British Royal Family Part 9: general gossip and information

Thank you, BRF gossip troll. You are a true gift.

R1 Thanks doll! The pleasure is mine!

R594, what an idiot this person is. There's an official birthday pic of George feeding Lupo some ice-cream.

But don't tell her - you KNOW she'd be rambling on about Kate being a bad and irresponsible mother, letting her son give the dog some ice-cream.

On my travels on Instagram, I came across this post.

I didn't realize that the Queen and Prince Philip have statues ON Canterbury Cathedral.

You never know what you'll discover when you wonder.

^ wander

I didn't find this linked anywhere else, so here is a Youtube link to

"A Very Royal Narcissist" where the narrator analyses the behavior of Sparkle on the lead up the wedding and compares aspects to the traits of a narcissist.

Some new bits I hadn't heard before.

A lovely photo of the Queen with her youngest, Prince Edward.

Another gem of a photo - Elizabeth and Philip CURTSEYING and BOWING to African royalty.

Camilla The Tampon never looked as good as she did on her wedding day to Charles.

Granted H&M are in the news today for their unfortunate (in my view) choice of a Christmas card so dishing on that is understandable, but do let us try and keep the BRF threads from becoming MM centric as was starting to happen on Part 8. We want a buffet of gossip here, not just one entree.

Fabulous photo find r8!

Just your every day kilted couple spending an afternoon in the country...

Another Balmoral classic.

How/where did you discover that R4? I had no idea either! Keep these snaps coming. Treasure trove!

Carnaby St. Camilla.

R13 - browsing through snaps with the hashtag #queenelizabethii. I learn or see something new every day.

Charles and Diana in the early stages of marriage. He did try. So much promise that quickly disintegrated.

R8, I'm sure this photo was taken before Elizabeth was crowned. When she was Princess Elizabeth, she was expected to bow before every reigning monarch that she came in contact with, as was Philip - and as Philip still is to this day, since he remains a prince and not a king or queen. That's how it works.

Did Camilla have work done? She looks better at R9 than at R14.

The Queen still rides her beloved horses in all kinds of weather. Her Majesty looks quite miserable here.

Will and Kate listening to the band play.

This "Queen Working At McDonald's" post made me laugh.

The current Queen's father, George VI (formerly Prince Albert, Duke of York) was born on this day in 1895.

Interesting tidbit: both Queen Victoria's husband Albert and her daughter Alice both died on this day 17 years apart.

My god, the Mail has gone royalty mad. It has no less than NINE stories on the main page. Crikey.

I don't like either Christmas card photo. They're royalty, I'd like to see them in the jewelry and regalia. Both these pictures have the we're pretending to be just like the rest of you vibe, though in two different ways.

Princess Charlotte looks like Prince William (and the Queen)

The breakfast in bed for the married ladies was shown on Downton Abbey, I didn't know it was still a tradition. MerchingMarkle must love that.

Are the kids at the table for other meals? If so, I hope Princess Charlotte side eyes AuntieMerchingMarkle big time.

R25, Your last statement had me laughing.

My vision of the interaction between those 2 would be PC looking at AMM and saying, very assertively for all to hear..."I don't like you. You made my Mum cry."

Still one of my faves....

R25, I cringe to think of Meghan anywhere near the Cambridge children. Will and Kate are doubtless civil and kind at all times, but I hope they will both be on high alert over Christmas and will do their best to limit Meghan's opportunities to snoop and meddle.

I get that the queen is a living symbol and all that jazz, but I'd love to see her with a different hairstyle. I'm not a fan of those curls at front when she's not wearing a crown. Argh!!!

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Does anyone know the Queen's preferred maker of scarves? I'm guessing she exclusively wears Hermès, but perhaps there's a British maker I'm not familiar with.

The kids eat separately in the nursery. I wouldn’t be surprised if that tradition stops once the Queen dies as that seems really Edwardian in nature

Eating separately might be easier on the kids. They don't have to be as formal and they can end earlier than the adults. Kate and Will seem very hands on in their parenting, so if the practice doesn't end with Charles it might end with William.

The Cambridges' Christmas card is on the front of four of tomorrow's British newspapers. Harry and Meghan's isn't on any, although the Telegraph does feature an article about "the designer who reinvented the Duchess of Sussex".

^The sooner Hapless Harry and Merching Megsy realise they're becoming more and more irrelevant as time goes by, the better.

R25 I don't think it is. Maybe in 1918, not in 2018. I thought I read somewhere that the Queen had breakfast served for her in her room, but at a table and with Philip alongside. Something about them serving themselves cereal out of plastic containers too. Not Downton at all.

R25 Forgot to say. Another faint memory of Chrissy at Sandringham - the children eat earlier than the adults and then are in bed before the adults start their late supper. They also apparently open all gifts on Christmas Eve, a German tradition from Albert.

Full disclosure, this might be all made up in my mind.

The London Evening Standard had The Cambridge's picture on the front page and the Harkles at the top of page 2. I don't know why but I found the Harkle's picture to be cold and depressing.

R34 good relaxed picture

R35 You may may want Meghan to disappear but, as long as she's generating clicks, the tabloids will keep covering her. The British Fashion Awards story generated 15 thousand comments on the Daily Mail. That's the kind of easy story that makes a marketing department happy.

That's all she cares about. As long as she's the topic of conversation positive or negative shes happy. She's finally getting the attention she never got while working as a z list actress.

Does this mean that we're feeding the beast here? Are we perpetuating the celebrity of the very person we loathe?

I still think William is hot. He's also packing.

R31 I'm guessing HM is a loyal shopper. All the scarves look like Hermes to me but I'm not an expert.

"I like climbers. They interest me" - so said Dominick Dunne, and he would know about climbers. I feel this way about Meghan. On one hand, I'm an old fuddy-duddy with one British parent, who grew up revering the royal family, and especially the wonderful Queen. I loved the aesthetic of Diana, and felt for her in many ways, but was horrified at the damage she did to the institution. Meghan, similarly, has my full admiration for the heights she attained - I mean, WOW, that took balls, and she did it! And she does have a certain "it"; in some photos, she even has that fetching Diana look, against which poor Harry had no chance. That said, I hate seeing the BRF fucked with, and especially the difficult subject of race being introduced, though that was probably inevitable. But what a story! At least we can look forward to entertainment for years to come. The "Dynasty" years are back!

With Philip’s family history, Edward and Wallis, Prince Andrew and Sarah’s royal fuck ups, Harry’s fuckups, the years and years of extramarital affairs between more royals than we could count... Meghan is NOT the worst thing to ever happen to this family, not even close. Some of you act like she married into a group of Mormons. The royals have been screwing things up for themselves for years. These people aren’t saints.

r46 yes but Merch! Grifter! Asshole! She won't learn how to fit in.

The Duchess of Açaíssex always manages to choose that which appeals to Pinterestites, mug-cradlers, and fierce allergy moms. I guess the “influencer” drug is a hard one to kick.

Heart hands framing a setting sun; overflowing smoothie bowls held in cupped hands; rose-gold thumb rings; off-white gel manicures; sloppy tendrils; barefoot in long white sundresses; mirrored Hollywood Regency nightstands from Homegoods (hide the cracked side against the bed); #Gratitude #BestLife, and #Blessed; short-cut peony bouquets parked atop a stack of Gabrielle Bernstein, Marianne Williamson, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie books.... Bean has done them all, and then some.

One day we’re going to wake up to a mystery shot of a bare belly being cradled by two sets of hands — one with beaded African bracelets, freckles and orange hair, and the other with the off-white gel manicure and rings which look identical to Bean’s. Could it be? Who would leak it? Where did it come from? Is it really them??? OMG! #RelationshipGoals!

And Dim thinks he’s winning, and fucking The Firm over.

R48, that is some trenchant, sharp-witted, silver-tongued, Hall of Fame bitchery. Well done.

I swear, there is some genuine talent here.

Re the bump cradling: She was going for an "iconic image." She is shrewd, does understand image, or at least how most people perceive it. If not for social media, she'd probably get away with it completely. I can't wait for the portraits with the child. I'm picturing black and white or sepia, you see the infant's head as she breastfeeds discreetly and gazes soulfully at the camera,, hair loose and somewhat "natural." Harry looks on sensitively, eyes downcast.

(applause) Well done r48.

R50 I'm not looking forward to the photos but the virtue signalling. radical mum-ism will be truly insufferable. She'll talk about how deeply she connects with the child as she nurses, how Harry cried when he cut the umbilical, how they planted a tree outside Frogmore using the placenta.

Fuck it's going to be awful.

I don't want to here that ish from Meghan or anyone else for that matter, but those aren't actually radical. Maybe planting a tree for a new baby isn't normal for Brits, but even that is pretty normal in many cultures. R50, did you mean that you think Meghan will talk about mundane new mum things as if baby Sussex were the first birth?

Why do we never hear much about Autumn Phillips, or discuss her? She did well for herself. Guess she was smart enough to stay under the radar. Her husband is the best-looking of the bunch.

So has the Mulrooney woman been ghosted yet? Is she still putting together awful outfits on Today or GMA?

[quote]Fuck it's going to be WONDERFUL!

There, r52. All fixted up like a broken cheeseburger.

....so overcome were My Love and I, it was all I could do to ask — ask in that little-girl’s voice; that tiny voice that singlehandedly battled the patriarchal washing-up industry and emerged battered yet proud, unbending yet flexible, fierce yet tender enough to weep over my dear friend Lena’s failed reproductive system. That tiny voice that I, admittedly, forgot still slumbered deep within me. Awakened now by life-giving.

And so, with all the strength, love, and pain of my matrilineal ancestors coursing through my blissed-out heart chakra, I asked the midwife the only question that mattered:

Is the baby kind?

Is that you HRH Flower? Praise the Gods for your ever loving presence here.

I would love be to be a fly on the wall if she baked the placenta into a lasagne and offered a slice to the queen.

I'm looking forward to the post-birth media release from the Sussexes demanding the world "respect their privacy" and the inevitable 'tasteful' nude black and white cover shoot for Vanity Fair of Sparkle and child.

It's definitely HRH Flower, R57, reborn in a beautiful new form.

Yes, r57 and r60, I [italic]was[/italic] HRH Flower. But I now think of her as RIP Flower, so great is the change within me!

Confession time: I was plagued by self-doubt and insecurity, always striving to prove myself; to prove that I knew all the best words, that I was worthy, that I was more than just an internationally famous actress on a top-rated show and the #1 rising star of the BRF. Inside, I was terrified.

Now that I have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that — should the worst happen — I am fully capable of hitting the ground running and fighting for the Crown n’ Throne which is rightfully mine, I feel I can relax a bit.

My dear gran Lilibet always encourages me to find my bliss, let my hair down, and reinvent myself whenever I feel so moved. And that’s what I’m going to do. No more proving myself. All is love.

From now on, I’ll no longer think of you as subjects; only as fellow seekers, friends, and lovers. I’ll target my adjectives to the lowest common denominator (in other words, all of you), and I will share my truths openly and from the heart as you journey with me on this great quantum leap into motherhood.

One caveat: “lapping” and “unctuous” will remain in my vocabulary for the time being. They’re just too hard to give up.

I love you all,

Just call me Amma Meg.

Eugenie with her friend Ellie Goulding today

William and the Queen

J'adore Amma Meg. Please continue to grace us with your ever-loving inhabitance. We are beholden to your mercies and blessings.

Dear diary,

I’m in a rut.

The haters love to roll their sightless eyes at my rising at 4ish and waking the house girls to bring me 103° lemony water in that most precious of possessions — my rough-hewn acacia chalice carved by former sex workers who now hold space at an egalitarian womyn’s collective in Nauru. I yearn for a life as blissfully simple as theirs, but it's not to be.

It’s 5:19 now and my water is still not here. Do these gals not understand the honour of their service to me? Do they think they’d be happier stocking shelves at Poundland? Because that can be arranged. Oh yes it can! Why can’t they just give freely of themselves? I do, and I do it on a planetary level. It just isn’t fair.

But that’s neither here nor there; house girls are expendable. The fact is, the haters’ closed hearts don’t allow them to feel my pain. No one feels my pain. It’s always been this way for pretty girls. Just once I’d like to hear, “Amma Meg, I SEE you.” Just once.

This struggle that is my calling is beyond exhausting.

#Broken

P.S. Does my jurisdiction extend to Chris Lilley?

R31, I think the Queen's scarves are Hermes, but I thought that palace intruder who invaded her bedroom reported she was wearing a Liberty of London nightgown (but I could be wrong), and they put out a very nice range of scarves. I've been planning on buying one on eBay (yes, I'm a guy).And I'm adding another photo to complement R27's great photo.

The caption calls it a hoodie but it looks to me like she's wearing an untied scarf bobby-pinned to her head.

Most are Hermes, R31 and R66, but she wears Cornelia James on occasion.

Cornelia James also do all of her gloves.

You are right, R67. That is a bobby-pinned silk scarf. The Queen would not be caught dead in a hoodie.

Thank you, R68! I'm off to read about Cornelia James.

I love the Queen's scarves the way she wraps them on her head. When I've seen women in real life do it however they end up looking like female Taliban members. Why is that?

Just as well to avoid hoodies, R69. Even this free-standing hood has a deleterious effect on her mood.

Cornelia James is one of those anachronisms you hope will go on forever. It's the type of company where 15-year-old apprentices stay until retirement, even now. The patterns and methods of putting the gloves together have never changed, and they even have sewing machines that have been in steady use for sixty or so years. They have branched out into more modern, and even somewhat dominatrix-y, styles, but the basics are the same as they've always been.

False alarm! She's fine.

Scarf, hood, and hat

Do you really think the Sussexes will be staying with the Cambridges over Christmas? Wouldn't all of them object to that?

No chance in the world. Do you think they want her anywhere near their kids? I bet they'll do the church walk and then take a helicopter to Buckleberry.

Thanks R71 and R72

Such a strong woman the queen !

I just ordered a scarf from Cornelia James (I'm an American Queen).

R74 - The Sussexes will not be staying with the Camridges - they two sets are "spending Christmas Day together" at Sandringham, so they can all be papped together to and from church, and have lunch together. If they stay overnight for Christmas Eve, the Sussexes will stay at Sandringham, and the Cambridges will stay at their beautiful home, Anmer Hall, which is ON the Sandringham estate, and then head back to Berkshire to be with the Middleton clan at the end of the obligatory Happy Families Photo Op Day - I'm sure with enormous relief so that they can finally enjoy the Yuletide atmosphere.

So - are we taking bets on Sparkle doing her famous double cup act over her winter coat going to and from church? Of course, she has to cling to Harry with one hand, so perhaps not.

Five gets you ten the four are shown together carefully laughing and talking.

Dear Lord, R65, you should start a satirical blog!

I have seen a few stories recently that Doria will NOT be attending the Christmas festivities.

On an earlier thread someone speculated that they had tried to force an invite through publicity and that it would not happen. Hmmm.

Anyone see anything to the contrary?

Will George and Charlotte be doing the church stroll also? If so, I doubt the Cambridges will want to do the fake chatting with LookAtMyBumpMeghan for photo op, they will be more focused on keeping the kids a safe distance from her especially YouMadeMyMumCryCharlotte.

Maybe Camilla will be taking care of the kids just like she seems to have been doing in Charles' birthday family pic.

*with Charlotte, by keeping her away from Marching Meggie.

R74 Last year, Harry and Meghan did spend Christmas at Anmer Hall with Will, Kate and the kids. They stayed from the 24th-26th I believe.! They do their gift opening on Christmas Eve and then church with the big Christmas lunch on Christmas Day. Sandringham only has 15 principal bedrooms I believe, and because their isn’t enough room some people have to sleep in the servants quarters or the other properties. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Cambridges and Sussexes were together again this year.

*Merching Meggie, not Marching Meggie.

Though I'd like to see her marching. Marching out of the BRF and the UK in shame, that is.

Dream on, sugarbabe/R85 ...

R87 They did spend Christmas together at Anmer Hall last year. How does pointing that out make me a “sugar?”

Oh dear. Now MM is a danger to the Cambridge children?

They won't this year, R88. If only a fraction of the rumours and stories 're Merching Meggie is true, William will do literally EVERYTHING to keep his sister-in-law away from his wife and children.

Everything - including throwing a tantrum in case he's told Hapless Harry and Merching Meggie are supposed to stay at Anmer Hall.

R88 If you aren't agreeing with the fraus then you're a sugar. Say "Kate is wonderful and Meghan is an asshole" three times and you'll be absolved.

R89 oh dear. The Meghan lunatic seems to be back.

R90 has insider information so she know what William will do.

R91, shove your mug-cradling, fat frauen ass back to Celebitchy.

Is the Meghan looney talking to himself again at R88/R89/R91/R93?

I also purchased a scarf from Liberty of London on eBay. Again, an old, gay guy am I.

So someone is a lunatic for pointing out things that happened or not disliking Meghan to an obsessive degree? This is the British Royal Family thread, not a tendrils thread. I’m starting to understand why those threads got deleted.

R96 I bet you'll look fabulous. Will you wear it like Her Majesty, ie knotted under the chin?

I must confess I'm utterly fascinated by Margaret and her pathological self destructiveness. While most would argue that it was indicative of the Spare syndrome faced by Harry, Andrew and others, mixed with a strong sense of family dysfunction- Diana and her death for Harry, Her Majesty's cold style of parenting, Phil's philandering for their kids- it's not clear what made Margaret so dysfunctional and such a raging bitch. She cheated with a married Peter Townsend. regularly cunted off on her staff- I doubt Meghan would even come close- shewas jealous of her sister and a bitch to her mother. But what turned her towards full blown cuntitude? Her parents had a seemingly happy marriage, didn't they, by royal standards? The Crown hints at depression and some mental health issues triggered by the loss of her father and Townsend mess but does anyone know?

