I commend NPR for not having a Harry and Meghan thread!!

[mat the expat]

Chaps - FFS, this isn't Women's Weekly

[stemoc]

Chaps - FFS, this isn't Women's Weekly

moreso women's weekly, racism weekly and Royalty weekly.


personally i want to guess which royal made the 'race' claim.. i have an odd feeling its the future, future queen

[mat the expat]

Moving to Oz, I was hoping to avoid this kind of shit - there are hordes of monarchists here

[Openside]

And just like magic, everyone forgot about Andrew

Tbf I don’t think anyone has forgotten about him. Shagging a 17 year old isn’t illegal it’s just creepy. We won’t find out whether this young lady was trafficked (and whether he knew) until Ghislaine goes on trial I suspect...

As if you couldn't stoop any lower.

Which bit of that is incorrect?

[Jambanja]

Something else that struck me - she spoke of going to the head of B'ham Palace HR to seek help with her mental health problems, which I'm willing to believe that she had, and being denied assistance. Surely BP HR deals with hiring and firing the minions, not the personal problems of the Royal Family, their first port of call would be their personal physician.

As regards Archie's title or lack of and the provision of security, there's an article about that The Times today. It's hard to summarise it fairly but at the least it doesn't seem as simple as M & H suggested. I'm sure that Meghan has suffered from racism, given the state of the world it would be surprising if she hadn't. However, I don't think they help themselves by what seems like exaggeration. Edit - I didn't mean that their account of racism is an exaggerated.

Her husband is also a patron of Heads Together, a charity that ‘combines a campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services’. It also seeks to provide ‘mental health programmes to ensure that the right help is available to anyone seeking mental health support, wherever they are and whenever they need it’.

And yet when his wife wanted mental health support he apparently didn’t think to make use of all his contacts to provide her with access to the support she needed, but instead left her to talk to HR, which as you say is there to deal with employees, and not family members.

Very good point well made

[fishfoodie]

Without being completely tasteless, the skin colour of Archie was never in doubt. Megan looks white ffs, and Harry is white. I'd like to think that the royal family know about mixing colours.

I take it assfly, you're not a fan of Public Enemy ?

In one of their tracks, on the Album, "Fear of the Black Planet", they repeatedly sample in a few lines from the comedian Dick Gregory; "Black man, black woman, black baby / white man, black woman, black baby ?"

It's repeating the racist dogma; that if a child has any black, "blood"; it's a, "black baby"; which is just an extension of the horrific Nazi; Race & Purity Laws; that defined what mix of Jewish & Aryan meant you got shipped off to the camps, or just got sterilized.

Why would anyone care what mix of ethnicities a child has ?

Normal people just hope a child is born healthy & that's enough !

[Macrosan]

Moving to Oz, I was hoping to avoid this kind of shit - there are hordes of monarchists here

And a bunch of them have Irish Catholic heritage

[Not_Couch]

This whole situation is stupid

I really could give two flying fucks about them or the royals at large.

Now is somebody finally going to arrest the dirty cunt prince Andrew?

[Enzedder]

Something else that struck me - she spoke of going to the head of B'ham Palace HR to seek help with her mental health problems, which I'm willing to believe that she had, and being denied assistance. Surely BP HR deals with hiring and firing the minions, not the personal problems of the Royal Family, their first port of call would be their personal physician.

As regards Archie's title or lack of and the provision of security, there's an article about that The Times today. It's hard to summarise it fairly but at the least it doesn't seem as simple as M & H suggested. I'm sure that Meghan has suffered from racism, given the state of the world it would be surprising if she hadn't. However, I don't think they help themselves by what seems like exaggeration. Edit - I didn't mean that their account of racism is an exaggerated.

Her husband is also a patron of Heads Together, a charity that ‘combines a campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services’. It also seeks to provide ‘mental health programmes to ensure that the right help is available to anyone seeking mental health support, wherever they are and whenever they need it’.

