After Prince Harry‘s Newsweek interview dropped last week, there have been many negative opinion-pieces and KP damage control pieces written about it and Harry. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Firstly, The Daily Mail ran a story with additional quotes from Harry’s interview as well as a writing from the interviewer. Some additional quotes from Harry:
- Harry once felt directionless: “I spent many years kicking my heels and I didn’t want to grow up.”
- Harry questioned leaving the RF but stayed for the Queen: “I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself.”
- More on wanting a normal life and not wanting to be celebs: “I am determined to have a relatively normal life and if I am lucky enough to have children they can have one too. We don’t want to be just a bunch of celebrities but instead use our role for good.”
- He and William are super passionate about charity: “We are incredibly passionate with our charities and they have been chosen because they are on the path shown to me by our mother. I love charity stuff and meeting people.”
- On whether Meghan Markle advised Harry on mental health issues: “Absolutely she did not.”
- On ‘modernizing’ the monarchy: “We want to make sure the Monarchy lasts and are passionate about what it stands for. But it can’t go on as it has done under the Queen. There will be changes and pressure to get them right. Things are moving so fast, especially because of social media, so we are involved in modernising the Monarchy. We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people and the Monarchy we represent. There is so much negative in the world – we as a family try to bring something positive.”
- On The Crown: “It’s great but I wish they’d stopped at the end of the first series. They absolutely must not move on to the younger generation.”
I don’t remember if it was on here or elsewhere, but I read a comment that said if Harry doesn’t want to be seen as a celebrity he should stop hanging with models and dating actresses, which is so true. Both Harry and William keep complaining about being seen as celebs, yet Harry keeps dating actresses/models/reality TV personalities and William invited David and Victoria Beckham to his wedding. If you don’t want to be associated with celebrity, then don’t hang with celeb types.
“I am determined to have a relatively normal life and if I am lucky enough to have children they can have one too.” Can we now please stop thinking that Harry will be more open with his kids than William is? I know people wanted to believe Harry would give them everything William and Kate don’t, but Harry will be even less open with his kids than William and Kate are because Harry wants a “normal” life just as much as William but doesn’t have the pressure of “my kid will be king one day” to force him to show them to the public. We will be lucky if we see Harry’s kids once a year at Trooping.
Max Hastings wrote a piece for the Daily Mail about how Harry and other members of the royal family “cherish a terrific sense of entitlement.” Hastings spends a good portion throwing Charles under the bus, but also says about William and Harry:
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“They see their personal friends, almost all the children of aristocratic grandees or very rich men, having the life of Reilly without the media aggravation or rude questions in the House of Commons. They assume that if they could only escape their royal responsibilities, they could have the same lives, play on the same polo pitches, without the 24-hour media attention. If they were encouraged by those around them to have a spark of humility, they might instead see that, as men of moderate intelligence with no money other than that which the Royal Family has amassed over centuries at its subjects’ expense, they would be lucky to have jobs and homes of their own, never mind holidays in the Caribbean. Neither brother seems likely to invent the Dyson vacuum cleaner or play football for Chelsea. Here, I am not preaching republicanism or knocking the young Princes — merely trying to inject a little reality into their pampered lives. They are phenomenally lucky to have what they have, and will continue to enjoy it only by retaining the gratitude and respect of the Queen’s subjects, which is not a given.”
Yeah. Aside from the titles, William and Harry really aren’t that special.
Camilla Tominey over at the Express, however, thinks the soul-bearing is great.
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“Some royal commentators are beginning to question the wisdom of younger royals expressing themselves so freely. The Queen’s mantra has famously always been to ‘never complain, never explain’… Personally, I’m all for the royals giving as many interviews as possible, preferably to the Sunday Express. While no one wants to see the Duchess of Cambridge turning into Kerry Katona, pouring her heart out to Holly and Phil every time she misses her Ocado delivery, royals don’t just need to be seen to be believed – they need to be heard, too. … While they most certainly remain ‘one of them’ not one of us, royals are at their best when we get to see the person beyond the privilege. Imagine how preposterous it would have been for the princes to have campaigned for a national ‘conversation’ about mental health without openly discussing their own grief?”
[Express]
I agree about the fact that William, Kate, and Harry needed to talk about why they chose to support mental health as a cause, but there is a difference between opening up about why you care about a cause and showing how entitled and out of touch you are. Mostly, though, Tominey just wants to sell papers.
E Online has an article that is pure fluff and meant to make Harry look better, but there is one line that I find interesting: “luckily there’s no imminent danger of diluting the magic, what with the tiaras and jewels and pomp of it all. This royal family is still the closest thing the real world has to Disney princesses and the romantic lore of Camelot. If Sir Lancelot had done his own shopping.” [E Online]
Firstly, this is totally why Jason plays the trio to the US audience, because the US audience cares more about the “magic” than the reality of royalty because we don’t pay for them. But long term, playing to the US audience won’t help the trio. Secondly, I’m pretty sure William wants to do away with some of the pomp, like the “fancy dress” of the Diplomatic Reception and the Order of the Garter robes and such he keeps making fun of. So again, long term, playing to the US audience is a bad idea.
So what’s Harry been up to the last week or so? The Sun claims Harry jetted off on a 10-day safari to Malawi where he is staying at £350-a-night Mvuu Camp for the second phase of a project to move elephants from an overpopulated area to one where they had been wiped out. [The Sun]
Over at Meghan Markle Review, I covered a story about how Harry is going to dismantle Diana’s old jewelry to make an engagement ring for Meghan.
E Online has an article which is mostly devoted to Harry and Meghan’s relationship (that portion I covered over at Meghan Markle Review since it’s about Meghan), but also included this gem:
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“Harry’s trip to Malawi was planned ‘long in advance’ and not, as one media outlet put it, arranged as a means for him to hide out after his Newsweek interview made national news. ‘Some of those quotes were wholly misunderstood and taken out of context,’ a Harry insider tells E! News. ‘Of course there isn’t anyone who sits there and dreams about becoming King or Queen, and that’s what Harry was getting at. The point is, it’s something you’re born into. You don’t get the choice. If/when that day comes, you just get on with it to the best of your ability.’
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“‘It’s fair to say there were was a little disappointment with way the Newsweek article was interpreted, but it wasn’t anything that caused Harry to get in trouble. How the British media handled the story was the most frustrating part. It’s been rather unfortunate,’ the source adds.”
[E Online]
Lol, sure bro. Once again, blame the media for your own stupidity. Harry has a long history of blaming the media for his own mistakes and poor behavior, and he really needs to stop.
He did an interview a few months back that explained his reason to focus more on mental health and it worked much better. The big mistake here is the whiny I want to be normal stuff that his brother normally does. He also needs to stop including Will and Kate references in his interviews. Those two have to step up because they are in line for massive money and privileges and they will throw him under the bus if they need to. Harry needs new PR stat. Maybe Meghan can help him with that.
At the end of the day, while I am not impressed with the woe is me stuff, he still does something in terms of setting up charities like invictus and sentebale which he does not need to do and is something his brother, the guy second in line to the throne has failed to do. Will and Kate suck up way more resources and do so much less. Harry is basically Andrew in the future. Harry gets less. He doesn’t get the Duchy of Cornwall or the sovereign grant like William will, so if he does work a bit less, even with Meghan, I am okay with that, since he is not going to have anywhere near the same amount of money and privileges that his brother and lazy sister in law will.
The concept of monarchy is bs, but the amount of “work” you have to do should be commensurate with the amount of riches you will receive, and Will and Kate are in line for way more than what Harry will ever get. Get to work Cambridges. Where the hell have you been lately anyway?
In case you haven’t noticed Andrew and his daughters, including Fergie are very well taken care of!!
