The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 6: Aug. 2021- Oct. 2022


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suztav, I feel the same way.

If, the relationships-situation stays the same, or worsens, I do feel the Children *could* very well be the ones that lose out.
Its all and fine now for the Children. They for years will be insulated from these troubles. But what about 10 -15 years from now ?
If the break -breach is never resolved ? Just a Cold War, with extremely limited interactions similar to The carefully staged Jubilee ?

Teenagers, then later as young adults who see constantly in the spotlight that their estranged Grandfather is the King, Uncle William is Prince of Wales and their unknown cousins are International media darlings.

All of the "Royal" heritage and traditions of the UK Windsor Family completely unknown to them. No context, except what they read or see in movies or documentaries, books or YouTube type outlets.
Or Netflix......

So, yes that could be a very challenging experience to navigate coming the Sussex Family's way. Meghan was her fathers pride and joy as a child, teen and young woman. Harry was beloved in his Family, close to his brother and cousins too. Simply adored, and I believe after The Queen the most popular Royal in the UK and Commonwealth.

All crumbled now. Dust in the wind. Both Harry and Meghan on the complete outs with EVERYONE on both sides except for Mother Doria and seemingly cousin Eugenie.
So I completely agree, who might be the biggest losers. The Sussex Children.

I guess the best that can be hoped for is that the drama gets severely dialed down. That the ongoing ventures by The Sussex's in 2023 take a different tactic forward.

MOVE away from angst and recriminations constantly cited by Meghan in her very short tenure as a working Royal. Just stop. And hope that Harry wouldn't or didn't go full scorched earth against the Family-Firm in his upcoming Memoir.
The window for reconciliation seems closing more with each passing month and some new allegation. Hope it doesn't get slammed shut and locked down too.
 
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I hope Harry and Meghan enjoy their time here in Manchester, but, as Camelot said, it's sad that the children are growing up without their extended family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins can all play a very special part in a child's life. It's also very sad that Harry and William will be a stone's throw from each other at Windsor but won't be meeting up. And I wonder if George and Charlotte ever wonder why Uncle Harry disappeared from their lives.
 
I hope Harry and Meghan enjoy their time here in Manchester, but, as Camelot said, it's sad that the children are growing up without their extended family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins can all play a very special part in a child's life. It's also very sad that Harry and William will be a stone's throw from each other at Windsor but won't be meeting up. And I wonder if George and Charlotte ever wonder why Uncle Harry disappeared from their lives.

No they probably don't. Children just accept what's in front if them. As they get older amd enter their teens they probably will have questions. Louis doesn't even know Harry. Probably met him a handful of times.
 
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All crumbled now. Dust in the wind. Both Harry and Meghan on the complete outs with EVERYONE on both sides except for Mother Doria and seemingly cousin Eugenie.
So I completely agree, who might be the biggest losers. The Sussex Children.

I guess the best that can be hoped for is that the drama gets severely dialed down. That the ongoing ventures by The Sussex's in 2023 take a different tactic forward.

MOVE away from angst and recriminations constantly cited by Meghan in her very short tenure as a working Royal. Just stop. And hope that Harry wouldn't or didn't go full scorched earth against the Family-Firm in his upcoming Memoir.
The window for reconciliation seems closing more with each passing month and some new allegation. Hope it doesn't get slammed shut and locked down too.

I wouldn't be too sure about Eugenie. In the end she will prioritise her time and know what side her bread is buttered on.

And yes you know after son long not having called. You just don't call.
 
Meghan has given her keynote speech for One Young World. Unfortunately, in my opinion, she has fallen into the same trap she always has done in her public speaking (and now in her podcast). I remember exchanging private messages with forum members about this habit of Meghan's when she first stepped into the royal spotlight-- a time when I, and the overwhelming majority of my fellow posters, were supportive of Meghan. It's the number one pitfall a trained public speaker will be taught to avoid and that will never fail to make a well-presented speech, sound in every other way, quick to make audience members wonder, "Is it over yet?"

