Meghan and Harry 3: Working Towards Financial Independence

[anjulibai]

Had to google Emily Giffin. What she said was pretty awful. Is she not aware of how many celebrities are reading stories for kids right now? This isn't any different. And to make aspersions on her mothering from a less than 3 min video is really pathetic. 

I watched the video with my 3 year old while sitting in bed this morning, as he likes looking at babies. I thought it was a cute video. Archie seemed as engaged as any 1 year old is (he liked to turn the pages, which my 3 year old always has - he interrupts me all the time!) and she seemed very responsive to him. 

I thought it was a sweet video and a nice way to celebrate Archie's first birthday. He is a cutie and looks so much like Harry. except for his coloring.

[hoipolloi]

32 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

I watched the video with my 3 year old while sitting in bed this morning, as he likes looking at babies. I thought it was a cute video. Archie seemed as engaged as any 1 year old is (he liked to turn the pages, which my 3 year old always has - he interrupts me all the time!) and she seemed very responsive to him. 

I thought it was a cute video. 

To me, Archie seemed to be displaying classic toddler "I'll turn the page MYSELF, mom."

[Pleiades_06]

45 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

Had to google Emily Giffin

I had to google her too. Calls herself a royalist-as an American. Um, why?

She’s getting a ton of publicity now, so that might be in her favor, even though it’s negative. Her latest Instagram post isn’t saying anything that hasn’t been said here.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Pleiades_06

[SweetJuly]

8 hours ago, anjulibai said:

I watched the video with my 3 year old while sitting in bed this morning, as he likes looking at babies. I thought it was a cute video. Archie seemed as engaged as any 1 year old is (he liked to turn the pages, which my 3 year old always has - he interrupts me all the time!) and she seemed very responsive to him.

I do think this particular book was an odd choice for a 1-year-old. It's rather boring visually, the storyline is confusing, and the illusion and ensuing humor are lost on a child that young. Archie did not seem particularly engaged to me; he was mainly interested in flipping the pages, got fussy when denied, and was even reaching for another book. It didn't help that Meghan was trying to read to him and the camera at the same time, meaning she always ended up turning the book away from Archie when he was beginning to get interested. There was a tension in the video that did make it a little uncomfortable to watch.

Having said that, one can absolutely not deduce from this video that Meghan is unmaternal or a self-absorbed phony. She simply came across as understandably a little stressed by the set-up, struggling to keep Archie at least marginally entertained while trying to read the story in a way that makes it watchable for an (older) audience. As fellow mother of a toddler, I can relate - the idea probably sounded good in theory, but in practice is unlikely to work.

It would have made for a much better video if Harry and Meghan had read the story to the camera together (one of them being the voice that sees the duck, the other the voice that sees the rabbit), perhaps with a short mention of their personal experience of reading books with their child. This would have also protected Archie's privacy. If they felt they absolutely needed to include Archie, they could have showed a short clip of reading a more age-appropriate book to him, something with animal sounds or flaps to open or whatever Archie actually enjoys, followed by a short message about how it's important to start reading to young children even if it means making "mooo!" for the 100th time, and then reading the book they wanted to showcase to the audience.

[anjulibai]

I think people are way over analyzing this and it seems like Meghan is becoming a BEC to a lot of people. 

[WhoompThereItIs]

3 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

I think people are way over analyzing this and it seems like Meghan is becoming a BEC to a lot of people. 

Agreed. I saw nothing in the video but a cute kid (who looks just like Harry!) being read to by an engaging mom.

Edited May 7, 2020 by WhoompThereItIs

[tabitha2]

Whatever Meghan does is going to be nitpicked and shitted on by some people as she can do no right and whatever Meghan does is going to get adulation and adoration by some people as she is just misunderstood and can do no wrong.

She is very controversial and decisive and seems just fine with that.

[louisa05]

I think this was one more thing that conflicts with what they say they want. They want Archie to have a private upbringing not like Harry’s or his nephews and nieces. One of their releases was about eliminating public interest in themselves and their child. And then, instead of keeping his birthday private or following the tradition of releasing a few photos, they release an entire video of him. How does that even make sense? 
 

 

[viii]

17 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

I think this was one more thing that conflicts with what they say they want. They want Archie to have a private upbringing not like Harry’s or his nephews and nieces. One of their releases was about eliminating public interest in themselves and their child. And then, instead of keeping his birthday private or following the tradition of releasing a few photos, they release an entire video of him. How does that even make sense? 
 

 

Because it’s on their terms. They wanted to release a video so they did. They’re no longer under the obligation and that can make all the difference. 

[louisa05]

5 minutes ago, viii said:

Because it’s on their terms. They wanted to release a video so they did. They’re no longer under the obligation and that can make all the difference. 

