The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 9: August 2023 - July 2024

[Mirabel]

Meghan visited the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles last week

Nice PR move. Makes me think of Queen Mary's quote about loving hospitals.

 

[stunking]

Once again she brought a camera crew to make sure people saw what she was doing. These kids have cancer and she didn't show the photos of the kids so sick they couldn't respond to the reading or her signing Polaroid photos, how would they know who she is. Using kids with cancer for a PR stunt is despicable. The Kardasians do the same thing at this hospital, it's called pay for play. She won't even show her own kids but uses kids with cancer for PR.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

If she really car d about charity she wouldn't bring camera crews.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

From what I can see, it was the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles own photographers who took the pictures, not HRH The Duchess of Sussex's.

 

[Anna1519]

Genuinely laughed out loud at the implication that a photographer being present invalidates a charitable visit. If that's the new standard, I hope those who are disparaging the Duchess of Sussex take a good look at the behavior of their own favorites.

 

[Erin9]

My question regarding the visit is why a visit from her would mean anything to the kids.

 

[Curryong]

Do visits from celebrities and even royals ‘mean’ anything important to sick children? Except perhaps people dressed up as characters from animated films, Santa and his helpers etc. However, many hospitals welcome publicity which brings fans’donations hopefully and staff and parents are often curious and excited.

Having said all that, if you look at the faces of the children who were photographed and who met Meghan, they appear happy, interested and excited to interact with her.
Even publications who don’t care for Meghan reported that she and the children she met seemed to be really getting on well. And it’s a break from feeling ill and having treatment. Or isn’t that worth anything?

 

[HenRach Dominion]

My question regarding the visit is why a visit from her would mean anything to the kids.

There are many celebrities who involve themselves with children's charities in spite not being big names within children's entertainment. The Children's Hospital of Los Angeles's Instagram page has a picture of Danny Trejo, who is way out of the children's demographic.

On top of that, HRH The Duchess of Sussex was also helping to promote CHLA's Literally Healing program (Literally Healing), a program that focuses on using literature to help ease children through their illnesses. I saw through social media several people who donated to the program specifically because they saw that HRH The Duchess of Sussex participated in their reading time.

 

[Ghost]

My question regarding the visit is why a visit from her would mean anything to the kids.

It doesn’t unless she would be some sort of hero, like having played in Avatar or Avengers or Spiderman. She hasn’t.
And the books she chose to read seemed to be addressed to toddlers and the average age of the children assisting was about ten, I think? There’s a picture of a boy who got a pic with autograph, he looks bored.

 

[Alison H]

Do visits from celebrities and even royals ‘mean’ anything important to sick children? Except perhaps people dressed up as characters from animated films, Santa and his helpers etc. However, many hospitals welcome publicity which brings fans’donations hopefully and staff and parents are often curious and excited

Yes, they do. It's a "thing" in the UK that footballers visit children in hospital in the run up to Christmas, and the kids always say how excited they were to meet their heroes. Likewise, kids always say how exciting it was to receive a visit from a member of the Royal Family. I doubt that a visit from an unpopular ex-royal would have quite the same effect, but I think that visits to children in hospital in general can mean a lot.

 

[Lee-Z]

Well, 'unpopular' is a subjective thing isn't it...i'm personally not a big Taylor Swift follower, but there are millions and millions who think otherwise, and good for them

See this as getting involved in other people's lives, give them a welcome visit, or at the very least a bit of distraction from everyday life (especially in a hospital where everyday life likely involves many not so pleasant things for the kids), and if a visit by a Kim Kardashian or a Meghan Markle or another celeb inspires even one of their fans to do a nice thing for another person too, then i say 'let's have more of it'


(and yes, ofcourse it also brings publicity for the celeb, but as Phoebe learned in the series Friends, there isn't such a thing as a Selfless Good Deed )

 

[Magnolia471]

She is not really known or popular among little children. Nobody is implying that she is irrelevant! But the demographics interested in her are usually older millenians or boomers.
Probably those kids would have been more excited to see a young Tiktoker, singer or an athlete not a middle age woman they probably never heard of.

 

[Curryong]

Well, you could exactly say that about loads of other celebrities who happen to have reached the age of 40 or so all the world over, including quite a few royals.

None of us can help growing older. Does that mean that any attempt to assist hospitals with donations or programmes are useless unless you are under 30?

 

[shady lady]

Once again she brought a camera crew to make sure people saw what she was doing. These kids have cancer and she didn't show the photos of the kids so sick they couldn't respond to the reading or her signing Polaroid photos, how would they know who she is. Using kids with cancer for a PR stunt is despicable. The Kardasians do the same thing at this hospital, it's called pay for play. She won't even show her own kids but uses kids with cancer for PR.

