I wondered what People Magazine was going to do about Finding Freedom, considering they have such a “we love every royal” editorial policy. People Mag doesn’t want to call out the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge because they want to still have access to William and Kate long-term. But People Magazine also loves Meghan and Harry, so what to do about the Finding Freedom excerpts? People Magazine made it into their cover this week, but the tea is pretty stale and lukewarm:
Prince Harry had been yearning for change long before his dramatic exit from royal duty, claims a best-selling new book — and in Meghan Markle, he found someone who shared his dreams. In Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, veteran royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand detail the couple’s extraordinary journey. The book, which features exclusive interviews with the couple’s friends, is excerpted in this week’s PEOPLE cover story.
“What has struck me is Harry’s commitment to put his royal birthright aside and use his voice to make a difference,” says Durand. “In Meghan he found a partner in that.”
The book sheds new light on Meghan and Harry’s stunning decision to step down as working royals. “While the British media often blamed royal wives, in Harry’s case, he was very much on board with distancing himself from the public eye,” write the authors. “It’s why he gravitated to the military, avoided the pomp as much as he could, and didn’t give his child a title.”
Adds Scobie: “Meghan emboldened Harry. He needed someone by his side that is strong enough to weather the same storms, but also someone who wasn’t afraid of breaking the rules and going against the norm. What we see now is a couple doing things their own way.”
“Very much on board with distancing himself from the public eye” makes it sound like it was a bandwagon which Meghan started and Harry merely joined. Which I still don’t believe. Even in the FF excerpts we’ve already seen, Harry was the one driving so many of their moves, he was the one saying that they should move to Frogmore, he was the one shielding Meghan, he was the one who was completely done with his family. And once Harry said that they were getting the f–k out, Meghan was like “thank god, I never want to see these people again in my life.”
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, cover courtesy of People.
They insist on infantilizing Harry.
Yeah WTF is that about? This is a partnership if I ever saw one.
Nope, he had it in him already, they cannot accept they (tabloids, the RF) crossed the line.
.
She did not leave and took Harry with her, they both left. She had nothing to loose, she had already left everything for him. This was his call.
Agreed. And his family showing their asses was the final straw, I think.
First the Duchess was a social climber aimed at the Royal life. Now she’s the reason her husband (a grown man) left the BRF. I mean what the actual hell?! The hate is so real.
Why would she make all of that effort to social climb if she was just going to throw it away and quit the Firm? Doesn’t make sense.
Right? Waity showed how to be a social climber.
Nothing to say except that magenta/plum colour is glorious
Also why is it ALWAYS somehow a woman’s fault
She egged him on? Nope.
Racism and rudeness added to complicated grief egged him on
His family did nothing to protect him or his wife
For anyone who has been simply paying attention and not demonizing Meghan, I think it has been rather obvious that Harry was always different from the other Royals, would’ve happily given it all up at any point, and in seeing how his wife was mistreated finally felt it was time. She’s his partner in their common aspirations and desire to use their power for good. I don’t know if she “emboldened” him; I think the way she was treated gave him a very good reason to leave it all behind, and he took it because he put his family above all else.
I remembering reading on Twitter like a week or two ago from a SussexSquad member that they weren’t convinced that Harry’s exes rejected him because they didn’t want the royal life because as we can see, Harry would’ve given that life up if the right woman came along. I don’t know why your post makes me think of that comment but it does.
I think it also speaks volumes that Harry fell so hard so quickly for an RF outsider..like someone from waaaaaay outside his world. He may not yet have been plotting an exit strategy but he clearly loved the fresh air she pumped into his world.
This is how I see it too. Harry always had one foot out the door and of all the royals, he’s the one, if you were paying attention, you could see was clearly not enamored with that life. I think projects like Invictus Games gave him purpose and a reason to use the BRF platform to make a difference in the world. I think when he met Meghan, he hoped that together they could make a difference using that platform. I think they both felt they could do their work, support the monarch and have a great private family life to retreat to. Harry and Meghan clearly didn’t think they signed up to be cover for his brother’s secret goings on, his uncle rapist secrets and anything unpleasant going on in the family. They, neither one of them expected that Meghan would be so thoroughly trashed by the media, or that his own brother would play a role in any of it. Harry certainly didn’t imagine that his father and grandmother would sit around silently while his wife and son were abused. Yeah! This was Harry realizing, he was right all along, the BRF was not for him and Meghan is cool with that.
I suspect his military experience was a huge factor as well in his distancing from the RF. You can’t come back from that and just settle back in business as usual.
