Meghan and Harry 3: Working Towards Financial Independence

[FluffySnowball]

4 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

As Royal soap operas go I'm finding this one rather boring.  And the press coverage far too overwrought.  I mean, Harry and Meghan just wanted to step away from Royal duties, possibly get more political (and liberal) than the constitutional monarchy rules will allow, do some charity work, and actually earn their own bread.  It's not like they are cuddling up with Nazis (Duke of Windsor) or consorting with sex traffickers and having sex with minors (Andrew).  As far as we know.

And I think both their families are pretty fucked up.  I don't think the Windsors are particularly functional.  Meghan's unpleasant Markle relatives should shut up.  As for the Ragland side, I believe Daria has a couple of half-siblings and perhaps a half-nephew who all seem to want to keep a low profile.  And who can blame them.

But Harry and Meghan certainly screwed up the announcement.  A PR disaster.  And they need to do some serious damage control.  I'm not interested in tearing either Meghan or Harry down.  For Archie's sake.

They will never see this advice let alone follow it, but here's my plan for them.

Palimpsest's Guide to Repairing and Renovating Royal Reputations.  (For what it's worth.  And for FJ's amusement.)

Harry and Meghan, lay low for a bit.  A few months should do it.  And get your business and charity ducks in a row as you enjoy spending time with Archie.   Explore various options but tell people you are working with that the deal will be off the table if anything leaks before you are ready to go public. 

No more photo ops with Meghan if she visits a charity.  And no more complaints about being photographed walking the dogs.  Just polite requests in real time for privacy at most.  Stop threatening to sue  the press.  Make the press look bad for invading your mundane private lives.

And absolutely no more whining about your original plan to be half-royal being shot down.  Shut up about that.

In other words, be completely boring until all this dies down.   Harry, you can also use this down-time to improve your grammar.  You obviously weren't paying attention at Eton.

We've sorted the security issue already.  Charlie's going to tide you over until you can pick up your own bills.  Thank him nicely.  But for the love of Rufus don't buy a multi-million estate yet.  Rent!  You need to earn some money not spend it like water.

If you plan to stay in Canada get your visas in gear.  Apply for a Business or Entrepreneur visa so you can earn some cash there and you can pop across the the pond or down to the US every few months so as not to outstay your 6 month limit.

Better yet, move to the USA and apply for Harry's business visa there.  Meghan is still an American, and presumably Archie is too if you registered him as one. Harry doesn't need to apply for Permanent Residency.  He can pop back and forth across the pond. 

In both Canada and the USA stop using your titles as well as the HRH.  It's "Call me Harry" from now on.  Same for Meghan.  No more Duchessing in the former colony or a Commonwealth country.  You both need to cultivate the common touch.

Let's see now.  Work.  Work is very important because of money.  You need it with your expensive tastes and security costs.

Do give up on that Sussex Royal thing except for charity stuff.  "Meghan and Harry" or "Harry and Meghan" are much catchier brand names anyway.  Don't go on talk shows for pay.  You can do that for charity only.  And never ever say anything less than positive about the Royal family.  Granny will get angry.  

OK, Harry.  You can do stuff like narrating some documentary on conservation or global warming.  Or the dangers of genetically modified crops.  Daddy will love that.  I'm sure whether you can go back to flying helicopters for a living yet.  You might need new permits.  Actually, I'm not sure you are terribly employable outside the Army, but you may have other transferable skills.  Good luck.  

Meghan, try for voice-over work or carefully chosen acting roles.  Mr P wants you to do South Park voiceover work but I think that might be going too far.  No porn or nudity allowed,  Granny won't like it. 

Or develop a line in affordable sportswear.  You look your best in casual clothing and all those pricey dresses wore you.  MeghanWear!  There you go.  And I know handbags are a bit cliched, but you have great taste in bags.  How about a line in natty bags made out of recycled materials.  Or "Megan's Reusable Grocery Totes."  I might even buy one!

I think late summer would be a good time to go public on all of this.  It might take about 6 months to get all those ducks lined up.  I think you have demonstrated good taste in your charity work so far.  Keep up that good work.

If you do all this you will prove nasty rotten stinky vicious rabid skunks like Piers Morgan wrong.  Do it!

(My apologies to all skunks for the comparison.  You are actually very cute and probably only dangerous when rabid.) 

 

If I ever need a PR expert, I’ll hire you in a heartbeat, @Palimpsest! THIS is exactly what they should have done from the beginning (when they announced their desire to step away from their roles as senior working royals) and what they should implement now. 

