I did read that about Queen Magrethe. What a mean thing to do. I believe she said somewhere she didn’t realize the hurt it would cause.
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She also doubled down and said it was the right thing to do for the future of the monarchy and that it was better that she took the heat for the decision rather than leaving it for Crown Prince Frederick to do after her death.
And the grandkids’ father, Prince Joachim, has not exactly been gracious in his comments either. There’s a lot of similarities between them and H&M, including the fact that they don’t live in Denmark and are rumoured to be moving to the US.
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Interesting, thanks for those details.
I think George and Charlotte will go to the coronation, but Louis will be left home.
Charles did go to his mother’s when he was only 4 but I don’t think Louis and Archie have as much experience attending big events. I really hope the entire gang from California attends, and the kids go to the things they can handle, or come and go as they need to.
When G HW Bush was president, the kids I was Nanny to went to the same school as one of his grandchildren, the her birthday party was a trip to the White house! (my kids didn’t get invited) Big time bragging rights over the kids who had their birthdays at Chuck E. Cheese’s or Skate City. Archie can always brag “well my 4th birthday was at Westminster Abbey, and I got to invite a bunch of kings and queens.”
I don’t think its a case of ‘didn’t show’. Their calendars are packed weeks, if not months in advance, and I don’t think it’s as easy as canceling a pre-existing commitment in favor of something else.
When my kids were born, nobody from my family attended my D’s religious ceremony (they all live overseas); when my S came along aftrwards, my mother attended, but nobody else, not my father or my siblings, nephews nieces etc.
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I am confused. H and M do not like the monarchy and all it stands for so why christen their daughter using a royal title?
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Perhaps because they enjoy the trappings of being ‘royal’ when it suits their purposes, and running their traps, but don’t want to be trapped!
He’s never said that he does “not like the monarchy and all it stands for.” An example of what he has said; "My problem has never been with the monarchy, nor the concept of monarchy, It’s been with the press and the sick relationship that’s evolved between it and the palace.”
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Very True. However, he has also said that he felt like he didn’t belong in the family, and also his mother Diana - or words to that effect, and that it is difficult for females/girlfriends/wives. Again, I can’t remember full details, maybe you know, but it seems to me, that given these sentiments, why would he use these titles, other than to use them to his family advantage in the US. He was originally going to let his children decide if they wanted to use them when they were older, but has decided to use them now for whatever reason. Maybe a power play Who knows.
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I think you guys are reading too much into it. People use their formal titles at rite of passage events.
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I just picked up my reserved copy of Spare, and will start it today. I’ve watched the Netflix documentary.
Regarding attending the coronation, I like the idea of Harry attending it alone. Meghan (or Meghan and kids) would make it more of a media circus than it will already be. I do wonder what she thinks what H&M should do about the coronation.
@CTTC, I just returned my copy of Spare to my library this morning. I did enjoy it although admit I skimmed some of the parts in the middle.
Now, I’m on to another memoir, also from the library- Straight Shooter by Stephen A. Smith! This one , I’m listening to it by digital download and he is narrating it himself. “This is my truth.” I’ve only listened to a few minutes so far but I am enjoying hearing his own voice as the narrator so far.
My library does not have Spare available yet on digital download . But, I have heard excerpts of Harry narrating it himself (and seemed like he was doing a good job with it).
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If they don’t go, I’d happily take their spot….
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I’m reading “The Palace Papers.” I will let you know what I think.
Does Stephen A scream when narrating his book? First take is so much screaming! Hard to listen to much of it!
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The “my truth” thing again. Ugh.
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Right, @MaineLonghorn , the “my truth” thing again. That’s why I mentioned it!
No, @deb922 , Stephen A. Is not screaming, at least not yet!
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Aside from the whole potential hypocrisy of currently making a living off of publicly criticizing the family you were born into for the rotten life you had because of that birthright, but then making sure your kids had those same titles because “its their birthright”…it also seems a bit hypocritical that they didn’t have her baptized last summer in the Church of England, given that the monarch of that same birthright is the titular head of that church. The fact that she was born in America, is being raised in America, and was baptized in the American church but they still want claim to the titles (and perks…I assume taxpayer paid security is still at the center of his desires from the King) of her British monarchy birthright is just surprisingly brazen.
I guess when they left England and being working royals behind to raise their family I expected it to look more like Edward and Sophie’s sincerity.
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I got the impression from Spare that they were thinking it would look more like Edward and Sophie’s relationship with the family too initially. I know you can’t put everything in a book, but I was surprised that the other “spares” in the family didn’t reach out to Harry to share how they had made their lives work. The only extended family member that he talks about having a relationship with is Eugenie.
But the big difference is the extent of the paparazzi chasing them and the evilness of what was being written about them. It was/is different. I don’t think that Andrew was told he couldn’t serve in the military as he wanted to because he was such a target. No one suggested that Sophie was a gang member or that their children were apes. The death threats were/are real. I don’t know if the members of the royal family feed bad stuff about each other to the press. It does seem like there were times when Harry put something private in writing at his father’s request and it appeared in the press just days later.
I think Harry did/does have an unrealistic picture of what his place was in the royalty. He and Will were packaged as “Diana’s boys” so much that they seemed like a pair to us. And maybe to him. But Will has been clear that he is the heir and Harry isn’t needed. That’s got to be hard. Especially when your personality is one that wants to be close to others and wants to be needed.
They were overwhelmed by the paparazzi and by new parenthood. Meghan was depressed. They went to Vancouver thinking they could get away from the chase. That didn’t work. They went to Los Angeles because everything was shutting down with the pandemic and Meghan wanted her mother and to be in a familiar setting. Tyler Perry reached out. And things just snowballed.
I would find it very hypocritical if they brought the children to the coronation. They have tried to protect their privacy and have done a good job of it here in the US, with only a few selected images shared. The paparazzi will go mad trying to get shots of the kids. Should Meghan go to the coronation? If she does she will be a focus of energy by the paparazzi and they will write awful things about her. If she doesn’t they will write awful things about her. No win for her. If Harry goes, I doubt he will be included in much of the pomp. That will be hard. But if he doesn’t that seems a final severing on his part.
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I read that last year for book club. Most found it well-written and of interest.
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