This past week might have been a turning point for how King Charles handles the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, at least as much of a turning point as Charles evicting the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage. Even after the eviction last year, Charles still tried to play the game of “Charles wants nothing more than to reconcile with Harry.” That game is now over – Harry likely approached his father informally about the possibility of a meeting while Harry was in town. Charles dithered and made noise about how he was too busy, and Harry said “okay” and then released a statement to that effect.
Harry’s statement set off a week-long tantrum from Charles which included palace briefings to Daily Mail reporters and columnists, royal insiders throwing an unhinged tantrum to the Daily Beast, and the general feeling that Charles has massively lost the plot. The Windsors made a point of doing performative busywork while Harry was in town, most of which was revealed to be thrown together at the last minute specifically so they would look busy. In case you would like all of that underlined, please enjoy this chaotic piece from the Times, in which they’re trying to make the dual points that “of course Charles was snubbing Harry, Charles hopes Harry is terribly hurt by all of the snubs” AND “how dare Harry suggest that his father was snubbing him.” These royalists are not bright.
King Charles met David Beckham on Friday: Even in his gardens at Highgrove on Friday the King was still working as he continued his return to public duties. The Times understands that David Beckham, the former England football captain, met the King for a private meeting. No pictures were released and no press notice was issued. Beckham is understood to have visited Charles to learn more about his charity, the King’s Foundation.
Of course Charles was snubbing Harry! The report of the meeting could also make uncomfortable reading for the Duke of Sussex. During Prince Harry’s visit to the UK this week a spokesman for the duke said that the King’s diary could not accommodate a meeting with his younger son, who was attending an event less than two miles from Buckingham Palace. To later discover, however, that his father could find time to catch up with one of the world’s most famous footballers will surely add to his dismay.
Charles’s thrown-together, last-minute busywork: Although royal diaries are often planned months in advance there could have been another discrepancy in his father’s schedule that caught Harry’s eye. When the King made his first military-related appearance at an army barracks in Hampshire on Thursday, Charles described it as a “surprise”. However, a lieutenant colonel let slip that the visit had been planned a week in advance.
The palace is still mad about Harry’s statement: Nevertheless, some have taken umbrage at Harry’s ill-timed statement. A friend of the King said: “The Palace has been left bruised by the suggestion that it was a snub [to Harry] but remain determined not to get drawn into briefing wars.”
The courtiers are very hurt that Harry didn’t go through their web to meet the king: The friend added that reports that Harry had invited his father to the cathedral for a service to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, or suggestions that the duke had requested a meeting with his father at any other point during his UK visit “should be treated with a good deal of suspicion”. The allegation, inferred by some from the duke’s statement, is thought to be particularly hurtful as courtiers were unaware that Harry had made a specific request to meet his father.
The brilliance of Harry’s spokesperson making the statement about not meeting the king is that Harry effectively disrupted the planned-out palace narrative, and we saw them react with shock in real time. They were hoping to play the “Charles SNUBS Harry for reasons” card all week, but with Harry releasing the information himself and being so gracious about it, the palace couldn’t admit that they fumbled the entire issue. You can see that they’re still trying to get under Harry’s skin by leaking this Beckham meeting too – the palace confirmed the meeting to the Times, the Telegraph and the Mail, but OF COURSE the palace isn’t engaged in briefing wars! Probably because it’s not a war. Harry released one statement on Tuesday, on the record, and the palace comms literally wouldn’t shut up about it all f–king week. That’s not a briefing war, that’s a completely one-sided tantrum by a 75-year-old man who wanted to control the narrative.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- King Charles III speaks to guests attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 8, 2024.,Image: 871229475, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt / Avalon
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- King Charles III speaks to guests attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 8, 2024.,Image: 871229485, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt / Avalon
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla walk down the steps to meet guests attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 8, 2024.,Image: 871229500, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt / Avalon
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- King Charles during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 8, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 871229804, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt / Avalon
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- King Charles III speaks to guests attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 8, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 871230102, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt / Avalon
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- King Charles III speaks to guests attending a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London. Picture date: Wednesday May 8, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Garden.,Image: 871230151, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt / Avalon
Happy National Tampon Day, Chuckles and Camzilla!
Lololol!! Yes we should start celebrating National Tampon Day, maybe on the date of their wedding?
Charles finally got his Tampax wish. he looks like a bloody fool.
🤣
Dammit. I laughed so hard that I have to go change. (Happy Mother’s Day. Sigh.)
No picture of David with Charles makes me think that this didn’t happen. They just called David to let him know that they would be using him in this story and he most likely agreed. Or heard about it after the fact and wants that knighthood so much he won’t say anything.
