothing to do with it since we like to mock aristcrats, and if that were a protection, Fergie and the Yorkies would be off limits. Ditto most of the circle around the royals.

       2. That is terrible that Chelsy was called those hurtful labels! Any newspaper or persons that called her that should be ashamed of themselves. She seems to be doing well now. Good for her.

22. KMR, yes but I don’t think PH would purchase a gift for $30… I think $250 is reasonable.

    1. Do we know it’s a gift from Harry?

       BTW, I say the same things about Kate’s overpriced jewelry.

       1. The necklace is cute but twee, I’d expect someone much younger wearing it. Reminds me of how we girls would write Mrs Crush-Last-Name all over our notebooks in the 90s. lol

          1. Sorry Ellie I agree with you

       2. I don’t think it’s the type of jewelry that a woman Meghan’s age would buy for herself at this stage of the relationship..just a complete guess on my part. It’s really an odd choice for a gift but it made her happy so it’s the right choice!

          1. I don’t think one can really say if it made her happy or not, unless, you’re a friend and know the scoop?
             We know nothing of the origins. It could be paid advertisement on her part, a freebie, something she bought herself, a gift from Harry….
             I’ve worn jewelry from bf’s that I didn’t like to be nice

       3. The designer is LA based and honestly I think it was a freebie she sent for the PR. She’s even featuring a picture of Meaghan wearing it on her web site from the papers.

          1. Ha, that makes sense. Meghan is a celeb and thirsty for the fame and fortune, so being with Harry really props her up big time. Major freebies, here we come!

23. I’m way late to the party here but I’ll just say that’s it’s been said over and over again on KMR that Will and Kate bring out the worst in each other. This is the sense I get with Harry and Meghan, and that’s not meant to blame her more than him. But if my prince boyfriend had just finished a two week tour and wanted to divert for two days but I knew it would be risky if the media found out and could potentially annul all the goodwill and work he’d just done, I would tell him to fly home and we’d connect after his engagement Wednesday–or I’d fly to London. Who gets the sense Meghan did this? Maybe Harry overruled her and said no, I’m coming! But seems like Meghan wants the romantic gesture even if it’s not IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE BRF. And in this, she is so much like Diana and I’ll probably get slated for this but maybe that’s part of the allure. Does anyone get the sense that at any point since news of their relationship broke, she has put the interest of the royal family ahead of her own? And has she encouraged Harry to do the same? Now, it’s Harry’s family and Harry’s responsibility to do that mainly, but this is why when you look for a partner you look for someone who is supportive of your life, insofar as is possible. Want to stress I’m not coming down on Meghan more than Harry, but if they want to be taken seriously as a partnership, they should start showing that they understand the stakes. Just looks like child’s play to me.

    And for those that would say why should she put the BRF interests ahead of her own if they’re not engaged? Ok fine, but doesn’t bode well for the future (it’s like Kate–what pattern has she shown while dating, do we expect anything different in marriage?). At least she could not work counter to the interests of the BRF…and could encourage the same in Harry. But ultimately it’s on Harry and this isn’t an attractive Harry we are seeing.

    1. It’s interesting to me that you say Meghan is reminding you of Diana because I really think Harry is very much like her. Not only did he show the same ease with people that she did on engagements but I get the sense that he also seeks out drama in his relationships. I mean there are many reports that his relationship with Chelsy was very tumultuous with loud arguments and break ups and make ups. The press reported that friends nicknamed Harry and Cressida Hot and Cold because those two would be super on then fight and cool off. And so far his relationship with Meghan is also showing drama, at least in the press. I am not sure how much Meghan is contributing but it seems Harry has established a pattern of drama.

    2. Both Wales’ boys have been brought up to be keenly aware of their ‘importance’ so when they want something, they get it. In this instance, Harry exercised poor judgement (again) as well as making his staff complicit in his deceit which is unacceptable. He knew very well that he was breaching royal protocols and that the truth would play badly. Yet he still followed his impulses because, you know, prince.

       I think Meghan is ‘not throwing away her shot’ (Hamilton reference) and is following Harry’s ‘big man bravado’ that he can do what he wants. Whether this relationship ends in marriage or just ends, Meghan walks away a winner. Her ‘brand’ ascends in terms of name recognition and doors will open. Her name, like other women before her, will always be linked with royalty.

       Meghan could easily have flown to London and met him there after the Caribbean since, as far as we know, her show is on hiatus until February. No drama. But I suspect the drama, the games et al are sexy and part of the allure, and raises the temperature of their relationship whereas others with cooler heads find their antics irritating and immature. Meh. They deserve each other.

       1. Well said. Agree with it all.

          Love the “because you know, prince”. Just like, because you know, mummy. Ahhh these boys.

    3. I wouldn’t assume that she knows anything about royal protocol or the best interests of the BRF – and really, why would she? If Harry intends to marry her, he’ll clarify his expectations and his priorities and she’ll have to adjust.

