Harry and Meghan #33 When Needy met Greedy

[MoodyBlue]

I do wonder if it was Prince Phillip that referred to Smeg as the ‘showgirl’.

it certainly sounds like something he would say

 

[Wightgirl]

Tweet from Roya Nikkah. The palace is throwing them under a bus

 

[coconochanel]

This book is an absolute shit show...and Im loving it

 

[MoodyBlue]

Let’s face it, if she can shit on her dad from a great heigh, Kate didn’t stand a chance.

Oh Harry.......what have you done

 

[Campagne]

Harry and Meghan biography expected to be brought into Mail on Sunday privacy case
Telegraph understands that new biography 'Finding Freedom' set to be drawn into privacy action against newspaper
Hannah Furness, Royal Correspondent26 July 2020 • 8:00pm

The new biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be used as evidence against Meghan Markle in her legal claim against a tabloid newspaper for breach of her privacy, The Telegraph understands.
The Duchess is suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, over its decision to publish parts of a handwritten letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018, three months after her wedding.
The legal action returns to the High Court on Wednesday when the Duchess will try to keep anonymous the so-called "Five Friends" who briefed People magazine for an article in which the existence of the letter was first made public.
The Telegraph understands that the controversial new biography, "Finding Freedom", is likely to be drawn into the privacy action against the Mail on Sunday over whether the Duchess's friends, aides and public relations team spoke to the authors or acted on her behalf.
In the court case against the Mail on Sunday, Meghan has denied that she gave the green light to the "Five Friends" to speak to People magazine. But her case would be potentially undermined if the Mail on Sunday could show that the new biography was based on information provided by well-placed sources with the couple's consent.
In a statement, Prince Harry and his wife, who now live in California, have tried to distance themselves from the book.
A spokesman has insisted the couple "were not interviewed and did not contribute to 'Finding Freedom'", adding: "The book is based on the authors' own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting."

Harry and Meghan have tried to distance themselves from the book Credit: Samir Hussein
A source close to the Sussexes said on Sunday that Meghan "was fighting the Mail on Sunday very vigorously" and "didn't even know the People magazine article was going ahead, let alone the specifics". The source said the claims in the book also "are not coming from the couple".
But royal watchers, as well as media lawyers, will be intrigued by levels of detail raised in the book, written by Omid Scobie, a British journalist said to be close to Meghan's inner circle, and American television journalist Carolyn Durand.
Among extracts published in a Sunday newspaper, the book disclosed intimate details of Meghan's final attempt to contact her father on the eve of her wedding. It reads: "Sitting in a bath later that night, FaceTiming with a friend, the bride-to-be said she had left her dad a final message, adding: 'I can't sit up all night just pressing send'."
According to The Sunday Times, the book also claims to know Meghan's "perfect pose" in a yoga position after discussing marriage with the Duke while on holiday in Africa; the expression on Archie's face when he was born; the previously undisclosed name of the couple's labrador, which has been kept a closely-guarded secret; and "sensitive conversations with members of the royal family".
Mark Stephens, a leading media lawyer and partner at Howard Kennedy solicitors, said: "I think this book is really interesting. The Mail on Sunday lawyers will look to introduce this book as similar fact evidence.
"Private briefings and curation of her reputation is going on through anonymous spokespeople and friends and the allegation with regards the People magazine article is that five of Meghan's friends – she says without her knowledge – spoke about matters that were confidential, including the letter."
The Mail on Sunday is arguing that the duchess did not expect the letter to her father to remain private, anticipated that it would be published, and that publication was in the public interest.
The newspaper is keen to point out that Mr Markle was in possession of the letter for some time before making it available to the newspaper only after he was angered by references to it in the People magazine article.
In a newspaper interview to publicise the book, Mr Scobie said when asked about the level of access, if any, that was granted to him: "The book doesn't claim to have any interviews with Harry and Meghan. And nor do we."
When then asked whether there had been an "off-the-record" discussion, he said: "You've read the book. There's no on-the-record interviews with the couple."

Asked again, he replied: "No, and I think that you can tell from the reporting, my time around the couple is enough for me to know my subjects."

