Bond: Duchess Meghan ‘is by all accounts a bit of a diva’ with ‘her own thoughts’

The desperate rewrite continues, five years later. None of the royalists can bring themselves to admit some simple truths: Prince Harry and Meghan faced a torrent of abuse by the media and the palace; the palace could have stepped in to help them but didn’t; the Sussexes had every right to walk away from the catastrophe and make a new life for themselves; and finally, Meghan never wants to come back to her biggest abusers. The rewrite is that Meghan won’t come back to the UK “because she isn’t popular” and that Meghan up and decided that she didn’t want to do royal work because she’s such a diva. I’m sure there are many people over there that believe all of this.

Meghan Markle is a diva and didn’t like her wings being clipped, experts have blasted. Speaking at our first ever Royal Exclusive Live show, Arthur Edwards and Jennie Bond said Meghan couldn’t hack royal life like Kate.

Jennie said: “Meghan could have been such a credit – she is in independent, forthright woman. With her own career, her own thoughts, her own charities and causes. She could have been exactly what a modern monarchy needs. I think the monarchy didn’t act as carefully as they should have done. But Meghan is by all accounts a bit of a diva. She didn’t like what she saw and she didn’t like her wings being clipped.” Jennie added: “I think it’s a very sad combination of misjudgements really.”

Veteran royal correspondent Jennie said: “Meghan is not popular. She doesn’t want to come back and they are going their own ways, to some extent”.

The pair spoke on our first Royal Exclusive Live show, which you can watch in the player above and on our YouTube channel. The event was hosted on Friday in front of a live audience of more than 100 special guests.

Mr Edwards said: “I don’t think Meghan can come here much. I don’t think people think too much of her. I think she’s struggling in popularity in the UK and I think they seem to be doing things separately now. She’s got her programme and he’s got his. He comes into Britain now with no fuss. He’s come for the Invictus Games, in and out with no fuss, he came for his uncle’s funeral, no fuss.”

Jennie added: “The point is he doesn’t want to come back into the Royal Family, I think. He regarded it as a trap. He still thinks his father and his brother are trapped and he’s finding his own way. All credit to him. I think Meghan has her own independent style and way of life. Yes, it’s not in tune with the people in the UK. She’s not popular and I don’t think she wants to come back. Therefore they are going their own ways, to an extent. But I hope and believe that Harry is very happy in his life.”

[From The Sun]

The absolute begrudging admissions of “Harry is very happy in his life” and “the monarchy didn’t act as carefully as they should have done.” You don’t say! They’re so miserable that they can’t find a way to separate Harry and Meghan, to force them to divorce, to bring them both to heel in some way. And it’s just so bizarre that… this is still the conversation after five years. Minus a couple of layovers at Heathrow, Meghan has not stepped foot in the UK since QEII’s funeral. Even if she was a diva (she wasn’t), why does it matter at this point? She’s been gone from the UK twice as long as she lived there.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

65 Responses to “Bond: Duchess Meghan ‘is by all accounts a bit of a diva’ with ‘her own thoughts’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Agnes says:

    Yeah, she has her own thoughts! They probably run along the lines of “I’m not putting up with this psychologically violent abuse, so stuff it, BRF.” “Experts have blasted” any hope of her ever returning to their moldering isle.

    • Jais says:

      Right? Her thoughts are probably like, yikes these people are some real gaslighting assholes.

    • So having her own thoughts makes her a diva? Cant doesn’t have an original thought in her head what does that make her? I think that makes her a lazy copying idiot. Biracial women are not allowed to have there own thoughts well isn’t that just racist misogynistic bullcrap.

    • StarWonderful says:

      How can a person be half of themselves and still achieve the level of accomplishment and success that Meghan has? Case in point: Kate is half of what a modern woman should be today and has few, if any meaningful successes or accomplishments to speak of, other than marrying a Prince (a British value) — but she married William, so….

  2. Dee(2) says:

    By all accounts she’s a diva, except for all the on the record accounts from people saying she absolutely isn’t. I see they’re still on their popularity kick because they just can’t accept the fact that someone doesn’t care what they think of them. The ridiculous amount of self-importance these people feel. I wonder if it ever crosses their mind how unhealthy it is that they are so hyper focused on a woman that has paid them dust for half a decade. She isn’t coming back to talk to you Jennie or take photos for you Arthur move on!

