Epic Summer Update (Part 1)
So, what did I miss?
JK. LOL, obviously I missed quite a lot, no? Sorry for the long absence. I really need a break and even though a lot of crazy stuff was going on in HarkleWorld, it seemed like a lot of other people like Berkshire to Buckingham, Talking Tarot, KUWTBD, Crowns of England and others were doing great commenting, and I felt I had little to add. Now that summer is wrapping up, however, I do have some thoughts about what happened, why, and where the brf and the Sussexes go from here.
I know it’s kind of ridiculous to try to do an update post given all the stuff that has happened, but I’m going to do one (four, actually) anyway. I’m pretty obsessive about these things, and it’s always interesting to look back and find connections and themes.
I have a good twenty pages of material, so I am going to break it down into several posts. I’ll try to organize things more or less chronologically, but my dates may be off by a couple of days. I’m sacrificing accuracy for readability. I apologize for that, but this would otherwise be incoherent. Heck, it may still be incoherent. There’s just too much stuff. BTW, if the links don’t work, just copy and paste them onto the browser. That should do it.
I’m going to start these immensely long update posts with Trooping and end them with the Cambridges visit to Balmoral. I think those are tidy little royal bookends and they also span the “death” (from announcement to execution) of the joint Foundation. I know we seldom think of a “Royal summer season” because they usually take off in the summer and they tend to wait until September to announce new projects. Summer is therefore pretty lazy and, unless there’s a tour, we just look at the pretty Ascot dresses and wait for Mustique pap shots which never arrive.
This summer, however, was quite different. The royals clearly had a lot of plans this summer and some of them did not turn the way they expected.
This post will cover Trooping and the Foundation split, so from the first to the third week of June. I know it’s old news to a lot of you (it feels like a lifetime ago, so much stuff has happened), so feel free to skip it. I’m writing it because (i) I’m obsessive about thoroughness, and (ii) several of the issues that blew up at the end of the summer (environmental hypocrisy, transparency, expenses, family conflicts) first reared their ugly heads around this time.
So, let’s start with Trooping, which was supposed to be Meghan’s big return to the spotlight. Prince Louis, however, had other ideas and he absolutely stole the show. “Louis stealing the show” was a big them of the summer. Almost as big as “Meghan and Harry screw up again.” And “hey, there’s the race card again.”
Meghan’s presence at Trooping was underwhelming, to say the least. She looked dumpy and dark in her bespoke (of course!) Givenchy, and she was stuck in the back of the balcony. She did get to sport some new bling, though—a new ring AND an upgrade to the old ring.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7171177/Meghans-new-4-350-eternity-ring-means-shes-worn-600-000-worth-jewellery-past-18-months.html
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a28164293/meghan-markle-updated-new-engagement-ring/
The ring upgrade was the first scandalette of the summer season and it was oddly symbolic, as Meghan ‘s ring upgrade came courtesy of jeweler to the stars, Lorraine Schwartz.
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/style/1144747/Meghan-Markle-news-harry-engagement-ring-new-latest
https://www.elitedaily.com/p/photos-of-meghan-markles-first-engagement-ring-are-actually-really-gorgeous-8191260
People were upset with the change and Meghan’s fans defended it by pointing to other royals who had changed their rings and pointing out that Diana added prongs for extra security. That’s not the same as bedazzling a band to make it look like tacky Hollywood jewelry, but whatevs.
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/gallery/2019062774668/royals-made-changes-to-engagement-rings-jewels/1/
A lot of people brought up that the Sussexes had made a big deal about how the original ring was sooooooo special because Harry designed it and that Meghan had declared that it was “perfect” during the engagement photocall, so Omid Scobie popped up to reveal/spin that Harry had designed the upgrade.
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/jewelry-and-watches/a28157762/meghan-markle-redesigned-engagement-ring-photos/
But the upgrade makes her ring combo look a lot more like the rings given to her by Trevor, which I find weird given that the official spin is that Harry did the upgrade. How did that go? He just woke up one morning and decided that the ring should look more like Trevor’s? She also collected eternity bands from Trevor and eventually got two. I guess she’ll get two from Harry too.
At the time I thought this was rather overwrought. Yes, I understand that historical heirlooms like royal jewelry should not be tampered with as they are a cultural patrimony, but the Sussexes are so far down the line of succession that their tacky baubles should not qualify as part of British heritage. Let’s get real. They are not British history, so they can do what they want.
But in hindsight, I think the ring was somewhat significant, a tiny, sparkling omen, so to speak. With that change Meg signaled that she was ditching the royals and pivoting hard towards Hollywood and, lo behold, by the end of the summer she had successfully done so. Mission accomplished, so to speak.
