Meghan and Harry 3: Working Towards Financial Independence

[bea]

Some of the coverage of this has been so weird in reducing Harry to some kind of feckless idiot controlled by his wife. I don’t think that he married an American by accident. The man has likely had an exit strategy for years. He’s been very open about how his mother’s death shaped his life, and that the constant media coverage since he married has not just been hard on Meghan, but on him as well. Harry’s always been “the spare,” and now he’s pretty superfluous to the monarchy and he knows it.
It’s obviously an awkward situation because they’re the first ones to break off from being publicly accessible, but it’s not without precedent - look at Sweden. I imagine the financial aspects will be worked out in time. The part where they need a security staff is an interesting problem, since they don’t need security as a result of a job (like an actor), but because of the family Harry was born into.
I wonder what this will mean for William’s kids, as they enter adulthood. The assumptions about the choices open to the siblings to an heir presumptive may change.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

20 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

It was Princess Michael of Kent who wore the racist brooch, and she has a long history of atrocious behaviour.  As does her husband, younger brother of the Duke of Kent, a professional royalish drone.  The Queen should have cut those two off years ago but at least they now have to pay rent.  Disgraceful pair.

The Queen is a very smart lady, and I’ll tell you why she hasn’t cut them off. Princess Michael is the Derick Dillard of the Royal family. Embarrassing incidents, doesn’t get on with her spouse’s relatives, throwing shade at the boss of the family, etc. (I’m mostly thinking of the time years ago when it came out that she had mocked the decor of her guest room at Windsor.) Also, she’s legitimately a published author with several books to her name. Maybe she has a ghostwriter or something, but still. So like Derick, she has a brain, but isn’t a particularly nice or sensible person. Also like him, she enjoys travel, and can be culturally insensitive (she dyed her blonde hair darker while she was in Africa and that led to the tabloids saying she had disguised herself as an African).

Anyway, my point is that I’ve suspected for a long time that she fully intends to write a tell-all. If the Queen didn’t have any financial hold over them, she would be off to the publishers in a hot minute. The Queen can’t prevent it from being published in the US, which is the biggest market anyway. 

[meep]

3 hours ago, AnneH said:

I am wondering a few things:

1. If Harry supposedly have millions from his mom, why is he still dépendant on his dad for 95% of his income?

2. As a non American Harry can only stay 6months in North America. I wonder if they will travelling back and forth. 
 

 

1. It is rumored that they live very lavishly (I expect they will purchase a home [if not a couple different homes] in Canada costing several million dollars, and those houses' upkeep is usually scaled accordingly). In their statement, they said they wanted full-time security. We now know they will not get any taxpayer money for that so now they'll pay for it privately. Security is a HUGE cost. It has been estimated it costs about $1 million per year for full-time security. It will only get more expensive as Archie gets older and if they have more children. Also, now if they want to start any charities or businesses, they will have to use their own private money (the horror! ?). These amounts of money seem unfathomable to us but Harry has been living in this world since birth and his costs for every day living are so much more than we can imagine. Not saying it's right, just saying this is how things are.

2. This is still unknown. Meghan lived and worked in Canada for 7 years, and it's speculated she lived there with simply a work permit, though she technically *might* still be eligible to apply for permanent residency. Harry is a bit more complicated. If he wants to stay and work in Canada, he needs to apply for a work permit....but that means he still has to prove he has a SKILL to work with. To be determined. If they don't have permanent residency or work permits, then they will only be able to stay in Canada for a certain amount of time each year. To be determined.....

1 hour ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

The Queen is a very smart lady, and I’ll tell you why she hasn’t cut them off. Princess Michael is the Derick Dillard of the Royal family. Embarrassing incidents, doesn’t get on with her spouse’s relatives, throwing shade at the boss of the family, etc. (I’m mostly thinking of the time years ago when it came out that she had mocked the decor of her guest room at Windsor.) Also, she’s legitimately a published author with several books to her name. Maybe she has a ghostwriter or something, but still. So like Derick, she has a brain, but isn’t a particularly nice or sensible person. Also like him, she enjoys travel, and can be culturally insensitive (she dyed her blonde hair darker while she was in Africa and that led to the tabloids saying she had disguised herself as an African).

