As we’ve been discussing, People Magazine’s cover story this week is about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. People did an interview with Omid Scobie and the magazine excerpts from the paperback edition of Finding Freedom, which has a brand-new epilogue. Scobie and Carolyn Durand added the epilogue to talk about just a fraction of all the sh-t that’s gone down since FF was published last summer. For example, the Oprah interview and Buckingham Palace’s “recollections may vary” statement. A source told Scobie that Harry and Meghan were “not surprised” by the lack of ownership in the Windsor clan, nor the lack of accountability. Apparently, Harry and Meghan have already sent out legal notices about British outlets claiming that they were “attacking the Queen” again. So what’s new? More of People’s interview with Omid Scobie:
For Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the birth of their first child helped concentrate their minds about their future — and instilled a new resilience in them to change course. The arrival of their son, Archie, in May 2019 gave the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “that energy to stand up for what was right for them, regardless of what the consequences were,” Omid Scobie tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
Adds the co-author of Finding Freedom; Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family: “As we have seen, those consequences have been pretty major.”
Says Scobie, “They were quite afraid of the consequences of stepping away and challenging the system.”
Since settling in California, the Sussexes have welcomed daughter Lilibet Diana in June and are “really excited” not only to step up their public appearances on behalf of their Archewell Foundation, but also to deliver some of the projects planned with the multi-million dollar streaming and book deals.
“They say that the proof is in the pudding,” Scobie tells PEOPLE, “and what we are about to see is that pudding.”
I think everything shifted for Harry and Meghan (and the media) after they returned from their South Pacific tour that fall. The press around them went toxic so quickly. Maybe for the first few months, they thought they could find a way to work within the system, but as Meghan’s pregnancy got further along… yeah, it was clear that they needed an escape route. Maybe Archie’s birth solidified that in Harry’s mind, but my guess is that Meghan knew she had to get the f—k out of that toxic environment by January 2019. Were they “afraid” of the consequences? I think they were afraid that they were going to die, quite honestly. It was clear in 2020 that the Windsors and the British media were actively leaving them unprotected and vulnerable to every racist and lunatic out there.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I think it was the kind of situation where they knew they couldn’t stay, but were “afraid” (that may be a strong term) of walking away bc the only real model for a royal who had walked away was Edward/David and Wallis, and that’s not something to emulate. And they said they did not really have a plan, their funding and security was abruptly cut off, and it was a global pandemic – I can see there being a lot of nerves and fear there, while still knowing it was the right choice.
I think that attacking Meghan while she was pregnant was close to the final straw (considering how protected Kate was during her pregnancies) but I think attacking Archie was the FINAL final straw, and then it just kept going from there – the private jets, the uproar over the christening, the attacks on British Vogue – we remember, we were there for it! It was just INSANE, and Meghan was on maternity leave. I think that really made Harry realize “its never going to end, and no one is going to help us, and we need to get out of here.” and that’s just in terms of the press coverage, not even touching on what was going on behind the scenes – the bullying allegations, constantly being forced to take a back seat, your SIL making you cry and then lying about it to the press, etc.
Harry said it himself: he was afraid it wouldn’t stop until history repeated itself, until someone he loved died.
So however scary and daunting the prospect of “stepping back” and then completely leaving when the RF slammed the half-in/half-out door shut, staying was no longer an option.
Their escape proves the adage that the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. Thank God for friends lIke Tyler Perry who offered shelter and bodyguards, keeping little Archie and his parents safe.
Tyler Perry is just wow! at the back of my mind, I think he helped because of Meghan; those who were paying attention knew the racism Meghan faced in that country! my goodness, it was relentless
Thanks gosh for Harry being man enough to take his family out! I refuse to imagine what would have happened to Meghan had he not done that; she would have probably taken her baby and left the country or would have done worse!
I first and foremost support Meghan but I do respect H especially what he did for his family
I hope when Harry’s book comes out, the whole truth comes out. I really want to know what really happened on the South Pacific tour behind closed doors.
Same here. I also wonder if he will talk about the drama leading up to the wedding. The thing about Harry is that he spills the tea. His interviews with Oprah/ Dax Shepard/ and TMYCS is proof of that. I don’t think he will name names but I do think he will discuss certain things. Either way, I’m excited for his memoir.
Out of the more recent gossipy stuff I would love Harry’s take on the smear campaign, the palace’s role & what happened with Thomas Markle. I also want to know what happened with Archie’s birth certificate & the nanny.
However from description I get the sense might be more of a lessons learnt about his evolution rather than no holds barred book with all the tea. Definitely not going to get name of who raised concerns about baby skin tone or which senior royal denied Meghan going to inpatient clinic etc
I think what made it worse was that false stories, like the one about Kate making Meghan cry but the reverse was reported and never corrected (to this day) confirmed that the attacks were coming from the inside and it wasn’t just random tabloid hackery.