There are rumors W&K are on holiday in France.
I agree with you, and with KMR as well – the problem here is Harry and William see normal as the life they wish they led without the royal crap and were able to do whatever they liked whenever they are. Harry seems slightly more able to look at reality, I think due to being in the military and having normal friends and living in the barracks, but he still has this idea that normal is him going to the shops and doing whatever he’d like as opposed to what normal is for us. Or opposed to Charles who has a staff to help him with his clothes and stuff, but honestly, if I were royal I’d want a valet and stuff to sort that out for me so I always looked good and appropriate. (The stories of Charles having someone put toothpaste on his toothbrush is BS, but he does have a big staff.) They think they can get on with saying they don’t have much, I doubt Harry does, but W&K had a housekeeper, chef, etc at he house in Wales…where Kate rarely was!!! Their PR sells it as ‘normal just like you and me,’ but that normal doesn’t exist for regular folks.
I think Harry means well when he’s talking about all this stuff, and the expanded quotes make more sense; but he needs to have a press office to reign him in, do their job properly, etcetera, which means tell him to shut up and put up and not go too much into the soul bearing crap nobody wants to hear. It’s bad PR. That’s why they sell to us Americans–look at ‘Princess Kate’ and their love story, which we all know is manufactured and how much Kate went after William with all she and her family had, despite how he treated her as a mattress and his cheating, bringing girls to Sandhurst, etc. I like the glam and glitz but I like it when it’s with people of substance, not with empty vessels.
If they want to be open look at C&C, or Sophie. That’s a good level of openness from public figures. Let people know who you are and what you’re about, and a bit of stuff like Harry talking about how he needed therapy–that’s GOOD–but Harry going on and on… not so good.
I think it is all about building up to the big Diana documentary and the 20th anniversary of her death. Woe is me, poor me. And judging bu so many comments all over, Charles is still universally hated, Camilla even moreso; and people still clamor for William, due to their PR. So one could say despite KP being a total freakin’ mess, they work well pulling the whiny woe is me Mummy died card. :/
I’ve read William actually has control over the money Harry received from Diana’s estate/trust/whatever. It wouldn’t surprise me considering Harry has been raised to believe he is less than, he is not as smart, or as wonderful, etc.
Totally agree Ellie. If Harry doesn’t want to be seen as a celebriby he SHOULD NOT date models or actresses. I read some people saying they hope “Meghan teaches Harry how an ordinary life is”. OMG we are here talking exactly how bad is to Harry (and William) insist in their “normal life”. In his interview Harry says “people would be surprise how ordinary are William and me.” and that he does “his own shopping”. He must think that just because he does ordinary things he can be ordinary. No. William and Harry need to be the royals the British people want, not the royals they think they should be. Work, be dutiful, preserve dignity and tradition. By the way, did you see the new pictures of Meghan Markle at the airport on her way to London? She is awful and looks trash. How someone can think she would be appropriate to BRF is beyond me.
+1
He only dates celebrities because it flatters his ego. An actress will never teach him “ordinary life” because these kind of people are not normal but fame seeking people whose aim is to be more famous.
The new pics are on MMR … she looks bad and no one is there to carry her luggage. Guess she isn’t that famous in the US * shrug*
Meghan may have been raised in ordinary situations, but she is far from ordinary now. She’s an actress who aimed for stardom and she now has that. She’s a celeb, for goodness sake. And, she’s aiming even higher . She wants to enter the Royal Family. I don’t think she wants to go back to an ordinary life, so Harry isn’t going to find the ordinary world by marrying her. He’s never going to be ordinary. He and William better face that fact!
Agreed jenny. Are you feeling better ?
Hello, Ellana. Thank you for asking about me. I was having a bad case of the blues but have bounced back. Beautiful weather helps. And, I so hope it is cooler and nice where you are and that all is well with you. Take care!
Whoa. I don’t want to peg anyone as trash. I doubt people are going to wear couture at the airport.
I agree. It’s ok to voice your dislike for her, but calling her trash is way too harsh.
+1 Paula
Wait are you talking about the outfit with the black baseball cap, tan sweater, jeans and flats? I don’t see the problem with this outfit. It is a comfortable outfit for an international flight. I’m glad she didn’t get all dolled up, which would have only been for the cameras. Low key is better. I don’t see how that is trashy. I personally think it is the opposite. I dress up for short flights because I like the old school idea of flying being special, but for an international flight I dress for comfort.
Her casual is what regular stylish people wear and not the endless parade of skin tight jeggings a certain someone considers to be casual.
+1
+2
There is no reason to personally insult Meghan. Please stop.
KMR: +1
I said Meghan “looks” trash not that she “is” trash. There is difference. I saw her at airports and she didnt look so bad. I already had a problem when I was misunderstood on this blog. Now I understand why Wildrose wrote in another blog that she doesn’t comment here anymore.
I read about William controlling Harry’s money too, and also that William has control over her jewelry, even though Harry is entitled to half. I hope this isn’t true. Harry is in his 30s and should control his own money now.
It wouldn’t surprise me. :/
KMR: “So what’s Harry been up to the last week or so? The Sun claims Harry jetted off on a 10-day safari to Malawi where he is staying at £350-a-night Mvuu Camp for the second phase of a project to move elephants from an overpopulated area to one where they had been wiped out.”
This is an official trip, not a personal trip.
From Court Circular: 26/6 Prince Henry of Wales was received by The President of the Republic of Malawi at Sanjika Palace, Blantyre, Malawi, today.
Now you know. :-/
That just showed up today. I looked at the CC yesterday and there was nothing for Harry about being in Malawi.
Could be that it was made an ‘official’ trip after he arrived and managed to meet with the president.
Possible or Probable?
I’m wondering how this trip differs from William’s trip to Jecca’s wedding, where it was a private trip until he met an official person and managed to turn it into an official trip paid for by the taxpayers. It seems the same type of thing to me.
It seems that way to me too. Duplicitous behaviour. He draws his PO(s) into the situation. It speaks to character.
Sheesh! Of course because now the taxpayers get to pay for his jaunt!
The royals have perfected the art of OPM. What do they pay for themselives?!? This is right up there with William meeting with the president of Kenya-so they taxpayers would then have to foot the bill and to make people think he was working instead of hollidaying
This interview and the subsequent follow up or whatever it was, made whatever dwindling like a had for Harry dissipate completely.
Several us stated that he shouldn’t date actresses and there was a Christmas pic of him in a photo booth with models/actresses and other assundry celeb types if he doesn’t want to be seen as a celebrity. There was also the Angelina Jolie/brad Pitt thing with William and Kate. Harry has mastered the art of saying things but his actions say something totally different.
While he’s talking about his disdain for the job and what have you, I saw some article about how they’re renovating (I think the kents place) with the expectation that it will soon be Harry’s, which at this point just makes me mad.
His diarrhea of the mouth can only be interpreted one way-his fault, no one else’s. I don’t know the journalist who did the interview but I’m sure they didn’t go with antiestablishment one-usually they pic someone friendly for their cause-which was he just wanting to talk to someone? Was he supposed to be promoting something? Becuase why else give it?
Just bleh all around. Doesn’t he have an event with the Queen coming up? That should be interesting to see how that goes
Are you going to do a write up in the sovereign grant info that came out?
I just love diarrhea of the mouth. I’m so gonna use it later. But agreed. It’s his fault and needs to stop throwing blame on the press.
As for that event with the Queen, I can’t wait for it.
