Clive Irving isn’t one of those lunatic royal commentators spreading lies and a keen agenda all over the place, but he is more of an establishment guy, someone who believes in the monarchy overall, so he offers constructive criticism like “King Charles is out of touch and behaving like an imperial viceroy.” Some of those older monarchists have already given up on the Carolean Era and they’re looking ahead to William’s reign. But Clive Irving thinks William and Kate need to do one big thing before they truly win over Americans: apologize for slavery.
Prince William and Princess Kate are “very popular” in America but they have to deal with a “big problem” before they are fully accepted, a royal author has claimed. Time and time again, the Waleses’ have provided a masterclass in public relations: their ability to portray the perfect family unit at royal engagements is second to none. However, one royal engagement overseas backfired spectacularly. Last year, the couple embarked on a tour of the Caribbean region to strengthen Britain’s ties with the Commonwealth and mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne.
Despite good intentions, calls for slavery reparations and the legacy of colonialism overshadowed William and Kate’s tour of Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Instead of dissuading other countries from following in Barbados’ footsteps and becoming a republic, Kate and William’s tour suggested the mood music in the region had changed.
This has proven to be a sticking point for Americans too, according to Clive Irving, author of The Last Queen and royal columnist at The Daily Beast.
“It’s clear that William and Kate are very popular here [America] among those who follow the Royal Family,” Mr Irving said. In fact, “William and Kate are much more appropriate to the American taste than the King himself is”, the royal biographer claimed. But he added: “However, William and Kate principally have got a real problem they’ve got to deal with – one they stumbled over last year.”
Mr Irving continued: “They have to deal with all the revelations about the Royal Family’s involvement in slavery. And they’ve got to show some kind of atonement for that.” The royal biographer added that it’s a “very live political issue” in the US.
On the face of it, it’s incumbent on King Charles – not William – to atone for the sins of the past. However, Mr Irving claims, William and Kate are very much seen as the “progressive couple” so their messaging is more likely to resonate.
Irving isn’t wrong (per se) but he’s acting as if William and Kate could just give a speech and say “slavery was awful, our bad” and we would crown them king and queen of Keen America. While the Windsors absolutely need to find a better way to discuss their family’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the legacy of slavery throughout Britain and the British Commonwealth, the Windsors also need to figure out a way to not be racist, to not be white supremacist fools, and to not wander around like Victorian colonialists. William and Kate’s Caribbean Flop Tour wasn’t simply about their lack of apology for slavery – they were literally just touring around in colonialist cosplay, performing “skits” for a purely British audience. They treated people of color like diversity props and they truly didn’t even care that their cosplay and chain-link fence photo-ops were not what anyone wanted. And again, why are William, Kate and the entire royal establishment so obsessed with America now? Don’t tell me, I know.
Photos courtesy of Instar.
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220324-Royal Visit to the Caribbean – Day 6 Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean who have recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Program, in Kingston, Jamaica, on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Jane Barlow/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Abaco, Bahamas -20220326- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Daystar Evangelical Church Abaco in The Bahamas, to learn about the impact of Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and to see how communities are still being rebuilt, on day eight of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. Abaco, a chain of islands and barrier cays in the northern Bahamas, was hit by winds of up to 185mph during Hurricane Dorian in 2019 leaving 75% of homes across the chain of islands damaged and resulting in tragic loss of life. During a visit to Fish Fry in Abaco, a traditional Bahamian culinary/. During a visit to the Memorial Wall to remember victims of the 2019 hurricane at the Memorial Garden in Abaco. During a visit to Grand Bahama Children’s Home, which provides a home environment to vulnerable children who are not able to live with their families -PICTURED: Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220322- Prince William joins young footballers on the football pitch during a visit to Trenchtown as Catherine Duchess of Cmabridge watches on day four of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Jane Barlow/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20220622- Catherine Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station, to mark Windrush Day. The statue – of a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases – was designed by the Jamaican artist and sculptor Basil Watson. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Floella Benjamin -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220322- Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge meet locals during a visit Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae in Kingston, Jamaica, on day four of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Chris Jackson/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220322- Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge meet locals during a visit Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae in Kingston, Jamaica, on day four of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Chris Jackson/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220324-Royal Visit to the Caribbean – Day 6 Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean who have recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Program, in Kingston, Jamaica, on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Jane Barlow/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220324-Royal Visit to the Caribbean – Day 6 Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean who have recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Program, in Kingston, Jamaica, on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Jane Barlow/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220324-Royal Visit to the Caribbean – Day 6 Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean who have recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Program, in Kingston, Jamaica, on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Prince William -PHOTO by: Jane Barlow/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20220622- Catherine Duchess of Cambridge during her visit with with Prince William to ELEVATE at Brixton House in London to meet with younger generations of the British-Caribbean community, and other diasporas, who represent the next generation of British creative talent, to mark Windrush Day. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – Kingston, Jamaica -20220324-Royal Visit to the Caribbean – Day 6 Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge attend the inaugural Commissioning Parade for service personnel from across the Caribbean who have recently completed the Caribbean Military Academy’s Officer Training Program, in Kingston, Jamaica, on day six of their tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Jane Barlow/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20220323- Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge arrive for a dinner hosted by Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, at King’s House, in Kingston, Jamaica, on day five of the royal tour of the Caribbean on behalf of the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. -PICTURED: Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Patrick Allen, Lady Patricia Allen -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images 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 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 For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
Sure that and a massive apology to his brother and sister-in-law for all the 💩 that he has said and done to them. Even if he did that he would never win over America. He isn’t likable or trustworthy or truthful or charismatic.