She takes every topic and turns it into a story about herself and her relationship to the topic.

Today's speech wasn't about One Young World. It was about Meghan and how Meghan relates to OYW.

It's a shame because Meghan is a wonderful speaker and presents beautifully. The message she was getting at today was a powerful one. But this speech wasn't actually about the organization or the message, it was about the speaker.
 
Meghan has given her keynote speech for One Young World. Unfortunately, in my opinion, she has fallen into the same trap she always has done in her public speaking (and now in her podcast). I remember exchanging private messages with forum members about this habit of Meghan's when she first stepped into the royal spotlight-- a time when I, and the overwhelming majority of my fellow posters, were supportive of Meghan. It's the number one pitfall a trained public speaker will be taught to avoid and that will never fail to make a well-presented speech, sound in every other way, quick to make audience members wonder, "Is it over yet?"

She takes every topic and turns it into a story about herself and her relationship to the topic.

Today's speech wasn't about One Young World. It was about Meghan and how Meghan relates to OYW.

It's a shame because Meghan is a wonderful speaker and presents beautifully. The message she was getting at today was a powerful one. But this speech wasn't actually about the organization or the message, it was about the speaker.

She wasn’t the keynote speaker, there were quite a few giving a speech. That’s what they both do now. Is what it is. A truly great speaker never once brings the speech back to themselves but they use so much empathy and human connection to it you have no doubt that they feel every beat of what they talk about. I saw Meryl Streep give a speech about her experiences of a Northern Ireland once and my goodness you felt she understood. Who writes these speeches or gives them advice? Obama…great speech giver.
 
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I have decided there are two Meghans, the one who arrived in Manchester today, looked beautiful gave a speech, said all the right things about being glad to be back in the UK etc etc. Last week we had the Meghan that gave an interview, said highly dubious and contentious things about the UK press. Made what sounded like threats to the family regarding her journal, and how she could say more if she wanted as she had never signed anything.
All very strange.
 
I have decided there are two Meghans, the one who arrived in Manchester today, looked beautiful gave a speech, said all the right things about being glad to be back in the UK etc etc. Last week we had the Meghan that gave an interview, said highly dubious and contentious things about the UK press. Made what sounded like threats to the family regarding her journal, and how she could say more if she wanted as she had never signed anything.
All very strange.



I like this take because I see it too. There are moments with her where you can glimpse how things could have been different with a little more time and a little more openness to learning and sober acknowledgement of what joining the royal family meant and what it would change about her life.

Meghan is lovely and charismatic. Had she been willing to learn on the job rather than eager to take on the world, she might have become a very valued member of the royal family rather than one of its antagonists. A lot of times, it seems like such a waste.
 
I'm sorry to say that I don't see where she said the right things or that the speech demonstrates how effective Meghan could have been. The speech lacked content. It would have been a better speech if she had focused on the accomplishments of the previous conferences, the goals of this one, or some of the ideas she discussed with the delegates. It seemed to be another missed opportunity.
 
Meghan has given her keynote speech for One Young World. Unfortunately, in my opinion, she has fallen into the same trap she always has done in her public speaking (and now in her podcast). I remember exchanging private messages with forum members about this habit of Meghan's when she first stepped into the royal spotlight-- a time when I, and the overwhelming majority of my fellow posters, were supportive of Meghan. It's the number one pitfall a trained public speaker will be taught to avoid and that will never fail to make a well-presented speech, sound in every other way, quick to make audience members wonder, "Is it over yet?"



She takes every topic and turns it into a story about herself and her relationship to the topic.



Today's speech wasn't about One Young World. It was about Meghan and how Meghan relates to OYW.



It's a shame because Meghan is a wonderful speaker and presents beautifully. The message she was getting at today was a powerful one. But this speech wasn't actually about the organization or the message, it was about the speaker.



Well, I’m not surprised she made this about herself. Pretty standard, as you said.

I did think it was interesting that she said how good it was to be back in the UK, given how much time she spends talking about how miserable her experience was.
 