Thank you @Norbs

Erm.... how the fuck did Meghan see « the expression on Archie's face when he was born; »?

that must be some advanced fucking yoga, or she was right there whilst the surrogate was trying to push him out.

 

[Flipping Hell !]

Video from Tas (apologies if this has already been posted).

I agree with ALL she says ,she has used Diana to get to Harry and mess with his mind ... My son has done pretty much most of what Harry has done ,we were incredibly close to the point my daughter used to call him a Mummys boy He has 2 children from a different relationship when he met the bitch from hell . I liked her and made her very welcome ,my middle daughter was shocked when she met her for the 1st time ,her words were " I've always thought you were clued up mother, I thought you had an inner sense to see right though people, but you've lost it with this one, she's so sly and sneaky, you can see it in her eyes " But No I didnt see it . She got pregnant with my granddaughter and she then started her plan ( I can see it all clearly now ) She slowly but so surely edged my son away from all of his family, every last one of them ,to the point now that she is all he's got, she even drove his son ( 16 yrs old ) away form his Dad by making him feel so uncomfortable when he visited that he now goes maybe twice a year.... She reminds me so much of Meghan and my once, strong loyal son has turned into a Harry

 

[coconochanel]

Oh dear poor Megs she was shopping on the same street as Kate but Kate didnt give her a lift in her Range Rover. FGS what doesnt she understand about the fact that the Royals are very cautious private people. Even if she was 'dating' Harry at the time Kate wouldnt just give her a lift because she
hardly knew her and quite rightly probably didn't trust her.

 

[Jugglegirl]

I’ve read all the extracts in The times and my take out is that Harry is a much bigger arse than I originally thought. I went along with the idea that MM had led a rather stupid man by the nose to get what she wanted but this book shows what a bitter, jealous pathetic little man he is. To have got to age 35 and still not have accepted the central fact of his life and the monarchy- there’s a line of succession and it’s not you- shows such a pitiful level of self obsession. How well the BRF have covered this fact and how ungrateful he is to them for having garnered such good PR for such a little shit. Well now he’s handling his own PR he is showing his true colours and how ugly they are. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you and more astonishingly thinking the rest of the world will sympathise with your petty bitching. Amazing.

 

[Milliemoo99]

Times Article - Book Extract about Thomas Markle

As Harry and Meghan were revelling in their engagement in November 2017, a newspaper published an article about her father, Thomas Markle, that it had been piecing together for months. The story showed pictures of his home atop a 120ft bluff in Rosarito Beach, a quiet Mexican resort town that overlooked the Pacific Ocean, and had details of his life, such as the red Ford Escape or silver Volvo he drove to his local Walmart to stock up on groceries or to the storage unit where he had bragged to the owner about his daughter who was on television. But there were no quotes, as any time a reporter approached him, he responded with the line prepared for him by palace officials: “I can’t speak out of respect for my family.”


Once the article came out with his home’s location, Thomas Markle had to deal with constant intrusions from reporters and photographers. Over the course of several phone calls, Harry and Meghan told him he should do his best to ignore all press. But, ultimately, he didn’t listen. With some encouragement from his other daughter, Samantha — Meghan’s half-sister, 17 years older than her, who managed to get a cut of the deal in the process — Thomas took up an idea from a photographer, Jeff Rayner. Rayner’s idea was for Thomas to pose for some pictures: reading a book about British history at a coffee shop, visiting an internet café to read the latest news stories about his daughter and future son-in-law and other setups.
The photos ran in outlets around the world but did little to help his public image. In fact, the person they seemed to help was Rayner, who banked at least $130,000 for his photo agency from their sales. Thomas took 30%.

It was photographer Jeff Rayner’s idea for Thomas to pose for some pictures
JEFF RAYNER/COLEMAN-RAYNER
Just one week before Thomas was due to attend Harry and Meghan’s wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018, the palace got word that a Sunday tabloid intended to run information that would expose the “candid” frames as fakes. At Harry’s instruction, the palace communications team, in consultation with the legal team, began working on a strategy to stop the publication of the embarrassing story.
First, though, Meghan needed to hear straight from her dad what had happened. According to a trusted confidant who was with Meghan as events unfolded, she told her father, “Dad, we need to know if this is true or not, because my team is going to try to stop this story running — if you are telling me it’s fake.