Edited January 28, 2020 by FluffySnowball

[hoipolloi]

5 hours ago, nausicaa said:

I think it's useful to go back and read her posts on The Tig to get an idea of how she spins things.

Are they still accessible? Googled the website & just hit a "good-bye" landing page. I'd thought that she'd deep-sixed her various social media accounts, as well as The Tig, when she married Harry.

2 hours ago, front hugs > duggs said:

I know there is a different thread for the Prince Andrew stuff, but I can't not eyeroll at everyone all up in arms over Megxit and how HORRIBLE she is for the BRF when this shit is still happening...

Well, yes. In fact, I'd say that some of Andrew's income should be diverted to M & H as payment for the major distractions they've provided since that disastrous BBC interview.

[nausicaa]

1 hour ago, hoipolloi said:

Are they still accessible? Googled the website & just hit a "good-bye" landing page. I'd thought that she'd deep-sixed her various social media accounts, as well as The Tig, when she married Harry.

She did deep-six it, but I found a site once that had screenshots of all the pages that had been removed. I will try to find it again. (Does anyone know which site I'm talking about?)

[bea]

Well, yes. In fact, I'd say that some of Andrew's income should be diverted to M & H as payment for the major distractions they've provided since that disastrous BBC interview.

Does anybody else find the whole thing strangely CONVENIENT for Andrew?
Just. Weird. You know?

[Pleiades_06]

17 hours ago, just_ordinary said:

It depends. Some journalists really are experts. We have one guy here: he has made several documentaries, has personally met them, had interviews with them and if you want a balanced comment- that’s where you go to. A royal wedding without his commentary is no royal wedding. He knows every royal attending, the family connection, interesting/boring facts about their latest endeavours, the history of the venues, the protocol....

And then we we have journalists who are just bought as moderators. It seems tv stations think only women can do it. Full of half truths, lots of wrong information. Why we have no woman on a similar professional as the one I talked above- I have no idea. Maybe women get belittled if they show interest in the topic?

Even worse a z-celebrities or our own „royals“. Lost all their titles after World War I and some are pretty desperate to feel important. They are just useless. 

My guess: 95% have no more idea about it than most normal royal watchers. But they get paid for the job and some crave the attention.

I love watching the German press report about German “royals.” They definitely don’t take royals too seriously . I highly recommend googling Prinz Foffi. 

[FluffySnowball]

1 hour ago, Pleiades_06 said:

I love watching the German press report about German “royals.” They definitely don’t take royals too seriously . I highly recommend googling Prinz Foffi. 

True, @Pleiades_06! And don’t forget to google Prinz Pinkel (Prince peeing) while you’re at it ?

[laPapessaGiovanna]

6 hours ago, Pleiades_06 said:

I love watching the German press report about German “royals.” They definitely don’t take royals too seriously . I highly recommend googling Prinz Foffi. 

I find It endlessly amusing that Prinz Foffi is pope Pius XII's godson. Would you imagine dear old Pius watching Tatjana &Foffi? We could light up the whole Rome from his spinning in the grave!

5 hours ago, FluffySnowball said:

True, @Pleiades_06! And don’t forget to google Prinz Pinkel (Prince peeing) while you’re at it ?

Google suggests alkoholik when you type Prinz Ernst August...

Oh and former king of Belgium had to recognise the DNA test results that confirmed his paternity of a woman after he battled against it for years in courts. And his youngest son, who is not on speaking terms with the rest of the family, has been fined by the Parliament for conducting foreign affairs in a sort of official capacity without authorisation.

Put things into perspective doesn't It?

It's sad that people find more interesting reading about Meghan doing/looking whatever than reading good journalistic investigations into Andrew's shenanigans.

Edited January 28, 2020 by laPapessaGiovanna

[Loveday]

12 hours ago, bea said:

 

Does anybody else find the whole thing strangely CONVENIENT for Andrew?
Just. Weird. You know?

 

Yes, very weird. Especially as, now that the Harry/Meghan debacle is dying down somewhat in the press, hey presto! Andrew is back in the news!

 

[WhoompThereItIs]

13 hours ago, nausicaa said:

She did deep-six it, but I found a site once that had screenshots of all the pages that had been removed. I will try to find it again. (Does anyone know which site I'm talking about?)

Wayback machine?

[Palimpsest]

13 hours ago, bea said:

Does anybody else find the whole thing strangely CONVENIENT for Andrew?
Just. Weird. You know?

 

It was dying down a bit.  And I want Andrew strung up by his deceptive and criminal balls.  Metaphorically, of course.  But that's another thread.

