The Duchess of Sussex has been gone from that godforsaken island for more than two years (minus one overnight visit to have tea with the Queen). For more than two years, everyone on that island has picked over her time there, they’ve smeared her, mocked her and begged her to come back (so they could attack her even harder). And here we are. The Sussexes are still riding high because of the success of the Invictus Games in the Hague. Meghan and Harry are free, rich, happy and unencumbered by royal nonsense. They are unequivocally the winners, and even more than that, their decision to step away looks wiser with each passing year. They are global celebrities on their own terms, making their own schedules and focusing on their own interests. Meanwhile, Tina Brown keeps maniacally insisting that Meghan simply didn’t understand that she wasn’t supposed to actually *do* anything with her global celebrity.
Meghan Markle didn’t understand that Princess Diana had to ‘work like a dog’ for more than a decade within the Royal Family before becoming a ‘global humanitarian superstar’, a royal expert has claimed. Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine today to discuss her new book The Palace Papers, ex-Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, claimed that Meghan ‘didn’t understand’ her role’ when she joined the royal family.
The former Suits star looked to the example of Princess Diana and thought that she could follow the same path, but Tina argued that she did not recognise the ‘great deal of very humdrum assignments’ Diana undertook on behalf of the Firm before she became the icon she remains today. Speaking of the Australian tour, Ms Brown said: ‘She didn’t like it at all. She found the whole representational job of suppressing your own views and representing the monarchy, for her [it] was just an anathema. It’s not how she viewed her role, the world, she did not understand the point of it and for her, yes she was a great success, but it was not something she wanted to do.
‘I think that was her fundamental sense of misunderstanding of what was going to happen when she joined the Royal Family – she saw the palaces and Diana as this global humanitarian super star, but forgot that for 16 or 17 years Diana worked like a dog within the Royal Family doing a great deal of very humdrum assignments. It was her charisma she brought to the job that made her so extraordinarily special.’
Ms Brown pointed out that Diana – who she described as an ‘agent of change from within’ – left the Firm because of the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles. ‘Actually Diana was always a change agent within’, she said. ‘She didn’t leave the Royal Family because she said “I’m out”, she got divorced. Her husband wasn’t in love with her, that was the agony for her. She made the greatest thing she could. She took that suffering and turned it into her remarkable work, which was really real and important. After she was out of the Royal Family she became much more global, not only because she wanted to be, but because she couldn’t really be anything but that because she was part of the royal machine’.
Brown is absolutely voicing the royals’ talking points here, and not only that, this is exactly what Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Clarence House were all telling Meghan at the time, in 2018 and 2019. That she couldn’t use her celebrity, that she needed to do less, that she was getting too much attention, that she was too successful. That’s why there was such an effort made to rip her apart and delegitimize her star power and demonize her personally. They were scared sh-tless that a beautiful American woman came into the Firm and so easily got attention and had that global platform from the start. Meghan had a Midas Touch too – the Together cookbook, the Smart Set collection, the British Vogue bestseller. Brown is such a mess.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Instar.
