Harry and Megan

[Baggers]

As i've mentioned, i don't follow the royals. I didn't know who Megan Markle was before it was pointed out publicly (didn't know her hollywood career). One of the first things that was reported was that she was black (or had african/american heritage). I didn't know at the time, nor really cared, but i remember it being reported like that and it striking me as weird that it was even mentioned.

I suspect that the storm around Meghan's ethnicity was more a media creation than anything else. We know how deeply conservative types within the media prefer the status quo is maintained, even extending to racial lineage.

[LP]

I suspect that the storm around Meghan's ethnicity was more a media creation than anything else. We know how deeply conservative types within the media prefer the status quo is maintained, even extending to racial lineage.

This is probably true, the media have little or no morals and will play to the loudest voices, even if they are a clear minority.

The problem I have is that the Harkles seem to have picked up on this as a highly profitable tangent to all the other complaints they publicly air!

[Gointocarlton]

This is probably true, the media have little or no morals and will play to the loudest voices, even if they are a clear minority.

The problem I have is that the Harkles seem to have picked up on this as a highly profitable tangent to all the other complaints they publicly air!

People keep banging on about this being about money, I don't get that from what they have said to date. As for them  picking up on the racisms stuff, again I don't get that from what I have heard or read. Harry's main beef is about being sold out by family.

[DJC]

People keep banging on about this being about money, I don't get that from what they have said to date. As for them  picking up on the racisms stuff, again I don't get that from what I have heard or read. Harry's main beef is about being sold out by family.

Yes, Harry and Meghan don't need the money, but Harry needs to exorcise some demons.

Sadly, many of the Brits don't get it, but the "Royal family" is just another Pommy family with more than its share of flaws and skeletons in cupboards.  The difference is that it has the Palace to screen it from close scrutiny and make problems go away.

[LP]

People keep banging on about this being about money, I don't get that from what they have said to date. As for them  picking up on the racisms stuff, again I don't get that from what I have heard or read. Harry's main beef is about being sold out by family.

So you expect them to come out and publicly state that some of it is about the cash! :o

As an aside I have a few UK associates who exist in the sort of circles that allows them some insight into the situation, they are even more cynical than myself, I've actually found myself trying to temper their perspective!

[Lods]

People keep banging on about this being about money, I don't get that from what they have said to date. As for them  picking up on the racisms stuff, again I don't get that from what I have heard or read. Harry's main beef is about being sold out by family.

That's the irony of the whole thing.
Harry didn't want to be out of the family.
He wanted to be more included, albeit with the ability to pursue personal favourite projects.
He wanted the same deal as his brother and his brother's wife.
He wanted his wife to be treated with respect, same as Kate.
All fair requests.

It's the hierarchial nature of the monarchy though that the 'heir' will always come before the 'spare'.
Andrew would have felt it all his life with Charles as his brother.
One of the differences is that Andrew had Phillip as a father. A man totally invested in the monarchy and it's traditions. He would have told Andrew that was his place and to suck it up.
In contrast Harry's mother was Diana, someone who more than any represents the problems of being involved in that system. Having seen what happened to his mother Harry would have been torn between 'duty' and concern for his family.
It's not surprising he rebelled.
But he remains torn.
He talks about doing work for his father if the issues can be resolved.
The issue isn't so much that he wants that separation, as that for him the break can't be clean....and he has to take a few parting shots that make reconciliation very difficult.

[LP]

That's the irony of the whole thing.
Harry didn't want to be out of the family.
He wanted to be more included, albeit with the ability to pursue personal favourite projects.
He wanted the same deal as his brother and his brother's wife.
He wanted his wife to be treated with respect, same as Kate.
All fair requests.

He's speaking his truth, for the rest of us we have no way to tell if it is reality!

The associates I have are Andrew's age / generation, went to the same schools, some of them served together in the same military units, they seem to think the situation as it has been relayed is as fictitious as it is scandalous! This idea that a family disagreement is somehow a lack of support or empathy is ridiculous, that the current events are a tantrum, the infant throwing his toys out of the cot because he didn't get his way! If this is true, who's tantrum is it, I can tell from the reports, which is why I refer to them as Harkle.

A hypothetical question, completely unsubstantiated, but still worth consideration. Is a famed Hollywood type likely to accept a low rank in the public pecking order, or are they naturally highly motivated and driven to be front of stage by any means necessary?

