When the Duchess of Sussex was still pregnant, Prince William was apparently plotting to have Meghan and Harry exiled in Africa for a year or longer. The story is still shocking to me, and I still believe that it really was a thing which was being discussed among William and palace courtiers. The idea was that William understands that his brother and sister-in-law are glamorous, popular and exciting, and that the Sussexes are making the Cambridges look dull and lazy by comparison. Nothing gets the Cambridges to be truly keen than a little competition, or the need to kill some inconvenient gossip about an affair. Anyway, since that story broke, it’s been in the air – the Cambridges are trying to do the most to exile the Sussexes in big and small ways. So what do you make of this?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who sealed their blossoming romance with a trip to Botswana, are firming up plans to return to Africa. I hear that officials in South Africa have been told to expect a visit by Prince Harry, Meghan and baby Archie later this year.
‘People have been informed that the Duke and Duchess will be coming,’ a source claims. ‘Early preparations have begun.’
Harry, who is currently in Italy on his second foreign trip since Archie was born 19 days ago, is expected to be joined by Meghan and their baby when they visit South Africa and a number of other countries on the continent. The trip is being seen as a possible prelude to a much longer stay in Africa, of several months, next year.
Omid Scobie regularly gets scoops from Team Sussex, and when the initial “exile the Sussexes to Africa” story came out, Scobie got “Sussex sources” to say that of f–king course Harry and Meghan are not going to move to an African country for a year. The Sussexes want to travel and do good works abroad, of course, and of course they have charitable interests in Botswana and Lesotho, but they’re planning trips of one or two weeks, not one or two years. But the Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential is still hyping the idea of an actual move or “much longer stay.” Methinks there’s still a plan being bandied about to exile the Sussexes.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
IDK, I think the Sussexes are putting out the feelers on how long they can live abroad every year.
I highly doubt the Sussexes are putting out feelers via the DM of all people. Also that Omid article made their feelings on all this clear. Anything else is KP and the Courtiers trying to exile them.
I agree. Harry is the president of African Parks and it makes sense that he would want to be active in that role. He has also said that Botswana is where he feels most at home. They likely want to continue Harry’s trend of spending a couple months there in the summer volunteering. I think the exile rumors are someone blowing an off handed or sarcastic remark about them moving there out of proportion. The courtiers want more control over the Sussexes. Exiling them would give them less control. Especially because the Sussexes favor the American press over the British.
I think the courtiers and KP want to control the narrative. So I rather suspect H and M have been considering time away in various African countries, maybe two or three month stints, and better now when Archie is younger vs when he is of school age. But it is still in the early stages of discussion. The courtiers are hearing whispers and the best way to spoil plans is to let them slip out inadvertently before fully thought out. I think they are actually trying to spoil their plans and force people to rail against it. They don’t want H&M to go anywhere. They want them right there in the UK where at every public event they will be put in their place.
The Daily Mail and Royal British tabloids are RACIST and so full of ….it!
Basically these Daily Mail Africa stories are racist code aimed at Meghan.
Both Harry and William have traveled to Africa every few years or more for their Royal causes.
Why the Daily Mail keeps insisting some big move is Coded Racism and agenda driven for their racist readers. IMO and the story is false,
Basically these stories are aimed at their racist readers who tell people of color or people who are not British to go elsewhere or go back to wherever.
Basically these Daily Mail Africa stories are racist code aimed at Meghan a person of color, biracial half African American woman.
@girl, agree. Even my white ass can see that
90sgirl, I think you are absolutely right. I’ve been appalled and unsettled by the racism directed at Meghan, and it scares me for her and Harry, honestly. I also have to give credence to the stories of William’s behind-the-scenes machinations to get “the competition” out of the way, especially since his own affair with Rose has dimmed public opinion of him even further, just when Harry’s popularity has been on the rise since his marriage to Meghan.
Rose who???
I will NEVER let this story die!
I don’t want to pay for them and their household to go travelling. Think of the accommodation, travel and security costs. Nope.
Luckily, you don’t.
Honestly what exactly is it that palace courtiers really do except apparently blab their mouth all over the place about the royal’s business?
Yeah, seriously. What do they do all day, other than gossip to the media?
I picture the royal courtiers in a never-ending game of Telephone. Whatever we hear reported in the press is some bastardized version of what was actually said or planned. Basically, they’re gossiping children who never grew up.