I find this excerpt irritating. Omid can be irritating too and has his blind spots as well. It makes it seem like because of Meghan, he decided to chuck it all in, that it all means nothing to him now, his birthright, I.e. duty,title, responsibility, which is not true and overly simplistic. Again using her as the reason they left. Also, the “ she’s strong enough” is again that whole strong Black woman, she can take the abuse, stereotype . Also, the whole breaking the rules thing bothers me, like she doesn’t care for institutions.She may be outspoken, believe in women’s rights, etc, but she isn’t a “ rule breaker”. She’s the type who wants the system to be more inclusive, use what’s already in place, not burn it all down. She’s more a reform type.They try to package it with this kids against the world positivity, like it’s so impulsive and simple. I’m so sick of how they continuously try to put the majority of responsibility for this on Meghan , underplay Harry’s role and agency ( we know why). They always frame his decision as impulsive, driven by emotion, while she is presented as the master planner. So much wrong with this. Ugh, shut up.So irritating.
I think Harry wanted to leave before Meghan but maybe didn’t have a firm plan of what else he would do. Boom, enter Meghan and he made a plan.
Harry had talked about leaving years before he ever met Meghan. This was all him and loving his wife and child and wanting to protect them was the catalyst.
Harry made up his own mind. The media and royals are mad that Harry chose Meghan and Archie over them. Back in the 90s the queen ordered Charles and Diana and Andrew and Sarah to divorce because of their scandals. Betty can’t do that now with the Sussexes.
You know, I never thought of that. It’s true. Charles and Andrew pulled the plug because Betty the Petty ORDERED them to divorce. I love that she will never have that kind of power over Harry & Meghan.
How did she ever have that power over anyone?
People Magazine with its new editor —a former Daily Mail writer— is no friend to the Sussexes. All this story does is perpetuate the myth that Meghan made Harry leave. Also can anybody name the rules Meghan broke?
People is feeding the anti-Sussex crowd but trying to mask it as neutral.
Anyone on here “stunned” they left? I would have been stunned if they stayed and put up with that kind of abuse.
Also what part of Harry saying “I made this decision for my family” can the media not understand?
The spare found his footing and is creating his own life for himself and his family. Doesn’t this solve the problem of slimming down the monarchy? How’s Pedo Andy doing these days? Wouldn’t the Brits like to spend a little less on this walking anachronism? Open a few of the royal homes to the community, to commerce, so they can generate more income?
I think as mentioned many times before Harry did want to leave many years ago,probably between those difficult years after Diana and having the naughty royal tag. BUT i think as anyone is allowed changed his mind,they were so exicted about their plans during their engagement interview and the first tour,He was definitely ‘All IN’ again but never would have anticipated what was to follow.
I bet he kicks himself thinking about how he stood up for Camilla, stating she was not an evil step mother. It is outrageous the messiness of those courtiers. He probably understands his mother, Princess Diana, more than ever now.
Its possible. Maybe he wanted to leave but wanted to find his soulmate first. Its not an easy thing to do alone I’m sure. So what.
One of the MAIN reasons Harry choose Meghan is because he knew SHE would be DOWN with HIS plans for leaving the Royal fold…
PERIOD❣
He was ALWAYS leaving.
Shady word choice. They could have said ”supported.” People mag is so tiresomely middle-of-the-road. Write a positive article with just enough bait for the Keen Karens waiting around under the dryer at a hair salon.
I think what emboldened PHarry to finally leave are the slurs, discrimination, bullying, and intrusion. The impunity by which the British media, William, and Kate did this to PHarry and his family emboldened him to leave without looking back. No tears, no regrets.
This article reminds me of the twitter comments of a few of the Rat Reporter pack. When they realised they weren’t going to get the access to Meghan they wanted they started tweeting that if they didn’t get access they would just make up the awful stories anyway.
I now think the RR’s truly believed that M&H would acquiesce to their bullying and blackmail. However when that did not transpire they grew angry and bitter and decided to go to war on Team Sussex. They really are delusional. After the near farce they made of their wedding they really expected the Sussex’s to be in cahoots with them and ‘play the game’ to provide them with endless headlines.
The saddest part of it all is that M&H actually refused to fall in line with the media game so they would not have to trash their own people and those they loved. William however was happy to be manipulated because he had do much to hide. Add to that Andrew’s paedo activities and the RF were virtually on the back foot so had to feed M&H to the press.
It’s a shit show all round that the BRF will come to regret for decades. There are no winners here, but one thing is for sure, the press and UK Govt say jump and the BRF are now forced to say ‘how high’ bc of the shitty adulterers, paedo’s (plural) and money grubby family members.
Yeah, I think the BRF are under the control of the BM same way the GOP senators are under the control of Trump, who is under the control of Putin. This is our world now and I don’t know where we go from here.
I think Harry long had dreams about getting out and has always openly hated the press. When he met Meghan he seemed thrilled to have found someone ready and willing to take on public life with a passion for philanthropy. But once things got so toxic they were ready to
ditch the establishment, having the confidence that their own brand and goals are strong enough to weather the break. They care more about the long game and their own projects than upholding the British aristocratic system. I don’t buy Meghan being the instigator, I think Harry was ready to be done and she has a broader life experience and perspective to say we can do this differently and here’s how.