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- USA Rights Only – Nuku’Alofa, Tonga -20181026- Prince Harry Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex visit Toloa Forest Reserve for The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy during their tour of the Kingdom of Tonga. -PICTURED: Meghan Duchess of Sussex -PHOTO by: Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment/INSTARimages.com -39335626.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
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- SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 27: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex congratulating the United States team team in the Wheelchair Basketball after winning Gold in the finals during day eight of the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at on October 27, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.,Image: 534454949, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose for a picture with players of the New York Yankees before a match against the Boston Red Sox in London, Britain June 29, 2019.,Image: 536459909, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on day one of a tour of Africa the listed Nyanga township, to see the Justice Desk initiative,Image: 537900581, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on day one of a tour of Africa the listed Nyanga township, to see the Justice Desk initiative,Image: 537900638, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- ** RIGHTS: WORLDWIDE EXCEPT IN NETHERLANDS ** Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA – Meghan Markle The Duchess of Sussex is seen during a visit to the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, part of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), of which she was announced as Patron in January 2019. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 1 OCTOBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Hague, NETHERLANDS – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, on the Yellow Carpet ahead of the Invictus Games. The Invictus Games will take place from 16 to 22 April 2022 at the Zuiderpark and are intended for soldiers and veterans in the service who have been psychologically injured Robin Utrecht. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 15 APRIL 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Hague, NETHERLANDS – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, on the Yellow Carpet ahead of the Invictus Games. The Invictus Games will take place from 16 to 22 April 2022 at the Zuiderpark and are intended for soldiers and veterans in the service who have been psychologically injured Robin Utrecht. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 15 APRIL 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Hague, NETHERLANDS – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive for the Friends and Family reception during the 2022 Invictus Games in The Hague. The reception at the Invictus Games Park is hosted by the city of The Hague and the Dutch Ministry of Defence Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 15 APRIL 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Hague, NETHERLANDS – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at the 5th edition of the Invictus Games at Zuiderpark in The Hague. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 17 APRIL 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- USA Rights Only, The Hague, Netherlands – 20220416- The openings ceremony of the 2020 Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, at the Zuiderpark in The Hague. -PICTURED: Meghan Duchess of Sussex -PHOTO by: PPE/Nieboer/DDP/INSTARimages.com -INSTAR_Dij2XmkjN This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
I love that most of this book is how a Black woman was in the wrong for expecting people to work, not crap/lie about her, and try to use her to divert from their own bad behavior. She should have been quiet and done the work.
Yeah, the racism is so naked, so out there. It was culture, but it was mostly racism that made all of these people not cooperate with her. Brown really doesn’t see how odd her comments sound. And then these folks work at the palace to specifically NOT work, lol!
The protecting people of the monarchy at all costs kills people, and Tina Brown could give a flying f—-. It blows my mind that she completely misses HER racism in her coverage, how each turn of phrase is very familiar to many of us around the world.
Tina Brown was a great editor of Vanity Fair, but I will credit the writers who wrote for her.
Yeah. I am just stunned she put this mess out here and no editor said hey, girl, you are a little bit racist here, here, and definitely here.
@chillinginDC thank you!! It’s truly insane that anyone would think an American woman of color who has worked her entire life would suddenly sit back and do nothing (as if THAT would not have caused even more pearl clutching! HAHA!) Can you imagine the madness of a Black American Duchess NOT working? LOL! Oh, and TB failed to mention that just when Princess Diana was reaching her independent global peak—she died.
@CHILLINGINDC your text is now my screen name, somewhere in this multiverse. Just so you know 😘
Tina Brown needs to stop talking at this point. I’m so tired of these clout chasing royals “experts” and books. They all say the same thing and it’s getting boring now. Meghan really leaving that institution and not putting up with the BS and living her best life has sent people over the edge. It’s like they really believe the monarchy is the best thing on earth and somehow Meghan and Harry are the bad guys for living in the real world. It’s very cultish and weird how people still feel this way about a frankly irrelevant and out of place institution.
I mean who put her up to all this BS, William? She’s a repulsive liar a la Levin, Eden and Morgan and all the rest of the RR clowns masquerading as journalists.
It is long past time for someone to shove an apple in Tina’s mouth. How long must we endure these interviews?
Sometimes while I’m working I listen to some of the royal documentaries that you can find on youtube. There are SO many and so many of them basically run over the same territory: Diana/Camilla/Charles, Edward’s Abdication, Andrew/Fergie, Edward’s foolery, Margaret’s history, the Queen’s longevity, Elizabeth and Phillip’s marriage, William and Harry, Catherine and William – who they are, what they’ve done, what they represent, what mistakes they made, etc. But a thing I notice, other than the repetitiveness (honestly they’re not interesting enough to warrant this many documentaries), is that all of the same people are always interviewed for them. Katie Nicholls, Camilla Tominey, Roya Nikkah, Paul Burrell, Andrew Morton, Penny Junor, Ingrid Seward, Robert Jobson, Lady Colin Campbell, Ashley Pearson…I could go on. You can literally see these folks age throughout the documentaries, and yet what they are saying doesn’t change, nor does their self-assured smugness of feeling like they know the the royals and have the “in.” (I had a good chuckle yesterday, in fact, listening to one where the commentator was convinced that Harry and Chelsy would marry – “It’s a true love match.”)
