The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pretty much adhering to their tour plan: the first three days of the tour were spent in Cape Town, doing mostly joint events and even showing off baby Archie one time. Then Harry travels solo out of South Africa and Meghan stays in Cape Town with baby Archie, and she doesn’t make any big public appearances. She wasn’t just spending time with the baby – the idea was that she would do some smaller private meetings too, but it was important that Meghan would not be seen stepping on her husband’s newscycle. But that didn’t stop her from making a quiet visit to a memorial for Uyinene Mrwetyana, and posting the photo on the SussexRoyal Instagram, with this message:
Simi kunye kulesisimo” – ‘We stand together in this moment’
The Duchess of Sussex has tied a ribbon at the site where 19-year-old Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana was murdered last month, to pay her respects and to show solidarity with those who have taken a stand against gender based violence and femicide. Over the last month in Capetown, protests erupted through the streets in outrage over GBV in South Africa.
The Duke and Duchess had been following what had happened from afar and were both eager to learn more when they arrived in South Africa. The Duchess spoke to the mother of Uyinene this week to relay their condolences. Visiting the site of this tragic death and being able to recognise Uyinene, and all women and girls effected by GBV (specifically in South Africa, but also throughout the world) was personally important to The Duchess.
Uyinene’s death has mobilised people across South Africa in the fight against gender based violence, and is seen as a critical point in the future of women’s rights in South Africa. The Duchess has taken private visits and meetings over the last two days to deepen her understanding of the current situation and continue to advocate for the rights of women and girls.
The memorial for Uyinene Mrwetyana is located at the Clareinch Post Office, which is where she was violently assaulted, raped and murdered. Her violent murder has been in the South African news for weeks, drawing attention to the horrendous statistics about violence against women, domestic violence, intimate partner violence in South Africa.
What we’ve seen time and time again from Meghan is a fearlessness about commenting on “tricky” or “controversial” subjects. Royal work, by and large, tends to be safe and conservative, with nice photos with cute babies and people in suits. Which is what Meghan has mostly done already – she did those events with moms and babies and female entrepreneurs and dancing children. Then she did a solo trip to a memorial of a murdered teenager to draw attention to violence against women.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Instagram.
Gosh South Africa is horrible country. Stay safe ladies.
Women get murdered and assaulted in every country. It’s a pandemic issue.
It is. This article isn’t new, but the whole thing is worth the read.
https://www.elitedaily.com/news/world/femicide-worst-countries/1077001
Women aren’t safe anywhere and it seems to be getting worse.
I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and watch my fair share of true crime documentaries. This happens EVERYWHERE. The US, Canada, Europe (Iceland appears to be the only exception), Australia, Asia… Women are targeted regardless of how feminist or evolved a country appears to be.
Horrible things happen and have happened there. I’ve never been but it looks beautiful.
And yes, this happens everywhere
Please visit, you will be overwhelmed by the friendliness of our people and the beauty of our land. And like most third world countries (and some first world countries), there are areas to avoid or make sure you have adequate security.
It happens everywhere, however SA has the highest number of rapes in the world and a woman is murdered every 3 hours – this is based on recent figures released by the SA police. It ranks 4th (out of 118 countries) for having the highest number of femicide’s based on recent WHO data.
SA is a beautiful country with some lovely people but it is a dangerous place for a woman. I have SA friends and they ALL say that women never go anywhere alone, they never walk on the streets esp alone or at night and they always try to make sure they have male companions. Its a case of you drive everywhere with the doors locked at all times and you never stop for anyone except the police. There are reasons why gated secure communities are very popular.
+1
Yes and no. South Africa is not a small country. It varies a bit from place to place. Crime is prevalent, we are always aware of it and we do take necessary pre-cautions. But I live in the 3rd largest metropolitan area and I walk the streets alone, even in the central city area, though not at night. I definitely go out without male companions, even drive alone late at night. Maybe it’s idiotic of me but I refuse to give in to the fear so much that I have to curtail my life to the point where I can’t go out anywhere alone. Yes, what’s happening here is a huge problem and more needs to be done, but we are not living our lives under seige.
@Ela – thanks for your comments, Yeah I guess it depends where you live and no its not idiotic of you not to give into these ‘men’ and their behaviours. My SA friends are from Cape Town which I understand is not as safe as Jo’berg.
Thanks Digital Unicorn. I live in Durban and this is absolutely no criticism of your friends but the majority of the woman in South Africa can’t afford to not walk the streets alone . Most people are dependent on public transport and most woman have to rush from taxi and train ranks to their place of work alone. This is something I also did for a number of years, we simply have no choice but to carry on with our lives. In a way we have become desensitized to the daily muggings and harassment. But what happened to Uyinene is so horrific and unprecedented, it really shook up the country. She was one of those beautiful, vibrant young woman we have such great hopes for in this country and I appreciate the Duchess paying attention to this.