First and foremost, as a child, Margaret was greatly indulged by both her parents... most people found her very comic and she seemed to always exhibit a need to perform and be centre of attention. She was 21 or 22 when her father died, so young by the standards of the day (1952) and previously indulged. She didn't have a lot (or any) limits and she grew up before deference died. Her mother came from a close and loving family with an emphasis on fun, so she wasn't going to tell her to dial it back. After that, with no real purpose in life and a need for attention and nobody to rein her in, you got Margaret.

Charlotte looks like her dad, and her dad looks like his mother. I can see why people say she look like QE but when you look at pics of QE at the same age, they don't look alike.

Will ALMOST got to be handsome but even as a kid he got stuck with the Windsor horse teeth. It looks like adding in the Middleton genes plus Diana's Spencer genes coming in stronger have assisted Charlotte. No horse teeth, no mouth breather effect.

Setting aside the messaging of the Harkles Xmas card, what the hell is going on? There are photo shop artifacts all over it but I can't tell what the hell they did. Harry's got a tumor on his baldspot. If Megan dropped her arm from his waist, the length from her elbow to her hand would reach her ankles. The hands that are linked behind his back are weird - hers are pancaked, like gumbies, and the tips of his fingers look enormous and also like there's giant, pointed fingernails, although that could be shadows. I can't figure if it's just a distortion like aspect ratio or some other kind of warping, or if it were just cobbled together from other images.

I mean it's obviously photoshopped. Good thing they didn't accidentally leave a floating head or extra arm in the pic as often happens in magazines and tablids.

Yep, Charlotte is showing all early signs of being ze English rose. Beautiful colouring. George looks like Michael Middleton- not sure if it's going to be a boon or not, except in the hair department.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

R101 was think about those Windor looks. I haven't heard anyone question Sophie's reasons for marrying Edward. He is certainly not a looker. Was there any talk around the time they got married?

Sorry, that should say Windsor

The Meghan looney is always with us, always policing. All its comments are about the thread itself.

R101 of course there was talk. The talk was that he was gay and needed a wife so they got Sophie. A topless photo of Sophie goofing around on a boat was a brief "scandal". But of course she's not a camera whore and has behaved faultlessly pretty much since the wedding, so what is there to talk about?

Wasn't it well known that Edward was closeted and Phil had a difficult relationship with him for this reason along with Edward's desire to go into arts or theatre or dance or some such "fey" pursuit over choosing the army? And that Philip nipped this idea in the bud? Also the chatter that the only reason his marriage with Sophie works is because it's an :arrangement"? Either this was commonly accepted gossip at the time or this is fanciful speculation I read on DL, I can't remember.

I, personally, think George is the cutest of the three children, but if he does stay looking like Michael Middleton he will remain cute versus becoming classically handsome. Michael Middleton is good looking but in a kindly, cute, beta male way IMO. OTOH, there is the height from both parents that could add presence if George has inherited that height.

Here I was thinking Sophie married Edward for his money since she clearly didn't marry him for his good looks and charm. Trust DL to add so much more spice and scandal to my speculations. Thanks

Edward is gay, and Sophie is a muncher. They have a perfect arrangement.

In her 90th birthday documentary, the queen's reactions to Margaret are always the most entertaining. Clearly she loves her sister, who is still a vital presence in her heart, but also exasperated. When Margaret makes faces or subverts something, QE says, "Typical. Absolutely typical." But the worst was Margaret trucking down the hall of Buckingham Palace in her bridesmaid rig at Elizabeth's wedding, flamboyantly smoking. The queen exclaimed "Oh MARGARET!" as if Margaret were right there.

There's spectacular footage of Margaret and her sister on the yach Brittanica. The queen is the queen at this point. For this footage, Sarah Chatto comments. She comments on the generosity of her aunt to include them on the yacht trip and her generosity over all, and also comments on the absolute glamour of it, as there's as shot of Margaret lounging on the deck as they sail the Mediterranean, the wind blowing her dark hair. She's smoking, is wearing red lipstick, and has spectacular coloring.

The speculation about Edward was far broader than DL. Was pretty common knowledge.

Poor Lady Louise doesn't have a single redeeming facial feature apart from her (so far) nice skin. You'd think they'd at least do something about her hair and teeth.

R113 I don't think the public cares (not that you do) as long as Sophie is seen to be doing her job properly, which she always does. Although I don't understand why they can't be gay. He's not heir, he's well down the line of succession, so why a need to marry the opposite gender and procreate?

The Christmas tree at Kensington Palace.

Doubt Phillip would stand for it, R117.

Lol, take it with more than a pinch of salt, R112. Everyone from Philip (!!) , Charles, down to Harry are rumoured to be into the homo sex. Phil in particular was known to be part of several gentlemen's clubs famous for its "lunching" aka booze and orgies with men and women. There was also Philip's involvement in the Profumo Scandal. Phil and Margot made everyone from Charles and Diana to Megs, look like saints. Her Majesty is so lucky there was no internet and SM during Philip's prime hell raising days. I don't think the monarchy would have survived with this sheen of 'duty' and 'dignity' intact.

Sophie and Edward married in 1999. I doubt the BRF could have handled any more upheavals at the time.

Phillip! That codger.

R20 : Would you like a knighthood with that? Upsize to a Royal Order?

The Duchess of Windsor curtseying to the Queen.

The Queen likes taking her own photos and not with a phone either.

The hair of Kate with her three children. The bangs didn't last long.

The Queen is talking to you, Margaret! Why aren't you looking at her?

Phillip was considered a much of a social climber and royal headache in his day as Meghan and Diana respectively. But the reason he won a march over these two women was because he truly believed in the monarchy and with all his womanising, he knew when to close ranks against outside attacks . He had faced too much hardship and chaos in his adolescence to ever jeopardise the golden goose- his position as a royal consort. Many have somewhat excessively argued that Phillip is a sociopath for his ruthlessness in dealing with threats to the BRF, but it makes the whole thing even funnier- almost a 100 years later and we're still hearing the same attacks on the married-ins- sociopath! narcissist! social climber!

Sad to say but yeah, I do.

- as much of a social climber

The Queen of Scarves strikes again!

R116 Sophie generally dresses well, so why does poor Lady Louise end up looking like a cross between a pre-teen and a middle-aged house wife?

The York girls dressed age-appropriately when they were younger so I'm guessing it's a not a royal rule.

Young Camilla.

The Queen when she was Princess Elizabeth of York with her formidable grandmother, Queen Mary.

The Queen in an animal print coat.

R129 There is no sum the Daily Mail wouldn't pay for footage of such an occurrence.

I have a new nickname for her: Marijuana Meg.

Lady Louise has a great head of hair.

Someone's take on the Harry and Meghan Christmas card.

I always thought Princess Margaret looked a lot like her aunt, Princess Mary.

I'm giving the new(ish) Princess Margaret book to my mother for Christmas; she lived in England and acts grand at times, so will love it. I was disappointed to see they changed the title, which was originally the fabulous "Ma'am Darling"

I find Lady Louise looks happiest in her riding gear or playing with her cousins.

R141, I LOVED Ma'am Darling. A wonderful read. I commend you for choosing such an amazing gift for your mother! It's a slightly kooky read though, but still pretty wonderful.

R79 is a true insider to say so confidently where everyone is spending the night! Wow!

Thanks [R143], of course I am looking forward to reading it when she's done! My mother is the same age as the Queen, born the same month, and growing up in the UK always identified with her. Margaret she always described as "a little madam."

R145 There are two very quixotic chapters where the writer has created an imaginary history of what would have happened if Margaret had married Captain Townsend and another where she marries Picasso- based on a true anecdote of Picasso crushing hard on her, supposedly. So inventive and funny. The one where she's Mrs Townsend has her living in quiet ignominy in Europe, dissatisfied with the ordinariness of her life and cheating on Townsend was almost prescient about what would have happened had she chosen Townsend.

[R129] I'm sure she at least sings it in her mind, every day. Imagine the electric thrill a hustling actress would feel, at the moment that marriage into the BRF became a spark of possibility - must be a real "omg omg omg omg," followed by "steady, steady, easy..." I would LOVE to have seen the precise machinations used to reel him in. It took nerves of steel, I commend her for it.

It was a group effort, R147, the pics from IG made that clear. Jess, Mexit, Doria and the creepy dude from Soho all played a role. Harry was needy and dim with Mommy issues and the rebelliousness of a tween, she played him like a fish.

Then I would love to have been a fly on the wall during the group scheming, R148. What a wickedly funny play the whole thing would make....

Out of the three in R126's pic and after all these years, Baby George is still the cutest.

<3

Predictions. & comments...

No Doria for Christmas at Sandringham. Trying to blackmail an invite by the Queen by using gossip media stories? Not.

If the quartet stay overnight at Anmer Hall, it will only be overnight as no way will William and Kate leave the Sussex duo in their home unsupervised, taking pictures, nosing around, etc.

Burrell's advice is silly. Interrupting the Queen during her card games. Does Burrell think Sparkle knows how to play bridge and canasta? Well enough to play with experienced players? Does he think giggles to cover mistakes in such a card game will suffice?

Burrell is choosing to forget recent events with the exit from KP and soon to be more to Frogmore Cottage - there have already been conversations with the Queen.

Burrell mistakes the personality of the narcissist. Sparkle thinks she is the most important person there.

Did anyone watch the video linked at R6?

Not so sure about asking HM for relationship advice. Didn't Diana go to the "top lady" to complain about Charles, and the Queen had pretty much nothing to say.

By many accounts, Margaret was bright and charismatic as a young girl. But all that intelligence and energy were given no education and no meaningful pursuits. Her job as Spare was over by the time she was 18. The older she grew, the less important she became, and she was smart enough to know it, but not smart enough to let the need for deference and attention go. Add in the trauma of the Townsend affair, the worse trauma of marriage to sociopathic womanizer Armstrong-Jones, and you have the fantastic mess that was Princess Margaret.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Princess Margaret's home in Mustique is amazing! I could be very happy here. For 20K a week for a really special, once in a lifetime occasion it could be worth it to rent out.

R154, and she's right.

This 'Christmas card' is a mess and an insult.

They could've chosen this pic for their wedding's TY-cards and it would've been a nice choice - but as a Christmas card, this pic shows just again that these two just don't get it.

^ I suspect it's rather more she doesn't get it, he does as he's told

R151 I’m going to predict the exact opposite. I think they’ll stay at Amner Hall for 2 days like they did last year, without incident. IF there is some sort of rivalry going on, I think staying together and walking together will be a good way to halt some of the rumors. Also, are Harry and Meghan ever really known for snooping around and taking pictures of someone else’s house??

R158 story was that pre-engagement she was found taking pics of private rooms in KP and was escorted out.

Paul Burrell is a buffoon. He’s desperately clinging on to a shred of fame-by-association from twenty years ago. I was laughing hard when I saw the pics of him all dressed up as a wedding guest trying to sneak in to HazBean’s nuptials and being barred by security.

Friends and lovers,

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, my neuro-linguistic programmer constantly impresses upon me the importance of asking for the help of those whose lives are far more simple; those who would feel validated by the likes of me leading them to believe they had something of value to offer. Mother agrees, always reminding me that insincere flattery is a powerful weapon in one's arsenal and that it’s easier to sweeten a fly with honey than with vinegar. Or maybe it was catch a pie? Well, it was something like that….I have a finely attuned zoning-out mechanism when it comes to unsolicited advice; something that has served me very well, as you can see. Tee hee!

But now I come to you — be you toiling behind the counter at a fast-food establishment, scrubbing the peeling linoleum in your kitchenette, or poring over that pile of unpaid bills and wondering how you’ll ever get out from under — to humbly request your hard-earned knowledge. I love you. I need you. I value you.

Straight to the point: I need your ideas for charades. Last Christmas, whilst I was 100% certain of an easy win at charades, the family that I never had…..well, to put it plainly, they’re dolts. I frequently find it hard to relate to those deficient in intellect/beauty/kindness/generosity/etc., but I’m able to gesture wildly and simper my way through, with the deficient beings being none the wiser. Not so with charades! It was, as they say, a hard lesson learnt hardly.

Example: last year I mimed My Lov… Umm, a character in a gritty vérité film I once viewed sneezing on his carefully cut lines of cocaine and then flying into a frenzy as his Soulmate laughed heartily at his frantic licking and wet-fingered wiping of the toilet as he raged about being allergic to the cold-pressed virgin pikake oil with which she anointed her gloriously fecund bod. Rage. Lick finger. Sneeze. Wipe. Rage. Wipe gums. Rage. Sneeze. Lick Tank. Rage. Lick seat. It was HILARIOUS!!!! Did the family that I never had get it? No. No. No, they did not.

As such, please find it in your precious hearts to come up with a few that will get through their thick, oddly shaped skulls. I shall be forever grateful to you!

Please help yourselves by helping me,

r158 I have read that rumour many times, but only on here. Have you seen it mentioned anywhere else but on here about her taking photos? The "escorted out" always seemed a rather over the top touch to the story that makes me find it suspect. I have googled around but can't find anything. I'm wondering if it is true or DL true?

If she was bold enough to try and take pics of KP pre-engagement then I imagine she would have zero inhibitions trying it now. She'd probably have pics of her rocking Little Louis to sleep whilst singing American lullabies so he can have a normal life like her kids will. All the pics of the kids she would sneak would have captions of how she is their favorite aunt and they love her more than Kate cause she's American and she hugs.

I think there's something to Harry possibly being gay. Or at least bi. Would clear up a lot.

Flower! I mean... Amma! That was fucking hilarious.

Honey, you can call yourself whatever you want, but I still get my cut.

Dear Amma Meg,

Yes, dear, we SEE you, you look like a lollipop with your extra special basketball stomach atop your spindly legs, a look no photoshop can overcome. Gettin thise charades ready for the Christmas shindig at the in-laws? You've come to the right high toned place to steal ideas, Old Bean, i will give you that. But what about that poorly conceived and executed not-holiday card? Did your pathetic PR agency not have even ONE gay guy who could advise on aesthetics? Or did you just give up completely and rip it out of pinterest? Or in other words, going nowhere fast.

Anyhoo, really writing to tell you don't even think about bringing a camera this time, as Security has your number, you freak. All eyes most of all queen Char's will be upon you.

Namaste babes.

I think the pictures story is definitely fake.

R147 Harry was a soft target. Meghan had a fairly clear field. He had been rejected left, right and center. He is and was very young for his age, and is a spoiled brat who somehow thinks he's hard done by. Everythiing is someone else's fault. I imagine if you've been rejected by women at approximately Meghan's level (Soho "hostesses" have been mentioned) your Spidey Sense is going to be a bit dulled. That whole Cinderella fantasy "who will he choose!" was not his reality. He's that much of a piece of work. So maybe he thought - other women in her situation didn't want this, so maybe she actually likes me.

What he ought to have thought twice about was her age, her "career", and her financial situation. That would have told him what time it was.

R161 It's a tumblr story. It think it also exists in the private Facebook group but I haven't wander into that space. It goes along with

"Harry and Meghan aren't together but she is a stalker who showed up at the wedding in Jamaica and the Invictus Games in Toronto"

"Harry only married Meghan because she took pictures of something scandalous in Kensington Palace and she is using this to blackmail him"

"Meghan is an extortionist with rich backers who have dirt on the BRF (possibly Andrew) and Harry married her as a sacrifice for his family"

"Meghan isn't allowed inside royal residences because she is an extortionist so she really lives at Soho House"

"Meghan is trying to seduce William and kill the Cambridge kids so she can be queen consort"

So many stories

Jesus fucking christ, part NINE?

I still have five and six in my threadlist. What happened to Dangling Tendrils? Those were my favorites!

Oops I forgot

"Meghan was yachting (aka a prostitute) who Harry picked up as pay-for-play and then she began stalking him"

R169, some fat-assed, mug-cradling Meghan looney frauen invading the DL managed to get them deleted.

The tendril threads got deleted because of stupid racist comments, Trumpian nicknames, and posters who bashed Meghan for being self important while in the same breath freaking out because they believed their threads were getting deleted because they were “too close to the truth”.

The tendrils were out of control. Hair gel and industrial strength hairspray have been applied

R172 is one of the Meghan looney frauen, it seems.

Thanks r168, that tells me everything I need to know.

Yes, the looney frauen is here asking questions and then agreeing/answering herself.

I can’t tell who’s supposed to be the looney frauen— people who don’t hate Meghan or people who do.

Regardless, here’s an old pic of Diana and Fergie.

They both look so very young. What year is it from?

Say more pls, R163?

I initially thought it might be a contract type thing.

The looney frauen is the one who doesn't hate Meghan, Sugar.

Longtime lurker writing first ever post to thank "Amma Meg" writer for existing. You are making this frau spit her coffee all over her desk in fits of uproarious laughter. Ordinarily I wouldn't be too interested in the BRF and their shenanigans, but you (and many other posters here) are making it the binge watch of the year just with your brilliant wordsmithery. Never stop!

Also want to take this opportunity to express how sublime it will be to witness, this Yuletide:

1) the next level bitchiness that will result from eating just dumb old berries and melon while the boys feast in their schmeer

2) the inevitable "casual" "candids" snapped mid-day of MM and bump in "simple" ecru natural-fiber frock standing near some tool shed with tendrils swirling halo-like, meant to evoke a Virgin Markle in a Manger nativity scene and heralding the arrival of the First Ever Infant to Ever Be Born (I'm calling it now and you're my witnesses)

3) the aftermath of Megdonna With Child actually taking Burrell's advice and gate-crashing HRM's bridge game to be "endearing" as she "opens up" about how tough it is in the spotlight she frantically chases: I demand close-ups of the Queen's face listening to this

I always thought its a contract too R179 . But when I said this nobody believed me !

Meghan does have a pretty face, and sometimes that certain "fetching" look that's downright Diana-like. Anyone else see it?

Harry sure would've. You can almost imagine a blonde Diana wig on her head.