And yet when his wife wanted mental health support he apparently didn’t think to make use of all his contacts to provide her with access to the support she needed, but instead left her to talk to HR, which as you say is there to deal with employees, and not family members.

Very good point well made

She probably did get that help - just not from The Firm

[assfly]

A very reasonable debate so far, this is definitely not planet rugby!

I personally don't think the royal family were that concerned about having a mixed-race member of the family and baby. In fact I think the PR could have been quite good. I actually think there would have been more concern about her class. Kate at least comes from a similar class which is perhaps why she slotted in so well to the royal family. Megan might come from money and fame, but moving up the class ladder to royal family was always going to be a big leap, even by her own admission.

[Calculon]

I read that someone at the Palace asked Meghan to be "50% less". I take it to mean that she was thought to have a little too much personally and be a little bit too opinionated.

You can't really take away 50% of Kate's personality because... well she doesn't appear to have any to start with.

[Lemoentjie]

How on Earth can she be black? Her father is white, and her mother is black. She's just as white as she is black.

I assume the argument is that people who are partly black suffer at least some of the racism that entirely black people suffer. I can understand that.

But at that point you are arguing that race is not genetic.

Her parents do seem 'purely' white and black. If someone says Megan is white, people would become angry. If someone says Megan is black, no one even blinks.

Her features appear more white, in my point of view. She looks quite similar to the type of mestizos/mulattos (I think that is the correct word) you find in South America apart from in the Rio de la Plata area

[Openside]

Her husband is also a patron of Heads Together, a charity that ‘combines a campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services’. It also seeks to provide ‘mental health programmes to ensure that the right help is available to anyone seeking mental health support, wherever they are and whenever they need it’.

And yet when his wife wanted mental health support he apparently didn’t think to make use of all his contacts to provide her with access to the support she needed, but instead left her to talk to HR, which as you say is there to deal with employees, and not family members.

Very good point well made

She probably did get that help - just not from The Firm

So she got it then, we are discussing a wealthy 38 year old divorcee and her 36? Year old husband. They are not children...

[Openside]

I read that someone at the Palace asked Meghan to be "50% less". I take it to mean that she was thought to have a little too much personally and be a little bit too opinionated.

You can't really take away 50% of Kate's personality because... well she doesn't appear to have any to start with.

Out of curiosity what are you basing that on?

[Torquemada 1420]

Meghan is a Wannabe Whitey (a coconut.... although barely discernibly so physically) who sought entry to a circle where class, privilege and racism (sexism too) come bundled as a package for the benefits of class and privilege, and then has got upset at the racism aspect.

[Insane_Homer]

So she got it then, we are discussing a wealthy 38 year old divorcee and her 36? Year old husband. They are not children...

Are you saying wealthy people in the 30s can't have mental health issue?

[I like neeps]

Something else that struck me - she spoke of going to the head of B'ham Palace HR to seek help with her mental health problems, which I'm willing to believe that she had, and being denied assistance. Surely BP HR deals with hiring and firing the minions, not the personal problems of the Royal Family, their first port of call would be their personal physician.

As regards Archie's title or lack of and the provision of security, there's an article about that The Times today. It's hard to summarise it fairly but at the least it doesn't seem as simple as M & H suggested. I'm sure that Meghan has suffered from racism, given the state of the world it would be surprising if she hadn't. However, I don't think they help themselves by what seems like exaggeration. Edit - I didn't mean that their account of racism is an exaggerated.

Her husband is also a patron of Heads Together, a charity that ‘combines a campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services’. It also seeks to provide ‘mental health programmes to ensure that the right help is available to anyone seeking mental health support, wherever they are and whenever they need it’.

And yet when his wife wanted mental health support he apparently didn’t think to make use of all his contacts to provide her with access to the support she needed, but instead left her to talk to HR, which as you say is there to deal with employees, and not family members.