    • Eurydice says:

      That’s what’s so ridiculous about this narrative – there’s actual proof that Meghan is popular. People want to see her wherever she goes – ask Nigeria and Colombia and Germany and Canada if she’s popular.

    • sunny says:

      I hate that they are still trying to smear this woman at all times. She had a stellar reputation pre-Harry and suddenly she became a diva? It is just so racist- because whenever a WOC has opinions, especially anyone Black they tend to be coated with this brush.

      I told this story years and years ago here but I live in Toronto and I go to see the same celebrity facialist that she used to see(correction, I see others in her clinic not her). This was back in the early public dating days. One day, I was chatting with the celeb esthetician because it was a miserable winter day and the lobby was basically empty. I was reading a magazine and it had a picture of Meghan in it, that was when the paps started following her around quite closely. She noticed the picture I was looking at and I will always remember what she said next, she described her as being sweet and kind and said, “she didn’t deserve the press bullshit and she hoped she knew what she was getting into.”

      • Kingston says:

        @sunny says:
        “…….It is just so racist- because whenever a WOC has opinions, especially anyone Black they tend to be coated with this brush.”

        Youre so right, @sunny! Its the same trope used by the pathetic, twisted soul known as sarah huckabeesanders recently when she said Madame VP didnt have anything keeping her “humble.”

        I was slightly annoyed when Madame VP was asked to respond to this when she was on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast but she had a perfect clapback: “….. there are a whole lot of women out here who…….are not aspiring to be humble,”

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      Wasn’t even in UK long enough to become a citizen there, but the fish-rots-from-the-head BRF, palace courtiers and their media mouthpieces still act like their best house slave ran off with Cloppy the Concubine’s punch bowl tiaras.

      They do NOT own her.
      They never did.

      I wish the left behinds would go back to destroying each other.

  3. Miranda says:

    “Her own thoughts”? Good heavens, we can’t be having that! 🙄🙄

    • lanne says:

      they really tell on themselves, don’t they. Kate is so thoughtless that she could be replaced by a cardboard cutout and no one would even notice.

      Of the 4 married in women to the reigning line of royals, only Kate has managed to survive there. Meghan was chased out, Fergie imploded, Diana was hounded to death, and Kate survives on her appearance alone. So long as she remains silent and attractive, no one really cares what she thinks, or even if she has thoughts at all. For her sake, I hope she really is as empty headed and shallow as she appears to be. Her life would be pretty unendurable otherwise. What thinking woman would be content to exists as a mechanical doll whose value exists solely in her appearance and the existence of her pretty kids?

    • Snuffles says:

      To royalists that’s the biggest sin of all. Can’t be having any of that!

      • ABritGuest says:

        So given Meghan is so unpopular in Britain all these royal podcasts & shows should just focus on the popular royals like Anne, Sophie etc right?

        One thing I will agree is there were miscalculations.. but by the palace. Meghan was bringing a lot of appeal to the BRF including with young people & jealousy & racism caused them to mess it up. They miscalculated by thinking Meghan would be desperate to put up with the smears against her & that Harry wouldn’t leave with her. They also thought they could have totally diminished their appeal by now but they haven’t & that’s why they can’t let go. They know what they lost.

    • Tessa says:

      I think the jury is still out on Kate. The “truce” may not last. If William wants someone else Kate will be out. Diana had thought she was “safe” and there could be no divorce since she was married to the heir. And that obviously was not the case. Kate can’t last on her looks–or outfits., she has no charisma and her behavior towards Meghan is unattractive. Kate is not “shallow” when it came to the way she treated Meghan. If she were bland and shallow it would not be offensive. But Kate deliberately set out IMO to make Meghan uncomfortable.

    • Agreatreckoning says:

      LOL. Right. A grown adult woman having her own thoughts is giving people the vapors!

      “I think Meghan has her own independent style and way of life. Yes, it’s not in tune with the people in the UK.”.

      All of the people in UK, Jennie? I’m pretty sure they’re millions of people/woman in the UK that have their own independent style and way of life.

      Jennie Bond is confirming the BRF has a cult mentality and other nefarious things. Arthur Edwards is confirming he’s still salty about not being invited to H&M’s wedding.