Sending the Sussexes to Africa (or Mars for that matter) will not do the Bill & Cathy Cambridge any good whats ever as Social Media is universal.
Did not some astronaut check his Facebook page while in outer space?
I think it’s that Meghan and Harry are quiet, peaceful with Archie, so the Daily Mail computers are kicking out rehashed stories from weeks ago , changing a word adding a paragraph and
Re printing the same old stories.
90’s girl: Agreed. If you are looking for racism–factual or not–read the Daily Mail. If you are at all intelligent and progressive, and attuned to reality, don’t believe the “racism” stories just b/c (for whatever warped reason) you are so very eager to see a racist slant to anything and everything.
If this is true, I hope that Meghan and Harry continue to do amazing, highly publicized engagements abroad and post constantly on Instagram so that no matter where they are, they will keep outshining the Cambridges. They have fans who will follow them wherever they are, which is easy today with social media. It doesn’t matter if they’re sent to Siberia— they’re more popular, glamorous and exciting than the Cambridges, and William and Kate might need to learn that the hard way.
All that said, I hope that it is their choice to do this, and that it’s not being forced on them by the palace.
I think Instagram is owned by Facebook so if one can get Facebook in outer space I am sure one can get Instagram. All this is going backfire on everyone except the Duke & Duchess of Sussex.
I don’t know much about this admittedly but why would Harry and Meghan do this, aside from getting away from the press? I think this will be an unnecessary expense (not sure if Africa will also fork out funds). They should continue to work in the UK and can further some of Africa’s causes at the same time.
This could be a made up story but this particular story of wanting Meghan and Harey to go away to Africa for long period is persistent. Makes me think someone is putting it out there to pressure them. Which would be a shameful thing to do.
And maybe the Cambridges got a taste this past week of what life could be like without Meghan and Harry. The sole attention of the media, publicity, columns etc and they want more and no competition.
Meghan in a few months will be back then there is the baby ppl will want to see more of and all three as a family, and some will see it all as a threat.
My bet is in Made Up Fake story.
If this is true, which I doubt, it’ll relate back to a previous comment made on one of the Cambridge’s articles about the Sussex family being ‘requested’ more than W&K by the media. Maybe some people think them being in Africa will lead to less media attention. Doubt that’ll be the case though. Plus being away for a year, won’t that mean they’re not working for that time? I’m not sure how that works, but it’ll get more complaints about their work ethic I think. Honestly hope these are just unsubstantiated rumors unless Harry and Meghan truly prefer to be in Africa for some time.
It now makes me wonder if this is real reason Meghan is not at the state visit activities? She and Harry together would outshine Trump and his brood and that can’t happen? Besides the American media will run what they do and it will be picked up all over. Let William and the courtiers be stuck on stupid for this.
At first I felt sorry for the Cambridges for dealing with Trump next week. After reading this not any more.
I’m guessing it’s because she’s on maternity leave, and he’s so so young.
She’s on maternity leave, but I doubt she’s too disappointed that she’s not meeting Emperor Zero! It’s a valid reason to not be there and a lucky one!
Absolutely. Also she was a pretty vocal supporter of Clinton and so she is probably very relieved. Plus, as a woman who is mixed race and identifies/acknowledges her blackness, she probably isn’t in a rush to have tea with a man who called white supremacists some “very fine people”
The Brits can’t afford the risk of Meghan outshining Trump…Ole Bone Spurs would make them pay for it if that ever happened.
Do not worry, “Old Lizzy The Magnificent” can handle Ole Bones Spurs.
Do not worry, “Old Lizzy The Magnificent” can handle Ole Bones Spurs.
Just one of her “!ooks” and……Donnie is petty he would “punch back” LOL
She’s on maternity leave, there’s no reason why she would be there. Not everything is a conspiracy.
Before Harry she was a pretty vocal Hillary supporter, honestly I think even if someone said you had to show up I’d be pulling the maternity leave too. I’m not saying she did this, but if she did who could blame her?
Meghan is applying for British citizenship, it takes five years, not sure if going overseas for a long period would effect the process.
Don’t know if it’s true or not from the Daily Express, the French Ambassador is complaining about how boring Kensington Palace is since Meghan and Harry left, now the only sound is of helicopters.
Apparently his residence was in the back of theirs, he said there was always a party going on, friends visiting and fireworks.
