Graydon Carter is 73 years old. He was the editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair for decades, and years after he left VF, he started Air Mail, a weekly digital magazine which – I assume – is trying to become the next Atlantic or New Yorker, but only digital. To promote Air Mail, Carter chatted with the Telegraph during the Cannes Film Festival. It’s a long and winding conversation about the VF years, turning Vanity Fair’s Oscar party into a huge centerpiece for the magazine, American politics, British politics and… the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Some highlights from the piece:
When he knew Donald Trump in the 1990s: ‘He wasn’t without his charm, but a real hustler. And his hands were much too small for his body. If you want your hands to look bigger, have small cufflinks, but he had enormous cufflinks that made his hands look even smaller. Then his cuffs were so big that it looked like his hands were swimming in the rest of the shirt…. I never thought Trump would be this bad. I knew he’d be venal, corrupt, vulgar, but I didn’t think he’d be this.’ He thinks the American voters will stop him getting back in, but then he didn’t think they’d go for it the first time.
On British politics: ‘I love British politics because the stakes are so low, but the bitterness and infighting are so high. Britain doesn’t have the economy of California, but it still thinks like it’s after World War Two when there was Russian and British conflict. But I don’t think Putin could find Britain on a map. Journalists must have loved Boris Johnson, he was just spectacular copy. Trump is much more evil. Boris lied, but with better diction. What kind of a journalist writes two columns, one pro-Brexit and one anti-Brexit?’
His thoughts on the British monarchy: ‘I have no interest in the royals whatsoever, but I think for the British they’re like the way Disneyland needs Mickey and Goofy and Pluto, because they’re part of the narrative and that’s what people come to see. In Britain, if you take away the Royal family it becomes like a small Middle Eastern country. It’s like the Magic United Kingdom. I love it when things go wrong for them. When things go right it’s boring.’
On Harry & Meghan: ‘Harry and Meghan are just fascinating concepts. They’ve done something they’ll live to regret, which is their children have no relatives. They have no cousins that they see, or uncles or aunts, and they don’t see grandparents, except for one. That will come back to haunt them at a certain point. Montecito is gorgeous but it’s God’s waiting room: there is nothing, nothing, nothing to do. It’s a 40-minute drive from LA. There can’t be many kids there because young families can’t afford it. It’s a lonely, beautiful place.
On the Sussexes’ paparazzi chase in New York: ‘I’ve lived in New York for 50 years and you can’t go faster than three miles an hour. When I first read about it I thought, “That doesn’t look right.” They have too much attention. For people like that, unavailability is your greatest asset. If you’re out there too much, the public has a chance to get sick of you. I think they’ve made every wrong move you can make.’
“They don’t see grandparents, except for one…” One of the grandfathers barely bothered to see them in the first place, and the other grandfather is a lunatic being paid to smear his daughter. Meghan has family in California too, we just don’t hear about them because Meghan respects their privacy. Carter’s idea of “family” is… very white and royal. And honestly, Carter is complaining about how there’s nothing to do in Montecito – as in, the Sussexes aren’t being pap’d constantly and they have a lot of privacy there – while at the same time bashing them for not being unavailable enough, not having more mystique.
All that being said, he’s no royalist: “In Britain, if you take away the Royal family it becomes like a small Middle Eastern country. It’s like the Magic United Kingdom. I love it when things go wrong for them…” It’s true. He’s also right about British politics.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- 159945, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – December 4 – Graydon Carter attends 2017 Breakthrough Prize December 4th 2016 at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA (Photo – Drew Altizer Photography),Image: 513334540, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Drew Altizer, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- 159945, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – December 4 – Graydon Carter attends 2017 Breakthrough Prize December 4th 2016 at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA (Photo – Drew Altizer Photography),Image: 513336327, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Drew Altizer, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696614407, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II. The National Service marks The Queen’s 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. Public service is at the heart of the event and over 400 recipients of Honours in the New Year or Birthday Honours lists have been invited in recognition of their contribution to public life. Drawn from all four nations of the United Kingdom, they include NHS and key workers, teaching staff, public servants, and representatives from the Armed Forces, charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups.,Image: 696633859, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty O’Connor / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696640808, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
This is the guy who tried to rehabilitate Armie Hammibal and wouldn’t publish the expose on Goop.
His opinion means nothing to me.
He’s straight up admitting he likes when things go bad for his own entertainment. A UK cost of living crisis with children going hungry and families becoming homeless is just extra giggles for him. So gross that he thinks this way. He’s the epitome of a sleezy heartless publisher.
Thanks for explaining to this Aussie, who he is . Geez, what a bitch he is.
The expose on GOOP that he spent months working on was about why everyone (in the public) detested her (like later they did to Anne hathaway remember Hathahate?). She freaked out about it and emailed all her famous friends not to participate. I was not sympathetic but then it came out a few years later that during that time she was secretly separated and wanted to keep that private. which if you are a public figure or even a private one I can understand. I’ve had acquaintances and even family members who keep quiet about that until its done.