And it is pathetic how the wails depict themselves as victims. They owe the sussexes an apology.
Meghan, is a genuine and caring American woman of colour and she and Harry would NEVER have agreed to meet those kids by deigning to allow them to touch their precious royal hands through a mesh fence. That said it all for William and Kate’s judgement and character. You can almost see Kate screwing up her nose as she keeps her thumb away from a genuine warm handshake. Royal protocol does not encourage allowing their precious personages to be touched without permission. M.andH. would have gone around the fence to mix and engage with the kids or demand the fence be removed. As for William haughtily posturing in colonial-style, gold-braided colonial-style uniform and Kate in a hugely expensive designer dress to be cheered and worshipped from afar in their Jeep for God’s sake this is the 21st century when it is well-known that the royal family built their obscene billions in wealth on selling slaves to the the cotton plantations and everything they do is to try and maintain their privileges and con. everyone into thinking they are God’s gift. All total BS.
They can apologize all they’d like, but it will always seem hollow until they account for how they bullied their Black SIL to the brink of suicide and (probably) made snide comments about the color of their unborn nephew’s skin.
Why do these people want to win over America again ? We aren’t their subjects . Kate and William are just self important foreigners here.
Yeah, this. America isn’t theirs to win or lose. They’re just a couple of self-important a-holes from a country the majority of us don’t care about. I have no idea why any of these people think they need to do something for us, they have a whoooole lot of current and former Commonwealth countries they’d be better off apologizing to.
It’s a weird thing to push, for sure. I doubt other European monarchies are obsessed with winning over America.
Exactly. They’re not.
What I consider normal is that royalty goes on state visits to establish closer links in trade etc. So they should put their best foot forward and meet many people in the country they’re visiting wherever it is.
But it makes no sense to me that they would try to win over a country as if they’re artists who want “to make it in the USA/Japan/South Korea/other country” with an important music industry.
They are trying to win over Americans to destroy Harry and Meghan’s reputation. The British tabloids report that American women were swooning over William during his recent Earthshot visit, one even referring to his hot body and thighs asking what else is therefore hot! Pretty desperate and crude journalism.
They need to stay in their own lane, this is downright embarrassing for them. While the issue of slavery and past injustices are very important and need to be addressed, we Americans have nothing to do with the RF. They need to make reparations in their own country and commonwealth nations before approaching anyone else. They’re just using us as a tool to strike back against Harry and Meghan.
@Feeshalori. Yes they’re just using the U.S to strike back and “finish off” the Sussexes. There are 56 member states of the Commonwealth why can’t William and Kate go tour them and apologize for their family’s involvement in slavery. They don’t care about them. Why lick the butt of the U.S? They are threatened by the strong charisma and global reach and influence of the Sussexes. They are obsessed to finish them off by fair means or foul.
Willnot said nothing about slavery when he was on the actual colonial cosplay tour, in the Commonwealth, being fired, by a Commonwealth country, while he sat on a stage.
But sure, the U.S. is owed an apology by the British “royal family” now, Wills specifically.
Chuck is the progressive member of the Leftovers (I know, low bar), not the Wails.
As an American I am curious as to why the UK or RF needs to apologize to us. I think the apology belongs to the commonwealth countries, as the RF benefitted directly from the profits of slave trade and commodities produced by them. The US got the profits of slavery because we had already kicked the monarchy out for much of that. How is the UK/RF responsible for our sins that they need to apologize to us.
The icing on the cake is the only people who know about the RF are people that watched the biracial American get tortured by the BM. So you are either in the camp of apologize to Meghan or you are in the racist camp. Those in the racist camp currently like W&K, but an apology for slavery will quickly turn their opinions.
They are in a catch22 with that one.
Most Americans don’t follow but if they insist on “winning us over” then that means Americans will start to pay attention and I doubt they will like what they see. What happens to the monarchy if the bulk of America is like your racist, lazy, boring, unattractive, useless and entitled twats?? Will it cause the apathetic Brits to wake up and say “you know what getting rid of the monarchy is worth some effort” and join the voices of the republicans.