So Trooping should have been a win for Meghan, given that it was her first post-baby appearance with the family, but it was overshadowed by criticism. The first salvos were due to the Meg’s new ring as the DM took its appearance as an opportunity to tally up Meghan’s jewelry expenses, which came up to 600,000 pounds.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7171177/Meghans-new-4-350-eternity-ring-means-shes-worn-600-000-worth-jewellery-past-18-months.html
Mind you, the DM had already tallied up Meghan’s maternity wardrobe in May, and total came to and eye-watering 360,000 pounds (not counting the Gucci number featured in her Vogue issue) in just maternity clothes.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6998839/Meghans-360-000-maternity-wardrobe-70-different-outfits.html
Then the final costs of the Frogmore reno came out. It came out to 2.4 million pounds
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/prince-harry-meghan-markle-frogmore-cottage-renovations-taxpayers-campaigners-windsor-a8973371.html
Oh, and there are more renovations on the way.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7088715/Harry-Meghan-submit-plans-renovations-Frogmore-Cottage-Windsor.html
The first renovation bill caused quite a commotion and shone a bright spotlight on how royal finances are obfuscated. The cost of the young royals increased from 3.5 million to 5.1 million pounds, but it’s hard to tell what exactly goes where because the accounting is so perverse. Royal carbon emissions went up by nearly 100%, which I find hilarious given how much environmental claptrap Harry has spouted.
https://www.itv.com/news/2019-06-25/why-the-true-cost-of-william-and-kate-harry-and-meghan-is-partly-hidden-by-lawnmowers/
And, yes, it was taxpayer money.
https://twitter.com/RoyalReporter/status/1146931025043513344
A lot of people were comparing the 2.4 million pound cost of Frogmore to the 4.5 cost of Apt 1A. I’m going to hold off until the second reno costs come in. The Apt 1A total, after all, covers two renos done in different years.
I also feel like you are missing the forest for the trees if you just compare the two bills. The interesting aspect here is that ALL ROYAL EXPENDITURES are suddenly going under the magnifying glass. They have mixed-up the books for years, but reporters are only asking questions now. THAT’s the “Givenchy Effect.” Kate’s Zara dresses helped the brf downplay a lot of crazy spending, but Meghan’s champagne tastes are bringing in some much-needed sunlight.
I hope the scrutiny keeps up. I particularly hope people start asking how the carbon emissions went up 100%. The Palacegraph blamed the tours and flat-out blamed the Foreign Office for the uptick, but they have tours every year so that sounds fishy to me. They may have done a little more touring, but it didn’t DOUBLE.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/06/24/royal-family-doubles-carbon-footprint-travel-thanks-worldwide/
This merits more digging. I hope the latest brouhaha over Meghan’s fondness for private planes promotes more transparency.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1167838/meghan-markle-prince-harry-news-carbon-footprint-private-jet-royal-family
Moving on, the Sussexes went to People to explain why they were stuck in the back during the balcony shots. They weren’t just behind the Queen, PC, and the Cambridges. They were stuck behind Andrew, of all people. The Yorks are truly ascendant now with the girls getting People magazine pieces in addition to royal engagements and prime positioning. The Epstein mess seems to have put a spanner in the works, but we’ll see if that goes anywhere given the mastermind’s not-so-shocking death.
https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-prince-harry-stood-behind-kate-middleton-prince-harry-balcony-trooping-the-colour/
The brf seems to expected this placement would cause a stir, as they had Kate and Camilla share the carriage with them. I liked this strategy. On paper it made it seem like Harry and Meghan were being honored, but the photos it made them look like mere visitors. Kate and Camilla looked like welcoming, and slightly nervous, hostesses faced with unpredictable and volatile guests.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9251078/kate-middleton-tense-carriage-ride-meghan-markle-trooping-the-colour/
This nervous solicitude would continue to color interactions between Meghan and the family, and I think it was another theme of the summer. The royals did a lot of “happy families” pr, but it all looked nervous and unconvincing.
Then Harry seemed to correct Meghan on the balcony, a clip which went absolutely viral. It was spun as “no big deal,” but it left a mark.
https://twitter.com/justmythorts/status/1137446282577043456?
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-prince-harry-behavior-balcony
CDAN had an alternative explanation for Meghan’s odd bloating and relaxed demeanor.
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/06/blind-item-13_14.html
That interaction triggered a lot of weird relationship leaks and rumors.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1128202/Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markle-news-latest-baby-Archie-UK-royal-family-Queen-Andrew-Morton
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/07/blind-item-4_3.html
The happy family pr included a supposed birthday party for Meghan at Balmoral (SPOILER: It didn’t happen).
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9303559/queen-meghan-balmoral-break-archie-harry/
But the big news, of course was the Foundation split. FINALLY.