Not only did Kate let Meghan be abused for it for two years, she refused to own up to it once the truth was revealed. Kate, the Midds, their tabloid hacks came out after the Oprah interview and said Meghan was lying.
Just a reminder that their website said they were looking to do duties but stop public funding & take on commercial work. Not sure how far they got with discussions but reports suggested even government was involved in trying to find them a role.
I think they wanted to be abroad at least part time so they could be away from the press toxicity& those hostile to them in the palace. They wanted to stop working with the rota (Anne doesn’t & they don’t seem to cover the Kent’s or Gloucesters) & come off public funding as that was being used to justify press harassment. However, after their part time plan was leaked that option was removed & it was either in (rota and all) or out.
Despite everything seems they didn’t want to leave the firm’s infrastructure entirely& were trying to work out solution where they could work for Betty but also protect their mental health. They didn’t seem to have solid plans for being completely out so that’s where it must have been challenging. Harry said it had been really hard on Oprah but least they did it together.
On half in half out proposal one of the royal historians on SM claims they WERE offered half in half out in & that there were guidelines for royals doing commercial activities as well as a process for their commercial activities being reviewed. Im sure Lacey and some reporters claimed that what Sussexes wanted was impossible because there wasn’t set up to review commercial activities etc. So another case of the press being misleading & the Sussexes possibly asking for something that does exist but being denied for ‘reasons’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1428243.stm
True, they didn’t initially want the all out. The danish queens second son, prince Joachim, has a role as a military attace in France, while still attending some official royal engagements. The norwegian kings sisters have lived mostly private lives, but taken on some official engagements over the years and held royal patronages. Princess Martha Louise of Norway started an angel school, where you could learn how to talk to angels ffs, and still has a few royal patronages and do some official engagements. If one looks outside Britain, there’s “lower” royals who’s doing the exact same things as the Sussexes wanted. Charles has made it clear he wants a slimmed down monarchy, the half in half out would’ve been perfect for his plan. He could’ve had the Sussexes working part time until Willnots children were old enough to step up, while the Sussexes could make their own living. Giving them something to fall back on, careerwise and financially, when they were no longer needed as senior royals. An attache job or something similar could be perfect for second borns.
@Becks this is a perfect comment! I think you articulated everything so well and agree with everything you said.
@ABritGuest, can you imagine if they had worked out the half-in plan? If they would have been required to submit any potential projects/contracts for approval, they would constantly get the runaround, and it would probably take like three years to even get a response (which you know would always be “no,” regardless of what the project is).
@Bay and @Ginger, I know I’m a TERRIBLE person for thinking this, and I’m ashamed of myself that I even had such a selfish thought. But it just occurred to me that the one silver lining (for us) of the BM not letting up on them, and in fact ramping it up at times, is that it has kept Harry angry and I hope that will be reflected in his book…I feel like he’s likely to spill more tea and even possibly name names if he’s pissed off as he writes because their behavior toward him has only worsened.
Obviously in NO way am I saying I’m glad the criticism continued, not at all, I think it’s horrendous and abusive. But it may result in a juicier book…? And knowing how happy and productive and successful they are makes me feel slightly less guilty.
(Which would also benefit the Sussexes! If word gets out that there’s anything salacious in it, book sales will increase.)
Just the history of what happens to Royals who leave is enough to send chills down your spine. For Prince Harry leaving had to be scary, it always is when you step away from an abusive relationship.. the devil you know vs the unknown. It takes courage to leave. I think that they really did flee for their lives and I think now that they are away from the toxicity of the Isle more people see it. I also think that the people in North America love to have them on our side of the pond, and they have a lot of open support.
The Royals are worse than a gang.
I remember the incidents you mentioned: a royal taking the private jet (if one can imagine that), the Vogue issue, the private christening of their own child (the nerve!). For me, it was also when Meghan was at a work even while pregnant (Kate says hi) and Meg wrote short inspirational messages on bananas meant for gift baskets to homeless/needy prostitutes. So, if I recall, the British press managed to find the one prostitute who is particular about what she puts in her mouth to criticize the messages, and the BM wrote a snarky quote about Meghan doing charity work. I knew then that these people were the worst, and they’d always find something to complain about. But then when H & M left, the BM was like, “Come back!”
Agree @Becks1. I suspect, having reached the relative peace and tranquility (and distance) of Vancouver Island in November 2019, Meghan in particular realized, after everything she’d been subjected to the previous year, that she could never really go back to the UK to work (at least as a royal) in any substantial way. And she hasn’t.
IIRC, Wooten leaked H&M’s half in/part time plan, and H&M activated their website with those details, in early January 2020. They must have realized pretty quickly the RF would never really go for it, and, having had a glimpse of a different, healthier life, didn’t wait around for pointless back and forths, but did the equivalent of crossing their fingers, closing their eyes, and jumping. Likely they had sketched out some ideas for the future as part of their half in plan, and had some connections and resources (Harry had money from Diana), but it was taking a huge chance to buck that powerful system. Sometimes, though, you just know you have no choice but to try.