It's probably coincidence.  But now I'm thinking.  Perhaps it was Andrew leaked that brand new story about the royals preparing a "safe place" back in the UK for oh so fragile Harry and Meghan.  They need somewhere  to run back to when they fail (as they inevitably must) at their bid for independence! Perhaps a secluded safe-house on the grounds of Balmoral is being fixed up with bars on the windows, padded cells, straight-jackets, and a resident shrink.  Can't let them escape again.   

That was sarcasm.

No, I'm actually rooting for these two Royal Pandas to make it in the wild.  And they probably can escape, given time, if they keep their noses clean and don't actually court press attention.  It is possible to for royals fade into the background, especially in the US. Eugenie York lived and worked in NYC for 2 years without attracting much attention.  Isn't Princess Madeleine (Sweden) living in in Florida now?

That's why so many European royals go to American universities incognito.   IIRC the Greeks in exile (the ones who attend all royal weddings but I never know who they are) like Georgetown.  King Felipe (Spain) went there too.  Saudis seem to flock to Harvard like homing pigeons.   CP Victoria went to Yale.  

A couple went to Brown too.  Gabriella Windsor comes to mind.  She actually dated a POC before Harry married one.  Old article but a good one here by Ella's old boyfriend:    https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/04/race-and-the-royals-inside-kensington-palace

He's far too kind about Princess Michael.  I also wonder whether Ella warned him in advance.  "Aatish, darling, before I introduce you to my mum I'd like to say one thing.  She's not quite right in the head."

 

 

[hoipolloi]

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

That's why so many European royals go to American universities incognito.   IIRC the Greeks in exile (the ones who attend all royal weddings but I never know who they are) like Georgetown.  King Felipe (Spain) went there too.  Saudis seem to flock to Harvard like homing pigeons.   CP Victoria went to Yale. 

Somewhere, I saw the minor European royals referred to as the chocolate box monarchies, and it seemed very apt. 

[kachuu]

23 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Palimpsest's Guide to Repairing and Renovating Royal Reputations.

The only thing this is missing is a "Cheerio!" at the end of it ?

[Palimpsest]

20 minutes ago, hoipolloi said:

Somewhere, I saw the minor European royals referred to as the chocolate box monarchies, and it seemed very apt. 

You just solved a mystery for me.  Apparently I never did properly understand the term chocolate box monarchy until now.  That image nails it.

I recently referred to "chocolate box art" in conversation and got blank looks from my American companions.  I suppose it is a British term.

Quote

Chocolate box art originally referred literally to decorations on chocolate boxes. Over the years, however, the terminology has changed; it is now applied broadly as an often pejorative term to describe paintings and designs that are overly idealistic and sentimental. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_box_art

Um, yes.  I think I'll now start referring to people who get overly sentimental about the British monarchy as chocolate boxers.  The royals are just people.  Really.

5 minutes ago, kachuu said:

The only thing this is missing is a "Cheerio!" at the end of it ?

Oh, Deer Rufus.  Now you've torn it and given me an ear worm.  There will be a song parody coming up shortly. 

[church_of_dog]

Does that make December 26 "Chocolate Boxing Day?"

[Palimpsest]

Harry's Farewell or 'Good-bye-ee'

Prince Harry ran away, to earn some cash the other day.
With a pout on his lips and his royal chips upon his shoulder come what may.
As the gravy train stopped he said: 'Remember me, all you churls'
And then he waved his paw and ran away feeling sore shouting out these pathetic words:

'Good-bye-ee, good-bye-ee, wipe the tears, baby dear, from your eye-ee.
Though it's hard to part I know, I'm so tickled to death to go.

Don't cry-ee, don't sigh-ee, there's a silver lining in my sky-ee.
Bonsoir old thing, cheerio chin-chin, napoo, toodle-oo, good-bye- ee.'

 

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

26 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

recently referred to "chocolate box art" in conversation and got blank looks from my American companions.  I suppose it is a British term.

I know that term from Ricky Gervais, I've never heard an American use it.

[klein_roeschen]

On 1/28/2020 at 3:49 AM, Pleiades_06 said:

I love watching the German press report about German “royals.” They definitely don’t take royals too seriously . I highly recommend googling Prinz Foffi. 

Or how about that grifter , who want's wants art and houses worth 100's of millions € back and who is rumored to be expected to be adressed at home with his royal highness by his house staff.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

15 minutes ago, klein_roeschen said:

Or how about that grifter , who want's wants art and houses worth 100's of millions € back and who is rumored to be expected to be adressed at home with his royal highness by his house staff.

I had never heard of this guy until now.  Thanks for this, I'm going to run down this rabbit hole this weekend.