OMG Sarah, “diarrhea of the mouth”, great. Im still laughing. I dare say how easy it is to judge someone based solely on words and images. A writer or producer submits their work and they guide us to feel negative or positive about the subject . Still there is truth to Harry’s words. But his words are a jumbled mess of past and present feelings and thoughts . The message of being king or queen is one of duty not pursuit of the position is accurate . But his delivery of that message is what makes the Newsweek article a PR nightmare. Harry said in his interview that he and William want “to modernize the monarchy.” This was the mains topic of the wedding of William and Kate. Many people insisted the William marrying a “commoner” was a sight of “modernizing the monarchy”. But Monarchy is an ancient instituition, how do you modernize it? It is not up to William and Harry to decide what monarchy is, the British people have made it clear what is. They value tradition, elegance, displaying what is best about the UK, a strong sense of duty and ethic. Look – Harry and Will – get this – modern does not mean good. It simply means “now”.
a Harry insider tells E! News. ‘Of course there isn’t anyone who sits there and dreams about becoming King or Queen, and that’s what Harry was getting at. The point is, it’s something you’re born into. You don’t get the choice. If/when that day comes, you just get on with it to the best of your ability.’
Um, didn’t Kate do just that? Dream about becoming Queen?
I just love these insiders with the inside track to the latest news…
Here’s the latest from New Idea – Kate and her best buddy Mary are both pregnant and are both due in the same week. News of Kate’s pregnancy comes from her “longest friend” Jessica Hay. Of course there are no dates mentioned in the article in this week’s New Idea of course.
https://covers.magazinecloner.com/covers/151349/thumb/0000.jpg
New Idea and Woman’s Day are both full of piffle.
I know right!
They are funny to have a quick flip through, in the queue at the supermarket of course.
It’s the quoting of “special and close friends” or “royal insiders” that get to me. And they keep quoting Jessica Hay as Kate’s oldest and closest friend, so how come we don’t see heaps of photos of Kate and Jessica together if she is such a great friend?
I’ve found myself doing a lot of eye rolling with regards to Harry lately. He seems to be doing a lot of talking out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand he wants the access to do great things, things he more than likely would not be able to do without that HRH in front of his name and on the other he wants a “normal” life.
The real question is what does he consider to be “normal”. Normal for a herd boy in Africa is probably a distant reality to what Harry considers normal. Good for him that he does his own grocery shopping, that means he can afford to. Lots of people out there struggle to put food on the table for their families and that’s their normal. My guess jetting off to wherever, when he feels like it, going to clubs and hanging with actresses and models, the occasional polo match and going hunting when he pleases, all without the press hounding him is his idea of “normal”. I seriously doubt he is willing to give up the vast perks he has (and yes I know he has inherited some money, but it’s a small amount compared to some of his friends) for a life of actually working 4 to 5 days a week with only a few weeks (if that) for vacations.
The admiration I had for Harry and what he does has dimmed considerably for me. It seems lately that every time he opens his mouth he firmly puts his foot in it. I’m not sure what he feels he is accomplishing. Sharing that he went through therapy in an effort to let others know it’s okay to reach out for help is admirable. But his interviews aren’t therapy sessions where he should share everything that pops into his head that has bothered or is currently bothering him. There’s a limit to how much people want to know, especially if you appear to be more playboy prince than working prince.
JMHO
+1 “The real question is what does he consider to be ‘normal'”.
Yes! I’m curious as to what they define as being “normal” vs. what our definition is. Is it having the alarm clock going off multiple times until, finally, you surrender, get up and get ready for the work day? Is it taking your dog out for its morning walk? Is it you coming into the office, mentally planning what you hope to tackle that day? Is it you planning your meals (b/l/d) in your head? Is it you answering the phone at your desk and getting irked at some people’s ridiculous questions? Is his normal taking a call from a customer and, during the conversation, being flattered by the sincere compliment they give you because of how friendly and warm you come across though in reality, you’re tired and faking it? Is H/W/K’s normal clocking out but still having to do errands before you can go home, walk the dog again, make dinner and try to unwind at the end of the day?
Absolutely not. They have no idea that these questions I just typed is a fairly typical day for many of us and, for me, the Spoon theory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory), is added into my daily life which makes being a working woman even more amazing. No way could they deal with this lifestyle!
Sigh…..
They need to either put up or shut up.
Kimothy, thank you for this link. What a valuable visual analogy to the challenges and varying levels of exhaustion people face in handling daily activities of “normal” life. (Snark intended towards a particular trio at this time. However, I still have more hope for Harry with his charities/interests.)
Best wishes for your Chicago trip.
Thank you, Questalynne!
You know you have a trip coming when: you’ve updated your packing check list (and hope to print it out), have reminders on your phone to go to CVS and Publix to get meds (yes, again. *insert eye roll emoji*), start checking the weather for your arrival location, already packed your camera, memory cards, battery and plug/charger (guess who forgot the batter and charger plug at home last year when she went to the Transplant Games. D’oh!), and you remind yourself to do your laundry TONIGHT so that you can have fresh, clean (especially white) undies for the weekend. Whew!
I swear, the packing is my least favorite part of traveling! Especially since I have to pack so many meds (plus 3-days extra, just in case) and whatnot!
I am sure this is off topic, has anyone seen pictures or the gingerboy grocery shopping????
I have, there’s a Waitrose near to KP pretty much next door that he’s been papped at before.
Yes, gingeboy can do grocery shopping and when he is papped he isn’t happy. Apparently the trio get their food at Waitrose or Whole Foods and that he loves Nando. Can someone tell me what kind of shop Waitrose and Whole Foods are ? Like good quality products and a bit pricey or with a good bargain ? I’m French and these names are unknown to me.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/prince-harry-grocery-shopping-2017-6?r=US&IR=T
http://heavyarethecrowns.tumblr.com/post/92152443869/3giraffes3africa-prince-harry-grocery-shopping
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3520746/Eggs-royale-Prince-Harry-stuns-supermarket-shoppers-spotted-baseball-cap-using-self-service-till-buy-groceries-Waitrose.html
+ Bonus : K&W shopping together : https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9d/f1/dc/9df1dc93302a62fc0abbc65787ebb173.jpg
Waitrose is an upscale-ish supermarket. I liked it. Good stuff there. Also they have chocolate mousse cups. Like pudding cups. BUT BETTER. 😉 I think in the UK it is considered a bit expensive and for the posh set as opposed to Tesco, Sainsburys, etc. We just went to Waitrose because it was closest to the apartment we were using for our holiday.
Whole Foods plays on being organic and healthy, but I find it super overpriced for what it is; I can get the same stuff in regular grocery stores here for less money, same brands, etc.
Thanks Ellie for the information. Much appreciated 🙂
That last photo made me realize William is extraordinarly thin for his height. He looks like a plank.
I think that picture is a tiny bit old. ?????
Oh, ok, that would make sense!
I don’t think Kate has been seen shopping for food since “living” in Wales.
Whole Foods is sometimes called Whole Paycheck – it’s very expensive. If you like paleo, vegan, free-range and organic, rare, upscale food etc. then that’s your place. The cakes are great. Their food bar is also good, but of course pricey.
He does show at supermarkets. I’ve never seen or heard of him going to the wholefoods as that is in the same building as the DM offices which would be nightmarish for him, but he does go to the waitrose which is further away and more discreet if one wants to shop for their own food. No big crowds or paps hanging out thst side of Ken High Street.
Thanks Herazeus for the clarification.
When talking about The Crown: “They absolutely must not move on to the younger generation.”
Why? Why must they absolutely not move on to the younger generation? What is he afraid of them showing. Is he afraid that they will actually show the Royal Trio in a true light as opposed to the orchestrated PR machine that is put out all the time? It seems such a small thing to make a comment about and for him to care about. It seems like a strange thing to be so adamantly against. I do find it interesting that a royal member finally commented on the show. Harry is fine with them showing his grandma and older Generations but he doesn’t want him, Will and Kate depicted.