I have decided there are two Meghans, the one who arrived in Manchester today, looked beautiful gave a speech, said all the right things about being glad to be back in the UK etc etc. Last week we had the Meghan that gave an interview, said highly dubious and contentious things about the UK press. Made what sounded like threats to the family regarding her journal, and how she could say more if she wanted as she had never signed anything.
All very strange.

I'd like to believe that there are two Meghan's but I really can't see them. The Meghan in Manchester is no different from the Meghan of the podcasts: the subject matter and venue is only a medium for her to speak about herself. It has nothing to do with the audience, or the interviewee as the case may be. It is also difficult to be rude about the BRF in front of a live audience, she may get called out by the audience. For that, wait for the next sympathetic interview.
 
suztav, I feel the same way.

If, the relationships-situation stays the same, or worsens, I do feel the Children *could* very well be the ones that lose out.
Its all and fine now for the Children. They for years will be insulated from these troubles. But what about 10 -15 years from now ?
If the break -breach is never resolved ? Just a Cold War, with extremely limited interactions similar to The carefully staged Jubilee ?

Teenagers, then later as young adults who see constantly in the spotlight that their estranged Grandfather is the King, Uncle William is Prince of Wales and their unknown cousins are International media darlings.

All of the "Royal" heritage and traditions of the UK Windsor Family completely unknown to them. No context, except what they read or see in movies or documentaries, books or YouTube type outlets.
Or Netflix......

So, yes that could be a very challenging experience to navigate coming the Sussex Family's way. Meghan was her fathers pride and joy as a child, teen and young woman. Harry was beloved in his Family, close to his brother and cousins too. Simply adored, and I believe after The Queen the most popular Royal in the UK and Commonwealth.

All crumbled now. Dust in the wind. Both Harry and Meghan on the complete outs with EVERYONE on both sides except for Mother Doria and seemingly cousin Eugenie.
So I completely agree, who might be the biggest losers. The Sussex Children.

I guess the best that can be hoped for is that the drama gets severely dialed down. That the ongoing ventures by The Sussex's in 2023 take a different tactic forward.

MOVE away from angst and recriminations constantly cited by Meghan in her very short tenure as a working Royal. Just stop. And hope that Harry wouldn't or didn't go full scorched earth against the Family-Firm in his upcoming Memoir.
The window for reconciliation seems closing more with each passing month and some new allegation. Hope it doesn't get slammed shut and locked down too.

I'd like to believe that there are two Meghan's but I really can't see them. The Meghan in Manchester is no different from the Meghan of the podcasts: the subject matter and venue is only a medium for her to speak about herself. It has nothing to do with the audience, or the interviewee as the case may be. It is also difficult to be rude about the BRF in front of a live audience, she may get called out by the audience. For that, wait for the next sympathetic interview.

Like HRHHermione in another post I could see what might have been.
OK maybe the speech wasn't the best, although I didn't listen to it, but it was a glimmer of what, might have been.

I think the two Meghans came from the fact that yesterday she seemed happy, where as in the other stuff she comes over as , vindictive , with selective memory, bitter.
Snide comments that were obviously aimed at family members.
All that does not make you happy or glow, it brings you down.

To be honest I do not know how she had the nerve to come back to the UK
Or maybe she is a better actress than I give her credit for.

I did read some of the speech and noted that after attending an earlier conference with world leaders, she had taken her place card as she couldn't believe she was there. I recall Diana being filmed lifting her place card in one of her earliest events .

It was a side door entrance and exit .
 
Adding a personal angle to your speech is one of the most commonly used ways to connect with your audience. I would say you'd think some people had never heard a speech before (let alone a speech by a royal) but then I'm pretty sure to the same people, commentators, experts etc. Meghan was damned if she did and damned if she didn't, so why bother.
 
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She used “I” 54 times in 7 minutes. Overdone. Also, there wasn’t anything about gender equality, as far as I understand. Not much content, actually.
 
I am all for bringing yourself into a speech and making it personal and therefore relatable. However this actually managed to make it unrelatable and cringe. I really would like to know who is writing these speeches.
Was the speech supposed to be able Gender Equality? or was that the whole conference?