Speaking of “wrong moves”, let’s talk about this clown’s hair…
He looks like he is standing in front of some hair glued to the poster behind him.
@Lady D. He looks like he’s the brother of Boris Johnson.
He’s a Republi-thug dinosaur, of course he tried to rehabilitate Armie Hannibal, I’m surprised he hasn’t been more vocal concerning Scarfy Depp.
I might be grumpy today but I’m so, so tired of all this hate against the Sussexes. Those vile people should get another hobby!
Yup – another old white male.
This is also the guy who didn’t publish the whole story about Epstein and the two minor sisters he abused when given to him. Instead, he whitewashed Epstein and made a positive article. He claims he was threatened by Epstein, but still…
Your all on target. What he is saying is rediculous! The move to Monticeto, is for security & privacy for their children. If they expose the kids to family, its up to them to come to USA! They shunned Megan, all over gossip, hatefulness. Why should they make the trip.
Fergies girls will be the only ones. What goes around comes around. The Monarchy will fail over this hate, jealousy, & gossip. There adults, and royalty (who cares), but family. So immature, but they want respect, bowing, they need a kick, where the sun don’t shine.👍
Keep your ignorant comments to yourself about the Sussexes of which you know nothing. However your comments on the royal magic kingdom are pretty spot on. What’s the saying a broken clock gets the time right twice.
@Susan Collins … He certainly does seem to be behind the times, doesn’t he? What magic car does he drive to travel between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara in 40 minutes when it takes the rest of the car driving world at least 90 minutes to make the trip?
Moreover, it seems like decades since he’s even visited Santa Barbara. Nothing to do or see and no young children living in Montecito? Off the top of my head I can think of Cameron Diaz/Benji Madden (with their 2 year old daughter Raddix), and Katy Perry/Orlando Bloom (with their 2–nearly 3–year old daughter Daisy), but I’m sure there are more.
And finally, he obviously does not keep abreast with royal news if he doesn’t know Eugenie has visited the Sussexes twice (probably more times than we’re aware of) with her husband and son, so Archie and Lilibet ‘do’ have one royal cousin in their life.
Oh, look at that, another white old man talking shit about the Sussexes🤮
everyone and their dog has to mention Sussex for clicks and attention. and they are usually trying to say how overexposed they are or how many mistakes they’ve made. yet they still have to talk about them. pathetic.
Everyone and their dog get asked about Harry and Meghan because the UK media can’t let it go. Graydon Carter doesn’t need to clout chase anyone.
@Tacky
Yes everyone and their dog gets asked about H&M, but by now they should be aware of the incontinent hysteria of the britshidtmedia. Which means that those who take the bait and respond, like this fossilizing manure graydon carter, know that out of everything else they might say during their interview, the most likely thing that will be picked up is their comment on H&M.
So yes, we know who the clout chasers are, no matter how fossilized they might be, based on the fact that they take the bait and comment on H&M.
Yep, another old white man talking shit. Oh look, who he’s friends with. (one of many times RM has attended the VF party hosted by Carter).
https://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/news-photo/businessman-rupert-murdoch-and-model-jerry-hall-arrive-at-news-photo/515535282
I don’t recall if it was before or after the divorce, VF, under Graydon Carter, ran a spurious story about the “close relationship” between Wendi Deng & Tony Blair. Hmmm, wonder at whose behest that article came from.
These people need to STOP inserting the Sussexes into every goddam conversation! It just gets really exhausting.
When the news comes out one day of the Wales’ divorce 2.0, will these people talk about it?
Everyone is talking about them because they are a very dynamic couple with tons of charisma.
Britain is obsessed with them and regrets that they have gone and can’t bring themselves to admit it. They are completely overshadowing the RF without trying because the mad British media are doing it for them.
Princessk is right, the Sussexes are the only fabulous people the royal family can boast of since the days of Diana. But instead of boasting, they’re sick with jealousy.
I am so sick of these Flour Rangers writing off The Ragland side of Meghan’s family. All because the Black relatives are out here acting right and doing right by Meghan, her husband and children.
Not to mention these kids have Aunt Oprah and Uncle Tyler. They don’t lack loving adults in their lives.
They also have family members on the Markle side!
It’s already been publicized that they have a relationship with Meghan’s niece. She wasn’t allowed to even come to the wedding by The Firm because it didn’t fit the narrative.
And that’s the one who’s comfortable in the public. We don’t know who else they have a relationship with because those others may want to stay out of the tabloids.
Exactly, they have black relatives and they have Harry’s family. Didn’t his maternal aunt’s fly out to California for Lilibet’s christening? Are they not relatives? Eugenie has visited. What is this stupid man talking about?