Kate and William cleared their calendar for Spring break.
I don’t think they’d be strict with Meghan, but you can’t be outside of the country for more than 270 days outside the UK for the last three years, or spent no more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months.
I think Meghan would be three years instead of five because she’s married to a British national, iirc.
@Duchess, it’s still five years because Meghan doesn’t have indefinite leave to remain yet. If she had that when she was married, she would have been eligible for citizenship after 3 years. But as it is, she needs ILR in order to apply for citizenship.
LOL. Partying and fireworks every night from the 2-bedroom cottage, when they were apparently living in the Cotswolds most of the time? Someone is making up more stories.
There are so many stories and lies out there about the Sussexes. I can’t keep up anymore. I don’t believe any news about Harry and Meghan unless they reveal it themselves. Most of the tabloid rumors have turned out to be false.
Oh yeah I forgot that part! How bizarre. Fireworks? All that’s missing is claiming they were playing loud rap music.
The residence of the French Ambassador is at 11 Kensington and not inside the Kensington palace complex but down the road from it. So he would not know where any party noise would be coming from if that’s even true.
Yes, the named French Ambassador is lying – rolls eyes. No, it is not down the road, lol. KPG is right next to KP which is one of the reasons why the security on that road is so incredibly fierce. Plus, they obviously weren’t in the Costwolds 7 days a week because they were doing plenty of London engagements during the week. They had parties, big deal. Not sure why there are a bunch of excuses for their great parties. Meghan is known to be a good hostess.
The ambassador does not live in KP and since there are several royals who live in KP there is no way he would know who is doing what.
And look at a map the French residence is down the road and not right behind the cottage where Harry and Meghan live as was stated above.
i certainly hope we don’t have to pick up ANY of the expenses of yet another Royal vanity trip.
Whatever funding they are able to secure is certainly surpassed by the good PR they (and other celebs) derive from it, and this particular brand of philanthropy always leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Africa doesn’t need more celeb driven charity, that continuously portray us as poor and needy, and always epitomized by the black child with a fly on this face. We need trading partners that treat us a equals. Frankly we’ve benefited a lot more from China than we have from the UK these past ten years. The CW is nothing more than a joke.
@MRSBUMP
+1
Meghan and Harry as well as other members of the royal family should sit their asses down in Britain and leave African countries alone. We ( Nigerians) want trade and mutually beneficial relationships and not Royal visits.
I sponsor a few little girls in Burkina Faso through Plan Canada and unfortunately they are in the level of poverty where they do live in dung huts with flies on their faces. Africa does have areas of excruciating poverty that can use all the assistance and eyeballs they can get. There’s currently an alarming rise in militant activity linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State there and I worry what their futures hold, especially since they’re Christian.
@jaded
Sponsorships while laudable are only a tiny band aid.
Much, much more is needed to lift a country out of poverty and most of this heavy lifting is done by us, as it should be.
My gripe is that these charities pull focus from the advancements that we are making and present an image of us that is ultimately detrimental to our progress.
MrsBump didn’t deny there was poverty, just that it doesn’t represent the entire continent and that good trading partners would be a lot more useful than a bunch of royal visits and photo ops. (I’m sure an actual resident appreciates being lectured on the state of Africa by a Canadian, though.)
@Mrs. Bump/Robinda: Please don’t lecture me on the inadequacy of my sponsorship. It’s sanctimonious and self-righteous. Plan Canada is not a tiny band-aid, it provides close to 4 million children world-wide with the medical help and educational tools they would otherwise not have and has nothing to do with diminishing other advancements being made. Furthermore, many countries in Africa are war-torn dictatorships where trade income goes into the pockets of said dictators and not into the hands of those who need it most. I’m sure the actual residents of Burkina Faso I support appreciate my financial assistance and my correspondence from them is unfailingly friendly and full of thanks.
I’m disappointed that you take such a jaundiced, one-sided view against what I’m trying to do to simply help some disadvantaged children.
@jaded
Please do not lecture us on the importance of your charity to our economy and well being.
Sorry but this is beyond patronizing.
Donate as you see fit. Please know that we are not sitting idle waiting to be saved by plan Canada.
My point addresses a much wider issue, which you refuse to acknowledge, which is that the constant portrayal of Africans as needy negativity impacts our progress whilst the money that is received via these charity do not eradicate poverty. So how else would you describe it other than as an ineffective band aid?