The first time they have had anything truly new to add is since Meghan came along. These folks have made their entire bread and butter based off of this family and at the end of the day, it will always be in favor to keep bringing up the family members that move print. As much as they want to claim Sussex irrelevancy, they are clearly a lucrative topic.
Brown is a hack. The Duchess isn’t the type of person who does humanitarian work to become a ‘global humanitarian superstar’. Harry absolutely raised her profile, but she already had a life of service. She was an ambitious actress, but that is only a bad thing in places where skin color, misogyny, birth family matter more than good works.
It’s so clearly racism, and Brown’s defense of continuing to things as they’ve always been done is nauseating. She talks about modernizing the monarchy, but the monarchy is antiquated because of the racism and classism. These white folk do NOT want to see how much they have benefited off the backs of the colonies. It’s disgusting. Black women aren’t supposed to be more competent than they are in their bubble world.
Of course Meghan does not want to be a ‘global humanitarian superstar’.
But you know who does? Yeah, that’s right – CBE Tabloid Tina B, who for years did absolutely squat in a humanitarian or charitable vein. Then when her other gigs dried up she started her for-profit Women in the World Summit. She eventually turned her attention to Women in the World Foundation, but only after getting the for-profit part started. She managed to get Oprah as keynote speaker a few years back (2019). Pandemic probably killed further gatherings. My hunch is that Oprah was a one-time get; since then there’s been massive BLM protests, H-M interview, greater understanding of intersectionality by feminist women, and CBE Tabloid Tina B has basically outed herself as racist monarchist.
Diana was an unknown very young woman when she married in. Meghan was already successful and accomplished in her own right. If Meghan wanted to be like Diana then she would have welcomed the tour as being similar to Di’s experience so which way is it, Tina? You are contradicting yourself again. Of course, Di didn’t leave the RF while she was married to PC. (DUH) PC is next in line to the throne so he certainly wasn’t going to leave after holding that position. This author makes herself look like a stupid master of the obvious.
Isn’t the not-so-hidden point here that Meg saw the Royal tours as ridiculous and offensive years before the flop tour?
And wanted to actually do something helpful…
I guess they’ve finally run out of ways to hide it and avoid saying “Well she was just too successful and it’s just not done being that good, especially when the heirs aren’t”
Yes! And even more when it’a a person of color!
Ooh yes. Woman of color AND American. Racism, misogynoir, and xenophobia all rolled into one like a hatred burrito.
“she did not recognise the ‘great deal of very humdrum assignments’ Diana undertook on behalf of the Firm before she became the icon she remains today.”
Hilarious. They basically wanted Meghan to be lazying about the way KKKate and Willnot did and not work hard to serve the people. These people are disgusting and look more rotten everyday.
Well, that is the problem. If the heir is lazy, then everyone else has to be lazy too.
The only way Meghan would have been accepted is if she meekly took second fiddle to Kate and just did nothing. But by outshining the heirs she broke the unwritten rule. And fine royal reporters just don’t get that this does not make the royals look good.
Did Meghan break the rules? Yes, because they are stupid rules at reward birth order and nothing else. And pointing that out does not help the monarchy. Morons.
Of course if Meghan had been “lazy” that would have been branded with racist tropes and stereotypes as well. In the eyes of the British press and at least some members of the BRF, there really was no road to success or acceptance for a hard-working, highly motivated, biracial American princess.
Does Tina talk about anything other than Sussexes? How are the book sales going?
Anyone else cringe at the use of “like a dog”?
Like, both Di and Meg were just bitches?
Also, Di was a global humanitarian not because she worked like a dog and earned it. She was a global humanitarian because she was already a superstar and thus the family couldn’t stop her when she chose that route.
Diana bucked the norms for BRF contributions to the world, so when Meg seemed headed in that direction or expressed desire to head that direction, the family freaked.
