283 thoughts on “Harry on royal duties: ‘We don’t want to turn up, shake hands but not get involved’”

1. I said most of my thoughts about this on the previous thread but I think this article does more harm than good for Harry. It makes him sound hypocritical and tone deaf
   I read the dm article about him saying no one wants to be on the throne and the comments aren’t very nice. I just skimmed them but it also hammers home how much William always comes off as hating his “job”
   Thiswas one interview he should have passed on.

   1. I just read the DM article and a few pages of comments. Not pretty

      1. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I found myself resenting Harry’s inclusion of other countries ‘needing the magic’. Harry: think back, remember Disneyland?
         That’s as far as I got before I stopped reading so that’s all I have to say other than what on earth was Harry thinking?

         Oh, sorry, I do have one more thing to say. Billy Middleton certainly doesn’t want to be king, but his marriage and children prove that he most assuredly wants the goodies. All of the goodies. Now I **don’t** believe for a nanosecond that waity katie doesn’t want to be queen (consort), but in her eyes queen whatever the difference may be. She and her family couldn’t be more obvious in their pursuit of social status and media attention.
         I’ve never said this as bluntly before because it may very well be offensive. Billy is a selfish man, he hates his life but still brings two children into what he seems to consider a form of hell. I’m of the belief that his marriage and his children were just his way of keeping all the goodies. Not saying anything about his love for his children, but I simply don’t see love, the kind that creates a marriage, for Kate. At all. Default wife, and walking womb. Before anyone throws rocks at me, I do think he loves George and Charlotte and really is the best daddy he knows how to be.

         1. Canada survives without having the royal family be physically present for years on end and does very well. In fact the PM can do what the royals do and run the country. Not all PMs have the same charisma, but they sure as hell don’t cost Canadians the millions the BRF does.

            And waity Katie has already spent 60k on clothing for half a year, on top of the 200k last year and the year before. They want the perks but don’t want to do the work such as it is. It’s not like they have do work in the mines.

   2. Sarah, like you I made comments on the previous thread; suffice to say they was on par with KMR’s article.

      Harry is suffering from a large dose of hubris if he thinks ‘the government has the money; we have the voice’. Is he not aware of cuts to the NHS? Or government policy? Or austerity measures that happily don’t apply to him? Not in the country often enough? I shake my head when he airily refers to loving the ‘the charity stuff’. The charity stuff. What he, William and Kate do is dabble a little for an hour here and there; their public involvement can be counted in hours. They do not do the hard yards of training, and beyond that, work at the coalface. The sooner he, his brother and sister-in-law – and the rest – understand that the world will turn without their ‘royal magic’, the better. I think it was ABKM (on MMR) who recently referred to them as ‘un-extraordinary’. Spot on.

      1. Maybe he is referring to how No 10 wants to give more money to mental health charities and to the NHS For mental health services, because the PM did praise W&K (no Harry!) about their stupid HT thing and how that prompted them to look at things and promise to increase funding for it. We shall see if it materializes.

         Harry, you do have the money. You can have it if you network, host parties, do sh!t to raise the money, too, you know…

         However, I do think you are a bit unfair towards Harry. He does more than just show up once in awhile regarding Invictus and Sentebale. He is involved intimately in meetings, planning, funding, all of it, he knows what is going on because they are /his/ initiatives. HT, though, seems to be cobbled together nonsense. Nobody even on their board seems to know what it is or where the money goes towards.

         1. Ellie, a government official stated that there was no new money for MH services to be had when that promise was made prior to the election – it had to come from existing resources.

            My comments were mainly about the trio’s HT campaign. I do think Harry does well with his personal interests, but they are extra-curricular to his royal role. They also take him out of the UK quite a bit, whereas his UK totals for official work are the lowest of the entire RF. That’s an issue when he does not have a full-time job – for two years now. The lack of transparency as to what the BRF does beyond the public engagements does not help, but this is how they choose to operate.

            As someone above said, if the trio does not like how the bread and butter engagements are done, work out a way to get more involved and do them differently. I think they have been given too much leeway these past ten years at least and it will be hard for them to knuckle down.

            1. Ah, yes, I agree with you there with HT.

               They need to buckle down, shut up and work. Harry was doing so well, too. I notice the more he does with William the more that attitude rubs off on him. It is not attractive to say the least.

            2. Let’s not forget- Harry lives on the welfare from taxpayers, and that includes his private dabbling in far off exotic places and wandering the world at will. He, like William, seems not to make the connection between total dependence financially on others and his obligations. There’s one word for that- entitled.

   3. I haven’t read the other thread, but I hope someone mentions that Charles wants to be king. Always has, and has prepared himself accordingly. I am shocked at how lackadaisical and indifferent even Harry is to his father and his accomplishments. He and William come across as incredibly ungrateful wretches. They are not only entitled and lazy but now I’m seeing that they are mean-spirited as well. I’m gobsmacked. He and Willy need to get off their high horses. Wow, they are just so unlikable these days! What on earth does Meghan see in him?

      Meanwhile, they continue to elevate Diana into the realms of sainthood. It’s turning into a fetish of ridiculous proportions.

      1. That’s a very interesting comment about turning Diana into a fetish. She did good work, but was no saint. I think there’s a danger in all this.

      2. Diana did good charity work, and in many ways seems to have tried to be a great mom. However, she hurt her children immensely in airing her and Charles’ dirty laundry everywhere. She was not only not a saint, but overall I’d say not a good mom.

         I think they also play the Diana card liberally when they feel like they need to for public approval.

         1. Jenna: it will be interesting to see public reaction to the diana card the next time it’s aired for sympathy.

            Between the re-airing of the diana tapes which had the unexpected result of re-calibrating thought on Diana together with public annoyance at the boys repeatedly using the Diana card for sympathy, i think it won’t have the same mahic it once did.

      3. What I find fascinating in people complaining about Charles as if it is a bad thing he wants to be king. Why would you want an unprepared, lazy head of state? Don’t you want someone who wants to do the best they can with the job and takes it as seriously as they should?

         1. Gravitas seems so passé these days. Charles possesses it as does his mother. Charles has been ignored totally thanks to media and his sons. He has prepared himself for kingship. The boys, however, are trying to twist royal duty and obligation into a bid for not only self-indulgence but a pass for actual labour.

            1. I also think Charles has prepared himself well for the role and will make a great King for the UK. He had his part, I’m sure, in making a mess of his first marriage. However, he seemed to be dealing with an unstable person, and probably didn’t deserve the media stunts that Princess Diana pulled. I hope he gets the chance to show off his preparation. Maybe when that day comes he’ll also be tougher on his sons than the Queen is. I think any of the royals except for Catherine would choose to live as wealthy, non-royal people if they could. Catherine might be regretting the royal part of the deal now too.

2. We give W&K a lot of flack for their aversion to work, but Harry shouldn’t be left out of the conversation either. He doesn’t have stellar numbers, and he’s jetted off to secret getaways as much as W&K have. I think his undeniable charm and warmth is what gives him a pass. But let’s not overlook that he’s entitled and lazy.

   1. +1

   2. +1!!!! I was giving him a pass for the last couple years, but recently I’ve done almost a complete 180 on him. He’s exactly like William and Kate just better at PR. Which honestly can make me more mad because it makes him look fake. Trying tiki have his cake and eat it too!

   3. +1

      1. + 1. I think this was the reason he was so grumpy at the balcony and his absence at Ascot, problably he knew this interview was coming.

3. I also agree with you KMR. This whole being ordinary thing is just so bizarre because as far as I can see, the two of them lived a pretty normal life compared to previous generations of royals. Diana made sure of that. Granted there were pressures of being born royal but still, this whole thing just sounds so out of touch and privilege. I love Harry’s dedication to the causes he really advocates but… sigh. I don’t even have words. Plus, it would’ve been nice if the three of them attended State Opening of Parliament especially given Prince Philip’s hospitalization and upcoming retirement. But you do get a sense from them that they only care about the causes they want, and have very little regard to the importance of traditional royal duties. If they don’t want pretense in doing engagements, they could change how to do those engagements but not doing them at all seems entirely useless.

4. Some of this interview is great.

   Other parts, not so great.

   I agree with your assessment in general, KMR. I’m getting tired of their talking about normal. No, their normal is nothing like reality. Harry has a decent grasp on how life is like for people, he should know better. He acknowledges his privilege, and I think wants to work for it and use it for good, but getting stuck in ruts complaining about how he’s so normal and how rough life is–and how nobody wants to be king! shade at William perhaps?–is tiresome. You talk, how about walk the walk, my friend. Invictus and Sentebale show us you can do it. You have your family as wonderful examples.

   I have higher expectations of him than William because Harry has shown he has the drive, the passion to get things done; and he has, with great results. I want to see him doing what Charles does with The Prince’s Trust, making a tangible legacy that lasts because of his constant involvement and work.

   I’d say compared to William though Harry lives a more low-key life, he doesn’t have multiple, huge homes and seems more low-maintenance.

   As much as I adore Harry and respect and admire the work he has done, I am getting tired of seeing William’s petulance rub off on him.

   1. I don’t understand how any of this is somehow William’s fault and influence. I think that’s kind of a cop out. He’s a grown man who is responsible for his own words and actions. I think it’s more to do with the fact that both William and Harry are victims of an environment where their family has indulged them with whatever they wanted for 20-years, and then they hired people who won’t be straight with them but instead tell them what they want to hear. The main difference is Harry is inherited his mother’s charisma, and he’d much better at PR; whereas William is not.

      1. +1

      2. I do think it is in a sense because of the staff are all sycophantic idiots who William chose, they dance to William’s tune ,and as a rule are unprofessional “yes men” who don’t know jack about the monarchy. I mean, an interview where you don’t have your press people involved? That is where you get this embarrassing verbal diarrhea. And Harry probably thinks what he said is NBD, and look the media is attacking me and being meeean and awful William is right!

5. I get the feeling that Harry believes in what he says: that the monarchy is important, that he’s working hard and doing a good job, and that the government will step up (with what money? Does he not pay attention to the news?) and pay for all the mental health services the royal trio might have been pushing this past year.

   Bless his heart.

   1. And this is why they shouldn’t do interviews like this, because they end up complaining instead of, you know, talking about their work or him talking up his brother and sister-in-law to make it look like they do things.

      1. Agree. Look – Harry and Will – get this – modern does not mean good. It simply means “now”. You do not get to decide what the monarchy is the British people decide. They want duty, service, maintaining tradition and people who do not shoot their mouths off, as well as less celeb crap. They do not want magic – mystery is what sustains monarchy. So less self revelation please. More work. Dignity not stupid affairs.

         1. Maybe they think it worked for Diana so their PR thinks all these interviews will work fro them? It seems a concentrated thing with Jason at the helm. Not so sloppy or stupid like when JLP was running the show.

            William’s GQ interview made him in some ways come across better.

            What’s sad is I do think they all genuinely mean well and want to do things, but of course, it has to be THEIR WAY. (Well, more W&H, not Kate. She is a blank slate of vapid nothingness.)

      2. Indeed, Ellie. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”.

         graymatters,

         LOL!

         1. Very true!

6. This interview was terrible. Almost everything he said reveals just out of touch he is, which is unsurprising but still disappointing. I can’t stand their whining. None of use chose our lot in life. Yes their position comes with a lot of public pressure, but they also have good housing, good education, good healthcare, security, power to shape this world into a better place, ability to work once or twice a week for half the year and still afford a luxurious living and gain public praise while they holiday in style the rest of the year. They should stop comparing themselves to other 1% and start comparing themselves to the orphans they have met, the people born in war torn countries, the butcher etc. They have SO much to be grateful for and all these soundbites do is show how entitled they are.

   1. It’s surprising how much they play the victim. And these are the people supposedly spearheading a ‘mental health’ initiative. Ironies abound. And they are not only whiny but also lack cogency. They should never speak above their station.

7. This interview is what you get when people start to believe too much in their own hype. The trio of W+K+H have been riding high on their popularity for a few years & banking on the goodwill of the public. If they think the public will tolerate just working on a few pet projects a year while they continue to receive millions of taxpayers money, live in multiple large homes, have numerous staff, enjoy luxury vacations & spend thousands on clothes, then they’re in for a rude awakening. The trio will soon find out the hard way that popularity is fleeting, and current world events have shown that the general public are more than prepared to rebel against the status quo.

   I think a lot of their whining is the result of lacking direction & purpose, and rather than look inwards it is easier to blame everyone else. They are all in their 30s so at what point do they start taking responsibility for their life? Prince Charles did not have an idyllic childhood either having to deal with two emotionally distant parents & the terrorist killing of Lord Mountbatten a man who was ike a father to him. Yet Charles started the Princes’ trust while still in his 20s & today it is still having a positive impact 40 years later. I’m not saying Charles was the perfect father but the way these two boys are openly throwing him under the bus is very disrespectable & typical of spoiled children born in extreme privilege. Wills & Harry have had more of a normal upbringing than previous royals in their position & they have been allowed to get away with doing minimal work for far too long. They have been over indulged largely because they lost their mother & the guilt the royal family feels over Diana.