What they want is to liked by the same people that like Harry and Meghan which is not going to happen since they aligned themselves with their racist right wing media. In America once you’re seen as racist or aligning yourselves with them it’s hard to shake. In America someone like lady Hussey would have been kicked to the curb the minute she said those things to that charity lady. No coming back for you. Saying those things about Harry and Meghan children is a definite no no. Hence the bitterness towards Harry for exposing them. They will never forgive him. It’s one thing closet racist hate is being exposed to the public. If they hadn’t sided with the racist trash media they might have had a chance but because they didn’t the people that like and support Harry and Meghan will always see them as siding with racist. They made a huge mistake in not publicly supporting them. Most of their supporters see Williams as a traitor to his brother who always supported him at a great cost to himself. These people have no understanding of America at all. As a black American I see them as separating themselves from the mixed race royals as disrespect. Not acknowledging the black royal children is a wrong way to go. Showing blatant disrespect to Meghan in public by Charles and the rest of that family will make it hard for them. They think that if they come here they don’t have to associate with black people they will be in a world of surprise. The black people in the media will rip them to shreds. They are not cowed like the ones in England. We don’t care who you are and will question you accordingly so they better be ready.
Yes! Apologize to the countries you stole their people from to use as slaves! No need to apologize to the American people WTF?!?
The British initiated, in their then American colonies, the system of chattel slavery, which forcibly brought millions of Americans’ ancestors to the country.
@bisynaptic. I know they had a huge hand in supplying and starting slavery but America as a colony embraced it for the most part and took decades to stop. To apologize to us is like saying we had no agency or responsibility for it. Once we broke away, Britain didn’t profit from the fruits of the slave labor, we did. They may have profited by supplying slaves but we bought them. Apologizing for taking money from something we wanted is treating us like children. I shouldn’t have given you cookies before dinner. America has a long way to go to heal and make right our crimes against a race of people, but I’d like to think that take responsibility for what we did and not lay blame on someone else. Apologizing to a commonwealth takes on a whole different tone, those countries had less say in what happened to their country. England made those decisions for them.
Part of it is definitely about the Sussexes, but I also think that W&K have always wanted to be seen by Americans just as Diana was. Unfortunately they’re boring and lazy and that was/is never going to happen; Diana was a unicorn who captivated people worldwide and W&K do not have even remotely what it takes to be in that stratosphere. But it appears they’re going to keep trying.
Meghan is much more like Diana, as is Harry, but they will *never* admit that to themselves.
It’s strange to me as well but I think the US provides an opportunity for amplification that they want. Like, having Reese Witherspoon or Bill Gates or whomever talk about you on their social platforms is better PR than they could buy.
The Royal family & The British government have to apologize for slavery and for indigenous genocide .
Thank you! All of the Royal family needs to take their racism and history of slavers to account not just the Stupidest POW and his wife. The governments of every country that participated in slavery need to do this because it is overdue and is the minimum of what is owed. But forget winning the US over buddy King George already blew that up
It is amazing how little Britons know about indigenous genocide and how they pretend it is more of a Canadian issue or an Australian issue. This started when these locations were British colonies but yet there has been no word from the head of state about it. And yes Elizabeth stayed quiet when she shouldn’t have. The Truth and reconciliation commission happened while she was still alive.
Kate and William don’t have the intelligence to speak to these issues. They are rich brats who don’t care about anything but status and that’s why the Caribbean tour flopped. It was two rich white middle age adults going on holiday to be worshipped by the locals.
So much this.
Word, Nic.
The Royal Family didn’t give a damn about America until Harry and Meghan moved there. The press said that William and Kate wanted to concentrate on the UK and the Commonwealth realms when Harry and Meghan were working royals. Furthermore Wiliam and Kate are not progressive and the press criticised Harry and Meghan when they said they wanted to have a more progressive role in the institution. William and Kate would have more success in the US if they apologised for smearing Harry and Meghan and for being racist.
I don’t understand this obsession with America. Well we know why and the center of it is in Montecito, California. Also talking about slavery and reparations, especially if it looks like they’re lecturing Americans with their insincere ignorance, is one way to light a firestorm and fuel the culture wars. They need to focus on the Commonwealth and taking these claims seriously. However they are not serious people.
“Prince William and Princess Kate are “very popular” in America but they have to deal with a “big problem” before they are fully accepted”
If they’re so popular here then why all the thirsty commentary? They may one day be king and queen of salt island but this need to be the number one royal British couple is so f!cking stupid. Why can’t they just focus on the sh!t in their country and leave it at that?
It’s possible that Peg and Waity don’t think that slavery was wrong.
The rest of that quote, “ got a real problem they’ve got to deal with – one they stumbled over last year.” I laughed.
