I have no idea why the Daily Mail keeps publishing old stories about Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, but it’s really funny. The Mail keeps cherrypicking previously published Sussex stories specifically from Harry and Meghan’s courtship too. It’s like the Mail is still trying to get to the root of where it all went wrong for them. Recently, the Mail regurgitated the “remember when the Middletons tried to ban Meghan Markle from Pippa’s wedding” story, which I thought was funny and curious. Well, here’s another walk down memory lane – in 2022, that rancid old coot Tom Bower claimed that Meghan told off all of Harry’s bigoted friends at a shooting party. Once again, good for her.
Following Harry’s decision to step down from royal duties in 2020 and move to California with Meghan, he has lost touch with many of his old associates. The prince is now said to be lonely on the other side of the Atlantic, with his best friend now reportedly being his long-time security guard. Prior to Megxit, Harry’s oldest and closest pals were from his days at Eton College. But the friendship circle first got distant after they met Meghan and she ‘reprimanded’ them over jokes they made about transgender people and feminism, according to a book.
Following the episode, the alarmed pals whispered Harry was ‘f***ing nuts’ to be dating the actress who they said acted ‘princessy’, ‘woke’ and had no sense of humour. Shortly after Harry’s relationship with Meghan was revealed in November 2016, the duke invited 16 of his friends to a shooting party at Sandringham. Shooting has been a long-time hobby for the prince and he was looking forward to joking around, bantering and drinking with his closest friends.
With the Queen’s permission, the party descended on the 20,000-acre Norfolk estate, which has some of the finest shooting locations in England, along with their wives and girlfriends. Most of the crowd were old Etonians and were all ‘bonded by common assumptions, principles and loyalties’, according to Tom Bower in his 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors. The plan was to meet for dinner on Friday night, go out shooting on Saturday, and leave after lunch on Sunday.
Bower writes in the bestselling book: ‘He had not anticipated Meghan’s reaction. Their jokes, involving sexism, feminism and transgender people, ricocheted around the living rooms and dining rooms. Without hesitation, Meghan challenged every guest whose conversation contravened her values.’
Mr Bower, who claims to have heard about the episode from Harry’s friends, wrote: ‘Again and again she reprimanded them about the slightest inappropriate nuance. Nobody was exempt.’ The gang concluded Meghan was a dampener on the party and beyond Harry’s hearing, they questioned her ‘wokery’.
The seasoned biographer, who has previously published works on Richard Branson, Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson, continued: ‘Driving home after Sunday lunch, the texts pinged between the cars: “OMG what about HER?” said one; “Harry must be f—ing nuts.” ‘”She’s a total nightmare” said others. Besotted, Harry was unaware of his friends’ reaction.’
I don’t know if Harry genuinely intended for the shooting party to be yet another “girlfriend test” or if he genuinely wanted Meghan to meet his friends, but I would assume that Harry never intended to put Meghan in a situation where she was seemingly barraged with bigoted, racist, misogynistic and transphobic “jokes.” If any of this really happened – and I believe some version of it did – I’m proud of Meghan. She stood up for herself and what is right. This is part of a larger narrative which is still ongoing in the British media, which is that “woke Harry” is wrong to “change” and “cut off his old friends for Meghan.” When really, he grew up and developed different priorities, and perhaps it wasn’t until he started dating Meghan that he realized that so many of his friends f–king sucked. The larger question, for me, is: why does the Mail keep reminding everyone of all these old stories?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a photo call at Kensington Palace to mark their engagement,Image: 356258211, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Prince Harry,Meghan Markle, Credit line: John Rainford / Wenn / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirm their engagement. Broadcast on BBC News,Image: 356310148, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WENN does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright, License in attached material. Fees charged by WENN are for WENN's services only, do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright, License in material. By publishing this material you expressly agree to indemnify, to hold WENN, its directors, shareholders, employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), any causes of action, allegation against WENN arising out of, connected in any way with publication of the material., Model Release: no, Pictured: Prince Henry of Wales,Prince Harry,Meghan Markle, Credit line: – / Wenn / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirm their engagement. Broadcast on BBC News,Image: 356310149, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WENN does not claim any ownership including but not limited to Copyright, License in attached material. Fees charged by WENN are for WENN's services only, do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any ownership of Copyright, License in material. By publishing this material you expressly agree to indemnify, to hold WENN, its directors, shareholders, employees harmless from any loss, claims, damages, demands, expenses (including legal fees), any causes of action, allegation against WENN arising out of, connected in any way with publication of the material., Model Release: no, Pictured: Prince Henry of Wales,Prince Harry,Meghan Markle, Credit line: – / Wenn / Avalon
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- HRH Prince Harry, Meghan Markle leaving Westminster Abbey following the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving on Anzac day.,Image: 369657160, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no
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- HRH Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle annouce their engagement, 27th November 2017,Image: 507734434, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Amanda Rose / Avalon
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- The Duke of Sussex attends the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, London. Thursday April 25, 2019.,Image: 531605453, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet guests during the interval of a commemorative concert in aid of mental health charities at Central Hall, Storey’s Gate, Westminster.,Image: 533607841, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend an event at Millennium Point to celebrate International Women’s Day in Birmingham on 8th March 2018,Image: 534151113, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive in the banqueting hall during a visit to Cardiff Castle.