  4. INge says:

    She was an incredible successful royal 3 great projects 2 of which directly helping the charities which it was for.

    She became too successful and loved an thats when the hating started.

    I believe she is still very popular. Yes in the UK. Sane people can see how she was treated.

    • Lady Digby says:

      Exactly @Inge I liked Meghan immediately and welcomed her as a breath of fresh air. I was appalled and revolted by her coverage by UK infamously vicious press when palace insiders were briefing against her after her marriage. I don’t believe any BS that I read about her here. Quite frankly it is seriously unhinged. A Times article complained about a toxic press campaign against Sue Gray engineered by cowardly anonymous sources. Same newspaper had article on Meghan along the lines of “it is understood” kind of unsubstantiated BS! Meghan remains popular with me and other people because we aren’t brainwashed.

  5. AlexandraS says:

    One day there will be a forensic analysis of the Harry/Meghan obsession. The Rota and the Royal Family, at this point, have lost the plot to emotions of envy and jealousy. When Harry/Meghan were FORCED (as Harry put it) to leave, the Rota said they would disappear into obscurity. The exact opposite happened. If H&M and the Rota were a domestic partnership, the Rota would be slapped with a lifetime order of protection. At this point, its nothing but utter insanity. The Palace even made Boris Johnson backtrack on how they BEGGED him to BEG Harry not to leave. On and on it goes. I hope Harry/Meghan make another joint appearance, as the Rota bell now rings “Harry/Meghan are soon to separate.” This from Matt Wilkinson, one of the most dangerously obsessed Royal Reporters (hes over at The Sun and is a vile vile person who stalked Harry to the Invictus event in Europe, sitting seats away from him).

    • Debbie says:

      All I know is that if an ex-boyfriend were displaying this kind of five-year-long obsession and stalking of a woman after she broke up with them, and they continued to follow her and post about her even after she had moved to another continent, they would be arrested — or at least put on some kind of watch list. Sweet Jumping Jesus!

    • Christine says:

      The most hilarious part of this is they are saying the highly competent Meghan couldn’t “hack royal life” like Kate. Ummm, the same Kate who has recently made it known through the British media that she has no plans to work for the next 12 years? That Kate?

      Yeah, you salty bastards clearly won. They don’t even have one toe in reality.

  6. Proud Mary says:

    The idea that Meghan wasn’t popular is really beyond laughable. If she wasn’t popular she would be Sophiesta. I recall very vividly, the frenzy surrounding Harry ad Meghan’s appearance at that garden party, which is reflected in that beautiful photo of Meghan that accompanies this post. That was their first public appearance after the wedding. I think the garden party had something to do with Charles’ birthday. There was worldwide coverage. I remember seeing that on CNN — live!! It was all about Harry and Meghan. And who can forget the Oceania tour?? You’re right, the desperate attempt at history rewriting is palpable. But if she was a diva, it must mean y’all didn’t like her. So shouldn’t you be glad she’s not there? So why can’t you stop yammering about her? Why don’t you marinate over your futures, the very popular Keens?

  7. Neeve says:

    What does a Diva even mean over there ? I think their version is a biracial woman who was too smart,disciplined and hard working. Meghan probably got a shock at the work culture and wanted to influence some serious input and tangible results. Meghan probably wondered why they were all lazy,did nothing,pretended to work and couldn’t be directed or inspired. So yeah a Diva!

    • Becks1 says:

      The line about how she “didnt like what she saw” is very telling, right? I think Meghan thought she was joining a functional charity/philanthropic organization and realized she was joining…..KP.

    • MsIam says:

      Diva = someone who won’t be a doormat for the media and royal family abuse. Someone who’s not so desperate to wear a crown that they will toss their self respect out of the window. “How dare Meghan think she’s a person with rights and feelings? The nerve! What a diva!” Bunch of assholes.

  8. Becks1 says:

    Well, thats actually a pretty damning view on Kate, isn’t it? She doesn’t have her own thoughts, shes not independent, not forthright, etc.

    And I mean, this is laughable because, no, its not “by all accounts” she was a bit of a diva. That narrative has come from one place and one place only – Kensington Palace. Everyone else she has worked with – from Suits to Smartworks – has praised her.