Quick fact about myself - I was invited to join One World. But search on the charity database threw up enough red flags that I refrained and send a thank you no thanks. This is the same database that royals use to decide if they want to involved - at any capacity or level to a charity. So this charity will never get a royal patron or president - so in a way this is a coup. Oddly - I wonder if BP didn't ask Meghan to end her association here.
 
I dont think that charities will be getting royal patrons much from now on. THe tendnecy is to cut down....
 
Adding a personal angle to your speech is one of the most commonly used ways to connect with your audience. I would say you'd think some people had never heard a speech before (let alone a speech by a royal) but then I'm pretty sure to the same people, commentators, experts etc. Meghan was damned if she did and damned if she didn't, so why bother.

When I graduated from college, a famous alumna of my institution gave the address. She told an amusing anecdote about her own graduation weekend. It was funny, relatable, and took 30 seconds of a 20 minute address.

This is an example of the commonly used adding a personal example to connect with the audience to great effect. Meghan's speech did not have a personal angle added in; it was simply a speech about herself.
 
Harry and Meghan still draw attention wherever they go. The Manchester Evening News has printed pretty much the full text of Meghan's speech, compared to part of Andy Burnham (the Mayor of Greater Manchester)'s and none of Bob Geldof's. So they've got quite a platform. But Meghan just used it to talk about herself. Other speakers talked about how Manchester's coped with the 2017 bombing at the Ariana Grande concert, but Meghan didn't even manage to mention that. It was just I this, I that and I the other.
 
Personal anecdotes should help bring the audience into the purpose of the speech. For example:

I was overwhelmed and humbled to be at the table with so many leaders but I learned to do x or I
learned that I could contribute y.
I met a woman who had fled a war torn country and she is now doing x, or she inspired me to do
y.
The other conferences I attended achieved x.
I met some attendees who explained they are planning to do x.

I'm also not sure that she did connect with the audience. There were several times when she should have gotten a response (i.e., how many of you are excited and overwhelmed to be here) and was met with silence. The only real response she received was when she mentioned Suits and then her marriage and becoming a mom.

I am not just criticizing Meghan to criticize her, it was a missed opportunity on Meghan's part.
 
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Harry and Meghan?s red carpet treatment in Germany.

Harry and Meghan get the red carpet treatment in Germany | Daily Mail Online

The couple were all smiles as they arrived in the city's main square where hundreds of royal fans stood for over two hours in the stifling heat to see them promote the games exactly a year before it is due to start next September.

And the event had many of the hallmarks of a royal visit despite the couple being classed as private citizens rather than royals by German police.

Harry wore a grey suit with an open neck shirt and put a comforting hand around his wife?s back as they walked towards an Invictus banner outside the town hall entrance.

Meghan beamed as a woman in the crowd shouted out ?you?re beautiful? and scores of people cheered.

Others shouted out the Prince?s name and he seemed to find the adulation amusing.

Harry looked relaxed as he waved and smiled at the crowd.

Their arrival had been delayed by 10 minutes due to the volume of traffic coming into the city centre.
 
Harry and Meghan still draw attention wherever they go. The Manchester Evening News has printed pretty much the full text of Meghan's speech, compared to part of Andy Burnham (the Mayor of Greater Manchester)'s and none of Bob Geldof's. So they've got quite a platform. But Meghan just used it to talk about herself. Other speakers talked about how Manchester's coped with the 2017 bombing at the Ariana Grande concert, but Meghan didn't even manage to mention that. It was just I this, I that and I the other.

How long would they continue to have a big platform if they didn’t make things about their own story? If they’d discreetly left the Royal Family without publicizing any conflict and without ongoing complaints, and then kept their personal narrative out of their public remarks and speeches?