@Mrs. Bump: I have not lectured you on anything, in fact it’s you doing the lecturing. I never inferred that your country and people were sitting idle while waiting to be saved by anyone. I’m NOT refusing to acknowledge the wider issue, only that there are many people like myself doing what they can to make life a little easier for those who need it. Remember, every little bit helps and if you wish to turn your back in antipathy to what we, as individuals, are offering and that it is somehow patronizing and wrong, well that’s your choice but get the chip off your shoulder.
@Jaded
As usual a white woman lecturing us on what Africa needs. Bravo.
@Linda – What was I lecturing about Linda? I have nothing to do with what ‘Africa’ needs, only what I, as one person, can do to help a child. I have always sponsored children through Plan. Ones race has nothing to do with it, I’ve sponsored children from South America, from Haiti, wherever the need is greatest I offer what I can. I am not lecturing. I am helping. Take the blinders off your eyes and your focus off those who only offer lip service and see that people who can help even a few children is better than helping none.
My above comments are in response to Linda and to mrsBump. And please nobody is lecturing noone. It’s just so frustrating when one person from Nigeria or wherever in Africa makes some generalized comments and talks about what “Africa does/doesn’t needs/wants”. And the most interesting thing is a lot of people who make these kinds of generalized comments haven’t lived in their African countries for years so technically you might know what you as an African living abroad want/need but you do not necessarily know what an African living in Africa does/doesn’t want or need. Heck, you DON’T even really know what other Africans living abroad might want or need. So, please refrain from making comments like Africa doesn’t ABCD or Africa does ABCD, you have no idea what the rest of us do/don’t want/need.
I just love it when one person pretends to know what an entire nation, leave alone and entire continent, wants and/or needs. You are one person that holds this view, I’m African and I don’t agree with you one single bit. You have yr opinion of the royals +celebrities, I have mine. And this applies to millions of African peoples, we all view these people and charities/philanthropic endeavors differently. You think Africa has benefitted more from China? Yeah, me and my countrymen who have lost all our jobs, lands and companies to the Chinese, all sold to the Chinese by our greedy dictator of a president and his henchmen feel differently. At this point, our much of our land belongs to the Chinese people and we are used as slaves in our own land because, well we are poor and poor people means cheap labor. Beijing is now in negotiations with our govt to lease our lakes for 200 years, so that we can nolonger fish in any of these lakes but will be forced to buy fish from these Chinese companies. And you think Harry and Meghan coming to one country in Africa is gonna result in what exactly? Just because one hates the Sussexes don’t give anyone the right to speak for an entire African populations. What I’m trying to say, when people make these kinds of comments, just please speak for yourself and don’t pretend to know what’s good for an entire continent.
@salvation
Indeed i should not speak on behalf of a continent, and i do not purport to. What i say is my opinion alone.
There is only one image of Africa in the west, and that is an image of neediness and it is that which irks me. The progress my country has made since our independence from the UK has been us and us alone.
So royalty coming to “save us” never fails to set me off. It is a minor gripe in the large scale of things but it nevertheless smacks of colonialism. I was lucky to be born after but its aftermath can still be felt even now. The white elites in my country treat the rest of us like scum. To this day my mother stammers when speaking to a white person.
I’m sorry to hear about the effect China has had on your country. We have benefited from them in terms of both infrastructure, technology and higher education in Chinese universities. We have also given them right to fish in our waters, this is also a hotly debated topic. No one is naive enough to think that this help comes without anything in return.
@mrsBump, i appreciate yr comments and I’m happy for you and yr countrymen since you credit you and you alone for all the progress in your country, hats off to you folks. As I said, 90% of countries on the African continent were not as fortunate as you and your countrymen. When the colonizer gave us our “independence” we were not really THAT independent as a lot …and I mean A LOT…of what happens in our countries is dependent on the IMF, the US/some European country/Saudi Arabia/Russia (just choose who our leaders might decide to align with) and China is now somewhere in the mix. Bear in mind however, that the gap between the wealthy elite (in my country its not even white people, its the African brown people in power) is so wide its such a sad situation. Many of our young ones go hungry, and your know, when I hear people like you dissing the work that charity organizations have done in countries like mine, its frustrating. Different strokes for different folks, but I just don’t see how royals doing charitable work in Africa “smacks colonization” but to each their own (shrugs). I really feel a lot of gratitude to princes Seiso and Harry for the work they both have done with Sentebale, and I commend the people of Lesotho, Malawi and Botswana for having been graceful enough to accept this project in their countries. Yes, the UK colonized some countries in Africa, yes our people were sold into slavery, I just don’t get what good comes from dwelling on the past.