This is what Meg and Harry forgot: Di wasn’t a humanitarian because of her position in the BRF, but a global humanitarian in spite of her position in the BRF. Meg wanted to use her position as a stepping stone and thought that was expected. It wasn’t.
The BRF isn’t supposed to be a meritocracy. They don’t really want to do anything substantive on a global level.
THIS.
It wasn’t meghan’s fault that she had charisma and was a huge star upon entering the family (I know she was famous before, but she reached new heights when she got married.) That wasn’t her fault. She was a smash hit as a royal and that was because she worked hard AND because she had charisma.
Exactly.
And you know, Meghan was a lot like Diana in that way. Yeah, Diana was unknown before her marriage, but she rapidly became a global phenomenon upon her introduction to the public due to her beauty, innate charisma, empathy, and charm, traits very much like Meghan has. Diana also was seen as a humanitarian long before her divorce. Brown is acting like Diana did nothing but humdrum stuff and only became an icon in the 90s, and that’s a flat out lie.
Meghan was willing to do the humdrum stuff, and while she was already well known before her marriage (unlike Diana), her star wasn’t nearly on the scale as it was after, like you said. She became that big because, like her mother in law, she worked hard, had truly good intentions, and has a presence that shines in ways that cannot be faked.
The funny thing is, it was the other brother’s wife that wanted to be the next Diana, and who went into it thinking all she had to do to become some global icon was to dress in expensive clothes and sign her name to the work other people did. When Meghan came along, with her natural star power and intelligence and charisma, fragile white egos just could not handle it. And now they’re all projecting, as usual.
I’m not taking anything said as gospel, but what I AM getting is CH, KP and BPs point of view. They blame Meghan for not knowing her place, for not falling in line, for not dimming her light and for not taking their shit as so many before her did. Not sticking around long enough for them to be able to beat her down and mold her into what they wanted her to be. You know, like Kate, who practically begged to be beaten into William’s image of a perfect royal wife.
It’s like that scene from The Crown in Season 4 as the Liz, Margaret and the Queen Mum discuss Diana.
Queen Mum: In time, she will give up her fight, and bend, as they all do.
Liz: And if she doesn’t bend, what then?
Margaret: She will break.
And miss me with that Diana comparison. Diana was a sheltered 19 year old, with very little real life experience who didn’t know her own mind. The older she got, the more control she took over her work. There is no comparison to a 36 year old woman who had a successful career and lived a very full life and knew exactly who she was and what she wanted.
And along with the Diana comparison, when Meghan was young she did do the humdrum work. She had put in her time with jobs like holding that briefcase for the game show. As you say it is reasonable for someone with professional experience to want to build on what she already had.
Is that woman truly so dim as to keep peddling these stories as if they reflect badly on Meghan when they in fact show the opposite? Meghan not cowing to how things are done and instead having an immediate insight into how to use her position, her engagements for good…and given the horror of the Caribbean tours…she was absolutely right. This sort of finger wagging, oh the gauche American simply didn’t know how things are done here criticism, followed by an example of how things are done REALLY BADLY doesn’t do the RF any favours.
Yes, I think she is just that dim, and just that certain that many, many people will share her perspective.
Full disclosure: As a Black American woman, with a few accomplishments to my credit, I am very familiar with the efforts — often by “Blonde Ambition “ types to view qualities that should be valued positively, instead, becoming viewed as negative and even offensive when Black women and women of color display them. Outspokenness, competence, self-possession, and even doing much-needed homework and preparation are sneered at as “uppity” and easily, and often publicly dismissed and even castigated.
Think about it: overt competence is so offensive to some that they invented a special, specifically reserved word just to cover it. TB knows what she’s doing. What she may not realize is just how wide her audience has grown since her last book, and that thanks to the internet, reviews in the mainstream press and her talk show tours are not the only ways that critiques of her book and even of her character will be shared.
I’m with the BRF on this one. Successful, smart, charismatic…as RuPaul would say:
Why she gotta be BLACK?
The royal penises of that family were already scared that this is a WOMAN wielding that kind of influential power.
I’m glad she stepped down from the monarchy, because now she remembers her place.