Although Charles did get rid of his attractive guard because he didn’t like sharing the stage. Maybe he wouldn’t have been wanted a photo. Although I’m sure it could have been arranged to be the back of David’s head while he spoke with Charles.
Hilarious of Chucklef-ck to declare he’s not interested in “briefing wars” when all he’s done since the 80s is start and add fuel to his own briefing wars…
The world has eyes, and the people of the world aren’t stupid.
I hope the courtiers have good chiropractors on speed dial because the pretzels they turn themselves into, planting all these stories indicative of the palaces’ collective overweening hatred of the King’s younger son is gonna cause these execrable minions some damage.
Um, wasn’t Prince Harry busy on Friday, in Nigeria?? Why would he care about David Beckham, lol!
Dear “friends” of Chucklef*ck,
While you’re refusing to brief on this, we also see that you’ve been persistently refusing to brief on Andrew, the credibly accused sexual predator, and Kate Miscavige-ton.
Where is she? What’s really going on with her? And when is he going to have that little chat the US Dept of Justice has been waiting for?
Wouldn’t want you to forget. We haven’t.
Sincerely,
Literally Everyone
This past week shows just how truly disturbed Charles, and his leather skinned side piece, are. They are in over third thick little heads and it’s pure joy to watch. They are going to do their best to get rid of Harry and Meghan but they are up against some pretty strong opposition, people a lot smarter than they are. Love the new PR man the Sussexes have hired. That was a genius move having harry institute the very polite, very subtle “refusal.”
Let’s hope William’s arrogance gets him to try and fly the helicopter standing by tomorrow. I’m sure he doesn’t know what to do with it. A little accident, maybe. Hmmm????
I just love that whatever the Palace had planned for this week (remember the Palace was briefing last week that the meeting was going to happen) just blow up and backfired on them when Harry issued that statement.
It makes me wonder if BP was stringing Harry along about the meeting until the last minute – like “maybe, let’s see, he’s so busy, we’ll get back to you, blah, blah” and Harry took matters into his own hands and made the decision for them.
This feels like a good guess.
It does feel like a good guess, and it’s par for the course for the palaces’ strategic kindergarten recess mentality.
I hope that’s what happened! That would be great.
Courtiers treated what harry said with suspicion yet they were hurt they did not go through their web
Brings up image of going through a spiderweb. Appropriate terminology.
Harry shouldn’t have to go through third parties to speak to his dad.
Absolutely. Does anyone anywhere other than in the BRF have to call their parent’s or grandparent’s offices to make an appointment to see them???
Any, for those wondering why H&M did not take their kids to Nigeria, this was a business trip, not a personal vacation, and you do not take your kids with you on such trips, besides the fact that they are too small to know what is going on. I am sure they will take their children to many places in Africa when they are older.
It was a “huge” mistake briefing the papers that KCIII could make time for Beckham but not his own son. Even some of KCIII’s most ardent supporters side-eyed the revelation, while others were saying David will do practically anything to get a knighthood. KCIII was quite rightly dragged all across Twitter for prioritising Beckham over Harry so, it will be interesting to see which “source” will have to send out a “counter-brief” on the Beckham story. Meanwhile over in Nigeria………………..
Yeah, I am not seeing how this is a good look for Charles? It looks sloppy and thrown together, which of course it was. Plus, Charles’ comms team couldn’t even get a photo of the two of them “discussing policy”, which would at least give the papers ( and social media) something interesting to counter program this week? It’s just amateurish.
I also don’t think it’s great for Beckham and his image to be so clearly at the royal’s beck and call. So bad marks all around for this embarrassing attempt to make Harry jealous, I guess. It’s pathetic.
Beckham wants a knighthood so bad he will do whatever Charles wants.
Beckham would crawl on broken glass through a field of barbed wire to get a “K”. It’s clear he’s taken sides with the Windsors. Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan couldn’t give a toss as Nigeria falls in love with them.
Honestly, I would want something like a knighthood on my own merits, otherwise, it’s just a joke.
Yes it is a mistake to brief the press about meeting Beckham and not his own son because this really looks bad. Chuckles never looks at the big picture with these briefings that show the world what a jealous and weak putz that he truly is and will continue be.
King Chuckle Putz. Really, all the leftovers’ brains combined could fit into Meghan’s right temporal lobe. It’s very entertaining.
@Agnes. 😂😂😂King Chuckle Putz. Yes he is.
If David is given a knighthood and called “Sir David” is Victoria then ” Lady”?
She’d be Lady Beckham.
“AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” *cue everyone madly running around in circles*
Charles can’t meet with Harry because Harry will leak about the meeting, they say as they leak about the meeting with Beckham. Harry’s statement is “ill-timed” – he didn’t wait for BP to slam him first. Charles’ military meeting wasn’t planned last minute – it was planned a week before, even though royal events are planned months in advance. Charles snubbed Harry but he’s hurt that Harry might think he was snubbed. The courtiers’ feelings are hurt that Harry didn’t go through them so they could brief against Harry to the press.
When the King throws a tantrum, everyone throws a tantrum.
My favorite part of all of this is that Harry hurt the courtiers’ feelings by not asking them if he could visit his own father. This is giving “The inmates are running the asylum!” vibes.
🙄🤣🤣
LOL! This is the perfect summation of where we are today.
…and the Spencer’s showing up to support Harry was the cherry on top of all this mess
Yes it was!!! LOVED IT!!!
Nigeria being right after, and interrupting what would have been weeks of garbage about the Spencers V. Windsors, is my favorite part of all of this.
“and the Spencer’s showing up to support Harry was the cherry on top of all this mess”
along with the presence of the Prime Minister’s wife and the Government minister for Veterans.
The Beckham meeting makes Charles look terribly petty and small. Everyone knows he’s a shit father but the leaked Beckham meeting underlines this point. Now they’re trying to rewrite history that Harry never requested to see his father? Literally no one believes that! Why aren’t these grey men good at their jobs? They look so bad.
If the palace bureaucrats didn’t know about it, it didn’t happen. They want us all to understand that.
They aren’t used to people actually challenging them. They’re used to fighting it out with other offices via ” sources” and ” insiders” in the papers not someone putting out a statement with their name attached. They believed their own hype about how they are the good standard of everything but when someone left and was able to plan their own events, run their own charity, and have they own comms team and do it so much better that fantasy was turned on it’s head. That’s why the courtiers were “hurt” ( GMAFB) that Harry didn’t loop them in. Makes them look even more useless and incompetent than usual. They always think they are playing eighth dimensional chess and stupid Harry is playing Connect Four. Serves them right to be humiliated.
It’s all of this.
This Beckham thing was such a self own. The man who sold out his young children for his side piece, ladies and gentlemen!
The courtiers wanted Cluck and Cloppy to be able to ride on Harry & Meghan’s Invictus coattails while still attempting to publicly snub and humiliate the couple.
I mean… make that make sense, y’all. They want the stardust but not the stars!
Then they make busywork for themselves thinking “well we’ll make our own stardust!”
Nah, Cluck. That’s just DUST. And the rota is salty because Meghan paid them dust instead of giving them her stardust too. So salty the Fail chased her all the way to Nigeria, and they got dry slapped! Saw a report from some writer, Ian something (Gallagher maybe?) whining and having a strop about the amount of security they were getting, and he actually got warned by Nigerian military because he looked like he was counting cars and they took him for a terrorist threat.
I mean, it’s not really a lie – the UK press have been wishing for Meghan to come to a foul end for 7 years and doing their most to make that happen. They are a terrorist threat to the couple. They’re guilty of incitement every day they publish hate articles against them.
Nigeria stepped up and said “Not today, Satan”. Love that.
So harry could not ask Charles directly then
It’s clear the Spencer’s showing up to the service bothered Charles. He looks like an awful father that doesn’t care about veterans (unless it’s to reward himself and Will with ridiculous honors)
All of this ridiculous briefing is showing what an awful man and king this guy is.
Charles having every single “working” royal (outside of the disappearing ones) attend that garden party was supposed to create a narrative about Harry being all alone, and the Spencers blew that up in front of the international media. Diana’s family supporting Harry while his dad and his dad’s concubine ignored him was something. It was amazing how things shifted after those photos appeared, and Charles is smart enough to realize that, and his tantrum has been something to see.
This is exactly what’s causing the Palace panic. Harry wasn’t alone or isolated—Diana’s family came out for him and the public clearly gave him a warm welcome. The contrast was striking and Chuck came out looking extra terrible. The Palace suits are so out of touch. Should have had H meet him for 30 mins and send Anne or someone to the service.
Don’t forget, we have a whole ceremony on Tuesday (?) for Chuck to give William an unearned rank he gave him months ago and is only now being “celebrated”. I want the cameras tight on the clenched jaws. You just know Charles and William will feel the need to hug each other to “prove” that they are very close and very much not a family that is icier than the poles, so that’s going to be funny!
He looks worthless and petty in every way possible because he IS worthless and petty. It’s enjoyable to see the Pen Tantrum take over his entire personality.
Omg- yes. This whole briefing spree is definitely giving “pen tantrum” energy!
The Spencer’s showing up also confirms that Harry did invite both sides of his family to attend the service but only Diana’s side attended.
This is a bad look for Charles, but William isn’t much better. He could have attended. It’s not like William listens to Charles at this point anyway.