Meghan and Diana look nothing alike. Diana was a tall, rangy woman who sustained a decent relationship with her family of origin despite rocky times, and in fact was able to improve things even with her stepmother by the end of her life. While there is plenty of overlap with personality disorders, and i'm sure Diana had narcissistic traits, she wasn't a capital "N" narcissist, rather a borderline (intense mood swings, fungible sense of self, etc.). She was able to read someone else when meeting them and take an adjustment. She didn't "mirror" them or enable them, just made them comfortable.

The theory that Meghan and Diana are similar to Harry again presupposes Harry was choosing amongst a bunch of women, but the one canny enough to evoke Mommy got the ring. I don't think it can be emphasized enough that Harry wasn't choosing. He was a desperate wannabe groom whose prospective brides were all taking a pass. Meghan was willing. That by itself was a huge chit in her favor. HIS problem was not looking more closely at why she would be willing. He married a barnacle. She has nothing to lose and noplace to go. Can't be gotten rid of.

I think there is something ultra funky about this "pregnancy", with surrogacy the most likely scenario. A baby (or, more likely, BABIES) WILL be produced, and I also think the BRF - meaning HRM and those closest to her, including Will and Kate - don't really know what the fuck is going on and are not sure what to do about not knowing what is going on. I don't think they've ever dealt with someone inside the family who has the raw nerve of Meghan, so "Harry, please ask your wife to present herself to the royal doctors to confirm she really IS up the duff, please." is actually not something they can compel. What could they really do if she refused, without implicating Harry and creating a mess?

Along with all the drama, I do like to imagine the dark jokes and gallows humor among the royals about Harry and his blushing bride. You know the most popular charades choice will be hugging one's pregnant belly - the joke is probably so old at this point though.

IMO we are going to get a better book out of this in ten years time than anything we got from Diana. Even her critics, IMO, felt for Diana. She was the genuine article, just messed up. But Meghan! The book on Meghan will of necessity have to also be a book on Harry, because only being Harry can explain how a Meghan got in. He's got friends galore, or did, and they all have a front row seat.

R56, I literally LOL'd at "Is the baby kind?"

R177 Originally Sugars loved Meghan and Frauen hated Meghan. I'm not sure if the roles have reversed.

It appears Neutral is not an option.

R186, "kind" is one of those words people in LA have ruined. You hear it from mommies in upscale Santa Monica neighborhoods: "Clement, give Kai her toy back. That wasn't kind. Can you be kind?"

R9 Camilla The Tampon never looked as good as she did on her wedding day to Charles.

She had her teeth done and a facelift (in NYC) a year before her wedding

Yes, Meghan is the physical opposite of Diana. However, she does have a je ne sais quoi about the face, a kind of sweetness that comes across in her best photos. Maybe it's acting, but to me it's very Dianalike, if only in a subliminal way.

I find it a little hard to believe Harry had no takers, though. Wasn't he considered one of the world's most eligible bachelors?

Enough with the fake baby stuff, please. You sound like loons.

Yeah, I don't buy that Harry had to settle for Meghan, R190. There must be loads of women out there who'd love to marry into royalty.

R138 Lady Louise has a great head of hair.

No she doesn't. Are you high? She has a big bald spot in the front of her scalp

R185 - I, too, like to imagine the gallows humor, especially among Harry's snobbish friends.

I picture Will and Kate at breakfast, glancing at the morning pictures and headlines:

"Oh look, from last night. Nice shot. Sparkly. She'll be chuffed at that one."

"Mm."

There are probably plenty of women who would of married Harry, but very few with any merit. We now know Meghan is a con, but Harry seemed to buy her ingenue, humanitarian, Toronto A-list, Tig proprietor image she built. She probably also presented herself as being, if not wealthy, at least financially comfortable. He should have looked into her situation more closely.

Harry wasn't a great prize for girls in his class. Though he is undoubtedly the richest 'spare' for hundreds of years he will always be dependant on the largesse of the Monarch/Duchy of Cornwall.

He couldn't afford to buy himself a suitable secure home in London if he wanted to, has to carry out public duties and will always be subject to press scrutiny. I can see why most young women wouldn't want to buy into the situation.

Don't you think there would be plenty of artistocratic girls, or even Kate-like "Home Counties" girls, who would have been delighted to marry into the BRF? He wanted something more exciting, though. Surely from his perspective, M being an actress, a mixed-race beauty, New-Agey and from Los Angeles must have seemed an irresistibly exotic and glamorous package.

R85, I don't think Harry and Meghan stayed with the Cambridges last year. I think that is just a story that was beneficial to both couples. It made the Cambridges look welcoming and Harry and Meghan look accepted. The same story is probably being pushed this year to put a damper on the feud rumors.

If the Sussexes are not staying at Sandringham, they can be accommodated at other properties on the estate. I would bet the RF has already strategized as to how to handle Meghan during her stay, e.g., making sure the nannies keep the children out of her reach, having staff unobtrusively keep an eye on her, etc. All so Harry doesn't throw a tantrum. They're probably hoping this is the last year they have to tolerate her presence.

It'd be pretty easy to accommodate them on the estate if you think about it. Phillip moves back to the main house when HM Queen is in residence leaving Wood Farm empty. Perfect solution.

R198 What you are describing is a lot of work. I do believe they stayed at Anmer Hall, how much they interacted, no one really knows. But the idea that Kate and Will will have nannies to purposely keep the children away and staff watching her is dumb. She’s not dangerous like some of you are trying to hint it.

For the love of god would you idiots trying to sound informed please stop using “HRM”! It just shows you up as a simpleton.

Ditto anybody who uses the expression “would of” when they mean “would have”.

These threads are full of illiterates.

R200 Nobody is hinting that she’s dangerous around children, just that she takes every opportunity to insinuate herself into photographs and uses people as props - nobody wants their children being used to support Megs fauxmanitarian earth mother posturing.

Anmer Hall is huge and probably has a 'Guest Suite' larger than a 2 bed NY apartment. No real need to interact with each other if they don't want to.

R202 Huh? Why would she be doing photo ops in a private home away from the press? Have there ever been any pictures ofMeghan with the Cambridge children without anyone else around?

The birthday pics with Megs reaching forward to grasp Charlotte and Camilla pulling Charlotte forward with a protective arms round her were quite telling. She made Kate cry and Charlotte, like most children, will not forget or forgive the people who are unpleasant to them.

No R202 i dont think there are any pics of Megula solo with the Cambridge children. Nope.

R205 I’m sure Charlotte, who was newly 3 at the time, will hold that injustice deep in her heart for all of time. We don’t even know if that crying story is true.

Also, I don’t see how she’s reaching for Charlotte. One hand is behind Harry and the other is hanging by her side. Talk about a photo assumption

This thread is repetitive, boring and embarassing. Anyone who thinks it's any different from the deleted threads is sadly mistaken.

Feel free to peace out, R208.

Thank you for dropping in to inform us of your views r208. One wonders why you took the time to participate?

R10 is worth repeating

Young Prince William in 1988 heading to his Christmas play

The Queen Mother and Prince Charles

Andrew and Edward at Buckingham Palace In 1966

I was asking upthread if anyone has any thoughts about Autumn Phillips. She seems to have adapted well. Granted, her husband has a lower profile than Harry, but still.

Also, what accounts for the fact that both of Princess Margaret and Snowden's children turned out so incredibly well, apparently? Of all couples, you'd think they would have raised the worst f'd-up layabouts.

Elizabeth and Margaret putting on their own rendition of Aladdin during Christmas in Windsor, 1943

I haven't seen many comments about Autumn but there is the occasional comment about her children being very poorly behaved.

Eh, who knows?

R208 Instead of complaining, why not contribute something you think people here would find interesting? I am sure many of us would welcome more discussion about other BRF members. But if you are not so inclined, please do take r209s advice. Thank you.

The level of self-created reality on this thread is astonishing.

R218 Yes - because having a photograph taken sitting next to a friend is absolute proof that the subject of the picture is a homosexual.

Some of you people need to get out more. Much more.

R218 is speculating on a gossip site. That's fair game R221

I have to preface this post by saying this is third hand information. A friend of a friend (won’t get into it more than this) told me he/she hear that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are going through a rough patch. There is NO talk of divorce or anything like that, they hear it on good authority that there has been some arguing over the phone. Not just one time, several times. Sorry, that’s all I have. Wish I has more! I’ll keep digging.

A terror filled visual wardrobe tableau. Just watch. It evolves. Too bad she doesn't.

At least R223 attempted to make the information sound credible. Most of you insane posters just type things as if they’re fact.

How long has it been going on, R223?

I'll bite r223 Can your friend give out anything about the details of the argument? The subject matter? Did they swear? Any name calling? I want the dirt. I doubt those two will get divorced anytime soon but I'd love to know what their fights are like. There is NO way they haven't had some fierce ones after all this time.

I also know r223's friend. Let me just say that one of the Cambridges has flatulence that curdles milk-- and it's not the husband.

Is Tatler picking sides? What's U and Non-U these days is not... what somebody's up to.

Charles and Camila. This is there Christmas card

[quote]there Christmas card

Oh dear.

R227 Hah! So THAT is why Kate's skirts used fly up all of the time!

It's a good thing Charles is wearing trousers-- otherwise we'd be staring straight at his old man junk.

^ That's orbs and sceptre to you.

R204, we’re just a regular family and my SIL uses people (especially kids and babies) as props. And if there’s a camera about to take a photo, she flies across the room to be in it.

You would know, R225 since you are the same person.

Currently reading Ninety Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret. I’ve just started but I already highly recommend it... so many bitchy stories!

This is what her chauffeur, Griffin, said was her normal day: “As long as she had no official duties, her daily routine remained unvaried. Shortly after 11 a.m., Griffin would drive her to her hairdresser, latterly David and Joseph in South Audley Street. ‘Then she would go out for lunch at a nice restaurant. Then she’d come. Ask to the palace and have a rest.’ Around 4:30 he would drive her to Buckingham Palaxe for a swim in the pool. ‘Then she’d go to the hairdresser’s for a second time in one day. Then I’d drive her to pre-theatre drinks, then to the theatre, then a post-theatre dinner. And I’d finish about 3 a.m. Sometimes this would happen every night. And I’d always be up at 8 a.m. At the weekend, I’d drive her to the country. I’d she travelled to Europe, I’d get there first and pick her up at the airport in Prague, for example, so she never thought anything was different.’”

Did you check that with the ignore button, R235? Or are you just being snarky back? Is this snark? I like it.

There’s nothing more tragic than a life lived for oneself; utterly devoid of kindness, humanitarianism, and photographically documented displays of devotion to social media’s cause du jour.

Of what country is this woman a princess, R236?

Burrelll is a bottom-feeder, always was. The BRF loathe him and he knows it. Figures he'd defend Meghan - they're off the same assembly line.

There is some major yet subtle anti-MM shade thrown in the Tatler piece linked in r228.

Oof, that Tatler piece IS low-grade vicious towards MM.

r181 "Megdonna with child". Is that trademarked or can we also use it please?

Interesting post at r184. Also r185 except for the part re the fake baby. Third paragraph spot on though.

So, R161, R168, do the people who don't believe the "taking pictures in private spaces" story also not believe the "escorted out of the polo match" story?

Even though there are pictures?

R221, the extraordinarily hateful and negative tone of the posts says so much more about the posters than the SUBJECT(s) of their unreasonable ire.

R124 The Duchess of Windsor refused to curtsy to the Queen Mum, blaming her - and not George VI who was directly responsible - for not receiving the HRH style (she was styled Her Grace, the Duchess of Windsor). Windsor servants were instructed to address Wallis as "Your Royal Highness", even though it wasn't warranted. When questioned why she didn't curtsy to the Queen Mum, Wallis responded "Why should I curtsy to her? She stopped people from curtsying to me."

R192 "Loads of women" may be perfectly willing to "marry into the Royal family". However, getting stuck with a child-man with Mummy issues would definitely be the deal-breaker for those loads of women.

R215 According to a rare interview with Autumn Phillips, her husband Peter is a couch potato who watches "way too much television".

[quote] do the people who don't believe the "taking pictures in private spaces" story also not believe the "escorted out of the polo match" story? Even though there are pictures?

Where are they?

Although I’m sure they won’t be, I hope the press is kind to Louise as she gets older. Her body language in photos makes it seem like she’s a genuinely sweet kid. It’s one thing to knock someone down a peg when they’re an asshole but if she stays polite, especially if she tries staying off the radar, I hope they leave her alone.

Why would she release any photos now? They're leverage for the eventual divorce settlement. Or, an easy buck to make by selling them to the tabloids after she is divorced and hard up. She is a con artist. The RF surely know this and are doing whatever they can to mitigate the damage.

R248 What do you think she has pictures of? If you took pictures around my house you wouldn't find anything blackmail worthy. If she'd hacked their emails, it would be another matter.

I would suppose it’d be pics of private interiors to be sold to magazines rather than blackmail items.

Yes, exactly r250, interiors and such that have never been released to the public.

R178: 1980.

Well OMG. I might get a look at Princess Michael's shitter in 5 years. Can't wait.

Sorry, I fucked up. Scroll to photo 6 at the link above.

You seem skeptical, r249. Have you no relations or acquaintances with wealth and/or power? Being prey to opportunists is part and parcel for those with means.

Dear Diary,

Saturday was such a productive day! Through machinations that would make Machiavelli weep in shame, I managed to get a verrrry special little boy away from his coal-stained mum and impudent little snitch of a sister just long enough to take part in my blessed bump's inaugural photo shoot. Now what do you have to say, haters?

#Winning #HeLovesMeMore

Rich people do not want photos of their homes publicised because it is a security risk. Unless they have armed guards around the perimeter 24/7, they are vulnerable.

I read somewhere (sorry, I know that's stupidly vague), about Louis and Philip being besties. That fits, somehow.

AAAAGH! Louise and Philip.

Wll, I think Meghan looks like Mrs. Potato Head.

I for one would love to see the goings-on at Sandringham this Christmas. What with the current negative media storm around Hazbean, I am sure the royals are all justifiably wary. Pair that with diehard drinking throughout the day, the situation is quite likely to explode. Hopefully a blabbermouth servant "insider" will dish the dirt.

R260 that's a great likeness. something about the relative proportions of eyes, nose and mouth. I have heard old Haz referred to as Prince Potato, so you're on to something.

The Mail reporting this morning that Harry is skipping the Boxing Day shoot at Sandringham and has previously missed grouse at Balmoral. Because Madam disapproves of blood sports.

Could it be r260 is a sneak preview of SohoBébé?

R263 that's the only thing I'll take her side on. I hate hunting and this tradition is just sick so if she's opening Harry's eyes to this animal cruelty then good on her.

I don't think hunting is sick at all. Culls the population. Necessary and part of the cycle.

R261, the buildup certainly is exciting. If this were a nighttime soap, "Christmas at Sandringham" would be the highly dramatic season ending.

Any gossip about Philip? My imagination was really stirred with the thought of him as a bisexual hellion, mentioned upthread! Didnt he have an affair with Zsa Zsa Gabor?

Given his royal rank, do you think William’s friends stand when he enters a room? I know he’s not the son of a monarch but he is still the third most senior member. Does Charles insist on such protocol?

I wonder how much of the old rules still apply to people who aren’t on the royal payroll?

Back on the last thread (I can't believe we're on to the next thread) I mentioned purchasing two scarves from British sources, and I was asked if I was going to wear them like HM does. Well, when they get here, I'll certainly give it the old college try, but I'm afraid that my head may be too Teutonic (big, fat, round noggin) for me to carry that off. I usually wear scarves around my neck, to protect me from drafts. So they'll certainly get used. I mentioned on some other thread that one of my ambitions is to purchase a wallet from Launer, the supplier of the Queen's handbags. What could be more elegant and glamorous?

I'd imagine William's friends do stand, out of a mix of ingrained deference and respect, and just good manners. One should stand when another enters the room, at least in a small social gathering.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

R271 You'd imagine wrongly.

William represents the Queen at the Sovereign's Parade at Sandhurst.

Side profile of William in uniform.

R245 - In fact, apparently "loads of women" in his own social stratum refused to get stuck with a spoilt child-man with Mummy issues.

That's how he ended up, when he became desperate to settle down like his brother and all his friends, with a trashy D-list 37 year old divorced American social climber desperate to seize her last chance at the A-list status she's been hungering for from her teen years. He could have looked like Don Knotts and she'd have jumped on him.

Please notice Georgie's gap teeth and Will's hair holding on for dear life.

I wouldnt doubt it R271, although aristos are not exactly my crowd haha. I have had the experience of overly rich young people rising upon my humble entry into a room, though, and liked it.

R192 - Yes, there are loads of women who want to marry into royalty. That's the problem: the ones dying to "marry into royalty" are the social climbers; the ones who aren't taken in by the tinsel are the very ones he should have pursued. It's the ones who are dying to marry in who end up causing the most trouble. They're all like MM: dazzled eyes picturing castles, huge flats, loads of staff, no income restraints, cheering crowds, limos, glamour, drowning in diamonds - and all on someone else's tab. They all think they'll be living Kate Middleton's life, or better yet, Diana Spencer's, with the world at their feet.

Then they marry in and find out that what Diana said was true of the work: "It's 80% slog and 20% fantastic." Endless boring small talk with boring dignitaries, a few moments of thrill when you first put the tiara on, and then sitting through speeches at state banquets, you're not really as rich as Croesus because Harry as the sixth in line is not going to get what William gets, and you can't fart without it showing up in the DM the next day.

The loads of women who want to marry royalty all want to do so for the wrong reasons. The ones who might be interested in a place in history, continuing noble traditions, becoming part of the fabric of history . . . those get a few moments with Harry and William and run the other way.

At least Kate Middleton knows how to look as if she respects the institution. Meghan Markle can't even do that.

I've heard that all the Windsor men are packing. Especially Phillip, Charles, and William. I haven't hear much on Harry. Any insight (or linking thread) into the royal cocks?

