The press around the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s African tour has been overwhelmingly positive. Maybe it’s because Meghan is back from her maternity leave (and the press was seriously deranged during her maternity leave). Maybe it’s because everybody loves baby photos. Maybe it’s because the press had already punched themselves out in previous months. I don’t know. But the Sussexes’ tour has been seen as a “rehabilitation tour” after months of media hissy fits and tantrums. And because we can’t give the Duchess of Cambridge credit for every Sussex success, the press has to find some not-so-subtle way of negging Meghan in particular. Yes, the tour has been successful. But that’s only because Meghan hired PR experts! From Page Six’s story which was called – I sh-t you not – “The sneaky ways Meghan Markle is fixing her tarnished image.” Sigh.
After what one source previously described to The Post as a “summer of hell” — including angering the public over private-jet travel and a $4 million home renovation — Meghan Markle is using her and Prince Harry’s South Africa tour as a chance to shift opinion. It has been a carefully crafted campaign, with the Duchess of Sussex sitting on the floor with fellow moms, hugging impoverished kids, wearing “old” clothes — even leaving her $140,000 engagement ring at home. Sources told The Post she is being advised on the image repair by close pals, including friend Keleigh Thomas Morgan and others at Sunshine Sachs, an LA firm known for celebrity crisis management.
“Meghan knew she needed help, [so] she reached out to a very few trusted people, including Keleigh,” said a close Meghan insider. “She has a few girlfriends in the UK who are extremely well-versed in British media.”
(Sunshine Sachs told The Post that the company has been hired only to help with Harry and Meghan’s charitable Sussex Foundation.)
Perhaps most important in terms of giving the public what they want, Meghan and Harry finally allowed son Archie to be candidly photographed. Previously they had released only a handful of formal photos and were accused of “hiding” the baby.
During her first royal tour — of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga — a year ago, Meghan wore pricey goods by Stella McCartney and Oscar de la Renta. This time she plumped for a Madewell denim jacket — roughly $100 — and pulled outfits out of the back of her wardrobe, donning dresses by Veronica Beard and Martin Grant, both worn while she was pregnant. She also sent an eco-friendly message by wearing brands that practice sustainability. The trip, so far, has been a true master-class, reminding the once-adoring public why they fell for Meghan in the first place.
So g-ddamn unnecessary. But I was expecting it, especially after I read that pre-tour Vanity Fair article where Katie Nicholl quoted Ingrid Seward extensively, and Seward was such a C-U-Next-Tuesday about the Sussexes “hiding” the baby. Archie was never hidden. And of course Meghan and Harry were always going to show off Archie during the tour. But it’s just another way to ascribe ulterior motives to the positive coverage. It couldn’t be that Meghan got good coverage because she was engaged with people and friendly and cute. It has to be that Meghan plotted and schemed and paid off PR professionals to TELL her to do those things.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Anyone with half a brain can see this for what it is. There are millions of us who don’t believe she ever needed a rehabilitation tour. There are millions of us who believe the newspapers are biased and racist and the British Royal Family needs to move into the 21st century.
Exactly. H&M, particularly Meghan, have not done anything wrong.
Agreed. Only the RRRs felt she needed rehabilitation because they didn’t have the access they wanted… disgraceful behaviour by the lot of them…
How much of a 4 months old do people want to see? They gave us more than the cambridges ever did when their kids were Archies age and the press and others understood yet Archie has to be paraded around? And people (non royal watchers) were slamming this stupid article on Twitter.
Meghans image with the public has been just fine,the only people that i see talking about how she needs to “rehab herself” “get the pubic support back” are the press.
The only reason people are obsessed with seeing Archie is because he is a mixed-race baby. It’s an uncomfortable truth. There’s an obsession to see how dark or light his skin is. It’s a debate on the internet about his eye color. People are curious if his hair will be curly or straight. By the end of the year, Archie may look entirely different than he does now, and then there will be another media frenzy for photos.
I sadly agree
Yep hit the nail on the head. I have been saying this all along. They want to see how ‘brown’ he will get and whether he will stand out on the BP Balcony at TOTC.