I had no idea that Pakistan was such a horrific place to be female: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/erik-aude-imprisoned-in-pakistan-for-a-crime-he-didnt-commit/ & https://www.jordanharbinger.com/erik-aude-imprisoned-in-pakistan-for-a-crime-he-didnt-commit-part-two/
Aren’t William and Kate going to Pakistan next month? That should be…interesting. No way will Kate do anything like this.
And before I get jumped on for comparing the two, I think it’s a fair comparison in this instance as the tours are so close together.
Nope you are right Kate won’t do this, but for several good reasons. Pakistan is different than South Africa. Pakistan for terrorist reasons alone is more of a danger than South Africa for anyone who is a representative of the coalition that fought in Afganistan for decades which the UK did and is still there with US.(Pakistan’s neighbor – and Pakistan is also where Osama Bin Laden was living and killed It’s a hotbed of terrorist activity) South Africa does have it’s dangers, but not to that extent. Second, William is supposed to be King and Kate- Queen Consort and with that comes less events that can seem political. The monarchy is supposed to be impartial, but Harry and Meghan who are a bit more removed can get away with it. This is where it’s really good to be the spare. Kate and William by nature of their position can’t do those things. Sure they may not want to, but I don’t think we will ever know as he has been raised to be the upcoming King. There are plenty of things to snark on Kate and William about, but this isn’t one of them.
Can’t we just applaud Meghan for doing these things without slamming another women. I don’t know why people think degrading someone else makes them better. It’s great she did this, and on a totally superficial note. I’ve liked Meghan’s attire on this trip, but nothing really wowed me. Maybe cause they have been pretty casual. I think I’m now officially wowed at the deep green one piece pant suit. The whole thing with the earrings and the hair in a bun, not my usual favorite hairstyle by her, but it looks great with this look.
@noway
Thank you for the generalisation but Pakistan is a diverse country which has had its issues yes but is nowhere near how you described it.
Please stop being so Trump like with your smears.
And as for royal visitors, they will do a few photo ops and go home. There are real activists who are on the ground who fight everyday to improve the lives of ordinary citizens in their countries. They will continue their work irrespective of who visits them or who doesn’t.
@aka I did not express anything about the nation of Pakistan, which didn’t deal with a well publicized terrorist threat. I said there is more of a security threat of terrorism in Pakistan than South Africa and further specified for coalition country member leaders, which the British monarchy represents. I am supported in this thought by security level public information provided by coalition member countries. I realize the country is not the terrorist organization which has a presence in the country. I actually am from this part of the world, and realize a lot of countries in the area have complex geo-political issues and it’s complicated, but I don’t believe I described the country as you are claiming and resent your comment.
Odd thing is the US is by far more violent than a lot of countries, which for the international tourist mean it is something to look at before they travel. However, for leaders from other countries with entourages and security, which our law enforcement system works well with, the US is one of the safest placesfor any foreign leader, no matter how atrocious that leader may be, just not the average citizen.
No it isn’t! Please don’t totalise. We are infinitely aware of our issues, but it’s not a horrible country. Sorry how dare you! I could say the same about America if all I ever heard was about the mass shootings.
I think this visit was handled perfectly. Publicized after the fact, both to keep the focus on harry and to not turn the visit into a media event.
+1, the whole tour so far has been handled extremely well.
She is a great woman and I hope the RF realize how lucky they are to have her.
I wish Meghan, Harry & Archie a joyous life together.
I second that!
It is an important fight all over the wolrd. How is it a controversial though?
Because men vehemently dislike being held accountable for their violence against women.
Ding, ding, ding! We have the winning comment right here!
Exactly
Bingo! And they can’t wait to “not all men!”
Fantastic analysis! And spot on.
It’s controversial because it’s an uncomfortable subject. This isn’t a war memorial, or a memorial for someone who died tragically in a fire or flood. It’s certainly not a cozy feel-good photo op in a garden.
Meghan visited the scene of a savage attack that happened a mere few weeks ago in one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to sexual assault and violence against women. Intense subjects and visits like this are controversial for the BRF.
It isn’t controversial, it is what they’re supposed to be doing. Camilla started a project that provides cleansing kits for rape victims, to use after their forensic exams. It isn’t all yacht races and treehouses, at least it shouldn’t be.
@Nota, Camilla is also a campaigner against domestic violence…. she;s done some really good work in that area.
TY, Moose! Another reason to stan Camilla.
I saw a tweet that nailed this:
“prince harry: gravity is a thing
usa today: whoa there politics boy!”
It’s ridiculous, but it’s how a lot of people feel.
Luckily Meghan is confident enough to think outside the box a bit when it comes to these things. I think this visit was wonderful. Look how much so many of us learned because of it.
It is controversial the same way the “me too” movement was deemed/considered controversial and political by some (and thus Kate Middleton decided to steer clear of the subject). Of course a lot of people argued that women’s rights to live free of harrassment and fear is a human right and not a political or controversial matter but a very large percentage of men (and a good number of women) including Piers Morgan objected.