I've held back on commenting on this before now, but I completely agree. IMO the primary objective here is to make herself look good, I'm afraid.

There are suggestions online that the photos weren't published until April 2nd, but the visit was made on 21st March; in other words they were held back for the "right" time and to bury bad news - Diddy etc. It's a well-established pattern. It would also be interesting to know who approached who re: the visit.

It's not like a UK Royal visit where the BRF represent us, the UK public; ergo they are publicised. She is not a hero to the young, like a sports personality or TV star or such. MM represents no one (except in her head perhaps) and neither do I. I don't need a camera when I perform a good deed. Why does she? Answer: because she is desperate to be relevant and seen to be "doing good" to further her "career" and ambitions, but here in the UK (and elsewhere) the vast majority of people can see right through it.

Just my opinion, and this will be my only comment on the subject.

 

[Maryrose]

She visited the children's ward for part of their Literally Healing campaign. If people can't get past their dislike for her that is on them. It is a good cause.

 

[Thain]

There are suggestions online that the photos weren't published until April 2nd, but the visit was made on 21st March; in other words they were held back for the "right" time and to bury bad news - Diddy etc.

If the photos were held back it was most likely because Kate's health announcement was on March 22.

 

[Prinsara]

My question regarding the visit is why a visit from her would mean anything to the kids.

Mine is why the visit means anything? It’s not like she has a regular pattern of volunteering or a true connection with any hospital, kids’ place, or other charitable institution, here or anywhere (we’d know about it). So she visited once. Like she visited that women’s shelter once.

It might count for a little bit, but in the end, not much.

 

[Maryrose]

So if there are pictures of her volunteering at charity events then she is looking for attention but if there are no pictures then that means she is not volunteering at charity events.

 

[Snowangel]

So if there are pictures of her volunteering at charity events then she is looking for attention but if there are no pictures then that means she is not volunteering at charity events.

Yes, she can't win

 

[Prinsara]

So if there are pictures of her volunteering at charity events then she is looking for attention but if there are no pictures then that means she is not volunteering at charity events.

Hardly. If Meghan had a regular volunteer link with some organization, we would hear about it, and how long Meghan has been connected with them and how often she comes in. Probably from the organization, who would want to publicize it.

Would that mean we got a picture every time she was there? Not necessarily.

Do the Sussexes have a documented history of documenting their lives for their own reasons? They do.

 

[Lee-Z]

On another note...does anyone know if there is an update already on the stuff the new brand American Riviera Orchard is going to promote/sell? Had a quick look at the website, but bothing seems to have changed, still only an email to subscribe and a link to IG?
Would have thought when she announced it, that there would be a follow-up really soon, this way it seems that all the publicity is wasted in a way?

 

[GondorHasNoPants]

On another note...does anyone know if there is an update already on the stuff the new brand American Riviera Orchard is going to promote/sell? Had a quick look at the website, but bothing seems to have changed, still only an email to subscribe and a link to IG?
Would have thought when she announced it, that there would be a follow-up really soon, this way it seems that all the publicity is wasted in a way?

According to this article in The Daily Mail, "the full outline of Meghan's new brand will become clear very soon, with sources saying that it will go live in early to mid-April".

I don't know exactly what 'go live' means. Presumably 'offer products for purchase'? Time will tell soon enough.

 

[Ghost]

Distant relatives?

Hate? I doubt, the only ones giving voice to any kind of feeling are the Sussexes, and they expressed their hate aplenty.

 

[Frelinghighness]

Found this detailed article on the American Riviera Orchard brand. By the way, in all the decades living in the USA to a point of no return, I've never, ever seen or heard the term American Riviera used to refer to any part on SoCal (South California), in paper, TV or movies. Never.

​

Meghan Markle's American Riviera Orchard Brand: Everything We Know So Far

Excerpts:
"...Alongside the branding, a 16-second short film sets the aesthetic tone for the commercial venture.
Shot in a soft focus and underscored by the 1960 song "I Wish You Love" by Nancy Wilson, the video features clips of a figure (apparently Meghan) arranging flowers and posing in a ballgown."

"...On February 2, a trademark application for the name was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by the company Mama Knows Best, LLC..."

"The trademarks have been registered to use the name for the purpose of a number of lifestyle related goods and services both for retail-store and e-commerce, these include: flatware; cookbooks; household linens; jellies, jams, nut butters and spreads; gift wrap; stationary; candles; yoga mats and pet food."
And the start of the article this line caught my eye for being delusional, comparing Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow to self-made billionaire Martha Stewart:

" ...her highly anticipated lifestyle brand set to place her shoulder to shoulder with Hollywood's influencing elite, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Martha Stewart."