Will he go to Eton and most importantly how soon they can start to caricature and ‘ghetto-ise’ him like they did with the Meg ‘straight outta Compton’ headline.
It’s disgusting and stinks to high heaven.
Ehhh, I honestly think Archie being mixed race has little to do with it. People were always going to be obsessed with seeing Harry’s child, no matter the race of its mother. The public we’re just as rabid for the Cambridge kids. The difference is that W&K threw them a few more bones than the Sussexes, by way of the hospital photo call and slightly more released private pics. There is also the fact that being told no only makes people want the photos more.
Now, I do think the press and public have reacted with way more vitriol over the Sussexes’ decision than they would have if the Cambridges had done the same. But that is mostly because they already weren’t super keen on Megan and are quick to criticize anything she does. Some of that is racism, but it is also the unholy (in their eyes) combination of being a divorced, American, actress and activist.
I mean, that’s probably it for some people. But I think at the end of the day there are a lot of HUGE Harry and Meghan fans, and they want to see the baby. There’s also the Diana aspect – people who were big Diana fans are super interested in seeing where Harry’s life went, and want to see Diana’s grandchild.
Erin and Va Va,
CNN, Fox News, BBC, ABC, BET, and hundreds of other media outlets around the world would not be following the sixth and seventh in line to the throne all over South Africa if Harry had married a white British woman. People are curious about Will and Kate simply because Will and George are future kings. Their press coverage decreased a lot until Meghan joined the BRF. Meghan’s race and nationality has everything to do with how much attention she’s receiving, and the same goes for Archie. His appearance is going to change a lot throughout the years, and the press will document and analyze every change moreso than the Cambridge children.
Absolutely!!! Their obsession with seeing Archie is to see how dark, the 7th in line to the British throne is. The racists are obsessed with Archie’s skin tone. Especially when they kept belaboring when Harry said that he heard babies change a lot in the two weeks following their birth.
Say it a little louder for the racists in the back who REFUSE to listen.
They want pictures of Archie so they can examine how BLACK he is. Why else would they be so desperate for pictures of a 4 month old baby whose looks change from month to month?
Truth!
First and foremost I agree that the press hates Meghan and Harry because a) she’s black and b) he’s the spare spare but I half think that the reason they’re dragging them so hard is because the press is fully aware that there is a lot more demand for Meghan and Harry and by dint of their being quasi private people, the press can’t move the papers. William and Kate just don’t have the same type of draw. So the papers resent Harry and Meghan doubly.
A few reporters have already admitted that there is an insatiable demand for stories about Meghan and Harry. I think it was Keir Simmons who said that one person told him that he hasn’t seen this much interest in a royal since Diana. A lot of reporters thought that Meghan was going to be more open because she was an actress and owned a blog. They are trying to punish Harry and Meghan for not giving up their privacy.
Then why write negative stories? Maybe if they played a little nicer, the Sussexes, would in turn, give a little. The racism started while they were dating, so that argument doesn’t hold water.
Yes! If the media was a little nicer, H&M would open up a little more. I think the RRRs (racist royal reports) are too stupid to think about this (except for Omid Scobie, and he’s nice!)
Yup. Even my parents were all up in arms about “needing to see the child’s skin” and “they don’t want to show him” (right when he was born) all because they get their information from mainstream media. I just wanted to scream at them.
I don’t believe that Meghan needs anyone to tell her what to do. I briefly read articles on this and it made me angry. They can’t do anything without someone twisting it around to a narrative other than what it was. Also, it is their choice whether to publish pictures of Archie. That is not “hiding” him that is protecting his privacy. And how much is this more about deflecting from the FBI and the French authorities investigating Andrew.
Hypothetically speaking, let’s say that she did hire a PR team. So what!!! and who cares… The British press is so riled because they can’t move on the 21st century. Prince Harry married a mixed-race woman and had a baby by her. GET OVER IT BRITSH PRESS. Find something else that is useful for everyone to read of importance like Prince Andrew and his connection with sick, depraved Jeffrey Epstein.
