The Duke & Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 3: March - April 2021

[US Royal Watcher]

According to the Prince of Wales website - In 2020, Harry, William and their wives received a total of 5.6 million pounds ($7.7 million ) and in 2019, they received 5.05 million pounds ($7 million). In 2018, before Harry's marriage, they received a little less than 5 million pounds, so it doesn't seem to have gone up much - unless Charles started using his personal funds.
https://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/annual-review/2019-2020/income-expenditure-and-staff

ETA: I meant to say that between 2018 and 2019, there wasn't a large increase associated with Harry's marriage. There was a 10% increase between 2019 and 2020, which was probably due to splitting up the foundation.

 

[_Heather_]

Oh good grief. Now Harry and Meghan’s representatives have issued a statement to let everyone know that he didn’t get any money from the Queen Mother’s estate. My goodness, do they really have nothing else to do?

https://www.express.co.uk/news/roya...ance-will-sussex-funding-meghan-markle-latest

 

[Alison H]

If the former, it’s a hateful thing to have said; but the latter is almost as bad, because that was predicting doom for a marriage which had not yet occurred.

I don't think it's hateful to raise doubts, although it's possibly not very tactful. Before the Queen married Prince Philip, a lot of doubts were raised about whether or not Philip would fit in. I don't think it's that unusual for close friends and relatives to say, politely, are you sure this is going to work out, if the couple are from different cultures or religions, or there's a big age gap, or if the couple seem to have very different views and interests. That doesn't mean that things won't work out - they certainly have for the Queen and Prince Philip ? - but I don't think it's unreasonable for a concerned loved one to ask the question.

If someone had pointed out that Charles and Diana had nothing in common and that maybe they weren't suited, maybe they'd have thought a bit harder. Being different works for some couples, but it doesn't for others.

 

[poppy7]

Oh good grief. Now Harry and Meghan’s representatives have issued a statement to let everyone know that he didn’t get any money from the Queen Mother’s estate. My goodness, do they really have nothing else to do?

https://www.express.co.uk/news/roya...ance-will-sussex-funding-meghan-markle-latest

I never really fully got the whole: she set up trusts for her great grandchildren. I mean in total she had 12. I dont think 3 had been born when she died. How would that be fair.

 

[Heavs]

I don't think it's hateful to raise doubts, although it's possibly not very tactful. Before the Queen married Prince Philip, a lot of doubts were raised about whether or not Philip would fit in. I don't think it's that unusual for close friends and relatives to say, politely, are you sure this is going to work out, if the couple are from different cultures or religions, or there's a big age gap, or if the couple seem to have very different views and interests. That doesn't mean that things won't work out - they certainly have for the Queen and Prince Philip ? - but I don't think it's unreasonable for a concerned loved one to ask the question.

If someone had pointed out that Charles and Diana had nothing in common and that maybe they weren't suited, maybe they'd have thought a bit harder. Being different works for some couples, but it doesn't for others.

We also know William advised not rushing anything as well. Which was advice that he himself had followed very carefully and got sold out by his brother for his troubles. It's completely understandable that various members might be worried about two very different ways of life and moving very fast even if the person in the relationship very often doesn't want to hear it.

[...]

RE: Harry's rep clarifying to Forbes that he didn't receive any of his Great Grandmother's estate. Really? That's where we're at now? Is it possible it's technically still held in trust that he can't easily access? It's a little pathetic to be saying this. "No Great Gran didn't leave me 14 million but I still had my mother's millions and Daddy was paying for me up to last year!" But I have to clarify I don't have as much as everyone thought I did. So it's totally fair to complain about not having any money. But I still bought a 16 bathroom mansion in the most expensive place in California. [-]That Pa might have helped buy.[/-] They bought the house before the Netflix deal was announced.

Is this an April Fools satire? I know there was talk that she died in debt so didn't leave cash but other assets. Even assuming he didn't get anything probably Peter, Zara, Bea, Eugenie, the Chattos, A-Js etc (Louise and James weren't born) probably didn't get anything either and haven't complained about it publicly whilst also saying they wanted to be "financially independent".

 

[_Heather_]

I never really fully got the whole: she set up trusts for her great grandchildren. I mean in total she had 12. I dont think 3 had been born when she died. How would that be fair.

I have no idea. I just think it’s ridiculous that they’re so concerned with the gossip floating around message boards abs social media that they have to go out of their way to issue a statement to the whole world that says he did t get anything from the Queen Mother. I mean, goodness, are they really that concerned with the fact checking happening after their Oprah train wreck? If so then I’d have thought they’d have tried to be more truthful to begin with rather than having to play defense now.