Very good point well made

Alternatively: "yes hello mental health phoneline I'm HRH the duchess of Sussex and I'm having a really tough time with my mental health". Or Prince Harry "yes hi guys whose charity I'm a patron of my wife is suicidal because of the royal family goldfish bowl what can you do to help?".

Aye that's a realistic proposition. It's hard enough for People to ask for help. Imagine for a royal. It wouldn't surprise me if that was forbidden even. It's hardly a normal family.

[Openside]

A very reasonable debate so far, this is definitely not planet rugby!

I personally don't think the royal family were that concerned about having a mixed-race member of the family and baby. In fact I think the PR could have been quite good. I actually think there would have been more concern about her class. Kate at least comes from a similar class which is perhaps why she slotted in so well to the royal family. Megan might come from money and fame, but moving up the class ladder to royal family was always going to be a big leap, even by her own admission.

Kate came from solid upper middle class stock(father company director, mother an air hostess, educated at Marlborough) she is no blue blood.

I imagine the 50% less thing is just a clash of cultures like writing on the bananas at the woman’s shelter. Yanks lap that shit up, Brits think how nauseatingly earnest

[Openside]

Her husband is also a patron of Heads Together, a charity that ‘combines a campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services’. It also seeks to provide ‘mental health programmes to ensure that the right help is available to anyone seeking mental health support, wherever they are and whenever they need it’.

And yet when his wife wanted mental health support he apparently didn’t think to make use of all his contacts to provide her with access to the support she needed, but instead left her to talk to HR, which as you say is there to deal with employees, and not family members.

Very good point well made

Alternatively: "yes hello mental health phoneline I'm HRH the duchess of Sussex and I'm having a really tough time with my mental health". Or Prince Harry "yes hi guys whose charity I'm a patron of my wife is suicidal because of the royal family goldfish bowl what can you do to help?".

Aye that's a realistic proposition. It's hard enough for People to ask for help. Imagine for a royal. It wouldn't surprise me if that was forbidden even. It's hardly a normal family.

No one is suggesting he phones up the help line but a discreet word with the charity head would have had them clambering to help to show what a worthwhile set up they were.

[Torquemada 1420]

Kate came from solid upper middle class stock(father company director, mother an air hostess, educated at Marlborough) she is no blue blood.

Acceptable because the royals recognise that the consequences of inbreeding these days cannot be hidden via secret graves.

[Openside]

Kate came from solid upper middle class stock(father company director, mother an air hostess, educated at Marlborough) she is no blue blood.

Acceptable because the royals recognise that the consequences of inbreeding these days cannot be hidden via secret graves.

there are plenty of aristocrats that they could safely breed with. Marrying Kate I saw as a considerable modernisation of the monarchy not wanting to repeat the Charles experiment.

[SaintK]

Oh Shit

You complete arse, look what you've done!!
Two sodding pages already

THAT WAS THE JOKE

I know!
I was being ironic

[assfly]

Kate came from solid upper middle class stock(father company director, mother an air hostess, educated at Marlborough) she is no blue blood.

Fair enough, but still the opposite end of the spectrum than Megan.

Interesting that I always hear people describe Kate as classy. Even I do it, totally subconsciously.

[Lobby]

Her husband is also a patron of Heads Together, a charity that ‘combines a campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services’. It also seeks to provide ‘mental health programmes to ensure that the right help is available to anyone seeking mental health support, wherever they are and whenever they need it’.

And yet when his wife wanted mental health support he apparently didn’t think to make use of all his contacts to provide her with access to the support she needed, but instead left her to talk to HR, which as you say is there to deal with employees, and not family members.

Very good point well made

Alternatively: "yes hello mental health phoneline I'm HRH the duchess of Sussex and I'm having a really tough time with my mental health". Or Prince Harry "yes hi guys whose charity I'm a patron of my wife is suicidal because of the royal family goldfish bowl what can you do to help?".

Aye that's a realistic proposition. It's hard enough for People to ask for help. Imagine for a royal. It wouldn't surprise me if that was forbidden even. It's hardly a normal family.