Well, it sounds like he’s just confusing coverage of the Sussexes with the Sussexes themselves. “unavailability is your greatest asset” – the Sussexes sometimes go months without being seen in public. meghan especially has gone long periods of time with no public appearances. How much more unavailable can they be? The reason things like the NY appearance were such a big deal is because of that unavailability.
They’re making more public appearances now than they were a year or two ago, obviously, but I still think they fly pretty under the radar. As we’ve said on here for years now….its not their fault the British press can’t stop talking about them.
Didn’t Graydon Carter sit on the Epstein story?
Yup. Other editors and producers did too, but he certainly did.
This is a good article about the Epstein story. Carter was notorious for fiddling with his writers’ stories. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/08/epstein-used-bullet-dead-cat-to-intimidate-graydon-carter.html
Yep. Another insightful article.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-i-dont-believe-graydon-carter-scrubbed-jeffrey-epstein-story-1223529/
Articles cited here are ok if you’re willing to accept Vicky Ward’s bid for sainthood for writing about Epstein 🙄. The Vicky Ward who’s still blathering about Hunter Biden’s laptop 🙄. Anybody who’s familiar with Epstein story knows to rely on Julie Brown of Miami Herald.
Agree. Julie Brown is the one who deserves the respect for the Epstein stories. The article I shared had more to with Kim Masters and her reasonings re:VW/Epstein story being cut.
I was more fascinated by Masters’ Planet Hollywood & Mike Myers stories being cut by Carter.
If H&M have made a mistake, it’s a “mistake” many families have made. There are countless families where the environment is so toxic that members have had to remove themselves.
But I love what he says about the RF being like Mickey and Goofy at Disney World. And so much backstabbing for no good purpose – why would H&M want to put their children through that?
Exactly right
“They’ve done something they’ll live to regret, which is their children have no relatives. They have no cousins that they see, or uncles or aunts, and they don’t see grandparents, except for one. That will come back to haunt them at a certain point.”
I’m telling you from experience, the Sussex’s children do not need family who are abusive liars. They are not and won’t miss a thing at all. As far as making all the wrong moves, no one is perfect and they were absolutely right in taking their family and leaving that hell island.
And Eugenie didn’t fly out to visit?
The narrative that you have to stay connected to family no matter how toxic and bad for you they are is so dated but continues to cling on.
But you must have extended family even if they want you dead!
What a weird thing to say. I grew up without seeing any relatives after about age 10. My paternal grandparents died before any of us kids were born, and our maternal grandparents lived in Illinois, while we lived on the west coast. Aunts & uncles & cousins were spread out across the continent, and after moving to Oregon, none lived in the same state as us. Visiting meant long car trips. And you know what? My siblings & I didn’t miss a thing. Nor did any of the far-flung relatives.
This. As much as I would love for my kids to grow up with my sister’s kids, we are oceans apart. My SIL doesn’t have children. My kids don’t lack for playdates and somehow they’ve found a great community in spite of our “circumstances”. They are doing fine. We are doing fine.
And…oh wait, doesn’t Archie go to a SCHOOL? With children HIS age? How is that possible when there are no young families in the neighborhood??
I’m suuuure A&L are going to miss out on so much not spending time with relatives that actively participated in a smear campaign against their mom & dad. H & M are going to regret taking themselves & their children out of a completely f*cked up toxic situation. /s
@Lux, dontcha know. Archie is the only child at his school! H&M demanded a school be opened just for him because young people with children can’t afford to live in Montecito. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES IN MONTECITO WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. lol
Did Graydon Carter have to fill out a visa application to live in the US? He sounds like a nonsensical drug user with his ramblings? The HF better check him out too.
One of the four grandparents is dead. How are their children supposed to see her? How convenient that he entirely forgot about Diana.
He’s the editor that was persuaded not to break the Epstein story in Vanity Fair. I wonder if he regrets that?
All children need for a happy childhood is a loving, stable family home. I didn’t know any of my grandparents, which although sad, didn’t stop me having a very happy childhood.
Since Meghan was raised as an only child, she can hardly furnish her kids with non-existent aunts and uncles, unless he means the Markles (ugh).
We know for sure that the kids see Doria, their grandma, and Meghan’s niece, both of whom are kind, intelligent people, which is more than you can say for the royals.
Harry has just the one brother. Not his fault that Will and Kate are twits.
Many Americans live in cities where they have no relatives. It’s a huge country, People move around for jobs a lot.
Biffy, I noticed the erasure of Diana too.
There’s noting to do in Montecito? Seriously? It’s 5 minutes from the beach. I have classmates who live and raised their children there. Suffice it to say, they love it. I guess there’s nothing to do if you’re not a nature lover. If you lived in NYC for 50 years there’s nothing to do. This is a family where the husband would go camping in rural parts of Africa, and the wife goes on hikes. California is an amazing state, but New Yorkers are too city oriented to see that.