   As some have said their idea of normal is having all the glitz & glam their very rich friends have but without the trappings of mundane royal life. Harry talks about not wanting to be a celebrity but yet his last two girlfriends have both been actresses and a past fling is currently flaunting their relationship on a reality show!

   I do like Harry but all this whining needs to stop. Both he & Wills need to be reminded of the message ‘don’t complain & don’t explain’. Yes it is the 20th anniversary of their mother’s death and I get there will always be some sadness, but there are many ways to honour her memory & talk about your issues without having to throw the rest of your family under the bus which is effectively what this interview does.

   1. +1000

   2. +1

   3. + 200000000000

   4. Ditto to all the +’s! I wonder if he always felt this way or if this new view on life is a product of having found someone he’d like to share his life with. Timing is just really interesting.

      Bring on Charles and Camilla, these young chicks clearly need more time under the heat lamp

      1. That last line was gold!

   5. + so many!!

   6. Your first sentence should be written in golden lettering

8. Being a British royal is tricky.They can’t even voice out their political opinion.People up here in the comments are wondering whether he listens to the news.The thing is even if he does,it is not like he can fully express himself because politics will crawl into the conversation.
   Harry is implying that being a royal comes with a set of challenges.Well Harry was given certain lemons and he has to make lemonade out of them
   Btw is it not interesting how there was no mention of Prince Charles aka heir to the British throne.

9. What @EL and @All about Eve said.

   This was a terrible interview.

   And it will bite him and the young royals in the long term.

   1. Now we know why Harry looked like he was sulking at trooping… he must have had a good telling of, from someone, who no doubt got advanced warning about the article. I actually find it funny that people when referring to Harry normal … imaging that normal implies being regular like us with a 9 to 5 job and bills and no privileges. But in actuality what they see as normal is not being like their Dad… you know, not having your clothes laid out for you in the morning and not being waited on hand and foot… it’s all relative I suppose. I think the article reveals that Harry is a little immature and lacks directions and purpose… wants kids Very badly, adores his grandma, indifferent about his father and camila and probably sees William and Kate once a month if that, and that Meghan quote was sooo from him disguised as a source…

      1. Harry has spoken glowingly of his dad in the past and clearly they are close… so I think that part is manufactured by the author who believes William via Diana is the savior of the monarchy, with Charles as the villain.

         I don’t think he’s close to William, probably barely knows Kate as he famously said he was getting to know her when they got engaged.

         1. but they have been married for 6 years.. you do think he has gotten to know her during that time frame..

         2. But who chose the writer in the first place? Her reputation/ where she stands would have been known so presumably Harry agreed to her. And surely Harry (or KP) would have had some say in the final piece?

            My take is that this article is just the next in a succession of PR for the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death, a mechanism to build up W+H in the light of recent poor publicity.

            1. KP, probably – remember Jason is an American and as such seems to use American outlets as their mouthpieces more than anything else. I’d assume Jason is the one who chose her.

               Edited to add – USA Today article about it is trending on FB and the comments are how evil Charles is, Diana is a saint, poor Harry, William is great… Seems like they got what they wanted in response to this stupid interview. Sympathy and pitting a son against his father as the villain in their lives.

            2. The article made news on the ABC (state broadcaster in Australia) this morning. Takeaway from the intelligent and pro-republic hosts: okay Harry, leave the privilege, get a job and live off that. It was an unvarnished response, with no mention of Diana or Charles, just holding harry to his words.

            3. Here in the US it’s quite different but I blame the Diana factor for it.

            4. But in the end does it really matter how Americans react? We have no say in the monarchy and to us it’s just a slightly different type of celebrity. Also I think the reason America is having a more sympathetic reaction is precisely because the monarchy at its core means nothing to us and we don’t contribute monetarily to it. I have a feeling if they represented the American people and American taxes paid for their privilege, we’d be singing a different tune.

            5. “I have a feeling if they represented the American people and American taxes paid for their privilege, we’d be singing a different tune.”

               Yes. Very much yes. I know people who don’t care how much Kate spends, but gets extremely pissed off by how much the first family spends. It’s different when it’s you who’s paying.

         3. Actually I think they see *Diana* as the saviour of the monarchy. They think that by invoking her and the drive for ‘normal’, they can bend it to their will and fancies with her blessing. Charles, on the other hand, represents everything wrong with it, like duty and sacrifice and something greater than oneself. It’s so easy to worship a ghost who won’t smack you upside the head for being an ass.

      2. Ditto to the thought that everyone has a different sense of what normal is. I don’t think that necessarily equates to a 9-5, or no privileges. Everybody has bills though, and I imagine the royals do to. I wouldn’t assume that’s why he was sulking. I assumed he was disappointed not to have Meagan there with him.

   2. I agree that their definition of ‘normal’ is to compare themselves to their father & previous generations of royals. But this still doesn’t make them normal. Even their beloved mother Diana was not normal because she too was brought up in a privileged aristocratic family.

      I think Harry has grown up in some ways, but he is still quite immature in other ways. This simply seems like a case of him spitting out his dummy.

      1. “This simply seems like a case of him spitting out his dummy.”

         Bwah! What an image!

         It’s been said before- that Harry needs structure. He thrived when in the military and now he is at sixes and sevens. It’s so much easier to be influenced by big brother when you lack purpose. Will marriage give him structure or will he just end up dragging down his wife onto the path of sybaritic aimlessness?

         1. Good point Maven. Harry has eschewed full-time work of whatever variety since leaving the army. Maybe he needed a breather, to re-calibrate but it’s gone on too long and he’s learned that he really doesn’t have to do much to get by, using his natural charisma to do so. It puts a lot of pressure on a future wife to get him back on track, assuming she sees the need or even wants to. I suspect a wife will jump into the sybaritic aimlessness you describe.

            1. Unfortunately, the type of woman Harry will attract is the type of woman who will see nothing wrong with Harry’s lifestyle or thought process on his lifestyle and/or will want the exact same. And if he met a woman who would challenge his lifestyle and his thought process on his lifestyle, he would probably not be interested in her.

            2. Once a woman starts trying to change a grown man, the relationship is over. So I don’t see a woman entering the picture to save Harry from himself.

10. Oh dear, oh dear. Is this Harry Windsor speaking or is this Harry Windsor with a dose of his father’s ‘poor me, nobody understands me’, his mother’s ‘after all I’ve done for this f***ing family’ and Princess Sparkles ‘let’s be humanitarians Harry’.

    Jeez Harry did you actually consult with Miguel Head et all before this verbal diarrhoea started? Is this why you’ve looked pretty miserable on your last two public engagements? Did you fall over and smack your head before you started talking? You sound as spoilt, petulant, self aggrandising as your brother and even I didn’t think that was possible. Did no one ever tell you the unofficial family motto is ‘never complain, never explain’.

    What I want to know is who specifically ‘made’ the boys walk behing Diana’s coffin? Because for many years I thought it was Harry who was the driving force and it was William that didn’t want to do it?

    1. Mrs BBV, I read “somewhere” that Philip insisted the boys walk in the funeral procession after Charles thought both boys should decide for themselves about what they wanted to do. Don’t know if this is true.

       1. Hi Darling,

          My take was that PP pointed out how they would maybe feel later if they didn’t do it? I understood they Charles Spencer wanted to do it alone but PoW wouldn’t allow that and that Harry wanted to do it but William want doing any ‘bloody parade’. I often wonder whether it was Tony Blair & Alastair Campbell who pushed it into happening as part of Blairs’s new touchy/ feels Britain? I always felt it was wrong but if the boys wanted to do it then ok but it would seem now that it wasn’t the case.

          I guess we might never know. Xxx

          1. Mrs BBV, I adore you.

             Yes, it seems it was all a very political strategy with the Windors and the Spensers at each other’s throats as to who should look like they loved Diana more. The boy were probably pawns. But then I greatly dislike Charles Spencer and his hypocrisy in how poorly he treated Diana after her divorce. And his throwaway attitude towards other women.

             1. Charles Spencer is a scumbag.

             2. I always thought Charles Spencer was a scumbag but then I met him at Althrop and he was sooooo charming and very, very flirtatious. In fact I got the distinct impression that had I responded more enthusiastically to him I could have been a notch on his four poster bed post.

                Probably is an absolute sh*t privately though.

             3. @Mrs BBC

                LOL. Thanks for that!

          2. I thought the funeral-spectacle was done to appease the mob of mourners. They lowered the flag over BP for the mourning mob.

             1. The flag definitley but when the GBP heard that the boys were walking behind the coffin the consensus seemed to be that Diana would never have wanted that to happen. I do agree with Harry that if it was today it would likely never happen.

    2. Mrs BBV: regarding Harry’s revealed attitude….how about all 3?

       1. Probably Hera. They’re not mutually exclusive are they? What a shame. Xxx

    3. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side, even shockingly when you live one of the most privileged lifestyles on the planet. I think that’s why Di did the McDonalds stops and theme parks with the boys- to give them a taste of reality, so they wouldn’t glamorize it because they never had it. I believe it backfired and now they are caught saying and doing one way but thinking and doing another. Will they ever figure it out??

       1. Diana shocked us with her fresh take on royalty and service. But several authors point out she lived in a naive, very privileged bubble and thought of things like standing in a line to get into the movies as a lark.

          W&H are spoiled and unmotivated to get out into the world and make their mark unlike someone who is normal but also ambitious and will sacrifice everything to achieve that ambition. And why should the young royals put in a hard day’s work? They have every material comfort, connections to other royalty and world leaders and obsequious people like the Midds bow and scrape and cater endlessly to them.

          I know the Newsweek article was planned well in advance of the terrorist attacks against normal citizens and that tragic fire where normal but poor people died, but H’s quotes really irritate me. I find the young royals to be insufferable.

       2. I really think the boys would have a better attitude toward public service and life in general if Diana hadn’t died–not because of her death– but that the boys have been encouraged and validated in their “poor me” attitude which the Windsor’s constantly encourage from the HM down. HM always felt bad about being dealt the golden Queen card rather than her sister. Charles has talked on many occasions of being bullied in boarding school and growing up “alone.” No perspective from a man who’s never starved, been beaten, cruelly humiliated, and has “mattered” his whole life until the day he dies. There are homeless people who are human beings just like the royal family, but without the privileged blood line that automatically gives them fast passes. William is no better and now here goes Harry. The house of Wales is really the house of Wailes anymore.

          1. I don’t think it is a case of “here goes Harry” but an indepth interview revealing thoughts that he normally gets a pass for because of his charm. Harry has never been that special to me since he wore a Nazi uniform for a costume.

             Selfish, spoiled, entitled, yet feel they are the victims in the scenario.

    4. I just said this article makes Harry sound just like William!
       This is going to make me sound insensitive but I’m tired of them saying Diana was the only normalizing factor in their family. Diana was neither Saint nor villain but she wasn’t above using her kids to her advantage either. Yet they won’t acknowledge that fact. They also sound like they were raised by a single parent and don’t have a living father. I thought Harry had a better relationship with Charles but lately he’s on the same William bandwagon and instead of garnering sympathy for them, it makes me dislike them. It also makes me sad for Charles.

       1. Charles seems to have an off-on relationship with the boys. While they have a tiny drop of Plantagenet blood in their veins, the Windsor act a great deal like them with the paranoia and competitiveness toward family members. Jane Murray’s book about British royalty is a terrific read and seems to continue playing out today with the entrance of the Middletons.

       2. If he were to say “My mom died, but I have a great relationship with my dad and stepmom,” so much of the general public wouldn’t think “Oh yes, poor little kid” and might actually hold him accountable as an adult.

11. Thanks for the great post KMR!

    Wow, my impression of Harry has certainly changed after reading this whole interview/article and I hate to say it but I think less of him now.

    1. I want to add one more thing…run, Meghan, run!

       1. Meghan wants him for the title and the money, I’m sure, and the attention. I assume it’s part of the attraction just like it was for Kate.

          1. Ellie you say that like you know for sure..as if you have had the conversationg about the subject with her.. I like your confidence in your statment…

             1. Judging by her behavior it seems she’s quite motivated to be with Harry due to the attention it gets her. World famous! What every actress wants!

                Kinda like Kate.

                Nobody would be into William or Harry if it weren’t for their position, title, or money.

             2. Ellie, that’s just mean. Harry might not be Prince Charming, but he’s probably a decent, lovable (by the right woman) guy.

             3. I dunno, I don’t think anyone would be too interested in W or H if it weren’t for their titles and money–and I quite like Harry A LOT! The life isn’t appealing, being married to someone who’s a spoiled manchild isn’t appealing (W more than H), etc. People like the glitz, glamour, money and lifestyle. It’s why Kate chased it so hard, and why women of substance and class rejected William.

             4. If Harry didn’t have the title or money, he’d probably be a damn good enlisted (he didn’t have the grades for Sandhurst) soldier. He might not appeal to millionaire humanitarian/actress Meghan — where would they meet?– but I don’t think he’d be an unlovable virgin, either.