The writing was on the wall after that tour – they were too popular, to interesting, and too much work was actually getting done.
On the lawyers letters, I’m glad it’s getting cleared up that they went to the tabs and not Scobie. He may not be a friend to them but he is one of the few folks that’s actually fair and reports what’s actually happening instead of fanfic of the week.
Since stepping away from royal life the Sussexes fears of a horrible backlash have been justified. Thankfully the weight of the British media, the establishment and the unjustified criticism and racism has not deterred them from moving onwards and upwards.
Meghan looks so guarded and tentative in these photos. I’m glad she’s home now.
It’s always scary to step into the unknown. They felt they had no other choice. I don’t blame them one bit.
It’s so sad to me to look at pictures of her from her royal life – in the beginning she was so happy and optimistic, she looked nervous and tense later in her pregnancy, she seemed happy but nervous around Archie’s birth, and then on the south africa tour you could just see how unhappy she was, even if she was happy in the moment at some of the events etc. Even in some of the first zooms she did after moving to California she seemed nervous and apprehensive – contrast that with her video with Melissa, she is confident, serene, happy. It’s really sad to realize how bad things were for her as a royal.
Also, I know they were a huge hit in Morocco (remember they weren’t even supposed to meet the king and then he asked to meet them on their last night) but I feel some kind of way looking at those Morocco pics and knowing the royal family sent her on an international trip while she was very pregnant and suicidal – they were a huge success of course but damn the Firm really did not care about her one bit as a person.
Yeah. I saw a video of them at the Lion King premiere -someone in the crowd started telling her how much of an inspiration she was and how valued she was and not to listen to the horrible tabloids and she looked like she was touched and terrified and about to cry all at once. 😢
@Maria – I think I’ve seen that video too, and one where someone told her she looked great and Harry turned to her and said “see? I told you!” which just makes me teary-eyed. She was so beat up by that point.
It truly makes me furious, to look at these photos and know what was happening. The royal family and the rota should be ashamed of what they did to her. Shame on them. Despicable.
I definitely do feel sad when I look back at certain royal events since we now know what was happening – some of it at least. One event I think about is the one where she wore that sparkly purple dress. I didn’t think she looked great but that was the day she told Harry she was suicidal I believe and now I feel bad I judged her outfit.
Yes I *know* I didn’t know and I can’t be too hard on myself but I do feel sad thinking about what they were going through and none of us being any wiser (we knew it wasn’t great but to hear it from them is something else)
@Sofia – they said that night was when she confided in Harry that she was suicidal and in a lot of the photos from that event is where you can just see the distress on their faces — one, in particular, I always remember when they are sitting in the balcony and Harry just looks so sad and pensive, Meghan had a smile on her face but it certainly did not reach her eyes — you could just tell they weren’t in a good state. M said they were holding each others’ hands so tightly you could see their white knuckles. It’s simply unconscionable to me what they did to her, did to both of them as a couple. A PREGNANT woman. Thank heavens they jumped and landed on their feet to boot.
@Becks, I feel that way too. You can see it in the progression of photos and it breaks my heart. I can’t fathom how or why so many people could be that cruel; it’s so upsetting. But seeing her now is wonderful, and such a relief.
I cannot WAIT until she’s out and about more and we get to see more of her. I’m also so excited to see her going back to her pre-royal style, which was so much better than what she wore to try and fit in with those fussy old hags (and I personally loved her style!). It will be so refreshing to see the “Old Meghan” again.
If we feel this way just seeing the photos, can you imagine what it was like for her mom, and Harry, and all of her friends? It must have been so, SO awful, and they probably felt incredibly helpless. H&M made the right decision and it’s so nice to see them content and at peace. Finally.
I’ve noticed that too, whenever I see older photos of Harry and Meghan together. She looks breezy and happy in most pre-wedding photos, but gradually more and more tense from the wedding onward (and Harry appears more and more protective. Look at how he grips her hand!), until they got the hell out of there. And of course, she looks peak anxious during her first pregnancy. Like, I almost feel secondhand anxiety just seeing those photos. It’s such a relief to see her now, looking genuinely happy and relaxed in her cozy home office, in her cute wraps, sipping her queen-mocking tea.
Yep, a picture is worth a thousand years. She went from being this really vivacious woman to someone unsure of herself within a matter of 18 months. They were in a no win situation. I’m so glad they left.
There is a huge difference between her eyes and demeanor in the video and photos take the last few months of her pregnancy with Archie, especially when compared to her engagement interview or 40×40 video.. it is heartbreaking to think of how much they put her through.
Imagine trying to grow a life inside of you, while trying to fight the growing hate coming at you from family and the media. This is something none of us here or anyone else I have ever heard of has had to endure. I am never ever going to forget or forgive the British monarchy or media for what they did to Meghan, Harry and Archie. May they all reap what they sow a hundred times over and their children and then may they all rot in hell.