Until last March they had no idea they were racist, tone deaf and backwards, guys! They had no idea! There were no hints!
I also think it’s interesting here goes out of his way to say they’ve really nailed the whole playing a perfect family in public thing.
Agreed, that was a none too subtle yanking of the Wails’ leash.
Not just possible but likely, Girl_Ninja. I can’t ever unsee those photos of them both being carried by sedan chair by unhappy natives in a country they were touring. I can’t believe there was no uproar about that at the time.
There were comments but it was one of their first tours and so using the excuse that it was a local custom was seen as enough to wave it off.
That Charles skipped the same welcome when he visited after they did and the later evidence of William and Kate being racially insensitive to their own sister in law basically reopened the issue because it was not just a one time mistake anymore.
I like how they cut off the rest of the quote at first. They are popular in America “…. among those who follow the Royal Family”.
BIG difference.
And it’s not like most Americans who pay any kind of attention to the BRF actually know any details. Even friends who “like” the BRF still get confused on who anyone actually is. It’s all vibes without any facts about the individual people.
For the love of God, leave us TF alone! We are not in your Commonwealth. We have nothing to do with the insanity that is hereditary monarchy. You have no right to our admiration, our money, or our attention. Just STOP.
Sorry, ya’ll. I’m cranky this morning and I am so tired of these people and their entitlement.
@Neners. No need to apologize when you are 💯correct.
This. Leave us alone. Focus on your country. The place where you actually live. Really hoped after William’s nyc trip, they’d let it go. Let it go. Let america go. We did this already in 1776.
See, I also want it to stop…but at the same time, I don’t want to miss out on one of my favorite categories of RR bullshit: wildly inaccurate Britsplaining of all things America-related. Culture, geography, general public opinion — you name it and they’ll be hilariously wrong about it.
The arrogance of the Britsplaining is off the charts. Just loud, pompous, and wrong, consistently.
True, very true! All K&W need to do is apologize for slavery & then they’re golden! They’ve won us over! America is their oyster! 😉
I’m sayin! It’s like stalking at this point yes?
Yes, this pisses me off as well and just strikes a nerve every time they try to bootlick at our door. Useless and arrogant family and institution and they just can’t get anything right about our country.
I totally agree. It feels so patronizing.
Give it up, William. You hate Americans. You think us beneath you. You scoff at our “Americaness.” Yet you’re clearly beyond desperate for our approval and adoration (and $$$).
Stay in your own sandbox.
They are not popular in the U.S. Even to the people who keep up with them. No one cares about England anymore. And that is what the English don’t understand. With Brexit they gave away any power that they had in the world. And the Royal family has absolutely no power to do anything in the rest of the world. They have the same power as any olympic mascot. Fun to look out while there. But no one cares about after they are gone.
Robert: you hit the nail on the head! They are MASCOTS, bloody mascots for that island!
Now, I will never stop thinking of them as the San Diego Chicken (Chuck); the Philly Phanatic (Kate); Toronto’s Carlton the Bear (William); and the Seattle ? Kraken (Camilla).
Didn’t the RR once say they are to the UK as the Panda is to China?
Who writes this stuff? Most people in the US don’t know the Waleses from Adam, and if they apologize for slavery they will definitely loose their MAGA fans which are probably the majority.
It is not clear the wails are popular in the usa.
Their time would be better spent trying to “win over” all the Commonwealth countries about to bounce from this Colonizer sh*tshow.
For this thing to survive, they really needed Harry and Meghan. Meghan was a key player and instrumental, but they couldn’t stop abusing her. They needed to tell the world – we’ve evolved, we’ve changed, we are better than our past. But they couldn’t even accept their Black family – they don’t seem to get what that communicates to the entire planet. They have become symbols of White Supremacy and you are right, their racist Category 5 screw ups in the Caribbean only added to this perception.
I get what you are saying but NO.
I come from a former british colony, where my ancestors were dumped 200 years ago, Meghan as lovely as she is, doesnt erase or make palatable any of this.
I for one, didn’t feel that embroidering flowers from the CW on her veil was a good idea, even though it was well intentioned and came from a pure heart.
All of this makes the reference to them as a “progressive couple” just ridiculous.
Progressive up to the 1950’s ?
This is ridiculous. What they’ll say sorry and it’ll be ok?
The British government should be looking into reparations not apologies from mascots.
Also if an apology should be said, it should come from the head of state : the king! The other two can grovel too but they’re not the top dogs.
I hate these apology tour bullshit, it deminishes the damage that colonialism has done.
No one cares. Reparations must be made to the Commonwealth countries and return stolen jewelry , art and land.