             5. graymatters,

                As an enlisted soldier the military would also provide Harry with a completely different milieu if he were married. I see now why Kate chose to not go slumming with military wives in Anglesey-too common, too many expectations…too ‘normal’ too ‘ordinary’. With structure and a good wife he may have toed the line.

                Which makes me wonder now if he left the military for the very fact that his aristo lifestyle would be severely curtailed. Besides, what’s glamourous about the grind of daily military duties versus being a fighter pilot (with super special security)? Perhaps he is even more like Willy than we are now imagining.

       2. Meghan is no innocent . She is as calculating as any other woman who is intrigued by the thought of reeling in a prince. I’m not worried about her, Lauri. Why should she run? She knows EXACTLy (pardon the caps) what she is doing. Or, so I think.

          Still,your comments are always so great to read QueenL!!!!

          1. I said this because the one thing that grates on my nerves like nothing else is whinnying! And if I had been dating a guy for only about 9 months, seeing this side of his personality would give me great pause in considering continuing the relationship.

             I’m not saying she’s innocent and very well might find she’s able to put up with a whole lot in order to become a royal but if I were her friend I would advise that she sleep on this.

             The Newsweek article also noted “When Harry is on duty, he is steadfastly animated and friendly, but in quieter moments he can often seem tense and irritable.” Which imo, explains some of those “grumpy” photos we saw at beach wedding they both attended. Coupled with whinnying and that would be a big ole Nope from me.

             As I said in my first comment, this has really changed my opinion of Harry and might also change my opinion of Meghan, I’ll just wait and see.

             Edit- awww, Thanks Jenny!!

             1. My opinion of Harry has gone down to same level as that of Will and Kate-I’m no longer surprised by anything these young royals do or say.Their privileged lives have ruined their substance and whatever good qualities they may have are overshadowed by their dumb comments such as constantly speaking of normalcy of which they know nothing.Honestly (paraphrasing here)I shop for myself-this is what makes him normal?I grocery shop almost daily I guess he would love my normal life(minus the responsibilities my husband and I share)

             2. Shopping is damned easy ( just ask Kate), especially ready made meals. Cooking and cleaning are the challenge and true life skills.

             3. Queen Lauri,

                So with you on a new ambivalence about Meghan. Like you, I continue to give her the benefit of the doubt, for now. Who knew?

             4. The thought that one of his big worries is that someone will take a picture of him at the meat counter with their cell phone and not how he will keep a roof over his kids’ head, take care of an aging parent, etc. just comes off so tone deaf to me.

             5. Really great point, Jenna. One could assert that ‘normal’ and ‘ordinary’ encompass financial worry and insecurity and their consequences if he’s talking about us plebs and not the well off. It’s a balancing act- that’s what ‘normal’ is. In fact, one could assert that balancing privilege with giving back is very ‘normal’- *not* being press free and duty free and carefree.

    2. Meghan is not going to leave. She never had so much attention from the press since the relationship was outed (by her). She is going to stay. She wants the title afterall.

       1. You have no proof that Meghan was the one who outed the relationship. According to the journalist Camilla Tominey who broke the story, the source was someone close to Harry.

          1. All right, here are some words for you : bananas spooning. Instagram. Interview by Piers Morgan when no one knew her ?

             Close source to Harry ? Who could have thought of Meghan when she was a nobody and living in Canada ? She wanted the attention and she got it.

             1. Meghan was on Suits for years before the Piers Morgan interview. She was a celebrity, if a minor one because of that show.

             2. She posted pics when she visited London but so do millions of tourists. She is wearing a bracelet but lots of women wear jewelry. She posted a pic of a banana but she’s posted pictures of food before. How did this give the game away? It was only after the story broke via a source close to Harry that people started to look for clues on her Instagram, but prior to this no one had any idea that they had already been dating for months.

                It is unfair how people try to blame Meghan for the way this relationship was rolled out. Meghan would not have posted anything on her social media if Harry did not approve of it. Stop making Harry out to be some innocent bystander. Both of them are culpable in this & anything that has been done so far regarding this relationship would have been done with the consent & knowledge of both parties.

                Also Meghan has never confirmed the relationship publicly or given any interviews. The only person who has done this is Harry through his statement.

             3. The bananas pictures happened when the rumors were at the highest. It was baiting the press and the people. Have you forgotten the articles about it ?
                Here is one example : http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/prince-harrys-secret-girlfriend-megan-9171299

                Pictures of her visiting London, I don’t really care about. I post pictures of places I visit.

                Eve : I am just saying that Meghan outed the relationship. Harry like her is playing games with the press and it makes me dislike both of them.
                That statement was in my opinion a huge mistake and the press is not going to forget it. But let’s not dwell more into this. We had a thread about it when the news broke out.

12. So what sort of normal do you mean Harry?

    The normal where you only get paid for the hours you work?
    The normal where you are not given your first choice of which school your child goes to?
    The normal where you’re put on the NHS waiting list?
    The normal where you have to sit on a crammed train with no air conditioning and the whole of England suffers from an unusual heat wave?
    The normal where you have to fly economy on commercial airline?
    The normal where the natural history museum doesn’t open late just to accommodate you & your girlfriend?
    The normal where a house block in Kensington has burnt down & the leaders are slow to act? Or the normal where the residents in this house block don’t have a place to live but two princes live just down the road in their multi room all-expense paid apartment?

    Of course that’s not the kind of normal you mean Harry!

    1. No, no, don’t you see? He buys his own meat at the meat counter! How much more normal can one be??

       KMR, I don’t remember if it was you who isolated the perception of “normal” for them is normal in the peer world, as opposed to normal for 95% of their subjects, but it’s absolutely brilliant. The boys both have this convoluted idea that if one can go to McDonald’s, push their own trolley, and go on a date without being papped that somehow they are living the life of a non-royal. And then he throws in that he’s seen homeless people, so he *really* gets it. But normal has gradations based on social status. And every time he and W&K wave the Normal Flag now it just makes me want to scream.

       1. Yes, I have mentioned a few times how everyone has a different perception of what a “normal” life is.

13. Remember that rumor a bit ago that had the Queen telling William and Harry to stop acting and talking like celebrities and just get on with it? I doubted it then, but, boy, she should have told them exactly that, and I hope this messy interview compels her to do so now, with some threats from Charles about cutting off money and being really forced to live an ordinary life.

14. I think this interview drives home one thing for me. Resentment. Harry and William are filled with resentment. They resent their family for everything that happened with Diana (I wonder if they are completely ignoring Diana’s flaws as well or if they hold similar resentment towards her but don’t voice it as much). And in turn have so much resentment towards their position. Their resentment can be seen in everything they do and especially this interview.

    The no one wants to do the top job is not the worst thing out of that interview. Not even the direct criticism of his family and by extension also of the public about walking behind the coffin. The worst in my opinion is the part where he says he and his brother not only don’t want to do bread and butter engagements where he goes and meets with people, shakes hands, and brightens people’s day, but that he pretty much thinks it’s stupid and will make him look like a celebrity. This coming from the guy who hangs out with models and actresses at Soho house, whose last two girlfriends have been actresses, and whose 2! ex-flings are on a reality show currently airing in the UK. It makes him look at best out of touch and at worst hypocritical and lazy. It’s also a slap in the face to the Queen and his father and extended family who have been doing that all day for years!

    1. I agree Carter, the resentment came through loud and clear.

    2. Carter, I agree with you. Resentful.

       Harry was so out of touch and naive. He can never ever be normal. He and William need to drop that thought. They won’t work the same as us, won’t pay the bills or won’t have the problems we have.

       He doesn’t realize how lucky he is to be in his position. He doesn’t have a good education, lives in a palace and his lifestyle if funded by the taxpayer.
       If he were normal, as he said, he’d probably be working in a place like McDonald, struggling financially. And the women he dated would never have looked at him for one second, much less dating him (especially Sparkle).

       If he really hates it that much, he should step down from the line of succession. Simple as that.

    3. Diana passed away prematurely so it’s probably hard for them to resent her or dwell on her flaws. In America the ‘reluctant royal’ bit works in his favor. This will blow over.

    4. And what makes his resentment even worse is the “but I’ll endure it for the greater good of the people” attitude.

       1. I gagged at that phrase too.

       2. Oh I know! I rolled my eyes so hard at that. And the bit about how not only Britain, but the WHOLE WORLD needs an institution like the monarchy! What?! There are plenty of countries getting along just fine without a monarchy. If William and Harry keep it up, the UK may just be one of them. I am so happy my taxes don’t go to paying for their privilege.

       3. The “Greater good of the people” comment really grates on my nerves, too. It’s the people who are supporting the lifestyle that the Royals lead. It’s the people who are working hard everyday and trying to lead good and decent lives for themselves and their families.

          Wake up, Harry. There are many nations around the world that survive just fine without monarchies. I’m so disappointed. But, who am I but an American who doesn’t have a horse in this race. Just a shame, really. The Queen has been so committed to her role for decades. What must she think? What must Charles think? But, what does it matter. I doubt Harry, William and Kate would really care.

          1. If I were Harry’s honey I would be mortified for him at this point. And wondering.

    5. You’re right. I think most of us thought better of Harry because he’s good when he works and has the charm factor while William’s hatred for the job is obvious. But now it appears Harry’s not so different in that regards after all

       1. I honestly think that is what is most disappointing for me. I used to be a huge Harry fan. I totally drank the Harry is the down to earth, normal royal who connects with everyone kool-aid. But I just totally bought into his PR. I think a lot of people did. But I see now that it’s all a front for the public. The cracks for me started when he left the army, but this interview is just the straw that broke the camel’s back.

15. This interview just confirm how useless a concept monarchy is in the modern world. They want to be celebrities and do none of the “work” and even their idea of work is really nonsense. When the Queen reviews bills and meets other heads of states and ambassadors, that is work. The rest of it is basically a make work project to justify paying for a whole bunch of adults who would never have the luxuries they currently do but for an antiquated system. They aren’t special, they aren’t smarter than the average person. In fact Will and Kate often come off as dullards despite their university degree. Having one degree in a vague subject is actually below the norm anyway. Will still doesn have his full pilots licence and couldn’t stand the work to do a military career. Kate is just utterly pointless and a bizarre Victorian throwback regarding a woman’s role in society.

    Harry is a bit more natural when meeting people and has actually set up things he didn’t have to, like invictus and sentebale. That said, this interview does not make him look good. Modernizing the monarchy isn’t really possible. It is an anachronism that has at its base the belief that some people are better by virtue of birth. No one actually believes that anymore. And the trio are pretty mediocre examples of people. If you want to modernize that means cutting back on all the luxuries too. Kate is already at what 60k for half a year’s clothing for a small number of one hour appearances…. this is the kind of thing that needs to be changed too. Kate’s crappy outfits don’t inspire anyone and just rubs in the faces of the plebs of how much the monarchy still wastes their money. Kate is barely a functioning adult so how can anyone see magic there? Will has never held a full time job and neither has Harry, except for his stint in the military. Harry is better than the other two, but if you compare him to people in the real world, he fares just as poorly. There is no magic guys. Just mediocrity.

    1. Look at Felipe, modernizing the monarchy in such a way in Spain. It proves in some situations I think a monarchy can work but you have to have the diligence, intelligence, sense, tact, all of the things William lacks that people like Charles and Felipe have.

       W, K, and H’s modernizing is just ‘oh let’s not do stuff we find boring’. On the face of it, it’s ‘let’s do good things,’ but the only one doing good things and work is Harry. Some of the boring stuff turns out interesting when I’ve read about it, and the publicity it brings to communities and businesses. The joy people get meeting, say, Charles or the Queen or Philip or Anne or whatever and being told well done you on a successful business or a great community project that improves people’s lives, let’s give you a pat on the back and loads of national attention. The bread-and-butter engagements are crucial and make people feel important, and valued.

       1. I agree Elle! If the royals stop doing the bread and butter engagements then really what’s the point. And as Yukhi pointed out above, if you don’t like doing the shake hands, unveil plaques style of engagements then change how they’re done but don’t stop doing them altogether.

          1. Honestly, it doesn’t seem boring to me like William has been whining about. Meeting people, seeing what they are up to or what they have created or what have you, a hang-out in a pub (see Charles’s Pub is the Hub and supporting rural communities! THAT is how you make it different and modern!)… it sounds like a lot of fun and a good time had by all, really. Makes people feel good and worth-while and it would make ME as a royal feel good too. But nah, it’s too low-class for the likes of W K and H.

             1. To do the bread and butter events one has to have a natural curiosity. These 3 don’t. It’s almost as if, if they aren’t entertained then it’s shallow and a waste of time.

             2. Not just entertained, but platinum entertained.

             3. I doubt they have the curiosity about anything or anyone. I mean, we know Kate doesn’t, her cousin said so!

                I love, for example, Charles’s Pub is the Hub. Visits pubs and communities in rural Britain, hangs out with them, has a pint, chats about their lives, what’s going on, praising the whole rural pub thing where people come together. That would be fun and is a neat way of doing the bread-and-butter thing.