William doesn’t look better but at least he strait up says he wants nothing to do with his brother. Unlike Charles who likes to brief otherwise. That he misses Harry and his grandchildren when his actions show none of that.
Exactly, @Jais. One thing Charles did this week was to accomplish the Sisyphean task of making William look like the honest one in comparison. I can’t stop laughing.
LMAO, Gabby! Word.
They missed the moment. The international press covered Harry’s return and his statement. The whole world knows that Charles told Harry his schedule was too full to see him, despite being 2 miles apart. Everything that’s happening now is cleanup for the home audience in the UK. The international press has left and they’re not going to go back and cover all of Charles’ leaking prevarications. Some unnamed courtiers saying something about something. Please. All eyes are currently on Nigeria. But people will remember Harry’s classy statement and the fact that Charles failed to meet the moment as a father and as a king.
I love this. It’s like Harry took all the oxygen with him to Nigeria.
exactly!
“It’s like Harry took all the oxygen with him to Nigeria.”
Which is exactly what Charles was terrified would happen. So the smart move would’ve been to get a bit of reflected shine while Harry was in the UK by showing appreciation for the work of the IGF and the sacrifice and hardships of the country’s servicemen and veterans. When it comes to the choice between “beating them or joining them”, Charles can’t get past the idea he deserves all the accolades and attention because of who he is – so keeps trying to “beat” them – when the rest of the world sees more and more that Harry deserves attention and respect because of what he does.
There’s one more item on Charles’ upcoming agenda however that should reclaim international attention. Sometime this week (tomorrow?) we’ll see Charles and Will, together again!, as Charles passes his position as head of Harry’s old regiment to Will. That Will would take Charles’ place was reported last year, but the actual ceremony was just coincidentally announced when Harry landed in the UK and scheduled right after H&M’s visit to Nigeria ends, and clearly intended as yet another “lesson” to Harry. I wanna see Will decked out in uniform and full buttons, braids, and medals (maybe he’ll get something new). We also heard he’s going to pose with an Apache helicopter. I don’t think this will go over the way they anticipate. Can’t wait.
@windyriver – will it attract international attention, or just the usual suspects? It’s all so pointless. How does another medal and posing in front of a helicopter help anybody or add any value? It doesn’t even add value to themselves and it certainly doesn’t depict a “life of service.”
@Eurydice – It’ll be covered the same way Charles making time for Beckham when he didn’t for Harry is being covered and echoed internationally. It’s ideal for press notice. Charles is so proud of pointing out he’s the one with the power to see his son or not, he’s oblivious to the fact he looks like a sh!t father by refusing to meet with the son he seldom sees, yet who still jumped on a plane at the first hint of his father’s illness.
Same thing with the upcoming event. A press ready story line, Will taking over Harry’s old regiment. Generally, you’re right, handover of a patronage title would be of minor significance. Here though, it’s clear the ceremony was scheduled hoping to embarrass Harry and cause him pain. And, it’s the second event in a week where KC is countering for not attending the IG service or sending a message, by appearing himself with military personnel, as if the two things are comparable. You’re right – making a hastily scheduled visit to a military barracks, or pinning another medal on his lazy son has nothing to do with “service”. The rest of the world is starting to catch on. The ones too stupid to see how mean spirited, petty, and offensive these moves are, are Charles & Co..
@windyriver I’m laughing so hard right now. Workshy Huevo? Posing next to an Apache helicopter he doesn’t even qualify to fly? LMGDMFAO. It’s _raining_ bad optics at the palaces, WOW.
The single fact that Cluck’s brain refuses to retain: other people aren’t insecure and petty like him. His son Harry is not insecure and petty like him.
Cluck, through this farce he’s planned out with Huevo, is trying to inflict pain with the handover ceremony of Harry’s old regiment. He’s literally trying to create a narcissistic injury for Harry.
But that’s now how this works, Cluck! Because Hazza, unlike Cluck and Huevo, isn’t a raging malignant narcissist with poor impulse control and the emotional range of a coke spoon! But Cluck IS. and Huevo IS. and THAT is why they continue to make fools of themselves on an international stage with these stunts.
The King and his heir are deeply unwell, very unstable, and not grounded in what anyone else would be pleased to call reality. They’re sick. Extremely sick.
I feel a little sorry for them, because burning themselves up with hate from both ends like that looks like a completely miserable life.
Shame on their courtiers and handlers for not getting them the care they require.
Exactly. All this backtracking and over-explaining Charles is doing is falling on deaf ears outside of the UK.
Yes, over-explaining and over-complaining.
Posing with an Apache helicopter? Are you serious? The type his brother actually learned how to fly (and did so in combat), but Bill is going to pose for a picture next to one? SMH. You can practically smell the desperation coming off these two.