It’s not very private. Sorry but all they’ve gone on about is a private life. Particularly for the baby.  This isn’t that.  It’s way less privacy then his first cousins have been afforded.  His christening had to be locked down.  His birth had to be that fiasco of misinformation.  They couldn’t release newborn photos. All for privacy.  Also, fun fact, there’s never been any requirement for royals to release photos of children. William and Kate have done so on their own terms.  They’ve given less access than Charles and Diana did. They used to have family photo calls with the press. William and Kate have just released photos on birthdays—almost always taken by Kate—not even an outside photographer accessing the children.  Definitely their own terms.  
 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

10 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

It’s not very private. Sorry but all they’ve gone on about is a private life. Particularly for the baby.  This isn’t that.  It’s way less privacy then his first cousins have been afforded.  His christening had to be locked down.  His birth had to be that fiasco of misinformation.  They couldn’t release newborn photos. All for privacy.  Also, fun fact, there’s never been any requirement for royals to release photos of children. William and Kate have done so on their own terms.  They’ve given less access than Charles and Diana did. They used to have family photo calls with the press. William and Kate have just released photos on birthdays—almost always taken by Kate—not even an outside photographer accessing the children.  Definitely their own terms.  
 

The flip side of this is should they, or everyone, be held to something they said once before embarking on a life change?  Don't we all have the perogative to adjust, change our minds, for that within our control.

They wanted to release this video so they did.  Should they not have because they had talked about privacy before?  IMO they are controlling their privacy based on doing what they feel is right at the time.  The choices his brother makes for his family is irrelvant.

I guess I just come down on the side of who cares?  They released a cute video that hurts no one.

[Coconut Flan]

This is the house where they are allegedly staying right now:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8297083/Meghan-Harry-living-Tyler-Perrys-18-million-hilltop-mansion-Beverly-Hills.html

 

[anjulibai]

I'm concerned about my boys privacy, but because of interest of others (family, friends), I post stuff online, but I'm careful about what I post. 

I don't think this is different. 

Like I said, she's just become a BEC to a lot of people. 

[anjulibai]

5 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

This is the house where they are allegedly staying right now:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8297083/Meghan-Harry-living-Tyler-Perrys-18-million-hilltop-mansion-Beverly-Hills.html

 

So I'm giving the Daily Fail clicks, but this shit is the sort of thing is the privacy violating that they mean. 

[Coconut Flan]

Then picking LA as the place to live is the wrong place, because this is what happens for all the celebrities and semi-celebrities who live there.  Meghan knew that going in.  It doesn't make it right, but it's 100% predictable.

[bea]

I thought it was adorable and Archie favors his dad’s side in looks, right now.
They can release a video while still being private. Harry has been a favorite of plenty of Brits for years. If he and Meghan refused to let anyone see Archie, it’d no doubt stoke the fires of Evil!Meghan interfering with the natural British interest in the Prince’s son.
So, basically, anything they do right now is going to be condemned by someone. It was nice to see Archie, he’s adorable.

[anjulibai]

She's from LA, her mom is in LA, she has friends in LA. The type of work they seem to be heading towards has industry there, there's diversity and a thriving arts culture, the area knows how to deal with those that need high security. 

But since they've said they want more privacy, that means it has to be their only consideration? Are they supposed to avoid all high profile areas? Live out in the boonies away from a support network? They got papped when they were in Canada, being in LA isn't the issue. 

I'm sorry, but this is just too much. I don't get acting like it's all their fault when the press does crap. 

[just_ordinary]

Huh? I don’t get the discussion? It was very clear that Harry and Meghan never wanted to stay out of the limelight. They wanted to control what goes out about them. Problem is-no one who with this kind of relationship to publicity can. If you want to put yourself out there you cannot control the narrative completely. People will talk and you cannot make them only talk what you want. If part of your profile is having people talking about you that’s what’s happens. 
They did however make a strong point about keeping Archie away from that. This obviously doesn’t have to mean that they are not allowed to show him on their terms. But of course people will talk about it. That is the whole point of SM. But I also agree that whatever they would have done (nothing, picture,video) people would have found fault. They are polarising indeed.

And some won’t like it and say so. We talk so much shit here and while I find some things completely BEC territory it seems it’s pretty valid to others.

I agree with @SweetJuly  the idea was good but just not executable. I also think this video is much more about Meghan than Archie. That’s just the nature of the medium with his age and the set up. Much more than a picture would have been in my opinion. It’s also way more intimate than a picture which is why I find it a surprising choice on their part. But then, I don’t get many of their choices. This ArchieDay charity thing that some fans set up for example. I would be horrified that people feel ok with using my child’s name even if it’s for a good cause. It’s certainly meant as a compliment but it’s weird. They are fans of H&M not him. And if they are, they should step back wondering if that’s ok. He is a child they don’t know personally, neither his family nor do they know much about him. But they seem absolutely ok with it. 