Anyway, my point is that I’ve suspected for a long time that she fully intends to write a tell-all. If the Queen didn’t have any financial hold over them, she would be off to the publishers in a hot minute. The Queen can’t prevent it from being published in the US, which is the biggest market anyway. 

Just wanted to point out Princess Michael admitted herself on television that she pretended to be "half-caste."

"I even pretended years ago to be an African, a half-caste African, but because of my light eyes I did not get away with it, but I dyed my hair black," Princess Michael said.

 "....I travelled on African buses. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted experiences from Cape Town to right up in northern Mozambique. I had this adventure with these absolutely adorable, special people and to call me racist: it's a knife through the heart because I really love these people."

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jul/24/race.monarchy

Haha, okay lady. 

[viii]

I loved Harry’s speech. Good for him for being so open and honest. 

[Tiny Bubbles]

1 hour ago, viii said:

I loved Harry’s speech. Good for him for being so open and honest. 

Harry speaks - a bit - about recent events at a charitable dinner this weekend and his speech is shown on his IG acct @sussexroyal. 

[laPapessaGiovanna]

17 hours ago, AnneH said:

I am wondering a few things:

1. If Harry supposedly have millions from his mom, why is he still dépendant on his dad for 95% of his income?

Not for their income, but for official expenses, namely everything related to public engagements, including their attire and transportation, because as working senior royals their public engagements were considered to be on behalf of the sovereign.

[bird]

I have a feeling, if today's line up of headlines is anything to go by, that things are going to get much worse for them before they get better. It's open season at the tabloids. If I had to pick a real villain in this I'd put my money on the press. 

[just_ordinary]

Ahhhhh so many angles to this. 
I am happy that Harry addressed it. And for me it sounds as if indeed he was the driving force behind it. Maybe people can stop laying the blame on Meghan now. 
But I really have to question their PR advisers. That was exactly the same miserable timing and demeanour that brought them the massive backlash in SA. Why did he think it was a good idea to use his Sentebale engagement to show everyone that he didn’t get his way. I get that he is disappointed that he couldn’t keep his military and Commonwealth role. But this engagement wasn’t about him and his disappointment. He could have easily addressed this 24h before or later. Assuring that he will still support Sentebale was important but he could stayed away from the rest in that moment. Same for the parts about his mother and Meghan. I happy that he is in love, but Sentebale was not set up to be a stage for that. 
My take away is that Harry is pretty shell shocked that he didn’t get what he wanted. Maybe it was the first time in his life for such an important decision. It also makes me guess, that he didn’t think it through completely and is now not really with this outcome. I really hope he can adapt well. Those changes will show their scope over time. And I am now questioning how well Harry is prepared for them.
Another point is, that these two are desperate for a different PR company. 
Maybe they should take their time to settle in their new life. As long as many questions are undecided it might not be wise to start too many endeavours, which outcomes depend on their possibilities. TakIng time to enjoy their family, deprogram some of the BRF rules and traditions that are no longer binding, creating a future vision based on facts and not what they wished for. I wish them nothing but happiness in their new life (even though I will criticise their actions and fashion if I see fit. Obviously the same goes for praise and support.).

[louisa05]

22 hours ago, AnneH said:

I am wondering a few things:

1. If Harry supposedly have millions from his mom, why is he still dépendant on his dad for 95% of his income?

2. As a non American Harry can only stay 6months in North America. I wonder if they will travelling back and forth. 
 

 

Apparently that’s their plan. But do remember to make responsible choices and not travel unnecessarily in order to protect the environment. So says the Duke of DoAsISayNotAsIDo. 