WAY above them.
F Tina brown. No Meghan will not be your Kate, she has more talent and star power and charisma in her little finger than Kate and the rest of these basic bland B— tches combined. Meghan will keep rising because you can’t keep a good blank woman down no matter how hard you, the rest of the British media and the British monarchy try.
Oh, blah blah blah. Meghan is so different from the simpering little princesses in the monarchy and the blabbermouth staffers attached to all the palaces and castles. They did not want a confident woman upsetting their tired old routines, and taking the attention away from their English Rose. They don’t realise how brilliant she could have been to the monarchy. It wouldn’t have mattered what she did or didn’t do. Either way, the vipers we’re going to attack her. These royal reporters are mostly horrible hacks. They make their money from writing about the British royal family, and there is always so much more juicy stuff to write when there is a “villain”. They create scandalous stories where there are no scandals.
Tina is full of it. They would’ve attacked Meghan if she hadn’t worked hard and done everything exactly as they wanted simply because she was black. They decided first and foremost they didn’t like her and then went about figuring out how to smear her. There’s nothing Meghan could’ve done that the RF would’ve liked, they hated her for literally existing and breathing.
Ya know what? At least she’s saying the quiet part out loud.
I wish she would do more talking about how the Royal Family isn’t supposed to actually do anything. Make it clear that they serve no real purpose. Maybe then (monarchist) Brits will actually be able to see how useless this relic of an institution is.
“When you are trying hard to be your best, could you be just a little less?” – What it feels like for a girl, song by Madonna
I always think of these words when I read about how Meghan was pushed down. I don’t see anyone telling Elon Musk to be less. But oh of couse, he is a guy.
For me all these excerpts and interviews are only proving how sad, outdated and hierarchical the RF is. Everything Meghan did “wrong” according to them proves just how stale and useless they’ve become and just how much M&H could’ve achieved for the RF if only they’d let them. Meghan wanted to Work, to achieve something,… If you consider that wrong, what does that say about you?
Wow! I guess they thought that Meghan should revert to being a 19 year old? When she married H, wasn’t M about the age Di was when she died? Meghan had already done some global humanitarian work, so why were they surprised that she knew what she was doing–and she did it very well? I just checked and TB’s book is doing quite well. I certainly hope that the people who are reading this are critical thinkers, because this is truly making the brf look like idiots. And racist. And sexist. And every other kind of ist. For the first time, my hope is that sometime in the future Meghan writes the truth about her time in the Firm. I’ve always admired her ability to take the high road (not that I believe that I could do that), but it seems that if history is to match the media frenzy over the last number of years than the truth will need to be told. I despise revisionist history.
Meghan was a celebrity even when she was doing humdrum jobs for the palace. That’s why they said she should lay low and not be so “exposed.”
If what Tina is saying is true why are William and Kate trying to use their global celebrity for their causes? Meghan was getting too much attention and her projects were successful which caused the rest of the family to become jealous and led them to decision that she must be brought down a peg or two. All they did in the end was make her even more famous.
It’s also important to remember that the Royal Family hated the work that Diana was doing. So Tina’s rewriting history again.
Thanks again to Kaiser for reading and reporting on this POS tome. It saves us the money, I don’t want to give Tina Brown one cent for a Sussex hit job. The Firm, especially KP, wanted the Sussexes to be their whipping post from the jump, trying to make the Cambridges look better. “Dim your light, stop doing things so we can call you lazy, etc. etc.” Resigning and moving an ocean away changes nothing, they are still at it, manufacturing hatreds out of thin air. Easily disputed garbage as shown by the posters above. Stay jealous Will, we see your work and your gray men at work, and we don’t buy it. Figuratively or literally.
So, she is supposed to be a token, right? TB is a racist!
What percentage of this book is about Meghan, Meghan and Harry, and what percentage is it about the rest? It seems like it is just to drag the Sussexes, especially Meghan. I also feel like this was to counter Scobie’s book. It’s just so incredibly nasty to the point that it’s gotten to the “lying eyes” stage of spin where we saw what actually happened and they are still trying to misrepresent it.