@salvation
I am a Nigerian living in Nigeria and a journalist by the way so best believe that when I speak about my country, I am not talking ignorantly. There is a whole lot of information about the effects of colonialism and post colonialism out there and for you to casually say Africans should not dwell on the past even as these issues still affect us is just mind boggling. Of course Charity in itself is not bad but what is happening in some African countries in the name of charity is horrific. Charity has turned into a multi million dollar industry where people on the continent are being taken advantage of. Besides we are not talking about the past but we are asking for respectful relationships and mutually beneficial trade agreements nothing more. I fail to see what has been the impact of the royals visiting my country, heck Charles and Camila visited last year and what came out of that visit.
Salvation speaks the truth! The Chinese ARE colonising Africa once again…..its mind boggling. They have even stretched their tentacles to islands in the Caribbean. Maybe not now but later there will be trouble ahead.
African countries will welcome Harry and Meghan, and show the world that they support the couple. The ties between the U.K. and Africa have changed and are different but they are still very strong.
Lol the press and courtiers still have no idea how bad this makes them look. Using Africa as a thing of banishment. You know because the continent….its not even a country…is such a wasteland that no one will talk about them.or take pictures. The royal family is beyond stupid to use Africa as a punishment for the prince and his half black wife. But you do you William. I guess we know why he has brexit people working for him. 🤷♀️
So if the Sussexes do visit a country in Africa in the next year or so, are we to assume that they are under duress? I just don’t like this narrative that decisions Meghan and Harry make are really manipulations by William and Kate. The same narrative was suggested here for why they opted for Archie not to use a title.
How about giving the Sussexes some credit for making their own decisions? I know that doesn’t fit the fan-ficcy theories that William is the Big Bad, but it is also rather insulting toward Meghan and Harry. Do we really think those two are going to allow themselves to be placed in an exile? What if they don’t want to go somewhere, will William send them to the Tower? Come on.
They absolutely could travel to Africa at some point in the next year or so, and I’m pretty sure they will. But your point, while sarcastic, has some merit in my mind, because now when they DO travel there, it will be seen as a sign of their “banishment” and them being put in their place etc.
That easter article laid the groundwork pretty well.
Yes, the narrative here that Harry and Megan are conspired against by their “rivals”, William and Kate, is a tired and transparent, inane one. NO ONE outside of the Royal Family knows about their personal, psychological lives, which (I’m certain) are far more complex—and less absurdly sinister–than the “good couple” versus “bad couple” rivalry that is depicted here. Please! Human beings are a lot more complicated than these recycled speculations depict, and it’s silly to try to find a story line and to assign (largely suspect, unkind) motives and characteristics to a small group of people whose internal lives you know literally nothing about.
Harry travels to Botswana / South Africa every summer. Of course he will travel with his family this year. Duh.
My first thought regarding travel later thus year is whether Archie will be old enough to get the vaccines required for entry in some African countries? Can’t remember the vaccine schedule for newborns.
It would be nice to see them travel as a family doing fun and unstuffy things. Think someone at KP or BP is gossiping while putting a nasty spin on the couple’s travel plans.
I dont think the Sussexes have any intention of relocating outside of England. I can see them choosing to do longer tours, that are more concentrated in one area (maybe 3 or 4 weeks in South Africa, for example, or something like that), since they do have more flexibility in their roles. But time will tell how that plays out.
I do find the narrative of them “moving to Africa”* to be interesting because it clearly was something pushed out by the Cambridges and then I guess they were caught off guard by the backlash, and then with the Sussexes strongly worded quote about how their plans would be discussed with BP and Clarence House, not KP. the fact that it is resurfacing again, even in a more general “plans for a long trip” seems to be testing the waters a bit.
*I also find it stupid because, as others have pointed out, Africa is a continent, a rather large one at that, and not a single country, and also, African countries have…..internet. They have social media. They have press. Harry and Meghan moving to somewhere in Africa would probably only generate more interest in them, not less. The fact that someone thinks them moving to Africa would quiet the interest around them is just so racist and prejudiced in my mind, because it clearly means that someone has a certain view of Africa.