“If they do that, they’re going out of their way to protect you, Dad,” Meghan said over the phone. “You’re telling me you’re being victimised, right?”
He lied to Meghan. “Of course,” he promised, failing to admit he had participated in the staging of the photos.
“Every single time she was calling him, she was like, ‘Dad, I love you. I just want you to know I love you. Everything is fine. Just get here. We’ll have the wedding. We’ll celebrate. Don’t worry about any of this stuff. Let’s just put it behind us,’” the source said. “You want to believe the best, right?”
The source continued: “I’ve heard her say, ‘My dad never sought this out. I really believe that he’s the victim, and now I feel sad because I believe he’s been fully corrupted.’”
Before Meghan got off the phone to her father, she reminded him that a car would be arriving outside his door the next day to drive him to Los Angeles. From there, he was to make the transatlantic trip to London, where all the arrangements had been handled. He would be accompanied door to door, with chauffeured cars, personal security and a guide to answer any question. He wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.
Meanwhile, the communications staff at Kensington Palace did all they could to keep Thomas’s ill-conceived plan from exploding, collaborating with him to issue a report with the Independent Press Standards Organisation and a notice to UK newspaper editors about the situation. But to no avail: the morning after Meghan phoned her father, the headlines read: “Meghan’s dad staged photos with the paparazzi”. Screenshots from closed-circuit cameras made it clear he had staged each and every one.

Harry and Meghan had told her father he should do his best to ignore all press
CHRIS JACKSON
Meghan was devastated by her father’s deception, but she was also concerned for his welfare. Thomas hadn’t demonstrated the best judgment, to be sure. But the wedding was only a week away. She was desperate to get him to London, where he would be protected from the press by palace escorts and protection officers.
She called her father right away, but he didn’t answer. She called again. And again, and again. She left some version of the same message each time: “Dad, I still love you. Nothing has changed. We’re going to get you safely to London. I’m sending a car to come and get you.”
Despite Meghan’s barrage of voicemails and texts, her father not only refused to get in the waiting car to the airport; he didn’t respond to a single message from his daughter.
“My God, my phone,” Meghan told a friend, explaining that she’d called her father at least 20 times.
“I’m assuming he’s getting my messages,” she added, worried.
Rather than knowing anything for certain, she and Harry were updated on her father’s plans (whether or not he was going to attend her wedding) through the tabloids and gossip websites. He contacted the American entertainment website TMZ to plead his case, explaining he was trying to “recast” his image after being “ambushed” by photographers. But to spare his daughter and the royal family any further embarrassment, he would no longer attend the wedding.
While in public the palace maintained a stoic silent facade, behind closed doors there were recriminations and anger. Having cut himself off from aides and his daughter, Thomas was feeding the press a seemingly never-ending stream of nonsensical statements. Palace courtiers were waiting minute by minute for the next bombshell to drop.

“It was very, very tough,” an aide said about the palace’s response to the Thomas Markle situation. “It’s very easy to blame the palace, but, my God, I’ve not seen any situation quite like it — where you’ve got a woman marrying a prince, and the father of the beautiful young woman is 5,000 miles away and just not playing ball, and not only not playing ball, but he’s up to silly games.”

Thomas claimed a furious Harry called him and hissed, “If you had listened to me, this would never have happened.” But no such conversation occurred. In another dramatic turn of events, just the day after saying he was not attending the wedding, Thomas told reporters that he couldn’t imagine missing such a historic event.

A wounded Meghan directed Kensington Palace officials to release a statement she wrote herself about the incident, calling it “a deeply personal matter” and requesting her privacy as they sorted it out. While she in no way wanted her family drama to play out so publicly, she felt forced to take some sort of action.

Thomas Markle’s absence meant that Prince Charles escorted Meghan down the aisle at her wedding
Thomas Markle’s absence meant that Prince Charles escorted Meghan down the aisle at her wedding
JONATHAN BRADY
Despite her father’s behaviour, she was nonetheless crushed by the thought of him not being there for the wedding. “As much as she was hurt and humiliated, she wanted him to be there and was willing to move on,” a close friend said. “Plus, she was worried about him: she honestly wasn’t sure if he was actually OK. His behaviour was bizarre.”