As for the chase with paparazzi, in all the reporting no where does it mention that the chase was “high speed”. The contention was that it was dangerous.
And yes it appears that the ONLY family that matters. Apparently, Meghan’s American family (nee Black) family doesn’t matter.
No, no, wait. Your classmates couldn’t be raising their children there. There aren’t many children there. Didn’t you read what the man with the stupid-looking haircut said? (sarc)
Yes, those pair kids living in montecito. Just nothing to do. No pool no beach no beautiful hiking trails. What bullshit.
Right?? They’ve got the ocean beaches right there! And they’re surrounded by state parks, national parks, national forests–what a great setting! And I’m sure there’s lots of local cultural things of which I’m unaware, but that every town, now matter how small has–community theater, town festivals, museums, etc., etc. This is one of the reasons I stopped reading VF years ago–this New Year superiority complex & disdain for the rest of us ‘poor suckers’ who don’t live in NYC.
Carter is an elitist twit.
I just want to say that he looks like the evil king racecar driver who was trying to defeat Vanillope in Wreck It Ralph. That is all.
AMA1977, you are so right and I will never unsee it now 😂😂😂
I’m guessing the kids have relationships with cousins–perhaps just not their first cousins on the Windsor side. And so what? You can be closer to second cousins, etc. And it’s not the Sussexes who don’t have relationships with the Windsors, it’s that the Windsors don’t have a relationship with the Sussexes. Their loss.
Growing up I had two sets of cousins that I hardly ever saw because they lived far away. Honestly, it was no big deal and I had plenty of friends in the neighborhood and at school to play with. Perhaps it sounds callous but I don’t ever recall missing my cousins or wishing I could see them more. It seems so bizarre to me when people say that the Sussex children will be lonely without their cousins or, as a royal reporter previously stated, grow up to be spoiled brats without their cousins. What I am sure they mean is that the Sussex children are deprived if they don’t grow up with their extra-special, white, Royal cousins.
Montecito is actually 90 minutes not 40 from LA… and him saying that there is “nothing to do” means he doesn’t count surfing, horseback riding and polo, biking, and all sorts of water sports. There are 5 grade schools in Montecito… and there are boatloads of young families here. So yeah… not sure how much credibility there is in much else he has to say.
Honestly, it sounds idyllic, which I guess is the point of blatantly lying in the ongoing campaign to point out that everything the Sussexes do is wrong.
W&K go on holiday to places like Montecito – H&M actually live there.
If there are grade schools, then there are kids there to fill them. Rich people have kids. You’re describing kids’ paradise. We have to drive 40 minutes out of the city just to get to a nice trail or a beach that isn’t overcrowded.
Never heard of him before in my life .
Bull. My husband’s parents and grandparents died very young and he was an only child and grandchild. He grew into an empathetic and kind person. Toxic extended family is the last thing your children need. Family don’t always have to be blood relatives.
They also have their mother’s side of the family. In the Harry and Meghan interview it came out that Doria had a strong extended sister group that helped her raise Meghan after she left Thomas.
O. I forgot, They don’t count because?…We hear that dog whistle loud and clear… a**hole.
Yes, it was insulting in every way.
It is so funny to me that every person in media has an opinion on H&M and are thrilled to give it.
It is better to remove yourself and your children from bio relatives who wish you harm and actively work against you. As H&M have done.
I do agree that the BRF has turned into a soap opera and when their dirty biz is aired I def root against Camilla.
WTF is he even talking about?? Does he live in a fart bubble of some kind?? We all know that Harry & Meghan are close to Eugenie and her husband kid (s). We also know that Harry and Meghan have and have always had a tight knit and CLOSE circle of friends. And that Montecito is PACKED with rich famous folks who are all friends. This continued attempt to gaslight and make people forget basic facts has become so pathetic. Or maybe poor Graydon is just an idiot talking out of his arse and has no knowledge on the subject at all. But everyone loves to talk about H&M because doing so makes THEM relevant.
Why on Earth would H&M want their children exposed to their Windsor cousins (except for Eugenie’s kids)? Why should mixed race children be exposed to racist relatives? Racism is definitely learned and their Wales and Tindelll cousins have probably been observing their parents’ attitude towards Archie and Lili for quite some time. Racism begins at home.
Archie and Lili are innocent and don’t deserve to be exposed to relatives who disdain them.
He wants to score points with harry and Meghan critics and the derangers
The idiot Mayor of NYC, acted surprised about a car chase In the city, funny enough the NYC Attorney General is prosecuting a case about a high speed chase in NYC, and there is video with the driver crashing into police cars.
Grayson Carter realizes in order to get attention he have to use H & M’s names for people to remember he is still living.