@windyriver – It would be hilarious if one or more “private” engagements that Harry and Meghan have scheduled for Monday became public while those two were out trying to get back at Harry and trying to gain international attention.
Plan on it.
I would guess that Charles received the same type of invitation that the Spencers received – perhaps a call or text from Harry inviting them. These courtiers can’t fathom that Harry might just actually call or text his father, just like they couldn’t fathom that the Queen talked to Harry and they didn’t know about it. I also don’t get how Harry’s statement was so awful. It was gracious, short, and factual. “It’s a short trip. I know he’s busy. No biggie. And now, my wife and I are going to Nigeria to show these old fools what a real royal tour could look like. “
It’s interesting right? Bc the statement is simple and Harry’s spokesperson answered the BM’s questions. Shouldn’t be a big deal. And yet they’re acting like that statement was a grenade drop. It’s their reaction to a simple statement that is what’s telling. People who work in the shadows don’t like getting exposed by the light. The cockroaches are scurrying and covering back up with vague details that are neither here nor there. Who cares if the courtiers knew or not. Doesn’t change the basics.
@Jais, exactly. I feel like they’re still stuck in the same old mindset and believe that Harry should have “run the statement by them” first (lol), and they’re also mad that they didn’t release a sensible one themselves before he could. Harry threw a real wrench into their tired “Snubbed!” narrative.
This is all so stupid and cruel and unnecessary. We read last week that KFC is already thinking about what his legacy will be? Welp, it will be 1) DIANA, everything Diana, and 2) the horrific way he treated his younger son and DIL, basically helping to run them out of the country, then continuing to mistreat them in every possible way even after they were gone, by evicting them from their one UK residence and refusing to provide them with security. His own SON. Refusing his own son the security he needs in order to stay safe in that country. Not to mention his clear lack of interest in his biracial grandchildren.
His other “accomplishments” such as the Prince’s Trust might be minor footnotes, but those two relationships are what he’ll be known for and remembered by.
Let’s say for argument’s sake that he didn’t have a chance to change the Diana situation— but if he’d read the room years ago, he absolutely could have changed his entire approach with the Sussexes, and instead of this bullsh!t, maybe we’d be hearing about how excited he was to FaceTime with A+L next month on Father’s Day, or how they love running around Balmoral when they visit him every August. If Charles had played this whole thing differently, instead of the entire world knowing that he’s never even MET his younger son’s children, we might be seeing photos of him with them on BP’s own SM accounts. (And to think that a lot of this played out the way it has because he’s weakAF and cares more about doing what Camilla wants than anything else is sickening.)
However, Charles continues to think that publicly sh!tting on Harry is the winning strategy, so here we are.
@Lorelei – I think any strategies come from the courtiers and publicly sh!tting on Harry is just business as usual for Charles. That’s why everything that comes out of BP seems so chaotic and schizophrenic. The PR people are trying to paint Charles as Britain’s grandad, but he’s not that and he doesn’t want to be that. All he wants is to live the rest of his life as King, with all the ease, comfort, wealth and ass-kissing that entails, without anyone demanding anything more of him than he’s done in the past. Harry disturbs Charles’ comfort and I think he always has.
And I think all the talk of Charles worrying about his legacy is baloney. He’s not going to be around long enough to have a legacy. Even Elizabeth – what was her legacy? She was Queen for 75 years, made a lot of problematic decisions, was a rotten mother and that’s about it.
I think one way to interpret this is that H’s spokesperson’s polite, neutral, yet firm statement – free of any ire or saltiness – constituted a narcissistic injury for Charles and therefore was taken up as such by the enmeshed courtiers at the palaces, who then ran and tittle-tattled to the press like they always do.
For a court that claims they hate mess, they sure self-generate a lot of it.
@SarahLee:
Exactly! Harry said it himself: he wants to be part of a family, not an institution. When you invite family to something, you don’t jump through all the flaming hoops of the official-channels obstacle course. You use simple, direct person-to-person communication.
Evidently Charles can’t respond to that. He can’t deal with Harry on “family” footing – or, at least, the courtiers want to try to force Harry to go the institutional route. I love that Harry moped right out of that and just issued his own statement.
*noped right out of that 🤦♀️
It was “so awful” because it was direct, open, and truthful — and that totally flies in the face of the way that Charles himself acts and understands the world, and how he and his minions expect others to act. Charles genuinely doesn’t know how to cope with anything other than obsequiousness.
#GoodKingHarry
It’s always simply about control – Harry had the audacity to put out a statement directly which laid out the facts simply, clearly and generously.