His bespoke suit and custom shoes were waiting at the Oliver Brown tailor in Chelsea, southwest London, and Harry had asked a military veteran to accompany Meghan’s father. “The treatment that Meghan’s mother, Doria, received when she arrived here is exactly what was planned for Thomas,” a senior aide added, noting that he would have been put up in a hotel and given a protection officer and assistant during his stay.

With only four days left before her wedding, though, Meghan received more devastating news from her father — again through a celebrity gossip website. Laying the blame firmly at the feet of the prying press, Thomas claimed the stress had caused him to have a heart attack. His doctors advised him that he needed surgery just two days before his daughter took her vows, to clear a blockage, repair damage and implant several stents. Short of some sort of miraculous recovery, he said, he would be in no shape to fly across the Atlantic and thus would not be attending the royal wedding.

Troubled, Meghan tried to text Thomas: “I’ve been reaching out to you all weekend but you’re not taking any of our calls or replying to any texts . . . Very concerned about your health and safety and have taken every measure to protect you but not sure what more we can do if you don’t respond . . . Do you need help? Can we send the security team down again? I’m very sorry to hear you’re in the hospital but need you to please get in touch . . . What hospital are you at?”

Ten minutes later she followed up with another. “Harry and I made a decision earlier today and are dispatching the same security guys you turned away this weekend to be a presence on the ground to make sure you’re safe . . . they will be there at your disposal as soon as you need them. Please call as soon as you can . . . all of this is incredibly concerning but your health is most important,” she wrote.

That evening Thomas sent a short response to say that he appreciated the offer of security but didn’t feel in any danger. Instead, he wrote, he would recover at a motel. Meghan asked for details but he didn’t reply.

Not a word about the subject had been spoken when Meghan brought Doria to meet the Queen and Prince Philip earlier in the day, but the situation still caused her to feel embarrassed about the public drama during their afternoon tea at Windsor Castle.


HARRY AND MEGHAN
Royal breakdown: the mistrust behind Harry and Meghan’s departure
The first of three days of exclusive extracts from Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family
Read more
Meghan placed some of the blame on herself. Having spent the past year and a half in the glaring spotlight, she understood what the pressure from the media was like. “He’s vulnerable,” she told a friend. “He’s been baited. A lot of the tabloid journalists have been coaxing him and paying him. I don’t know if he really even had a chance.”

Harry also blamed the media for the whole situation. “The pressure he was put under for six months before he finally cracked and started to participate,” a senior courtier said of Meghan’s father, “that’s what Harry’s angry about.”

One individual close to the couple summed it up this way: “There is a sort of aggressive intrusiveness and a reckless, irresponsible almost hostility to the media’s actions that’s deeply harmful. I don’t think the paparazzi are the same. I think that has changed. But the sort of ruthless malevolence of some sections of the media, and it is malevolent, is genuinely bad. What they’ve done to her father, drawn him out from his private life and forced him out into the open, and then waving cheques at him, it’s just absolutely terrible. He wanted to live privately. He would have continued to live privately. He would have been at the wedding if the media had left him alone as they were asked to. And there’s no public interest argument to excuse intruding into the private life of Thomas Markle.”


“If it wasn’t for Harry, Doria and her friends, Meghan herself says that she wouldn’t have mentally got through it,” a friend said. The night before the wedding, she sent her father one last text. He did not reply.

Sitting in a bath later that night, FaceTiming with a friend, the bride-to-be said she had left her dad a final message, adding: “I can’t sit up all night just pressing send.”

Why was Thomas only starting his journey to the wedding a week before the event?
He had never met Harry, had no idea of protocol, no idea how his speech would go down, no fittings for his suit....and had already had health issues around his heart?
It would have taken almost 24 hours in transit............. from Mexico up to LA, then the LA to Heathrow flight of 12 hours...then time to get over the jetlag... for a sick elderly man! . this account is saying Thomas would have had about 4 days in London, before the wedding to get everything sorted..before the big day itself!!

I really think by the time he did the pap interview and photos, he had given up on actually attending the wedding! He should have been in London weeks before, if MeAgain had any intention of getting him ready to walk her down the aisle and give the traditional father of the bride speech! let alone be briefed on protocol, given proper suit fittings etc, let alone catch up with his daughter and meet his future son in law and inlaws!