16. I recall reading some time ago that when William was a teen/young adult he wanted to forgo the royal life and not become King. Imho, it would have been the best thing if he and Harry were sent out into the world on their own, with no more than “normal” young men would have (excepting their RPO’s because they’d still be targets), no financial support, no bowing and scraping, none of the royal trappings. Let them make it on their own, let them find out their own worth, let them see how the world really is outside of the palace gates. Unfortunately, it’s too late now…sigh

    1. They wouldn’t have lasted a day, probably…

       I think William still wants to forgo it. He just wants all the perks and life without paying for it.

       And believe you me the Middletons would shank him if he ever considered stepping out of line! They didn’t work that hard for nothing.

    2. Fairy tales had it right when they sent the prince to live with woodcutters in the forest…

17. So, figurehead status? The titles for all time and the wealth and all it’s trappings but none of the responsibility (well except for whatever they handpick). Like trying to dissolve a joint owned company and some of the owners cherry picking what parts of it they want to retain for themselves- the property, the high limit credit with none of the maintenance or bills to pay. I am just shaking my head and really hope what Harry said in this interview was egregiously distorted and manipulated out of context to sell copy and that’s not what he really thinks at all. If it is- grow up already?

    1. The problem is the statement is also amended by his comment on how they are in the position out of duty/service/good of the people/blah-blah, but that also doesn’t sell.

       KP is already starting to spin/explain it away. It’s KP’s mess they created allowing and encouraging this kinda stupidity. They are SO inept!

    2. Agreed. Does he not have any insight in how out of touch,arrogant, immature,and foolish he sounds by saying these things. Basically,The royal duties are really cramping his playboy lifestyle and it’s got to end. What a creep.

18. Its so obvious William doesn’t want to be King at all.

19. Someone already has picked topics he is passionate about and incorporated them into his royal work: Prince Charles.

    Someone already has made his mark due to a lifetime of work devoted to helping British citizens: Prince Charles.

    Someone already is working on modernizing the monarchy: Prince Charles.

    If Harry wants a good role model for his aspirations, he doesn’t have to look far. I know we are building up to the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death (which I am looking forward to with slightly less trepidation than the event-which-must-not-be-named) but would it hurt either W or H to say something nice about their Dad publicly every now and then? You’d think they were estranged, ot that PC was dead for all they mention him.

    1. This is going to be Charles’ legacy : hard-worker, lots of achievement but all of them being ignored by his affair, his reputation tarnished and what I suspect, resentful children.

       Harry and William have lots of issues with their father to solve and should talk about with. Charles has been taking care of them since the death of their mother, yet, like you said, they ignore him.

       1. I have a feeling that if the monarchy endures then history will look back at Charles fondly and put his service in perspective in a way a lot of the public cannot due to emotions that run high. But if the monarchy ends with William or George then he is going to be remembered as a father who failed to raise and prepare his children to successfully run the monarchy.

          1. I agree. But I think that if the monarchy fails, it will be largely due to Diana’s one-woman campaign against her husband and his family. She was an amazing woman, cut down in her prime, but she had a vindictive streak and didn’t truly understand the consequences of her actions.

             1. Greymatters, I think you are right. If Diana was not going to be what she signed up for (Queen) then she was prepared to create chaos, first in that panorama interview and then through the slow, ticking time-bombs –her sons.

             2. graymatters: +1

             3. I found Harry’s revelation about the cortege unseemly. Too much information. Many revelations now from the boys cross boundaries, *just like Diana*. In effect, the boys are continuing Diana’s legacy of trashing Charles and trashing the BRF, taking it one step further by trashing the monarchy, which would appall her. In essence, they are carrying and acting out Diana’s resentment (for their own purposes).

                Not only that, the public confidences are tinged with pop psychology and aimed at public sentimentality. Grown ups work through their stuff privately. There was no need whatsoever to tell the world of his perceived victimisation, skewed through his own
                lense.

                Harry threw his entire family under the bus and showed utter disloyalty, just like Diana. If they were monsters, if he was endlessly abused, I would say, fair enough. But to play out family drama on the world stage to prove how normal and human you are, to justify your sloth and hedonism, to score points? Adolescents do it, not grown men.

          2. Very true, and she raised two children who seem to also not understand the consequences of their actions. The three have/had blinders on, and none of them ever really understood “normal” life.

          3. Maven, exactly so. This is all part of the 20th Diana anniversary campaign; this her sons version of protecting her which they say they were too young to do at the time.

             I agree, much of what has been publicly said should have been worked through in family therapy and in private. However, the Windsor’s have long used the press to conduct their own family battles. So much for superiority.

20. Harry, just the fact that you can brag about doing your own groceries shows how privileged you are. The fact that you can say your mom “took you to see homeless people” shows how privileged you are. The way he phrased this really rubs me the wrong way.

    1. Yes your mom took you to see the homeless people.They are people too -many of whom have become that way due to mental illness,many who are veterans who are traumatized and unable to integrate back into society,many have just had one bad hardship upon another and have sadly given up.Whatever the reason they are real human beings not animals in a zoo or something to be gazed upon as in a museum.Your attempts to sound so ordinary are actually showing your superioristic attitude.

21. Well, upon first reading it looks like Harry drank the ‘normal’ Willy kool-aid. It’s so ludicrous. There is no coming back from that.

    This is what sticks out to me:

    “My mother took a huge part in showing me an ordinary life, including taking me and my brother to see homeless people”.

    Seeing homeless people = ordinary life? Like going to the zoo? They really do live on another planet. And insult the rest of us with their fancies.

    I am so disappointed. I really held out hope for Harry.

22. Harry’s comments are already fodder for anti-monarchy groups. Saying if they are reluctant/don’t want job they should step aside
    That’s probably why must royals don’t deviate from the scripted narrative

23. Emily Andrews has some words about this, as do other Royal reporters on Twitter as far as I can tell…
    https://twitter.com/byEmilyAndrews?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

24. This is my biggest problem with the royal trio. Most people do not have such a platform to be a force for good in this world. Prince Harry is right, they do have a voice. But with that voice comes great responsibility and they just squander it. They turn up to cherry-picked engagements here and there because they are required to – and with Kate she does so with a brand new expensive outfit. Her lack of substantive questions or comments show her lack of preparedness, and it seems she spends more time on wardrobe than preparation for the engagement itself (i.e. William admitting to not reading his notes in Canada). That is just insulting to not only the charity, but the public that funds them. They lack a passion for public service and it shows. Diana had her faults, but she was a work horse and wanted to do good things and take on as much as she could to help people (whatever her reasons for doing so were). And as much as I was a fan of her, I think in the end dangling a “normal life” in front of William and Harry was counterproductive, as it was an unattainable pipe dream they have been trying to chase ever since. Considering their position in the monarchy, I think it was a dare I say disservice.

    I always contrast W+K+H with the Swedish royals, specifically Victoria. I think she shows so much respect for her position, and a passion for her duties. I also think she introduces her children into public service at the right age and in the right ways.

25. The comment Harry made about his mother making sure they had a normal life is such a bunch of malarkey. Diana herself, had no idea what a normal life was. She was born an aristocrat, grew up on estates, was given an large apartment in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and worked a menial job as a lark. She never had to worry about making rent or house payments, working in a difficult work environment, and all the other “perks” those of us get to enjoy daily in our real lives.

    1. Further to your comment, one of Diana’s later life friends said that she was fascinate by ‘normal’ life, but really had no clue how it all worked. She adored simple things like doing housework coz those were things she was familiar with, but couldn’t understand how life in general worked because she had been catered to her entire life.

    2. I always wondered outside of the public image Diana had, if she was really spoil and quite mean?

       1. No she wasn’t, but divorced from reality is believable, based on all the evidence we know about Diana. I think she would have smacked the boys for their elitist tone. She connected with the “everyday” person and wasn’t afraid to learn more and be humble to a situation, which you can’t do if you are mean and selfish.

          1. Oh its obvious if she was still here the boys would not turn out the way they are.

       2. Spoiled is a given, I would think. Mean probably depends on who you were. I think to the common people she met, she was very nice. However, there are multiple reports of her disliking someone and undercutting them in public (Tiggy Legge-Bourke, for example).

          She also had affairs with married men, which in my mind, shows a great deal of entitlement to have what she wants no matter who it hurts, and just overall kind of a meanness. Maybe not mean-spirited, but certainly not a saint who is always thinking of others.

          I think the apples of W&H didn’t fall very far from the spoiled, entitlement tree.

26. Sometimes I think the choice of phrase might be wrong. Maybe he really does not mean he wants to be “ordinary” but rather “relevant”.

    1. I think he means “anonymous”. Just rich and largely ignored. Still free to do charity work or post selfies on instagram, but not required to have any sort of public presence.

       1. The title without the public responsibility, like the rest of his wealthy aristocratic peers. Poor guy?

       2. +1

27. The thing is, if they were offering a viable alternative to the things they whine about OR have the cajones to step away from it, and accept the attendant reduction in privileges, we’d all be much more understanding of their issues.

    As it stands, they want our money, deference and respect, but don’t you dare demand anything in return. Doesn’t work that way bruv.

    1. Meanwhile Victoria has given an interview saying her whole life is to serve the people of Sweden. Class act all the way
       I actually think William would be happier if he would step away but don’t think that will happen. they just want to bemoan about their lot in life, demand “private time” and have no clue that their rich/entitled people’s problems come off as terrible in this current environment

    2. Exactly, and if Harry’s “greater good” is in reference to the cultural structure that the monarchy represents, he’s really missing the mark. HM and DOE represent hundreds of charities and other cultural ties, but we know from PC and younger royals that many of those (how many??) will be cut once HM/DOE pass on. So it goes again to, what’s the bang for the buck? Not much except largely idle, entitled, and petulant personas expecting to waltz through life and nobody better impede that!

       Will and Harry seem to have saturated in sulk rather than facing a terrible loss and growing as people like ordinary people have to. If we don’t, we self-destruct. Here is where the elite Windsor boys are finally going to be like everyone else and fail because they still use their anger to justify every action.

       I’m sorry if this is true for Harry–I really hoped for better. William always seemed to be going downhill and his embrace of the Middletons who enable his petulance with no personal responsibility since he “put a ring on it,” seems pretty final.

28. This article kinda ticked me off. I always wondered how W, K and H can sleep at night knowing that all the have to do is show up, shake some hands, take a couple of pictures and bring much needed exposure (and donations) to a charitable organization and they hid out in their palace / country home / multitude of vacations – oh boohoo, shaking hands bores them. IF they were in fact actively involved with their charities I could maybe buy it but man this just paints a picture of them all as spoiled brats that should be off the British payroll.

29. I can not believe that comments about Harry are not so positive like two or one year ago, so little time and so much has change, at least on this blog. Do you think he will be, with time, behave more like Will especially when will get married and will have kids?

    1. Honestly, I don’t have much hope that he will change. His resentment for his position runs so deep for so long (sounds like for at least 20 years) that I don’t think any woman would be able to change him. That needs to come from within. And the way Harry comes off it doesn’t sound to me that he is going to attract a woman who stands her ground and will challenge him. Quite frankly, I don’t think he even wants a woman who will challenge him. He (and William) surrounds himself with yes-men, so he probably also wants a yes-woman.

       1. Me either.

          I do think he and William mean well, especially Harry, you cannot deny he has compassion and care and wants to do the best he can for people but he needs to just shut up and do his damned job already.

          Look at the fine example of Charles and all the things he does from the Prince’s Trust, to supporting farming communities, to supporting rural communities, encouraging business, the arts, it goes on, you can do it if you have the determination and dedication to get on with it. They do not. And Charles sure has yes-men in his office but he manages to do his job well, he just gets no press for it and people still abhor him due to Diana.

       2. I’m gobsmacked as to the fact that he hates his position. That legitimately makes me angry. You have a royal title, millions, and palaces…but you hate your position?! I can’t muster up the least bit of empathy.

    2. I know what you mean Lola, I was gushing over him just a month or so ago but now…sigh…I am less than impressed.

30. It must be extraordinary, being born into a destiny and I’m sure there is alot of pressure that comes with that. However, I’m still surprised they are running with this narrative that they are all reluctant to be royal and that fulfilling their duties is a burden. Harry doesn’t want purposeless duty, fine, be purposeful and practical. They need to do more and talk less and they do ultimately have a choice to opt out, if they choose to exercise it. They are immensely privileged and need to confine their statements to appreciation of their privilege and promise to serve, like the Queen did, aged 25.

31. I believe Harry craves the limelight. I believe Harry wants to be king, was mad that he couldn’t impress his new sparkly fame loving gf with him being king. So he threw em all under the bus with this interview. Then said “if I was king, I’d do my own shopping.” Wow, his drama is unbelievable. He needs to be saying all this to a therapist, not the world press.

    1. +1
       I like your analysis. And I agree that he really needs to talk to a therapist. Looks like the previous one didn’t do a good job.