They even tried to twist her visit to the memorial site as being self-serving and staged. How can a “private” moment be photographed, they asked.
I like how the article doesn’t mention that we are seeing Meghan In a lot of repeats this tour – including the denim jacket – so clearly her wardrobe isn’t all Oscar de la renta.
This tour is playing out very similarly to the big tour last fall, with the exception of Meghan doing less traveling, which makes sense since Archie is there and still so young.
The ides that they are trying to repair their image is funny, but I think it makes the RRs feel better about themselves. “See, they were having issues, and we reported on them bc we are so credible, and now they have fixed those issues and we can like them again!!!” It just feels like a way to cover their tracks for their abusive reporting.
@Becks your last paragraph nails it!! That’s exactly it. They’re covering their asses because the whole world is watching right now, not just their usual audience.
I’m sure it’s only temporary though, and it will be interesting to see what happens after the tour is over. They’ll probably go right back to their nasty ways.
I think they are now covering their tracks bc Sarah Latham has likely ‘gone higher’ and extended some bridges for the sake of Archie at the request of his parents.
Without those pictures Archie would have had a perpetual bounty on his head for the next 5+ years, which is dangerous considering the lengths that RR’s like Emily Andrews are prepared to go to. That woman literally stalks the Sussex’s and it’s sick.
That meet and greet between The Arch and Archie was very carefully and successfully choreographed. Both AB Desmond Tutu and Archie are very fragile owing to their ages and using that meeting as a opportunity to introduce Archie was inspired (kudos to whoever came up with that idea). You can see how protective Meg is in all the pictures which is not surprising given the death threats the family have received.
Finally, the picture of a biracial Duchess with a biracial baby and and his Prince father was also a powerful symbol of what AB Tutu fought for i.e. the right for anyone to love and marry anyone.
Please don’t call Archbishop Tutu “the Arch.” It’s trivial and disrespectful to his title.
That article is disgusting. So happy that it was dragged.
I appreciated folks on twitter calling out that Post article for the racist, misogynoir trash that it is. IIRC, the author of it used to write for The Sun & The Daily Heil
People are really obsessed with baby Archie. He’s only 4-months old and it seems that people are happy only if there are pics of him every day. It’s scary.
I’m in love with the Archie looking the biscuits pic. So adorable!
That picture is so cute.
The problem with some members of the press is that they still believe they are the most powerful people in the world. Social media has been a game changer. We no longer rely on newspapers to tell us what is happening in the world. Harry and Meghan made power moves by developing their own team and opening their Instagram page. They have bypassed royal reporters and talk directly to the people. Reporters are just throwing tantrums, and they are getting called out every day for their abusive and ridiculous behavior.
If getting rid of the monarchy also means we get rid of the trashy royal reporters, I’m doubly here for it.
Agreed. It would be so interesting to see which of the Royals survive having to ‘make a living’.
They’re so rich, they wouldn’t have to “make a living.” If the BRF ever shuts down, the Windsors will cash out some property and assets like jewels and art and live extremely comfortably for generations. Will and Kate would probably be thrilled because they wouldn’t have to work at all. He could play polo and she could shop and no one would say anything about it.
@Algernon – not necessarily and they could never maintain the lifestyle and level of security they have now.
Will and Harry have about 30-40 million to their name each but no real tangible property assets. By the time they have bought a London pad and Country outpost half of that cash is gone so realistically they would need to generate income somehow…
The Duchy of Cornwall belongs to Charles so he would be ok as would be the Queen. On her death her estate the Duchy of Lancaster would pass to her children. That leaves the grand children and great grand children in a tight spot unless they are Freddy Windsor and the Phillips children who currently earn a good living and live with mummy at Gatmore Park,
Andy’s net worth would immediately be subject to a raft of law suits which would finish the Yorks.
The only people I see surviving are Charles, The Wessex’s and other members who would know how to market and position themselves.