* well there’s a lot of people with that mindset. Just look at the comments from ignorant people when this was posted by the Times article. “Meghan&Harry are welcome in the US/Canada/Australia, they don’t need to go to Africa! Why Africa?!” That told me all I needed to know about certain fans all over social media. Many of us have been to different places in Africa so we know what it’s like, but they obviously thought the whole continent is a mess & a dump, hence the cries of “whyyy? How dare they?”
@Mya – yup, I agree. the idea that was originally bandied about, that they were going to be “banished” to Africa was problematic, and the responses of “omg they are going to be exiled to AFRICA!!!!!” was also problematic.
I think this story is most likely false as it uses a lot of racist stereotypes to push a narrative which is awful. Honestly, Africa as a place of exile is just a bad story on many levels. For this reason alone, pretty sure if it was a plan to somehow tamper the Sussexes popularity, the plan wasn’t for it to get out in the public domain until they had left. It serves little purpose for anyone like this. Second, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harry and Meghan didn’t purchase some type of second home in the US near her mother. That scenario just seems more likely.
A few years ago – before Harry became a full time Royal – he wanted to go off to South Africa and become a park ranger or something. Harry loves South Africa, of course he wants to take his baby boy there. I can see him going off for months/years, just doing his thing whilst raising Archie. It’s not a secret that he would be happier there doing charity work for different causes. I guess the expenses would need to be justified, but if Harry wants to go for an extended period of time, he will, and it will be his decision, not Williams/the Courtiers. Don’t see why it’s such a negative around here.
Harry is a Counsellor of State and has to live in the U.K. because of that. Unless the Cambridges have a fourth kid and until that fourth kid turns 21, Harry won’t lose the position until all of the current Cambridge kids are at least 21 AND one of them has a kid of their own and that kid turns 21. He will be in the U.K. for a long time.
So basically the British media has no New information about Meghan and Harry they can’t use Meghan father and sister to trash her . So they are bringing up old stories to create a new headlines to bring in clicks to their sites i don’t trust anything the daily mail has to say about the Sussexs.
The Daily Fail is so desperate that the ran a very long story with large pictures today about a woman in Germany who has spent $7,500.00 USD in the last six months to recreate for herself Kate’s most famous looks. The Daily Fail is really sucking hard as they have actually run out of made-up BS to print.
I for one hope they do a tour of many countries in Africa. I’ve never been before and would love to see via Meghan and Harry. I think their tour could remove the stigma that is often placed on this vast and diverse Continent. It’s disturbing that it is being portrayed as a punishment. Have the Cambridge’s EVER taken an official tour of Africa??? If not that’s pretty telling.
@CASEY20
Lol at any member of the royal family “removing the stigma”of Africa, a situation they helped perpetuate in the first instance. Nah we are good over here.
“Stigma of Africa” ..rolls eyes
Linda, not trying to be offensive, but in America there is a stigma. It’s sad but if anyone tells you different it’s a lie. Examp!e one of the largest penitentiaries in the USA is name after a country in Africa. This is a negative stigma and far to often in the US this is the context in which Africa is presented. I understand that the RF played a role in plundering the continent of its riches,claiming ownership of land and people, I get that. My point is because Meghan is very popular in the states and has the eyes of the world on her, a trip to African countries can bring reality to Americans of a different Africa. I don’t want to offend so I’m trending lightly…..I just think it could be a great opportunity. I’m probably using the wrong words here so my apologies if I’m offending.
Good god stigma of africa!!
If Americans need meghan to go on a tour in order to lift a so called “stigma of africa”, i’m beyond speechless.
If you really want to learn about us, why dont you take the time to read some African newspapers? Many are published in English, You’d actually learn something instead of relying on whatever PR charity visit the royals will indulge in.
I don’t think I’m going to be able to articulate myself properly on this issue without offending. So I will leave this subject alone. I’m hopeful one day this discussion can be held in an honest and open manner. Apparently this isn’t the forum or the time. By the way when a country names a jail after an African country, that county needs education anyway it can get it..
Casey 20, Let me help.
@Mrs Bump,
I know I am being a little bunt here but I want to simplify this discussion to bare-bone truths. Half of the people in the USA are very well traveled and/or are very well read and thoroughly understand The continent of Africa and most of the rest of the world (it may get a little foggy with most people when you talk of Southeast Asia).