@ Over It, I am with you. I will never forgive OR forget what they did to Meghan!! For the entire family and the royal rats continued barrage of Meghan from Day One is inexcusable and abhorrent!! I hope that karma comes for them all!!! In regards to TOBB and his evil wife, I am looking forward to their entry as FFK and their actions dissolving The Monarchy, as we all know that TOBB is incompetent. Unless it’s crumbles with Charles which is very likely.
They all deserve to be sent straight to hell and have a miserable life from now on.
@BothSidesNow I just wrote in another comment that I think there is a special section of hell for everyone who tormented them, but it was too late to edit the comment so it didn’t post. But I have to believe that people who behave this cruelly eventually face *some* sort of justice in order to keep my sanity!
(I’d also enjoy seeing William and Kate get some while we’re still around to witness it. 🙃)
i like omid, and i appreciate his fairness towards the sussexes.
at this point we know h+m have been put through the wringer these last few years, and of course they’ve felt afraid, alienated, angry…
i don’t think, though, that we absolutely need to be reliving these sad chapters of their lives right now.
let’s move on already?
Look at this 20 years from now. Finding Freedom will stand out as purely empirical evidence of the hate imbalance the Sussexes experienced during this time. FF is the ONLY book among all of the current books and articles about the royals that does not attack and lie about the Sussexes. People will shake their heads when they realize the stunning amount of BM authors and reporters who chose hate to make money off the Sussexes against the one book that chose fairness. FF may be incomplete and inaccurate, but it’s singular existence will be a telling story itself for future historians and sociologists. The additional sad chapters are necessary now to ensure the abuse is not erased or overlooked in the face of the massive volumes of hate.
the “evidence” of harry and meghan’s suffering has already been laid bare – by commentators and fans, by the book that was released only a year ago, and then by harry and meghan themselves. we know now that they can speak for themselves.
i know the book means well, but the authors aren’t gonna tell us what we don’t already know or can’t deduce ourselves.
i humbly think it’s time we allow the sussexes bandwidth to move forward
@Taris, ITA, but my guess is that it was in Omid’s contract and he was legally obligated to fulfill it; it’s their way of trying to get more people to buy the paperback. So I think the blame should be directed at the publisher.
It really does suck to be rehashing this stuff (again) after so much time has passed and H&M are finally happy and content. But unfortunately, like most things, it’s all about the £/$ with no regard to the effect it might have on the actual people involved.
There is STILL ongoing smear campaign by British press lords, royal family and royal staff against Harry and Meghan for breathing. It is important that there is an ongoing record documenting the emotional realities of that smear campaign and the successful brave effort by the couple to provide distance from these two toxic, poisonous institutions.
Moving on only benefits the perpetrators of emotional violence inflicted on the couple because Harry broke the racial contract. As Kali Holloway in the Nation explained:
“There is no comparison between what Harry and Meghan have endured. Meghan has been the target of racist and sexist abuse that Harry’s whiteness, maleness and privilege will always protect him from. And I’m definitely not lauding Harry for defying all the racial rules. There are many people who have risked far more for the cause of racial equality. But it’s notable that the fallout from Harry’s marriage has left the royal family in disarray, willing to pull back all support from a rightful heir and his young family. This isn’t just about tradition or loyalty, as defenders of the monarchy like to pretend it is. It’s about how valuable whiteness, and assuring white supremacy, is to those who rely on its worth for continued relevance and power.”
Thank God they had the courage to follow through with what was absolutely necessary to do in order to ensure their survival, together and as a family.
As difficult as it must have been to contemplate, I think Archie’s arrival made it crystal clear they needed to put their exit plan in play.
I mean, they were correct and perfectly justified in fearing how they would be treated.
All I see now in photos of them from this time is Harry’s white knuckle grip on her hand.
I think Archie’s birth was the last straw. Things were not going to get better and they had to leave.
There was no way they could have subjected a child to that mess. It chills me that the royal family was willing to ruin the life of a child to stroke the egos of mediocre men. Appalling.
I think it gave Harry serious flashbacks – he realized that Charlotte and Louis were not going to be “the spares” (i.e. the scapegoats for George), it was going to be his children who would be the scapegoat for all the Cambridge children, and no one was going to protect his children – and he knew they had to get out.
ETA and to clarify no one should be the scapegoat for the heir, that just adds to the abuse and toxicity that is so rampant in the House of Windsor. But it’s also part of how they operate, and I dont think its going to change anytime soon.
And once he knew for sure that his own family was aiding the press…how could they possibly stay? It was untenable. I’m so glad they were courageous enough to leave. Many people wouldn’t be (understandably). Harry is the only upstanding man in that entire family.
I personally never thought they’d do it. It was a huge risk. But I also knew it was the only way Meghan could survive without completely losing herself. Even as a fan, that was such a depressing time.