He has no clue what he is talking about regarding the Sussexes. When you have a child, your number one responsibility is to protect them – even if it’s from your blood relatives. I am down to one sister and her children, one cousin and her children, and one aunt (my cousin’s mom) on my mother’s side. On my father’s side, it’s one aunt, and three cousins, who I rarely see because they live far away. Another sister, I am cordial with, but her loyalties have never been with me – she’s shown me time and time again who she is at her core, so I keep a safe distance from her.
The people I have removed, I did so after thinking about it for a long long time. They are abusive. Some of them are racist (which means they are likely to hurt my Black child because they don’t see Black people as worthy of protection) and when you call them out on it it’s all kinds of crying, gaslighting, horrible behavior on their part. Some of them are violent. One has an alcohol problem, and one I suspect may be a pedophile. I don’t bring my child around these people ever. When I was still in contact with them, I never, ever left my child alone in a room with these people. It was exhausting, when he was small and vulnerable – while these people schemed to no end to get access to abuse him (either physically or mentally) why won’t you let him sleepover it will be fun etc. – I blocked it at every turn despite all the gaslighting the you’re hurting my feelings and I would never protestations. I didn’t let them. Before I allow someone around my child, I look at how they treat me, because their behavior will usually extend to my child. When people can’t pass that test (and I base it on history, actions, words spoken etc.), I don’t come around. Who cares if you’re “family”. And now my child is thriving.
It means my child has only one set of grandparents, some first and second cousins, and some great aunts on my side. He has a ton of friends, pets, and has so much love in his life. I’d rather he be loved by fewer people intensely and in a healthy way, than to have a crowd of abusive people around him.
I suspect the Sussexes have a similar philosophy. Protect your children. Do it at all costs. Let the derangers call you crazy and heartless for taking your kids away from their grandparents etc. It doesn’t matter. What matters is your children are safe. I only wish I had been strong enough to do this for myself 30 years ago. Meghan is a pretty amazing woman, that she cut her dad off before her children were even born. For me it took becoming a parent to stand up for myself. Better late than never.
@Side Eye
Love! your post.
This is why Ive been wishing and hoping that either H or M’s (or both together!!!) next podcast series will be about abuse within families…..the insidiousness and toxicity of it and how to deal with it (or not.)
The narrative needs to change: the family-at-any-cost philistines must be publicly pushed back on. Just as how the MAGAts, anti-Woke and Dumf-lite types (ron desantis) seem to have the loudest voices these days, they all need to be taken down so that civilized voices remain the mainstream.
@Kingston thank you and I love your response to my post! Yes yes and yes! Why did it take me this long? Every time I would try to walk away, they would guilt me into returning into the fold. But I am done! It feels great to finally be free from it. I would LOVE for Meghan and Harry to do this podcast! I am so grateful to them for sparking this national conversation about toxic family and how we need to maintain our boundaries with them – even if it means no contact. They are both incredibly brave. I thought I was being gaslighted but imagine the national and international media guilting you about taking kids away from grandparents etc. What they are dealing with is next level and they are handling it all with such grace. It really inspires me to see them standing firm and protecting their children.
Such good points@ SideEye. Why should Meghan let any of these people near her and Harry’s children when they have shown nothing but disrespect and malice towards her, with their racism and erasure. Not to mention her father and her half-siblings wanting to exploit them for cash. They chose to surround themselves around those who love and support their family.
Exactly @L4Frimaire! They are being good parents. That is their number one job! Not being a good brother or a good son or a good uncle. Their number one job is to be good parents period. They don’t owe it to these people to be their doormats and have this piss poor treatment extend to their children.
I find it funny when people say Archie and Lili have no relatives. Look at Harry, where are his relatives and “family” when he needed help? They never stood up for him or helped him, including the Spencer family who never helped or defended him. Even when he was a teenager and in his twenties doing drugs and falling outside the nightclubs, they didn’t bother to help & advise him. Nobody helped Harry except strangers and his “family” from both sides is a trash. Period.
Will was falling out of night clubs. Photos to prove this
Granddad in the UK had ample opportunity for visits. Grandad tom has not seen any of his grandchildren according to various sources. Kate and William turned down invitations involving Archie and Lily
Why does he have to talk about them? They have a grandparent, she seems to be very good at her job and loves them. Are we supposed to believe that Chuck and Cams would have them around for babysitting and making milk and cookies for everyone? (insert eye roll) All families are not connected by DNA, I have so many ” siblings” by love and not blood it’s crazy. I don’t think they’re missing out on anything by not being raised in the trap that family is in and where their cousins, aunt and uncles will feed them to the press to hide their own business. Go sit down somewhere.
“ In Britain, if you take away the Royal family it becomes like a small Middle Eastern country. It’s like the Magic United Kingdom.”
Hey now, I’m not even British but even I know there is more to it than the royal family. It has a rich, fascinating history. And the arts, fashion, acting, music, theatre is world class. If anything, the royal family is an albatross on the UK’s neck.