The brf was eager to spin this split as inevitable and normal and only to be expected. Nothing to see here. Happy families all around.
But a lot of royal reporters noted that this split was not the original plan. The original plan was that both couples would work together. From Berkshire to Buckingham had a great post summarizing the different perspectives.
http://fromberkshiretobuckingham.blogspot.com/2019/06/what-does-royal-foundation-split-mean.html
I agree with B2B as to the basic fact, but she is a lot more polite than I am about it. You gotta respect the epic grifting at work here. Meghan and Harry told the brf they would be team players, play by the rules, and support the monarchy then did a 180 as soon as they had the tiara and the house.
How strong of a 180 the Sussexes were planning to do wasn’t obvious at this point. But the Apple TV deal and the Vogue UK gig gave us a hint. As did Harry’s splashy announcement about his sudden devotion to landmine eradication.
https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-landmines-follow-princess-diana-footsteps/
“Follows in mom’s footsteps” indeed. The landmines project was Di’s big break with royal life and Hazza is following down he same road.
Scobie had the deets, of course. There was much talk of divergent paths and the Sussexes having “their own” stuff and not having to deal with the “restrictions” the Cambridges face. As with Meghan’s Hollywoodized rings, the theme here was “breaking away.”
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a28125314/meghan-markle-prince-harry-new-foundation/
No one is clear about what exactly those “restrictions” are and the terminology caused much angst. The original article had some ominous less “corporation governance” language that got taken out after the fantastic Cepe Smith asked some questions. LOL, I guess coach-class air plane tickets is one of these “restrictions.”
https://twitter.com/CepeSmith/status/1142077369617960967
But it’s interesting that “corporate governance” was one of the issues mentioned to Scobie and it’s interesting that the operations that would give rise to the most rigorous audits, Grenfell and the military, are either getting spun off into individual charities (Endeavor ) or staying with the Cambridges (Grenfell). Please correct me if I am wrong about this.
Emily notes that one big restriction is that William can’t do the kind of blatantly commercial deal Harry is doing with Apple. She also raises the obvious question, how can Harry do it if Will can’t? The point of being a working royal is that you can’t do this kind of commercial activity because of your position, and that’s why the government and the brf have to support you. Zara and Mike get to do it, but they don’t get brf or government support. How is Harry getting the working royal support while at the same time monetizing his position? They are trying to move the Overton Window so the working vs non-working royal distinction becomes an heir vs non-heir distinction and I’m not sure that’s going to work, as least not while Andrew and Edward are around and following (presumably) the old rules. Fergie was vilified for decades for selling access to Andrew and would likely have something to say if the rules were changed to officially allow for rent-a-royal schemes for second sons.
https://mobile.twitter.com/byEmilyAndrews/status/1142318808230780928
It’s an interesting question given the rumors that Meghan is shopping for a movie role and pursuing other moneymaking opportunities.
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/06/blind-item-7_10.html
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/06/blind-item-9_20.html
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/06/blind-item-11_12.html
The blinds claiming she wants a Soho House stipend.
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/07/blind-item-12.html
The ones claiming that she solicited cash bids for her Wimbledon appearance.
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/06/blind-item-11_12.html
And the latest blind claiming she’s charging for tour appearances.
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/08/blind-item-4_11.html
I saw a lot of people mentioning The Prince’s Trust and PC’s attendance at movie premiere sand his use of celebrity ambassadors, but that’s not the same as producing a documentary for cash compensation. The last royal who arguably did that was Prince Edward and that didn’t turn out well. I lol’d when I saw one of Meghan’s sugars screeching that “the Queen approves everything.” The Sussexes didn’t even tell when Meghan went into labor with the Queen’s great-grandchild, so why would they inform them of a business deal?
I’m not sure how her fans can still argue that the Sussex approach is “approved” or royal in any way. Their press is flat-out saying they want a “global” brand that is “their own thing” and “belongs to them.” That’s not in any way compatible with the British monarchy, which is by definition local and focused on service to Queen and country. And in hindsight, the global brand they have ended up with (celebrities, private jets, expensive villas, fashion and food messaging) is not one that the royals would want to be associated with.
I died when I saw this post by a Meghan fan arguing the contrary and citing the huge amount of global charity work the royals do and proclaiming that Harry and Meghan are just doing the same thing.
https://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/2019/06/we-need-to-talk-about-sussexes-global.html?m=1
The Brits seem to disagree. They don’t think the Sussexes are doing the same thing as the other royals.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/meghan-cant-keep-baby-archie-away-public-still-expect-foot-bill/
But most importantly, the Sussexes don’t think they are doing the same thing as the other royals. They are very clear about this. They are “going their own way.” It’s not entirely clear what they meant by “their own way,” or what exactly they intend to do, but it is pretty clear that they mean it to be different and they don’t want royal rules to apply to them. That’s the whole point of the split.