Charles and his lot are working from a very old playbook, where they control the narrative via well-placed leaks, briefings and stories with the cooperation of the British media. They were planning on weeks of stories that held out a paternal visit as a proverbial carrot, all while beating up on Harry with the proverbial stick. And Harry basically took their toys away and then neatly cut the courtiers’ legs out from under them. Of course they are furious!
It’s been pretty clear for a while that Harry has their number. He knows (and I think pities) his father and his weaknesses, and knows exactly what the courtiers and the media will and won’t do. Knows that Charles is as incapable of letting Harry’s statement be the last word as he is of comforting a preteen Harry about the death of his mother.
Ironically, Harry’s teenage years where he was a media scapegoat gave him the exact knowledge of the firm’s weak points and how to maneuver around them.
Beckhams thirst for a Knhighthood is nauseating, will they give him one already.
Honestly, I’ve wondered if it’s being drawn out deliberately. Charles and his people love the groveling. In Charles’s mind, Beckham’s public thirst might be his reward for Harry’s indifference to the trappings and outmoded fripperies of Charles’s version of royalty. Harry wants a father. Beckham wants the fripperies — and what he hopes they mean. Charles and his minions might not get that the actual valor of a life well-lived matters far more than the shiny medals of acknowledgment handed out by weak and inadequate supposed “rulers”.
It’s sad. It’s also twisted. This emperor really has no clothes — and doesn’t quite yet get that millions of people can see that.
Honestly, they should be making him a life peer to make up for it. What is the story behind this? What did he do to not deserve it?
First time Becks “campaigned” for it and didn’t get it, he sent off an explosive email denigrating the system, swearing up a storm. Apparently that didn’t sit well with the “powers that be” that determine the titles/medals.
He’s so obviously desperate, I think they have fun making him dance for it.
I think that Victoria is desperate too. His “Sir” would make her a “Lady” after all.
@S808, agreed. They enjoy stringing him along and the attention these stories get. Plus Beckham is one of the few celebrities still willing to be associated with this family. (How many huge stars turned down the offer to perform at the coronation? Lmao)
Ive started to see Charles as a potential outcome of what happens when a child is neglected of parental love and has nanny after nanny removed from his life at the whim of his parents, on top of being sent to miserable boarding schools and mistreated or neglected in who knows which way. I read Charles Spencers’ book recently, and winder now about Charles experiences. I saw a comment yday by someone who saw a pic of charles favorite nanny and that she looked just like camilla. I found a pic and she does! Then combine this with unimaginable wealth and no way to love himself. Profoundly emotionally damaged. I appreciate even more Harrys compassion for his father. Not excusing anything charles is doing, but the impact of how he was raised is just leaping out at us this week, through these headlines. Elizabeth and Philip really take the cake here.
Charles was 32 and proposed to a 19 year old knowing he did not love her and he made her life miserable. Charles parents are not responsible for this and the way he treats harry Meghan and family. This is all on Charles. None of the other children of philip and Elizabeth complained. Charles never takes responsibility for his bad actions.
Let’s remember that Phillip & Elizabeth also “raised” a pedophile who throws hissy fits if his teddy bear collection isn’t placed just so, and a third son also known for behaving elitist and completely out of touch with every day people for many decades. I don’t get the sense that Anne is especially warm & fuzzy, either. Bad parents, bad nannies, bad grandparents, bad behavior…throw in generations of racism, slavery, etc. Why are people still paying for these people? They’re awful.
Charles takes the cake
He blames others for his own bad behavior.
I have compassion for him as a kid, but there’s also a point where as an adult he chose to inflict his damage onto his own kids instead of getting help.
Charles wrote his own book complaining about his parents, and yet he has been an even worse parent.
There’s also nature v nurture, and with Charles like with William, there’s a temperament issue on top of cold parenting.
I agree, I am trying to have compassion for Charles the child to understand how he could act the way he does. Its very sad that quite literally everyone around him depends on hime for money or position. There is no one who could (or left at this point who would) say “what youre doing is horrific. This is your son. You need to have a self reckoning here.” Its sad.
@Jes, agree. There’s no one who can help Charles have a come to Jesus moment, because everyone, including his wife, have more to gain by manipulating him by appeasing his fragile ego.
I also think there’s a really dark side to Charles that as an adult he gave in to until Diana was hounded to her death.
Hurt people hurt people, as they say.
A whole generation of boomers were raised this way. Even without nannies it’s not like their parents were involved in their kids lives the same way most boomer parents and later generations do with their own kids. It’s why the other extreme of helicopter parenting happened, because their own parents neglected them emotionally, especially in large family settings.
Charles is a mess because the entire system is toxic and dysfunctional. Some manage to get out of it and be ok, but many don’t. And while the media pretends this isn’t a generational issue, it most certainly is and it will continue.