Mistreatment of women – including discrimination, domestic violence, and even murder – is tolerated much more by the Western world than if the mistreatment was directed against any other group (race, religion, etc.). People will call it a “private” matter, or defend mistreatment as a “cultural” or “religious” belief that has to be respected. Because deep down inside, they believe women really are inferior. That’s not to say the same people aren’t racist or homophobic, but most people recognize those aren’t acceptable anymore and will make an effort to pretend. But discrimination against women is still *openly* accepted.
Women being assertive is still a problem in the western world… just look at how Meghan is attacked for speaking out about issues and Kate is praised for being silent.
Hmm. There’s a need to be careful with a statement like that, and also truth in it in some ways.
A lot of times people- regardless of how they vote or don’t vote, or what body they’re in- do feel entitled to go further (or allow/excuse/encourage others going further) on femicide’s Pyramid of Dehumanization than they would for other pyramids of dehumanization. Even when you’re a woman and part of one or more other marginalized communities, there are sometimes situations where this plays out in hypocritical ways. I’ve experienced it, witnessed it, and heard it from other women as well. It happens with sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, class, or any combination of those groups- the being expected both by insiders and outsiders to put up with abuse and inequality for one part that you’re not expected to tolerate with the other part(s). The thing about culture and religion could be interpreted and discussed in a lot of different ways though.
I was reading about the murder – it was horrific. She had gone to the post office to pick up a parcel, the post office employee told her there was power issues and to come back later. She went back later to pick it up, he lured her into the back, locked her in then violently raped and the murdered her by beating her to death with scales when she wouldn’t stop screaming. He then took her body, burned it and dumped it. When he was arrested he confessed. The fact that the police are refusing to reveal any details about him tells me that he’s white. although apparently his identity is all over Social Media but I haven’t checked it out.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-death-of-uyinene-mrwetyana-and-the-rise-of-south-africas-aminext-movement
No, he’s identified as a black male age 42, who has been accused of rape before.
Neighbors burned down his house – good for them. I know it’s another crime but they are so enraged over what happened to Uyinene.
Ah thanks for the update. The reports I read hadn’t mentioned that.
Good for them and I hope this helps turn the tide on violence against women in SA. Its pandemic.
Oh my! I read the article you posted Digital Unicorn. She was picking up a parcel at the post office. Jesus. This is so egregious. I mean all rape and violence against women is egregious, but this is another level. Like the article said, you don’t expect to go to the post office and be raped and killed.
This whole situation brought me to tears. When will men get it?!? As a women I’m afforded a lot of freedoms in the country I reside, but I can’t take those opportunities because of misogyny. It makes me so angry!
… and so you just decided he’s white? Wtf.
I think she may have felt like they weren’t identifying him to protect him, and white people tend to be treated better by the police. Or because a cross racial attack might incite furor even more.
If they didn’t ID him, I’m guessing it’s because they knew how people would react. And they were right if his neighbors burned down his house.
@Kebbie. thank you and you are correct. White men are treated better than everyone else by the judicial authorities – no matter where in the world you are (look at what Trump and Boris Johnson are getting away with). With regards to SA I followed the Oscar Pistorius trial closely and he was pretty much treated with kid gloves by the police – mostly because he was white, wealthy and was a celebrity.
Great defensive rationalizing.
Amazing work Duchess.
It will be interesting to see how creative Duchess Kate Middleton gets on her upcoming tour to one up Meghan. I just can’t wait.😁😁😁
Wow, we as women are our worst enemies. Look at how we pitch women against each other @Taneesha.
This has been an informative tour. Too many people wanted this to be a fashion show, but Harry and Meghan have done an amazing job at keeping attention focused on the charities and causes. The Sussexes are assets to the Royal Family. It’s time for the media and Palace sources to stop working against Meghan and Harry and allow them to work without obstruction.
I admit M that I was one of those who was greatly looking forward to seeing what Meghan would be wearing on this tour but instead I’ve been so blown away with the things that she’s said that I’ve hardly noticed what she’s worn. You are too right, the Sussexes are a huge asset to the BRF and I hope their actions and words light the fire under all of us to no longer be silent in the face of evil.
‘This has been an informative tour. Too many people wanted this to be a fashion show’ —-Thx gosh……..Meghan is always miles ahead of the trashy royal press. They already had their typed up articles about her clothes, nope, there was nothing about it to write home about; so they are forced to focus on something else.
The SussexRoyal iG account makes them irrelevant anyway
I think when Prince Harry get back to England, he is going to sleep for a week(s).
Four huge countries in ten days.
I have learned so much by following the Sussexroyal instagram account.
+1
I think that the causes she and Harry have picked to highlight are much needed in the world we’re living in now. The RF don’t know how good they’ve got it to have Meg join them.
On another note, I want to wish all my fellow CBs who celebrate Rosh Hashanah today a New Year filled with health, contentment, happiness, prosperity, and peace! (And may the “orange stains” and ALL its “residue” be permanently wiped from the WH! (Amen!) 😊)
On daily mail, they have a couple of nauseatingly ass kissing articles about Kate. Wtf is up w that? Is the press over there mad at Meghan and Harry for not cooperating? For making their own rules?