[ElwoodBlues1]

Being the Royal Spare or Royal medi-sub and complaining about it when ordinary folk are doing it tough everywhere in the world... how thoughtless and selfish given his life opportunities handed to him on a plate.  Thats how it works in life, sport and in the Royal family. Someone has to be the medi-sub or play off the bench.....maybe Harry can talk to his father's brother Edward and get some tips on being one of the Royal medi-subs and having to play in the twos all his life. Go and talk to Scottie Pippen and see how he handled being second banana behind Michael Jordan etc etc...
Its amazing how greedy and ungrateful entitlement can make you and Harry and his wife famed for their charity work need to have a look in the mirror and do a reality check. It might help them understand how lucky they really are and spare us from all this sooking up over Dad and his brother. Yep his Father and his witchy old wife are no good and his brother is a chip of the old block too but all families get these issues but not all families have a lovely Royal Lifestyle to fall back on. He hasnt got over his mothers passing and how his father treated her etc and I get that but we dont need a book,  a TV series and ongoing commentary, get a therapist, move on with your life and show everyone who is the better Royal .But accept you are not the star player on the Royal team and get the medi vest on and when you get your chance to play you can show who is the better player but in the meantime give it a rest ...

[crashlander]

I can't believe the Royal Family is as 'racist' as they are being portrayed.
For one, their own family tree, like mine, contains ancestors from all over Europe, with some interesting asides in Western Asia (Armenia, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and a handful of Muslim princesses, to name but a few). Being racist is like biting their own b*m.
On the other hand, they may not have the language to express themselves. One of Queen Elizabeth's cronies got in trouble lately for not being able to express herself properly, when asking about the background of black lady she met. The poor old thing, seeing this incredible display of Nigerian culture, made a mess by saying "Where are you from?" instead of "What is your background?" I certainly didn't think she was being racist: she was being ignorant ( a crime that has a cure, called 'education'). Certainly, very few black people move in her circles, probably less so when the woman in question was growing up.

One of things Harry doesn't seem to understand is the lack of outward emotion that the Royals express. Showing too much of yourself was 'just not done' when Elizabeth was growing up, and hadn't been since at least the days of Queen Victoria. She would have brought up her offspring the same way: it was the only way she knew how.
Diana was not not like that, and Harry thinks he models himself more on her, but even she was relatively reserved in public.

Elizabeth, in particular, lead a life of service. her motto comes from her Hanoverian forebears:  'Ich dien." I serve. That was the cornerstone of her life.
Harry seems to have forgotten that part. Certainly Will and Kate haven't. Even the 'bad boys' haven't: it hurt Andrew to be relieved from Royal duties (even though he deserved it). That was the entire point of relieving him of his duties.

[Baggers]

Yep his Father and his witchy old wife are no good and his brother is a chip of the old block too but all families get these issues but not all families have a lovely Royal Lifestyle to fall back on. He hasnt got over his mothers passing and how his father treated her etc and I get that but we dont need a book,  a TV series and ongoing commentary, get a therapist, move on with your life and show everyone who is the better Royal .But accept you are not the star player on the Royal team and get the medi vest on and when you get your chance to play you can show who is the better player but in the meantime give it a rest ...

Totally understand and as you point out, all families have their issues (large and small) and in the dealing with these bigger and more dramatic issues, many more within our circle of family, friends and loved ones will invariably become involved to some degree. However...

...These Royal/Hollywood & media cats have global, public audiences/connections. The ball games changes. These media types won't hesitate to share it all, along with their mandatory perspectives, opinions and judgements - voila, we're all sucked into this grand show, invited to do the same - share our perspectives, opinions and judgement, all fanned with great enthusiasm by these righteous media opinion broadcasters - let's keep these clicks a rollin'. Sheesh, if there's only a scintilla of a story these opportunists, pregnant with agendas (and a need to justify their relevance), will pour fuels of sensation on any issue to create glorious flames for the public to warm themselves by, and perhaps even admire the said broadcaster should their opinion align (with ours).

Of course the Royal individuals are hamstrung by rules and traditions and rely on media buddies to do their dirty work, as well as glittering PR machines to grandly embellish any good they do along with being the 'voice' of protection/justification etc. to the Royal individuals in times of need.

Equipped with more freedom than the Royal individuals, H&M are taking advantage of these media voices as well to share their side of the story, which of course includes their justified grievances and hurts, supportive cherry picking (as the other side does), grand gestures of all manner and a, right or wrong, healthy dollop of 'woe is me' - which dovetails beautifully into the perceived injustices we all carry.

Fortunately for most of us mere mortals we don't have to contend with all that! Devoid of media interest in our individual trials and tribulations, our squabbles remain in the family (unless someone resorts to illegal behaviour resulting in harm or death).