The other half of the people in the USA are not well traveled or well read. Visiting California would be like visiting a foreign country. This half of the population thinks Mexico is in Central or South America. 25% of the population in the USA have never been out of the state in which they live or further than 300 miles from the town they were born in or currently live in. These people only have have reference of Africa via the churches raising money for religious-medical-education missions in Africa. Guess what picture is on the flyer for the fund raiser? The worse the picture looks, the more money people are willing to give. I am not saying this fundraising for missions services is wrong. I am saying that this is the only picture they have in their mind of Africa or maybe the 2006 movie Blood Diamonds starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
I know this is disgusting but this is the way it is. Why do you think Casey20 and I hang out here? It is only 20% for the gossip. The other 80% is to hang out with strong, educated, progressive and hard working women from all over the world.
If I have offended anyone, I apologize in advance.
The condescending tone @mrsBump and @Linda are using responding to anyone that dares mention that the Sussexes can bring anything productive in regards to Africa is appalling. Look, I do understand that there are lots of Africans (interestingly we don’t refer to all peoples from Europe as Europeans but WE) posting on here but being African doesn’t mean you know everything about and therefore can speak for the entire African continent, you don’t. For example, sarcastically telling an American to read more African news papers (whatever those are) to get a better picture of “Africa” is just crazy. In my country alone, 90% of the newspaper companies are state owned and everything that goes into print has to be pre-approved by the govt!! What makes you think reading our newspapers would give any foreigner any clarity of whats going on in my country? Meanwhile, while our state owned papers will tell you what a great country ours is and how safe it is to visit as tourists, NGO and the locals will tell you how unsafe it is to even take a stroll in your home area at 8pm. They will tell you of the incredible large numbers of our young people who are dropping out of schools for lack of money to put them through an expensive education system that is not funded by the govt in any way shape or form. They will tell you how one would be risking death for themselves and for all their family if they dared say anything negative about those in power!! They will tell you of the unbelievable unemployment rate in the country!! They will tell you of a country crippled and brought to its knees by those in power who stole everything that once made mine one of the most beautiful countries in Africa!! Where are you getting the incredible notion that our state owned newspapers would ever tell any form of truth about whats going on in countries like mine? Of course there are countries in Africa that are really safe and what not (that’s why its so problematic to refer to our continent as if its one big country) but that can’t be said of the largest %age of African nations!!! Yes, the colonizers did steal a lot from our countries; and yes, slave trade ravaged our continent but that was centuries ago and many of us have moved on. Whats the point of staying stuck in that bitterness?
William toured Kenya, Namibia and Tanzania last September. It was partly a private working trip as president of United for Wildlife and patron of Tusk Trust, and part official engagements. I believe Charles and Camilla toured Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria soon after Will’s trip. Harry and Will toured Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa in 2010.
@Salvation:
I am going to speak to you to as a fellow African, South African to be more specific.
Linda and Mrs.Bump are correct in that donations simply aren’t enough, they are just what gets you through today and tomorrow. They are commendable, of course.
I think an American who still holds the idea of Africa as one country w a bunch of kids w fleas flying about their noses is extremely ignorant, esp considering the digital age we in. You don’t have to read state newspapers or anything like that, social media on it’s own is a gold mine if you want to know more about countries and the individuals in them w/o feeling like you reading a propaganda feed.
MM and PH aren’t going to effectively change anything in “Africa”, Mrs. Bump is right about us not needing PR-driven celeb charites– they’re not wrong, of course, just that we need “trade and mutually benefacting r/ships” and for western/eastern/whatever governments to stop ripping us off of resources. THAT didn’t stop w colonialism, it’s pretty on going.
@C20 Celebrities have been doing charity work in Africa for decades. Don’t see how 2 new celebrities could have anything new to offer on terms of progress or removing stigma.
@Salvation
What i find condescending is your tone and insistence that the present/future of everyone in Africa is bleak. Please do not speak in all our our names.
if you prefer to rely on charity and donations in lieu of trade and mutually beneficial partnerships that is your call.
Your various comments give the unfortunate impression that you and your countrymen are unable to achieve anything without charity.
if you believe that a royal tour will shed more light on what is happening in African countries than our newspapers, then i don’t know what to tell you.