 

[ladongas]

This article is about Margaret and Diana, but here’s a thought-provoking quote:

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/s...ss-margaret-diana-andrew-morton-book-excerpt/

Regarding Diana:

“The Queen invited newspaper editors to Buckingham Palace and politely asked them to give a modicum of privacy to the newest member of ‘the Firm.’”

Does anyone know if she did something similar for Meghan?

 

[TLLK]

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/s...ss-margaret-diana-andrew-morton-book-excerpt/

Regarding Diana:

“The Queen invited newspaper editors to Buckingham Palace and politely asked them to give a modicum of privacy to the newest member of ‘the Firm.’”

Does anyone know if she did something similar for Meghan?

No she did not because in all honesty, it didn't really help the situation with the press for Diana. I believe that because of the lack of response from the editors, that she chose not to do it for Sarah Ferguson, Timothy Laurence, Sophie Rhys-Jones, Camilla Parker-Bowles, Autumn Kelly, Catherine Middleton, Mike Tindall, Jack Brooksbank or Edo Mapelli-Mozzi either.

 

[Erin9]

Oh good grief. Now Harry and Meghan’s representatives have issued a statement to let everyone know that he didn’t get any money from the Queen Mother’s estate. My goodness, do they really have nothing else to do?



https://www.express.co.uk/news/roya...ance-will-sussex-funding-meghan-markle-latest

Why?? No one cares IMO. No one needs to know either.

Do they just want to be in the news that badly? Or- is this a way of complaining about somehow being cash poor since he didn’t inherit from the QM.

 

[Heavs]

No she did not because in all honesty, it didn't really help the situation with the press for Diana. I believe that because of the lack of response from the editors, that she chose not to do it for Sarah Ferguson, Timothy Laurence, Sophie Rhys-Jones, Camilla Parker-Bowles, Autumn Kelly, Catherine Middleton, Mike Tindall, Jack Brooksbank or Edo Mapelli-Mozzi either.

Yes quite.

Camilla Tominey says in her "Harry, Meghan and Me" article that:

The royal press pack is the group of dedicated writers who cover all the official engagements and tours on a rota system, in exchange for not bothering the royals as they go about their private business. It was a shame this ragtag bunch, of which I am an associate member, was never personally introduced to Meghan when the couple got engaged in November 2017.

I still have fond memories of a then Kate Middleton, upon her engagement to Prince William in November 2010, showing me her huge sapphire and diamond ring following a press conference at St James’s Palace with the words, ‘It was William’s mother’s so it is very special.’

I replied that she might want to consider buying ‘one of those expanding accordion style file holders’ to organise all her wedding paperwork. (Reader, I had given birth to my second child less than four months earlier and was still lactating.)

Not meeting Meghan did not stop royal commentators like me writing reams about her being ‘a breath of fresh air’ and telling practically every TV show I appeared on that she was the ‘best thing to have happened to the Royal Family in years’

It seems to have been a Sussex choice for the press not to meet Meghan but it didn't stop positive articles being written and wouldn't have stopped negative ones being written.

If the DM can track down Edoardo's ex fiancée's parents to ask them for a story nothing was going to stop them writing about Meghan's life but to start with a lot of it was positive.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

No she did not because in all honesty, it didn't really help the situation with the press for Diana. I believe that because of the lack of response from the editors, that she chose not to do it for Sarah Ferguson, Timothy Laurence, Sophie Rhys-Jones, Camilla Parker-Bowles, Autumn Kelly, Catherine Middleton, Mike Tindall, Jack Brooksbank or Edo Mapelli-Mozzi either.

I agree. Moreover, Diana's problems with the media were different. The media adored Diana, the problem was the paparazzi photographing her every move (including when she was on private property). I remember seeing her surrounded by photographers everywhere she went. Diana was hounded in a way that Meghan (thankfully) was not.

 

[Lord Pemberley]

I never really fully got the whole: she set up trusts for her great grandchildren. I mean in total she had 12. I dont think 3 had been born when she died. How would that be fair.

This article from 2002 https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/apr/03/queenmother.monarchy2 says the trust funds were set up in 1994 to dodge Inheritance Tax. This was therefore nothing to do with fairness to all (prospective) grandchildren - from a legal tax avoidance perspective, skipping as many generations as possible makes most sense. Only Peter, Zara, William, Harry, Beatrice and Eugenie would have been born at the point the trusts were set up, although the article does suggest she also left money to Princess Margaret’s children (although isn’t clear if they - or Prince Edward - got Trust Funds too).

According to Which https://www.which.co.uk/money/tax/inheritance-tax/inheritance-tax-and-trusts-a8x4k7z0kspg money in Trusts don’t form part of an estate so Harry could have received money from a Trust Fund set up by the Queen Mother but not received money form her estate as stated by his representative

 

[Zonk]

Congratulations!

Closed for moderator review.

 

[Jacknch]

This thread is now closed. A new thread can be found here.