32. I found what Harry said about the funeral procession interesting. He was 12 and just a kid – having to walk such a long way in basically a sea of grief in front of the world makes me a bit appalled now to think of it. Didn’t give it much thought back then but now as an adult feel that Harry should have been shielded a bit more by his Father and not walked in the procession. Putting concern for a child’s welfare before duty so to speak. Interested on others viewpoint on this.

    1. Yeah, I’m a bit younger than Harry and found it bizarre. I remember it was because Charles Spencer demanded to walk alone, the RF felt that would look bad, so Philip and Charles went and they asked the boys if they wanted to go; Philip said they would regret it, and Charles was against it. They said they had no problem with it now. I do think there is an issue with parading their grief to the world as children insofar as people claimed their grief as THEIR own, the absolute HYSTERIA that went around when Diana died was absolutely crazy and must have really bothered them and made it difficult to deal with their own grief because people still now even bring up Diana. Talk about her. Constantly, to them. And then they bring her up for PR brownie points.

    2. In fairness, I’d imagine Charles was also in shock and grieving too. The look on his face as that coffin went by was full of grief, regret, opportunities lost. And he did the right thing by his sons and former wife by flying to France to collect Diana’s body in the face of the Queen’s opposition.

       With the benefit of hindsight perhaps he would have barred his sons from participating, but you know, I think I would have let the boys decide too though also made the offer to represent them. I expect he did just that. The public hysteria was extreme and fed itself to an enormous degree, spilling out to baying for blood unless the BRF publicly spilled their guts. It was a kind of emotional blackmail. “Show us you care” was writ large as newspaper headlines. If there had been a more moderate public response, a private Spencer-led funeral with Charles and the boys might have been less stressful and less of a performance which is most definitely was. I kept thinking that this woman was being used even in death. And she still is – by media, family, and also regretfully, her sons.

       Given what we know, I am curious as to why Harry is now saying he was forced to walk. At some point in life we can’t keep blaming our parents but accept that their flaws, mistakes, and move on. The unbalanced representation of both parents by William and Harry is not healthy and comes across as unresolved anger and revenge. It is ironic that W+H champion mental health but are vividly portraying a family in deep crisis and in desperate need of professional therapy.

       1. Upper stiff lip. Don’t explain, don’t complain. The mottos of the BRF has done them more harm than anything else. This one of the most dysfunctional family I’ve observed and I feel like I’m watching a bad Shakespeare piece being played.

          1. And yet this current drama is nothing like the wsr of the wales or when Charles took to throwing his own family members under the bus to gain better PR.

             Now THAT was drama. With straight from the royals’ mouths briefing against each other. Bad mouthing each other. Look what a saint i am compared to eberyone else photo ops.

             1. I believe you. But as I am younger than them, I don’t remember what happened in the war of walses. I feel appalled by what transpires from this interview and drama. It completely ruins the mystic of the BRF.

       2. Jen / Ellie: in our mutual ongoing exasperation at Palace PR, here is a bon mot which contradicts the official Palace line in this article by Max Hastings. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-4631072/Oh-stop-whinging-Harry-Max-Hastings.html

          Paragraph 36, about halfway down which says
          “……should have stayed in the army instead of allowing exasperation at a commanding officer whom he took against to persuade him to quit…..”

          The official Palace PR line was that he quit because he would have been assigned a desk job as every soldier officer wanting to progress beyond his rank has to do. Cue lots of sympathy because we all know about his dyslexia.

          Note: the 2 reasons are not mutually exclusive, but i found this new reason interesting because of the author of the article.

          Max Hastings was editor of the Telegraph and Evening standard for 10yrs each. He is old school establishment with a fondness for the military, who writes military books on the side. He began his career as a war correspondent.

          He currently writes for DM, the sunday times and the Guardian, and usually on military matters or anything political that impacts the military. He hangs out with military brass and has been given various military awards.

          He has never been known to step out of the publicly given line on anyone or anything military.

          And actually for him to go off against all the royals, Queen and Charles included is completely unheard of. So not just Harry irking him. He damns HM with faint praise whilst calling the rest spoilt idiots. The DM using a respected journalist to deliver a rebuke to the royals.

          1. Hmm, that’s interesting.

             I do agree Harry should have stayed. He loved it, he thrived, the structure was good for him.

             So it contradicts the palace PR line? I’ve heard that indeed he would have had to go on to a desk job, if he wanted to advance; I know people that have done so and didn’t like it, but it is your job. I was also thinking perhaps him quitting was around the time when there was talking about him and William stepping up, then you had William running to hide in Norfolk and braying about his part-time job. Harry seemed in a lose/lose situation there.

             I don’t like Prince Andrew but a lot of the stuff he has done supporting young businessmen-and-women and entrepreneurs is great stuff. That’s the sort of thing Harry could do along with the stuff they see as boring, the visits, and so on, which are the lifeblood of the monarchy. If they don’t like it they can change it, do it differently, Harry already does it differently as he’s warm and fun and engaging – but they have to do it and not to is a big slap in the face to the people of the UK saying you’re too boring, your charities/initiatives/stuff you do is too lame for us, suckers. Do they not know how important those visits all around Britain are?

          2. Yes, I read that too. I thought it was a very interesting tidbit that we hadn’t heard before. So a commanding officer who Harry didn’t like frustrated him to the point where he just up and quit? Honestly, that makes more sense with the Harry revealed in the interview then the official palace line.

          3. Herazeus, thank you so much for that article – one of the most sensible I’ve read concerning the British monarchy. It is bold and unequivocal in its critique – no prisoners! I can’t disagree with any of the author’s takes of the mentioned royals. Spot on, Max. I had to re-read his take on Charles – getting excited and then not completing things – because it could equally apply to William! And he jettisoned W+K+H’s gibberish of ‘modernising the monarchy’ with aplomb.

             I agree they need a Commander-in-Chief to say ‘no’… or give them a good slap. Too arrogant to accept advice from ‘commoners’? They really do believe their own publicity. The main problem they face is their irrelevancy along with financial unsustainability. Remove the massive subsidies, jettison the charity work and confine ‘the job’ to the functions of state, paid with a modest per diem and the Windsor family’s lives will ultimately be more grounded. Unfortunately, the excessive entitlement has dulled their senses and what few abilities they possess. A timely publication.

             1. Jen, But who would be a capable and acceptable (to the BRF) as a commander-in-chief? Definitely not the Queen. Charles? Apparently he is as big a spendthrift at Willie. Parliament? They’ve caved regarding every royal request for more money, even in the face of the Queen’s misappropriation of allocated funds she uses to further embellish her family’s lifestyle.

                This is a genuine question. Does the BRF have any checks and balances?

                The article shows everyone in the RF as entitled and unabashed in regards to soaking up public money that is better used for the public in need of health care, safe housing, jobs, and other public works. You have to be really indifferent to others to believe you can do this. And completely resistant to change or oversight.

             2. They clearly need some sort of financial checks and balances in place so they can’t let the buildings get in the state of condition they’re in. It’s clear funds have been moved around to suit their purposes and yet no one really seems to be bothered much by it

             3. Indiana Joanna: We’ve always known that Charles is a spendthrift.

                Someone once described his lifestyle as essentially that of a wealthy *Edwardian gentleman which can be blamed on spending so much time with his grandmother and great-grandmother who were raised in that era and never changed their ways.

                * think Age of innocence lifestyle rather than Downton Abbey lifestyle.

                It’s remarkable and a miracle that the Queen and Margaret didn’t turn out the same even where we know Margaret wasn’t frugal like her sister.

                When the Foreign office repeatedly announces the WK’s tours cost more than Charles’s tours, my mind is blown away because you have to be seriously spendthrifty to out do Charles in this day and age.

             4. IndianaJoanna, I honestly don’t know ‘who’ the person would be but this family is drowning in privilege with no accountability. So I’d opt for an independent auditor to take funds largely out of the Queen’s hands – in other words, lessen the ability to divert money to family members who should not be in receipt of public funds. Building repairs, for example, should be overseen separately eg by English Heritage.

                I think the contract needs to be re-drawn. Harry’s nonsense about modernising the monarchy seems to equate to following the pattern of Heads Together campaign; do a few of those and that’s it. But that means coasting on the backs of organisations that do the work and creaming off the credit, as we have seen. That’s not remotely adequate.

                Dispensing with everything bar the constitutional functions of state, plus additional duties as needed, leaves a monarch and heir to perform tasks comfortably; a modest per diem is all that is needed. Anything else can be financed from their own pockets. This allows all other family members to lead lives of purpose that they need to work for rather than being dependent on public money.

                What Harry and the rest of them don’t consider for a moment is that the public should be part of the discussion of what the monarchy – if there is to be one – is for: what its work comprises, and how its effectiveness will be measured. That the BRF does not consider what the people want from the monarchy, or even if they want one, is arrogant.

                I agree that too many people toady to the royals to the point where royals will not accept being challenged. It takes resolve though I’m sure there are folk out there who can act as the people’s advocate and not easily seduced by promises of royal titles and trinkets.

             5. Jen, Brilliant proposition that the public needs to be part of the discussion on how the monarchy moves forward in the 21st century. Harry seems to think he and Willie (along with the Midds) can single handedly redefine the role of the BRF by downshifting on work while still reaping the same spoils. All with a bit of snort at tradition. That H and W get off thinking that the public must endure austerity measures while they continue to spend on an exotic lifestyle is galling.

             6. As to Charles being a spendthrift- I believe he is. I once read that part of the entourage he travelled with included an official artist. Thought that was pretty funny actually. Only thing is, haven’t we always said here at KMR that we wouldn’t care so much what Kate spends on clothes and houses if she actually backed it all up with work (a la Sophie/ Ann/ Charles). Not one member of the BRF will tick every box but I think some of Charles excesses will have to be overlooked (not ALL, mind you) because he really will be the best choice for the Job. He cares deeply about his country and the people in it and what is best for them altogether and isn’t that the attitude one wants a King to have?

          4. Gosh Ellie, you’ve reminded me of the l-o-n-g transition from military to civilian life that William engaged him. I think everyone, MSM and internet alike spent a year speculating whether he would move to a Scottish regiment, Household Calvary or dive into official duties.

             Then they started refurbishing apt 1 which gave the clearest indication that duties was the plan……then he announces he needs a gap year!! Doh!!

             Jen: i thought you’d enjoy it. ?

             Carter: Yep and yes.

             1. Didn’t William bounce about in every branch of the forces citing he needed experience in them all but it was truly because he was sick and tired of it and got bored quickly? And how easy Sandhurst and Cranwell were made for him? Did he ever do a stint at Dartmouth too because I know he briefly served in the Navy?

             2. He was at Dartmouth, but i remember his navy stint as a blink and you missed it sort of deal. We did get one public engagement out of it, but i think given how scathing naval brass were about the bothersome nature of hosting princes in their service during the year of ‘what’s next for William after he leaves SAR’, he wasn’t a good fit for them.

                http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/2070002/Prince-William-sets-sail-with-Royal-Navy.html

                http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1023906/Royal-Navy-rite-passage-left-Prince-William-sea.html

             3. Ha! so the RAF put up with his crap but the Army and Navy didn’t?

                Andrew was quite an accomplished naval pilot, I don’t see them having whined about him but I heard he was a very good serviceman and his issues started when he left.

             4. Reading those articles re. William’s navy stint, he does come across as thick. I can see why the navy wouldn’t have a bar of him. He’d jeopardise the lives of others. Why did SAR keep him on? Well, they wanted to get rid but William left before getting the push.

          5. I found this article interesting but he lost me after he commented that he thinks kate has done “brilliantly well so far”

             1. I think it reveals what is required of Kate.

                If the brief is that she stays out of the papers, no media scandal, don’t be overtly fame seeking, don’t brief against the royals, have an heir and spare, infact be as invisible as it is possible to be, then i think she is doing very well.

                The Establishment hated Diana. She was not at all what they wanted. Nevermind the royals rejecting her, she was roundly rejected by the establishment who saw her as a loose cannon.

                The fact that Kate isn’t a media star is fantastic for the establishment. They can all pat themselves on the back at absorbing a peasant to their ranks and can pretend we live in a classless society based upon that. The fact that she will never rock the boat is a winner all round.

             2. Hera, spot on.

             3. What is funny considering Kate is very fame-seeking and has had some scandals (all the not-wearing-knickers comes to mind), but for the most part she wants to be beloved, seen and not heard, like an Edwardian consort. Not good for the 21st century but good for her, because she’s vapid and dumb as plank.

             4. Ellie: Right!?!

33. I am from the US but work in nonprofit and feel compelled to write. The “showing up and shaking hands” of “celebrities” at events are sometimes the catalyst in convincing large corporate donors to sponsor and support a particular nonprofit mission. While I am not an expert on UK nonprofit structure and funding, don’t charities chosen as a royal patronage benefit from that designation via potential funding from other sources? Further, isn’t part of the reason the Queen and Prince Phillip sign on to so many charities to bring to light as many of these worthwhile causes as possible? I may be way out of line here and I am sure I will hear if I am but… I understand wanting to be involved on a more intimate level to certain causes that are personally meaningful but it seems to me that it is a shame that the choice is being made to dismiss the good that can be achieved by a meet and greet involving the BRF?