@ Mignionette
I agree, they wouldn’t have the homes or personal security they have now. They would lose the Crown estates. But they have so. many. assets. I did an art history course in college that included a lot of the private Windsor collection and I remember my professor commenting on how much money they could get if they sold even just a few pieces of art. Lump in all the jewelry (which, without state functions, they would not need to maintain such a large collection) and they could vastly increase their personal wealth. I have always assumed if the BRF really did dissolve, they would liquidate quite a lot because they would need to start paying for things they haven’t really paid for before. Would they all flourish? No, because we know some of the family are idiots. But they could establish a deep family trust that would negate the need to work real jobs. They would be on the same level as the upper-tier aristo set. Some would fart about with the finance, others will galleries, some would be perma fixtures on the charity party scene. None of them would be scrounging for a living.
The Duchy of Cornwall does NOT belong to Charlie Windsor. Never has, never will.
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation owns the NY Post. Just FYI.
I don’t think it’s a PR campaign, though really any charity event or tour is at least just a little.
However, I find it unfair that anytime the Yorks get engaged, the Cambridge kids have a picnic or whatever, or Kate does a public event, it’s seen as a PR cover up for whatever ugly business is also going on simultaneously.
People do things while other people do terrible things, and that’s the way it is. I think the bias here isn’t even snarky, just unnecessary at times. I understand this opinion is unpopular, but I do notice it and wish we could all just breathe a bit and step back and be a little cooler about things.
Now that that’s out of the way, Archie is adorable, and Meghan and Harry look happy and calm. Looked like a fun time.
This Is the way to deal with the press, never give in to their demands.
They’re acting like anything they said or did, change the way the Sussexes go about their business.
Meghan and Harry are doing the same thing in SA, that they’ve always done when touring or doing a walk about.
It was said that Archbishop Tutu, didn’t even know they were bringing Archie.
The British Royal family is a nest of vipers.
PR scheme? Meghan does not need PR people to motivate her and steer her in the right direction she is already excelling in her role and all of the “important” aspects. I.e. “working” and drawing attention to her causes. Hair, make up and wardrobe and baby photo ops should not be top priorities and if her critics paid attention they would see that she has accomplished quite a bit since she joined the rf and with her work ethic and drive the royals are lucky to have her.
She is not the royal who needs help.
Watching the Post get dragged on Sunday was a nice break from football. The only thing Meghan has done is Duchess while Black. The only reason they want to see Archie is to check his skin tone. Y’all ain’t slick. We know.
The tour is a success. It’s been centered on their work and the stories from it have been overwhelmingly positive. That’s what’s got RRs and tabs messed up.
Meghan and Harry were the same way on their Australia/NZ/Tonga tour as they are in their Africa tour. There has been no PR change up, it’s just how they are naturally.
These so called reporters are full of crap.
I admire her – she has to be super strong to deal with all this insulting, racist, horrifying BS. She is a role model!!!
I understand their position. The press has been malicious and horrible. The racism is disgusting. Will that stop? Not likely. Did they need good PR, yes they did. Was it all Meghan? No it was not. Harry has been equally digging in his heals, obviously used to the badgering press, but this time as his shield to protect his wife and child. I think we would all do the same in that situation. The problem is, they rely on the public as working royals and as adults, they can’t have tantrums. Nobody can come off unscathed by the articles about Meghan. She is doing the right thing by hiring a firm to help her, just as she would if she was still an actress with bad publicity. Btw, that blue dress looks so gorgeous. I bet it feels wonderful on.
Except the PR firm they’ve hired isn’t even for her public image, they’ve denied this multiple times – they were hired for their foundation. I’m also not sure how it’s good PR if the press keeps mentioning this is all PR, if anything mentioning that this is for good publicity is bad PR, it has the opposite effect.
Isn’t everything the royal family does part of a PR scheme?
Exactly. If the question is whether there is an intended PR spin on this tour, then absolutely! While I don’t agree with the general tone of the article, I do think elements like the choice of wardrobe (the engagement ring omit, rewears, a much lower pricepoint for outfits) or bringing out Archie at the more ‘high profile’ engagement (as opposed to the one with moms & babies later on) is obvious PR – and that’s perfectly fine in my opinion. The monarchy is an obsolete institution, their role today as public figures seems to be bringing awereness to charitable endeavours and ‘representing’ the country. PR is central to the whole thing, it’s not a dirty word and they all do it.