I am with you Mel. An apology isn’t enough. FFS they were paying reparations to former slave owners until recently. But they don’t want to pay the descendants of the very people who actually built all this wealth for them. It’s infuriating. I don’t want to hear any more empty words how sorry they are – put actual ACTION behind those words. And yes return the stolen jewels for crying out loud! This isn’t rocket science. They are so obtuse and stubborn and this will be their undoing.
It makes me FURIOUS that the media never mentions the reparations made to the slave owners, well into THIS century.
More like reparations were made to Slave owners up to just 8 years ago.
I agree Christine. The media is just as racist as the BRF and they know if this became common knowledge the calls for reparations would get louder and louder and there would be increased support for them.
W&K are not “the progressive couple”. That is ridiculous. They literally helped to drive their biracial sister-in-law to near suicide before hounding her and her family from Britain’s salty shores. They aren’t popular here either. Nor have they provided “a master class in public relations”. This guy is smoking something. That said, someone in this dysfunctional clan needs to step up and make a genuine heartfelt apology and mea culpa for slavery and Britain’s role in this and colonialism. Then return all the stolen loot.
They aren’t relevant in the US. He’s going to be the King someday, and is clearly out of touch with his own countrymen. We have no monarchy here. People will tell him exactly what we think of his behavior. He needs therapy.
The UN just called for colonial countries to consider reparations seriously so lol, apologies won’t be enough. And Americans don’t dislike them for their inability to apologize for slavery. They simply don’t care about the British monarchy. Because the UK isn’t the centre of the universe; it’s currently languishing in a post-Brexit flop, clinging to the threads of an imperial past.
Nothing they can do will make them popular in America.
These people only see the white view of William and Kate in America. A lot of African Americans see the treatment of Meghan and her children as abhorrent. Particularly AA women. African Americans in this country have a lot of political clout and William and Kate cannot get around that. Any apology for slavery will not fly in this country without the acceptance of African Americans in this country. These people treat blacks as nobodies in their country but that won’t fly here. They both need to apologize to Harry and Meghan. Al Sharpton already dragged them on GMB so they better be ready for a major dragging in this country if they try to come here and offer some lame apology without acknowledging the wrongs and racist treatment done to their SIL and brother as well as his niece and nephew.
So much this. Say it loud for the people in the back.
Speaking as an African American, I don’t want just an apology. I want all the sales records and coordination with existing historians and genealogists. I also want financial reparations in the form of returning of treasures and antiquities, and coordination with all governments who participated in the transatlantic slave trade. Help us find our people.
Right on. I recommend a book called Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball, a descendant of rich English slave owners who bought and sold thousands of slaves over the course of several generations. He tracked down and met the descendants of many of his family’s slaves and meticulously researched their histories. I’m about halfway through it and there are times I have to put it down because I get teared up. It should be required reading in schools…but it’s probably on the banned books list.
Thank you for this book rec!
I have that photo of Princess Karen and the chain link fence saved. I never want that image to disappear.
I saved it too. Someday King William will have tried to have all evidence of their racism scrubbed from the Internet. Not this photo. It will still exist to provide receipts. I also saved the video of KKKhate recoiling from the Jamaican official.
The awkward photo with Lebron needs to be preserved as well.
Also that video of her public snub of Meghan at the Commonwealth Day Service. That needs to be archived forever.
Oh for gods sake, WHY do they think Americans even WANT them there. Harry and Megan live and work in America. They pay their own way. They (unlike the waleses), don’t expect anything to be given to them. They don’t demand people bow down and worship them. America has the only two worthwhile working members of this dogsht family already. Let them live their lives and those of their children in peace. Side by side with their American friends. America doesn’t need the toxic trash that is the “left behind Royals” and no apology is going to mean anything to Americans, because they know it will just be hollow words
The interesting question is why should they be popular in the US in the first place??
What would result in their unpopularity? Why not expend that energy in Wales, where they are also unpopular??
When will the history of the economics of slavery not be reduced to agitprop??
The ancestors remained unimpressed with the lot…No one gives a shit for their apology.
The formerly enslaved remains morally superior even in death…
The Waleses know their reputations are in the gutter thanks to Oprah and Spare, but mainly their own actions. They just to give up.
They couldn’t even stand up to the the racist British press in their own country for their SIL and her children. Why in the hell do people think that any apology from these two would endear them to Americans. These people do not live in the real world. Not a single one came out for Meghan when all that racist toxic trash from their so called media was dumped on her. In fact most of them added to it. Did Kate, Camilla or Anne come out and say no don’t do this she is one of us please leave her alone. No. They are all cowards looking out for their own necks. They can all fu_k off. Please leave us Americans alone. We don’t want your faux apologies.
Very. Well. Said. Every single word the truth!!
Why on Earth would the British Royal family apologise to America for slavery? A country that actively practiced segragation well into the 70’s, still refuses to provide reparations and actively tries to remove access to education, services and wealth to its citizens of color.