Good for Kate I guess….she did something worthy of praise for the DM crew
Yeah, she was born white.
After years of being bashed on there for being “middle class”, and having a “doors to manuals” mother, Kate is now the epitome of aristocratic perfection, an “English Rose” to be worshipped, one that “never puts a foot wrong” (unless you count the many times she showed her ass, literally, and her lack of work ethic).
Don’t get me wrong. I LIKE Kate. I think she’s a fabulous mother (from what we see of her interactions with her kids), and how she’s now interacting with other kids. She may have a big heart, she may *want* to do more, but will not outshine “Big, Wandering Willie” (by choice, or orders). And let’s face it…she will NEVER set the world on fire or tackle BIG issues.
And these things are where Meghan shines.
Lol @ she showed her ass literally. It’s insane how many times we’ve seen her skirt fly up. Can you even IMAGINE how they’d react if we saw Meghan’s bare butt in a thong?!
And I completely agree, Jan. The media coverage of Kate is peak white privilege. Do nothing, get praise. She was Duchess Do-Little until a woman of color came into the picture. Now she’s an English Rose 🙄
The “doors to manual” bit came from the Middleton PR people during the most public breakup with William.
Wow I guess I’m weird and certainly not a minivan crew, but I like both Kate and Meghan. I probably identify with Meghan a bit more as she is American, and I get the feeling more my type of middle class girl than Kate. I know Kate was supposedly middle class, but looking at her growing up it seems more wealthy to me. Meghan has spoken her mind a bit more in her life and I appreciate that. I realize why the press pits the women against each other, but not sure why people on here do it. I can’t stop thinking about Tina Fey’s line in Mean Girls with this, you have to stop calling each other sluts and whores, or in this case lazy and worthless, cause it just makes it easier for guys to do it. Just something to think about, and I bet everyone Meghan never does it.
Kate did nothing but cling and chase William for a decade, never worked, is bone deep lazy, and William married her by default. Meghan lived her life, built a career, worked hard, and ended up marrying a man who adores her.
Marrying a high-profile working royal is a job. Kate refused to do the job for years, and when she does show up, she is shallow and unprofessional. Meghan shows up, has from day one, and gets things done. Too many new royal watchers think Kate is the norm, when Meghan fits in with the other working royals (Maxima, Letizia, Daniel, etc.)
Yes, they’re mad, because of the hatchet job they have been doing on the Sussex(es) didn’t succeed, they thought Harry and Meghan would give in to then, and allow then access, not happening.
The British Media nose is out of joint, 380 media passes, how many belong to them, Harry and Meghan can get world wide coverage.
So now with the Sussexes on tour, they’re touting Catherine, for dressing her age and a new hairstyle, not sure if there was any talk of her inventing the log chair.
All of a sudden she is the most poised, well spoken (although the BBC use Closed Caption on her speech, describing the garden) queen consort in the making, any other job she would be fired for taking eight years to train.
Stop giving the daily fail clicks!
The Kate articles are all coming from a You magazine edition that focuses on her and, ironically, they’re actually pretty harsh in their assessment of the “old” Kate in order to build their narrative about the new one being different.
FWIW, I think Kate remains very popular with what Lainey calls the minivan majority both here and in the UK. I know the story is that Jason did a lot of courting to get the fawning American mag coverage years ago, but most of the time these magazines (US Weekly, People, etc) just seem to invent narratives and reasons to keep her on the covers because she likely still sells well for them.
@lena I was just on iG and stumbled upon the you magazine post pushing the issue on Kate. They are calling her Kate the Great. The editor said because of all the attention the Sussexes were getting along with the birth of Archie, no one noticed the remarkable transformation action of Kate in her speech, clothing and hair (all superficial of course) and they decided to dedicate an issue to show this. Wow. So Kate was jealous after all of Meghan’s vogue issue and her PR crafted this scheme to keep the focus on her. When will Kate relax. She won’t be queen for maybe 20 years. She should chill and stop panicking.
NotA, that’s a figment of your imagination which makes zero sense
Show receipts or stop stating it as a fact.
@Noway
Thank you for voicing sentiments I have had as well. Why do we have to choose Meg or Kate? Can we not like them both? I identify with Meghan more since she is American, vocal, positive and action-oriented. Still, are we not falling into the trap set up by society that there must be an us vs. them? This is where we seem to be as a society. There is no nuance. If we champion someone, we claim they are flawless. If they are our enemy, they are without redemption. I like both for different reasons. I’m sure us arguing here on this site about who is a better woman in such stark divisions is not what Meghan and Harry are striving to promote or model. Their work is inspiring – let’s get inspired by them and do better for us and by us.
She has been doing some private meetings…..in a few months, I expect something from her on this topic!
As someone has said above, it is not just SA; India has terrible statistics as well with a lot of non-reported crimes. Not stopping there, it is not SA and India, there are so many countries with GBV, it is astonishing!