Also as a side note to blaming the media. It’s quite clear that Harry is like William in the sense he will never take responsibility for his own actions. It’s easier to blame others
I can’t imagine him wanting someone to portray him. And probably as a loser partier and William the superior, wonderful one. (I mean, can you see any show portraying W&K&H truthfully? No way. Gotta play into the mythos of the W&K “romance,” etc.)
I wouldn’t if I were Harry either.
They probably will replay some of his mistakes like the Nazi, Vegas, the statement … and as a party man while William will get a clean image, when he is even more dirty than Harry. And they
It’s one thing for him to say he hopes they don’t portray the younger generation; it’s quite another to say they “must not.” He just comes across so out of touch, to me.
The best way to counter the fall-out from these ill-advised interviews is for the young royals to get out and work more, like we were promised they would. And we know they don’t just like handshakes and photo appearances, so they show us the committed, impactful work they say they want to be doing as a royal.
I worry that the main legacy of Heads Together will be this – the expectation of sympathy for the young royals, and the endless confessional interviews in place of any more meaningful effect. I lost a parent young and while I will never know what it was like to have to grieve so publicly, I have tried to use the experience to be more understanding of others and to give money to charities which might help prevent others ever going through the same thing. Considering all the recent terror attacks and the fire, Harry’s allowed to feel sad about his own life, but a bit of perspective and a little more hard work might not go amiss.
+1
As others have previously pointed out, normal is incorrectly used by the dim royal brothers. The words they are looking for are anonymous & trustfund babies, so they are free to do nothing and attend to each of their whims without any criticism. Both middle-aged brothers need a reality check.
+1
Just a few thoughts:
On modernizing the monarchy: There’s more to modern organizations/leaders than maintaining social media accounts. The royal trio, and Jason, put too much emphasis on social media–collecting likes and followers, announcing key events (Charlotte’s birth, etc), releasing photos–and creating a glitzy royal foundation website, and not enough on substance. (And still they can’t even manage their social media accounts well!) I look at other royal women as being modern royals–Letizia, Mary and Rania–who actually lead, chair meetings, give substantive speeches and interviews, appear and speak before the UN, etc, as well as have a social media presence. There’s more to modern royal life than instagram.
Also, there’s more to being a modern royal than ditching the dress code. William probably counts down to the day when he can refuse to wear breeches and shoes with bows, but I’m afraid his disregard and lack of respect for tradition in general will harm him, should he ever reign. I can’t think of anytime that he expressed an appreciation for or interest in history past the queen’s youth (and then it’s only to support his laziness so he can have “family time”), but what I’ve learned from this forum alone about the history behind many of the traditions has made me more respectful of them. The royal trio need to demonstrate this, too. No more giggling or pouting expressions at key events.
Jason Knauf: I think we might be putting too much emphasis on his being American as a reason for the direction the royal trio’s PR has been heading. Yes, Jason is American by birth, but he hasn’t spent any significant time in the states since high school. He seems, to me, to detest American culture (apart from left-wing politicans), and would not have developed any professional contacts with American media–certainly not celebrity/gossip media–with his previous positions with the RBS and NZ politicians. I believe that Jason came into his role totally believing that the royal trio wanted to modernize the monarchy by becoming global spokespeople for social issues, like LGTB rights and mental health, in addition to reaching out more via social media. I firmly believe that Jason had no interest in, and initially fought against, furthering the plastic Disney prince/princess image. What Jason found out too late, I think, is that the royal trio wanted global respect but without putting any work behind it: no reading scientific papers or even briefing notes. So, Jason has found himself doing not much more than celebrity publicists–trying to media-manage celebrity-type behavior of silly instagram posts, issuing reactive statements due to royal tantrums, defending vacations and inappropriate travel to visit girlfriend, and reacting to drunken dancing dad videos. If Jason has been initiating coverage of the royal trio in American media, I think it’s more of a last-ditch effort to save the royal trio’s global reputation and his own job, rather than a long-term PR strategy. A great way to boost those numbers of instagram and Facebook followers and show your employers that you can generate favorable “global” (really just American) coverage. But I rather think it’s less of Jason’s initiative and more of his inability to control the narrative that is the reason for so much American fluff. And also, the American media don’t need anyone to pitch British stories to them; they’re hungry enough. But regardless of whomever initiates stories, he royal trio isn’t giving Jason much to work with beyond their smiles at infrequent appearances, and Jason is in over his head anyway. KP’s press office is nose diving, plummeting fast. Jason needs to go.
And whether it’s Jason’s idea or the royal trio’s, this constant summoning the ghost of Diana has got to stop. Show the world you’re more than just Diana’s sons–earn your own respect. Enough, totally enough, of this Princes’ Pity Party.
Why would it matter if Meghan advised him on mental health issues? I do not understand why that was even a question in this interview. Does the interviewer mean as far as his charity work is concerned or his personal mental health? I am super confused either way.
Meghan’s mom is a therapist, and Harry didn’t start opening up to the public about his mental health struggles until after he got with Meghan. So various reporters have been insinuating that it was Meghan who got Harry to open up publicly about this stuff. So that’s why I think that question was asked.
Ok that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation KMR!
Harry started talking about his mental health issues before he met Meghan. There was an article from 2015 which Harry speaks about the issue. He said he looked for therapy at the age of 28. The “Meghan helped him with his mental health” was said because there was some articles affirming that was Meghan who helped him with his mental health issues (look on DM), that was she who made him start talking about the issue. This is totally fake. The press loved to credit to Meghan everything good that happens to Harry, but when he makes mistake, it is not her credit. Ridiculous.
Ann
June 26, 2017 at 6:41 am (1 day ago)
(This was what I wrote on the other thread, and it applies to this latest news too)
“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.”
And the damage control always goes to the media was mean. Yes, the media is often mean – liking to find unflattering pictures or taking quotes out of context.
But, this interview was supposed to be positive and a good reflection of Harry. The interviewer nor the editor nor the media are to blame for this fallout. At another time this might have blown over super fast…but with the country on edge with Brexit, Theresa May’s chaotic vote, the terrorist attacks, and the fire, Harry’s choice of words (making it sound like the smaller countryside events were boring and old fashioned, making it sound as if shopping at Waitrose made him just like you, making it sound as if everyone in his family found the responsibility a drag but they need to make you believe in magic) stung hard.
Regarding Cressida and Cara / Poppy Delevingne, these are family friends. Or should i say, these are Eugenie family friends. Their mothers are besties with Fergie for more than 20yrs snd the families grew up in and around each other and hangout all together.
Like WH and Harry hanging out with the Van Cutsem, Palmer Tomkinson, Parker Bowles children.
Except that Cressida, Cara and Poppy chose a career in the spotlight. Ditto Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Tom Parker-Bowles.
Harry hanging out with the Yorkies is why he is hanging out with those particular ladies.
First a question: in one of the interview aftermath articles I read that Harry left the army because he took “exception to” one of his superior officers. Sorry, can’t find the article. I thought Harry left because of the desk job/dyslexia problem. Does anyone know the story behind this item?
I’ve been thinking about royal privilege and public resentment. I think the pact with the BRF has been that we love their glam and glitz, the jewels and uniforms. We grant them their unwordly lifestyle, but only as long as their lives aren’t too enviable. They can have a new outfit every appearance as long as they aren’t fashion model stylish, but have figure flaws, odd taste in hats, and wear head-to-toe matchy-matchy candy colors. They can take a lot of time off as long as their vacations are to flat Norfolk and rainy Scotland. Jetting off to France, the Caribbean, and African safaris just make us envious. They can have their Rolls Royces if they take them to boring ribbon cuttings and a life filled with silly outfits and making innocous small talk. The younger generations have forgotten these things. If they lead the life of glamourous stars, not dutiful royals, and rub our faces in it by whining, then the bill payers will except them to pay their own way, just like those stars and models do.
