UK United Kingdom Royal Family / Royal Families Drama General Thread - formerly "Prince Harry and Meghan to step back as senior royals"

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced they will step back as "senior" royals and work to become financially independent.

In a statement, Prince Harry and Meghan also said they plan to split their time between the UK and North America.

The BBC understands no other royal - including the Queen or Prince William - was consulted before the statement and Buckingham Palace is "disappointed".

Senior royals are understood to be "hurt" by the announcement.

In their unexpected statement on Wednesday, also posted on their Instagram page, the couple said they made the decision "after many months of reflection and internal discussions".

"We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen."

They said they plan to balance their time between the UK and North America while "continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages".

"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity."

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said discussions with the duke and duchess on their decision to step back were "at an early stage", adding: "We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through."

The couple's announcement on Wednesday comes two months after the Duke of York withdrew from public life after a BBC interview about his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in August.

Harry and Meghan to step back as senior royals

No other royals were consulted before the couple's announcement, the BBC understands.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[teriyakiburns]

I don't know about anyone else, but I think I would find it strange if my girlfriend smelled like my mother. Is this a thing that works? (On normal people)

It works on a man who has severe abandonment issues related to his mother's untimely death.

 

[AssignedEva]

It works on a man who has severe abandonment issues related to his mother's untimely death.

Especially one whose father is distant and whose brother had been growing more distant after marriage and fatherhood - Mother stands for comfort.

 

[marjoram]

Diana died just as puberty was hitting Harry. Haz is the result of bad timing (and a colossal sense of entitlement).

 

[Hoplixe]

Especially one whose father is distant and whose brother had been growing more distant after marriage and fatherhood - Mother stands for comfort.

Doesn't Charles have severe problems with displaying affection (and emotions in general)? I remember Harry outing his dad's rather unusual but honest attempts to emotionally bond with him. It's been a while, but I do remember it being discussed here, dozens of pages back.

Charles used to leave little letters on his son's pillows, telling them how proud he was of them, and that he loved them. He had mentioned in one letter to Harry (before he was going to be sent to boarding school) that Harry's a more confident and sociable person than him (Charles) so won't have a terrible time like Charles did (He got bullied and ostracised). Charles gave him his teddybear (Which he had kept for decades since his own childhood, that guy has some problems) to Harry, something ol' Harry would out in his biography to the public.

 

[RisingPhoenix]

Maybe if Meghan would have started this right after leaving the BRF, instead of doing the Orca interview and trashing the family, she may have had better luck.

Doing it now looks like she's flailing around, trying to find something, ANYTHING, that will stick.
She just looks desperate and broke now, IMHO.

Megan did try to do this way back before the "stepping away from Royal life" press release came out. But she wanted to put their titles on there or springboard something with the Royal connection referenced and Ol Queen Lizzy said she'd better not if she doesn't want the firm to sue her silly.

She wanted to do this whole instagram thing with products trumpeting their titles ect and it all got shut down, it's just that idea again but giving up on the royal mentions to avoid pissing off Charles.


Also I saw someone mention America was paying for Harry's security on X - anyone know if that is the case or nah? Seems dumb but I can believe Biden signing off on it.

 

[marjoram]

Megan did try to do this way back before the "stepping away from Royal life" press release came out. But she wanted to put their titles on there or springboard something with the Royal connection referenced and Ol Queen Lizzy said she'd better not if she doesn't want the firm to sue her silly.

She wanted to do this whole instagram thing with products trumpeting their titles ect and it all got shut down, it's just that idea again but giving up on the royal mentions to avoid pissing off Charles.


Also I saw someone mention America was paying for Harry's security on X - anyone know if that is the case or nah? Seems dumb but I can believe Biden signing off on it.

Nah, but he sure does think the British public oughta pay for it. Haz wants armed bodyguards 24/7 because he and his slag of a wife are just THAT important. Meanwhile the rest of the RF pop out to the shops or down the pub with no fuss.


And he keeps suing and appealing for his “right” to free (to him) security. He’s in for over a million pounds in court fees by now. He just lost another one and says he’s thinking of appealing again..