I remember when the Wootton article came out, most of us (including myself) went “pfft. fan fiction from Dan” or “they’ll probably do it but in a few years after the queen dies” and then they announced it and we went “Oh. What?!?!?” There was uncertainty and fear for them around here but as we can see, 1.5 years in, they’re doing a lot better.
@Sofia: Yeah most people thought they would wait until the Queen died to leave, especially as it was reported that Harry decided to stay for his grandmother. But it just shows how bad things were that they couldn’t wait for that.
I’m pretty sure if you look at that post with the Wootton article, I’m on there insisting they would never walk away and Wootton was just full of it (I think I said that at the most I could see them spending a few months a year in the US or Canada, maybe summer breaks in LA with the kids or something) and then by 3 that afternoon or whatever we were all like “uhhh….check their instagram….”
@Becks I remember arguing about it with a friend. She insisted there was no way that they would ever actually walk away, but I was like, “I wouldn’t be so sure…Harry is not like the others and he’s going to reach a breaking point” and then a few hours later, when it happened, I knew she wasn’t online, so I frantically texted her “omfg go back online right away!! They’re leaving!!” I’m so so happy they did, and imo they did it at the perfect time.
I didn’t think they’d leave either. Whatever W&K did to/around Meghan and Archie must have been the breaking point. Harry no longer felt the obligation to protect William’s children from Andrew as possible Regent.
Do you think that was the goal for KP and it was leaked to Wooten because that was the end game all along?
As soon as William started suggesting Harry wan’t emotionally stable and how he felt sorry for him, and said some vague things about Harry and Meghan possibly relocating to Africa, it was obvious the knives were out because of the spectacular success of the Sussex’s work. There was also some sort of financial shell game that moved monies from the Grenfell cook book and Smart Works launch into the Cambridge’s foundation. So the trail of bread crumbs leads directly back to William/KP leaking to Wootton.
I also didn’t think they would leave so soon and was terrified for them. Glad they are moving forward and seem happier. The royals and the press were so hostile to them before they left. That part is starting to be glossed over, while they are trying to rewrite history by saying all the problems started with the Oprah interview. Remember how awful the articles were that came out when she went on maternity leave before Archie’s birth and how they were demanding to see the baby, but also setting her up as a narcissist who wanted to overshadow Kate if she showed the baby. They were truly awful to her and just poisonous. I remember incredibly nasty comments to her just smiling at a camera. The Vogue cover reaction was simply unbelievable. It showed they genuinely hated her, and how irrational it was. I really want to know what happened with Meghan’s dad, why he just decided to double down and continues to be such a menace to her. She , and Harry, we’re under so much strain and she had to power through it with grace because they wanted her to show her distress to further stereotype her. There was a calculated attempt to destroy this woman, very similar to ways dictatorial regimes try to silence and erase dissidents. It is wild to think this was happening in a so- called stable democracy in one of the richest countries in the world.
The sustained cruelty was truly breathtaking to watch.
I’d never seen anything like it; so many people and organizations deliberately trying — for so long — to literally ruin a woman’s life. I so admire the way she handled it.
somehow i don’t think that statement is correct, “on the consequenses of stepping away,” that is putting it mildly and is very revisionist history, they didnt step away they were cut off with out anything and left to sink or swim. they asked for half in half out which would have allowed them some leeway to build up the non royal working side. So imagine when you are cut off of course there will be a great amount of fear about what do we do now. Luckily for them a net appeared so they didnt sink and helped them to shore quite literally.
This is what the British royal family will be written down as: racist abusers of a suicidal pregnant family member. Protectors of pedophiles. Moochers.
Classy!
Of course they were afraid. I have always thought even before the Oprah interview how bad it must have been behind the scenes. Why? Because of what the stories which were released to the public by the courtiers revealed. So as afraid as they were they really didn’t have a choice did they? What was the alternative? At least they would have been able to get assistance from those who supported them and had the means to help.
I always wonder what William really thinks now.
Whether he and Harry were close or not when they got older, this is his only sibling who went through hell with him. It seems that he has decided that for him to be successful Harry must be a total failure and destroyed.
But when he is alone with his thoughts does he ever think oh sh…. what have I done!
why would he? This is man who has been coddled, flattered, and mollified his whole life like an overgrown toddler. He’s likely a narcissist and possibly a sociopath, He probably still views Meghan as the bitch who “took his brother away from him,” as if Harry was a possession or a toy. Many of us have said here, many times, that the role of king is a 1 person job, not a 2 person job. If William can’t function in his role without Harry, then that’s William and the Firm’s problem now, not Harry. The Crown is, quite frankly, not worth human lives. It creates nothing, accomplishes nothing. The Crown is a parasitic organization at best that serves to enrich one inbred family. The traditions it carries on do not need this particular group of people to fulfil them, and those tradtions arent worth human lives. The best thing that could happen for those hapless fools trapped in this institution is for it to disappear. William cares only about himself and his own aggrandizement. He doesn’t have a sense of duty or service. His wife is a nonentity who has accomplished precisely nothing in terms of community service or career in her life. She hasn’t even made an impact as a stay at home mom, if that was her aim. Those Cambridge children will be served up as fodder for the tabloids just as Harry was, and we will watch them be exploited and undermined to served the vanity of their parents. Self-reflection is not a Windsor trait. Windsors serve themselves. They aren’t proactive–they react. They repeat their mistakes over and over and over again.