Really?
At 4 1/2 months how many vaccinations do you think Archie received?
Any one with common sense, would know that you keep a baby away from crowds or putting him in the mix of children.
@Yoyo Really! I must lack common sense because I brought my babes in the mix of children at that age plenty, at classes and so on. But whether or not that’s right, I stand by the opinion that there is a definitive image ‘intent’ by the Sussexes with this trip, and that is absolutely fine/normal.
@Jo – good for you, everyone I know has brought their babies up with others but NOT in a foreign country with completely different and highly contagious diseases that Archie cannot be inoculated against.
Lol @Jaded, babies are born and brought up every day in South Africa. Which contagious diseases would these be?
I think she didn’t bring Archie to the moms and babies event because that would have been a lot to handle. She’d have to manage the baby, interact with the adults as well as the other kids simultaneously. She made the right choice.
I agree with @Jo, in that there is a shift in this tour in terms of clothing selections etc and I love it 100%. They are working to change the narrative and it seems to be paying off. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
I don’t think they’ll ever like her or leave her alone… ever. How awful. I couldn’t handle it.
I know you love Meghan and usually do a good job in defending her. But as a publicist, I can tell you that it is HIGHLY likely that Sunshine Sachs (whom I’ve worked with and know them to be top-notch) would give her these pointers and work with her on crafting a very particular type of image during her tour. It’s not to say that she innately is not a good person or wouldn’t have thought of these things herself. But. She is a public figure and a former Hollywood celeb – she knows how the game is played.
I think you can acknowledge the racism and targeting she gets from the (British) press, that she might very well be a wonderfully kind and genuine person, and that she’s hired a PR team to manage her image and construct a narrative that she controls. All three of these things can – and do – coexist.
As a publicist, can you please explain to me how the constant press mention of this tour being an image rehab exercise and to get good PR is good PR? If I were a casual reader, this would have the opposite effect on me.
Sure. Well the first thing to remember that it’s media that’s constantly bringing up imaging, not her PR team. It’s also important to note that you can’t control what media says, and once it became public knowledge that she hired Sunshine Sachs (for her foundation or otherwise), that prompts the media to question why. A publicist’s job is to create and/or direct the narrative. The narrative out there from the media is that Meghan needs brand imaging. Her PR team is helping her craft her image, but are doing it so it comes off as natural and as “Meg” as possible. So is it “good PR” that people keep talking about brand imaging? No. But is that convo already happening and out in the ether and is her PR team trying to direct the flow of the convo? Yes yes and YES. As they say in PR, all press is good press *shrug*
What happens on the next tour or engagements and she’s back to wearing couture? Does that mean she stopped listening to her team and has gone off-brand?
@HS, well if that is the case I don’t think Sunshine Sachs is doing a good job (if they are advising her on image crafting) because if the media is still able to go wild with the PR/ damage control narrative then their attempt at image crafting and controlling the narrative is not working. I don’t agree with “all press is good press” – because a lot of what Meghan has been facing from the British press is nasty vitriol and hatred – that’s not bad press, its bullying.
@blue36 I don’t think you’re understanding my point or the myriad of ways publicity, marketing, communications works, but that’s understandable since you’re not in that world. Bullying is bullying and it’s wrong, period. But even with that negative “press,” a publicist can work to position their client and/or brand in a way that transcends the negative, the bullying – hence why it’s a saying *in the industry* that all press is good press. And that is what Meghan and her team are doing. Seeing results will take some time, especially when the other side is so consistently vile. But it’s important to remember that Meghan is still relatively new on the scene, she doesn’t have a lot under her belt at the moment. The more she does, the more arsenal, or library, she’ll have of a specific branded image.
Will you state facts?
Why would she need a PR firm to handle her image?
So the PR firm is lying, when they said they were hired for fun raising in the US.