Ya know, it just occurred to me that the RF was really doing him a huge favor by covering up what an idiot he is for so long. It’s become pretty obvious now.

 

[tehpope]

King Charles III ascended to the throne following the September 2022 death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

After more than one year of reigning, the royal family was hit with the devastating news that Charles was diagnosed with cancer following a January 2024 surgery for benign prostate enlargement.

In April 2024, it was reported that the monarch’s health was declining and plans for his funeral were being updated.

“Speaking to friends of the king in recent weeks about his health, the most common response is … ‘It’s not good,’” Tom Sykes of the Daily Beast reported.

A friend of the monarch claimed Charles was “determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it,” adding, “Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”

As Charles’ health issues persist, plans about the future of the throne have been put in place under a code name.

Find out more about Operation Menai Bridge below.


Operation Menai Bridge is the code name given to the former Prince of Wales to reference his death. It’s also the name of the world’s first iron suspension bridge in Anglesey, Wales.

The way Operation Menai Bridge will unfold following Charles’ death will be similar to that of the 10-day plan Operation London Bridge, which was the code name used for his mom, Elizabeth.

Preparation for the death of Charles reportedly kicked off after he took the throne, according to former Royal Protection Officer Simon Morgan.

“Unfortunately, as of tomorrow morning, planning for Operation Menai Bridge will start in earnest,” he told “Today” in September 2022.

“Even the King said in his acceptance that he will take this role for as long as life allows him to. He is 73 years of age, it’s got to be in the back of your mind, and from the police, we’ve got to start planning again for the future.”

After Charles passes away, his eldest son, Prince William, is next in line to become the king and William’s wife, Kate Middleton, would become queen consort.

Several people will be informed about the King’s death — including his family, the prime minister, the cabinet secretary, other senior ministers and officials and the King’s Privy Council Office — by his private secretary.

The royal household will then issue an “official notification” to alert the public, and there are scripts in place on how officials should alert others on the news.

The cabinet secretary will email ministers and senior civil servants and after the message is received, flags at Whitehall would be lowered to half-mast.

The prime minister will be the first government official to make a statement, the Ministry of Defence will arrange for gun salutes, and a minute of silence for the nation will be announced.

The PM will then meet with the new king, William, who will deliver a broadcast to the nation, much like his father did when Elizabeth died.

For the days leading up to the King’s funeral, there will be several plans in place for different officials to mourn him as his coffin lies in state in Buckingham Palace’s throne room to Westminster Hall.

Charles will be laid to rest in the royal vault in King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle.

According to Politico, the royal family’s website will change to a black holding page with a short statement confirming the King’s death.

“The UK government website — GOV.UK — will display a black banner at the top. All government departmental social media pages will also show a black banner and change their profile pictures to their departmental crest,” the outlet added.

Why do royals need code names?​

Code names were originally given to royals to prevent news of their death from leaking to the press before it was officially announced.

Now they have become more common.

https://pagesix.com/royal-family/operation-menai-bridge-the-plan-for-king-charles-iiis-death-explained/

King Charles III’s health is worrying friends and the palace as he continues to battle an undisclosed type of cancer.

“Speaking to friends of the king in recent weeks about his health, the most common response is … ‘It’s not good,'” Tom Sykes of the Daily Beast reported Thursday.

A friend of the monarch claimed Charles “is determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it,” adding, “Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”

Royal scribe Tina Brown also hinted at the monarch’s health struggles, writing recently that Charles’ cancer has put Prince William and Kate Middleton “in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye.”

“The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety.”

Sykes also reported that the king’s funeral plans — codenamed “Operation Menai Bridge” — are currently being reviewed.

A separate document that states what went well at Queen Elizabeth’s September 2022 funeral and what could be done better the next time a monarch dies is also circulating, according to the Daily Beast.

All the sources emphasized that royal funeral plans are constantly in review. However, one former staffer in particular conceded that Charles’ health woes have given his plans a different hue and urgency.

“The plans have been dusted off and are actively being kept up to date,” the former staffer explained.