FYI Neither Paltrow, Markle or any other Hollywood celebrity can even compare to Martha Stewart's long career that started as working very young to help her parents, working on the Wall Street floor to support, again her parents and family, becoming a divorced single parent and working even harder to create a baking business, flipping houses on the side, getting an opportunity with Julia Child's cooking show to be seen as an up and coming TV entrepreneur, creating a magazine and a household good brand, going to prison because of an angry employee, for losing her own money in Wall Street, and reinventing herself again back to the top to support herself and her now adult daughter's family.

Neither Meghan nor Hollywood princess Paltrow can match Martha Stewart's life of hard work as a daughter first helping her parents, then as a single parent supporting two generations with her work. Sorry, but that's the truth.

Martha started with a catering business, and I met her at one of the events around 1980. She was using vegetables and also using hollowed out vegetables as serving vehicles very inventive. She’s also very tall and she modeled before working on Wall Street.

 

[Somebody]

It doesn’t unless she would be some sort of hero, like having played in Avatar or Avengers or Spiderman. She hasn’t.
And the books she chose to read seemed to be addressed to toddlers and the average age of the children assisting was about ten, I think? There’s a picture of a boy who got a pic with autograph, he looks bored.

Exactly. It is a great cause but of you want to promote reading, the least you should do is make sure that the book you are reading to the children is interesting and age-appropriate.

 

[HenRach Dominion]

With regards to HRH The Duchess of Sussex's visit to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, here are the facts:
- Photos of the visit appear on CHLA's own Instagram page, not on TRH The Sussexes's website
- Other celebrities that don't appeal to children often work with children's charities, like the aforementioned Danny Trejo
- Photos of said celebrities often appear on CHLA's Instagram page
- There were specific activities tied to the different books HRH The Duchess of Sussex read
- CHLA is running a fundraiser in March pertaining to their Literally Healing program
- Several people have donated to said fundraiser thanks to HRH The Duchess of Sussex's involvement

My opinion on these facts? CHLA often invites celebrities to spend time with the children in order to encourage their fans to donate to their fundraisers, and HRH The Duchess of Sussex has enough fans who would actually so, justifying inviting her in the first place.

Many people criticize TRH The Sussexes philanthropic endeavors because, unlike the BRF, they are only trying to create good PR for themselves rather than represent the British people. I always wonder if the British Royal Family was just a wealthy non-titled British family or a titled British family without the Sovereign Grant or the Duchies of Lancaster or Cornwall behind them would their philanthropic endeavors be as vast or lauded as they are now.

 

[Maryrose]

I think the purpose of volunteering is getting lost here. You don't have to be a super hero, sports figure or influencer to volunteer your time. People do it everyday and no one knows who they are but I am sure the sharing of their time is greatly appreciated. She read a few books not sure if she is the one who picked them out or was given these books to read. It's a worthy cause that has raised quite a bit of money in the past few years. As someone posted above it's for very sick children.

 

[shady lady]

Yes, she can't win

You're absolutely right. No, she can't win. MM and PH started the war against the BRF and the UK, that they knew was unfair and based on many, many statements that were proven to be lies. The two of them must now live with the consequences. Trust has long gone out of the window I'm afraid, which means whatever the two of them do, yes, it will be questioned, for which they only have themselves to blame.

It's not about not forgiving, it's all about not forgetting; as The Who so eloquently wrote, we "Won't get fooled again" - which is a great song, by the way!

 

[FigTree]

It's all nearly irrelevant. The royals have huge concerns at the moment and they are not high on anyone's list. I wish H and M peace and happiness.

 

[Katariina]

Genuinely laughed out loud at the implication that a photographer being present invalidates a charitable visit. If that's the new standard, I hope those who are disparaging the Duchess of Sussex take a good look at the behavior of their own favorites.

Personally I feel no celebrity visiting kids matters, apart from those actors who dress up as superheroes. Visiting adults in hospitals seems more meaningful to me if it it is done, at least if the celebrities have some time to actually talk rather than just to take a photo. Or if either visit comes with some kind of other benefit like the celeb paying for the hospital food that day to be a bit better! Royals visiting can be seen as government attention to hospital conditions, even if the royals themselves don't exactly directly have something to do with the matter. Meghan isn't doing this however.

But my views are colored from me being from Finland and I don't this anyone here would love visits of strangers, let alone photos from hospital! Hopefully the people being visited have requested this in advance with every celebrity.