[louisa05]

2 hours ago, just_ordinary said:

Huh? I don’t get the discussion? It was very clear that Harry and Meghan never wanted to stay out of the limelight. They wanted to control what goes out about them. Problem is-no one who with this kind of relationship to publicity can. If you want to put yourself out there you cannot control the narrative completely. People will talk and you cannot make them only talk what you want. If part of your profile is having people talking about you that’s what’s happens. 
They did however make a strong point about keeping Archie away from that. This obviously doesn’t have to mean that they are not allowed to show him on their terms. But of course people will talk about it. That is the whole point of SM. But I also agree that whatever they would have done (nothing, picture,video) people would have found fault. They are polarising indeed.

And some won’t like it and say so. We talk so much shit here and while I find some things completely BEC territory it seems it’s pretty valid to others.

I agree with @SweetJuly  the idea was good but just not executable. I also think this video is much more about Meghan than Archie. That’s just the nature of the medium with his age and the set up. Much more than a picture would have been in my opinion. It’s also way more intimate than a picture which is why I find it a surprising choice on their part. But then, I don’t get many of their choices. This ArchieDay charity thing that some fans set up for example. I would be horrified that people feel ok with using my child’s name even if it’s for a good cause. It’s certainly meant as a compliment but it’s weird. They are fans of H&M not him. And if they are, they should step back wondering if that’s ok. He is a child they don’t know personally, neither his family nor do they know much about him. But they seem absolutely ok with it. 

They named their foundation after him which sent the message that they’d be okay with his name being used. 
I suspect that H & M are not on the same page about what they want. He has indeed gone on publicly about a quiet private life and his child not being in the limelight.  She seems to just want to control where the light shines from. It’s mixed messages. And people are going to notice that. 

[DalmatianCat]

7 hours ago, louisa05 said:

I suspect that H & M are not on the same page about what they want. He has indeed gone on publicly about a quiet private life and his child not being in the limelight.  She seems to just want to control where the light shines from. It’s mixed messages. And people are going to notice that. 

This.

I have no proof, obviously, but over the last several months it seems like Harry and Meghan have two different ideas on privacy.

I think Harry’s idea of privacy When all this started was was keeping his child out of the press with the exception of a few family events like Trooping the Colour similar to Peter and Autmun Philips daughters or Zara’s children. Outside of that, I don’t think most people have a clue what those families do the rest of the year and I doubt they’re recognized often in public at non-royal events.

 Meghan’s idea of privacy seems to be wanting to control what is released and when. Like any proud parent she can’t resist showing him off. She’s almost 40 and he’s her first child...of course she wants everyone else to see how amazing and cute he is. That’s normal.

Harry and Meghan’s relationship is still rather young and went through a LOT of changes very quickly. They may not even realize that they both have different ideas of privacy, or they’re still working out how to compromise.

Wild speculation, but if their relationship doesn’t make it in the long run, I bet we see little to no pictures of Archie when he’s with his dad and a lot more when he’s with his mom.

ETA: And even though Meghan was an adult who should have done her homework on joining the BRF and Harry should have helped, I think the culture shock from LA to London was greater than she anticipated and wanted to raise her child in a culture and country she was more familiar with. I really do think they intended to stay in England initially or they would have relocated right after the wedding and not bothered with the Frogmore renovation.

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by DalmatianCat
More thoughts

[FluffySnowball]

On 5/6/2020 at 11:13 PM, tabitha2 said:

More aptly a mix of William the Queen and Lady Sarah Chatto. 

True! And when seeing comparisons of Charlotte with her grandma Dian’s at around the same age, the two also look similar. Windsor and Spencer genes are strong it seems. I also think William looks somewhat similar to his maternal uncle Charles. 

[viii]

13 hours ago, louisa05 said:
I suspect that H & M are not on the same page about what they want. He has indeed gone on publicly about a quiet private life and his child not being in the limelight.  She seems to just want to control where the light shines from. It’s mixed messages. And people are going to notice that. 

I don’t really understand how you came to that conclusion. Harry was there for the filming of the video, and I assume you’re not saying she released it without his consent. They seem to be on the same page to me from the very little we actually know of them. 

[anjulibai]

Yeah, this blame Meghan for everything thing does not make any sense. I've seen it a few places, too. They've done everything together. 

[Pleiades_06]

7 hours ago, DalmatianCat said:

And even though Meghan was an adult who should have done her homework on joining the BRF and Harry should have helped, I think the culture shock from LA to London was greater than she anticipated and wanted to raise her child in a culture and country she was more familiar with

She’s also entitled to change her mind. No amount of homework can prepare you for cross-cultural marriages. And this one came with a dose of racism from the press and certain members of the royal family.

[just_ordinary]

On 5/8/2020 at 3:28 PM, louisa05 said:

They named their foundation after him which sent the message that they’d be okay with his name being used. 
I suspect that H & M are not on the same page about what they want. He has indeed gone on publicly about a quiet private life and his child not being in the limelight.  She seems to just want to control where the light shines from. It’s mixed messages. And people are going to notice that. 

I would argue it’s a massive difference if YOU use your child’s  name or if strangers do it. 
But I agree that they don’t seem to mind. I just think it’s surprising that they seem to have no problem with it.