Their big platform isn’t built on anything substantive. Bob Geldof doesn’t need to get his remarks reprinted in the paper in order to command attention when he wants it - he has the luxury of going to Manchester and speaking about issues related to Manchester. Meghan and Harry no longer have the formal association with the working BRF, and they haven’t replaced that with any significant professional accomplishments. Whatever plans they do have seem to be based entirely on their ability to remain in the public eye, and that won’t happen if they only talk about issues and causes.
 
Harry and Meghan still draw attention wherever they go. The Manchester Evening News has printed pretty much the full text of Meghan's speech, compared to part of Andy Burnham (the Mayor of Greater Manchester)'s and none of Bob Geldof's. So they've got quite a platform. But Meghan just used it to talk about herself. Other speakers talked about how Manchester's coped with the 2017 bombing at the Ariana Grande concert, but Meghan didn't even manage to mention that. It was just I this, I that and I the other.




I am more than a little surprised that she did not mention anything about the host city's response to one of the UK's worst acts of terrorism in recent years. Especially since the BRF have involved in either addressing the situation or visiting the city ever since the attack. (Harry addressed this in 2017 when he met with former POTUS Obama. https://www.etonline.com/news/21849...nsington_palace_to_discuss_manchester_victims)



Unfortunately this was a missed opportunity to counter some of the criticism that she's received in the past two weeks. She looked wonderful and can deliver a prepared speech very well, however it was again too focused upon herself.
 
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Harry and Meghan?s red carpet treatment in Germany.

Harry and Meghan get the red carpet treatment in Germany | Daily Mail Online

The couple were all smiles as they arrived in the city's main square where hundreds of royal fans stood for over two hours in the stifling heat to see them promote the games exactly a year before it is due to start next September.

And the event had many of the hallmarks of a royal visit despite the couple being classed as private citizens rather than royals by German police.

Harry wore a grey suit with an open neck shirt and put a comforting hand around his wife?s back as they walked towards an Invictus banner outside the town hall entrance.

Meghan beamed as a woman in the crowd shouted out ?you?re beautiful? and scores of people cheered.

Others shouted out the Prince?s name and he seemed to find the adulation amusing.

Harry looked relaxed as he waved and smiled at the crowd.

Their arrival had been delayed by 10 minutes due to the volume of traffic coming into the city centre.
They went in a side door in Manchester
 
Well, probably a lot of the speakers and counsellors went in at the side door, for convenience. The audience were receptive. There were cheers and applause.
 
When I graduated from college, a famous alumna of my institution gave the address. She told an amusing anecdote about her own graduation weekend. It was funny, relatable, and took 30 seconds of a 20 minute address.

This is an example of the commonly used adding a personal example to connect with the audience to great effect. Meghan's speech did not have a personal angle added in; it was simply a speech about herself

I mean, she's drawing on her own experience because she has been in the same place as the participants. The only time she slightly veers away is when she briefly mentions Harry. And with all due respect, the opening speech of a summit is not really comparable to a commencement speech ;)

[…]All I'm saying is that I don't think any other royal in a similar position as Meghan (with a long-standing involvement with the organisation) would have given a much different speech. As someone who has attended a fair amount of the same types of summits and conferences, it's a pretty standard opening speech by an "alumni" of the organisation.
 
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I mean, she's drawing on her own experience because she has been in the same place as the participants. The only time she slightly veers away is when she briefly mentions Harry. And with all due respect, the opening speech of a summit is not really comparable to a commencement speech ;)

[…]All I'm saying is that I don't think any other royal in a similar position as Meghan (with a long-standing involvement with the organisation) would have given a much different speech. As someone who has attended a fair amount of the same types of summits and conferences, it's a pretty standard opening speech by an "alumni" of the organisation.

I am not sure where the same experience comes in , she attended private schools. Paid for by her father.
 
:previous: If you're not sure about that, it tells me you probably haven't listened to the speech as it revolves around around her own experience with One Young World (one that she shares with the participants) :flowers:
 
The organisers of OYW should be embarrassed that they gave pride of place to MM’s speech when they had an individual of Mary Robinson’s gravitas & stature present. And had H&M sat as the principal guests. Not to mention Bob Geldof. It just makes them look foolish.
 
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