It’s proof Meghan’s the better woman. Kate was (is) willilling to take the put downs of her and her family to fit in with the aristos.
That article doesn’t make Duchess Meghan look bad at all. It does, however, make Harry’s former pals look like A-Holes mostly because they are.
Meg did what she thought was right for her and good for her. The gutter press needs to stop rehashing very old news and start truthing about their leftovers!
They’re rehashing old stories because THE SUSSEXES cut them off & they have nothing new to print until the games begin in 2025 & Meg’s content for her show
Precisely. There’s nothing new to report because Meghan gives them nothing new to report. But if the Fail’s bread-and-butter is Meghan, they have no choice but to keep scraping the empty butter dish and scooping up the crumbs.
I believe this is a true incident…and I believe Meghan got their ignorant asses RIGHT TOGETHER IN REAL TIME…and I believe Harry understood the assignment that if he wanted Meghan Markle he had to get rid of his trifling running buddies and Harry acted appropriately …
All of this is a croc. Tom the bowelmovement ole higue only wrote his wet dream of pretending he’s part of the circle of those snobs.
In Spare, H mentioned 2 times he went hunting/shooting whatever, after meeting M: one when he introduced her to bully while kitty had scurried away like a cowardly rabbit when in fact they both knew H was bringing M over to meet them. H mentioned that he and bully went off on a shooting whatever, leaving M to stay in NottCott by herself for the first time.
The second time H mentioned going to a shooting/hunting party with friends, was on their 3rd date when he took M to Botswana. After their week there, M had to leave and H also had had “a 3-part lads’ trip” that he said had been months in planning. H actually thought of not going but said his pals would never forgive him.
I could see Harry not putting it in because it makes his friends look bad, and he didn’t want to pull them into everything. His book was mainly about his relationship with his family, who are all public figures.
I think that everything that was in spare is true. But I also think there are 400 pages that didn’t make it in, so we can’t assume that if something isn’t in Spare, it didn’t happen.
I don’t get why they think this story makes *Meghan* look bad. Unless they’re emboldened by MAGA and trying to claim her as a woke lib to set people against her.
Right? It reveals those *ssholes to be the *ssholes they really are!
THISSSSSSS…… I was reading and thinking, “this isn’t the put down they think it is to share that she reprimanded them about their ‘inappropriate nuance.’ And that ‘Nobody was exempt.’ Just makes Meghan seem principled and consistent and they seem out of touch and desperate.:/
I don’t understand, do they think this makes HER look bad? Like, oh my goodness she’s so terrible she couldn’t get along with his horribly bigoted friends? That’s how things should work. Fundamentally beyond them holding their own bigoted beliefs, this is why a lot of the British media didn’t know how to cover her. They want to treat her like some sort of zoo animal, that’s supposed to delight them with her “funny little ways”, but since she had agency and her own mind she wasn’t trying to be in their little Victorian side show. I don’t understand this stroll down memory lane of greatest hits either, but if they want to refresh the public on how they treated her, while Harry and Meghan are being successful and their own royals have pretty much disappeared from the public eye go right ahead.