“It’s no more than what you would expect given the king has been diagnosed with cancer. But the circulation of them has certainly focused minds.”

The royal family did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

Buckingham Palace announced in February that after undergoing surgery for a benign prostate enlargement, it was discovered that the king has cancer.

A statement noted that Charles, 75, would be undergoing “regular treatment” and had been “advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties.”

Days later, he released a statement giving thanks for all the well-wishes.

His first public appearance was two months later when he attended Easter services.

Charles attended services on Sunday on what would have been his mother’s 98th birthday, waving to onlookers as he drove himself and Queen Camilla.

He ascended the throne following the death of his mother, who reigned for 70 years.

The coronation service was held last May.

https://pagesix.com/2024/04/25/royal-family/king-charles-funeral-plans-being-updated-amid-cancer-battle/

 

[Diana Moon Glampers]

I don't know about anyone else, but I think I would find it strange if my girlfriend smelled like my mother. Is this a thing that works? (On normal people)

Funny story.

Spoiler

A few months in to dating the man I'd eventually marry and have my kids with, he seemed to be just ... not feeling it for a week or so in the early winter time. We'd get close and then he'd nope out. Finally he told me he felt like I "smelled weird."

I realized the change had occurred right when I switched to using pure raw shea butter as a moisturizer. I took a block of it to him and said, is this the smell? He said yeah, he couldn't stand it on me, it wasn't an offensive smell exactly but just a huge turn-off and he couldn't figure out why. He felt bad for saying it, but he couldn't shake how he felt.

I switched products and all was well, no big deal.

Later, when I went to meet his parents halfway across the country, his mom sent me to grab something from the master bathroom, and an epiphany was waiting for me there.

Yup...she moisturized with shea butter and the bathroom had that same raw shea butter smell that my boyfriend found to be such a turn-off.

I told him what had happened. I said it was honestly kind of a relief...certainly better than if he'd been turned on by me smelling like his mom.

TL;DR: A normal human reaction to someone smelling like your mom is to feel weird and repulsed, not to feel like you've found The One.

 

[weegrumpy]

Residency is linked to where you pay tax isn’t it?
The jam is funny. I like making jam in season. I just save jars and bulk buy lids (always good to have a fresh lod although jam is one of the few things you can get away with a reused lid for.) Maybe I should get some fancy jars and charge twenty quid a pot for it, it does taste nice.
Buy the cheap labels from wilkos, meg. They stick great and have nice fruit pictures on and they’re only a couple of quid for a pack.
It’s funny how she sees this as some kind of amazing thing, like Marie antoinette larping in her little play farm. Women have been making jam forever, it’s just what you do in fruit season when you’ve exhausted all options for pies and filled the freezer.

Dang you still got a Wilcos?The one in my town has closed down a couple of months ago, I miss it

 

[ditto]

TL;DR: A normal human reaction to someone smelling like your mom is to feel weird and repulsed, not to feel like you've found The One.

Seems like Harry didn't want Meg so much as a wire monkey mother, drenched in Diana's perfume.

 

[Otterly]

Dang you still got a Wilcos?The one in my town has closed down a couple of months ago, I miss it

No ours closed last year are there any left? Still got B and M but it’s not as good.

 

[Carpe Jugulum]

No ours closed last year are there any left? Still got B and M but it’s not as good.

No. It went into administration and all stores were closed. Going to be a big miss.

 

[Myrtle the Turtle]

As soon as I saw the jam wars on the dailymail I knew I had pop in this thread but didn't realize how stupid the entire thing was. Its the equivalent to seeing which influencers received the next color of those overprice Stanley cups, but worse. Apparently the Palace trolled her by reminding everyone they sell strawberry jelly in the gift shop for less.

"tableware, table cutlery, coffee and tea services, servingware, decanters, dinnerware, chargers, napkin rings, table place card holders, beverageware, textile tablecloths, placemats and napkins, kitchen and table linens, gift wrap of fabric".