Charlotte, William and The Queen.

I CAN spot the difference between the two words in two different situations.

Will and Kate "skipped" the Queen's Boxing Day pheasant hunt to go to Middletons.

Harry and Meghan "snubbed" the event because (1) they may still be at Sandringham at the time; (2) they may have nowhere else to go on the day OR (3) pussy whipped Harry isn't going because his wife said so. Pick one.

Some of the richest people are also the cheapest. LOL.

I can't get past the feeling that this is a "starter" marriage for Ginger. That he really wanted to marry Chelsy, but she said no thank you very much. That after the divorce we all know is on its way, Harry, much like his father, will return to the woman he did love, Chelsy, and ask her to make a go of it with him. And this time, she'll say yes, please.

A rare shot of the young Queen wearing a swimsuit.

If Meghan is as clever and scheming as the haters say, you don't think she would do the basic research available to anyone? She could easily find out Harry's income and other information just like posters here do. I'm sure at the bare minimum she also read the Andrew Morton book. I know I would, whether I was in love or just gold-digging.

R228 - Good Lord - Non-U: Windsor, air fresheners, makeup outside London, and Soho Farmhouse - they might as well have just put "Meghan Markle" there and had done with it. And then "friends with your parents" - all Meghan has is a friendly relationship with her Mum.

Those four items appearing in that list cannot possibly be anything other than a jeer at a pathetic social climber getting it wrong from the start.

And there's her hated rival, Kate Middleton, totally U with the huge London flat and the beautiful country mansion in the "real" country (i.e., not dull Windsor), with the close loving family and loved parents . . .

That isn't just "shade" - that's outright mockery. I wonder if Markle is capable of seeing it for that it is. Windsor and air fresheners alone can be seen from Mars.

R287 - Overwhelming hunger for something sometimes keeps people from cool calculation. And short-term street smarts doesn't always translate into far-sighted self-agency. Meghan is street-smart and savvy about networking, but she's not that bright, or she never would have thrown that temper tantrum over the tiara and tried to upstage the Queen's granddaughter at Eugenie's wedding.

All she saw of Harry was a man who could fly back and forth to see her at will, bring her over to London to stay adjacent to Kensington Palace, go on lengthy glamping hols. to Botswana, someone to who people bowed and curtsied. Perhaps she looked him up and saw that he was "worth 30 million" and never went further than that. And perhaps Harry was less than honest with her, as well.

Who knows how it played out between them? However it did, Meghan had to know that she'd never get another chance at A-list status to match this one, and that outweighed every other consideration.

I really do think, though, that just as happened with Diana, and with Fergie, it really didn't turn out to be the exciting perfect life MM thought it would.

Kate Middleton, after going to school with William, trailing quietly behind him for eight years as they both matured, having him home for weekends at her family home, etc., was possibly the most prepared royal marry-in of the last generation. And it has shown in her calm, non-confrontational, deliberately boring presence, which she is now fully growing into.

MM has already sown nothing but division and controversy. She has been rude to the Queen and the Queen's family. She didn't know who she was dealing with. Perhaps ending up in Non-U Windsor with no U-London home base has given her a hint.

More than likely her scheme includes a payoff from the RF, so Harry's income is irrelevant. Do you think she really wants to stay? I bet her fantasy is to be Angelina Jolie, Audrey Hepburn, Goop, Oprah and Princess Diana all wrapped in one. Why visit nursing homes and cut ribbons when, in your mind, you can be a global empire?

This is getting personal. I debated whether I should post this here but decided to do so.

For the most part, I don't think these journalists are attacking Meghan because she's bi-racial. There are so many other reasons they're going for her.

1) When a new member of the Royal Family come on the scene, the press build you up and put you on a pedestal. Then when things start to go wrong, they tear you down. The same treatment occurred with Diana, Fergie and Kate. Why should Meghan be any different? With the British press, it's almost like a rite of passage.

2) She's American (xenophia is alive in Britain - see Brexit).

3) She's divorced (some think Harry deserved better).

4) She's an actress (to some traditionalists, that's like prostitution. Her profession leads to speculation regarding her authenticity. Many reporters see her as a grifter).

5) She's from a middle class background and has married above her station (see Kate and the Middletons).

6) She's ambitious and pushy (see Tiaragate, treatment of staff etc...)

Yeah, SOME of these reporters may be secretly racist but I think MOST have other issues with Meghan. To lump them all together as a group is very dangerous and disingenuous.

R223 here, sorry I don’t have any more info to share. The person who told me heard it from someone first hand, but wouldn’t tell me who it was. He/she is in the hospitality industry btw, but I don’t think it’s related to how they found out the info.

It isn't just reporters.

R291 it’s incredibly simplistic to equate wanting to have control of your own laws and finances with xenophobia. The EU has become a bloated, out of control megalomaniac tyranny that a LOT of EU citizens have no wish to be part of.

R223 - Please. Kate and William argue constantly - there were lots of stories about that. If it's a "bad patch" it's been going on for a long while. Meanwhile, Kate, particularly, has never seemed more confident, happy in her role, and at ease in public with and without her husband. If they're going through a "bad patch" now, it's around how to handle the tensions brought into the family by Harry's disastrous choice of a hostile bride who has already sown division and bad PR in the family, and that has placed William in the terrible position of being caught between his brother and his wife.

Really? This is all a conspiracy against Meghan perpetrated by racist reporters? She was the wrong person for this role. Harry picked poorly. The reporters probably love Meghan because she gives them so much grist for the mill.

R287, Meghan also has a past of half assing everything. She's a dabbler, but she hasn't built anything. She even half-assed her embassy internship. She half-assed her college education as there is no evidence she graduated. She certainly lied about what she studied there (she was a basic-as-hell "communications" major while claiming she double majored in international studies and theatre). She appropriates areas of expertise from the people around her and claims them as her own (food and wine, in particular, when she was with the chef, for example). Her "global" involvement in charity is nothing more than finally getting signed by Kruger Crowne who hooked her up with a couple of comped brand-building appearances. No actual engagement, work, etc. Nothing. For her, it's all about what does it make her look like. She lives in a two dimensional space. That's all that is real to her. I imagine behind the scenes she's an absolute slob because that's often the reality. And that youtube video where she claimed to be moving showed a room that was practically a horder's paradise. It would also explain her inattention to detail in her grooming and attire. The detail takes patience and an actual understanding of the balance between polish and a little bit casual. She doesn't have the attention span to learn this stuff. She's a mess.

Nobody accused Meghan of being clever, r287. They said she has hubris. Hubris giveth and hubris taketh away.

She’s fake as fake can be . No real marriage : only in name . Harry is away most of the times . I don’t think they live togheter . She makes solo appearances without Harry . And I still think its a contract marriage and the baby is fake too .

R298 - I do agree.

What Meghan Markle has done, and she does get props for this, is cobble together from "average pretty" looks, little to no acting talent, but fierce ambition and gift for networking, into something that is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Throw in some help from that unreliable ally, Lady Luck, in being at the right place at the right time, and Presto!

We will have to wait to see if Lady Luck deserts her at some point and MM ends up hoist with her own petard. The exile to Windsor with no home base in London seems like a first chastisement from unexpected quarters.

R299. Not.

With Meghan's cut throat ambition, could one say that she is the Nomi Malone of the royal family and Kate is Cristal Conners?

R299, do you mean a surrogate like Beyonce and Amal or that do you think that there is no baby?

I initially thought it was a contract arrangement, but if so, would she be so disruptive? Make him appear so diminished in public?

We can't even be certain Meghan is "close" with her Mum. And I find it really strange that both pop and mama use the same pap agency when they get papped. When Doria and Meghan are seen together, they are cooperative but not a lot of communication, verbal or nonverbal. THAT seems almost like a contract. Also Doria seems to want to do the minimum - show up the eve of, leave the night of or the day after. Meghan puts a lot of nonsense in the press about Doria "Secretly" being in London often. All of Meghan's "Secret" stuff hits the media the second a story she dislikes is published.

That Harry seems diminished in public around Meghan is down to Harry. He enables her. He, IMO, finds the idea of responsibility and accountability absolutely toxic. Rather than practice any sort of adulting in his relationship, he goes along and then acts hard done by.

People like that rarely grow up and are pretty toxic themselves, R304.

Hard done by is not a great world view. Esp when you are, in many respects, one of the most privileged people on the planet.

The body language between them veers between preschool and jr. high. It is quite odd.

After reading R304 and watching the wedding, I kind of dig Doria. She was quiet, polite, I thought she looked beautiful in her wedding outfit and we have not heard a word from her otherwise. A lot of the press states that MM was the apple of her fathers eye back in the day. We hear very little on Doria. She's probably the smart one to keep a distance from this. Mothers know their children...at least much of the time.

R304 here. I have recently learned that there were "fans" who were following this relationship early on, before it was official, and all of these fans had Meghan pinned as a stalker who would shortly be booted out of the U.K. The fact that Harry continually enabled his "stalker" was a problem, so it looks to me that "blackmail" was how the narrative accounted for her ability to get him to cooperate.

But me, never heard of her until his statement. When that came out, I knew he was going to marry her. No backing down. I looked her up, thought she was cute enough, and forgot about it until the engagement interview. The engagement interview was ridiculous - she was phony as could be, but I put it down to her being Hollywood, inexperienced, and her "type" as being "sexy ingenue" - you know, lady in the office, hot kitten between the sheets. I thought she'd make an adjustment, pull back and acquire more polish during the engagement. Unlike some, I didn't think there was anything much wrong with her engagement interview outfit.

But, she shows up for an engagement with her trousers dragging through puddles of water, and she's wearing stilettos with it. Her coats and the outfits underneath don't go together. Even without the vent stitching still being on the coat and the plastic on the bumpers of the bag, it was obvious she was merching. But I thought even that was ok. She had no money because Suits paid shit and there is no way she had anything in the bank, and she'd been out of work for a year. Charles of course wouldn't open the purse strings for a clothes allowance until they were married.

So those were my thoughts. She was a work in progress and would drop her faux persona crap and polish up over time. THEN came the antics with her father, the man whose career she'd flogged like a donkey in every interview, article and social media post. He was dumped because he wasn't on brand. THAT is what did it - that she didn't want him at the wedding so Charles would escort her. But even then,I could never have imagined her belly cradling insanity.

Anyone know more about the cult Doria was/is involved with?

I don't know if Doria was in a cult. When it's mentioned I always assume if she was it was something like Landmark Forum (formerly EST).

R308 whenever Doria has to muster up and be the mom-in-law at some royal thing - it's been three times so far - she looks far more royal than her ridiculous child. I agree if she's cooperating but keeping her distance/guard up it's because she knows that girl.

Similar here, R307.

Never heard of her before that weird and ridiculous statement. Didn't care about her until the cringeworthy engagement interview either, but back then I was thinking, ok, she might not be used to getting THAT much attention, let's give her some time and space. Then the wedding with that pompous and pretentious veil. Trying to style herself into the Queen of the Commonwealth. Oh dear. *facepalm* But it was only at Eugenie's wedding I started to despise her. Wearing a maternity coat being barely 12 weeks pregnant was just downright rude towards the bride and the rest of the family.

R303 I mean a surrogate ! Suddenly she’s enormous and everyone is talking of twins . She.s only 5 months and than that enormous belly . You should think she’s gonna give birth immediate on this very moment .

I have been following their relationship since the beginning. Before Harry released his statement to the press, no one knew if they were actually together or not. Meghan was teasing it on Instagram, but as evident, she likes the attention. No one was "harassing" her, because as I said, no one knew if they were actually dating. Then, after the statement, the floodgates opened.

It's Self-Realization Fellowship. It's similar to Scientology in that it's all based on a book, [italic] Autobiography of a Yogi,[/italic] which promises secret ninja powers to its most devoted followers — the ability to stop one's heart at will, become invisible, levitate, etc.

Doria -- stoic saint or paid prop/embarrassed by evictions, bankruptcies and other financial squiggles?

She’s hired so she can divert our eyes from Harry who has something else going on in his live . It be a man or female

In order to be included in the line of succession, the spawn has to crawl out of the royal (or, in Markle's case, not so royal) womb.

So, no surrogate. She wants her kid to be in the line of succession because if it weren't, she'd become TOTALLY irrelevant in case of divorcing Hapless Harry. If the kid's in line of succession though, she'll always be the mother of a potential monarch. The kid ever becoming king or queen is highely unlikely, but it's the rank that counts and the perks that come with it.

Stop with these ridiculous surrogate conspiracies, ffs.

R300, what she also has is absolutely no shame. She isn't cowed by anyone at any level. She crashes the Wimbledon box where Anna Wintour is sitting, sits there for a short time unacknowledged, and this becomes the story she tells Andrew Morton that they were both seated in that box (at the same social/status level) and as Meghan Markle was chilly in her sleeveless dress, Anna Wintour lent her a sweater. Whole cloth. Markle doesn't see the difference between lies and the truth. She doesn't see what difference a lie makes if it MIGHT AS WELL be true. MIGHT AS WELL to her = what she wants.

I rewatched her interview where she laughs and calls herself a fraud after semi-copping to lying about SAG and then having to be Taft Hartley'd. Now that can happen - sometimes a non-union performer is cast and they want them, everybody's aware the performer is non-union. OR a production is allowed to cast non-union for someone (I have a friend who was in two B'way musicals without being Equity). But anyway, clearly how Meghan ended up being Taft Hartley'd was to lie her face off and put the production in a spot, because she starts to say - "To this day there are casting directors who won't cast me [because of that]". That means she was brazen and SUPER audacious, because just kind of weaseling in there doesn't get you blacklisted like that.

Anyhow, she is brazen. That, more than work ethic, is how she got where she is. She didn't wheedle and ingratiate, she was just fucking PUSHY and aggressive, never taking no for an answer. It's a numbers game if this is how you operate every single time. She got plenty of rejection and humiliation, but also got in more places than people who didn't have her gall. A certain level of gall will carry someone pretty far because people just can't believe the person is simply brazening their way through.

Until post wedding, there was a lot of support for MM. While being bi-racial was groundbreaking, what I found even more exceptional was that she was an American. I'm originally from LA and got my masters degree in London a few years ago. I lived in Chelsea (350 sq ft flat), knew some "posh" people and would go to this gay networking group called Jake for the Sloane type gays just to see what it's about. While polite, Americans really don't mix with the British upper class. While I was at school, there was a show that was called "The Ladies of London" that had wealthy Americans living in London facing off against the British upper class. I think it's going to be culturally a challenge for MM. What I learned from my time there was just b/c we speak the same language doesn't mean we speak the same language. The British have a thing for a lot of rules and with them no = a hard no. They don't even pretend to "think about it". I can only imagine it's that x 1000 in the BRF. Where MM lost me was a video clip someone posted on the tendrils thread where she was just an utter asshole to this poor reporter who simply looked at someone walking by while MM was talking to him. She started degrading him, saying he wasn't really from LA, making fun of where she was from. A real turn off.

R315 - either way, she is smart enough to stay quiet and out of the spotlight, especially if she's got financial or other skeletons in the closet.

R317, if she can't get pregnant or he isn't viable then it doesn't fucking MATTER what the line of succession demands, DOES IT? Then you do this (surrogate) and brazen your way fucking through it. It is totally obvious the BRF HAS no coping skills no matter what faux mystique they attempt to sustain. Charles/Di/Camilla proved it, Harry and Meghan's acting out and displays on tour proved it. They are not willing to do what it takes (get rid of Harry), so, therefore, the rules are out the window. And trying to shut down speculation about surrogacy, one of the most common image-promoting schemes out there, is suspicious, btw.

Harry doesn't give a shit about his kid in the line of succession - he is no more relevant at this point than Sarah Chatto.

You know another rule? That the royal kids belong to the crown, not to the parents. You know how viable that rule is? NONEXISTENT. The second a royal mom comes along and challenges that will be a massive outcry and the BRF will cave. All of its so called rules are nothing but theatre, as Harry's marriage is demonstrating.

Off topic, but how do you get the spaces between paragraphs. When I just hit enter, it's still one rambling paragraph. Thanks.

Trippy, R314. Are devotees required to pay a lot of $ in that one too? Is she still involved? What @ her longtime female partner?

Marching Megs and her aging eggs are irrelevant in the line of succession. This time - between engagement and baby’s first steps - is the most famous she will ever be. She has no power, negligible position completely dependent on Harry’s position and no real money.

She’s just not as important as she thinks she is and when that sinks in she will be HELL to live with.

R322, leave out a line.

Hit enter twice r322. This is what it looks like if I hit enter once.

This is what it looks like if I hit enter twice.

R274, you have firsthand knowledge of this? Do tell!

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Fake woman fake marriage fake pregnancy fake feminisme fake humanitarian . All lies but that’s what the public wants .

R326, thanks for trying to put a thread together for those of us that would like to talk about the BRF, but this thread has been overrun by the MM nutties (on both sides—you’re both to blame!). I wonder if we can start a thread just for them to spout their nutty opinions to each other? Muriel, please restore a dangling tendrils thread—I beg you.

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I neither know nor care whether Doria was involved with SRF for any length of time or whether she was actually MIA for years, as been discussed here. But there is the potential for those involved in SRF to become a monk or nun of the Self-Realization Order.

Who knows what really went on? I guess we'll just have to wait for the inevitable books to be written.

[quote]Monks and nuns of the SRF monastic order serve the society’s worldwide spiritual and humanitarian work in many capacities — from publishing the writings and recordings of Paramahansaji and his direct disciples, providing spiritual counsel, and conducting temple services, retreats, and lecture tours, to maintaining the buildings, meditation gardens, and ashrams; overseeing the distribution of the SRF Lessons and books; and fulfilling many administrative, office, and other duties required for carrying on the work of an international religious organization.

R323, I have no idea if she's involved now, was involved then beyond the wedding (lots of people use their temples/gardens for weddings), or anything about Doria. What little I know about SRF comes from my previously straight-laced (or so we thought) British aunt getting involved and going LA-flake overnight. I was a child but I remember her telling me stories about yogis who were able to perform superhuman feats and that anyone could do it if they just meditated hard enough.