I think you nailed it. The left behinds have disappeared from public eye and now they are stuck with nothing but the memories of more exciting times
I agree. I think KC is worse off then we know and no one likes young Will. They know it and keep the hate flowing to push their narrative of MM.
Technically, they think that it makes her look bad…to a certain person. To other racists and misogynists like Bower, Clarkson and a fair segment of people from Eton, readers of the Telegraph. They hate “woke,” but to everyone else, no, it makes Eton look bad for rearing such utter assholes and Meghan look like a heroine. But I do think that the DM thinks this makes her look bad?
This. If I was any of the people present, I would appreciate it if this was allowed to fade away, because it sure doesn’t make Meghan look bad.
What did Meghan say?
“Women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice, and they need to feel empowered to use it, and people need to be encouraged to listen.”
Good for her to speak up, and by standing up to the bullies she probably opened Harry’s eyes, and encouraged him to change.
And it seems there’s absolutely nothing going on in Brexitannia, because why would the Fail report on Meghan when they could analyze the Slumlord’s ways to the much bigger benefit of all.
The slumlords live in Palaces and must be kowtowed to.
Both M and H have said, in response to all this talk about her changing him/taking him away from all he ever knew/etc., that if H wasnt already on his own personal journey of self improvement, then he woulndt have been attracted to M in the first place.
In fact, those fuckers on Shithole Isle only knew the H that he pretended to be in order to survive that cult. As he told Dax Shepherd on Armchair Expert in May 2021, he had always felt different from the rest of his family.
“Brexitannia” – What a wonderfully descriptive portmanteau. I’ll have to remember that; may I borrow it?
So, along with bigotry, racism, misogyny and transphobia, “bonded by common assumptions, principles and loyalties” must also mean bad manners and lack of respect. Maybe it’s better if George doesn’t go to Eton.
Eton College is Boris Johnson’s alma mater. Enough said.
His mother was concerned about his cousin’s skin colour so it probably doesn’t matter which school he attends, the racism is with him every day at home.
If the book that mentioned it wasn’t Spare, I’m not up for believing it. If it is true in any way, it says volumes that she stood up to their faces and expressed her opinion. They, obviously, had no defense or were not brave enough to speak to her face-to-face, but instead were texting behind her back and crying to the media. Is this supposed to make them look good and brave? If they so strongly believe in the right to slag off on other people, stand up proudly with your name behind the statement.
This is one of the rare times where I feel like this went down exactly as described. And I feel like for once I can see the person making this comment. That rugby guy that’s always with Mike Tindall definitely gives me ” it was just a joke, why are you taking this so seriously” vibes. That coupled with what he’s said direct quoted, I feel like these are the people who are quoted for the famous Harry and William friends who no longer speak to him, or who have never been to California because they can’t stand Meghan articles.
On the contrrary, @Dee, none of this is true.
@Kingston how can we say that unequivocally? It has just as much likelihood of being true as untrue, and given their obvious racist behavior there’s nothing about this story that would make me lean towards this was made up. Maybe the exact details, as far as a shooting party or something like that is inaccurate, but I have zero doubt in my mind that his friends at the time behaved like bigots and she didn’t stand for it in her presence.
@Dee
Im glad you got the point, Bcos I only wanted to make the point that you “feeling” its true doesnt make it any more true that my “feeling” its not true.
I’ll take Meghan’s SoCal values over these turds’ Eton values any day. It’s the 2020’s and they felt comfortable making jokes at the expense of women and transgender people? No wonder Kate if fighting William on George going to Eton. She doesn’t want her son to be soulless like his dad.
I wonder what the other girlfriends thought about it all.
I imagine those girlfriends and wives were chosen because they lack thought at all.
I’m sure the other wives and girlfriends share similar misogynistic, homophobic viewpoints. Or at the very least, aren’t at all bothered by them.
I’m assuming Kate has been in those situations and said nothing. And quite possibly laughed along. She was one of the royals with concerns about Archie’s skin color after all.
Good point. And I bet these pricks who pretended to be Harry’s friends were deliberately trying to see how far they could get before she said something, because they knew Meghan’s mom is Black. And I agree, Kate is not great either
Agree that the friends were deliberately trying to see how far they could go…and they were also just being themselves😂. Considering we just voted for trump, it’s clear that a lot of people like being racist and really don’t like being called out on it. But racism is becoming like a badge of honor for some people.