There is nothing different that Meghan is doing on this tour, that she has not done on tours before.
She delivered a baby five months ago, and is repeating outfits, greeting people as she normally does.
You guys keep repeating the same thing, she maybe kind ????
… because she’s a public figure and every successful public figure has brand and image consultants (i.e. PR).
I’m not sure what “facts” you’re asking for aside from my expert knowledge (of which you can either take or leave) but I assure you, if you’re not a part of the media world, you won’t understand the nuanced way things are done. Like, for example, saying they’re doing PR for the foundation but also lumping in some side branding/imaging for Meghan. It happens more often than you realize and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was happening here.
As for what she’s done on previous tours vs. now – she has done some things differently and that’s just a fact. She has recycled outfits way more in just this short tour than she has anytime else. She’s never been without her engagement/wedding ring – this tour she is. She’s been known to wear designer brands – this tour she went more high street.
Look, read my original statement one more time, particularly the last bit. Meghan is (or seems like bc no one here knows her, let’s be real) a nice person. THAT IS NOT WHAT THE BRAND IMAGING IS ON – it is on how to AMPLIFY that and her generous nature that comes across as natural. The fact that you, and a lot of others quite frankly, can’t see that and insist that she’s just this amazing person just proves how well her team is doing. As long as the general public opinion stays favorable towards Meghan (which it seems to be), then her PR is doing a great job.
I would imagine she can recycle outfits now that she has somewhat built up a decent wardrobe of appropriate clothes. And if you are doing a tour where the majority of your engagements involve charities, do you really need a PR firm to tell you that it would not be a good look to walk around in obviously expensive jewelry and brand new high end outfits the whole time?
I think if anything they are more confident on this tour and the work is the primary focus. They seem excited and engaged and lots of energy. Not crazy about some of what she wore so if that was PR advice, she should follow her own instincts next time. The repeat outfits and minimal jewelry a bit of an F.U. to British press who nickel and dime everything she wears, but wish she recycled something other than so many of Australia tour outfits. I still think if you are representing the Royal family, shouldn’t be all casual, all the time, press snark be damned.
@Sid Sure, but just because someone can doesn’t mean they do. Just look at anyone in the entertainment/public world. When a public figure chooses to recycle a look, that is a very strategic move. Mainly because designers, stylists, celebrities, and media work together to cross-promote, so if something is recycled – particularly at an event where there will be tons of media exposure – that’s seen as a missed opportunity.
Again, the main point is being missed here that Meghan is most likely very involved in every step of this – meaning, of course, she’s not gosh or lacks common sense. But public figures *routinely* wear designer clothes and jewelry to charity events – Meghan included. The significance here is the lack of her engagement and wedding ring and focus on high-street designers during this tour, at this moment in the press cycle – that is a strategic and planned move from her and her team.
@HS, Curious what you think is some of the PR advice she’s getting. I guess some of this is baffling, especially when there is another article on this site about all the recent Kate makeover and mom who would be queen stories out there, including a whole magazine supplement on how her clothes and voice and makeup have changed, but nothing deep about her causes. That seems more blatant PR than what Sussexes are doing. I think she is genuinely open to good advice and learning in this role, but just see how well she does with things like Smartworks,and how she’s connecting on this trip, and don’t think this is recent PR. That’s all her and real substance.
I don’t think anyone doubts that she generally gets PR advice. I’m just not sure we have seen anything on this tour that’ supports the main idea of the article, which is that she has changed on this tour as a direct result of specific PR advice designed to rehab her image.
@Becks1 Sure, I can understand how it can come across that way. But no one is saying she’s “changed,” the article referenced in the story talks about how she’s essentially made a conscientious effort to do things with the help of seasoned professionals. She’s still who she is – nice, charming, comes across as “one of the people.” Her team is there to amplify that about her, not change it.
I would also argue that this tour has absolutely shown how she’s made tweaks – for example, the conscious choice to leave her engagement and wedding ring at home. Could she have just genuinely thought, hey, maybe I won’t wear it this go-around? Sure. Could her team have also co-signed on that choice? Absolutely. It can go hand-in-hand and that is the important note to take away from this whole story and discussion.