[meep]

@just_ordinary I totally agree. I always got the impression Harry had genuine compassion and concern for his charities. At one point, he was doing a lot more of the royal "grunt work" (being on the front lines for visits, tours, shaking hands, etc etc) than even William was. He has always been a reluctant royal, and I think trying to focus on the actual people who were benefitting from this work, rather than on the press, is what got him through. So I think he was totally shocked and disappointed that his patronages were taken away from him. I also think this is probably the first time in his life that he REALLY REALLY wanted something and he actually vocalized it - and was told NO (ah, to live a life of such privilege!). 

The closest Harry has ever gotten to a "normal" life was in the army. It's also one of the things he was good at doing (apparently he was a very poor student at his schools, ones in which Princess Diana did not want him to go to because she thought they wouldn't be a good fit for him. But after her death, of course her wishes were totally ignored). 

I hate linking this site but it's only because a few years ago, Harry did actually sit for an interview with Mail on Sunday (whom he and Meghan are now suing). https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4636038/I-wanted-confesses-Harry-reluctant-prince.html 

• "Harry admitted coming ‘very close’ to a breakdown several times."
• "....he even questioned whether remaining a junior Royal would allow him to use his talents effectively – and considered life as a commoner instead. ‘I felt I wanted out [immediately after leaving Afghanistan in 2006] but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself,’ he said, making it clear he was primarily motivated by his loyalty to the Queen."
• "...admitted feeling most at home during his years in the Army."
• "‘I felt very resentful,’ he said. ‘Being in the Army was the best escape I’ve ever had. I felt as though I was really achieving something."
• "He said that he and William were ‘incredibly passionate with our charities and they have been chosen because they are on the path shown to me by our mother. I love charity stuff and meeting people.’ "
• "Harry particularly dislikes ‘feeling I live in a goldfish bowl’, saying: ‘I am determined to have a relatively normal life and if I am lucky enough to have children they can have one too. We don’t want to be just a bunch of celebrities but instead use our role for good.’"

[louisa05]

@meep Meghan seems to want to be a celebrity, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t on the same page at all about what this future looks like. 

[tabitha2]

With her knew cred she can get parts in any Hollywood project and Watch for the reality show sooner or later. He probably has nobler goals but what Meghan wants Meghan gets as they say. 

[acheronbeach]

5 hours ago, louisa05 said:

@meep Meghan seems to want to be a celebrity, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t on the same page at all about what this future looks like. 

Truth.  I know this happened a couple of weeks ago, but have we talked about how Meghan got "randomly" spotted by a hiker in the middle of a forest in Victoria and offered to help them with their selfie stick?  It was reported on CTV news.  So totally random that the hiker was  a reporter for CTV.  Who used to work at CTV Toronto at the same time that Ben Mulroney worked there.  Who also worked with World Vision.  Who covered entertainment while Meghan lived in Toronto.  Much coincidence, much random!  

I've been to the Island many, many times.  The idea that she'd be randomly papped in a forest, or at the Victoria Harbour Air landing terminal seems... unlikely.   I think she's tipping off the media.   JMO, I think she is intensely focused on controlling her image and narrative and using trusted media contacts is a good way to do that. 

And while I think some people think Harry and Meghan are not ad idem, I don't buy it.  He can't be stupid enough to think that this move would attract them less media attention than if the two of them did the boring visits to country flower shows or old folks' homes that the typical royals do - and get little attention for.  

Edited January 21, 2020 by acheronbeach
forgot a word duh

[HerNameIsBuffy]

23 minutes ago, acheronbeach said:

He can't be stupid enough to think that this move would attract them less media attention than if the two of them did the boring visits to country flower shows or old folks' homes that the typical royals do - and get little attention for.  

They seemed to get plenty of attention no matter what they did as royals.  I'm sure they knew there would be an uptick in attention during the transition, that's just common sense.  If they want to lie low for a while perhaps it will die down.  Or maybe they want media attention but to at least try on their terms and not some rota pool.  If I were being vilified no matter what I did I'd at least try to take back some control if I could.