Interesting points.
I like the pomp and circumstance but could live without it especially as life gets harder for people and monarchy becomes questionable. There seems to be a growing consciousness of their obscene privilege. I don’t think living under the glam radar, living discreetly makes much difference nowadays. The problem with the younger royals are they are slothful, venal, mendacious gits and giant, ungrateful weeping welfare queens. Nobody likes that regardless of status.
They are merely gilded losers who deliberately lie to the public knowing with full and complete consciousness that they are not pulling their weight and spend tons of money on PR trying to justify it and keep us worshipping and bankrolling them. They epitomise exemption from life. Sad, really. But then there’s the arrogance.
The younger royals – who are no longer young, but I guess it’s all relative – bring their dismal personal qualities into sharp focus, despite their force field of PR either cleaning up their mess or heralding them as the best thing since sliced bread. Yep, I agree with your unvarnished assessment; how long before people demand changes in funding? Enjoying the pomp and tradition is one thing, but funding a family to this level is unsustainable and just plain unnecessary.
Fifi: the official reason was that he had reached the end of his career as far as his ability and unofficially that he would require to do a desk job when he prefers field work which is understandable given his dyslexia.
The article from Max Hastings, partially quoted above, that calls them out of touch priviliged idiots is where the revelation that he disliked his commanding officer who then persuaded him to quit, is made.
Here is full article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-4631072/Oh-stop-whinging-Harry-Max-Hastings.html
Thanks
These articles have even worse timing with the news about the amount of money that the Queen and Charles actually spend. And with more money to be sent to them next year. Of course Charles gets more money because of the trio’s expenses which are not specifically stated.
The UK people need to be demanding an exact accounting of the cost of all members of the Royal family who receive anything. It’s outrageous that this has been allowed to continue.
And if it is true that Will and Kate are in France right now… that’s crazy. With all the recent tragedies they should be doing way more. They are on holiday all the time.
Yes, money allocated to the BRF needs to be independently audited and accounts made public. It’s ridiculous that it is not able to be thoroughly scrutinised, especially in an era when every citizen in receipt of public funds undergoes surveillance, as do all public bodies. Clearly, lack of transparency and successive mealy-mouthed governments has allowed money to be funneled to family members when it should not be. The Queen has prioritised securing the comfort of her family and their entitlements; that she was able to get away with diverting monies meant for Buck Palace renovations for decades is just incredible. More reason for a compete review of the role of monarchy and expenditure allotted.
If the accounts are made public, it will be the end of the BRF. This is what happened to the French Monarchy. The minister of finance of that time, make the accounts public (and revealed the huge deficit), which provoked the ire of the rest of the population, and was one of the reasons that led to the Revolution.
An audit is clearly necessary will reveal unpleasant things. But it won’t happen when the Queen is still alive.
I actually find it sickening that he can write of all their expenses as a tax write off.
And the Queen gets a raise yet becuase if her mismanagement of funds and lack of due diligence the taxpayers are stuck with a huge bill to renovate BP
Yes, I’ve read many places that it shouldn’t matter what Will&Kate spend because it is their own/PC’s money. However, this overlooks the fact that the money came from British citizens. He didn’t earn it running a tech company or anything. So I think it is the people’s business.
Not mine, because I’m not British. I’m just nosy.
It is not an assumption that it is the people’s money, it is fact.
The duchy of cornwall and the crown estates were created centuries ago to pay for govt which in ye old times included the royal family. The duchy was created to finance POW in his work supporting the govt. None are personal property no matter what anyone says. The ownership paperwork doesn’t have a named person, only a peerage title which could just as easily be me or you.
They were both created by an act of parliament to pay for govt which at the time meant army, judiciary, parliament and the royal household.
The monarch was tasked with managing the property. Ditto POW managing the duchy of Cornwall.
George 3 handed that duty back to parliament as long as his expenses and the royal household continued to be paid. Charles, as the latest POW, is still managing the property assigned POW.
Regarding those expenses, we are still paying. Except instead of reimbursing expenses, it was decided that cutting a slice of the Crown Estates revenue at was a much better way to force a budget on the Queen who whilst being acknowledged as a poor money manager, is let off by blaming her advisors. Seriously, that was the gist of the parliamentary debates that accompanied this decision. And in a 13min parliamentary debate, we are going to pay an extra 10% for a minimal 10yrs to pay for refurbishment of BP. When the Crown estates do well, the Queen’s 15%-25% annual cut of revenues will be higher hence the raise. It works out better for her.
What goes under appreciated is that govt services now include public services such as NHS, police, and other public services. When 10% is cut out of the estates for BP refurbishment, that is 10% less funding available for public services.
This morning, all the MSM are busily telling the lie that the Crown estates belong or once belongeed to the royal family to hide this fact including the BBC!!! Last week there was anger about that 10% which cummulatively works out at £360M at current rates for BP vs a risible £5M to the victims of Grenfell Tower + Harry’s ‘ we are doing y’all a favour by royalling’ interview.
The Crown Estates and BRF websites state the truth very clearly, but who will look that up after knowing that the Queen magnanimously gives up almost a billion £ and is only asking for 25% back to pay her expenses.
Btw, none of this covers the other monies directly or indirectly taken from other govt depts which add upto £335M annually.
Nor does it cover money that covers foreign tours which are reimbursed by host country’s taxpayers.
If anyone is in doubt as to this family’s wealth, think about Diana’s divorce. Despite his supposed wealth, Charles had to borrow money from the Queen and sell off a few pieces of artworks and clear out his bank accounts in order to meet her £17M cash + £300K annual office expenses divorce settlement.
If he was as fabulously wealthy as everyone imagines outside of the taxpayer / state properties’ revenues, he should have met her demands without breaking a sweat.
Moochers.
This makes me so angry, it really is obscene.
Herazeus, if you don’t mind me asking you as you seem to be so knowledgeable, is it correct/kind of correct to say that William and Harry’s wealth also came indirectly from the taxpayers? I’ve heard several people write that they inherited it from Diana, so it has nothing to do with the taxpayers. But in my mind, if the money she had that they inherited was primarily from a settlement from Prince Charles, it did come (indirectly) from the British citizens. Is this true? (I don’t know how much of Diana’s estate was family wealth vs. royal wealth.)
Jenna: that is correct. Despite her great family wealth and inherited trustfund, most of her money at her death was from her divorce settlement.
She had just taken delivery of the £17M cash when she died. That is why her will isn’t simple in the sense of assets.
Most of her jewels were from the royal collection so those had been handed back to the royal family when she divorced.
In total, her will was worth approx £21M of which £17M was her divorce money.
After taxes and long term investment, she had £20M to share between William and Harry when they turned 30yrs old.
In terms of royal family trustfunds. Each has a trust created for them as children. It’s hard to estimate how much is put away for each child, but they become due when they reach 25yrs old.
Furthet, in 1994, the Queen mother got into a snaffu when it was discovered that she had put away an average of £9M per living great-grandchild ie B, E, H, W, Z, P also to be accessed when they hit 25yrs old.
This is why she appear to die penniless when infact she’d already given the money away and without the taxman getting their share.
Therefore, at base, WH have royal family trustfund + QM trustfund + diana money trustfund. And whatever interest those trusts accrued when they couldn’t access them due to age limits.
Someone like Zara frequently claims not to have any money, but she takes part in a very expensive sport that i’m sure depleted her trustfund a long time ago.