Because the English monarchy was behind much of the slave trade which involved cramming thousands upon thousands of kidnapped Africans into the holds of ships and chaining them up. They got barely enough food and water to sustain them. Disease was rampant and they literally had to lie in their own *filth* for weeks at a stretch. Then they were sold to rich English land owners at auction like cattle, worked to death, fed and housed poorly, and the women were routinely raped. The legacy of mistreating people of colour continues to this day because of slavery, it’s the root cause.
I’m fully aware of the realities of slavery. Slaves were sold to the American colonists, not the British, I think there was a war of independence on that issue. Also, slavery was not a “British invention”. If anything, it was started by the Belgians and was brought to the Americas by the Portuguese.
America has been in an internal battle about so much of this for centuries, though. We fought a brutal war, and then continued to fight within our political system. The South had segregation in the middle of the 20th century, but the North didn’t. Neither did places like California in the West. SCOTUS made the Brown v. Board decision, and Whites in the South went nuts. A Democratic President (from Texas) pushed the Civil Rights Act through, and the republicans started the “Southern Strategy,” using racism as a weapon to get white people to vote against their own interests.
And it’s the Republicans, not the Democrats, who want to take away access to education and vital services from people of color.
I think racist White Americans don’t care if William apologizes for slavery or not. Other Americans might appreciate the Royal family admitting the role they and their country played in getting slavery entrenched in the former colonies.
Did slavery just magically show up in the US in 1776? Seriously this is so ignorant. Americans continued the system started by the British.
Just to start, I’m not even British. I’m not American, either. But I went to school in the US, and this particular line of reasoning really gets me as it’s so factually incorrect. The first slaves were brought to the Northern American colonies in 1619 by a British privateer who had seized them from a Portuguese ship. By this time (long before 1776), slavery was vastly accepted as an acceptable form of labour by the Portuguese, Spanish and Belgian colonies across the Americas. I don’t give two figs about William, but I care about complex historical facts reframed to suit a narrative. Perhaps educate yourself a little before making statements.
Why would what the US did wrong, make it okay for the Brits to not apologize for what they did wrong?
Because they’re the ones who started it, here.
Gosh, no, after how they’ve shown themselves to be, there’s nothing they can do to win over some of us. Even if there were, that’s not their job anyway.
Astonishing how stupid the Brits think Americans are!
Number One: We aren’t that into Won’t and Can’t. Nothing they do will make them King and Queen of America. We publicly fired the British royal family nearly 250 years ago.
Number Two: Only Britons would believe P/POW if they mumbled some half-hearted bs apologies for the slave trade. The absurdity of Pegs and OfWilliam trying to come across as decent and non-racist! The rest of us already know that Pegs was the one concerned about Prince Archie’s skin tone. We all saw KKKhate recoil when a Jamaican official reached out to touch her hand. These are people who don’t have any problems with the human trafficking that built Britain’s “empire”. So who would believe such an apology in the first place? It would be solely for the British audience because they’d be the only people swallowing that noise – hook, line, and sinker.
Let William and KKKhate concentrate on their own kingdom and stop trying to claim some sort of “conquest” of America. We aren’t checking for them.
This is incredibly beside the point, but I found this phrasing interesting: “their ability to portray the perfect family unit at royal engagements”. Portraying is different from being, and it’s also limited to a particular set of events. I guess we are saying the quiet part out loud today.
I noticed that too! Very shady.
1. Will and Kate are not popular here in the United States.
2. Why are they focused on winning over a country that gave them the boot in 1776? They don’t go to this school anymore.
Nobody sees these two as progressive. Nobody.
The RF’s actions with regard to race are all performative. Apologizing for slavery in order to win over America is not just performative, it’s transactional. If they want to apologize, then that’s fine and they should do it, but not because they expect a prize for doing so.
The truth is nobody but these crusty old monarchists gives a fig about them. The useless Keens are wasting their time and the UK’s money trying to win [country name goes here] over. Not gonna happen. Charles is a feeble, fussy old fart and his wife is a tipsy old hag, and if they continue to do stupid, money-wasting things like fly their goddam Bentley over to France when they could have gone by train then many more commonwealth countries will continue to bail. When C&C last came to Canada they kept their itinerary to a brief , barely noticed tour of the Maritimes instead of meeting with indigenous leaders from across Canada to make a proper act of contrition. It seems like every trip they make comes up empty and the piles of wealth they’re sitting on are clearly more important than publicly apologizing for the very slave trade and pillaging that made them wealthy.
I think my cup of coffee hasn’t kicked in yet…
They can’t even handle racism in the UK, don’t even talk about the Commonwealth and the US. I swear the Wails are stalkers and need intervention on this madness. I wonder how the children are doing.