    There are so many moments that I think have triggered KP and the British press that its hard to pick just one, but I think a big one was when she came back in March 2020 and visited that school, where she was in the cute blazer and jeans and the student said “she really is beautiful” and the kids really bonded with her and we got the quote about how “I thought it was going to be Kate but its MEGHAN, MEGHAN is here!!!”

    By that point they had announced they were stepping back. People weren’t supposed to welcome them. and yet she was embraced and welcomed in a way we have NEVER seen Kate embraced and welcomed.

    I know the rain picture was a trigger and the royal albert hall ovation was a trigger that same weekend but I keep coming back to that school visit.

    • Jais says:

      That’s one of my favorite visits. The girl getting so excited that it was Meghan. And the thing is, despite all the BM shenanigans and despite Bond saying Meghan is not popular, she would likely still get a reception like that today if she went to a school in the uk. She is not unpopular with the majority of the youth in the uk.

      • Sid says:

        That school visit is one of my favorites too. The students were so, so happy to see her. “Representation matters” might be an overused phrase to some people, but you cannot overstate how meaningful it can be to kids and teenagers to see someone who looks like they could be their family member be in a high profile position within an institution that they are told is oh so critical to the fabric of their country. Add in Meghan’s personality and the fact that many of the causes and ideas she supports are right in line with with what that age group cares about, and their joy at having her there makes perfect sense.

      • Lady D says:

        That picture is one of my favourites too. Those girls looked thrilled to their toes when Meghan got out of the car. Same when she came on stage and the student looks at her and says, “she’s really beautiful, innit.” She wasn’t expecting that:)
        OT, she is just gorgeous in that top picture. Talk about glowing.

    • Nic919 says:

      I love how they don’t call the one who had a fit over bridesmaids dresses that weren’t at her own wedding or expects Easter presents to not be considered the diva.

  9. Mab's A'Mabbin says:

    Be a DIVA! 😁

    • Christine says:

      Right?! Kamala said it best, it’s ignorant and sexist to expect women to be humble. No one is asking men to be humble. Be a diva, ladies! Now I need to relisten to the Archetypes episode with Mariah Carey.

  10. Tessa says:

    William and Kate acted like divas. Expecting Easter presents and all that. They both made it unpleasant for Meghan and Harry.

  11. Tessa says:

    So when Jennie Bond says Meghan’s not popular it must be true. Who does Jennie think she is?

    • MsIam says:

      They keep running with this whole “not popular in the UK” like the rest of the planet doesn’t exist. Like the UK is the center of the whole universe. Talk about “diva” behavior. GMAB!

      • Jais says:

        That’s all they’ve got. If they repeat it over and over people will start to believe it. And I’m sure some do. Propaganda.

    • Maxine Branch says:

      Meghan knew her worth and was a fully functioning activist before joining Harry’s birth family. If knowing your worth counts as being a “diva,” there are plenty of us around

      • kirk says:

        DIVA – dictionary definitions:
        Oxford (UK) Languages: def. 2 = “a self-important person who is temperamental and difficult to please, usually a woman.”
        Cambridge (UK): def. 2 = “a person who is difficult to please and behaves as if they are very special or important.”
        Merriam-Webster (American): def. 2 = “a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality.”

        The problem with Pax Britannica (circa 1815-1914); aside from precious little pax for Brit subjects; is that Britain lost control of the English language. Curr pop: UK = 69M, USA = 336M.

        @MsIam – “Like the UK is the center of the whole universe. Talk about ‘diva’ behavior” — that would be strictly in keeping with UK definitions of the word, not as used in USA 🇺🇸.

  12. Melissa says:

    “Independent woman who spent years working hard to cultivate her own mind, values, and career doesn’t like having her wings clipped and being told that she can no longer soar because it makes her lazy, grifting in-laws look bad.”

    Shocking! 🙄🙄🙄

  13. Kateee says:

    I 100% believe they believe this 100%. How dare Meghan suggest the royal family was inept at or disinterested in actually helping their patronages, could do more than just show up and smile. Perhaps she bristled when she learned the sole providers of duty and service were happy simply being show ponies for media attention and had no interest in actual service. What a diva! How dare she prove her ideas and suggestions were better on a regular basis with her classy and productive appearances! The nerve! (lol)

    I love the way they are now desperately cribbing her notes on modern royalty as they fall further from cultural relevancy.