I hope that William feels regretful, lonely, and completely terrified. And still shellshocked. He did this to himself.
William will never feel remorse for what happened and what he has done. He doesn’t have the capability to take responsibility for anything because he’s never had to and everyone around him has told him he’s the Second Coming every day of his life. That is never, ever going to change. Many on here have called him Trump 2.0 and I agree — they suffer from the same grandiose narcissism.
Narcissists never blame themselves for anything. They never say sorry, never try to repair the damage they’ve done, and they never admit to their mistakes. William lacks even a glimmer of basic empathy or remorse and is a classic manipulator and gaslighter. Here’s an interesting piece I found online…sounds like William to a T:
“Selflessness and altruism are the antithesis of narcissism. Because narcissists lack emotional empathy and have an inflated sense of entitlement, acting selflessly is beyond their comprehension. At their core, they have nothing to give because they feel their survival is at stake and nothing else matters. They are parasitically dependent on others as sources of psycho-emotional supply but cannot return the unconditional love they demand. The narcissistic personality by definition is locked in an inward spiral of unmet early childhood needs and grandiose compensatory self-beliefs.”
I see both William and Kate in this description.
It seems to me that both William and Kate are so self righteous they will never think they did anything wrong and they really believe that Harry was “better off” trailing after them as third wheel.
And that is exactly why they have co-existed this long, however miserably — they are mirror reflections of each other in personality. They don’t need to inflict the other on anyone else.
I think they were afraid of the consequences upon leaving. They knew it could even mean death. None of us can possible begin to imagine the intricacies involved in keeping this institution where they are and always have been. There are other players here that are behind the scenes of those behind the scenes. I think Harry and Meghan understand this and that is what causes fear in general and fear for their lives – you never know who will do what and other will not be told so they have plausible deniability.
And I think this is true – all of it because all we have to do is look at how whistle blowers here in the US are treated and how they too fear for their lives and lively hood. In the simplest of terms, Harry and Meghan are whistle blowers again The Firm.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Harry took out some “insurance”, ie: telling the family that if ANYTHING happens to him, Meghan, or their child(ren), his attorneys have papers documenting EVERYTHING he’s been speaking of (“If you only knew what I know…”), and they will be putting it all out for public consumption at that point.
It’s the only thing that makes me think that will keep them safe from actual “physical” retaliation (no tunnels with doctors that don’t rush you to a hospital immediately, no cut brakes, etc).
We read stories about Saudi or Emirates princesses who try to leave their countries and ask for asylum ( ironically in the UK), and are forced back home and imprisoned, and you think that could never happen in the West, but then you see the tactics used by the royals and realize just how much power they actually have.
William and Charles would do the same if they could, aided and abetted by the tabloids. 1 dead Princess was barely survivable. 2 dead princesses would make the royal family radioactive.
@ L4frimaire, which brings them a life of imprisonment that is against all manners of the Geneva Convention, but they happily send them back as they don’t want to suffer any sanctions against the mighty holders of the oil.
@OG, I think Diana had insurances too and look what happened to her.
@L4frimaire, yes we think the royal machine is old and archaic and underestimate their power a great deal.
I could be hella wrong of course, but I do wonder if Meghan considered leaving Harry at some point and he realized he was really about to lose the best person who happened to him over that toxic island. I mean the way that Meghan became basically serene in posture once they were leaving vs. him looking like he could squeeze some of his relatives’ heads off their bodies with his bare hands is very telling.
Either way I’m glad they got out of there and have each other. It was straight BONKERS for them practically their entire courtship, I can’t imagine what they went through. They deserve all the happiness the world has to offer.
We will never know, but I’m sure leaving him must have at least crossed her mind. As we have seen they are strong together and she didn’t leave — it’s clear they love each other immensely, and they seem to be as close to each other’s soulmate as you can get. But you take a beating like that relentlessly day in, day out, and knowing this is happening solely because you married the person you married….I think anyone would think “can I really stay through this, live like this for the rest of my life???” We’ve seen Harry was prepared to do anything he had to for Meghan and their relationship because he 100% knew/knows that she is the best thing to ever happen to him. Also, we know that his wanting to leave royal life is nothing new — he said he wanted to walk years before he ever met her.
Why would she leave the man she loves, knowing that her life would be even worse in the face of it? She wouldn’t have been attacked LESS by the tabloids and racists if she’d left Harry, she would have been facing all of that abuse without his support.