They need to focus on being popular in their own country. At some point the British may stop accepting all of the helicopter trips, endless spending on clothing and multiple vacations per year as business as usual.
The UK have been singing MOUs with individual states such as Oklahoma & North Carolina. Maybe that’s why they’re trying to make the Wales popular? The UK can’t make a trade deal with the US on a federal level, so they do this instead. But the Wales would never visit such states, so who knows.
Mslove, I didn’t know that and it’s quite interesting. What do you want to bet that both states have low wages? Someone will be making money, but it won’t be the wage earner.
Irving is delusional – W&K missed the boat long ago, no personality, no work ethic, they have nothing to offer.
It’s all about 💰💰💰
W wants to go trawling in wealthier waters where he thinks he has better chance due to his birth right alone. He’s envious that H is proving to be successful- not willing/ able to recognise its because H has been putting in the work, W thinks it’s only because of H’s title.
I think Charles and William aren’t interested in the Commonwealth because they have to put in the effort without reaping significant monetary reward. And now countries are going to be demanding reparations and not willing to put them on a pedestal as they believe is their right – it’s all too much and easier to scam wealthy royalists in US.
This is an excellent plan, Clive Irving!!
Have William “We are very much not a racist family” and Kate — the art history major who had a racist painting hanging in her home when the Obamas came to visit — apologize and atone for slavery!
Nothing could possibly go wrong with this plan! That would be a master class, indeed!
What is their frigging obsession with winning over America. We kicked them our 250 years ago. The only common denominator between us and them is the English language. Majority of us have no ancestral links to the UK.
There is no special relationship. You had to relinquish all your scientific crown jewels to get help during WWII.
Just stay where you are on your little island and leave us alone. Apologise for slavery and everything is forgiven. Unbelievable.
Oh my God, why are they so obsessed with us?!
Our stalker ex that we kicked to the curb some 250 years ago needs to leave us the f**k alone. Don’t call. Don’t write. Don’t text. And please…..stop visiting!
Agree. Kate, William and Mr. Irving need to remember a few dates that are very familiar to Americans. 1775 the start of the American Revolutionary War, 1776 July 4, Declaration of Independence, 1783 the declaration of peace signing. We won. You lost. Please stay home.
William and Kate and this author Clive Irving are fooling themselves in claiming W&K are popular in America. Who said that? The rigged poll? How much did the RF pay for that poll to embiggen William and Kate ? pfffttt…
As an American I want to shout from the rooftops some unpleasantries about how we are not a commonwealth country and they should stay away because we don’t care for them or want a monarchy and also they should focus on their own problems etc….
But then I realize that the more they focus on us the likelihood that more people that have the misfortune of being part of this particular royal families “territory” (I can’t think of the better word) are gonna get pissed off. Hopefully, more commonwealth countries will take actions for independence and more.
They keep believing in themselves that the Wales are popular in America. When we literally see all over social media how popular HM is in America(based on videos and photos from people at the Beyoncé concert and Costner’s event for first responders. Not to mention they are also very popular in Germany during IG). And it’s only going to rise esp playing their cards right.
But I’m not surprised they want to target America. @Kaiser posted an article last week from Kay with a video clip as part of the blog . And he even mentioned that he feels we’ll be seeing William a lot more here in America(whether we like it or not.). It’s like it’s already part of their plan, and the country is stuck in the middle.
I mean I have to say having traveled even to remote islands in the South Pacific, the US still has a lot of influence, esp in media. And it seems it’s the media that makes the BRF relevant. Even in the corners of the world, I still get news from the US. And Harry being well-liked in the US really(really)irks them. As one of the commenters pointed out before, Even if only 10% of the US population has a favorable opinion of Harry that’s 30M people, that’s already 1/2 of the population in the UK.
AC, well Wont can continue to come to the US, but it’s not likely to bring him crowds. The only thing he could do is go to the southern states who are proud of their white supremacy beliefs. That pretty much aligns with the brf, so that would be a good match. I don’t suggest that he apologize for slavery, because that will considerably lessen the people who like him.
I can’t imagine that 10% of the US population actually know who Wont is AND care. They certainly aren’t going to garner anyone on the left because of their political beliefs and the far right probably don’t even know who he is. If they are basing support in the US on the trolls on sm, they need to realize that the trolls hate (black) Meghan–they don’t love Wont or Kant.
even with the South I’m not sure 🙂( if the UK is popular). When USA Today surveyed each of the 50 states which international country they were going to visit this past summer, Mississippi residents for example were going to the Czech Republic as their international travel destination🙂. Overall, most Americans went to Italy (internationally) this summer.
Imagine looking at everything these two represent and thinking that not apologizing for slavery is the only thing holding them back. Like, girl what?
Picturing William singing You’ll Be Back from Hamilton is giving me a chuckle.