I know that she was always on a quest to take more classes, go to more seminars, do more SRF things, but I have no idea how money she spent on it. The one thing that stands out clearly to me is that she was doing a LOT of unpaid work within the organization, which she could afford to do, but I remember my parents being very troubled by how her life had been completely taken over. And weirdly and coincidentally enough, she ended up ditching SRF for someone whose name has been mentioned in these very threads and lived happily ever after.

^^I forgot the link.

R330 The tendril supporters and detractors are out in force today. I think the build-up, that R267 mentioned, is bringing out the more passionate posters.

It’s more than a week away, r333... ayayayay.

R330 I would love it if someone started a MM centric thread. It really is getting too much. It's one thing if she is making the news like with H&Ms Christmas card, or something specific to her being in the family. But now it's just MM filler, and I am not happy.

This is not a suggestion but a request. My only tip is don't call it Dangling Tendrils.

Please post your Doria thoughts elsewhere, perhaps in the hopefully soon to be created MM centric thread. Last I checked she is not a member of the BRF. Again, not a suggestion, but a request. If you cannot abide, please leave. Thank you.

R335 Thank you. I’ve been missing the old threads where we would discuss royals from years past and then discuss royals of present without it becoming tedious.

Even in the European Royal Threads, where talk of British royals isn’t allowed, people still find a way to bring up Meghan.

Alert: Unpopular comment ahead.

MM centric threads have so far descended into a racist misogynist xenophobic mess and then they get shut down. In the BRF thread there are some of the MM supporters and haters but things don't get out of control. BRF gossip troll keeps tight reins and it usually works. That's my two cents.

I find the Markle drama immensely entertaining, for the same reason I enjoy the books "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" and "Vanity Fair," and the movie "All About Eve." Determined climbers are fascinating, and Meghan bears a striking resemblance to the anti-heroines in each. In "Grenvilles," she is the sexy showgirl who entices the young aristocrat bored with his class; once in, she becomes very grand and he in turn becomes disillusioned with her ("If that's what I wanted, I could have married the real thing" - ouch). In "Vanity Fair," Becky Sharp snares the dimwit ne-er-do-well son of an aristocratic family, and is as much a poor-me victim as she is a vicious schemer. In "Eve," we have the same type, and Meghan even has her Addison DeWitt in Piers Morgan. Jolly good show!

Agree that BRF gossip troll keeps a tighter rein on this thread. Disagree that the DT threads descend into a racist misogynist xenophobic mess. There are a few (maybe one?) posters who make nasty comments (probably in the hopes of getting the thread derailed). Overall, the comments are fine. Just because you do not like their views on MM does not make them racist, misogynist or xenophobic. I think it's you that needs to accept that many folks do not like her and are allowed their opinions. She is a part of the BRF and as such is a topic of discussion in this thread. There wouldn't be as much discussion of MM on this particular thread if you did not get the DT threads shut down.

There was a "PR Anon" on another site who said her pr firm was one of several interviewed by Markle around the time of the engagement although they didn't get her custom. She also talked about how in general PR is intended to make people feel bad - it made sense, but I can't recall all the building blocks that explained it. She also said it is very customary to do contracts between two prominent people for a faux relationship that includes a surrogate, although this stuff was not part of the interview with Markle at all. I just thought it was interesting that everything goes into the contract down to specific details and of course, timeline.

The explanation for hiring a pr firm was to help facilitate her transition into the BRF. Her contacts included Jessica Mulroney, her sister Sam, her father and her mother, which I find strange, although Jessica Mulroney was clearly the main one. I can't recall if Markus Anderson was also a contact. It was stated outright that she wanted to be a "Diana V2" which had the PR people suppressing incredulity. Her route to being Diana V2 was she wanted to target and appeal to young people. She thought that was her demographic. AND she wanted the messaging to be the sort of wonder woman thing we've been reading - everybody loves her and takes to her, particularly the power players in the family (QE, Charles), she's the picture of intelligence, grace, natural power, independence, etc. Really an all things to all people kind of image, covering every base at the highest level. Whatever desirable attribute is out there, she possesses it at the highest level, embodying everything at once. As skeptical as they were, this PR firm was more than willing to take her on but they didn't get her custom. I think she stayed with who she came in with (Sunshine Sachs). Oh, the notable thing this anon said was that any story leading with Meghan where Harry was no mentioned or an afterthought was likely from her, as her interest was her own brand, not the marriage or the BRF.

Thanks, R337 I do keep the reins tight, and while the discussion of MM on here isn't of the same sort of insanity as it was on the various MM threads, it's flooding the board, and it is becoming tedious as fuck. Posts about Doria on here? Seriously?

I get bored with some of the conspiracy talk about Meghan, but as a topic of discussion, let's face it, she is THE big news in the BRF right now, so.....

Do we think Charles might be a little smitten with his new daughter-in-law? She is coquettish, and he always did like the ladies. And while most assume old Philip would object to her, I bet he gets a little tingle from her, too.

R339 lol I shut down the DT threads?

I must have mind control powers because I didn't post on DT.

I like talking about Meghan, but when people post comments comparing her to Jodi Arias, saying she can’t be trusted around the Cambridge children or other people’s homes, the pregnancy is fake, she can’t hold fundraisers for women’s health because she doesn’t have degrees, etc etc etc... it becomes not fun. It’s like that scene in Mean Girls where Cady is talking about Regina and everyone is sick of it

R340, if this was really a coordinated campaign, then that is truly fascinating. Imagine setting this as a concrete objective, then taking calculated steps to achieve it. Amazing.

Only if you meditate really hard, R344.

R337, this:

"MM centric threads have so far descended into a racist misogynist xenophobic mess and then they get shut down. "

is not true. MM-centric threads are visited by an OCD troll who calls racism at every criticism, tries to change the subject to something non-MM (thread hijacking) with pic spam or other, and then lectures on how the thread is going. And that same troll is here. That's what's going on - it's very easy to see.

How exactly does one “keep the reins tight” on Datalounge? We post what we want to post and the thread either stays open or it gets shut down. End.

Also wanted to add, when posters disagree with someone or don’t dislike Meghan enough they automatically are called “sugars”, which is stupid.

R338 here, adding that in "Grenvilles," Ann ghosts her poor old street conductor father out of sheer embarrassment.

I don't know r349 but I must say I've been doing something right for 9 threads straight, immensely helped by the quality of most of the people who post on here. Perhaps you would like to take a crack at starting a MM general gossip and information thread and see how that goes for you?

R340 - even if these WERE her stated goals (I'm the one who brought it over), a lot of this stuff turns out to be grandiose and clearly not achievable. Not just with her - but with a LOT of PR campaigns. Unless it's something really doable and a no brainer, these big plans and ideas are not executable via PR. You can't make something out of absolutely nothing, or out of something that in its very existence contradicts the agenda. Meghan is not young, is not accomplished, is not nice, is not well-dressed, does not know how to ACT royal a la Diana, or doesn't care to, and has a weirdly inappropriate vibe with Harry. PR can't help those things.

R350 DROP IT THE FUCK ALREADY! SUGARS!!! That is the term THROUGHOUT the internet. It's not a generic for any fan or stan. It is the name for heavy duty Meghan fans EVERYWHERE. If you don't like it, I wonder why!

I know how it would go, R352, you would spam it. Shut the fuck up and stop talking threads on the thread. Isn't that a fundamental rule here?

Esp when everyone natters on about her not trying to fit in, R346. Behavior tells you what her goals are and fitting in aint included. No publicity is bad publicity it seems and if you have a Yahoo account you would see the multiple placed items currated on a daily basis. No way it is happenstance. Question is, who is paying? That her father and sister are contacts would not be a surprise, they make her look plucky and hard done by.

Do other royals frequent Soho House in its various permutations (aside from Sparkle and Dim)? Andrew, for instance? Or is the crowd too young for him? (See what I did there?)

R353 Oh dear.

Why the hell would I do that r354? How old are you?

Why would Charles be smitten by her? She's not his type. Last we saw of them "together" he was hustling away from her and Harry. He signed off on their exile to Frogtopia.

Bringing up something from earlier - if Meghan is capable of leveraging marriage to Harry into a third (or is it fourth) marriage to some Eurotrash billionaire or Middle Eastern shiek or similar, how come Diana was unable to do so and Fergie as well? The theory is because she was married to the son of the heir and was the wife of a blood grandson to the British monarch, she will have some status and cred to bring to a marriage to some rich guy who wants a flash trophy or enhanced status. But Diana was unable to find such a man, and she was MUCH younger than Meghan will be when / if Meghan's marriage ended, and also better looking and more charming, even if batshit crazy. And she was truly aristocratic, royal, and all that jazz - mother to the next heir to the throne. Best she managed was running around with the coke-addled son of a supposedly billionaire arms' dealer who has unsuccessfully been trying for years to purchase British citizenship. Fergie's Texas paramour vanished and nobody as come up to take his place. Her future is obviously the side deals she and Andrew work on together - she's sort of like the front woman / gate keeper I guess.

What fucking reins does the BRF hold? There's one power on this site and it's the guy that owns it. I agree the BRF is a committed scolds (and I actually support the scolding to minimize the MM crazy) but lets not get too far out over our skies.

Sorry I always mistype when annoyed. I mean the BRF troll.

and scold and skis.

R358, if you mean Charles' type is always a blonde, Sheila Ferguson of the Three Degrees claims he pursued her in the 70s.

Hubris, I thought thine name was mine.

R154, Prince Beatrice was a Soho House regular and Markus Anderson was at her wedding, at least I read that. I don't think he publicized that, though.

And by Princess Beatrice, I of course mean Princess Eugenie. Sorry about that!

R287 Easily find his income? You can't find an accurate listing for "Prince of the United Kingdom" on Glassdoor. And why would she read a book that was a PR exercise by his batshit crazy mother. That book would tell her nothing about Harry beyond his 10th birthday.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

More than blonde, I think Charles' type has a big rack.

As can be seen, Sheila F is more than equipped with the necessary. Diana excepted, Charles also has preferred to play within his own generational group. Hell, he even had a crush on Nancy Reagan, which is a level up.

Meghan may play as if she has the hottest cooch on the planet "don't lose that sexiness!" but does anyone think she really is hot? As she is now, the way she carries herself and behaves? She's like a marionnette doll or Real Housewife. And tatty, with the eyelash glue, unmoisturized feet, un-cared for hair, and using a trowel to pile on the make-up. The BRF is rife with hot and cold running staff, a number of whom might be better placed to "smite" a male relative of Harry's than Miss Markle. She doesn't have the stuff.

Despite what some of her partisans claim, if what attracted a man was a woman of color. Markle would hardly be the go to. Sheila Ferguson, hell yes. In addition to the rack, she also has the hair.

More Meghan theories please! My erection is softening!

What if Meghan is tricking us all into thinking that she’s evil, when she’s actually a plant by the republicans to rid the UK of the monarchy?? Or maybe she’s a double agent??

Am I considered a Sugar? Or maybe I’m Doris? Whoops! Meant Doria.

I'm shocked by the levels of stupidity in this thread. I've never seen similar on the DL. We have people basing their answers and comments on "insight" taken from tumbler blogs, Hallmark movies about European royalty, and fucking Downton Abbey. Spoiler, the BRF isn't like Downton Abbey or A Prince for Christmas.

The man thought to be the most suitable post-Charles husband for Diana was equity firm partner Teddy Forstmann. They dated for a while despite the 20 plus years he had on her. (He later became involved with Padma Lakshmi.) Someone of his caliber and wealth could provide for the security and travel needs only someone like she came with, not to mention the clothing and household budget and entry into the legitimate social life of another world class city.

Per the BRF troll, I'll try to deviate a little from MM to Diana. Before getting attacked, I would like to preface that I love Diana for who she is, warts (according to Fergie) and all.

Everything I have read said that while she loved her children, she was also majorly borderline and a narcissist herself. She threw herself down the stairs while pregnant w/ William and by the time she did the Panorama interview, she had that look of crazy in her eyes. Like someone else, she constantly needed attention and spotlight, regardless of what she said personally.

By all accounts she was a solid mother, but also fairly inappropriate and smothering. Apparently she unburdended herself onto a young William with her many problems. Everything she did was calculated including her charity work. Regardless of the reason, any charity work that can bring attention to ignored or taboo problems is positive regardless. However, Diana ultimately was probably way more unhinged, crazy, and calculating than MM at least in the latter years.

With a popular English prince in one's sights, who would care about a number in terms of value? For a hustling actress, it would be an astounding trophy. The money would be more than most have dreamed of having anyway, plus prestige and fame beyond belief. I bet Meghan can't wait to see herself portrayed in "The Crown."

R373, I feel exactly the same way about Diana. In the end, she was simply a vision. I still love looking at pictures of her.

I have an acquaintance who is a Lord (actually a Scottish laird), and I remember him talking about her back in the early 90s, as he was somewhat in her circle. I'll never forget how he described her, something like "a lovely girl, in WAY over her head."

I don’t think Meghan’s goal has ever been another marriage down the road. I think she really thought her charm and persistence (which has worked so far) would give her permission to buck traditions and be the “breath of fresh air” much of the press touted her as.

Most of the articles until the wedding, and even still if they’re US based, put a lot into the BRF reallly needing her. On the cusp of irrelevant, citizens tired of funding an old sexist/racist/classist institution. MM was supposed to pull the BRF into relevance again as she’d be addressing real issues, modern issues and be what saved public opinion.

It’s easy to see that she’d think the same. Now though, she’s in a position where if she does what was hyped as what made her a “perfect modern fit,” she pisses off the traditionalists (and possibly the FIRM). If she goes along to try to fit in, the articles saying her feminism has been stifled and she’s a sell out (or blaming the BRF) get ink.

I think she really misjudged what the experience would be. Just like some women can be homemakers and love every second, some lose their minds and really need career as well. Smiling and waving isn’t fulfilling for many, especially if you expected to be changing the world.

[quote]Most of the articles until the wedding, and even still if they’re US based, put a lot into the BRF reallly needing her. On the cusp of irrelevant, citizens tired of funding an old sexist/racist/classist institution. MM was supposed to pull the BRF into relevance again as she’d be addressing real issues, modern issues and be what saved public opinion.

You're mistaking a narrative to sell clicks and copies with reality, perhaps to suit yourself, I don't know. But the polling doesn't back you up.

2015, yonks before Meagain climbed onto the scene: The poll also shows that the British public are still very attached to the Monarchy, with seven in ten (70%) Britons thinking Britain should remain a monarchy while more than half (56%) think the country would be worse off if the Monarchy was abolished.

R371 the most prolific poster is bringing stuff directly from tumblr. R340 is standard tumblr material.

The first poll from April, 2015, the second from September: More than six in ten (62%) believe Britain will still have a monarch in 100 years' time – a view that hasn’t changed dramatically since the Jubilee in 2012.

The British public fully support the monarchy continuing. Over seven in ten (71%) adults believe the British monarchy should remain, with less than a fifth (18%) saying we should have an elected head of state instead.

2016: Monarchy remains at the same high level as in the past (76% favour Britain remaining a Monarchy compared to 17% preferring a republic). Three-quarters of the public (75%) say they think the Monarchy has an important role to play in the future of Britain, a slight increase since polls conducted at the end of the 20th century, when the figure was between 67% and 70%.

Could it be true that Camilla is really a tiger in the sack? With looks like hers, you have to have mad fucking skills to keep Charles hooked for essentially a lifetime. I'm wondering if they are having the best sex ever and what that involve. In this thread, I'd like to learn more about Camilla since I think we know about as much as we can about MM for now. What's in the future for Camilla?

R367, it has been stated numerous times on these threads that Harry has a trust income of around $400k or pounds a year- which I don't remember.

BTW, you can lick my ass you old queen.

Unless R376 has some factual basis to show w ill plummet of public opinion in the last two years, the assertion the monarchy was on 'the cusp of irrelevant, citizens tired of funding an old sexist/racist/classist institution. MM was supposed to pull the BRF into relevance' is unfounded and fiction.

Unless there was something on Tumblr or Downton Abbey.

Harry was also left somewhere around £7.5 million from Diana's £15-20 million estate.

I don't think it really matters if Harry has 7 million total or 400K a year. It's more than Meghan had before she met him.

If she's a scheming manipulative witch, there really was no reason not to take him because at the very least this marriage was a huge jump to the next level. If it's a contract arrangement then all her missteps will be ironed out in time. Kate was hair flipping at Remembrance Day a few years ago and now she's considered the epitome of grace. Camilla stood by her man or slept her way to the top and she will be queen consort. Fergie's toe sucking got her marginalized but still firmly part of the fold.

If this is love then hopefully Harry and Meghan will weather the storm. Marriage and baby in the same year would be tough on any couple.

Meghan will either move on when she's had enough or hang in there like Camilla/Fergie. I think it will be entertaining either way.

I wonder if the British press and the British people believe that their royals should be tested. If he or she can't stand unsavory media scrutiny then they certainly don't have the mettle for war. Kate has been tried and she's passed. Meghan remains an unknown quantity.

Something I never understood about the Diana debacle: It's said she never wanted a divorce, was content to just live on, separated from Charles. How the hell did she think THAT was ever gonna work?

I think it's all about Kitty Spencer. She's stunning!

That business of Charles dating Diana's sister first - are we to suppose he shagged her?

On the surface its all wow but there is nothing beneath that . Just an empty vessel .

I like to see Kitty Spencer's outfits because they are always eye-catching. However, I don't consider her traditionally beautiful.

I have a friend who gave her a hard pass because he said he has "cankles"

Kitty Spencer is gorgeous.

No one is saying MM is a danger to the Cambridge kids, just that she would use them as photo opportunities to promote herself and spin the photos with whatever narrative serves her, because it always and only about her.