    1. True. And it works the same way here in UK.

       That said, the meet and greet also serves the royal need to show themselves to the people that cements tgeir position.

       You have popstars doing (paid) meet and greet before their concerts, and they understand this is necessary for cementing fan adoration as well as the bigger hoopla of the actual concert.

       Apparently WHK don’t get any of this.

34. It looks like the knives are out for Harry! There is a report that he is currently on a 10 day safari in Africa. This explains why he wasn’t at Ascot & hasn’t been seen all week.

    Talk about bad timing! This will further expose the hypocrisy about him wanting a ‘normal’ life. It will also increase accusations of him being lazy & not wanting to do standard royal work.

    No doubt about it that he shot himself in the foot giving this interview & the whole saga has been a major pr disaster.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3872421/prince-harry-ten-day-elephant-safari/

    1. I’m not surprised in the least. At this point whenever one of the trio is gone with no mention of whereabouts for at least a week, I assume they are on vacation somewhere. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he planned this vacation deliberately around the timing of the release of the interview thinking that he would be getting good press and it would deflect questions about his whereabouts.

       1. This is a good point. I remember the podcast interview he gave talking about his mental health & the news made the front pages. When the podcast was released it was during Easter & Harry at the time was in Toronto visiting Meghan.

          It seems to be a ploy of theirs that a flurry of work is then followed by a long absence. The poor souls mustn’t burn themselves out!

    2. Hmmmmm @All About Eve, seems odd that Harry went away without Meghan.. non? they haven’t seen each in a while,…. oooh my gossip spidy senses are tingling… dare I say they are no longer an item? I would be peeved if my boyfriend who I am in a long distance with went on vacation without me.

       1. Meghan is rarely pictured in public nowadays so it is hard to pin her whereabouts. She could be busy working or it’s possible they have made visits to see each other but kept their meetings private. It is hard to believe that H&M have been together for roughly a year but we have only gotten a handful of pictures of them together. They are clearly a very private couple so I wouldn’t read too much into this.

    3. Shot himself in the foot, indeed. I’m disappointed in him. He is very much like William.

    4. Somehow I’m not surprised.

       I also think this interview is aimed at Americans, considering the Newsweek publication and our worship of Saint Diana. It’s the stuff they talked about doing to honor their mom, do lots of interviews, a documentary, etcetera about how wonderful she was and let’s bash our family who provide for us.

       1. Yes, the American morning shows eat this stuff up no questions asked. Can’t remember which show but I saw a YouTube clip version of one today and they were all clucking (both male and female hosts) about how fabulous Harry is. Really lame-o.

          1. Yes, Harry is so fabulous just like Diana blahblahblah. I think that is the issue with how their staff is run by an American who has no concept of the monarchy and no concept of professionalism.

    5. Ye gods. As was mentioned before, he won’t be caring for elephants as much as being entertained in style and fussed over as he was the last time he did this. As Herazeus pointed out, *platinum* entertainment, Harry’s idea of summer camp.. Tosser. Is there any doubt now of who he really is?

       1. If this type of work was so interesting to him, why didn’t he pursue avenues that would give him an education in this field (through the RFoundation connections?) so he could spend his time on-site helping a cause that he supposedly is serious about?

          This reminds me of the volunteer workers in the state/county parks. Volunteers are knowledgeable amateurs with sufficient skills to perform tasks to support conservation of nature in their home areas. They are interested and committed to the task and make a difference in the community. As part of the engagement of volunteers, the state/county hold classes and seminars to teach volunteers and interested parties the importance of the work. The volunteers enjoy their participation in conservation work and contribute to the general good, all without compensation because, in their estimation, it is good for all.

          Rather than mope around London and the Island, Harry could get a good conservation education through hands-on work and then make a mark for himself in that field. What is stopping him? Can’t be HM. He could fly back to London for the important annual events then return to his new ‘home.’

          Sometimes these trips (W or H) remind me of the fall hunting trips that the menfolk took in my family. Some hunting, lots of card-playing, story-telling, and general menfolk away from womenfolk living. Escape from everyday life for a while. But most of us can’t figure out what the h*** it is that they’re trying to escape from.

          1. If Harry had to do real conservation work every day like the actual employees and volunteers at these charities, I don’t think Harry would like it. He enjoys his free time and vacations and such too much to want a full time job.

             1. And it’s one thing to do conservation work at exotic locales. Another to do the gritty work
                My 1st degree is in environmental science. I spent one summer in the woods doing trail construction for a nat’l park. Me, 6 other students and 2 leaders. In the woods. No showers, no toilets our meals consisted of what we had packed in, cooked on the little stoves. I came back with a fungus and had to acclimate myself to being back in the world with sound and toilets!
                loved it but can’t see Harry wanting to do that full time and the actual scientist would be doing the work they let probably let him play at now

          2. You’ve described a wonderful initiative of people being trained to give back to the benefit of all. As for Harry doing something like that, I think he’s just too spoiled to contemplate such a move at this point. That’s the problem with being given everything – nothing to work towards. If he’d been sat down after leaving the army with no option to muck about, maybe full-time conservation would have been a good option. But the Wales’ boys don’t have much ticker for hard work. Harry works well under a military style direction, but beyond that, he’s a dabbler, content with jetting about the world at will indulging himself. Royalty kept to this level of learned helplessness cheats everyone: the people forced to pay for them as well as the very ordinary, not too bright family elevated to levels that do not reflect their own abilities.

             1. It’s sad outside the military he’s had a hard time because in the military he thrived. He found something he was good at! He wasn’t an idiot like his brother kept telling him he was! He was a fantastic pilot, he made good, normal friends, he had a better time there with the structure and found a niche for himself. Something he enjoyed, he was good at, instead of being the loser, dumb spare. It’s a shame he left but I was expecting it because I thought back then he and William would step up. Now they must.

                It is good Harry is doing conservation work and being involved, I’ve read a lot about what he actually does and it’s not so much a luxury vacation as is working with real people on the ground, and it’s off-the-record and not in the CC so he must be paying for it himself, but he needs to do stuff at home.

35. I thought that Harry, William & Kate were smarter than this interview. I am very wrong!

36. If only Harry, William and Kate could focus on the good things they could achieve instrad of wining about what a burden it is! My goodness, think of what they could achieve if they were passionate about things – I’ve been so disappointed that Kate, for example, hadn’t got all fired up about the Arts or Women’s health or getting young people into the workforce. There are so many areas they could be a positive force for the good if only they put in some time and effort. They seem to have such a narrow view of the world outside their own orivileged bubble and don’t seem very passionate about anything!

    1. Because Kate doesn’t care. I think it’s pretty easy to see. I mean, this is a woman who hasn’t worked a day in her life but went after a man for years.

37. Harry seems to have no idea of the lives of “ordinary” commoners–the dismantling of the NHS, cuts to people with disabilities, housing inadequacy and lack of safety–all of this is in the news, and people are bound to put this against spoiled young royals who live a luxury lifestyle on the public purse. He is dangerously tone deaf. If they expect to continue to exist, Harry and the rest of them ought to be able to deliver an articulate, thoughtful and persuasive justification of the continuation of the monarchy on a moments notice—the idea that it is “magic”, but that no-one in line for the throne actually wants the job is devastating. One would think the Queen would have gathered them all up for a weekend (mandatory attendance) long before now, and explained to them the precariousness of the BRF, and that their positions depend on support from the public. (Or is this an American idea about how things should get handled?) Or to actually say to them, that if they don’t want to do it, then they should step aside—I simply don’t understand why all this is tolerated and even financially supported at an obscene level. Perhaps some UK people could clarify what it is that you think a modern royal should be and do. (I do not mean this snidely at all–I would really like to know.) Harry’s idea is that they keep all the wealth and privilege, even amplified with the modern ability to fly all over the world at will, but to jettison the stuffiness and boring, routine duties of the past. This is a truly illuminating interview.

    1. The Queen sticks her head in the sand and will only deal with an issue when it becomes too big to ignore. She’s let William and Harry do their own thing, for better or worse; she won’t intervene until it’s severely damaging. I figure this will blow over. A lot of Harry sugars are all confused as to why what he said is problematic, which shows how deluded the royal fanbase can be; I like Harry but I find this interview troubling in many senses, because despite his good heart and willingness to help he is lazy, petulant and he and his brother have idiots serving them when they need professionals.

       I’m not British, but I have British family (and my dad is a dual citizen). They’re big fans of the monarchy and of William and Harry, because of their great PR; they think they should be visible and keep their mouths shut, are privileged and because of it should be working but let William and Harry alone because MUMMY, and also William has a young family and poor Kate is harassed and the love of his life and they are so romantic and will save the monarchy… Yeah. lol

    2. Ellie is right. The Queen wants to secure her family’s position and wealth. To that end she has looked past her difficult Wales’ grandsons, no doubt thinking if they are given everything they demand they will fall eventually into line. But they’re entitled, lazy, and none too bright. And as Ellie said, they reject experienced advisors for people as clueless as themselves.

       The interview raises eyebrows about the ‘cherishing of entitlement’ and the scorn held for those boring events with ordinary people. When provoked by such hubris, people largely apathetic to royalty point to a very ordinary ‘royal’ family sucking on the public teat to preserve their fantasy of bestowing magic on the world.

       There is large underbelly of apathy in the UK regarding royalty; this incident will arouse discussion, particularly in light of the confluence of certain events such as the latest election, Brexit, seven years (and counting) of austerity, terrorism attacks, the poor prospects of Britain’s young etc. This may blow over, but won’t be forgotten.

       1. Exactly. Do I think this interview will be the catalyst for a referendum on the monarchy? No absolutely not! Especially as the Queen is still alive; there is no way the monarchy will go anywhere while she is still living. But it does reveal just how clueless and tone death William and Harry are. That coupled with the fact that they have a tendency to hire yes-men instead of experienced advisors, shows to me they won’t change. This is just the beginning. When they fail to step up and produce numbers that are expected, refuse to do the bread and butter engagements (which is becoming very obvious that they will), and continue to make dumb tone death comments (which they have a habit of doing) eventually people will lose their patience with them. Without the Queen to protect them and with all the Diana worshippers very old or dead, I think the cracks will form and questions will start to be asked. I don’t think it will be Charles’ contemporaries who will question, but their own generation or maybe even younger generations who don’t have the same loyalty to the monarchy and don’t remember or care that their mother died and they walked behind her coffin.

          1. My take is that people feel affection for the Queen due to her age and constancy; she has always been present in their lives. Everyone’s granny. Once she dies, I’m not convinced that Charles’ plans will not come under acute public scrutiny. Slimming down duties should also see a concomitant slimming down of public monies, surely? And as I’ve said elsewhere, the public needs to be an active partner in decisions of how the monarchy, if desired at all, should progress and at what cost.

             William and Harry think that Diana is their free pass for life. Yet younger people only know Diana as a figure in recent history and have no emotional connection to her. So the Diana card will fall on deaf ears before too long. And why would people in their mid-20’s and younger care about a mid-30’s couple with kids; they are too busy saddled with debt, trying to find jobs with little chance of having a home of their own. Harry’s yo-bruvva schtick is wearing thin too.

             1. Jen: one more note to muddy the mysterious £10M raised by the Royal Foundation or was it HT or is it the combined efforts of WHK since 2010?

                Who knows.

                http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4634570/Tetra-Pak-tycoon-helps-Harry-Wills-raise-10million.html

             2. Thanks for that, Herazeus. Looks like further damage control from KP with this flurry of articles since the Newsweek interview. So, with this donation of undisclosed millions, it actually lessens what has been allegedly raised by the trio? It will be very interesting to see those accounts when released.

       2. What’s historically new as well and has some influence over younger generations is the rise of blogs on monarchy, especially the rise of blogs critical of monarchy/the BRF (and other social networks). That’s where republican spirit will thrive and grow as the relentless drip, drip, drip of the boys’ stupidity, entitlement, and arrogance wears away at all the goodwill. Honestly, at this point, I find their thinking and attitude appalling.

          I can see why Harry believes that monarchy means magic, as a lot of fans really worship the fairy tale, and so, this is the direction the boys have chosen for the future- swan in and spread that fragrant fairy dust around, anoint the great unwashed with their superfect presence; Kate is already adept at it and lots of people on blogs are buying it (albeit a lot seem to not belong to the Commonwealth). Harry and Willy believe that Disneyfication of the monarchy is the way to go, aided and abetted by the American Jason Knauf.

          It will be interesting to see what the future holds- whether their shallow, image conscious projections will win out, or whether the critical internet among other media will raise the consciousness of the people that matter- the taxpayers. They really are depending almost totally on PR to sustain their way of life and give nothing back, lazy, ungrateful buggers. They really think that by virtue of birth they are that special and untouchable with burdens no ordinary human being could bear. In reality they are living on their own planet of delusion, and it’s a very dull and cheerless one indeed.