Ok, me piping up again when I see yet another generation generalization. This boomer was not neglected by her parents. Non-helicoptering does not equal uninvolved. That very peculiar English aristocracy/royal way of family life–have the kids then pass them off to nannies & boarding schools–is very singular for that country & that class system.
The nanny system is something the English aristos do and it is repeated by Kate and William. So the people assuming that the current generation has the same level of parenting as what kids get now are being misled. The cycle will continue with them.
As for boomers especially the early ones like Charles, their parents were raised in the depression era and likely served in the war. Providing food and housing was their focus. Talking about feelings was not something commonly done as tends to happen in modern parenting. A whole movement was set up in child development in the 1960s and 1970s exactly because boomer kids weren’t getting that type of parenting. It is not a generalization but actual fact that parenting styles drastically changed. Boomer kids didn’t tell their parents they were gay. They were expected to work in the family business etc. mental health issues were never openly discussed. Etc.
Are there a few exceptions that maybe a few depression era parents spoke about feelings and emotions and discussed it with their kids, sure, but it’s not what society accepted and that’s not just isolated to the especially weird and cold way the BRF raise their kids.
Nic919, I’m a boomer and my parents didn’t neglect their five children. We were born very close together so my parents tended to be strict. They always knew where we were and who we were with. They were involved enough at the school that if there were issues the principal called to let them know. Guess what? We were ALWAYS held accountable for our actions. As teenagers, we always had dinner together because that was the one time that we were all together usually. We had lot of fun at dinner.
I don’t think it helps when people put everyone together and label them. The friends I had also had parents who were very involved.
As far as being gay and being public about it–true. I think you underestimate the war protests and civil rights movement. LOTS of emotions there and they weren’t afraid to let everyone know about it. Therapy was not a thing back then and took decades to become acceptable.
@Nic919 – It doesn’t seem that talking about emotions and feelings is making the current generation any happier.
Just because Charles was born in a particular year doesn’t make him a boomer. The institutional rules and expectations under which he was born and raised are over 1,000 years old – he’s practically medieval.
@Jes
The Queen Mother also has a lot to answer for as she treated Charles like a god, while excluding his siblings, just because of his future position. How nauseating…
Charles is such a f-ing looser.
Dogsh*t father of the year! I mean, he proves the point over and over again!
No matter what tale the courtiers, the BM and Charles himself feed the people after the “snubbing”, the fact remains that everyone in the whole world saw what kind of father Charles is…. OK, he didn’t show at the service because of “busy schedule ” 🙄…Couldn’t he just issue a message of support and acknowledgement for Invictus as he’s the commander of the army? (I don’t know the exact terms..). Shouldn’t he? Are people in the army satisfied with the pettiness of their commander? He obviously didn’t want to acknowledge his son achievement because he’s terrible jealous but shouldn’t he think of his position? What kind of consultants does he have?
What kind of consultant, one who says “yes sire”
The BRF reactionary briefings are so self sabotaging it is amazing to me that they haven’t realized that after 4+ years now. Harry and Meghan are just 🪄 magic and this trip has highlighted just how fun they are to watch and follow✨💖.
I loved Kate repeating never complain, never explain mantra serving QE2 well and then we don’t do briefing wars, when the whole article is briefing and NO it is NOT serving KC3 well! He had all that sympathy and support recently and he throws it all away by snubbing and briefing against his own son. All this retro carping isnt making him look any better especially prioritizing Beckham over Harry. KC and PoW intention to isolate Harry was publicly blown up by the Spencers. Not everybody is a DM reader and I suspect they have underestimated people’s affection for Harry and our recollections of how badly Charles treated Diana.
Kate complained and had a whole article about her rewritten and the article had already been published
This is my problem with the monarchy. The short sightedness and how reactionary they are. As Harry said they don’t care about how it feels just how it looks, I truly believe they’re handling the Sussexes based on online reactions, didn’t Charles use AI tech to see how he was perceived online? They would have been fine to go with the “Harry snubbed” narrative but even the haters had a problem with it and the spencers showing up to invictus plus the Nigerian trip changed the narrative completely.
My advice to Charles is to approach this from the angle of a father not a king, you are 75 years old and you shouldn’t care about what the polls say or what your courtiers are saying, that’s literally the point of being king. Don’t spend your remaining days being seen as petulant and wicked towards your second son and his wife and your grandchildren ( they’re the only ones who genuinely care about you AFAIK)
If they only care about how things look, then how can they not see that things are looking terrible?
Charles is such a loser. He absolutely f’d up and it was underscored by the presence of the Spencers. I know all the pens in the palace were fearing for their lives that day. All this extra bs now is an attempt to clean up his original attempt to snub and his own son and veterans but like another poster pointed out, the moment has passed. No one in that palace thinks long-term and it’s going to continue to bite Charles in the ass. He looks like a neglectful King, and a dogshit parent especially in comparison to Diana (via her siblings.