Meghan couldn’t leave even if she wanted to. Remember, the firm took her passport, car keys, driver’s license! Had she tried to runaway on foot on palace grounds, the guards would’ve shot her to death.
Um, no, Shelley.
Shelley, that level of exaggeration doesn’t make your case and makes Sussex defenders look ’round the bend.
I’ve often wondered if both Meghan and Kate would still make the same choices they made if they were able to see how things ended up. If they knew what it would actually be like, if they would still choose to marry into it.
Kate yes. She had nothing else in her life. Meghan, maybe. The love of Harry just might be worth it. Meghan got the better deal in the marriage department. At least she actually has a ride or die. This entire mess has shown Harry’s character as a man, and that’s been Meghan’s saving grace. If Harry were the cad that his family wanted him to be, then Meghan’s life would have been ruined.
Kate definitely. This is what she wanted and pursued ruthlessly from the time she was 14.
I wish Harry and Meghan and their family nothing but happiness from here on out. Thank god they didn’t succeed in killing Meghan and Archie which probably would have also killed Harry. So glad Harry loves his wife and children more than himself.
Of course they were apprehensive- they’re human.
I have often wondered if there was some subliminal messaging done to Duchess Meghan while she was living at Frogmore and told to stay home.
We know Wily Will-I -am, he who is the FFK, lives in a snake pit of vipers and spent three weeks learning about the UK’s security and intelligence.
https://www.instagram.com/GCHQ/
He first visited M16 as well as M15 and Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham. M15 concentrates on protecting the UK from terrorism and GCH works on potential threats to the country.
He has proven time and again he feels Duchess Meghan is a threat to his world.
I have same feeling. I think Harry saw a lot of ugly things RF did, and what if he knew/suspected they did more to silence people than smear them in media? What if he knew he and Meg were a threat to monarchy and feared what could happen? „If you knew what I knew” could have awful meaning too. I’m so glad they got out. Will & co can burn in hell.
Correct link is https://www.her.ie/celeb/prince-william-trained-spy-last-month-three-top-agencies-458169
Has anyone read Meghan Misunderstood by Sean Smith? I think it debuted around the time the pandemic was upon us all so it got quite overlooked. Also, it never seem to get the publicity push that Scobie’s book was given. I wasn’t planning to read it but I think I might now. According to the press realease it discusses the destructive press treatment of Meghan. It sounds better written than scobie’ book which IMO was not a very well written book.
Just read the synopsis on Amazon and I may just download to my Kindle. Wonder why this wasn’t given more exposure? Anything that tries to set the record straight in M’s favor is worth the $ in my book.
Yes! I downloaded it when it first came out, but my memory is so bad I honestly don’t remember what I thought of it (ridiculous, I know). I probably messaged Becks1 with my feelings about it so it might be somewhere in her messages, lol.
But I’m definitely with Swirlmamad— happy to pay for and support anything that’s positive about Meghan.
I think Meghan was blissfully in love with Harry and wanted their relationship to work, but the outside toxicity and racist folks was way too much and she and her family said duces and got the heck away from the RF.
Meghan did not take enough time to learn what she was getting into when she married into the BRF. She was not a sheltered naive 19 year old when she met Harry, she was 35-36 years old. She’d been around the block and been married before. I think if she had waited another 6 to 9 months living in the UK as “royal girlfriend” just to see what it would be like, she would have more informed. Then she and Harry could have been married privately and not be working royals.
None of that would have made any difference. If they hadn’t married when they did, she would have been treated even worse. Is she here legally, is she being handed jobs because of her relationship, does she have a Visa, etc. And was she supposed to divine that the KP staff were going to brief against her? That William would try to steal money she raised for charity? None of those things could have been known until after she started working with them.
They asked to be married privately in a small ceremony and the royals forced them to have the big event. They wouldn’t have been allowed to announced that no, they wouldn’t be working royals. The royals and RRs were never going to let Harry walk away without a massive attack, which is what we’ve been seeing for several years.
I disagree Bess, William did not want Meghan to go to pay tribute to Diana and banned her even though he knew then Harry was serious about Meghan.. As a “royal girlfriend,” she’d be excluded from other events as well.. And the media would still drone on about Harry “coming to his senses someday” and it not being “serious.” Besides which they did date for two years. They both wanted a family and waiting another year would not have been the best idea if they wanted to have a baby soon. It is immaterial what her age did, not matter what she would still have been treated badly. Diana had the “advantage” of living next door to Sandringham and going to parties with the Queen’s youngest children. It did her no good, she was not given all the information she needed even though she was at BP before the wedding. Diana for instance gave expensive presents her first Christmas with the royals and nobody told her (her husband even) that they gave out “gag gifts.” And Kate’s idea of “protocol” was rather contradictory. Since at other weddings the children attendants did not wear stockings.
More informed his family wanted her gone. This is on them not her.
Victim blaming 101.
