I never heard of this woman until she became involved with Harry-a second rate actress on a cable show and a " suitcase model" on some game show is well-known? I dont think so. Do you know the other suitcase girls too?
I am only judging her based on the appearance she volunteered on Oprah, where I thought her utter self-absorption and immaturity were astounding ( as was her husband’s). That was plenty to form an opinion. And by the way, I don’t consider her " young"- late 30s/ early 40s is hardly a young inexperienced bride.
Meghan, as an 11-year-old, wrote a letter to P&G about their Ivory dish soap commercial being targeted to women. There were obviously adults influencing her actions, so any sort of “accolades” for her efforts are meaningless. The bigger point is that she, unfortunately, was trained to be a troublemaker from a young age. This one incident doesn’t prove that, but she has continually acted in the same spirit as an adult. Hence, a lot of negative publicity because she just isn’t likable…. But to answer your question, no, I don’t think any woman complaining about sexism over the last 50 years is playing the victim.
As @roycroftmom pointed out, Meghan refers to herself as biracial. And IMO, people that mention pulling the race card are very, very likely NOT to be racist. Different backgrounds, I suppose.
Did I say that? I don’t keep up with British rags. I don’t care what they say. But it wouldn’t be surprising if they paint such an unlikable person in a negative light.
Well, my opinion is different. Acting is a profession, as is being a fashion model. I have more respect for professions like doctors or nurses or teachers or lawyers, but I acknowledge that she was a self-supporting professional. I understand that you think appearing on tv marks someone at the top of that profession, but I do not. The fawning over her supposed Hollywood celebrity is a bit much to me, but YMMV. Suffice to say, she was not in the running for an Oscar but she played a role in a weekly sitcom. I guess that some are impressed.
They receive it because they work for/are the crown. If H&M worked for the crown or were on property owned by the the crown or privately by the king, he’d receive it too (at Windsor, at Buckingham, while performing official duties). If they had continued to live in England and worked full time for the Queen/King, I’m sure they’d have received security as needed, but probably not to the scale that C&C get it, or W&C. In the US, president and family get full security, VP and his wife (don’t think his kids get it), and then it drops off pretty fast; Nancy Pelosi got it but husband did not, and not her kids or grandkids.
I thought Charles gave H&M money to arrange their security for a year?
It was the Queen who cancelled any government provided security, and I’m not sure she had a choice. Usually government provided security ends when government service ends, and can’t be purchased. Trump can’t just hire the secret service to provide security for his adult children, but he can pay for private security.
The other royals get security while they are working but not otherwise (Anne, Edward, Beatrice).
Harry has money to pay for his own security if he wants to. Charles can pay but maybe he wants Harry to ask nicely. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Harry as Diana lost most of her police protection after the divorce when she was no longer working for the crown or staying in royal residences.
“During her marriage, Diana’s personal safety was of paramount importance. Post-divorce, Diana was able to use police protection only when she attended a public event.”
The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Kate all get round-the-clock protection - while Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie are guarded only on official duties and engagements.
Senior royals carried out 3,567 engagements in 2019 - including 295 by the Queen, 521 by Charles, 194 by Camilla, 220 by William and 126 by Kate. In the same year, Harry did 201 and Meghan carried out 83 - while Anne did 506.
Other royals including the Queen’s granddaughters Zara Tindall, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie do not have state-funded security, while Prince Andrew lost his after stepping down from royal duties in November 2019.
Beatrice and Eugenie’s security is no longer paid for by the British taxpayer, despite them being princesses and grandchildren of the monarch, because they are not working royals and have full-time jobs instead.
Beatrice and Eugenie had police protection costing £500,000 until 2011 when this was removed amid a row over the cost, with the Queen having made it clear that she expected them to pursue their own careers after university.
Princess Diana also famously jettisoned her police protection team in 1993 after her divorce from Charles - despite the Metropolitan Police making efforts to get her to change her mind before she died in Paris in August 1997.
The budget on air travel for royal bodyguards hit £4.6million in 2018-19, while their hotel stays cost £2million in 2017-18. Anti-monarch group Republic estimates that taxpayers foot a £106million annual bill on royal security.
I am beginningto wonder how Harry’s repeated admissions, (and endorsements) of illegal drug use ie cocaine, ayhuasca etc., will have any bearing on his USA immigration application.
Several years ago, there was a highly publicized case of a young British woman who was banned from etring the USA for ten years when border officials, suspecting she and her friend might overstay their visas, detained them and found a two year old text pertaining to party coke on her phone,
I’m not sure Harry has applied to be a US permanent resident. If he hasn’t, and doesn’t, I’m sure there will be some paperwork to be done if he ‘earns’ any money, but they can structure it to be done through a corporation and then just have Meghan take all the income or have the corporation pay their rent or something.
My nephew in law is Canadian and he could stay in the US as long as he wanted, but he needed to get a green card to work. He doesn’t want to become a US citizen.
I don’t think the US will care about his drug use. He wasn’t arrested for it, and did not smuggle drugs or distribute them.
I watched the special, which I loved. The one thing he said about the royal situation that rang so true to me is wanting to know how dark the baby is going to be. That’s such a natural thing, and I didn’t get all up in arms when it came out EXCEPT that his family would be clueless enough to say it out loud. People, read the room and keep it to yourselves.
Ds1 is much darker than his really fair wife. You bet I’ve wondered what their kids will look like. I imagine them a beautiful mocha. I hope I get to find out one day!
ETA: I think the assumption is that the curiosity indicates judgment. I am curious, but I don’t care whether my grandkids are darker or lighter … I just want grandkids! I can see, however, where H&M would feel like the royal family wasn’t just curious like myself, like their wondering was rooted in racism.
Agree 100%. My friend, who is fair-skinned blonde/blue eyes married a dark-skinned man from Trinidad. When she was pregnant, our friend group wondered, along with our friend, what her kids would look like. It was curiosity coming from a joyous place, not racism.
Like you, I think we would need to hear the exact context of the conversation about H & M’s kids.
I think it is easy for people to take any comment made and turn it into something demeaning. We do not know the context of comments made by the royal family (not defending at all). However, Meghan is very savvy, and I think knew that building a story of racism and mistreatment would improve and guarantee success in the sales of their future books and projects. It does not take a rocket scientist to see how all the Hollywood train wreck stories turn into a huge profit.
I agree with you. Meghan is savvy, which is why I don’t buy their entire story hook, line and sinker. However, I absolutely do believe there was enough there to feel justified in some of their feelings.
My main reaction is that I don’t know why everyone has to be so hateful toward H&M, especially her. People act like she was some kind of secret agent, determined to poison Harry’s mind and bring down the monarchy.
So, apparently they have been invited to the coronation. I wish I knew how to run a poll on here. Who thinks they are going to go? I’m inclined to say yes, though they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
I think they will go. Harry is still a prince and no matter where he sits in the royal line this is still part of his heritage. I also think not going will be worse for the H and M brand than staying home.