I don’t know why this subject is controversial……if too controversial for RF, then F***K them and go Meghan! Diana hugging HIV/AIDS patients was controversial too but she did it anyway! sometimes, someone just needs to do it!
If some would rather take cute pictures in garden or with babies, they are free to do so; others, like Meghan and Diana, can focus on those topics judged ‘controversial’ for the RF, they should also be allowed to do as much as they can. Meghan won’t 100% solve it today but there are others working on GBV she can join and work with. It is always better, I think, to at least TRY
Your first point is what’s so exciting about Meghan. To know she’s always working behind the scenes and coming up with innovative new projects.
Kate’s people have a tendency to leak stories about supposed projects or interests that never materialize into anything. I’m not trying to bash her, but how long did she milk that garden? Meghan just announced her Smart Works project and now she’s already onto something new.
Imagine how many things like the cookbook and capsule collection she’ll have done in ten or fifteen years time. It’s not a competition, but she’s going to run laps around Kate.
To the people comparing Kate to Meghan – the difference is, William will be king by virtue of his birth alone. He (and his wife) dont need to lift a finger for that to happen, or to justify their privileges through work. That’s how a monarchy works. The other royals who want to stay on payroll need to justify themselves. William and Kate do not.
The same could be said of Prince Charles and Camilla but they both work their asses off.
Well said Kebbie. And of course the current monarch and her consort render all these Cambridge stans nonsensical talking points void of any truth. TQ, PP, PoW and DoC are the hardest working senior royals I know. And yet Cambridge stans continue to parrot the “Cambridges are gonna be king and queen consort and need not lift a finger” BS.
@Kebbie
Agreed, and add the actual Queen in there too who works more than Will and Kate.
I guess
1) Princess Diana before her divorce disagreed with you
2) Prince Charles certainly does
3) Duchess Camilla even more so
4) the Queen certainly said NO
I wonder about those People who always justify low standards and lack of work…….you can support the DDoC, BS is BS!!! If fans of the DDoC were so insecure and just happy that they are the future future King and qc, you would all ignore H&M like you do C&C and just a few decades for the titles
I meant to write “If fans of the DDoC were NOT so insecure”…….
” The other royals who want to stay on payroll need to justify themselves. William and Kate do not.”
I agree, W & K do not have to lift a finger and can NOW spend to there hearts delight without reprimand. But that changed in Oct 2016. Before they were the lazy and coined Duchess Doolittle and Workshy Wills.
It’s really amusing reading articles on W&K pre-Meghan. lol
In the era of Brexit, they ALL need to justify their existence on the dole every day.
I wouldn’t say that’s controversial for the brf nowadays. I know Duchess of Cornwall has worked with women harmed by sexual violence and let’s face it, we rarely hear in the media who some of the other royals like the princess royal and countess of Wessex are working with.
Which is a shame; Sophie and Camilla are barely covered but do some interesting work
Sophie and Camilla deserve more media coverage because they work on issues that go beyond gardens and dresses with buttons.
The media is only interested in royal scandals and their private lives. They really do not care about their charities or Anne would be a regular on the front pages.
Yeah and Cams also does work around FGM which again is rarely covered by the media.
FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation
Got it; Thx
If the Cambridges were doing anything worth talking about, it makes sense that the press would be all over it instead of talking about a garden! W&K were the most covered royal couple until H&M came to town…..If you think they are doing a good job, I will take your words for it!
Camilla, Sophie and Meghan have some similar interests, I think it will be great for them to combine some initiatives.
Indeed, esp as they’ve been talking about the same garden for the past few months. They are really milking this garden for all its worth, both her and the press.
i agree it would be great for Cams, Meghan and Sophie to combine their work as they have similar interests but then again can you imagine how the Cambridge’s would react to that. The press would have a field day painting Kate as the eternal victim being left out of any initiatives by these 3 meanies. Look how they reacted to Harry’s Oprah initiative – the tried to shoe horn Kate into by claiming she contributed a name?!?!?! It was Heads Together all over again where a big deal was made of her coming up with that. Give the girl a cookie already.
@digital I am eagerly awaiting a joint appearance by Sophie and Meghan on a subject of mutual interest surrounding women. That would be awesome.
@Digital — I understand your point but I was talking about Camilla, Sophie & Meghan….No W or K.
After the FlyBe disaster, I hope the Sussexes never ever work with the Cambridges again. I know they are family but the stunt W&K was imo despicable. I know most have forgotten but H&M never do; they can do the traditional Trooping and whatever but they do not need to work together.
Have you noticed since the Sussexes are no longer under KP:
– no more leaks about tiaras
– no more Meghan made Kate cry (my goodness)
– no more waking up at 5 am texting (Meghan apparently snubbed 4am LOL)
– no more diva’ish behavior about Meghan slamming staff…..
Most importantly, I have a younger sister, I will never, ever, do anything to consciously harm her!