The larger question about source of royal family money is complicated.
Yes, some of it is robber barons dating back to 1066 and the norman conquest simply taking the peasants’ land as spoils of war.
Some of it was money wisely invested to acquire greater sums. You might quibble how they got the money in the first place, but for arguments’ sake they have it, and didn’t fritter it away especially when they have the state paying for their fripperies.
Wealthy people marrying the royals and bringing their family wealth to the royals eg the Duchess of Kent and The Queen Mother.
Many wealthy people frequently gift or bequeath to the royals either because they genuinely like(d) them, wanted to carry favour or in the case of Queen Mary, she simply took what she wanted when visiting friends eg Mrs Greville famously bequeathed the Queen Mother her tiara and matching bracelet, earrings and ring. Frequently seen on Camilla. What’s little known is that she bequeathed Princess Margaret £100K. In 1942. Think about how much that sum is in today’s money especially properly invested.
It’s funny that Harry thinks that doing your own grocery shopping defines ‘normal’. There is no norm to grocery shopping. Everyone does it because they have to eat to live. Or grow/hunt/gather their own.
This normal, ordinary person- me- can tell him what is truly normal- to want to never grocery shop again if I had servants, and I bet tons of people around the world would agree with me.
What he wants is control not normality. Just like Willy. It’s like they share the same pod.
I figure when you have an army of people to do everything for you going shopping for your own stuff and cooking it and blah-blah is probably normal. So if we look at it through Harry’s privileged eyes and how his life has always been, yeah, it’s not the done thing and is ‘normal’.
I don’t know why Harry just doesn’t get his food delivered? I’m fairly normal and have my food shopping delivered once a week. It’s not really that difficult, And Harrods Food Hall deliver locally if he can’t face the normality of Waitrose.
My local supermarket (Publix) just started it and I have the card in my wallet. I haven’t used it yet and will only do so whenever I’m feeling ridiculously crappy. Truth be told? I enjoy walking around the supermarket simply because of the fact that, a little over 21 years ago, I couldn’t do it and so I relish still having the ability! 🙂
I mistrust food deliveries of fruit and veggies because they send you the worst options, but since the supermarkets started delivering food, unless i’ve run out of something, and it can’t wait, i get everything else delivered. Best new development evah!,!
Just like online clothes shopping has released me from the tyranny of the high street changing rooms and rude shop assistants.
I recently did an online shop after my surgery as we had no food. NEVER AGAIN! The meat was horrendous, the veg quality awful, ugh, just no! But I don’t go to this grocery store often, the ones I go to don’t do online ordering.
I wish we had Waitrose here…
I agree, online grocery shopping is the ‘best evah’. Here it costs £2.38/US$3 per delivery, or free if an order is over a certain amount. Initially I had qualms re. fresh produce but found the opposite was true – the quality delivered is excellent since it comes directly from the supermarket’s warehouse. It’s the choice one gets before the produce is delivered to individual supermarkets. Given that this is the main concern for people, the supermarket chain (one of the two largest here) makes sure the quality of all perishable foods is excellent: long ‘best by’ dates on milk, bread, meat/fish and better quality veg than in my local supermarket. But if you’re unhappy with any part of your order, they’ll immediately credit the amount to your account, no questions asked. That said, I love grocery shopping, especially in other countries when I have more time.
Jen: i love farmers markets. That’s usually where i get my fruit and veggies.
African and Asian markets are fantastic for spices and fruit and veggies not stocked by supermarkets.
I’m vegan, so i can’t judge quality of meat and fish, but i understand the need for quality of produce.
Herazeus, you’d love the markets in my neck of the woods – lots of local organic produce, artisan cheeses, stalls devoted to olives, mushrooms, breads, and a lot of vegan products and cafés. It’s a treat. I get food delivered since I am often out of the city for work. Before I discovered home delivery, I’d schlep milk bread etc on a plane as I flew home, 850 miles away.
My mother had her groceries delivered when we were growing up. We were not wealthy, but had only one car, which my father took to work, so grocery shopping meant a 2 mile trek with the little red wagon with a toddler.
I have a CSA for veggies, so I’d do delivery if we had it here. I think people willing to shop for and deliver to us anti-grocery shoppers could make a fortune. It would a personal shopper for groceries.
But, soon he can get things delivered just like so many other ordinary people. Amazon is buying Whole Foods, I read. Forget brick and mortar stores, just go online!
I know right, the fact that he thinks doing his own shopping makes us plebeians normal, shows how out of touch he is! Most of us find shopping, laundry and other mundane tasks tedious and farm them as soon as we can!
I mean if little ol Sarah RN can get her food delivered than HRH Harry can too =)
And if he thinks that’s what makes someone normal and relatable that’s just sad
Lol. I send my husband out grocery shopping whenever possible :). When I moved out on my own for the first time I loved grocery shopping as it was a first sign of my independence. I also enjoyed paying bills since that also was a sign of my freedom. Both things I had never experience on my own. After a short while though, those things become monotonous and loose their charm. I think Harry is looking at those things the way most of us do when we first move out from our parents house. But he would soon discover the charm really isn’t there once it becomes part of your everyday life and not something special. In a way, he is stunted at a young age and never grew up from there. He looks at those things as idyllic when in reality they are just part of the humdrum of life.
Oops. Should have come here first before posting comment on MMR. I’ll just cut and paste what i wrote over there:
“This comment from a commentor on celebitchy sums up this situation succinctly because talk of MM and engagements is being used to distract from the fallout of that original newsweek article
Hashtagwhat says:
June 27, 2017 at 9:38 am
E! News (which is the link I was taken to) is owned by NBC, which also opens the network that airs Suits, USA Network. My friend who works there says execs absolutely see Markle as their property, entertainment wise, as all stars are expected to cooperate across platforms. That said, there’s nothing wrong with Meghan or whoever planting this and planting it doesn’t make it not true. It’s pretty clear that Meghan and Harry are working together on their PR.
What is mind-boggling is how utterly incompetent KP is. If you need not one, not two, but three articles to convince people that no, it’s not that you’re entitled or tone deaf, it’s that what you really meant is well, oh never mind because I just flew to another country for about 48 hours to see my girl and then on to another continent to go on safari, and see guys?
SHUT UP.
And p.s. Your mother didn’t take you to see homeless people so you’d know what “normal life” is. She took you so you’d see how PRIVILEGED you are. It didn’t work.”
+infinity just for your “p.s.” part, Herazeus! Hugs!
Whenever the brothers open their mouths to appear concerned and ‘one of us’, their real perspectives on life trip them up. Harry talks out his arse; if he wanted to use his position for good, as he claims, he’d be doing more a helluva lot more than he’s doing now, simple as that. The trio needs to be handed a schedule of full-time duties, end of story.
Preeeaaaach
Guess what, Meghan is going to be even more famous :
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/3897995/meghan-markles-private-life-to-be-exposed-in-new-tv-show-which-will-delve-into-juicy-family-secrets/
That’s milking the relationship to the dry end. Were the Middleton that desperate ?
Golly, I never realized her ex-husband looks a lot like Harry. Maybe she had a “type.”
And yes, the Midds are just as or even more desperate (See Pips’ interminable wedding and honeymoon updates). Only difference is Meg is leveraging her hustle, good looks, middling talent, and excellent networking skills all on her own. No rapacious stage mother like Carole.
I just realized that your name was Indiana Joanna. For the whole time I was reading it as Indiana Jones.
There’s no way she agreed to do this without Harry’s input. If something like this came as a surprise to him, the relationship would be over before she could muster any sort of explanation.