          1. It all very much depends on the times. If a perfect storm happens 30 years from now when the Queen is long gone, possibly Charles dead, and a middle aged King William who has done everything in his power to scale back the requirements of the monarchy and what it does for the people is on the throne and the times are tough, people who are otherwise apathetic to the monarchy will start to question its purpose and why they pay for it. Brexit happened because of a perfect storm. Trump happened because of a perfect storm. William and Harry are really stupid and naive to think a perfect storm regarding the monarchy couldn’t happen sparking a referendum. And if it does they have done nothing to prove to the wider public why they are useful and worth paying for. Harry’s Sentebale, though a great charity, is really just one charity among dozens that help to serve people in Africa with HIV. It doesn’t even directly benefit anyone in the UK. His Invictus Games also is great, but he himself said Sydney will be the last games. So I’m pretty sure 30 years from now it will probably be pretty irrelevant to discussions about Harry’s usefulness.

             1. Sydney isn’t the last, Harry said he just hopes it isn’t needed any more as these folks get into employment, get more support, etcetera. He says he will do it as long as it is necessary.

             2. Carter: “His Invictus Games also is great, but he himself said Sydney will be the last games.” I missed this announcement. When/where did this happen?

             3. It wasn’t a formal announcement. In the lead up to the Orlando games in one of his many interviews, he said he wanted to continue the games for as long as they were helping people, but then he also said that they don’t want to continue them for too long because people will get tired of it and hinted that Sydney would be the last. At least that was my understanding of it, perhaps I misunderstood what he meant. I tried finding direct quotes from him so I could share and reinterpret with you, but he put out so many interviews articles at the time that it’s near impossible to sift through them all to find it. I guess we will see!

             4. People are always going to need help, including vets. A self- limiting endeavour and commitment? Where have we heard that before? (HT) Wouldn’t want it to become a boring grind, eh? SMH. The boys sound cut from the same cloth.

          2. Yes, Maven, the trio is solely dependent on PR to either build them up or to swoop in to do damage control. Witness the latest flurry of articles since Newsweek, extolling the huge donation to the Royal Foundation by some wealthy man, and a further poor-little-prince piece, which seems to compound the damage. The PR, bad as it is, is a crutch to cover abject laziness, lack of ability and a good degree of disinterest in their roles. The trio is delusional if they see themselves as sprinklers of magic; it’s cringe-worthy egoism on display. Their actions now will be ammunition to jettison them a little later down the track.

             People are no longer dependent on traditional media outlets or journalists for news, and all manner of critical perspectives on are available. It is uncontrollable. I don’t know why Jason Knauf appears to prioritise US publications when he needs the British in his his pocket, not Americans.

             But monarchy is not hermetically sealed from life; even if it is the people’s (currently untested) choice of governance, is it necessary to prop up a family to this financial degree? And to a degree that so thoroughly isolates them from life? But would the Windsor’s be interested in the job if it didn’t come with all the perks they moan about?

    3. Vivian: Your comment about the NHS reminded me of a throwaway comment in his earlier interview which speaks to his out of touch views.

       In that interview he says the royals are giving publicity to mental health problems whilst the govt is providing money for the same (paraphrasing).

       My first thought was that he doesn’t realise that the NHS has been subject to austerity cuts, mental health services have been cut accross the country,but he tjinks there is a magic money tree that will provide money for his causes.

       Oh wait, there is. Afterall the govt cut 10% MORE out of the crown estates to refurbish buck house and coughed up a helicopter for William. The crown estates that normally pay for public services without robust question or public enquiry about the money given to the royals for past 60yrs+ to maintain these buildings.

       1. Yup, I mean, the PM gave a speech about praising HT and William and Kate, so maybe that is where Harry got the idea. That she said they’d provide money for services, etcetera but of course it’s not like Harry reads much nor does W&K.

          Why can’t they have Charles sort out their crap – imagine what could get done!!

          1. Ellie, that was prior to the recent election, but even then, no new money would be found for these services according to a government spokesman. It would have to be found from seeking efficiencies elsewhere. I don’t know post-election where such promises stand.

          2. I guess that’s the typical attitude for the boys- royal magic guarantees buckets of money. It’s worked for them and the BRF personally so far, why not endeavours they touch in the dirty world? Entitlement suffuses every pore of their beings. Never mind fetishising Diana, they are fetishising themselves. No wonder Kate is at home with bringing just the gilt- they all agree it is more than enough and very charitable of them indeed. My gosh, that interview has turned out to be a real eye opener.

38. The Camilla book is coming out…Did you guys read the DM article on it… the book by penny looks like it was pretty much ghost written by Clarence House… it’s making some sense why Harry and William have been more open about their mom… this drama looks like it’s nowhere done

    1. Bad timing.

       And ill- advised to write the book whilst Camilla is alive.

       Penny Junor always thinks she’s helping Charles, but authorised or not, she always lands him in hot water.

       Ps: i thought she gave a rather rose tinted / whitewashed view about the early Charles and Camilla relationship, but she does mention mistress no 2 by name though she obfuscates the actual date mistress no 2 entered the picture and began the relationship. Hint: a few months after Charles started seeing Camilla in the early 70s.

       She also obfuscates the fact that whilst Camilla was producing the heir and spare for her own husband, she couldn’t continue a romantic relationship with Charles. This is a cast iron rule of the aristo marriages.

       1. Wait what? Eek… this family is sooo interesting…mit cracks me up now that I think about how people were calling Meghan’s family trashy..

          1. I could go into a rather detailed explanation about mistress no 2, but i think Channel 4 does a rather marvellous job. Sorry doc is broken up in 15min slices.

             https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=26oQjwgS6kE

             https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JGkzdbiMqaA

             https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5U3SN1E8xUs

             https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrtsBD0uNZw

             https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JM3kfmAga4o

             The Charles and Camilla true love story is of thwarted love is one of the biggest PR lies in our current times. So many people have been removed from the narrative.

             The Irony is that Diana, the wronged wife, helped craft this narrative by being so obsessed with Camilla.

             Little details like Charles proposing to 2 other women, one of them twice, is left out.

             Mistress no 2 is left out.

             The numerous other women that Charles dallied with when neither Camilla or Mistress no 2 weren’t available. Right upto the 90s.

             Camilla got him by dint of holding on to the bitter end. A quality shared by Kate. These 2 women might be the best thing that happened to their men, but those men’s behaviour indicates that it wasn’t reciprocated for a very long time.

39. Big NEWS everyone : apprently Harry considered leaving the RF. Here is the interesting article down below.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4636038/I-wanted-confesses-Harry-reluctant-prince.html?

    While it sheds more light into what he thought and said, the damage is done. The people are done and no amount of PR from KP will make people forget it.

    1. What’s interesting is this is from unused material from the Newsweek interview.

       I don’t blame him, he was an unhappy person and seems to accept it far more.

       I think the big, big issue here is sidestepping over the problem of WILLIAM. Part of me wonders if a lot of this is WILLIAM’S projecting upon Harry in a sense, and Harry being the fall guy. It has happened before.

       And once again using Harry as the scapegoat, because Harry didn’t want it; but we ignore how much William does not want it and refuses to accept his lot in life whilst Harry has done.

       I do think KP PR think this would make people more sympathetic to Harry, but it won’t. It’s going to cause major, major damage but HM won’t do sh*t.

       Charles should fire all of KP’s staff.

    2. Drafting the newsweek author to explain intent and meaning of the article is really transparent damage control from KP.

       And Jason is the worst PR on the planet if he couldn’t see all the trapdoor moments in the original article.

       This new article is trying to elicit sympathy by letting it all hang out, but it is only serving to reveal what a manchild he is.

       This stuff should have been told to a therapist or his family NOT to a journalist and sanctioned for release.

       One more reason why Jason should be fired.

       If they want the level of control they desire and a positive public image, they need to beg Pat Kingsley to come out of retirement. She kept a tightlid on Tom Cruise for decades whilst promoting a very positive image of him.

       The minute he fired her, all his crazy behaviour became public knowledge. And unlucky for him, she retired soon afterwards. He is now looked after by people trained by Pat, but he has never recovered from showing the public his true private self.

       http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2004/04/cruise_control.html

       Also, whoever sanctioned Penny Junor’s book on Camilla or thought it was a good idea is a grade A idiot. Any authorised books, interviews etc about Camilla’s personal life should be saved for after her death.

       Her strategy of keeping schtum was working. People were forgetting.

       1. Penny Junor is an idiot no matter how I agree with her that Charles isn’t some devil, nor is Camilla.

          This is what happens when you hire f*cking idiots like William has done. Wish they’d listened to Dad, he knows how to do it.

          But nope, go their own way because William hates his family, and Harry does anything William does because Harry seems to have no identity of his own other than ‘the spare’.

          This elicits a bit of ‘no, really, duh’ sympathy for Harry in that yes, he wasn’t happy, and I do feel he’s come to terms with himself, his role in life, but that sort of thing one would imagine would have happened in his teens and early 20s. Enough of this navel-gazing, get to work, boys.

          I still think a lot of this screams William’s hatred of his duty and position, which Harry has neither of. I get the grass is greener and they may think being non-royal is better, but Harry seems more positive about it which William does not.

          Why do they think this will make people well disposed towards them? It’s just opened up another can of worms though I doubt this will damage the monarchy at all. All the royal fangirls and sugars and blogs are praising Harry. Something else will happen to make this blow over, but it ain’t a good look, sorry Harry.

          Now put up, shut up, and work. Especially come this autumn when Philip is retired. Do your damn job you say you want to have to do good with. Then I’ll be impressed again with you.

          1. Someone needs to tattoo the family motto as far as media relations are concerned namely ‘Never Complain, Never explain’ because apparently they can’t follow the other family rule,’ Silence is Golden’.

             The unintended consequence of all this, unless he meant to do this, is that he has washed the family linen in public and now we are all wondering what kind of father and granny he has. Clearly unfeeling or uncaring ones if they hang him out to dry to extent he says he does.

             And even William told him to get help as opposed to William talked to me and we talked our issues through together coz he is tge only person who understands what happened to us.

             1. I think that is the point, especially for William – they want that dirty linen in public, to show how bad and awful the family are, and look how bad they were to Mummy on the 20th anniversary of her death. I don’t see it being Harry though, but William would want that attitude if you ask me as it means sympathy for them and those poor motherless boys and the manchild who doesn’t want to be king.

                I do not think Harry would have intended that, considering he seems very close to Granny AND Papa, but it must hurt them especially Charles to see all of this and hear what people have to say about what an awful parent he is and how all he cared about was Camilla and didn’t care about his children, how he is no father to them, all the comments I’m seeing. AND after his PR triumph in trying to turn himself around in the eyes of the public which worked because he does his job, doesn’t complain (anymore!), and people are beginning to respect him.

                William saying Harry needed help is hilarious considering William needs so much help himself. But it plays into the superior William PR angle, doesn’t it? The caring ,compassionate older brother with his perfect wife, life, and so good in school compared to dumb Harry.

             2. I thought the interesting part of William telling him to get help, was that William said he talked about his issues with friends. Yet it’s clear to me that William still has some major issues that would benefit from talking to a professional. At this point, I’d say they need to engage in some family counseling with Charles, Harry and William.

             3. Sarah, that just speaks of hypocrisy to me. It speaks to the narrative that William can’t be seen as blemished, needing help.

             4. Yes, Jen, that’s how I read it. Harry’s the troubled screw up, William is the perfect son. Same narrative that’s been going on since they were young, and i think it was very damaging to Harry, honestly. William even speaks about him like that in public to others!

       2. So everyone in the BRF will disappear for the summer leaving the public to wonder what’s really going on. The public will buy the book, discuss the book, try to find ‘clues’ in all the articles written so far and then speculate on what will happen after summer. These last few weeks sound like episodes from a comedy show.

          1. Meanwhile, isn’t there a trial going on in France which involves naked pictures?

             1. Maven, I think the judgement is due in July. Evidence was presented last month.

                In that evidence William said he and Kate were on holiday. But wasn’t the excuse given for not attending the Paralympics that they were preparing for their Malaysian tour? Do they need to prepare naked on a balcony in France? This may explain why they are not prepared for all their other engagements: no balcony, no French villa, no nudity.

    3. Could that article be any more unctuous? It didn’t take them long, did it?

    4. Wait so KP asked the author of the original article to write another article in the DM to “clarify” what he meant in the original article? Am I understanding that correctly? Does anyone know what the point of this interview was? If it was for Invictus, why wasn’t it released closer to the actual games? Is it for the anniversary of Diana’s death? Was it for the HT campaign? Was it just because Harry wanted to talk? I don’t get it.

       1. Diana Diana Diana Diana.

          20th anniversary of her death. Probably a bit of HT there in wanting to talk about stuff.

          Americans worship her and think W&K and Harry are the greatest thing ever.

          Pandering to the American audience who worships Diana still, because of their American PR guy Jason who’s a total knob.

          So instead of talking to British media he’s having them use US talk pieces instead, which is stupid.

       2. Which just speaks to how bad Jason and the team at KP are. Clearly they didn’t read the first article for all the negative notes present, and are now doing damage control.