Or alternatively she could have spoken to her or her husband's personal physician, who could have referred them to someone who could help. Either are a more realistic proposition than speaking to some poor sod in HR who usually deals with hiring and firing the staff.

[Openside]

You complete arse, look what you've done!!
Two sodding pages already

THAT WAS THE JOKE

I know!
I was being ironic

Sorry

[Slick]

I watched it last night....

Both of them were very articulate but it was a fairly horrible watch.

I have to say it reminded me completely of a mate who was in a poisonous relationship for many years then suddenly woke up. Exactly the same thing happened in that he became estranged from his family and friends and I can imagine that a lot of the issues that were expressed in the inyterview have come about in the same way. There were a few times when competely innocuous remarks were suddenly dragged up months or years later, twisted, and used as a weapon against people with him falling in line. Pitting friends against each other then crying for help when it all unravelled before starting on a new target. His opinions and personality being completely eroded and falling into line with hers. Being fed lines the whole time.

It looks very similar from a distance.

re. the interview, there was so many contradictions that i'm not sure how anyone can take it at face value.

[Torquemada 1420]

[Openside]

Kate came from solid upper middle class stock(father company director, mother an air hostess, educated at Marlborough) she is no blue blood.

Fair enough, but still the opposite end of the spectrum than Megan.

Interesting that I always hear people describe Kate as classy. Even I do it, totally subconsciously.

Assfly I don’t even think that is true, Meghan had a pretty privileged upbringing too. Trips to Europe, privately educated, father had a well paid technical job in a film studio. I am not aware of how that translates to class in US but I imagine broadly similar??

[Openside]

I watched it last night....

Both of them were very articulate but it was a fairly horrible watch.

I have to say it reminded me completely of a mate who was in a poisonous relationship for many years then suddenly woke up. Exactly the same thing happened in that he became estranged from his family and friends and I can imagine that a lot of the issues that were expressed in the inyterview have come about in the same way. There were a few times when competely innocuous remarks were suddenly dragged up months or years later, twisted, and used as a weapon against people with him falling in line. Pitting friends against each other then crying for help when it all unravelled before starting on a new target. His opinions and personality being completely eroded and falling into line with hers. Being fed lines the whole time.

It looks very similar from a distance.

re. the interview, there was so many contradictions that i'm not sure how anyone can take it at face value.

Interesting observation, a form of Stockholm syndrome...

[I like neeps]

Very good point well made

Alternatively: "yes hello mental health phoneline I'm HRH the duchess of Sussex and I'm having a really tough time with my mental health". Or Prince Harry "yes hi guys whose charity I'm a patron of my wife is suicidal because of the royal family goldfish bowl what can you do to help?".

Aye that's a realistic proposition. It's hard enough for People to ask for help. Imagine for a royal. It wouldn't surprise me if that was forbidden even. It's hardly a normal family.

Or alternatively she could have spoken to her or her husband's personal physician, who could have referred them to someone who could help. Either are a more realistic proposition than speaking to some poor sod in HR who usually deals with hiring and firing the staff.

Or maybe to access support you have to ask the firm? Maybe thems the rules. It is with my workplace, we have mental health support available through a designated mental health first aider who works in HR. I could also see my doctor but I don't have a work doctor like they do. I don't imagine the royal family have a very progressive method of accessing mental health support because you cannot blab how you feel. Imagine it getting out! Meghan sees shrink would be news for months.

I just don't think it's so neat and tidy as being able simply ask for help from a charity.

[GogLais]

Very good point well made

Alternatively: "yes hello mental health phoneline I'm HRH the duchess of Sussex and I'm having a really tough time with my mental health". Or Prince Harry "yes hi guys whose charity I'm a patron of my wife is suicidal because of the royal family goldfish bowl what can you do to help?".

Aye that's a realistic proposition. It's hard enough for People to ask for help. Imagine for a royal. It wouldn't surprise me if that was forbidden even. It's hardly a normal family.