Don’t forget WanK laughed and encouraged Harry’s Nazi costume at the time.
Kate behaved badly to Meghan and even kept Louis away from seeing Baby Archie. She is no role model. I hope George escapes the traits of both his parents.
I don’t know what is up with George but he never looks like a happy child in pictures.
A soulless person worried about her son become soulless? Or it’s just a power struggle with her husband?
This type of article is purely written for the racists, sexists & transphobic people. It also showed what kind of environment Harry grew up in. I’m glad he’s willing to listen and change and grew to be a better person.
I dont know why Kate doesn’t want George going to Eton (if that report is true), but I dont think it has anything to do with him being around racist or transphobic people. I mean, its not like Kate is surrounded by super liberal friends or whatever.
White people discovering and poisioning the word woke has been one of the more aggravating things of the last few years or so.
Good for Meghan for caling on her values and good on Harry for following suit. It would be nice if you kept the same set of friends for all your life, but Harry’s world view changed as he married and changed and started to be exposed to new ways of thinking and living. Good for him.
@duchess of hazard – Absolutely agree. I despise the way the right-wing press has hijacked the term “woke”. Most people are unaware of its true meaning.
It’s both funny and disturbing that this is supposed to make Meghan look bad. I wouldn’t find it funny for a bunch of people to make hateful “jokes”.
And when you call them on it, they immediately accuse you of lacking a sense of humor. They don’t seem to understand that real humor is never found at other people’s expense.
oH, OH OHHH, THANK YOU!!
This is the answer – in words – I have been looking for. For at least 50 of my 70 years. “….real humour is never found at other people’s expense.” That is a powerful statement in few words.
I’ve called out stuff before and told I don’t have a sense of humour. I’ve been going with ‘but it’s not funny, it’s mean, or rude, or bigoted, or sexist, or whatever’ when the more powerful and complete thought is ‘real humour isn’t found at other people’s expense.’
If I can remember this one sentence in times of stress, I’m going for it, no holds barred. It’s a very good sentence. Thank you! gh
I’m 75 so it probably would have come to you in the next five years anyway.😉 And you’re welcome!
If this really did happen then good for Meghan and good for Harry for wanting to become a better person.
This story is from the imagination of Tom Bower.
Alex, $500 for something that never happened.
Are these the same friends that didn’t get invited to wedding reception in the evening?
Notice they’re no more leaks from dearest and closest.
Totally.
We get it Mail. aristocrats believe everyone who is not – them- is beneath them and should be scorned, and mocked.
They’re bigots.
Thanks for bringing that back up.
We are deeply shocked. Again.
It’s like groundhog’s day. Again and again they keep telling the same stories. Reinforcing class beliefs.
Demeaning others is the British aristocracy in a nutshell.
My experience being a minority voice in the majority culture. When you’re young you take it AND stay silent. When you get older and have more certainty you do use your voice. Good on Meghan to know her voice so early and use it. She was with really wealthy, aristocratic people who were in a bubble of privilege, and she elected to pierce some of that petty ignorance. It raises anxiety, resentments, and frustration when you don’t use your voice. I’m sure the aristos didn’t know what to do with someone who thought differently than they. Again, good for her. I’m sure she also didn’t know how insular this bubble was. I bet more than anything, them showing their asses to her, let her know whatever she says would be gossiped about and shared with the press. I’m sure it was an early and meaningful lesson about this new society she would likely be a part of. This is probably why she talked only to her American, pre wedding friends.
Dittot to all that you said.
Also, long before meeting H, M talked about being in circles where folks didnt know her heritage, took her for one of them, and she was able to hear the most racist things said about people of color. She spoke up then too.
IIRC it was that anti-racism campaign: “I Wont Stand for Racism” which was shot in 2012. She began by saying a couple years ago she heard someone call her mom the N-word. She went on to say she’s biracial and most people cant tell what she’s mixed with so for much of her life, she’s been able to be like a fly on the wall among certain people. Thats when she mentioned some of the slurs she’s heard them utter about people of with her heritage.