So that’s how the summer started. The Sussexes were clearly signaling that they were going their own way and the rest of the brf was trying to signal that they were inclusive and supporting with a lot of nervousness and anxiety seeping through. Said nervousness was mirrored by the press and public who seemed pretty anxious about the spending, the Foundation split, and latching onto ominous signals like the blinged-up ring and the unclear language in the Foundation split announcement.
Then they posted a decidedly un-royal Father’s Day pic with poor Archie bathed in a sickly sepia light. Now traditional royal portraiture has a lot of sins, but it’s a lot better than this. This is literally ghastly.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByxRc1hlo6Y/
Archie’s pic as the last bit social media card up their sleeve and, given their outsized press coverage, I expected them to surpass the Cambridge follower count. It didn’t happen, and despite various IG stunts (changing follows every month, asking followers for follow recommendations, behind-the-scene pics, passive aggressive quotes that get a ton of coverage, etc…) they remain 600,000 behind today. I find that interesting.
Then Meghan broke her maternity leave, not for a US state visit or a military event, but for a US baseball game. The game was officially hosted by Invictus, but it was clear that Meghan was more interested in the players than in the charity.
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a28228500/meghan-markle-baseball-game-london-surprise-appearance/
The fact that Meghan had famously skipped on the Trump visit a few weeks before, and Harry wasn’t exactly on his best behavior didn’t help.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-harry-snubs-donald-trump-16250723
I saw a lot of Meghan’s stans cheering on the rudeness and I can sympathize because Trump isn’t my favorite person and I really didn’t want to see Meghan in a tiara, but behaving during this kind of unpleasant situation is part of the job. This was another big signal that Harry and Meghan are more than willing that enjoy the privileges of their position, but less enthusiastic about fulfilling its responsibilities. The Sussexes were building a theme at this point and were thus steadily digging their own pr grave.
Rumors that Meghan had ditched less glamorous royal appearances did not help.
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/07/blind-item-3_25.html
https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-signs-same-princess-diana-visitors-book/
It also didn’t help that Meghan turned out to be distantly related to one of the players, reminding everyone of the Ragland family members she no longer talks to. She’ll embrace family, but only if it comes with some kind of celebrity attached.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2019/06/29/mookie-betts-meets-his-distant-relative-meghan-markle/kEOPTYZ7Lp8nXdLuMn8X8J/story.html
Another “relationship troubles” viral clip started doing the rounds, which was also unhelpful. We had a lot of weird “relationship troubles” leaks during the summer. I think they were triggered by the ring upgrade. It seemed to indicate dissatisfaction with both her royal role and her relationship and the rumor mill ran with it.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/prince-harry-ignore-meghan-markle-mlb-game
Oh, and their hideously expensive copper tub was revealed.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9404478/meghan-markle-prince-harry-buy-5000-copper-bath/
And The Sun calculated her total spending and came up with a 3 million pound figure with the Africa move supposedly costing 1 million pounds.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9378150/meghan-markle-spending-offending-the-queen/
Everything, of course, blew up this month, but the seeds were there from the very beginning with tough question about the Sussexes spending, suspicious mutterings about their love of luxury, and utter confusion as to what they intended to after leaving the Royal Foundation (Africa? Landmines? Bananagrams? Baseball games?) and how much it would cost.
The seeds would grow and grow in the upcoming months as Meghan and Harry embraced more and more luxurious trappings and celebrity friends. Meghan claims to be very media savvy, but she clearly did not realize that she built a narrative during the summer, one that would go on and bite her in the butt big time.
The brf had carefully managed Meghan’s entry into the family, surrounding her with visuals (“Di collection diamonds,” British clothes, local engagements, military events like Invictus, Foundation membership, etc…) that reassured the public that Meghan would continue upholding royal traditions in the way the public expected. Her massive red flags (love of celebrity, love of luxury, horrid track record in work and personal commitments, volatility) were spun as features and not bugs with commenters claiming she would add glamour to the brf or be a breath of fresh air. In June, the Sussexes reversed a great deal of that, making the red flags more glaring. In July, they would reverse even more, and by August they would be pretty much flying their freak flag unashamedly. The brf tried to smooth this over with a lot of happy family pr with varying degrees of success. That will be covered in the next posts.
What I find interesting is that everything exploded in August, but the cracks were there back in June. I cackle like a Disney witch whenever I see the Meghan stans complaint that the Cambridges are behind the smears or that it’s all the press being racists. Dudes, these idiots did it to themselves. They sowed the wind in June and reaped the whirlwind in August and who knows what will happen in September. Chickens are coming home to roost, the crows they raised are pecking out their eyes and I am running out of fractured metaphors so on to the next post.