Or alternatively she could have spoken to her or her husband's personal physician, who could have referred them to someone who could help. Either are a more realistic proposition than speaking to some poor sod in HR who usually deals with hiring and firing the staff.

Exactly. I'm not unsympathetic to M & H but I thought bollox when she said that.

[assfly]

Assfly I don’t even think that is true, Meghan had a pretty privileged upbringing too. Trips to Europe, privately educated, father had a well paid technical job in a film studio. I am not aware of how that translates to class in US but I imagine broadly similar??

I don't know either of them well enough to comment any more than I have, but on face value they strike me as opposite ends of the class spectrum. Especially based on their behaviour in recent years.

[Blackmac]

And just like magic, everyone forgot about Andrew

Tbf I don’t think anyone has gotten about him. Shagging a 17 year old isn’t illegal it’s just creepy. We won’t find out whether this young lady was trafficked (and whether he knew) until Ghislaine goes on trial I suspect...

Isn't he alleged to have done it in the US where age of consent is often (though not always, states have different laws) 18?

You would have hoped that after a near 12 year investigation they would have proof of that, but we appear to be still waiting........

[Glaston]

Re the mental health thing.

She mostly lived in California, links to Hollywood from an early age, a decade in films and tv.

Like all her peers she would have her therapists on speed dial.

Did the Palace remove her phone contacts?

[Blackmac]

Kate came from solid upper middle class stock(father company director, mother an air hostess, educated at Marlborough) she is no blue blood.

Fair enough, but still the opposite end of the spectrum than Megan.

Interesting that I always hear people describe Kate as classy. Even I do it, totally subconsciously.

Assfly I don’t even think that is true, Meghan had a pretty privileged upbringing too. Trips to Europe, privately educated, father had a well paid technical job in a film studio. I am not aware of how that translates to class in US but I imagine broadly similar??

Was that not one of the early lies she produced, that her dad cut her off and refused to pay for her college education, however he was able to produce receipts for the college payments he had made.

[Blackmac]

Re the mental health thing.

She mostly lived in California, links to Hollywood from an early age, a decade in films and tv.

Like all her peers she would have her therapists on speed dial.

Did the Palace remove her phone contacts?

The claim about her passport, driving licence etc getting confiscated was a belter.

[sockwithaticket]

Kate came from solid upper middle class stock(father company director, mother an air hostess, educated at Marlborough) she is no blue blood.

Fair enough, but still the opposite end of the spectrum than Megan.

Interesting that I always hear people describe Kate as classy. Even I do it, totally subconsciously.

I think that's probably more to do with one being a Yank and the other being a posh Brit (maybe not a true blue blood, but certainly posher than the vast majority) than anything.

There are very few Americans I've come across who give a sort of traditional sense of classiness as it's understood in the Anglosphere.

[Openside]

Re the mental health thing.

She mostly lived in California, links to Hollywood from an early age, a decade in films and tv.

Like all her peers she would have her therapists on speed dial.

Did the Palace remove her phone contacts?

The claim about her passport, driving licence etc getting confiscated was a belter.

Indeed that sounded desperately unlikely. However she needs the Monarchs permission for Archie to travel abroad. (she obviously got it)

[stemoc]

Americans always looking to create drama wherever they go....

[Openside]

Tbf I don’t think anyone has gotten about him. Shagging a 17 year old isn’t illegal it’s just creepy. We won’t find out whether this young lady was trafficked (and whether he knew) until Ghislaine goes on trial I suspect...

Isn't he alleged to have done it in the US where age of consent is often (though not always, states have different laws) 18?

You would have hoped that after a near 12 year investigation they would have proof of that, but we appear to be still waiting........

Quite, I think having met him through military circles(my bro was on his ship) I am happy to accept that Andrew is a massive bellend However I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of corroborated evidence before we convict him of the second most heinous crime on the planet...