24. Comment

25. Hi Carter! How’s the little one? Hope you’re getting some sleep!

    Interesting you bring up the drama bc have you seen Tom Sykes’ article on the daily beast? He basically says the only way to explain Harry’s Toronto diversion (aside from his arrogance) is that it was a make or break trip that he deemed to be worth the political costs. So, yes, drama. That doesn’t sound like two adults in it for the long haul to me, it sounds like a tempestuous drama filled saga and let’s hope Harry will make a proposal decision with a cool head. Though Sykes seems to think it might be around the corner!

    I read Sykes for fun but someone here could probably school me on how much stock to put in his analysis?

    1. I put a ton of stock into his analysis of the media relationships between KP and the media, and his readings of why the tabloids run the stories they do and strike back against KP as they see fit. I put less stock in his insider details because he doesn’t seem to have great sources. In my experience, the times he’s read the tea leaves from KP and been wrong has only been because KP was deliberately taking a different path than in the past — ie, he was basing his opinion on past behavior and this time it didn’t hold true.

       1. Good to know, bluejay! I agree that his analysis of the media landscape and KP’s standing within said landscape seems to hold water.

    2. You’re catching me after a bad night! She was sleeping great – only waking up once a night! But last night she was up all night!!!! Ugh!

       I did read his piece. I think he is spot on in his analysis regarding the media and KP. As far as the engagement speculation, I think everyone is trying to make sense of this relationship and the behavior of both the people within this relationship because it’s just so unexpected compared to how royals have conducted things in the past. I also think it’s because so many people saw Harry in a different light/thought he was different etc. and weren’t expecting this type of behavior from him. I mean if it came out that William and Kate lied and last minute and went on vacation instead would any of us have been surprised? It may be that Harry went to Toronto to propose, but I think it’s much more likely that Harry wanted to see his girlfriend and did exactly what he wanted to do and doesn’t care about the consequences. I really, really hope he didn’t propose. Not for any reason regarding Meghan and or her suitability but because they have been in a long distance relationship for 6-7 months and for a couple of months of that Harry was in Africa while she was traveling. Even for regular people, marrying after a courtship like that is a recipe for divorce. Marrying Harry is much more complicated and comes with a lot more baggage. They both should take their time and really figure out if they could make a successful marriage instead of just jumping in.

       1. Hang in there! Sleep WILL come;)

          I thought one of the most impactful lines in the DB article is when Sykes wrote “Harry and his youthful press team are playing a dangerous game in telling outright lies to the press. Not only does such behaviour eliminate all trust, it is immensely alienating to reporters, whose jobs (and mortgages) depend on getting accurate information to their readers.”

          The bottom line is Harry has never had to worry about a job or a mortgage. So either he decided to take this trip without consulting Jason so that Jason could take the fall, in which case he’s not much of a man. Or he outright instructed KP to lie, in which he has no integrity and doesn’t care if KP does either. And further, he has no idea what that lack of integrity means to people who have mouths to feed and jobs to keep.

          KP could have simply answered “no comment” or “we don’t comment on our royals’ personal travel itineraries” and even if this tipped off Toronto press, then so be it. At least they would still have their word (somewhat). But Harry seems not to give a shit whether that means anything or not. Hence all his crap all these years about privacy when everything he’s done throughout this relationship is the exact opposite.

          Dare I say one of the reasons people are coming down hard on Meghan has less to do with her and more to do with what she reveals about Harry–and that is that he is a spoilt, entitled man-child who is not one bit different than his lousy brother.

       2. @Carter, how could they marry if majority of the PUBLIC and media do not like this relationship at all? Would Harry give up his title and privileges? I doubt he would do that.

          1. The bigger question is would Meghan stick around if he gave up all his privileges.

          2. The majority of the British public and media didn’t like Charles and Camilla either. They sure didn’t let that stop them lol!

             I don’t know that Harry would renounce his title for Meghan – or that he’d even be expected to. But even without the title, he’d still be super wealthy and privileged.

          3. Ask Charles and Camilla.

26. Question about the updates on Victoria and Sofia. When you say that Victoria took six weeks off and Sofia took a month off – do you mean since their last public appearance? Or that they were taking time off from work, as in vacation time? While I absolutely enjoy the analytical nature of KMR, I was thinking that it might not be fair to say they took “six weeks off”, etc. If might be more accurate to say “Six weeks since her last public appearance”. I like to give Victoria in particular, the benefit of the doubt that even when not in the public eye, she is in fact working. I think we generally agree that she has always been deeply involved in her work, and while I don’t know how many hours she dedicates to it each day, there is likely a daily commitment. Thoughts?

    1. This is purely guessing but could they (Swedes) have been filming some material for the tv-program Året med kungafamiljen (The year with the Royal family). It is to be seen in january if I remember correct.
       I almost hope it’s the maternity leave thing she is on, and that Daniel follow so they do the right thing and acts as good examples.
       So that we soon can have the most equal Northern here! ;D

27. I think, hands down that Rania’s speech should be the star of this blog post. She is incredibly well spoken, involved and hands-on. That one speech puts anything that Kate has said over the last five years to shame. It’s clear that Rania understands duty and service go with that the privileges she enjoys.

Comments are closed.