  14. Amy Bee says:

    If Meghan’s a diva why does the press keep saying she could have done so much for the monarchy? You would think they would be glad that she’s gone but it’s clear that Meghan is not how the press portrayed her and seeing what she and Harry are doing on their own reminds them of what they’ve lost.

    • Dee(2) says:

      They do the same thing with Harry. He’s an idiot with no real accomplishments to his name, is dim, and has no understanding of what needs to be done to be successful and has only had success because of his connection to the Royal family. Then in the next sentence they say how impactful he could have been in the royal family and how he was expected to be Williams wingman and support the Wales’ instead of saying thank our lucky stars of that that idiot’s not our problem anymore.

  15. Kane says:

    They ran her out yet continue to post about her weekly. I hope they admit to themselves they made a mistake. I hope they admit the Middleton’s pulled a fast one on them. The press got rid of Meghan and made Kate untouchable. Then Kate pulled her engagements back when the damage was done. Lol. Hahaha!

    The press could’ve milked Meghan regular. We know Meg likes events and projects. They could’ve wrote about her regularly.

    • Christine says:

      Daily, multiple times a day. It hasn’t abated even a tiny bit since she left 5 years ago.

  16. Jais says:

    They act like there weren’t people paying attention who witnessed what actually happened. Basically the whole world saw what happened. But they’re determined to rewrite history within the uk and paper over the fact that an american woman was bullied to the point of suicidal ideation by the RF and the press. It’s a shameful piece of their history that they are desperately trying to rewrite. Luckily, we got Oprah, Netflix and Spare.

  17. Monika says:

    In the 21st century why should anybody accept “their wings to be clipped” if they know they can do the job better? What happened with aspiration and being your best? This makes the Monarchy look archaic and outdated. And it does not bode well for the left behind Windsors that somebody has to dim their light to make the others look better.

    The toxic BM made abundantly clear that Meghan is not welcome in Britain. Why would Meghan put herself into this toxic atmosphere?

  18. SURE says:

    Lemonada Media
    https://lemonadamedia.com › the-…
    The Duality of Diva with Mariah Carey

  19. Hypocrisy says:

    The damage the BRF and the rota have done to the world wide platform and image of the Monarchy with the continued hate campaign against the Sussex’s, especially Meghan, has been astronomical. I hope they realize the longer it lasts the worse they look and the more unhinged they sound. May their popularity continue to plummet on the world stage, if the Brit’s want to keep them fine but why do the rest of us have to suffer those fools. It’s beyond time to leave Meghan and her family alone.

  20. JENNIFER says:

    The many iterations of the uppity n word. Diva. They are saying she is an uppity n word. Who is so unpopular, they talk about her, write about her than all the white royals combined.

  21. sunnyside up says:

    Meghan was popular, too popular at first, more interesting, harder working and better at the job than Kate, but that couldn’t be allowed, she couldn’t outshine the future Queen, she had to go, so they stirred up racism, just as Farage and Johnson stirred up racism to win the referendum, it worked. I used to think Jenny Bond was a reasonable person, but she is now a leading light in the war against our mixed race princess and the children.

  22. L4Frimaire says:

    There is nothing, absolutely nothing to indicate that Meghan is remotely interested in being back in the UK representing the royal family again. They talk as though she’s still there and cares about their shallow backwards opinions. Basically she wouldn’t let them completely destroy her and she is wrong and ungrateful for not letting them stomp all over her apparently. Also they hated she was a self made woman with her own thoughts. As for diva, Meghan did a whole episode of Archetypes on it. They’re bringing back old talking points. Also, yeah she’s a diva and we love it.

    • Where'sMyTiara says:

      Half these articles sound like they only want her back so they can finish their task of destroying her.

      The British media is a seriously disturbed pack of puppies.

  23. Kokiri says:

    So Meghan has her own thoughts & therefore she’s a diva.

    And that is why they love Kate. She has zero thoughts that are hers. She mimics others clothes, ideas, talking points, nothing of Kate is authentic.
    Exactly what the RF wants.