Thank you to all CBers with spot-on comments about US history, W-K’s laziness and book recommendations! I used to pay more attention to Clive Irving (read book Last Queen and Daily Beast articles), but I couldn’t stomach his article contrasting Willy’s Earthspit cosplay in Boston to H-M receiving Ripple of Hope award and declaring W-K the “winner” because of higher Earthspit “production standards”! 🤮
https://www.celebitchy.com/794612/prince_williams_earthshot_will_eclipse_the_production_standards_of_the_ripple_of_hope/
I believe Clive Irving is a Brit who emigrated to US and became US citizen – if that is correct, he probably held his crossed fingers behind his back like Emily Blunt when asked to renounce loyalty to king or queen outside the U.S., while secretly swearing allegiance to the UK monarch. Despite moving to US and critiquing monarchy in The Last Queen, Irving still boosters W-K? His writing about H-M also makes him sound anti-US, despite having relocated here. Also, some Brits never get over their snobbery towards Americans.
kirk, I think the that their belief that Americans are simply beneath them coupled with their racism is not something the brf will be able to overcome. At least, not without extensive work on their part. Being held in faint contempt or viewed arrogantly, is simply not something that Americans respond to very well. Go figure.
I 100% agree with you both – I think more Americans are seeing that they are condescending. And the way most NYers reacted when William was here shows, as they simply did not care. Even the mayor canceled on him.
I remembered reading an article years ago re the way many Brits(not all)treat Americans, to the point of anti-Americanism increasing in Britain. And the writer had a stark warning at the end of the article, if this continues it will affect the goodwill Americans have towards them.
It was displayed even more so how they treated Meghan(being an American and bi-racial).
I’m puzzled by this take. First off, a huge swath of Americans right now wants to pretend that slavery never happened and remove it from history lessons. So it’s weird to paint Americans with any kind of monolithic brush of wanting to make amends for our horrific past. Second, the rest of us more rational Americans aren’t usually discussing the RF when we talk about slavery. We aren’t even really talking about the North Atlantic slave trade. We’re talking about how our country specifically was built on slave labor and how the economic impacts have continued to benefit the descendants of slave owners and other white Europeans more than the descendants of the slaves themselves, along with absurdities in our electoral system that continue to give more power to small, predominately white states than larger more diverse states. That is the major issue here in 2023. Not an apology from a far off kingdom. It’s the current and very real socioeconomic disparity that continues to be baked into our society. But sure, if W & K “apologize,” that will make a huge difference.
make reparations for their family, that’s a start. But driving your black SIL to the brink of suicide is tough to forgive. Maybe they should act like normal humans and take responsibility for their actions and apologize to Harry and Meghan.
What these discussions leave out is that apologies open the door to demands for reparations, which the Caribbean countries already have made. It’s all about the £££.
I have a little reminder for the Royal Family. Remember King George III. We don’t need your entitled family members in the US. We prefer Harry and Meghan.
Yes, they absolutely must do this, but won’t, since they will NEVER give back all the riches and luxuries slavery and colonization bought them. Simple.
Why do they need to win over America
The only apology anyone in America who cares about such things is interested in is the apology for the blatant abuse of the biracial royal and her children.
LOL. We can’t get many of the American politicians to not be racist let alone apologize for slavery and you want foreign heads of states to give empty speeches about slavery?!? HAHAHA! What? What an asinine comment. Kate and William can apologize for every wrongdoing attached to the royal family related to slavery and it will mean nothing to Americans. Especially when the UK ended slavery EARLIER than us. This is such a stupid take.
William and Kate’s fans are mostly racist conservatives. Talking about slavery won’t play well with them.
Why would two confirmed white supremacists ever utter an apology for racism? Can’t and Won’t aren’t sorry. They aren’t saddened. They have no regrets about the horrors and evils of slavery. They couldn’t care less that Britain kicked off the human trafficking scourge which enriched its empire.
KKKhate and Pegs probably wish colonialism was still in full swing and they could go back to keeping the “coloureds” in chains and under control again. Peasants of color insisting on personhood, equality, and inclusion is a step too far, right Your Highnesses?
Mr. Irving, that’s a big fat NO. To ‘win over America’ they need to have personality transplants. And that’s not a guarantee.
Khate is the one who will destroy the RF and its reputation. She’s incapable of behaving properly. By that I mean the way Meghan and the late QE2 behaved when meeting people. Pleasant and non committall . All her catty nasty expressions are pasted on her face. She hasn’t grown out of slapping a girl who threatens her. Apologising for the past is purely performative. Ensuring that the descendants of Slaves have adequate public services is what needs to be done.
Too bad Establishment Clive had to contribute to this: https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/us-celebrity-news/prince-harry-meghan-new-celeb-31016006 Now derangers are saying *Harry* said they don’t need the titles anymore but still won’t give them up.