I have two positions on this:
1/ It is going to be damaging to Meghan with her family airing lots of secret and dirt about her like her dating history (Trevor, Cory, Harry and the in-betweens), her behavior … Plus a lot about their family dynamics (gun-loving brother, step-sister writing a tell-all book, satanist and Nazi niece, bankrupt parents …)
2/ It is going to be a positive documentary, fluffy and sugary, praising Meghan to the skies and whitewashing her past (erasing the suspicions on her cheating on Cory, Trevor …), selling her as the Perfect Duchess. If it is that way, that we can be sure a marriage in on its way.
Like you greymatters, I am wondering PH role and involvement in this. Meghan is in London right now. Let’s wait and see what happens.
Meghan herself hasn’t done anything she should be ashamed of.
Accusations that she cheated on her exes are baseless rumours perpetuated by people with no proof whatsoever to back it up. None of her exes has ever spoken publicly about their relationship so no one knows why it ended.
As for her family situation Meghan is the only child of her parents. Her father has two children from a previous marriage but they didn’t grow up together & Meghan hasn’t seen or spoken to them in years. She is estranged from them so what they do or say has no reflection on Meghan.
And regrading her parents bankruptcy…so what! Declaring bankruptcy does not make you a bad person. If you look around there are many people who go through financial problems. It makes her parents past situation more relatable.
I found Dickie Arbiter’s Twitter comments about Harry very funny. He basically said that Wales is too thick to be allowed a public voice unchaperoned.
The sooner he announces his engagement to Princess Sparkle the better IMO. Having gone from total distrust of her I’m now thinking she might be the best thing that ever happens to him and saves him from himself and his wretched brother and his wife.
On a more sombre note the senior Royals are at the funeral of Countess Mountbatten today. Prince Phillip looks well and there was a nice exchange between him and PoW on their arrival.
Has anyone been reading the Daily Mail serialisation of Penny Junor’s ‘Camilla at 70’ book? Bad choice of author and terrible timing with the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death approaching. It’s not gone down at all well here and seems to be reopening old wounds. I can’t believe that this will do anything to smooth the troubled relationship William & Harry appear to have with PoW at the moment. As many of you know I am a Diana devotée but have a lot of warmth for Camilla but this book is a spectacular own goal as we know that Penny Junor is a PoW apologist and this book has SJP cooperation all over it.
The BRF’s PR seems to be imploding. Talk about chaos! Popcorn time.
It’s not been a great year for sure. I think this promoting the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death isn’t helping things either. I noticed Kate has released a new engagement for next week……Wimbledon. ?? Can you believe that will now count towards her official engagement numbers. You couldn’t make it up.
I’m so over all this Diana talk! Did they ever get peeps to donate to the statute they should have just commissioned themselves?
I think they’re probably quite pleased with themselves for giving kate Wimbledon. People can’t gripe that she’s there becuase it’s work and now they can slowly add #’s to her small tally. Although, now that it’s work and she’ll have to show up the women’s and not just the men’s, she’ll try and beg off
Sarah, For me W&H have spoiled any positive memories that the anniversary would have evoked. And sorry, I forget who questioned why they are honoring a 20th anniversary rather than a 25th (Maven?), but it has turned out to be very self serving in intent, which has soured the entire thing. They are using her memory for their own pity party.
HM thought the tennis was so important that she never went — an unspoken judgement that it is a waste of her time. Then she hands it off to Katie. Now Katie can have friends and family waste official time with her. It doesn’t get any better than that for K.
O M G….for Dickie Arbiter to say that, sith has fit the fan because he remains the consumate grey man!!!
???
That’s as good an opinion as if it were coming from BP itself.
If her really said that no one sits around and dreams of being king or queen, he surely has never met his sister-in-law.
Lol.
Had the same thought when i read that comment.
Does he not know his SIL or Carole? The woman who dragged herself from a council flat and won’t look back, and why should she? A woman who raised daughters to only befriend TITLED people as a first priority and WEALTHY people as a necessity?!
Lol
Bwah! I guess the boys really are that gullible. For all their distrust of everyone and everything they can’t see what’s right in front of their noses.
+1!
So funny, y’all. Harry, meet Kate and Carole.
Men can be pretty dumb at times. Well, some men!
The Swedish king’s father died when C.G. was age 2 i think? He does not whine or use excuses! I resent Harry & Vicky’s moaning.
Though he doesn’t smile or look like he enjoys the job often.
I expect he’s much happier when he’s visiting his prostitutes. ?
Is that counted in his work totals?
The monarchy is in trouble once The Queen passes.
This is OT but connected to H. The 2016 Accounts for the Royal Foundation of W,K&H are available for download on the Foundation’s website.
GraceH, To add on to your comment I posted a link to a pamphlet calling for BRF spending transperancy. It’s awaiting moderation. Until then it’s at
https://www.republic.org.uk/sites/default/files/royalexpenses.pdf
I think this is from 2015? Or are they using the same one?
I like how they actually mention how the duchies of Lancaster & Cornwall saying they’re not personal property
Sarah, Yes, it’s from 2015. It’s still interesting that it lays out all the ways the RF should be transparent with tax payers’ money. I especially like that they published that each royal costs the taxpayer £18 million a year although it’s not clear which royals they are referring to. Still £18 million a year for doing around (for Willie) 190 engagements a year is mind boggling. Comes out to about £95,000 per engagement, most of which are only one hour.
My take was the 18 mil was for all the “working royals”
The fact that the sovereign grant link brings out the they only cost us 65 pence a person statement is blatantly not true and they should just stop.
The other one I wish they would stop saying is how they bring tourist?! Uh nope,never once have I visited London thinking I’m going there to see a Royal! I’ve seen the Crown Jewels & BP-all things you can do sans royals
I’ll have to re-read it.
I visited the Republic site and it addresses all those myths such as the royals bring in more money via tourism. You are correct, it’s simply untrue.
Thanks, Grace!
Am I correct in understanding that, for this year, 80% of expenditures went to “charitable activities” and yet only 43% of “charitable activities” went directly to the charities themselves? That means 67% of “charitable activities” went to “raising awareness and convening”–basically donated funds going back to promote the royal foundation and the royal trio themselves?
I’m going to put excerpts from a Forbes article in the comments about how to evaluate a charity. You can read that. OK?
I know is off topic today, but someone on Celebitchy just posted this link from Republic, some kind of movement to get the royals to be transparent about their spending public money.
https://www.republic.org.uk/sites/default/files/royalexpenses.pdf
For those that asked how to read and analyze the Royal Foundation’s annual accounts, here’s an excerpt from a Forbes article about how they evaluate and produce an annual list of the largest U.S. charities. This is their broad overview.
Their Methods:
–calculate three measures of financial efficiency
–determine the direction of the change, if any, from the prior period
–determine financial efficiency
Overhead, which is a component of these calculations, is not all bad. Charities need to pay for office staff and rent and any enterprise. The problems arise when these ratios get seriously out of whack.
Data to calculate efficiencies of most nonprofits can be found on the IRS Form 990 (for US charities), an audited financial statement or an annual report.
CHARITABLE COMMITMENT This figures out how much of a charity’s total expense went directly to the charitable purpose (also known as program support or program expense), as opposed to management, certain overhead expenses and fundraising. Charities that get most of their donations as gift-in-kind tend to do better here, because the individual gifts are larger and entail little or no fundraising expense. Charity watchdogs like the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance say charitable commitment should be no lower than 65%. [The higher the ratio the better.]
FUNDRAISING EFFICIENCY This shows the percentage of private donations left after subtracting the costs of getting them. Relying on fewer but larger donations and perhaps expansive valuations, some gift-in-kind charities look very efficient, with ratios of 100% (rounded) or very close. At the other end are charities that use expensive direct-mail and telephone solicitation. While the BBB considers 65% to be the bottom of respectability, at Forbes we draw the line at 70%. [The higher the ratio the better.]