HS – as someone who works in communications and marketing but not specifically as a publicist, I really appreciated your take on this and concur on all your thoughts.
Thank you! It’s refreshing to hear someone who gets it lol 🙂
I really hate that even when things go well, she doesn’t get the credit. It’s all her PR firm…. no. She didn’t do much to earn the ire she was getting, but now that she’s getting praise, they get all the credit.
God they just can’t win can they? Remember the Australian 6 minutes piece. ‘they need to solve this PR issue due to their mistakes’ uh huh sure Jan
Sure pr makes sense in terms of publicizing & drawing attention to their causes, foundation, etc. But as individuals they don’t are not in a job they can get fired from so why make this a popularity contest? It trivializes the important work m& h are doing.
Nor are they elected officials or running for office seeking people’s votes & approval.
Racism in action. The other post has You mag praising Kate’s style as she’s apparently updated her style, changed her speaking voice (funny she’s not accused of being fake) and got highlights. A “transformation” on tour is Meghan being “sneaky” to rehab a “tarnished” image. Deliberate use of language. I’m glad they were rationed on Twitter.
Sussexes seem like the same on tour as on previous tours. Usual fake news but they love idea of controlling the Sussexes& getting them to submit. British press are usually less awful during the tour it’d . On this tour, they may be appeased as Sussexes have gone on camera interviews and they’ve had Archie photo op. I’m sure they will go back to being heinous when the tour is over. And especially when the Cambridge’s are in Pakistan. I’m sure we’ll be told they are the most regal to ever tour lol.
Penny Junior etc started laying the groundwork with claims about British public having the right to be upset because Archie was unveiled in South Africa. I guess the Windsor castle photo op didn’t happen. Plus on Sky news some dinosaur royal expert claimed the tour was a success because Africa is the Sussexes “natural home”.
Yes any grandchild of Diana would attract huge attention but press thirst for Archie pics seems sinister to me given how young he is& how often royal babies were seen at same stage. They keep acting like he’s been hidden when he’s been in 4 official photos & one on Instagram plus 3 pap photos. Max Foster on CNN claimed that press were eager to see him as they wanted to ensure “he was well”. I agree it’s his heritage and wanting to see if he has any “black features”. There’s a pic of a black child in a human zoo in Belgium in the 50s that was circulating on social media & the language people use about “getting a proper look” at Archie reminds me of that.
I read a similar article on the daily beast. It struck me as completely absurd. The press accuse the duchess of having to rehabilitate her (negative) image which the press created but now it’s up to her to fix it… Wha??? god they really don’t like her. Her behaviour says she’s going to carry on her way and not cater to the press and it’s driving them bonkers
I read that article too and it made me a bit sad to read Tom Skyes playing into the narrative that Meghan must fix the mess the press made. I’ll be cancelling my subscription to the DB just because I’m so tired of this and had hoped that Tom would rise above it but he’s not.
Tom Sykes enjoys pushing different narratives about the Sussexes (positive and negative) when it suits him, he’s not above anything when it comes to them. His latest article is just another example of that.
Tom Skyes can’t stand Harry. He doesn’t like him one bit.
Yep, that last article was my tipping point. I canceled my DB subscription, too.
Remember the years in which Kate Middleton was called dolittle and such. Meghan has to get through that as well.
I seem to remember prince Charles thinking Diana’s care for others and how well that came across to the public as a fake PR too. That assumption of his says more about him than her. Ya not possible she actually cared? Meghan was doing charity on her own free will for years she clearly wants to do these things not because she ‘has to’
Blatant double standards. The post on You mag has them praising Kate’s style and hair transformation as well as her changing her speaking voice (funny she’s not accused of being fake like Meghan would have been). A “transformation” on tour is Meghan being “sneaky” to rehab a “tarnished” image. Deliberate coded language. I’m glad this misogynoir was called out on SM.