I don't think MM will age well (them Markle genes) and PS will not help and probably make it worse. Agree if Diana couldn't land anyone prestigious post divorce MM's pickings will be even slimmer.

Diana said in that interview (posted on one of these threads) with the Voice Coach/Actor that her sister didn't sleep with Charles. OTOH that may have been what they convinced her of when she was 19 and she needed to keep believing it to carry on.

From my own experiences with Narc relatives who marry into the family and make holidays (and any other day) hell, I don't buy that all is well at Sandringham this year. In my experience everyone else has to watch their behavior and appease/acquiesce to the Narc because although the Narc caused the chaos and hurt others, the Narc in fact plays the perpetual victim. These divas in my family married into a very average family and their sense of entitlement and machinations is insane, I can't imagine the level of crazy a professional, limelight seeking Narc like MM brings to an immensely wealthy and grand family.

R391 She’s never used the Cambridge kids as photo props before though. And no, the staged picture where some of you swear she’s reaching for Charlotte when both her hands are at her side doesn’t count. She doesn’t even have her own social media anymore. That’s why I’m confused as to why some of you are so desperate to believe that Kate purposely keeps her kids hidden from Meghan.

Perhaps, R371 you and a site dedicated to gossip, speculation and pointless bitchery are not a match.

R392 - I'm no fan of Markle and I don't buy her reaching for Charlotte in the group photo.

My interpretation: I think something/someone is making everyone laugh behind the scenes and Meghan is doubling over in laughter as the picture was taken. That's a more logical explanation.

Kitty Spencer is beautiful with beautiful skin, but in close-ups it's obvious she has had big time injections into her upper lip. But she has a great look, clothes sense (or whoever styles her has good clothes sense). She was best dress at the wedding along with, IMO, Cressida Bonas (I just liked the Bohemian thing Bonas was working).

She has never had the opportunity to use the Cambridge kids as props and it is clear the Cambridges don't intend to give her one. I LOVE Camilla's death grip around Charlotte's shoulders as Markle most definitely bends forward at the waist in her typical OTT (everyone else is merely smiling in reaction to whatever) and her left arm is most definitely within reach of Charlotte's shoulder. Nobody wanted an isolated shot of that to happen. Already she has dropped one of her planted stories that she loves to change Prince Louis's diapers! She uses the kids when she's not even around them.

I wouldn't trust Diana as far as I could throw her so the fact that she apparently said they didn't shag isn't evidence. I mean, suppose they did - I could see Charles lying and the sister lying and saying no. And I can, of course, see Diana lying.

I don't think they shagged because they never seemed to be a hot thing the way he was with Anna Wallace or Camilla. More like a lukeworm keeping company sort of thing. And she was sort of not the earthy type he seemed to like - not physically, and not personality. I think at the time she shot down rumors of the engagement, saying something like she's not in love with the PoW and wouldn't marry someone she didn't love. That statement pretty much skuppered the whole thing. Which is why I also don't believe Diana's implication that her sister would cling to Charles neck when Charles was seeing her sister, apparently apprehensive he would be attracted to Diana.

Stop playing dumb, r392. As was explained earlier, she would use any photos later on for leverage or to make a quick buck. If she did so now, it would be patently obvious who supplied the pictures and it would give the BRF ammunition to drop her ass. Before and soon after the wedding, there were articles about Meghan's chummy relationship with the Cambridges, how the kids loved her baking, etc. This was about the time articles starting surfacing that the Sussexes would be moving to Apt. 1A, Adelaide Cottage and on and on. As others have noted, it is most likely Meghan that pushes these articles in hopes of bending them to her will. The BRF has not complied. It would have been easy enough for the two couples to manage some photo op together. That never occurred and the message has been loud and clear - the Cambridges do not want to be associated with Meghan and they don't want her purporting to have a relationship with their children. Likewise, for all the articles proposing grand apartments or other properties, the Sussexes are moving to Frogmore and even their mouthpieces have stated they will have no London base. The BRF are doing the bare minimum for Meghan, and only enough to refute her sure to come charges that they never welcomed her into the family.

Harry has a lot more money than most of us can ever dream about, but life with him comes with so much baggage I would not think it to be worthwhile. Every look, every action of Harry's wife would be documented and obsessed over in the tabloids. They dont even get a lavish estate to live in, for gods sake. Maybe if he was handsome and not racist...

I think it was telling that Kate escorted Charlotte and George up the steps at the Sussex wedding running interference between her kids and attention seeking Mulroney as opposed to at Eugenie's wedding where Lady Louise was left to wrangle all the kids as a group. Kate knew to not even let her kids get into frame with Mulroney let alone MM now.

Also, kids are unfiltered. If the "you made my mum cry" did happen (and I believe some version of it did), who knows what Charlotte might bluntly say in the presence of everyone including HM, Philip, Charles, MM, Dimwit, etc. Keeping them apart also serves the purpose of sparing awkwardness for anyone present.

R396, as to that, recently I read that at one point Diana was asked - if Charles came to you on bended knee, begging another try, would you say yes? He says she took a long moment and then said she would.

I think she was in love with him. So does one of the queen's elderly cousins, who scoffs at the theory that her true love was Haznat Kahn. Diana didn't know how to be in an adult relation ship, but, and God knows why, she seemed to be in love. In some photos from their early marriage, they seem to have a sexual connection, particularly the post-honeymoon interview where she's in tweeds and he's in a kilt. Whenever he's physically affectionate she just seems to glow. There are so many pics of them on the internet that I'd never seen before. However, what is sad about it is even in the early days he never seems besotted with her the way she is with him, even when he's making an effort - kissing her or her hand, putting an arm around her, etc. The level of emotional investment is plainly unequal.

Although the British royals considered her one of them after the divorce and said so, I think it was extremely hard for her to find a real love after Charles, and the divorce sort of exposed it. Charles, on the other hand, had Camilla and always had had Camilla. I think Diana would have been happier being his wife, however separate their lives, and having affairs, while maintaining the security of the marriage and position. Not being seen as this lonely figure in pursuit of real happiness.

Good points, R400. I imagine their parents must be extremely protective of royal children, and Mulroney has no hesitation plastering her own kids all over social media (so wrong when the Frauen do this). That said, Mulroney's kids are cute.

I actually find Mulroney a very interesting and entertaining supporting player in this soap opera. She knows a LOT! Meghan's got to be careful with her.

A brief history of the "Lovers Knot" tiara

Camilla had her arm around Charlotte because George was on Charles lap and it would have looked weird and cold if she were just sitting there with her hands on her lap. It really isn’t that deep.

So does Meghan get her own tiara?

R399 as a line from Mad Men said in another context, "I have money but I don't have MONEY." Harry will never starve but is also reliant upon the housing, security, transport and supplemental perks of being a member of the BRF. He doesn't have the means to support that lifestyle on his own. I don't think he has access to a lot of ready cash, in the sense of that kind of fabulous wealth. There's a rumor that he is indeed on the Andrew path, wants nothing more than to be a huge celebrity, buys into his post-Vegas/pre-Markle heroic press, and like British spare after spare after spare, is dazzled by his own celebrity and what he sees as $$$ opportunities. I believe he bought into Markles' idea that they could be a power couple with their own court, but she actually has no fucking idea what she's talking about. I myself can't believe he acted the way he did on that tour, or allowed that Xmas card to be posted. I look at Meghan and gossip about Meghan strictly as a lens through which to view Harry. She is completely transparent and everything to her is a self-aggrandizement opportunity. EVERYTHING. A child, an experience - someone ELSE's experience, everything. That is what life is for her. I hate the term narcissistic supply, but as short hand, it's a good description. Just assume the basest motive and lowest common denominator intention and we'll be right. What I reject with her, as I rejected with Brad Pitt, is he or Pitt were poor suckers lured somehow into a web via exotic and mesmerizing sex practices, and some conflation of "she's just like my mama!" No, he IS the same as she in being in it for himself, full stop. Where she might be a typical cluster B clusterfuck, he is a spoiled, no responsibility-taking, others blaming Peter Pan who has relied on charm, being a scamp, playing to the cheap seats, selfishness, callousness and the perception of youth to be popular and get away with shit. And lies, of course. His whole everyman schtick and wishing he weren't royal. People take that to mean he would love to be a regular person. No, he wishes he weren't royal; he wishes he were a filthy rich 30something Brit of whom nothing is expected, who can do what he feels like when he feels like it, who can indulge himself in photo ops with poor kids, regular kids, old people, animals, etc. when he wants an ego boost - shows up for the applause and virtue signals, but anything else is too much like work. I love to read the theories about why he's with her. He's with her because he's an asshole. He may not be the conflation of personality disorders she seems to be, but he is an immature, self-seeking, responsibility shirking asshole

R394, I loathe her too - based only on her behaviour since marrying - but I also think it's wishful thinking to read a grab for Charlotte in that picture.

If ten per cent of what we're reading now is true it makes a great deal of sense of the May wedding. Kate had seen the real bride to be and so she and William escorted the children out of the ceremony. I thought it was so unusual. Now it makes sense.

R406: Excellent! Like seeks like.

I think that is an excellent take on Harry r406

Agree, r406. Well done.

R359, I think Diana was lazy and didn’t have the same hunger that MM does. She was very naive when she married Charles and never had to do anything remotely hardscrabble to get what she needed. She was soft.

Meghan is much more ambitious than Diana was, and I think Meghan enjoys a challenge. She’ll get her man.

r405 If she doesn't start pulling it together soon, MM will be lucky to get her own parking space at Frogless Cottage.

Camilla WAS sitting there with her hands in her lap for the main pic, while George was on PC's lap. It was perfectly fine, didn't look weird at all. She only put a death grip on Char when Meg did one of her patented Meg "sways" forward at the waist, and her left arm shifted forward. From there it's a millisecond to a fingertip tentacle brushing Charlotte's shoulder, but Camilla nicely body blocked.

Meghan wasn't making a GRAB for Charlotte, but I have seen her tentacles float until they land on someone's wrist, back, shoulder, etc. It's her thing. You know, it just "happened". But it creates an image that can be isolated and used. Fuck, at Prince Charles garden party in BP's garden, there was a hesitation dance between MM and Camilla after Charles left (without bidding MM farewell) as it was, well, are we giving a small polite wave good'by, or an air kiss? In that moment, the fingertips connected and subsequently have been spun into a great bond between Camilla and MM who "held hands" at Charles' birthday garden party. It was, of course, nothing of the kind, just a second of uncomfortable miscues until the decision to air kiss occurred. As soon as Markle "swayed" forward (we know how she loves a sway - she likes the Diana swaying back with the arch, but also does a bent at the waist) and her left arm left the plane of her torso and was forward, Charlotte was right there and an opportunity for fingertips to brush the royal shoulder. Camilla knows the game and scooped that kid in. If you look at Camilla and Charlotte, there is no reason other than that for her to be squeezing Charlotte in so tightly, while also absolutely blocking Charlotte, with her own shoulder and back, from the possibility of being touched.

I absolutely can't WAIT until the Harkles move into that dump in the swamp. And oh, the stories we will get encouraging us to mistake Frogmore Cottage for Frogmore House. One of the Meghan's media fans speculated that Meghan and Harry are positioned to just jump across the lawn to take up residence in Frogmore House proper, so we'll hear that as well. We'll here how Meghan has discovered an affinity for Windsor and QE has ordered MM be allowed to come and go to and from the castle as she pleases.

I can't wait for the baby. Back in October, we were told the baby was due "in the spring" (nice three month window to play with) and she'd passed her 12 weeks screening. Now we hear that bettors are not taking business on twins - they've closed the books on that. So that screams surrogacy and Megs is carrying on as if she's due next month.

My favorite remark remains one from another forum that declared by hook or by crook, Meghan is going to produce a baby (although at this point I, too, am expecting the miracle of twins) and even if it looks like Alfred E Newman the queen will betitle it. My only question, watching this soap opera, is why they were banished to a dump such as Frogmore Cottage while she is "expecting". One would think Not Cott would be better all around.

Sort of a tangent - BUT what is Harry's relationship with his neice and nephews? Everybody assumes he adores them and he's beloved Unca Harry, but I have never seen pics of him interacting with them on balcony occasions, nor have I seen him interacting with them at any of the christenings. There's a shot of George in the same shot as Harry and Will on some polo field (assuming it's polo) but no interaction. We have photographs of Prince Charles with his grandchildren, and the queen with her grandchildren, and there's a photo of QE bending down and interacting with George. But for brothers so close and three kids, I don't recall ever seeing a pic of Harry engaged with the nieces and nephews - or even cousins.

Floating tentacles and dangling tendrils drop in unnatural space

That's an interesting point, r415. You never see him interacting with those kids or them even registering his presence. So odd. Maybe the "loves kids" act is just that. Maybe he has unpublicized drug or mental issues for which they keep him at a distance. (Has anyone else noticed how much weight he has dropped since last year?)

I wonder if when he was "away in Africa" for that solo stretch a bit a go if he wasn't actually getting some help/drying out/getting clean. He was looking pretty rough and unkempt in Australia as well as on their return.

If Harry had severe addiction or mental health issues, I don’t think he’d be as visible. He’s been one of the most visible royals for years

Am I the only one who just sees Camilla trying to get Charlotte to look towards the camera in that stupid picture?

R420 No, I think that as well.

Harry does have some emotional disturbances. He's impulsive and immature - not really husband material. He's all right I guess, but the royal stans make me ill when they try to explain some of his inappropriate behavior away.

I have wondered that about Harry and the Cambridge children too. There was the odd interaction where he literally knocked the heads of 2 young boys together this fall, and his incessant hectoring of children at events to try to make them interact with Meghan. I think he uses kids like a prop. I am not sure he is SO different from his wife. He seems all too willing to distance from family, cut off friends, even make a memorial a PR opportunity for his grasping spouse. He had known the deceased well, who DOES THAT?

What is Harry's problem? And for that matter, Prince Andrew and Princess Margaret? I get that none of them had the best childhood (nor did they have the worst). Why are they all such stunted individuals with chips on their shoulders? All could have had cobbled together more meaningful lives, yet they persist in feeling sorry for themselves.

About Diana - I loved her as Lady Diana, and the young Princess of the early 80s. Unpopular opinion perhaps, but I disliked the sophisticated high-fashion Diana. Seemed superficial and empty. I especially hated the Patrick Demarchelier photos: "Look at me, I'm free and modern and casual and animated, in black and white. Wheee!" To me it was just sad.

I was sort of taken in by the image of Harry, thought he was a down-to-earth, no-nonsense lad. Chelsy seemed a good match in that regard, for a rich girl anyway. Meghan tapped into something in him.

I think the frat boy persona is OK for girlfriends when you’re in your early twenties but the likes of Chelsy just grew up and Harry didn’t.

R414 - As HazBean have already floated a story that they don't want their children to have titles, so they can live "normal" lives (sure, normal just like the kids Bradford), my guess is that they've already been told that HM has no intention of giving the Sussex kids HRHs. They'll certainly have minor titles automatically, but unless HM is raptured before they are born and Charles becomes King, they won't have HRHs unless the Queen makes them such.

Likewise, the Sussex put it about that they didn't want their kids brought up in the "fishbowl" of Kensington Palace to make it look as if they "chose" Frogmore Cottage and they're just thrilled to have Windsor as their home base now.

Both stories were floated to make it look as if whatever happens is what the Sussexes wanted, rather than what they were told they could expect.

Charles knows perfectly well that tons of HRHs cluttering up the landscape is something to avoid. William's three kids have two kids each, and that's six more HRHs.

So, no, I don't think it's at all given that the Queen is going "entitle" the Sussex baby, who will at birth either be the Earl of Dumbarton or Lady Diana Windsor as it is.

Sussex and Dumbarton are rather terrible titles....

Does Chelsy have a serious guy? Be funny if she and Harry took up with each other again, that would be Harry completely re-enacting his parents' marital dynamic, as children of dysfunctional families supposedly often do. Cressida has a hunky boyfriend and seems to be enjoying her acting career, having milked all possible publicity from her romance with Harry.

R430 = Yes, Chelsy has a serious guy. So does Cressida Bonas, who has been dating a gorgeous hunk for the last at least two years.

The Daily Express has a story up about the similarity between the greetings made out of wedding photos of Meghan's first and second weddings. The first one also is in black and white and shows the couple from the back, but sitting down leaning against each other on a beach.

She's not terribly original in her thinking. She just replays the same tricks over and over again.

R431 Oh yes, the similarity between her two wedding shots is hilarious. Obviously that's her "aesthetic." But did she not realize people would make that connection? And that it would be kind of humiliating for Harry?

Technically, is it not her second and third husbands?

Did Sparkle and Dim hand out pot this go round too?

R431: I don't think she consider Harry; he is yet another prop for her.

^ Considers.

r433, it depends on whether we are counting the common law marriage in Canada. My understand is that common law marriage gives you certain legal rights over in Canada unlike say the UK where there is no such thing legally (but a lot of people get caught out thinking there is). If we are it would technically be her second and fourth husbands.

I think the Queen will make Harry’s kids HRH’s or the Meghan stans (and the press) will scream murder. They would be entitled to the HRH one their grandfather is King in a few years anyway. And it’ll be a couple of decades before George and Louise produce their own HRH’s

R419 I don't really think that's true. If he's a "functional" prince with issues, it works fine. He seems visible but when you look at the Court Circular he has one of the lowest levels of engagement of anyone. He has been the beneficiary of a substantial PR blast that has especially taken root in the US, but I don't know that that sort of visibility matches with actual work he does. He shows up, does his Harry shit, and leaves. The Invictus Games, his biggest calling card, is largely the work of other people, but good God does he get reams of PR and "visibility" out of it. I think a lot of Harry is sleight of hand, starting with his long stint tagging onto the very stable Will and Kate.

Let's go back to when he had a drug problem. It was "cannabis". Oh heavens above! So before reefer madness sets in, Charles takes him to be "scared straight" in a two hour talk at a rehab center.