 

[acheronbeach]

@Pleiades_06 I'm genuinely curious - do you believe the whole BRF and the entire UK media have been constantly racist toward Meghan?  

As an aside, Harry lost his Ipso complaint against the Mail.  They filed one over the photos Harry and Meghan had on their royal insta of Harry up close with a lion and touching an elephant.  The Mail posted the uncropped picture of the elephant tied up and explained that the animals were restrained and tranquilized for conservation purposes and that's how he got up close.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 minute ago, acheronbeach said:

@Pleiades_06 I'm genuinely curious - do you believe the whole BRF and the entire UK media have been constantly racist toward Meghan?  

Do you think every member of the family and the press has to be constantly racist in order for her to have been damaged by racism to a significant degree?

Everyone doing it all the time or it's irrelevant?  That seems to be the point you've been trying to make, so I hope I'm misreading you.

[KnittingOwl]

On 1/28/2020 at 8:57 AM, Palimpsest said:

Isn't Princess Madeleine (Sweden) living in in Florida now?

Yes. Madeline remains a HRH, but the king of Sweden recently took away titles for her children and her brother’s children. Only Estelle and Oscar are HRH

I don’t know that Madeline is the best example. She definitely wants to be royal for the Nobel banquets and fancy events. Not the day to day work of being a royal. 

[Palimpsest]

3 hours ago, KnittingOwl said:

Yes. Madeline remains a HRH, but the king of Sweden recently took away titles for her children and her brother’s children. Only Estelle and Oscar are HRH

I don’t know that Madeline is the best example. She definitely wants to be royal for the Nobel banquets and fancy events. Not the day to day work of being a royal. 

They seemed to take the loss of their children's titles quite philosophically.   If not with a tone of relief.  But I suppose Madeleine is a part-time and not very committed royal, who chose to live outside Sweden, and accepts a royal handout she doesn't fully earn.  

But you missed my point.  It was that, if a royal wants, and tries not deliberately to attract press attention, it is possible to live their lives quite privately in the USA.  I don't see headlines about Madeleine out with her children in Miami, walking the dog, or threatening to sue the press, when I log on to the internet every day.

[Giraffe]

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

But you missed my point.  It was that, if a royal wants, and tries not deliberately to attract press attention, it is possible to live their lives quite privately in the USA.  I don't see headlines about Madeleine out with her children in Miami, walking the dog, or threatening to sue the press, when I log on to the internet every day.

To be fair, though, I’m guessing 99% of Americans wouldn’t recognize Madeleine (I certainly wouldn’t). Harry will be recognized for the rest of his life.

Plenty of celebrities do a great job keeping their private lives private, but Madeleine has the advantage of not being easily recognizable. 

[Palimpsest]

6 hours ago, Giraffe said:

To be fair, though, I’m guessing 99% of Americans wouldn’t recognize Madeleine (I certainly wouldn’t). Harry will be recognized for the rest of his life.

Plenty of celebrities do a great job keeping their private lives private, but Madeleine has the advantage of not being easily recognizable. 

I'm using Harry and Meghan as a distraction from wanting to slit my throat over the Trump impeachment (fuck it is not going to win), mourning Brexit, and wanting Andrew extradited and strung up by his balls.

So, 

• Does the vast majority of the American public follow the British (or other) royals and do they care? 

I think not.  Dedicated Royal followers, the gutter press, and readers of tabloids care.  People wanting to make a buck may care.  Most people I know (on both sides of the pond) couldn't give a shit about the royals.  Except to feel sorry for them and be rooting for the end of the monarchy.

• Is Harry really that recognizable?

Nah.  Not really.  He did inherit from Grandpa Phillip those rather unfortunate close set eyes.  But tone down that red hair, shave off the beard,  expand the bald spot (and that will happen with age), gain a few pounds, and Harry could pass for a pretty average nerd.  I actually think the most distinctive thing, and least changeable thing, about him is his horseman's walk.  Known as "cowboy walk" in the US.

Anyway, he doesn't have to disappear for ever.  He just needs to be mostly boring, keep his nose clean, and only use his Ex-Royal status to attract attention for good causes to be able to live a low key life overall.  His choice.

[meep]

2 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Nah.  Not really.  He did inherit from Grandpa Phillip those rather unfortunate close set eyes.  But tone down that red hair, shave off the beard,  expand the bald spot (and that will happen with age), gain a few pounds, and Harry could pass for a pretty average nerd.  I actually think the most distinctive thing, and least changeable thing, about him is his horseman's walk.  Known as "cowboy walk" in the US.

LOL! OMAHGOSH I hope this happens! This gave me a big laugh, thank you! ?