@swirlmamad I am not victim blaming. I think at some point Meghan and Harry need to take responsibility for their role in this debacle.
The fact that Meghan was in her mid-thirties when she met Harry and had a familiarity with how the press and public relations work should have given her a huge advantage with navigating the British press. Instead she is trying to portray herself as naive when all she had to do is look to the example of her deceased mother-in-law to see how difficult it is to survive in the royal family.
Also, when a person marries into a family that has follows certain rules and protocols, the newcomer is obliged to follow those rules and protocols. A person can’t flout those rules and not expect to receive a ton of push back.
@Bess
I don’t think anyone can be prepared for members of the royal family briefing against you and an entire right wing media doing their best to rip you to shreds through their viciious racist rhetoric, innuendo, and outright lies. I’m sure she was prepared for press interest, as Diana once said. I must say, though, that I don’t get the impression that Meghan and Harry discussed the racisim she might face.
The palace told her and Harry she would be protected.
When it was made repeatedly clear that
1. That was big fat lie.
2. Palace staff and royal family members felt it was their job to help UK media push vitriolic smear campaign
The couple made a plan to put distance between them and the institution.
The irony is if William and Kate worked at being senior royals as hard as they worked to smear Meghan they might be respected instead of being looked at as trapped welfare cases.
I digress.
The focus need not be on Meghan and Harry’s relationship choices.
The focus needs to be on why the royal family, royal institution and UK media consistently let the world know that racism and white supremacy is the fuel that keeps their grift going.
Kaiser, your sentence, “I think they were afraid they were going to die, quite honestly” sent shivers down my spine. Which leads me again to the incredible, yet inescapable conclusion that their own family would kill them or to put it more in the context of Diana’s death, stir up the vitriol against the target and leave him/her unprotected by yanking security or after the death, pretending that the target herself asked to be relieved of MI6 protection (as in Diana’s case). I’m no psychiatrist, but family masterminding your death either means they’re psychotic, the Mafia and/ or the royal family. It was notorious in the past for rulers to murder their rivals, meaning their own families. This is what barbarism looks like in the 20th century. As James Baldwin wrote, ” The powerless must do their own dirty work. The powerful have it done for them.” When Hannah Arendt wrote about the banality of evil, I think of Charles’ plotting Diana’s murder and his asinine comments wishing to be Camilla’s tampon. A moron and a murderer. Chilling.
Charles did not plot Diana’s murder. Anything else you write that might seem credible disappears when you double down on that conspiracy theory.
Charles yanked security for Harry, Meghan, and baby Archie – with little notice given. he’s not stupid. he knew they’d received death threats. then *someone* leaked their location in Canada to the press.
he also took away Diana’s security. and there are so many sketchy details around her death that don’t add up. the cameras in the tunnel malfunctioned. a mysterious car which people saw but was never found. he might not have specifically plotted out the details, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a setup.
who had the most to gain by silencing her forever?
This level of conspiracy theory only bring this site down.
Charles didn’t take away Diana’s security. She stupidly refused most of it, although she did have one RPO with her the night of her accident. He was the only one wearing a seat belt, which is why he survived. Charles didn’t benefit from Diana dying, he has been torn apart for it for two decades now. At the time of her death, Diana had made peace with Charles and Camilla. They would have married sooner if Diana hadn’t died. Charles didn’t benefit from her death, far from it.
The leak about their location came via Wootten, who is in this with his Uni friend PoorJason, William, and the staffer’s boyfriend Wootten was caught paying for info. That shows the leak was from William’s camp, not Charles.
Why Charles did what he did around security with Harry, I have no idea. Did he think that was the one thing Harry wouldn’t walk away from? Was Charles having a fit, which he now regrets, but he’s too afraid of William to do anything else?
What I keep going back to is Harry’s own words, that’s he wants to repair the relationship with his father but essentially the one with his brother is over. Sounds to me like Harry blames William, not Charles or the Queen for this situation.
I agree with Somechick. I don’t believe there were blueprints for Diana’s death, but I do believe Charles disparaged her to the press and world out of jealousy, that her security was yanked (it’s really only his word that she requested that herself or perhaps Charles manipulated her into it by allowing her to find out MI6 was reporting her actions to him. True spies, as they are, don’t allow information to leak unless they want it to). In any case, those who wish to can believe Charles’ Version, but it’s unfair to label someone a “conspiracy theorist” because she doesn’t buy the official story hook, line and sinker. I take umbrage with that label and reject it. “Plotted” may be too strong a word, but “took actions that would tend to cause harm up to and including death” is, I believe, accurate.
And yet, there she was with a taxpayer-funded RPOs on the night she died. He didn’t yank her security. She was so paranoid she didn’t want them, but they were provided.
He didn’t benefit from her death, far from it. And yes, ‘conspiracy theorist’ is what I will call anyone who insists that Charles plotted to kill Diana. That level of talk only lowers the discussion on this board and makes it look ridiculous.