The RF is made up of envious people. Has Charles ever done anything like that to his brothers and sister? although Andrew is a scum
Female Genital Mutilation is still legal in 15 states. The bill to criminalize it here failed this year.
Sympathies to her family. I hope justice is swift for her killer.
I’m glad this visit wasn’t publicized until after Meghan had left.
I 100% agree with you. I am against the death penalty and torture of any kind, but sometimes, with horrendous murder such as this, I wish to the man a slow and painful death…….I know it is wrong and won’t bring her back, it won’t ease her family pain, but his actions were more than despicable!!!
There has been some coverage of the trip in South Africa but with our past with colonialism, there has been quite fairly, questions, about why we are feliciating the British royal family. I am a Meghan defender but you can’t blame my country for not falling over ourselves for the royals. But I think they played this tour, real smart. Low key, nothing controversial at least from a South African point of view, no rah rah Britain which would infuriate us. Worthy causes which everyone in the country can get behind and positive feedback on social media from people who met them.
They did their homework before they visited.
It was great taking Archie to see Archbishop Tutu, he and his daughter were so welcoming.
Yes, Colonialism came before apartheid..
True, and as a South African woman and writer who has had to deal with this scourge up close and personal more than once, I can’t overemphasise how overdue the mood in the country is. I don’t know how smart revealing my true identity on a gossip site is, but to hell with it…https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/2019-09-15-call-for-action-only-way-to-conquer-fear-of-confronting-the-monster-of-violence-in-our-society/
Kea, thanks for sharing this, and I cannot imagine what Uyinene’s family is going through, and the country.
Thank you for sharing this. It is something that must be looked at from a worldwide perspective as it is so deeply rooted in the male culture that it will take several generations of work and education to eradicate it.
Kea, I applaud you for sharing this. Thank you for showing us your work and please take care.
Kea, thank you for sharing your work. Please know that you have support from women worldwide …keep speaking out
@Jaded, @Thuthiness, @Merrigirl and @Gingerbee. Thank you Ladies, there is a lot of anger and hopelessness at the state of economy and general criminality and women and children are taking the brunt. The femicide is accross all races and economic levels. It’s not just one cause and the solutions will have to take that into account. Personally, I wish I was sharing a story about how awesome we are. Because we really are. And I dream of telling those stories as well…
Thank you for so much for this article. Your writing is powerful.
The media have really got their noses out of joint today (shocker).
The headlines are all “Finally a PR success for the Sussexes”
Translation, “We haven’t found a way to spin this to make them look bad yet”
Photo ops or not Meghan seems genuine in this and is doing everything right. This trip won’t be too memorable fashion-wise but the quality is great. That’s what I want to see, not what she wore.. This Meghan seems to care. I like this version.
“This Meghan seems to care. I like this version.” — so there was another version of Meghan? if you don’t mind me asking, can you please point me to that other versions of Meghan, you know the ones who didn’t care? I assume you have examples to prove your point, right?
or are you just a DM type who can’t find anything to criticize, so why not create a couple of # versions of Meghan
Tbh, I don’t get all the praise for this tour, I mean yeah it was done well, but we didn’t even see Meghan that much – most of her engagements were private and only mentioned after. That’s why I think a lot of the royalists like this tour and praise it as a PR success – the woman is taking the backseat and playing the traditional role of supporter/mother. We barely saw or heard from Meghan this tour (we only actually heard from her on the first two or three days?) – they purposely did this so she wouldn’t make headlines (even if would be positive) and honestly did Harry’s engagements even make the front pages of any paper? They were saying that she took a step back so that she wouldn’t step on his news cycle, but only I think one (?) of his engagements made the front pages of the newspapers in the UK. This was intentional in order to “dampen their spotlight” if you will. I think what this tour has shown me is that they’ve given in and are giving the press access, which sucks because that’s basically giving into their bullying. That’s also why they are saying it’s going to take more than a tour to get the public back on their side – translation – give us more access and we won’t throw hatred and vitriol towards you on a daily basis.
my reply doesn’t show up, I’ve tried twice.
ok so third time is a charm apparently. I feel attacked, nitpicked. I always liked Meghan but thought she was capable of more. Didn’t like her blog, her editing the magazine was – we all agreed – bad and I cringed. I didn’t like her engagement interview it was just so Bachelorette-like and then the most expensive dress. After that another and another designer dresses. She acted more like a celebrity than a royal, didn’t show her passionate, intelligent side. Instead we got couture gowns. We all had bigger expectations, that she’d start sooner. Bad PR move. Instead of being seen as the one who was promised she made headlines about spending, greeting celebrities. I’m surprised to hear that they told her to take a backseat during this trip. I didn’t see it? Am I alone?
Well, thanks for sharing, @liriel. I guess it was a good thing for you that you were finally able to get all that off your chest. Maybe next time you could share what your expectations for the other duchess were/are.