Also...why were the set up photos of Thomas seen as so embarrassing? They were a bit ridiculous, it was obvious they were set up from the first instance...but they werent actually that bad....were they?

 

[Loftcat]

They've just published a whole book of stories, maybe start there.

Once upon a time, there was a fairy tale romance and wedding. Then they turned into a pair of cunts. The end.

 

[Pippa M]

It has been said in various forums that some of the subjects read what we talk about and say about them so I hope maybe Harry and/or Meghan read here. I just say to both of them,stop being such stuck up selfish babies,you come across like 2 kids fighting over toys in the sandpit at the moment. Grow up and for heavens sake make peace with the family,especially with your grandparents Harry.They are 99 and 94 and havent much longer to go here...you will feel really really terrible about both of them when they die, remember how you still feel about your Mum after 20+ years...? Well this time round,with your grandparents it isnt the paparazzi that is to blame but your sweet self. Think on it.

 

[AnniaDrama]

I'm not from the UK and haven't been following the Royals in a long time nor know much about them, but somehow lately I've been interested in this whole Harry and Meghan debacle and so have been lurking this thread and you guys are hilarious lol

Before I started following more, I thought Meghan Markle was loved in the UK, but then I go to the Daily Mail comments and about 90% are people disliking her actions and the ones who usually love her in those comments are usually American. I used to love Prince William and Prince Harry when I was a child and always had a soft spot for Prince Harry, but now I have no idea what has become of him.

I don't know much about her doings besides what I read here and on some youtube videos, but noticed a fake vibe right away on that first interview they gave about their relationship years ago. Then also found it odd how she shunned her family away and didn't include her paternal side of the family in the wedding and how ashamed she seemed to be of her family, which was a big red flag to me. Then I got to know how she broke up with her ex husband. It all gave me a narcissistic weird vibe.

I didn't even know until recently that they were living in the US. Do they still have the titles? Who is paying their living in the US? Themselves? The Queen? The UK taxpayers?

She could've had it all. She just needed to fake smile 2 times a week at royal events, use the nail polish and tights they wanted and stay gracious and then she could do whatever she wants the rest of the days while not representing the Queen and have access to a life of luxury beyond belief. No need for all this drama.

 

[coconochanel]

Whats laughable is Harry calling Will's a 'snob' over Meghan, oh Harry you live in a bloody PALACE and your life was paid for by us peasants you are also A SNOB of the highest order!

 

[Momof5intheStates]

Also, ALL yanks are demanding and aggressive. SHE was just not willing to change HER ways and adjust to a new way. If she had she may have found it more forgiving.

Uhh......... Yeah, No!!

 

[WallacesDog]

I've just found myself agreeing with Piers Morgan article in the Daily Mail....
Who TF even am I?!
Every flipping word.
He's spot on, on this topic.
AAAAAANNND....
I hope the Daily Fail WIN their case.
so fiddle de dee *taps my feet In glee under the table when supposedly in mourning...

 

[FreeSquirrels]

I’ve been married for over 25 years & I’ve never met either of my sister in laws without my husband being there. He’s never met up with my brother without me being there.
The people who I know who do things separately with their in-laws knew them before they got together with their partners.

 

[LadyMuck]

Like this, you mean ?

That's her dating pose.

 

[NothingToHideDownAHole]

This book has handed the other side their legal case IMO

 

[Scotch Mist]

Oh I can believe it, this is the pair that stood in the middle of the South Africa tour surrounded by abject poverty and violence and said how hard things were, and how it was hard that no one had asked how she was.

That's the moment when I started to dislike her. It made me angry that she could bleat like that after seeing how some of those people in Africa have to live. Up until then I didn't think much about her at all and like most people hoped that she and Harry were happy together.
Now I can't stand the sight of either of them.

 

[NOID-phal]

Meghan and Harry's new book isn't a royal biography - it's a bloodbath

IT is easy to forget – and painful to remember – how united this country felt when Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in May, 2018. There were multiple reasons for our collective euphoria. Here was…

www.thesun.co.uk

This is excellent. No support for the poor dears anywhere. Woke and broke, now a joke.