As for family- Harry has oodles of cousins on both parents side of the family. We know that at least Eugenia had come to visit, pretty sure the Spencer Aunties have as well, and probably more have that we just don’t know about. Meghan is tight with her niece, and we don’t know about Doria’s side of the family because, like Doria, they know how to keep their mouth shut and mind their own business.
As for life in Montecito, if I can only e as bored as them living in luxury and natural beauty.
Agree. It’s not like Mickey and Goofy because you are quite likely to see those characters at Disney Land. Most tourists to the UK never see a royal. They visit landmarks.
And only little kids are looking for Mickey & Goofy. Most of the rest of the visitors are there for the rides.
another one who is pale, stale and drinks too much ale.
Dear Graydon,
The Eighties called. They want you back.
Wouldn’t have known who this ass-clown was had you not explained it. And he’s full of it.
Oh good grief. The man hardly said anything. He was probably asked those questions.
He was the Editor of Vanity Fair magazine for 25 years, founded Spy Magazine, so of course he was hoodwinked into making statements about people he knows nothing about.
What a cynical, nasty little man.
Old white supremacists not only look and sound alike, theyre all in their dotage and the only good thing that can be said of them is that theyll all be dead and gone soon.
[This is notwithstanding the new fascists that are cropping up all over the world………but thats a story for another time.]
Altho I’m out of my youth but not yet in my senior years theres one thing I already know: things change and life goes on.
My father was one of 10 kids and they all went on to have an average of 5 kids each; (my mother was one of 3 and she didnt grow up with her siblings.) I am one of 5; the rest of my siblings have 2 each; my daughter is one of one.
In my generation there are many cousins and relatives living all over the world, some we know, some we dont. Some we used to be in touch with but hvnt seen or spoken to in years, especially since my father’s generation have now all died out so theres very little reason for my generation to have the big family gatherings like of yore.
And as for my daughter’s generation and her (fewer) cousins……they all live in different countries; they know OF each other; and if they wish to connect they do so via SM.
I said all that to say this: the likes of nasty old crones like carter have absolutely No. Clue. about the world in which babies like Archie and Lili and their cohorts will grow up and how they will communicate and connect. Sometime in the 90s I read a piece from the late Alvin Toffler on the wave of the future in which he said that 75% of the things we will use in the next century (meaning this one that we’re already 23 years in) had yet to be invented.
By the time Prince Archie and Princess Lili and their cohorts become teens, theyll be living and having their being in ways that their parents (and their parents’ cohorts) could not even have dreamed of.
By then, thankfully, the likes of chucky and carter and toxicTom will be fossilized manure.
Yep, the sun rises, the sun sets, and things change. My dad was one of ten, too, and my mom was one of seven. Everybody married & had kids, except for one who was killed in WWII. Not only can I not name all my cousins, I don’t even know how many there are. There was no gap in my childhood because of this. I don’t understand this ‘family must live near each other’ mindset. I do have a friend who told her two kids that they had to live within an hour of each other and so far, that’s how it’s worked out. But then I think she’s a bit of a control fiend. 😉
Blood doesn’t make you family. The Sussexes have all the right family they need in their children lives. Not a bunch of blood suckers who want nothing more that to cause them harm. So Gordon can just go and be gone and get off Harry and Meg back.
Another good reason to never buy Vanity Fair again, ever. I haven’t bought it in years and told them to stuff their request for a subscription renewal. Another reason is that lying hack Katie Nicholl. Once upon a time they were a good publication. Not the case anymore, ugh.
I regretfully admit that I enjoyed VF during Graydon’s long tenure. There were deep dives into frivolous and esoteric subjects alike (I still reread some of the long-form/investigative articles) and I did enjoy the dreamy landscape of their oft partnership with Annie Lebowitz.
But I was young then. And GC and AL have since been exposed as “not nice” people, and as some say here, there really is a Sussex-litmus test that reveal someone’s true colors. VF is in a strange place between trying to be more diverse and still retaining someone like Nicholls on staff…plus their little, snappy blurbs on the Hive don’t do anything for me. The Establishment is just…over.
I grew up with only one grandparent, and I probably would have been better off with exactly none. She was spiteful, bitter, shockingly bigoted, and went to church every Sunday without any of it ever sinking in. The only thing I learned from her was how NOT to treat other people.
He looks like if Lisa’s school music teacher became live action on “The Simpsons.”
Hi Graydon. You may be interested in knowing that I got a speeding ticket on the FDR when I was a teenager for over 65 mph. (What was chasing me? My curfew…I was a dumb teenager)
Also when relatives hate one or both parents, it’s best to keep them away from the kiddos. Because even without their hate and disgust being well recorded in the media, kids pick up on it easy. Trust me. My mother’s mother did not like my father and she was not as quiet as she thought she was. I grew up knowing that, and wondering if she hated me too because I was half my dad and I love him. An awful place for a kid to be.