Does anybody even buy that bullshit? That his problem was weed, and a straightforward chat scared him straight? No way. Not to mention that before his marriage and afterwards he has been Mr. Itchy and Scratchy. Can't stay composed, can't keep himself together, can't actually focus on where he is without spacing out or acting out. He's got a giant, albeit often invisible, support system so he does not live a spontaneous life. It is easy for 'visible' person to function within that structure, although even acknowledging that, Harry barely seems to be.

Chelsy supposedly has a serious guy, but since twice now she and he set it up for a pap to shoot them tonguing each other down in the street, one questions why she wants to advertise. One was shortly before the wedding. There they are, open mouthed, his hand on her ass. These weren't telephoto shots, they were staged pap shots, clear as a bell, high resolution. When I saw the first I thought, geez, I never thought Chelsy Davy would stoop to a pap set up, which this clearly was. Adults just don't randomly stop in the middle of the road and start grinding on each other in full view of a photographer. I figured the prospect of attending Harry's wedding and being painted as the "I loved him and lost him" ex was too much for her, so she did that for ego reasons.

But then they did the same thing at a cafe after the wedding. Their posture and chairs angled towards the photog outward facing, not facing towards each other or comfortably vis a vis the table. And again, clear as a bell shots, photographer obviously close by, and here comes the big open mouthed kiss.

It has been suggested this boyfriend is gay, but who the hell knows. However, why was Chelsy Davy setting up pap shots tonguing her boyfriend immediately before and after Harry's wedding? She'd made her point, and it was well known she dumped him, not vice versa. I know she has a jewelry line and is starting a lifestyle blog but she already got all the publicity she would need for her jewelry. Princess Eugenie showed up for the jewelry rollout, and Davy is very well connected. She doesn't need tabloid type fame for her jewelry line.

There are rumours that his drug habit was actually a very expensive cocaine habit, we were all just told about the Cannabis.

Well of COURSE R440. Nobody bought the cannabis bullshit, everybody knew it was something else.

I suspect he's transitioned to become a prescription abuser, patch user, etc. Just because a lot of people seem to find it easier in the end then constantly obtaining street drugs. OTOH, his slobbiness and his scratching himself does kind of suggest cocaine.

Hmmmm, R438, food for thought. I never thought about how Harry's little stint might have been deliberately framed to soften reality.

Chelsy always had a look I would describe as ......wanton. I figured that's what Harry liked.

Harry also said something like he would make sure George had fun (these were his comments when George was born). It's like Harry is always on brand. Of course George's parents are fun - they play with him, dance with him, laugh with him, not to mention he seems to be just enraptured by his mischievous cousin Savannah who appears to be sort of the leader of the pack of cousins, as well as very responsible and tuned in (she reacted immediately when Charlotte began to tumble of the chair on the balcony). So Harry's remark just came off to me like, "I will say something in keeping with Popular Harry."

R443, Chelsy always looked as if her clothes were falling off her. It was always hard to reconcile that Chelsy with the Chelsy who had graduate degrees vis a vis Harry cheating to get out of Eton and then of course being sent to Sandhurst where I'm sure he was treated no differently than anyone else. 8/

Chelsy pretty much looks her best in swimwear, or in low slung jeans and apres ski or apres beachwear. I love when she hits a royal wedding, she does almost nothing with her hair, just slaps a fascinator on top and calls it a day. She had an expensive outfit for Will and Kay's wedding but it was wrinkled, and the two pieces (top and bottom) did not match. Even though that was apparently intentional, it contributed to her "These were handy and crumpled on the floor of my bedroom so I put them on!" aesthetic. A few years ago, when she was launching her jewelry line, she turned herself out in some polished little shorts outfit and a blowout, plus a "normal" smile instead of that gaping laughing smile for which she is known. She is just not as striking when she tries to conform to proper little young thing as opposed to just being herself.

Good analysis of the Chelsy style, R443. You have to be really rich to get away with it.

As much as Meagain does NOT = Diana (well, the good bits), Chelsy totally = Camilla, probably in all the good ways.

By most accounts, Camilla has been steadfast. It is this one quality which has won over most of her supporters She would have married Charles in the 70s. It was he who could not or would not marry her. How is Chelsy similarly steadfast?

I wasn't trying to clone, Camilla, R448, just observe she's probably the one who really got away and if history repeats, they'll settle together at a different stage in life. Try not to be so literal.

If it helps:

Well if your thesaurus says "Chelsy = Camilla" means "they end up together in the end" then it's a very special edition.

I'd say Chelsy is not like Camilla in the way that counts most. Camilla would have married Charles and saved the BRF from whatever damage the Charles/Diana divorce did to the monarchy. Her willingness to be patient and be Charles silent support in life and work has earned her grudging respect.

Kate endured William's wandering period and has added an air of stability and a desirable long term succession plan for those who find Camilla and Charles unpalatable.

Chelsy wasn't willing to marry Harry and tame the wild prince or partner with him in his royal "work." If she wanders back into his life after Meghan and Harry have created more of a shit show of the BRF then I don't think she's like Camilla in the least. Perhaps she has other lovely qualities, but she would not have been good for the BRF if she walked away now when there is a need for senior royals and saunters back after she's had her bit of fun and is ready to settle down in her dotage.

Nah, R436, I was referring to the guy she married whilst at Northwestern. He is now an attorney. It was annulled, so it may not count for religious purposes, yet there was a husband/wedding as a student. If you are counting the possible common law rx in Canada, and I read he is getting his legal ducks in a row, this could have been a 3rd wedding and 4th marriage. All before 40, what a prize she is!

Camilla doesn't seem contrived, and certainly lets loose on occasion, and this also appears to be true of Chelsy.

There were also rumors of Harry's rampant cheating on Chelsy. Perhaps she knew he was not husband material at the time, even if she loved him.

Sorry, R436, did not read your full post. We are in total agreement!

If the latest guy is rumored to be not straight, perhaps that is a pattern of Chelsey? Interesting. If it is a lavender thing it could explain the OTT PDA, much like Nutmeg and Dim, perhaps?

Chelsy seems blatantly heterosexual. Not sure what you mean 456.

Perhaps, R457, but she has been linked to at least 2 guys who are rumored to be less than straight.

R452, vivid imagination you have.

R429 Those titles are fitting though . SusSEX and DUMBarton .

Charles' "streamlining" of the monarchy is a bit solipsistic. It's him, his wife, his sons, and their families. So he ages and William/Kate's kids grow up, and William's idea of a streamlined monarchy becomes HIM, Kate, and HIS three children and their future spouses. Harry starts to look about as streamlined and essential to Will as Andrew does to Charles.

Cannot be long before the Queen throws her annual Christmas lunch party at Buckingham Palace for all of her family including her whole extended family .I think Princess Michael of Kent will be super careful this year!

R413 that is some celebitchy level bullshit. Unless Camilla has eyes in the back of her head, she wouldn’t know if Meghan were swaying, reaching or doing somersaults behind her back.

r437 if the stans scream and she's going to give them HRH status, she needs to so it soon because MM looks like she's about to pop. The Queen won't do it after the birth, but before just like she did before George or Charlotte was born (in making William's kids HRH even though they weren't entitled to it either at the time). That window of opportunity is closing fast - I say she won't do it.

In fact, she may issue an LP stating that the Sussex kids stay non-HRH, as they will automatically gain this at he death (Grandpa Charles becomes King, all his grandkids in male line become HRH). That will piss people off, but it will keep things consistent.

While I agree with most of the non-crazy assessments about Markle as a modern day Becky Sharpe, what I dont get is why we continue to use the DM as a barometer of MM's popularity/infamy. Isn't DM the same rag that praised Trump and under any article on Melania there used to be 2k comments calling her 'regal and gorgeous'? Not the most balanced source, is it?

[quote]what I dont get is why we continue to use the DM as a barometer of MM's popularity/infamy. Not the most balanced source, is it?

No source is "balanced". The DM is just as valid as an other agendaed medium. What you mean is why not source a medium more in line with your particular worldview.

Well, a source that caters less to the deplorables would be nice. And the headline 'niggling doubt' and 'straight outta compton' were race-baiting no matter how we try to swing it.

R467 is right.

The DM is the most widely read publication in the world. It may not represent a viewpoint you agree with but it is reasonably representative of a large group of people.

R56's asking if the baby is kind made me LOL.

The same can be argued about Fox News as it is representative of a large swathe of America. Doesn't mean that people should continue to use Fox News uncritically. In this case, Fox and DM are not just reporting, they are also shaping opinion, an opinion that they KNOW will gain traction with the deplorables.

R471 ALL media have an agenda. The consumer simply chooses which to indulge. As you've so perfectly illustrated.

The DM's readership is a large group but it's not a balanced group. It's readership is also mostly closer to 60 and female. It is more anti-Meghan than the general British public but also more interested in the monarchy than the general public.

I think it appears here because it covers royal stories more than most other publications. Upthread someone mentioned 9 stories online in one day.

Some of the comments on this thread are way more conspiratorial than even the DM would allow so fair and balanced isn't exactly the prevailing view.

R472 Yes and only sheep buy into that agenda, without thinking of the larger ideological slant they're aligning themselves to. It's possible to believe that Markle is a grifting, conniving, attention ho while at the same, acknowledging that the negative press attention the DM is bestowing on her for clicks IS by stoking racist and sexist flames .I'm British and I don't think the majority of my countrymen are racist but the DM has an agenda. Eg- Meghan was NOT hobnobbing with members of a terror cell for her community but the story at DM was written just to indicate that.

---her community kitchen

R471 A good analogy would be if we are discussing Mueller or Hillary and we keep bringing up what Fox and Friends has to say to buttress our very valid points

R376, I think MM had a vision of herself and Harry as a freewheeling power couple, unfettered by restraints, doing high profile overseas tours and speechifying and virtue signaling to the max. When in England, she would shine at spectacular events wearing showstopping couture clothes and jewels. I think she visualised outdoing Kate in the looks and glamour stakes. She saw herself living in a grand apartment at Kensington Palace with an army of dutiful servants, lunching at top London restaurants, shopping at the best boutiques, staying at the villas and yachts of high-powered celebrity couples like the Clooneys, driven around in Range Rovers with a bodyguard following her. She imagined that the BRF, the courtiers and the British public would swoon before her charm and bend to her will.

She never once considered that the job for which she had signed up was exactly the same as the other minor royals' role - standing in the background at official events, appropriately but never flashily dressed, traveling around the UK meeting the common people as representatives of the Crown, and showing up for regimented family holidays.

Being shipped off to Frogmore Cottage sent a message that only the most obtuse could fail to understand. Poor Meg! She may as well have joined the army.

Dear BRF Gossip Troll,

Thank you so much for creating these threads. The last instalment, 8 was so much fun because we got the right spirit of the DT threads- reflective, gossipy and fun. Some people made great points about the hubris of different members of the BRF, not just MM. This part has become very MM-centric, which would be fine, except we aren't even making any new points.

I'm taking a short break from these threads because I have MM fatigue, I think I'll return post Christmas once the craziness has settled. See you on the other side. A special shout out to HRH Flower, Run Meghan Run, the Margaret posters and the Scarves Troll, you guys were fun.

'She saw herself living in a grand apartment at Kensington Palace with an army of dutiful servants, lunching at top London restaurants, shopping at the best boutiques, staying at the villas and yachts of high-powered celebrity couples like the Clooneys, driven around in Range Rovers with a bodyguard following her. '

I hate to break it to you but she's still very much doing all of this except the KP bit.

I understand r478 That was very thoughtful of you to "leave a note" as it were. Big hug, doll.

Speaking of servants, who pays the salaries of servants for either of Charle's sons?

Are William and Harry responsible for the salaries? Or does that come from Charles?

If one has more servants than the other, will the one with more, have to pay the overage?

Who sets the salaries for servants? Do all royal servants get the same or do some members of the RF pay better than others?

Which ones live in? Do they live in some tiny attic room, possibly sharing with someone else? Or go home at 5pm.

Can they transfer from one RF family to another if they don't like the people or place they were hired for?

Any info about the servants, etc. would be interesting to read.

Lots of other things she's not doing, R479, eg lounging on celebrities' yachts, buying (as opposed to merching) expensive clothes, wearing amazing jewels to state dinners, being adored by KP staff, outshining Kate, and charming the British public.

R406 needs to be my shrink. Seriously. There may be hope for me yet. That was an EXCELLENT post.

Thomas Markle is back on TV trying to get his daughter's attention. I honestly don't understand how he sees this playing out. He'll label her "controlling" to the media and she'll reach out to him and they'll reconcile?

If someone is ghosting you for embarrassing them in public why would you keep doing the same thing in the hopes that they'll change their mind?

And what is Kensington Palace going to do about this? They don't seem to have a plan for dealing with any of the media-loving Markles.

Drama!

Impartial media have gone the way of the Dodo. From the TIMES to the DM, there is no longer even a pretence. For something resembling an overall view, you have to visit a wide range of echo chambers and then sort of cut an average.

At least DL admits it's just gossip - gossip isn't held to the standard a legitimate news outlet used to be held to. And, as it happens, the tabs serve a useful purpose: they are willing to let the public know things that are not unnecessarily untrue but that the broadsheets aren't willing to dirty their fingers with. The tabs aren't always lying (which isn't to say they don't sometimes make it up out of whole cloth), e.g., the troubles between Charles and Diana were brought out in the DM and other tabs long before the broadsheets were finally forced to talk about it.

Meanwhile, I did see a few moments of the GMB interview with Thomas, Sr., and he seems patheticallly slow to me. I can see why she ghosted him: her savvy mother can keep her mouth shut, dress well, and keep the side up. But her father . . . there's a reason she left him behind the moment she started dating.

As for Markle appealing to the Queen. Good luck with that, mate.

The Queen makes it a policy not to intervene in these things, and if it's up to anyone it would be up to Harry to shift the trajectory here, and spineless Harry can only do what wifey lets him do. So the family is just going to let Meghan's actions continue to dog her.

It has to be continually repeated that Harry has never met his father in law: Meghan kept them far apart during their "courtship". She clearly felt that her father was too much of a risk to her chances of nailing Harry.

This is the price she is going to pay till the man buys the farm.

If her dad dies before they have reconciled, it will define MM forever.

R481 - William and Harry are responsible for the salaries of all personnel not required for "official" work. The Sovereign Grant pays for expenses directly associates with their official work on behalf of the monarchy and the state - travel, a clothing allowance for wives' clothes needed for a tour, etc. Chefs, nannies, secretaries, grounds staff for their homes, accountants, equerries, etc., are generally their own responsibility. That said, I'm sure they can make claims on the SG for portions of those salaries - private secretaries who liaison with venues at official events, PR staff, nannies who have to accompany them on tours to care for the children.

That's why Charles supplements each son's household with an allowance from his revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall. Charles's stipend e.g., pays for Kate's and now Meghan's clothes, and for salaries of staff whose jobs are strictly personal, like home maintenance.

William and Harry pay standard tax on the income from those trusts. Given the tax rates in the UK, that 300,000 quid gets cut down pretty quickly, especially given the lifestyle they are somewhat compelled to keep up. Kate and William have a 21-room home in London, and a 10-bedroom Georgian mansion in Norfolk that have to be kept up.

I assure you William isn't mowing the lawn and Kate isn't cleaning the loos.

Hence, Charles's annual support.

When Charles is King and William has the Duchy, Harry to all intents and purposes, unless Charles has settles another trust on him, be left with just that 300,000 quid a year. The Sussexes, I'm sure Meghan was appalled to find out, have to "manage their expectations" as it is said. The more time goes by, the less like the Cambridges their lives will look like.

Pa Markle knows his pleas will go unheard but these interviews are his only source of income so he has to issue a plea every so often to get attention and a check. He can't offer the media any exclusives or inside information because he doesn't have any contact and he doesn't have any contact because he offered up the details of his private conversations with Harry and Bean to the media from the start, vicious circle. Although she was gonna ghost him anyway, the spilling the beans about his conversations just accelerated it and gave her a public excuse to do so.

I do feel bad for him, he got used and discarded just like anyone else who no longer served their purpose in her life, no special treatment or soft spot for dad.

If her father dies before they have reconciled, then the PR minions will be working overtime to concoct a story that they did. Something like "Dead Bed Reconciliation".

Given r487's breakdown of financial support, did Bean not realize or care that by leaking about Kate or complaining about Charlotte that she was in fact biting the hand (William's) that will feed/clothe/support her for years to come? Or does this fall under the category of: Narcissists don't feel the rules apply to them.

R487, thank you for your explanation.

R490, you’re right: the rules don’t apply to her (and so far, she’s right, because no one has enforced).

She’s not thinking about long-term consequences because she has no intention of sticking around. She’s working on her next step, always. I’ll give her credit for this: she’s always wanting more, setting up the next gig, she’s not complacent. As much as I don’t like her, I admire her hustle and what she’s accomplished. She’s impressive.

She probably did a thorough research and knows better than anyone Harry’s financial situation. That’s why she doesn't plan to stick around for long. Once she’s had that baby, she’s off to LA, reopens The Tig, and becomes the new Kris Jenner

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

R331 - pray tell to whom your aunt became involved with? Pretty please with giant cocks on top?