Sussexes seem like the same on this tour as on previous tours. Previously they claimed that Sussexes’ bad press was because of bad PR moves & several royal commentators were calling for Sara Latham to be fired and were even suggesting alternatives. Now suddenly the positive press is because the Sussexes are finally listening to their ‘formidable team’. Usual fake news but they love idea of Sussexes being controlled. I’ve seen some lovely comments about Meghan from those who have met her in South Africa but as has been said, any success of this tour cannot be because of Meghan. It has to be because of PR or attributed to others. The life of a POC.
The British press are usually less awful during a tour – its the aftermath to look out for. On this tour, they may be momentarily appeased as Sussexes have done on camera interviews and they’ve had Archie photo op. I’m sure they will go back to being heinous when the tour is over. I can predict many digs aimed at them when the Cambridges are in Pakistan. I’m sure that will be the most regal tour ever lol.
Penny Junior etc have already started laying the groundwork on the post tour smears with claims about British public having the right to be upset because Archie was unveiled in South Africa. I guess the Windsor castle photo op didn’t happen. Plus on Sky News some dinosaur royal commentator claimed the tour was a success because Africa is the Sussexes “natural home” whereas the Cambridges are ‘team GB’. AI wouldn’t be surprised if we have a Thomas Markle interview within the next few weeks about how awful it is that the Arch got to meet Archie but how he hasn’t, plus more baby pics of Meghan to compare with Archie.
Yes any grandchild of Diana would attract huge attention but press thirst for Archie pics is next level given how young he is& how often royal babies were seen at the same stage. They keep acting like he’s been hidden away when they’ve released 4 official photos of him. Plus there was the father’s day pic. Future heirs weren’t seen as much at the same stage. Max Foster on CNN claimed that press were eager to see him as they wanted to ensure “he was well”. This interest seems sinister to me because I agree it’s driven by his heritage and wanting to see if he has distinctly ‘black features’. There’s a pic of a black child in a human zoo in Belgium in the 50s & the language people use about “getting a proper look” at Archie reminds me of that.
Gert’s royals on twitter confirmed that Archie has made more official appearances at a younger age than the Cambridge kids and that is not a stan account. The press act like he’s been hidden for a year.
OT
Doria completed a 5K marathon in LA yesterday, in support of suicide prevention.
They did nothing different than their previous tour. The tabs set this storyline up with all the they need to do XY and Z to win back the public. This tour and engagements were already set back when the press was going on about private jets all while avoiding the pedophile in the palace.
This headline is so disgusting. It feeds into the narrative that Meghan schemed her way into marriage or has some ulterior motive. They can never say that she is prepared, has a genuine interest in people and causes, and just putting her best foot forward. As for the baby obsession, it’s just so illogical. Seen so many pictures of him, including after the birth, so they only want to examine his looks, and harass godparents and nannies, and find ways to mom-shame Meghan. They try so hard to twist stories to their awful stereotypes. I think we see a lot of the Sussex’s and their baby. I really don’t know what more the press want from them or why they keep complaining about privacy.
I will say that for all the nasty stories these outlets are continuing to push, there’s been a lot more pushback from people who aren’t regular royal watchers on Twitter (and especially from folks with blue checks, which has been nice to see). A lot more people seem to be recognizing the nastiness and calling it out.
The royals work in PR. That’s all they do.
If she had worn a $13k dress on the royal tour she would have been DESTROYED by the press. That was a dress for a private wedding she likely paid for with her own money.
As far as her head cover for the mosque, there are loads of pictures of Diana in Muslim countries wearing a head scarf that only covered the very back of her head. The front and top were completely open. Why isn’t she criticised? Was she back then? I was too young to remember.
Heh. Wrong post, lol
Mr. Trump and his family of traitors are going to go down all right (and not in the fun way :). Hold on and stay strong.
Sorry rushing around, work to do, posted wrong place. Like Meghan.
When can we discuss Misha Nonoo’s super-fug wedding dress?
Guess I might be alone in this opinion, but I actually kinda liked it
Have we given thanks to St Kate yet for Meghan’s success on the tour?