[AmazonGrace]

I am woefully undereducated as to which charities the royals patronize but sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper and more effective to forget the galas and the security and the castles and the dersses and the flying around to attend events, and just donate all that money to the worthy cause. Do they really help raise more money to the charities than it costs to keep up the royal family?

[acheronbeach]

4 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

They seemed to get plenty of attention no matter what they did as royals.  I'm sure they knew there would be an uptick in attention during the transition, that's just common sense.  If they want to lie low for a while perhaps it will die down.  Or maybe they want media attention but to at least try on their terms and not some rota pool.  If I were being vilified no matter what I did I'd at least try to take back some control if I could.

That's the thing, they're not laying low.  We've had a spate of, "Harry and Meghan spotted at..." articles throughout January.  It's schizophrenic.  Do you want privacy, or do you want fawning media attention?  They are not compatible with one another.  Because if you want to avoid media attention and privacy, all you have to do is stay out of sight, out of mind.  But if your issue is really that you don't like being criticized by the media and you're trying to engineer positive spin, that's a different thing entirely.  

If Meghan and Harry stay out of the media for the next few months, I'll buy the story that they want privacy.  It's easy to lay low as a celeb in Canada.  I used to see plenty of celebs out and about in Toronto, especially at TIFF, and nobody would bother them.  There was no pap presence except at the openings and the celeb-trendy restos/bars.  Same for Vancouver - there are TONS of celebs here - I'm talking A-list movie stars.  I've never seen anyone bother them.  There are no paps.  It's super easy to stay off the radar. 

We'll wait and see, I suppose.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

2 minutes ago, acheronbeach said:

That's the thing, they're not laying low

That's why I said it's common sense to expect attention during the transition.  And also to some degree forever since you can't erase the kind of exposure they've already had, and he was born into.

 

3 minutes ago, acheronbeach said:

But if your issue is really that you don't like being criticized by the media and you're trying to engineer positive spin, that's a different thing entirely.  

Why is that wrong?  If you're vilified in the media that has been tearing you apart why wouldn't you try to cultivate a more positive relationship with a friendlier press?

Reading this thread I get the feeling that for some people no matter what they do (especially Meghan) it will always be wrong.  

I personally don't think they need to assuage anyone's feelings in this.  Wanting more privacy =/= never being seen in the media again.  

[acheronbeach]

13 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

That's why I said it's common sense to expect attention during the transition.  And also to some degree forever since you can't erase the kind of exposure they've already had, and he was born into.

 

Why is that wrong?  If you're vilified in the media that has been tearing you apart why wouldn't you try to cultivate a more positive relationship with a friendlier press?

Reading this thread I get the feeling that for some people no matter what they do (especially Meghan) it will always be wrong.  

I personally don't think they need to assuage anyone's feelings in this.  Wanting more privacy =/= never being seen in the media again.  

I didn't say it's wrong.  I think they're in a fantasy land if they think that's realistically how it's going to work - the American media is often just as vicious as the Brit media at building up celebrity and then allowing them to crash to the ground.  And their positive spin has been so amateurish.  That's the thing about positive spin - when it's done by a pro, you don't realize it's happening.  When it's obvious, it makes the subject look fake/artificial, or worse, manipulative.  These are PR basics.  

And yeah, wanting privacy doesn't mean never being in the media again.  But I'd expect a person who wants privacy to actually make choices that give them more privacy.  I wouldn't expect a person who truly wants privacy to arrange these repeated media encounters.  For five out of those six weeks of their break, we didn't see a single picture of them.  We have no idea where they were.  IMO, the negative and positive coverage seemed to die down a bit without new fodder.  They truly seemed to have privacy for themselves and their family.  I honestly thought, until this recent spate of M & H articles that they were going to maintain that.  

I still haven't seen a single logical explanation of why "I want privacy"="I'm still choosing to be in the media just as much as before but only nice stories."  It seems disingenuous when you consider how private they kept their and Archie's lives in November and December.  