So shes going to be a washed up Martha Stewart in a tired, oversaturated market. The Pioneer Women line at Walmart is more authentic than whatever "American Rivera Orchard" is. Chip and Joanna Gaines have already dominated this sector with their Magnolia brand and have influenced modern home 'lifestyle' furnishings for better or for worse. She's getting in this so late too, every cool and hip zoomer is shilling someone else's product and people buy it because [content creator] said it was good. Megs got a following of small but crazy fans but that can't translate into broad financial success. I can't wait until this falls through and they have to sign with Smuckers or Kitchenaid for a partnered product.

Interestingly Ole Meg appears to be testing her launch in 2022 in her interview with NYMag:

"And then, quickly and decisively, as if it were my idea, the conversation ends. Meghan sets a harvest basket in my arms: a cornucopia of fruit and vegetables from their garden and a jar of jam from the Lili Bunny Garden + Larder (she had the labels made on Etsy). She smiles and waves as I make my way out the door, wondering if somehow I’d missed everything she was trying to say."

What does she know about serving and entertaining and why would I buy her crap over someone elses? I thought they were on the run eating canned soup from their safety bunker after fleeing the UK. Compare this astroturfed venture to her earlier blog lifestyle blog, The Tig: Megan is a happy go lucky millennial galavanting around the world talking, food, celebrities and beauty. It was fresh and popular at the time with her demographic. It portrays her as someone who would eat takeout on the go while on the way to her next interview or adventure, Not someone whos cultivated a lifestyle of entertaining and nesting with home decor. If she wasn't so manipulative I could be convinced the woman in The Tig was the real her but I don't even know who she is besides a failed grifter after reinventing herself for the nth time.

 

[Dog-O-Tron 5000v5.0]

If she'd bothered to stick around in the Royal family a little longer she could have had a master course on entertaining at home...

 

[gobbles]

That’s the great irony of shilling home goods: they don’t entertain.

They have no friends or family; they have publicly declaimed everyone and every institution they know. They can’t even retain staff at their foundation. The ARO push feels inauthentic because it is.

For example, Martha was a normal rich housewife who happened to be good and extra at home stuff—that’s how she became famous. GOOP was a nepo-baby who wrote a cookbook/memoir about her dad and let that spiral into a blog. Even the Kardashians focus more on beauty and clothing than home goods because they’re famous for their appearances.

Meghan would’ve been better served shilling, like, solo self-care bath products and candles rather than jam. Jam requires friends; fancy “chill out” lavender candles fit her alleged neuroticism and misanthropy better.

 

[Otterly]

Perhaps she could start a line of wipe-clean yacht upholstery?

 

[WonderWino]

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/meghan-markle-prince-harrys-archewell-200133169.html

Uh oh. Bad news for princess hoodrat and the ginger twit. and being fucked with by california of all places. Surprising they'd try to enforce anything on anything markle related given how much of a vindictive cunt she is

 

[Clovis]

The cheque is in the post, apparently. Do you think they have staff or is it just an empty office and a intern hanging around for the sake of appearances? I imagine Harold and Megan sat in their montecito kitchen sorting their bills.
Is it urgent?
Nah, no red ink.
Leave it till the jam orders start coming in then, I'm sure it'll take off soon.

Unrelated: pic/headline combo.

 

[ddlloo]

View attachment 5988506
The cheque is in the post, apparently. Do you think they have staff or is it just an empty office and a intern hanging around for the sake of appearances? I imagine Harold and Megan sat in their montecito kitchen sorting their bills.
Is it urgent?
Nah, no red ink.
Leave it till the jam orders start coming in then, I'm sure it'll take off soon.

Unrelated: pic/headline combo. View attachment 5972056

Willing to bet meghan had a tantrum and fired whoever was responsible for it all, and just never replaced them because she's a moron and knows nothing about the logistics of a charity.

 

[marjoram]

Personally I’m enjoying the faux royal visit to Nigeria. Half naked at a school in a mostly Muslim country? Check. Irritating everyone she meets? Check. Flaunting her money in front of the poverty stricken “little people”? Check. Pretending she’s Queen of the Universe? Check check check.

Women’s delusional and the ginger’s a fucking lackwit. When their shit finally blows up it’s gonna be epic.