Harry was probably surrounded by this type of bantering the entirety of his life and rolled with it. Meghan obviously found it offensive and called it out as any decent person would have. The gutter press in the UK has nothing better to do than to harass a couple who is living their lives while trying to do good. There is a new sheriff in town for the US government this type of reporting is red meat for his base.
@MaxineBranch
Of course Harry was surrounded by this type of “banter” remember he’s the grandson of the infamous Prince Philip😳.
Why is the Fail recycling a greatest hits of their hit pieces against Meghan?
Because the ARO Universe is about to be unveiled and, as usual, whenever H or M is about to make a big move, the nasties on Shithole Isle start spewing from all their orifices. We first saw it in action definitively, leading up to the Oprah interview in 2021. And its become their well-known and contemptible modus operandi.
More proof that the leaks were coming from inside the palace. They don’t know sh*t about the Sussexes life now so let’s jump in the time machine and rehash 2016. Also, haha about Harry being “lonely” and having no friends, Harry is having a blast and they know it. Baldemort is the one who seems to have no companions, it looks like even his rose bushes have withered away.
What this article does for me is to highlight again how dark and hate filled the world Harry left behind is and how eager the Brit press is to support it.
Well done Meghan ! Shining
a light for Harry ! No wonder he left it all behind.
I do believe this happened just as Tom Bower describes it. Didn’t William’s friends do the same to Kate when they called her “Doors to Manual” in a reference to her mother being a former airline stewardess? The snobbery, sexism and bigotry of the British upper classes knows no bounds. It must have been a horrifying experience for Meghan to spend the weekend with these “Hooray Henrys”. I used to date one and it is an experience I prefer to forget. The feminist in me cringes.
There is a lack of people in the world willing to stand up to as$h0les and the fact that she, a POC woman did so, in a room full of privileged powerful white (presumably…I mean come on) men, is ASTOUNDING. I am so proud of her. We need more people like her in the world. The left behind royals are a legacy of unearned power and it is high time someone tell them where to get bent.
Did this ever actually happen like this? It sounds off and why are they regurgitating it? Not surprised these types are backwards, racist, sexist but he makes it sound like Meghan gave some sermon on the mount denouncing them. Was probably more a wry riposte highlighting their stupidity. Why would you make disgusting jokes in front of a stranger and then get offended that they’re offended? What’s the reason for this article? 5th year retrospective?
Ah yes, so woke to simply…respect human dignity. Very woke. Not at all just humane.
I think this story shows clearly what snobs and bigots Harry’s group of friends were. Meghan standing up for others is not the bad look they think it is to people who are not themselves bigots and snobs, and even some bigots and snobs know better than to say some things out loud.
Nothing like a nuanced joke, amirite?
Who is supposed to look bad in this story?? Meghan and Harry???
I love how the rota idiots keep making the left-behinds and old guard friends look terrible.
I love that in 2025 the media in the UK and US is like, Black people need to accept slurs. It’s all in good fun. JFC
A lot of people have moved on. They truly and literally should worry about their own Leftovers.
Makes me admire the Duchess even more than I always did. Epitome of “Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes”. And speaking as someone who’s been in the presence of people who use all of the isms to guage a reaction? She terrifies these spineless weasels. Sometimes in company like that, you have to squint your eyes, put your hands on your hips and say something like “Why would you say that out loud, in front of people?” Tim Walz is absolutely incredible at doing this. Just let these people let their own words speak for them.
In the UK just now the big news has been about a tv presenter by the name of Gregg Wallace who has been called out for his historic mysoginy and overtly sexual innuendos during the making of the shows.
Some 20 women have come forward to talk about his behaviour which is creating heated debate online..
At the moment the revelations are about verbal and not physical transgressions but some comments have been quite shocking in the context of a supposedly professional environment.
The old school ” macho” types say that it’s only banter and why wait 13 years to report it. ” Snowflakes” is a word much bandied around.
To me it was possibly a case of a one off, offensive remark to each woman that was not reported at the time because it would probably have been dismissed as too trivial to pursue.
Collectively though, it’s adding up to severe damage to his reputation and he has been suspended from the show pending enquiries.
My point in telling you this is that it takes courage and belief in your own values to out a sexist creep and I applaud Meghan’s stance.