DONOR DEPENDENCY A ratio measuring how badly a nonprofit needed contributions to break even. A ratio of 100% means revenues equaled expenses. A higher ratio than 100% means the charity had more expenses than revenue. It’s also possible to have a negative ratio, which means the charity (often a hospital or museum) had an annual surplus greater than all private donations. This ratio is highly sensitive to investment results and for many charities varies wildly from year to year. This ratio tends to identify charities pleading for money that actually have substantial financial reserves or other kinds of revenue.
……………..
The source article was published in Dec 2016.
Author: William P Barrett
Thank you GraceH
You’re welcome.
Thanks!
So, would someone more in the know be able to explain what this one is about? I read it and automatically jumped to “Yeah, he will use his clout for something, but it has to benefit him back” but I’m really interested in hearing the whole story. If anyone knows since this appears to be a bomb that was kept vwey secret for a long time? http://www.news.com.au/sport/football/prince-william-david-cameron-embroiled-in-world-cup-scandal/news-story/37e50cec42afd9685a023a42b58719a2
I’m surprised it seems William was involved in that level of bribery when I thought he was just there because he was into football (though isn’t Harry patron of the FA?).
Really not a good look /at all/ for William… Far worse than Harry’s whinging if you ask me.
That’s what I’m wondering. How deep is William’s involvement? Why even mention him if he’s got nothing to do with it? He doesn’t need any help tarnishing his own image.
One could say that by using his suite, don’t know that if he was it or not at the time might be used to sway the votes. That his Royal presence was enough. Kinda like I have a friend you can meet if you go with this. More complicit than the actual asking.
One could also argue that he didn’t know what was going to be asked during the meet. Or that William’s presence isn’t that impressive to get illicit votes =)
Just more bad news in a wk filled them
As much as I don’t want to admit it, he is exactly the type to use his clout for something like this. People in the UK are struggling and he’s trying to put the country in a position to spend more money on things that don’t benefit the people. What a rotten lot and so ungrateful for their privilege.
I used Gert’s Royals blog to collect this info. She’s conscientious. William is president of the FA.
“Football Association
President (May 2006)
William’s role as President is to support the FA (the governing body of English football), the sport, and the organizations initiatives and programs.
Previous Presidents: Prince Philip (1955–1957), Duke of Gloucester (1957–1963), Duke of Kent (1971–2000), Prince Andrew (2000-2006)”
Proximity to or access to certain influential people is often enough to get ensnared in an investigation.
Something that both angers and saddens me is the lack of respect the current young royals have toward their position. They’re representatives of a centuries old monarchy that is embedded in the cultural and historical and political landscape of one of the world’s most powerful countries, and they resent it. They actually resent it. That’s mind-boggling to me, and is slightly infuriating.
Agree! They should be humbled in gratitude and have much more reverence and respect for the historical value of the monarchy and the tradition of dedicating your life to service and duty. It’s an unearned honour and they don’t seem to have much gratitude or respect.
Although Harry is my favourite Royal, he doesn’t come off looking very good in these interviews. I believe that he is the most warm hearted of all the Royals and so much like his mother in his gift for connecting with all kinds of people. That being said, his recent comments show how entitled and out of touch even the best Royals are. With the state of the world right now and the recent spate of tragedies in England, it seems like very poor timing for a wealthy, spoiled and extremely privileged man who did nothing to earn it. He actually seems engaged in his charities, but is that enough to justify the ludicrous and exorbitant lifestyle he lives? Paid for by the public. Given that he is being given a free ride, he shouldn’t be publicly complaining about being born Royal and wanting a normal life. Like his lazy brother and leach of a sister in law, he wants all the wealth and privilege without earning it. If he really wanted to be normal, he would renounce his title, get a real job, not take a dime from his family, marry Meghan, have kids and live a modest life, working 9 to 5 to support his family. The younger Royals like to whine about normalcy and privacy, but aren’t willing to give up their cushy free ride. In the wake of the Grenfall Tower fire, where people, including children, perished because they were poor and lived in an unsafe building, it is totally inappropriate to whine about not wanting to be Royal. I like Meghan and hope that it is a true love match and that they are happy together, but I do wonder if she would still want to be with him if he gave up being a Royal? I think Harry has a good heart, but with his upbringing he just has no concept of the normal reality of most people. Princess Diana had a tendency to blurt out her feelings and thoughts and made a lot of waves in the Firm because of that and it appears that Harry inherited that tendency. I loved Princess Diana and feel sad and disappointed that her sons are such disappointments. William is a total dud and his wife is an expensive coat hanger with no personality, charisma or work ethic and Harry, with all his potential, is making some pretty big missteps. I hope he finds a way to rebound from this and really dedicate himself to philanthropy. With the behaviour, lack of work and public comments, Diana’s boys are giving me the impression that the monarchy is on its last legs. The Queen, with all her flaws, has dedicated herself to her role and duty, sacrificing for the position and privileges she was born into. Not once has she publicly complained about being born a Royal heiress. The younger generation are beyond spoiled, surrounded by sycophants, and live in the lap of luxury without earning it or doing more than the barest minimum. Having children doesn’t excuse them from their duty, but they’re ignoring that and despite having servants and nannies, they use raising a family as an excuse to not work. It’s sickening and disappointing and the last thing the people want to hear is that life is so hard for these pampered adult children. I genuinely like Harry and hope that he really has found true love with Meghan, but he needs to reflect on what he says publicly and think about the contrast between his life and the life of the average British citizen.
There is a direct hierarchy: HM-PC-PW. PG-PssC-Harry and so on down the line are part of that as well. The supporting characters (PP, Cam, Katie) should be helping their spouses fulfill their duty. It seems that there is a broken link between PC and his sons. If he can’t rein them in now and insist that they perform as their position behooves them to and not be the weak link in the chain, what will he do when HM has gone to her reward? It’s time for a class in government and political science for both of them. No holitours, no out-of-country holidays and tighter purse-strings may help emphasize the importance of learning those concepts.
Well that’s a blog to criticized, I get that, but I can see that most of the folks in here are Americans and I wonder why in the world to put that much effort on following and give your 2 cents on a life of people that has nothing to do with you or on your country… After live in the U.K. for 16 years, I can assure that the vast majority of the people loves the monarchy and do not care to pay for them since the return in tourism is much bigger and there’s proof of it. If they wanted to get rid of the royal family they would, like many other countries did shakes off the Brits. About all the scrunity over the comments on wanting a “normal life” and people complained that they don’t really want a normal life, I would like to remind that none of them (expect for the ones married with a royal) choose to be on this position, and what they really would do out of it? It’s not like people and the media would live they totally alone if tomorrow they decide to take a job somewhere and get out of the royal family. They are born rich, they have rich friends, they are not one of us simply because they born in a different situation, so for this people normal is different of what is normal for you. Imagine not being able to do anything without being dissected by people that you don’t even know and thinks that just because they see pictures of you they are entitle to criticize you or say how you should live your life. They are indeed important, not essential life important that no one could live without, but still part of the history, the pride and identify of the U.K. and in 16 years of United Kingdom, I’ve meet very few people complaining about it like Americans do. United States has no monarchy, so why not let alone people that enjoy to do so? How the lives of the royals can upset or change your life? It doesn’t. They still play a big role and if you go just shake hands on a charity, nothing happens, when they do, a lot of things happen. I’m really tired of the negativity and scrunity over something that you can be just chill about it. I dot care about Catherine or Camila, but I feel for Harry and William, just because they can do things that maybe you can’t, doesn’t meant that they are hearthless, naive, creatures sucking money.