I would not be surprised if the next briefing is that he granted or asked to meet H and H actually denied him.
Already happened – Roya Nikkah is claiming that Harry asked for royal accommodation and “the king granted his request” but “Harry changed his mind and stayed at a hotel” and how courtiers believe it would have been easier to arrange a meeting if H had stayed somewhere royal. They are actually trying to reverse victim and offender in real time, to paint H as the one who did the snubbing, despite all the headlines about Charles doing the snubbing and how well deserved it was (until the one-two-three punches of Harry’s “never mind” announcement, the Nigeria visit announcement and the Spencer family’s attendance at the IG service).
That lying woman must be trying very hard to get yet ANOTHER legal letter from Harry’s lawyers. They would have been bleating from the rooftops about his audacity to “once again” request and expect to stay in royal accommodation if this had been the case.
It also highlights the fact that they have no idea whatsoever where Harry stayed the last two times he visited the UK, because otherwise, they would have named the “hotel”. Love that for them.
Gosh, maybe if Charles hadn’t ripped away the home QEII gave Harry, this wouldn’t have been an issue.
H asked why Charles would take it away, if he wanted to see his grandkids.
Now we all know Charles didn’t want to see his own grandchildren or his own son. he keeps “punishing” Harry by withdrawing love, home, security, money. super great look for head of the C of E.
Maybe he stays with one of his Spencer relatives. They certainly wouldn’t leak where he was.
Roya is such a piece of work. Obviously they’re all terrible, but she’s just…I don’t even know. She’s vile.
Cleanup on aisle 5, ha! These people are so pathetic in their sycophantic bleating. They are grasping at so many straws trying to make the royals not look like the emotionally stunted asshats that they are they don’t even have a storyline they can keep straight. No matter which way you look at it, the royals look terrible. Take Harry out of the picture, Charles and William as current and future Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces “snubbed”injured veterans who have made sacrifices in their service to their countries. They could have at the very least put out a statement supporting and congratulating the veterans on their achievements. This boils my blood. Charles and William are not fit for leadership. They are both petty, little men.
Courtiers really are a bane to the whole Firm. They really seem to be less advising and actually ruling themselves. Or they like to think so. That was a real revelation for me reading Spare. How openly defiant and obstructive they were to Harry, a Prince! For Harry to circumvent them must enrage them. Good. The whole establishment is so toxic.
they believe they are protecting the firm, but like all hanger ons they’ve become so controlling in an effort to prove their worth that they are the problem now.
It’s like the people around Britney who were feeding off of using her. They start to micromanage who the talent/principal can see and speak to and what they are told.
Charles is weak, petty, jealous and cruel. He’s easily manipulated by Camilla and the courtiers and this is the result.
When you brief that you won’t be drawn into a briefing war then you’re clearly losing said briefing war.
Also all this endless clean up briefing just establishes how much they do brief against Harry. The irony of the above article by Kate Mansby was her quoting them saying we are NOT getting into a briefing war when that entire article was just the latest onslaught of further BS about harry. Instead of royal sources or senior courtier which Harry called out, they now used the term ” friends of KC” or It is understood.
Yet after ALL of this … they have NO idea just how stupid, petty and childish they look. A man in his 70s. Losers. Abolish the monarchy, because look what’s coming. As if Chuck and Old Leatherguts aren’t bad enough.
I just love that Harry has managed to anticipate & stymie every move BP makes. The Sussexes clearly hired a posse of acutely skilled advisors & a great comms team as well.
I knew things would just go from bad to worse when I read that Harry’s statement was “juvenile”. Good grief. That was their first mistake. Do any of these people realize that there are people all over the world who can read? The ‘other priorities’ that Harry stated could have been about KFC’s cancer–who knows? Certainly, KFC could have issued a statement about being disappointed, but he was dealing with an energy level which is lower and he needs to be doing his engagements for the people. How simple would that have been?
Whine more. Get some cheese.
And now rota like Robert Jobson are lying saying that Harry was never invited to see Charles a couple of months back. I don’t believe that at all.
Charles is a pathetic, evil man. How can this man literally have a cancer diagnosis and not re-evaluate his relationship or just an ounce of grace for his son. It’s unbelievable. I’m so glad the Spencers showed up for Harry. That was truly the icing on the cake.
Charles looks like a fool in front of the whole world.
David Beckham getting caught up in this drama just because he’s desperate for a knighthood is frankly hilarious. I’m sure they asked him to be Charles’ excuse and he was fine with it thinking that he would get something in return.