          Stable doors. Horses. Bolting. Too late.

          1. I’m beginning to think that me, with zero training or experience in PR, would be a better PR manager for them than Jason. Do you think it’s Jason is that bad, they are that difficult, or maybe both?

             1. I’m concerned that ELF isn’t keeping a better charge of Harry because every PR screwup can be traced to Jason directly.

                ELF once worked for one of the more reputable PR agencies after leaving the army, so i thought Harry’s better pr was ELF guiding him.

                Laterly, Jason speaks for W and H which has made me think that ELF is not managing Harry as closely as he used to do.

                The loveshield letter was straight out of Jason’s playbook in terms of language and verbal length.

                These boys need JLP back as well as their own Malcolm Tucker.

    5. ‘I spent many years kicking my heels and I didn’t want to grow up,’ he admitted.

       Several years of partying, drinking and heavy smoking followed – which he has previously described as ‘total chaos’ – and Harry admitted coming ‘very close’ to a breakdown several times.

       And when he finally decided to be more constructive, he even questioned whether remaining a junior Royal would allow him to use his talents effectively – and considered life as a commoner instead.

       ‘I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself,’ he said,

       —

       That’s what Harry actually said, insofar as the rather hysterical DM article.

       Sounds quite reasonable to me. I think everything he said aside from the monarchy’s usefulness and how nobody wants to be king or queen is quite fine and I understand where he comes from, he should just be quiet but I wonder if it has to do with Diana bearing her heart and soul in that disastrous Panorama interview. They want that too. They want to have people feel their pain and whatnot, but they just come across as pompous, spoiled fools.

       It must be hard banging your hands against a gilded cage no matter how gilded it is, seeing ‘the other side’ and wanting an anonymous life. Even though the life they have is pretty wonderful and privileged, I can imagine it’s difficult to come to terms with that, so to speak, of being owned by the public and as if you owe the public something for being born.

       I believe a lot of what Harry said here was taken massively out of context, perhaps on purpose. He needs to learn to have press guys be with him every time he does this sort of thing, have them review it all in advance, and prepare him so he doesn’t just run off with his mouth and talk as he speaks. What he says is, in context, okay; however the fact he said nobody wants to be king or queen (which I think he meant nobody would outright SEEK it, except Kate hahaha) sounds awful.

       1. What’s unspoken- who would support you, Harry? Further, he doesn’t know what normal means so how would he know what it means to be a commoner? And if he has unused talents then why is he not using them *now*? Consistently? His life seems like one giant excuse for failure to launch.

       2. After 30 you are fully responsible for yourself unless there is a very particular reason to makes others responsible for you.

          As much as i dislike William, he has chosen his path, his opinions, his responsibilities.

          Harry should do the same instead of following others. And we should not blame other people in his life if at 32yrs old he remains irresponsible to himself.

          1. +1
             It’s time they get slapped with reality.

             Here is another article by another author criticizing him. I wonder how he will be recieved by the public on his next engagement (with the Queen if I’m not mistaken) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-4636484/Prince-Harry-perils-doing-Ratner.html

       3. @Ellie. “I believe a lot of this was taken out of context.”

          Maybe, probably. But Willie, KM & Harry have been saying for the past few years that they hate royal expectations and responsibilities. They never say they hate the taxpayer funded lifestyle.

          For the past six years we’ve been reading their comments– tacit or blatant–that they don’t want to work because it would only create expectations of having to be consistently responsible. They always have some excuse which, if they were normal, would never fly in the real world. This time the public is disgusted with their ongoing coy pretense of caring while bemoaning their lot in life. The public is under extreme stress from terrorist attacks, substandard living arrangements, and years of austerity. Political leaders are messing up big time with possibly huge negative consequences for the country’s future. But the blissfully ignorant pommie princes continue to complain they want to be normal, but also get that £300-600 million check every year. And to throw vinegar in the eye, Harry jets off to Africa on the public dime.

          Read the comments about H’s Newsweek story on The Guardian website to get more angry (and some cases defending him) to see how people feel. They are fed up at the injustice. Does an institution simply because it’s centuries old validate the cavalier way W, KM & H treat their privileges while most others are suffering? That’s for Brits to say. But they don’t sound very happy about this latest confirmation that the young royals are selfish, weak minded, and purposely oblivious to the very public who supports them.

40. I’m posting this here because there has been some discussion about the 3 amigos support of the Mental Health sector in their Royal Foundation and the Heads Together campaign. Sort of ‘how sincere are they’ discussions.

    Took a quick look through the 2016 Accounts of the Foundation which have just now become available. This is an abreviated recap of their grants.
    ###
    –Grants to sports (as part of Coach Core)
    53,500 Culture and Sports Glasgow
    65,000 Essex County Council
    91,000 Fulham Football Club Foundation
    118,000 Nottingham City of Football
    101,906 Welsh Rugby Union

    –Supporting Families of Children with Life Limiting Conditions
    –Prevention of Addiction
    –Mental Health
    30,000 East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH)
    107,096 Together For Short Lives
    130,000 Place2Be

    –Conservation
    29,445 Flora and Fauna Intl
    175,000 South African Wildlife College
    100,000 Wildlife Conservation Society (2 projects at 50,000 ea)
    205,000 Zoological Society of London (3 projects of 50,000+ ea)

    –Youth Violence Prevention
    217,400 EPIC Partners

    –Endeavor Fund (Support for Military)
    374,000+ 16 different groups; highest amt 50,000; lowest amt 1,400

    RFoundation has received Donations and Legacies as *restricted* funds of 8,005,792 Of those funds, the largest amount was received for the Mental Health sector in the amount of 5,342, 170. 915,725 was spent in 2016.

    The majority of restricted funds received in 2016 were for mental health initiatives. 17% was spent in 2016. There should another influx of funds due to the London Marathon Trust in 2017. I haven’t found any statements (from either the Marathon or the RFoundation) about the amount collected from that event.

    1. Thank you for sharing this, I was wondering when it would all come out.

       I find it rather appalling they’ve only given 30k to EACH when they are struggling to make ends meet to build a new hospice. (But this is why they have Ed Sheeran helping out, and not Kate.)

       I want to know what MH charities if anything has been given out. I assume no, since from all we’ve read it is inherently disorganized and a mess.

       1. I haven’t read through the entire 2016 accounts report. There are details I haven’t looked at yet.

          1. Where’s the link for it? i can never find these things on their awful website. 🙂

             1. It is not on the RF web site yet.

    2. Thanks, GraceH

       I don’t know how to interpret this list but I do see that EACH got measly 30K and the Welsh Rugby Union and the football clubs got over 100K each- all male oriented to boot and what is their huge need anyway? Could the apportioning of funds be any more arbitrary and biased?! Meanwhile, the South African Wildlife College got 175,000. 175K. Argh.

       MH/Chidren’s well being got barely anything compared to the others. Unbelievable.

       What is happening to the bulk of the money?

       1. Paying for publicity for their initiatives like HT and so on? I mean, where does that money come from?

          1. From the foundation funds. Few publicity agencies will work for zero payment. All charities have expenses for advertising. What’s important is the return on that advertising expense. An effective campaign will bring in funds that make the advertising expenses less than 5% of the funds received.

          2. As they say in their 2015 annual report, spending for “charitable activities” includes “all activities designed to convene and raise awareness”….so this is how they fund their royal foundation PR, which really is their own PR.

             It’s really odd to me how they group their PR expenses into “charitable activities” and not within the “raising funds.” Is this phrasing/categorizing typical of similar foundations? It seems rather disingenuous to me.

       2. MavenTheFirst: “MH/Chidren’s well being got barely anything compared to the others. Unbelievable.

          What is happening to the bulk of the money?”

          I haven’t looked through it all yet. I usually try to compare from year to year. Sometimes the RFdtn gives a lot one year and lesser amounts the following year. I won’t know until I do the spreadsheets.

    3. Thank you, Grace, for this. I am wondering about all of the eight HT charities: The Mix; Place2Be; contact; mind; best beginnings, young minds, Anna Freud. Apart from Place2Be, I can’t see the others receiving funds. I thought part of the purpose of HT was to join under this umbrella to help garner bugger donations via the RF?

       1. Keep in mind that it is common for trusts and foundations to receive donations in one calendar year and be distributing them in the following calendar year. A funding campaign will last for many months and actual donations won’t be received until months later. Unless the RFoundation decides to issue a press release about the funds released to specific recipients, nothing will be known until this time next year. Sometimes recipients don’t want publicity for several reasons: reduces future donations (people think ‘they have enough’), causes other charities in line to receive donations to think they didn’t get enough of the pie, causes a drop off in matching funding by donors (they match what you have received from individual donors), and discourages charities from asking for some of the restricted/matching funds that may be in-line with the foundations guidelines for grants.

          The RFoundation grants are slightly higher than last year so they’re maintaining the grant level. I have no comparisons yet between ’15 and ’16.

    4. Total grants in 2016: 1.874,761

       Distributed as follows:
       378,304 Military
       987,012 Young People
       509,445 Conservation

       Remember that some of the grants could be part RFoundation and part matching funds that can’t be used for any but the designated purpose.

    5. Just wondering, what would the “direct costs” within charitable expenses include? I understand what direct costs would be for, say, a car manufacturer, but for a grantmaking foundation?

    6. So did these organizations apply for these grants or were they distributed by the organization at their discretion. I guess I want to know if EACH and place2be asked for that amount or were they were just given that amount?
       Becuase if they were just given that much that’s rather sad and explains the need to bring on ed Sheeran.

41. In the above post:
    “Mental Health sector in the amount of 5,342, 170. ” should be “Mental Health sector in the amount of 5,342,170.” due to a misplaced space. All figures are in GBP.

    I’ll be reading the 2016 Accounts but I don’t know where I’ll post any interesting things that show up. I don’t want to post in random blogs because the topic becomes disjointed.

    1. You could email KMR to do a guest post.

       1. Ha! Maven, I sent KMR an email suggesting the same!

       2. Much of this charity work by the BRF started with Bertie: bored silly had to have something to do, people to visit, projects with some purpose to fill up his days. PCharles has published accounts for his charity as does the Queen for hers. Sometimes they send funds to each other (including the RFdtn) — I’m guessing they would rather not wind up on the donor’s list as long as one family already is on it. If you have the time, look for annual accounts on-line. Always download the previous two years as well because that will show the direction of the foundations’ interests. I can’t be dismissive with the 3 amigos foundation because they have shown growth and interest over the last four years. Whether the 3 amigos understand what they’re doing, I don’t know. Their trustees/directors seem to be shepherding the money so far. IMO.

          1. I am glad to see they are maintaining interest and financial help for these organizations that need it. Good, good. I just hope the trio will visit these places more often, especially Kate with EACH and the things they do as anything she does gets so much press. Imagine how much better EACH would be if Kate actually visited!

42. CORRECTION

    –Supporting Families of Children with Life Limiting Conditions
    –Prevention of Addiction
    –Mental Health
    30,000 East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH)
    107,096 Together For Short Lives
    130,000 Place2Be

    Add:
    70,610 Best Beginnings

43. GraceH: Thank you so much for your posts. And i’m on board with you getting a guest spot to explain this to everyone.

    Question, is it me or is conservation receiving the biggest chunk of money?

    The south african wildlife college? Really?!

    1. Made me wonder if it has anything to do with Jecca and family’s conservation efforts.

44. Losing your mother at a young age must be the hardest, growing up in front of media/public/basically the whole world can’t be always easy and I feel for him for that, yet the interview left me with some bad feelings.
    I respect him for his military job, the work he did with Sentable and Invictus Games but he (and W+K) don’t do nearly as much as they could do.
    The all say they respect the Queen for the job she is doing, but why not be more like her? They are free to support every cause they want to, can do more than just shake hands and yet… it’s more like enjoying the nice life than actually supporting the Queen, Charles and Camilla, charities, organisations. It’s actually sad to see it like this.

45. The whole narrative that the three want to do more than shake hands is rather ironic considering the only one I can think of who doesn’t involve publicly herself directly with causes is the one Harry most admires – the Queen.

    Charles, Camilla, Anne, Sophie,etc. all seem to be very interested in the charities they support and have far more personal interactions with the people in those organizations.

    That’s why it’s always strange to me when the trio act like the monarchy is stuck in the past where it was dainty gloves and an idle life. That era is over, and has been for their entire adult life.

46. The other comment I find ironic is that Harry doesn’t want to be a celebrity yet he regularly chooses celebrity friends and partners. If he wasn’t choosing to hang out with Cara Delevingne and her instamodel friends, or go out with Cressida or Meghan who are actors who depend on PR to boost their careers than he wouldn’t have as much press. If he wasn’t partying in Vegas with reality show obsessed Ryan Lochte or going out with Guy Pelly who needs to promote bars/clubs, he wouldn’t have so much press.

    I’m sure Harry has had nights out with army friends, school friends, and charity partner friends, but surprise, surprise, the press isn’t as much in pursuit then…yes, he will always have press interest but he could tone it down if that was his true priority.

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