Sigh. Spy magazine was so brilliant and necessary. But if actors and musicians get stuck at the emotional age they were when they became famous, a similar thing happens with media writers and editors. I think plastic surgery let boomers pretend they were still young and keep appearing on (and running) news and entertainment companies long after the next generation should have taken over.
I was prepared to be snarky and say that I can’t take someone seriously when their hair looks like this.
But I laughed out loud at his comment about trump’s tiny hands. And comparing the royal family to Disneyland characters.
But as I am also estranged from some family members, I’d take ONE loyal, trustworthy, loving grandparent over a bed of vipers, the rest of them. That family has said and done things that encouraged real harm to the Sussexes. There’s no safety in being in relationship with the royal family for them. None. It’s not safe for Archie or Lilli, either. So I completely disagree with him on that.
And minimizing the pap chase… well, perhaps he’s employed the paparazzi for similar. Again sir, I can’t take you seriously with hair like that. LOL.
I’m in Montecito 4 times a year because my grad school is there and I have to attend residentials. There are kids everywhere. It’s definitely not true that there are no kids around.
Graydon Carter succeeded Tina Brown as Vanity Fair’s editor in chief. I have no idea what their relationship is like, but they all move in the same old white, elitist, out-of-touch circles.
I also noted the erasure of Doria, and it annoys the hell out of me. The Sussex kids also have Ashleigh, Meghan’s niece, as well as Eugenie and her kids — and their dreamy “Uncle” Nacho and his four kids. They have plenty of chosen family. They don’t need the trash British royals.
*Just* from the people that we know 100% that H&M have socialized with — Tyler Perry, Oprah, M’s niece, H’s cousin and spouse, Nacho and family, maybe Goop and Diaz and their spouses (if it wasn’t those famous people, well then they were just “regular” people that they went to dinner with), James Corden and wife, M’s friends from before she was married (several of whom were in the Netflix doc and shown in pics at the Montecito house), those folks M went hiking with recently, and of course Grandma Doria who is often there — doesn’t it seem like their and their children’s lives are full of fun and friendship and love? I mean, I’m sure there are more people that H&M socialize with, b/c they are both social people who have made good lasting friendships over the years and probably make new friends easily whenever they wish. But seriously, if you only look at the roster of friends that are public, it’s a long and healthy list!!!
I agree with some of what he says, but I think he doesn’t understand the Sussex situation as well as he thinks he does. They aren’t homeschooling their kids in some Fortress of Solitude with nobody around for miles. They have Doria, and Ashleigh, and Eugenie’s clan, and countless friends.
Meanwhile, you just know the Markles are the type of people who only bbq chicken while making jokes about Archie’s pets. They didn’t do a great job with their own kids, why would they be trusted with someone else’s?
One could argue that the Middleton kids are way more isolated than Archie and Lili will ever be. The former are stuck in the same toxic circles that shaped their awful parents and get no real sense of the outside world–or different types of people.
They are the Sussex family not the markles.
@Tessa, I might be mistaken, my impression from Monlette is that they are referring to Scammy & Tom Jr. the drunk. Not H&M.
I am referring to the non-Sussex Markles in the statement above.
Sigh. What can you say about these elitist snobs? Same tune different day. And he seems so sure about how people he’s never met or spoken to are living, who their friends are, what they do, etc. He must surely be clairvoyant right?
I didn’t know who he was until it was explained. The fact that he doesn’t have a high opinion of the brf, but then goes on to say that the ONLY family that A&L have are the brf and they need them for ‘family’ is idiotic. I can’t take him seriously.
It seems that Harry was close to a degree with his Spencer cousins. I suspect they have children now, so there are cousins on his Mom’s side for A&L to meet. We don’t know if they already have, since his Aunts were at Lili’s christening. Who knows?
This is the bm who wants to continue to frame the narrative that H&M are standing on an island all alone. I don’t know if they’re angry or jealous, when they think about the fact that H&M have made a good life for themselves and their children.
Just saw a video of the Jordan royal wedding where Kate literally looked in the direction of Beatrice who was literally in front of her and they didn’t acknowledge each other at all. I suspect the closeness of the royal family has been exaggerated and they don’t actually like each other all that much. The Sussex kids are better being raised in idyllic montecito than with a bunch of backstabbers.
From an English perspective, there is no possible right move Harry can make, even if they are polar opposites.
Exactly. Harry has thrown the “rule book” out. Ripped up the unofficial contract. Lifted the curtain on what being born and raised in the institution is really like, destroyed the fairy tale, cut them off and killed revenue streams, and refused to be the unofficial scapegoat and shadow King to Prince William, The Incandescent and King Charles the Cruel. All plans they had for the next decade until the Cambridge kid became old enough to gossip about have been destroyed and they have no back up.