@liriel – her blog existed before she was a royal, so idk why that’s relevant to this particular subject. Tabloids are always going to go after the negative, and you’ve taken what they’ve said to heart. She’s done a lot in her first year despite being pregnant for most of it – the together cookbook, Vogue (was good, some criticisms on writing are fine, but the magazine did well – the women that were highlighted were amazing), the Smart Set, plus the tour – she did amazing things – I’m not sure how that’s all celebrity but okay. I think what most people seem to be upset about is the fact that she has celebrity friends – which makes sense given her previous acting career. They want her to give up not only her identity but also the friends from her previous life – that’s unfair IMO. I think your comment just highlights that you do not like her – period, which is fine, but I wish people would stop disguising it as I always liked her, etc. Plus what more is she capable of? – She’s done a lot since the year she’s become a royal.
Meghan’s always been this way, since before she met Harry as a matter of fact. She’s not some shape-shifter who morphs into whatever Harry and the BRF want from her, she’s a strong, focused woman with her own set of priorities.
Uh, what exactly is the other version of her you claim exists? The one you made up in your head?
Jesus, just your entire comment is nauseating.
This ‘version’ of the Duchess of Sussex is the same ‘version’ she’s ALWAYS been. It’s just too many people have been so blinded by racism they weren’t able to see. Nothing that the Duchess has done in South Africa is any different than what’s she been doing since she’s joined the royal family. Maybe it’s getting harder and harder to ignore her contributions when her ‘competition’ does so little. My heart goes out to the Duchess of Cambridge because she going to have to actually work during her upcoming tour to Pakistan and we all know she doesn’t like that.
It would be nice if what the Duchess of Sussex did in South Africa brought attention to the other royals who make REAL contributions, like Camilla and Sophie, instead of those who think that merely being a White woman is enough to get by. And then there’s that pesky abuser of young women. Wonder what the Queen is thinking while her grand-daughter in law honours a victim of rape?
@kerwood, @Jaded, @Lina ——we are all waiting for the other version of Meghan that poster is referring to; miraculously, she has now disappeared and I doubt she will provide any answer
I replied. Also don’t judge everyone so harshly. I could have worded it better but Meghan did a few missteps when she joined the firm, there’s no denying it.
Sorry @liriel, I know you feel “attacked and Judged” but your comments come across as more jealous and petty rather than insightful. Meghan’s clothing was no more expensive than Kate or the other royal ladies. Just for some reason Meghan has to be on a budget. And she has been involved and engaged right from the beginning, why do you think the insiders were complaining about her ‘texting too early”. The girl was ready to work.
I’m glad Meghan went—I hadn’t heard about this tragic story and this will help ensure more people will know Uyinene Mrwetyana‘s name.
This tour has been a success so far. The media can’t do a hit job on it but they act like the tour is a success because they put the Sussexes feet to the fire PR wise. Sure Jan.
I read that puff piece on Kate in DM. Someone at KP is really scared and you can tell with the digs at Meghan in the article. So Kate is queen material because she got highlights in her hair? I did not read any mention of Broke Britain or any other projects . There will be a compare and contrast when the Cambridges tour Pakistan. Eyes will be on Kate.
Actually I read on DM that this tour is a success and its due to PR team. But yeah, Cambridges visiting Pakistan – not a fluffy Australian visit (with all due respects) will draw comparisons and frankly, I don’t envy Kate.
I’m sure she’s stressing big time. I’m also sure she’s creating a ‘memorable’ wardrobe for the trip to soothe herself with. The children aren’t going on this trip, right?
Yeah, I think the PR win narrative in the British press is largely centered on the fact that the Sussexes are (supposedly) finally taking advice from their staff, which continues the annoying narrative that they weren’t. One of the articles I read seemed to imply that Meghan pushes back and questions everything, but didn’t this time around (this was mentioned specifically about her not doing public events while Harry was doing his solo leg of the tour).
I’m really curious to see Kate’s Pakistan wardrobe and what the itinerary will be, though I have a feeling we aren’t going to get many details in advance. Personally, I think everyone involved is a lot more focused/nervous about the security aspect than the comparison game. The Pakistan trip is going to feel a lot more formal and inflexible for that reason alone. Based on one of Richard Palmer’s tweets, it sounds like even the press is having to go through special training for it. I’m wondering if they’ll be traveling with a smaller press pack for security reasons as well.
It’s more than likely that Meghan asked more questions of the staff when the first tour was set up because she had never done one. And now that she has that experience she knows a bit better what can work in terms of events to attend and prep needed. The UK media is trying to pretend that Meghan and Harry have changed things , but really the only difference is that Archie is there. Otherwise this tour is going like the Oceania one.
Lexa, it’s a very tricky trip. I wonder who made that decision behind the scenes. It seems also dangerous.
What I like about Meghan is that you can tell she is genuinely interested in the causes she supports.
Yeah and she’s just so good and really got better at being super camera-ready yet not too-actressy (being an actress is a big advantage but it’s easy to over exaggerate I believe). You know she wasn’t just sent to x place and has no knowledge of it.
You’re trying really hard, point to anyone in theRoyal Family that is not an actor.