[meep]

Harry & Meghan are threatening legal action over the photos taken of Meghan & Archie on their hike the other day. 
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/harry-meghan-threaten-legal-action-over-paparazzi-photos-n1119206

Keep in mind British Columbia has harsher privacy laws, so it does not matter whether or not she was in a public space, they absolutely *legally* have an argument according to the laws there. 

Not sure why they would threaten legal action if this was all staged. 

Also keep in mind paparazzi photos - especially of royals - can mean big bucks. As in, I need to snap this one photo and not work again for the next two years type of money. 

[AmazonGrace]

Something that has seemed a little incongruous to me was how part of the news was "they want privacy", and part of the news was "they're going to make millions promoting their brand". And maybe I've missed something but the sussexroyal brand  seems to be mostly about their celebrity status and doesn't seem to have any actual product or service attached. So how exactly are they going to make millions promoting themselves as public animals, but also be very private?

It can be done if you're a celebrity for something you do, a great inventor or an author or a musician or something. You can make millions while people know next to nothing about your private life. But is Harry famous for something else besides being famous? What is his brand besides being the child of celebrities?

I hope they can keep Archie's live relatively normal.

[acheronbeach]

28 minutes ago, meep said:

Keep in mind British Columbia has harsher privacy laws, so it does not matter whether or not she was in a public space, they absolutely *legally* have an argument according to the laws there. 

Not sure why they would threaten legal action if this was all staged. 

I don't think this accurately explains how the Privacy Act works.  It's not harsher, it has a less onerous test for establishing a basis for a claim.  Inlike a lot of provinces, you don't have to show loss.  That said, if you can't show loss, you don't get much by way of damages.  You still have to demonstrate an unreasonable interference with an expected privacy.  I've never encountered that being extended to photographs taken in a public place and there's plenty of appellate jurisprudence that upholds the media's right to take photos in public, with certain limits.  I'd expect the Privacy Act to cover photographs taken in a home with a long lens, for instance, or if they used Meghan's picture to illustrate an unrelated article.  

My area of law isn't focused on the Privacy Act and its related legislation, but my practice area often tangentially touches on this stuff, particularly as we often engage with the media.  

(JMO, a BC privacy lawyer can chime in if they know better)

Edited January 21, 2020 by acheronbeach
added in some stuff

[meep]

@acheronbeachdefinitely better worded, thank you! I can't imagine much of what they are going through won't apply. The fact paparazzi are already camping out with long-range lenses trying to get snaps inside their home is scary. They are alleging the hiking photos were taken from paparazzi hidden in bushes (which looks like it, you can see the little branches in the photos. 

[Blahblah]

What did they think would happen though? There is no “royal rota” to keep the press nice outside of the UK. The more I read about these two the less sure I am about whether they are being strategic, or whether they are a pair of dimwits.

[Pleiades_06]

As a Commonwealth country, does Canada have some kind of reciprocal immigration agreement with the UK? I remember friends from New Zealand and Australia being able to stay on extended visas in the UK because of reciprocity-but that was in the early 2000’s.

Also, as a grandson of the monarch, is Harry entitled to some kind of special status in Canada?

[meep]

@Blahblah I think it's both. They are *trying* to be strategic but, well.....even if it WAS planned very well, this is completely new territory, a royal has never done something like this before, least of all in the information age - so it was always destined to fail in some capacities. Also note they didn't really get everything they wanted. They really thought the Queen would let them have taxpayer-funded security and she said no. He sounded shocked during his (somewhat inappropriate) speech the the other night. I highly doubt, even with his father's fortunes, he will be able to pay for the type of security he has lived with his whole life. Things are not going according to plan. For now on, at least half of it will be making it up as they go along. 

@Pleiades_06 I don't think he gets anything special, not that we've heard so far. He can stay for six months but he will need an actual visa past that. If Meghan is a permanent resident, I think he can stay since he's her husband. If neither of them have residency, they'll have to go to the U.K. (or U.S.?) periodically to "reset the clock."