Exactly. Anything and everything the Sussexes do displeases these people. Never gonna satisfy them so might as well please themselves.
I read Air Mail Weekly on occasion and its coverage is anti-Sussex, so this is no surprise coming from Graydon.
Lol! He’s made a few good points. I’ve always liked his writing
Man, was Carter always such a Tory-adjacent suck-up? Why is it so many innovative/rebellious creative people go all right-wing after a while? Is it because their raucousness is only skin-deep–or because they start identifying too much with (rich) people they use to take delight in skewering? Him and Tina Brown both need to start looking hard at their life choices.
What other take is the white old privileged male media guy gonna give to the press? He’s made money on Harry, his family, Meghan, their story. He cannot fathom why they shouldn’t take the abuse, gaslighting, aggressive manipulation and pose for the stories. There’s no safe quarter for the Sussex’s. They just need to keep fighting for truth and live their lives. The majority of people see their efforts, believe, and support them. They are just up against powerful conservative forces who rule media and so much of the worlds infrastructure and govts.
When I read these snippy comments on Harry and Meghan from people like Graydon Carter, or Tina Brown, I think it comes from a place of frustration and lack of access. Cater says they have too much attention. That they do but it’s not on these gossipers terms. If they invited him for an interview or was on the international party circuit or at fashion shows, he’d be there in a heartbeat saying they’re his new best friend. People in the tabloid and gossip media act as if they’ve been robbed because don’t get much access to them and the Sussexes have no fear of them. As for Montecito, they have schools there so someone has kids. No one is moving there for the affordability. What an absurd thing to say. I think everyone in media is going to be asked about them but his comments show he really doesn’t know much beyond what he’s read on Page 6. I liked Carter’s work in Vanity Fair but this isn’t his wheel house at all.
I think the problem with Graydon Carter and Tina Brown is that they are old, and because I’m old too I understand. When you get into, say 70’s or 80’s, your glory days are behind you, your relevance is at best questionable, the beliefs that you held so dear and which you believe defined you are no longer shared by the majority of people, and you lack the moral imperative to examine your beliefs, prejudices, and narrow mindedness, even letting compassion and understanding fly out the window. Growing old isn’t easy, it involves a lot of ‘”growing up”, accepting change, understanding that what you once believed is no longer a socially acceptable norm, that you just might be out of sync with the
@Patricia., didn’t get to finish my post on old people. I wanted to end with what I believe to be one of their greatest problems. When they are out of sync with reality, they face their greatest fear, they no longer matter, people don’t care what they think, in many ways they are obsolete so they hold even tighter to their outmoded beliefs and end up looking like fools. The phrase that most affects them is ” Who cares what Graydon, or Tina, or Camella think. They’re not important.” Ouch!!!
This moldy man is clearly well traveled. 🙄
This man used to print at least one article about the goings on of the upper class, it was always well written and sourced. I had a paid subscription for about 10 years.
He was aware of the dysfunction that can be present in those particular class, so it is a particularly odd statement to make about the Sussexes.
This has to be about sales for his product and the customer base he is trying to reach, the only problem most of those people left after Brexit……
And, Conrad Black no longer owns the Telegraph…..
Maybe he didn’t use the right words for Montecito saying it’s beautiful and lonely. Agree with the beautiful part, but it is a quiet and peaceful place. Having my sister and her family living there for years, it’s really a great place to raise a young family. Look UC Santa Barbara is right there , where it’s very much also a college town with a lot of young(and gorgeous) people. Some people just aren’t into the party scene like WeHo or the West side of LA, but prefer a more laid back California beach town atmosphere. So many Californians I know love living in a more quiet community.
Re his take on British politics , 100% agree. I remembered a few years ago when the state of CA topped the UK Economy, the BP did not take that lightly at all. I have to say British Politics and their direction with Brexit is one of the most dumbest decisions they’ve made. And now they have to face their reality of it and consequences. And as the world keeps changing they’re getting to be more forgotten(sometimes I’m wondering if that’s the reason they’re trying to saturate the US media etc as some have observed) . And comparing the BRF to Disneyland with Mickey/Donald etc is very true and hilarious . Although, Disney has a bigger influence in the world than the BRF.. lol.
Re HM, we still don’t know exactly what happened on NY. No one should be counting that out yet. And the fact Everyone is quiet is interesting . It’s like the calm before a storm.
Under the guise of freedom of speech and a free press, everyone and sundry from the ex butler to the ex hairdresser to editor of magazine, is given airtime to spout whatever negatives they can throw at the Sussexes unchecked .
adding to my comment above. Why even bother to hold on to family members who are jealous and abusive. If anyone wants to live a more positive lifestyle, you get away from negative people and surround yourself with those who supports you. They have Doria and I’m sure a great support system of friends and even a couple family members on their side. With that, I doubt they’re alone.