You’ve have been worshipping her long enough, to know she does her homework and turns up prepared, stop spinning in circles.
@Yoyo, she is really trying hard, right??? unfortunately, she is not that good. I wonder why she doesn’t join her ilks at the DM and Tumblr; more of her types are there
@Yoyo and @VS,
This low-key, successful tour has triggered the haters as much as the Oceania tour. They are twisting themselves into knots to come up with new attacks and rehashing old hateful opinions and lies about the DoS in order to continue the narrative and feed their obsession with her. So, they’ll continue to come here, hoping enough like-minded people will join in with their hate (obsession, like misery, apparently loves company). The day they stop doing this is the day they’ve found someone else to target, and I don’t expect that to be anytime soon.
I absolutely love her for it too. She’s amazing and her and Harry restore my faith in humanity at this point , something that not many people are doing!
I’m so glad she did this. I remember hearing about Uyinene a few weeks ago and it’s absolutely horrible what happened to her. I can’t imagine what her family have been going through. This story needs attention, as does all violence against women and children worldwide. I’m really proud of H&M for being apart of this fight.
Glad Meghan showed her support and spoke privately to her mother.
Really great to see her do this.
I’m very grateful to the Duchess of Sussex for bringing the name of Uyinene Mrwetyana to the world’s attention. The horror that this young woman endured is almost unbearable to read.
South Africa has a lot of problems with violence against women but let’s not forget that something very similar happened to the actress Gabrielle Union when she was young.
Right now, here in Canada we have an incident where one of our hockey stars got drunk and, with three of his buddies, tried to get into a female security guard’s car. He then proceeded to pull down his pants in front of her. The story here in Canada is boys will be boys and how is this going to affect him becoming captain of the Maple Leafs. There’s very little talk about how frightening it must have been to be a woman with four drunks surrounding her car and trying to break in. So this kind of thing happens EVERYWHERE. And it’s because men know they can get away with it.
I’m GLAD that the Duchess has refused to make this a fashion show. It’s been about the WORK and the people of South Africa, not what fancy frock she’s wearing. We know Meghan has lots of beautiful expensive clothes but she decided that the focus should be on the purpose of the trip.
I have no doubt that the attacks will begin as soon as she returns. But the Duchess of Sussex has shown the media to be racist, pathetic liars.
A lot of the clothes expectation comes from Kate’s trips and the fortune she spends on clothes. (and because she does nothing but look good on these trips) They probably expected the same from Meghan because they are in similar status in the royal family. The RRR are all pissed at Meghan for a completely different reason this time, she actually showed up to work and proceeded to do just that, smashingly I might add. They can’t complain about clothes, ostentatious jewelry, lack of access to the young prince or her work ethic. Yes, they are pissed.
That’s a terrible incident in Canada, and you’re right, I’ve seen similar instances here in the States. The media is all about ‘but what about his career’ rather than any concerns for the woman. Happens time & time again, from high school athletes to the pros.
This case is nothing like what happened with Gabrielle Union. Other than the fact that both young women were raped, there are no other similarities. Also, to say that SA is dangerous for women is not to say that it’s not dangerous in other places.
I DID say that just SA is dangerous for women but so are many other places.
The hockey player was in his home state of Arizona when the incident happened, and it was before he came back to Canada for the hockey season. I am also in Canada and the conversations I have heard have not been dismissive of his douchery. However, there is definitely an acknowledgement that he will not likely face many consequences. His persona is very white entitled frat boy brat.
I understand that the incident took place in Arizona (I should have put that in my comment) but since he’s a member of the Maple Leafs, it’s become a big story in Canada as well.
His behaviour goes beyond ‘douchery’. He’s a big man. Imagine being a woman alone and FOUR DRUNK men are trying to force their way into your car. And then one pulls down his pants. He left his underwear on but that’s probably due to his drunkenness, unless he was so proud of his underwear and just had to show it to the woman he was terrorizing. That’s not ‘douchery’; that’s sexually aggressive behaviour. That’s more than being a ‘frat boy brat’.
A man lost his sports career because he knelt in protest over the killing of Black men. Yet sports figures have raped, beaten, even killed people and have lived to play another day. Up here in Canada, we claim we’re ‘better than’ but I don’t see it in the response to this aggressive man’s behaviour.
Austin Matthews should be dumped from the Leafs NOW. This is disgusting behaviour and not representative of the image hockey is trying to encourage. I’m Canadian and am disgusted by this. His coach and team and lawyers are circling the wagons to protect him, which is to be expected in the sports world, but I encourage all you CBers to spread the word that he is a rich, entitled boor of a human being and should face criminal charges.
A friend of mine was mugged and assaulted very violently when she was living in South Africa for 3 months. She was talking on her iPhone while walking alone, which made her a target. And this was in one of the “safer” areas. Definitely one of the many countries that you have to be more wary of your surroundings.
Meghan’s heart is beautiful. She shines through like a beacon of hope for so many. She is truly passionate about her role. A ray of light in dark days of the US.
And in the UK.