    • windyriver says:

      Kate has plenty of thoughts that are hers. Problem is, they have nothing to do with the work she should be doing as the recipient of massive taxpayer largess. It’s obvious whenever we see her, those thoughts revolve around how to make herself the center of attention. That’s authentic Kate. She mimics others’ clothes because she wants to be talked about, and to attract the same notice as say, Meghan/Diana did. Her Early Years program was the idea of a former private secretary (who departed shortly after) to give her something, anything to be known for, because Meghan was getting noticed for her work, and any ideas or talking points she might express are also likely prompted by KP handlers. She doesn’t have her own – at least where work is concerned – because she’s not interested in places she visits. She’s there for the pictures. More than once she’s fallen back on – my son/daughter is just so into [whatever organization she’s visiting]. The media is unwilling to point out why this behavior is a major problem for someone in her privileged position, so it’s easy for the RF to portray her lack of interest and involvement as her being so wonderfully aligned with them, fitting right in (Unlike you-know-who.)

  24. Over it says:

    Not Meghan or any woman of color having opinions and thoughts. Oh the absolute horror of it . Why can’t she just wear coat dresses and smile and walk behind her husband like a proper stepford wife.

    Considering Jenny Bond is supposed to be a woman with a career who job it appears is to have opinions, stupid ones it has to be stated about a woman she has never met. I can’t for the life of me understand why Meghan, another woman with a voice is not supposed to use hers . Why does every Tom , dick and Jenny get to be the voice of Meghan but not Meghan? Maybe Jenny should follow her own stupid ideas and stfu

  25. QuiteContrary says:

    So Meghan’s popularity with the Grenfell community doesn’t count, right? Same with schoolgirls of color. Those people don’t count to the likes of Jennie Bond.

    The people who count are vapid, white, upper-class people. And vapid, white, upper-class Brits didn’t like Meghan because they viewed her as acting above her station as — shudder — a biracial woman with — quelle horreur! — ideas of her own.

    Jennie Bond is smart enough to know she can’t use the word “uppity” to describe Meghan. So she uses the term “diva.” But her meaning comes through, loud and clear.

  26. Walking the Walk says:

    At this point I want to just ask them do they have no one else to talk about?

    • Lady Digby says:

      Suppose they got their wish and Meg and Harry retrained to become dentists and opened their own dental practice (special rates for fixing wonky British teeth!) does anyone believe that the BM would then have to focus on the “working royals?”

    • sueinorleans says:

      They’ve demonstrated that even when there is nothing new for them to fixate on with regard to Harry and Meghan they can always hit the wayback machine and talk about things that happened over 5 yrs ago. Surely there has to be a point where even their most rabid readers are growing to get tired of hearing same old same old?

  27. sueinorleans says:

    “Her own thoughts” – clearly the article was written by the same feel good team that brought us Project 2025. Women aren’t supposed to think, good heavens, what next?

  28. Anonymous says:

    Who exactly is supposed to come off well here? They describe Meghan as an “independent, forthright woman. With her own career, her own thoughts, her own charities and causes. . .exactly what a modern monarchy needs.” But her fatal flaw, I guess, is that she took one look at KP and “didn’t like what she saw” and objected to “her wings being clipped.”
    What exactly is so bad about that? Are there some competent professionals out there that would like their wings being clipped? This makes KP seem incompetent that they would waste an asset like Meghan, but I don’t think it makes Meghan look bad at all.

    Moreover, is the inverse true? Are we meant to infer that the reason why Kate, perfect mannequin that she is, stays at KP is because she doesn’t doesn’t have these “diva” qualities of her own voice and her own thoughts? Is she okay with getting her wings “clipped”? It’s a decidedly odd way to put it.

  29. IFoxi says:

    God I wish these “journalists” would fck the hell off. All the way.
    This headline, puke. I’ll read the rest later. SMH

  30. Anna says:

    A whole group of uk parliamentarians recognised that the news (yes papers but also the morning shows on tv) were racist towards her . At least that is on the record.

  31. JudyB says:

    Uh, maybe she is not popular because the media and the royal family have printed so many lies about her, and continues to do so? And not-so-bright people, who have no “thoughts of their own” end up believing the media.

    And the suggestions that have been made that Harry should come back and spend a couple of years just cutting ribbons and not having any thoughts himself in order to “redeem” himself with his family, who certainly have never had any independent thoughts themselves or would even recognize an independent thought!! What a bunch of dummies!!