Another commentor mentioned social media,maybe that would be good enough for you ? Or would you rather that the only image of Africa in the west remains that of the African child swatting flies ?
i understand that you are a Meghan fan, which is fine, but please, let us not overstate their importance to our economy and well being.
I would only hope that everyone could try to respect the viewpoint and opinions of others. We all have a view of the world based on our own individual circumstances. I can assume that there are no two people on this site that have the same exact experiences in life. As I read the comment I realize that my initial statement offended many and I apologize to anyone I offended. In my small American view of the world, I appreciate the dialogue. I love the honesty and passion because like each of you I would defend my country the same. So when I say there is a stigma on the continent of Africa, trust me there is a stigma in the US. I have had the pleasure of meeting about 20 Africans in my lifetime. I know it’s not many but where I live in the US it is what would be considered deep Trump country. All my neighbors are supporters of Trump. But I digress, the 20 Africans I have met all are either M.D.’s or PHD’s. It is my assumption that most Americans tend to interact with highly educated Africans yet they tend to think of Africans as described by BayTampaBay. The reason is due to bias, racism, exposure, ignorance, lack of education, how Americans are educated, lack of travel and America’s role in the slave trade and slavery..etc. I can go on and on. Now to Meghan. Meghan is American. She is of mixed race and raised by an African American woman. Meghan has a platform that is different from the celebrities mentioned. The amount of worldwide attention Meghan would bring on an African tour would be at a level that NO OTHER celebrity could do, even Oprah. So from an American prospective Meghan could bring attention to causes/charities and successes like no other…this is my opinion
In this day and age… exile🙄🙄🙄 seriously are we in the Middle Ages?
I find a lot of the language in this post and in the comments to be disturbing, on many levels: exile, stigma of Africa, punishment.
What they decide to do,it will be their own decision,whatever are the optics for what,as another poster above rightly says,are essentially PR-driven vanity trips.
They will not be the victims of any evil “exile plan”. And this is the real problem here,if we want to be honest.
Also,I’ve yet to see this incredible amount of work from them that can put anyone to shame. If there’re royals who can make anyone among them look lazy are people like Anne,who does every day the “bread and butter” stuff that the younger royals don’t like to do,but that it’s objectively what people want from them.
What are the results of Anne’s “work”…..???? We see the numbers but what has she accomplished….honest question as not met to offend
First of all ,she’s out there every week on her public duties and not at home waiting for the next overhyped,PR-driven initiative that more often than not doesn’t have any long-term follow up. Or that on the end it’s really about them and the image they want to give.
Their role is essentially about PR,acting like props to donors,or giving visibility to charity organisations. Someone like Anne doesn’t gain anywhere the same attention that K&W,M&H get. But for those who support the monarchy (a lot of people in UK simply don’t care about them at all),what Anne does is important,because simply meeting people,showing attention visiting smaller communities and their activities *is* a big part of what is their public role.
Casey20, Per a friend of mine who lives in Norfolk, England:
The Royals get over 10,000 request per year for appearances. Some are high profile (like William going to New Zealand for a remembrance service) and some are just local-yokel (handing out prize ribbons at the local elementary school’s annual science fair) un-glamorous no PR “bread and butter work” stuff no one really wants to do
Anne specializes in being the Royal who does all the “bread and butter work” stuff that gets no PR coverage; handing out prize ribbons at the local in-the-middle-of-nowhere elementary school’s annual science fair.
This may not count for a lot with The Daily Fail and Royal Watchers but if you are the 9 year old third grader who received her second place prize ribbon for your science fair project on the solar system from THE PRINCESS ROYAL you will never forget it, your family will never forget it, you will repeat the story until the day you die and that second place prize ribbon along with the photograph in the standard very British silver frame setting on the piano or in the most important place in the house will become a keepsake handed down from generation-to-generation.
Anne does over 400 of these Royal “bread and butter” engagements a year, is very happy to do so as a full time working Royal of the BRF and the people love & respect her for it.
Can you imagine Mama Bush or Laura Bush or Michelle Obama doing a four week long, four engagements a day, 50 state science fair tour of the USA ? If you can then you get the picture of what Anne has done as a working Royal since the age of 18 upon graduating from from what we in the US call high school.
I’m sure the Cambridges would love it but I also am sure Meghan’s immigration status will preclude them from such things.
Poor William. He’ll just have to deal.