I find it laughable that Mega thought that she could appeal to the youth, as she’s 37, a year older than Asians was when she died. She’s not only deluded and misguided, she is long on the tooth at the beginning g of her life as a wife of a member of the Royal Family. Now, an interesting Royal to discuss, would be Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, who would have been Queen, had she not died in childbirth at the age of 21. She was isolated throughout her childhood, left in the care of nannies and governesses. Her mother Caroline, was not part of her daughter’s life, and was later sent away by her husband, the Prince of Wales. Princess Charlotte was forced into an arranged marriage at a young age, with a Dutch prince, and to much horror and assonishment, she refused the match. She was later permitted to marry someone of her choice, Prince Leopold, for this only to end in tragedy. Her match of wills against her extremely unpopular father, her premature death, resulted in the nation mourning her death on mass. Commentators at the time describe her death, and the loss of the country and public expressions of grief in a similar way that was witnessed with the death of Diana. I wish that someone would undertake a movie or miniseries on her life and the royals before Queen Victoria. Victoria’s own cloistered upbringing resemble those of Charlotte’s. Anyway, there are plenty of tragic and compelling tales throughout history of members of the royal family which make for much more interesting reading than the fodder produced on a daily basis by the rags in the UK about the current members of the royal family *yawn*

R495 here - fucking autocorrect changed Diana into ‘Asians’. What in the living fuck?

And Mega should read Megs.

The Cambridge card is on the cover of Hello.

R390 - she is, I give you, a larger girl than what is currently on trend (size 00, huge fake tits, Victoria Secret model), however I’d hardly call her ankles ‘cankles’. That’s fucking harsh of your friend.

Lady Kitty is gorgeous in an old fashioned, classic, British peaches and cream complexion, engaging eyes and that special, hard to define quality (the French have a name for it, yes?)

I’ve found some of my straight, white male friends can be some of the harshest judges of female beauty, outdone in bitchiness and harshness by certain straight, white females.

I find Kitty Spencer's face quite angular, especially at the jawline, but without the hollowed cheeks that usually balance French beauties.

Photos of Prince Edward's son James.

There's a rumor that the Queen's Christmas Lunch will be this Wednesday, Dec 19. We will probably only see arrivals and departures as it's a private event.

The Queen with a young Prince Andrew.

The Queen with her first grandchild, Peter Phillips.

Princess Anne went through an awkward adolescence. Here is her fuller figure.

The Queen in a playful mood.

All dolled up for the Trooping The Colour ceremony.

That’s a great one, r507!

A royal Christmas card for 1964 (Edward's christening).

Camilla in crown and pearl necklace.

[quote]When Charles is King and William has the Duchy, Harry to all intents and purposes, unless Charles has settles another trust on him, be left with just that 300,000 quid a year. The Sussexes, I'm sure Meghan was appalled to find out, have to "manage their expectations" as it is said. The more time goes by, the less like the Cambridges their lives will look like.

Great and informative post at r487. I have a question: once Charles is King, won't H&M receive some funding from him for support, much like Anne, Andrew and Edward do from the current Queen for their staff and households? Would this come from the Sovereign Grant or from Duchy of Lancaster funds, or some other source?

I love you, R406. Harry being the hapless, gullible puppy dog like, love forlorn, clueless victim of Meghan’s feminine wiles just does not wash.

[quote] [R376], I think MM had a vision of herself and Harry as a freewheeling power couple, unfettered by restraints, doing high profile overseas tours and speechifying and virtue signaling to the max. When in England, she would shine at spectacular events wearing showstopping couture clothes and jewels. I think she visualised outdoing Kate in the looks and glamour stakes. She saw herself living in a grand apartment at Kensington Palace with an army of dutiful servants, lunching at top London restaurants, shopping at the best boutiques, staying at the villas and yachts of high-powered celebrity couples like the Clooneys, driven around in Range Rovers with a bodyguard following her. She imagined that the BRF, the courtiers and the British public would swoon before her charm and bend to her will.

You know she can still have all these things (or most of them, minus perhaps the last part re bending the public to her will) if she'd only settle in, adjust and do the job with the minimum of fuss and publicity as required. It's not that difficult - boring much of the time yes, but not difficult.

The more she continues to kick up dust and put herself at the center of attention (where she certainly does NOT belong, MM stans aside - she's the wife of the 6th in line), the more blowback she will get. The more privileges will be siphoned away - first its the loss of the London pad, then it will be fewer engagements, leading to less visibility. It's like a downward spiral.

R438 - Harry has publicly discussed his own battles with mental health issues, disclosing that he suffered from crippling anxiety. He, William and Kate all head up a campaign in Britain (the Heads Together campaign, if I recall correctly?)

Then there was the Queen’s autistic and developmentally delayed uncles (a few of those boys were low functioning. Even her father wasn’t exactly bright)

Not to mention Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon – nieces of the Queen Mother and first cousins to the Queen – who had been incarcerated since 1941 . Both died in an asylum.

Basically, unless you’re a complete shit smearing, window licking dribbler, you can be popped into a smart and dandy royal uniform and paraded around at public events, with public speaking and interactions kept to a minimum.

Yes, please! I want more drops of Harry red-faced with fists balled and feet stamping for Meghan to get what she wants! (Petulant brat that he is.)

According to Richard Kay, both the Cambridges and Sussexes will be staying at Sandringham. Isn't Anmer Hall on the Sandringham grounds? Are the Cambridges going to move their whole family to Sandringham for a few days?

[quote]And Mega should read Megs.

I think “Mega” is a good description of her.

Yes Anmer is on the Sandringham estate but its a huge estate. If Haz and Megs stay elsewhere its not like the couples would run into each other.

Most recent news is that H&M won't be staying at Anmer like they did last year, but will be at the Big House with the Queen or possibly Wood Farm or one of the smaller cottages.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I think that too R415 . All these years that William and Kate have kids I never saw a picture from Harry interacting or playing with the kids . And its indeed said of Harry that he loves children . Very odd I think .

Is it common for the uncles/aunts to be photographed with the nieces and nephews? Are there photos of Andrew with William and Harry when they were younger?

If it's normal for the BRF to have photos of let's say Anne with William and Harry and Charles with Zara and Peter but there are no images of Harry with the Cambridge kids then that's certainly odd. If the young royals usually appear with their parents except at major events when they are with the whole family, then it's less weird if there aren't any pictures of Harry with the Cambridge kids.

Just as we predicted, the Harkles will be kept far away from the Cambridges. They'll be 'staying with the Queen,' as in, 'she'll be here and you all will be waaay over there.'

R522 - well, why would Will and Kate stay at Sandringham when they have their own country pile on the grounds? Duh.

It must be hard for William that you cant trust your own brother now he ‘s with Meghan

Oh please, you don't know that.

Which one of these is NOT like the others?

Take some time and smell the roses.

A close up on a walkabout.

The Queen with her late sister, Princess Margaret.

Her work is never done.

Sitting back with all her regalia on.

Showing the next in line how things are done.

I think his wife has made his drug problem worse, so in that sense there are probably trust issues. There have been many reports about the 37yo party girl's habits; constant drugging is a good way to entrap someone like Haz with clouded judgment. Lots of whispering about a recent rehab.

R533, can you point us to an article or something that refers to these "whispers" about rehab? You're making shit up.

Conjecture or "whispers" stated as FACT! Won't fly here. Thank you.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I’ve never heard anything about a drug problem or recent rehab

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Camilla with a Pekingnese. Strange but I always thought she was a terrior sort of woman. She had a Jack Russell terrier for years.

^^^Maybe it was a gift? I had an aunt who loved labradors and retrievers. She was not a fan of little yappy dogs at all but her father in law gave her a Pomeranian for her birthday and as she would never be cruel to an animal the Pom lived a long and pampered life among the labs and retrievers.

That made me laugh, r519. Which one is she?

There were many cdan blinds pre-"engagement" about the out of control drugs. CDAN of couse is another GOSSIP website, where gossip does fly, you're welcome.

Of course it's more a problem for the lower classes, but not dealing with mental illness and instead self medicating by a Narcissist and an Anxiety sufferer can be tragic. They are in a toxic stew, now bringing kids into it.

Stating again WHISPERS about rehab.

If you think you are being slick by invoking bloody CDAN as a form of doubling down, that tells me everything I need to know.

R519 - [bold]hillarious[/bold]!! Thank you! I remember, as a kid, flipping through my Mum’s Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, or New Idea whilst taking a dump in her en-suite toilet, and seeing a photo of Camilla, outside in her garden, foraging in her nose. I think it was before Diana and Charles separated, and old Milla had her finger firmly lodged in her nostril, almost up to the knuckle. It was pretty funny.

I tried to google the image but couldn’t find it.

R520 - perhaps Harry [italic]loves[/italic] little kids in the same way his grandpappy Phil, and Lord Mountbatten did?

Now where did [italic]those[/italic] rumours of paedophelia get to? Especially after Jimmy Saville, a good friend of the family, was called out.

R521 - yes, but Andy didn’t spend time in public, really, with his nephews, in the same way Harry [bold]has[/bold] spent time with Kate and Will’s youngins.

Harry has been the single, childless (that we know of) uncle who is purported to be close to both his brother, and his sister in law.

Andrew and Charles never spent time together once grown, aside from select public engagements.

Couldn’t find the photos of Camilla, outside in her garden, secateurs in hand, having a good old burrow.

I [bold]did[/bold] find this set of pics with royals having a nasal forage in public. Prince Harry even ate his. Ew.

R544 That's from the DM's "two birds with one stone" category. In a story attacking Meghan for being too glamorous at the Fashion Awards it slides in this juicy image of Camilla in a more down to earth royal meet and greet. That picture is a forest's worth of shade for Camilla.

R543 - [italic]such a golden retort[/italic]. Funny, thanks BRF. CDAN is such a farce, it even acknowledges that its content is absolute horse manure, without basis.

Bonnie Grier has been on Sky talking about Meghan. Bonnie Grier calls herself an artist and playwright - though I've never seen hide nor hair of one of her plays in London. She could be best described as a pseudo-academic talking head. She appears on various political and culture shows in the UK and writes pieces for the Guardian. I think she may do some adjunct teaching at UK universities as well. She's saying race is behind the media's souring toward Meghan. Apparently the media's claims that she is difficult is "code" - recognised by Grier and other AA American women - and is being used to portray a bi-racial woman (how Meghan self-identifies, according to Grier) in a negative light. She also asks if people are finally going to admit that Meghan's entry into BRF "is a disturbance to the body politic".

R550, have you read these threads? Race is behind much of the vitriol directed at Meghan on these very threads.

Really....why complicate things? Everyone knows that joining any family business is a job.

A job is where you "fit in or fuck off."

R458 nailed it - "It has to be continually repeated that Harry has never met his father in law: Meghan kept them far apart during their "courtship". She clearly felt that her father was too much of a risk to her chances of nailing Harry."

This what I've always figured. Hooking Harry was a very delicate procedure, and Dad might have scared him away, couldn't be risked. Meghan had nerves of steel, you have to hand it to her. The hunt must have been very stressful but also exhilarating. Like Little Miss Eve Harrington, a killer and a champion!

Right R549, cdan is a farce except about harvey weinstein haha. Several years ago everyone insisted it could not be true. On this topic, Prince Dim will probably continue the drug/mental ill/drug cycle -- he cannot withstand too much scrutiny, as noted, so if they wheel him out only occasionally and keep Mega out front, people won't notice, much.

Bonnie Greer has set herself up as some kind of expert on everything - she seems to make all her money appearing as a talking head. Sparkles looks white and has benefitted from this all of her adult life. She has a reputation of being difficult which has nothing to do with race. Are we not supposed to criticise her because she's biracial? I really don't understand these black women who are up there defending a chick who looks white, spent most of her adult life pretending to be white until it suited her to be biracial, has no real black friends and has consistently only dated and married white men. They should get the hint, chick wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire. On that everlasting tour the times that she really showed herself up was around People of Colour - she ran out of that market in Fiji after five minutes and failed to give the Tongo royal family the proper respect.

So, was it racism when the press spent years going after Kate? The press probably loves Meghan as she provides endless copy.

R376, the lifestyle you describe sounds beyond amazing. Imagine Meghan's ecstasy, contemplating it all. I'd be beside myself.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I think we "love" Meghan not because she is of color, but because she's colorful. She's such a wonderfully wicked, glamorous villainess. As I've posted before - she's Ann Grenville, Becky Sharp, Eve Harrington, Alexis Carrington, Wallis Simpson....her antics are fantastic.

Becky Sharp was smart and well-loved by men. Meghan Markle doesn't appear to be either of those things.

Do we still consider Earl Spencer part of the British royal fam? I've been entertained over the years by his caddish romances. He broke up one woman's marriage in South Africa; I remember after she got dumped, she went crawling back to her husband and their remarriage was given lavish coverage in "Hello" magazine. I wonder if they're still together. Later he seduced an American TV reporter, who gave up everything to go live with him, then got dumped. She's an anchor in LA now, seems to have recovered and has a nice family now, good for her.

R560, Becky Sharp was maybe a "man's woman," but well loved? I think not. She was clever, and a....I still can't bring myself to post certain rude words.

R505 When I was a kid, there was a Life or Look magazine around the house with these incredible portraits of Princess Anne on the occasion of her 21st birthday. Splendid gowns, towering updos, with a little bit of a flower child vibe. I later learned the photos were by Cecil Beaton.

Link to Part 10 lurking at the ready

R527 What a fabulous pattern on the Queen. Best dressed woman of all time.

R563 here, I beg your pardon, the photos were by Norman Parkinson.

R463 Meghan isn't behind her back, Meghan is behind the bench to Camilla's left, where any tentacle "absently" or "unconsciously" drifting fingertip-ward in the direction of Charlott'e shoulder can be easily spotted in one's peripheral vision. And blocked. As is happening there.

R482, AND she's retired from the yachts and isn't hanging with the Clooneys nor with any other member of the A list or glitterati. Apart from her current exalted situation circulating amongst (albeit at arms' length) members of the BRF and its guests, the highest social plane where she actually socialized was that time she posed in photo booth with Jessica Mulroney and Sophie Trudeau.

The US entertainment media never quits acting as if royal life is a royal wedding every day without the massive dress. But it's not. And most especially not for Duchess Sixth in Line.

Her clothes situation is obvious - it just remains to wonder how much if any actual $$ she's raking in from it. If she is, there are taxes to consider and that sort of thing. If she IS, she is certainly not spending it on grooming and tailoring.

I want to know who pays for her PR. At the time of her engagement there was a sort of double announcement that she would not be entertaining any further acting offers (ha ha HA! You'd have to HAVE some to not be doing it anymore) but would be retaining her representation. Her representation is Sunshine Sachs, and there's plenty of cross-synchronicity with other entities and persons repped by SS. But who the hell is paying? Someone is reading the comments sections and the gossip. Someone is coming up with these absolutely from hunger excuses - for example, that Markle' pshoto booth gif disappeared from the Givenchy insta out of consideration for Her Majesty, who has had an antipathy for Rosamund Pike ever since HM saw "Gone Girl." Heavens to Murgatroid, that is some next level desperation. There is also the "explanation" that Megs framing her bump continually, but particularly as Claire Wright Keller begins to speak, is because she felt her little 5 month yet ENORME' xygot kick. And then yesterday came reports insinuating that the reason Megs and Haz's staff is bolting for the exits is because royal employees are paid poorly and have terrible hours. Yes, this is why one staff member in particular happily worked for the BRF for years but ran for the hills a few months after working for Smeg & Co. It suddenly occurred to her she was poorly paid. It's why Kate has the same team helping her when she makes appearances, etc. - those people can't find better paying jobs! It's why Her Madge has to do her own washing up, clothing maintenance and scheduling, stall mucking and auto repair- who wants to work for that kind of money and under those conditions? Somehow the article failed to mention the equally poorly paid staff of all the other royals quitting en masse but I am sure it is happening as they all realized at once that the pay was shit.

R511 - Yes, very likely, but how much is a matter of speculation. The amount Harry and William get from Charles is probably greater than anything Anne or other royals get from the Queen through the Duchy of Lancaster.

I noticed on Sky News today that the "fightback machine" has begun to rev up, classifying the sudden negative PR MM has received on . . . guess what? No, could it be? Surely not?

Yes: racism. A segment talked about how wildly successful the tour had been, how praised she had been for her speeches, how her "feminist voice" is being stifled due to the arcane institution she married into . . .

I find interesting about this several angles: one, they always neglect to mention that she owes such "voice" as she has globally to that institution; they carefully avoid the fact that she is Barely Black and has made it a point to be so throughout her life; that the negative press around her revolves around a couple of very nasty stories that no one has bothered to deny; and that she has spent her life desperate to climb the social ladder.

These, of course, are things no segment on Sky or any other news outlet would discuss.

But clearly some sort of engine has been started to put the negative press on the back foot. I predict that the BRF will again find itself between a rock and a hard place: stuck with a disagreeable, divisive, narcissistic marry-in that they can't get rid of without incurring blame. We are likely to see in the coming days lots of Happy Families photo ops, with Meghan the Poor Victim of Racism being chatted up and smiled at by Kate, and William and Charles.

Give the tabs their due: were it not for them, some of the truths about Meghan Markle would never have surfaced.

Should be interesting.

R561 he was never part of the RF. His sister (whom he ghosted before she achieved sainthood by dying young) married in, that doesn’t make him part of the family.

So true r569. But she needs to be very careful, as those same tabs who have been dogging her are likely either sitting on a pile of dynamite they haven't yet set off, waiting for the right time; or will be digging up things that MM would never want put in the public realm.

Live by the sword die by the sword. The BRF may be between a rock and hard place but they always find a way out of it.

PR re re-scheduled US trip by Dim and Sparkle and Sohobebe.

The story placement and sheer VOLUME cannot be cheap. Where is the $ coming from?

It is incessant

I wanted to say how much I appreciate the BRF gossip troll. He's been such an excellent host. I have being doing my best not to mention the Sussexes, but their trashy stories give me an excuse to post something that I think nearly all of us Royal watchers can appreciate. I think the story of the estranged father being unable to contact his daughter is rubbish. I say that, because even I know how to do that. It seems like the postal code for Kensington Palace is W8 4PX. Mail addressed to specific people should, of course, have a name, address and postal code, but if you want to emphasize exactly who you're addressing, you also add their name in the lower left corner of the envelope.

Anyway, this enterprising lady has written to many of the royals, and received responses from Prince Harry, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall, and HM herself.

Again, BRF Troll, I hope you don't mind the minor segue to share an article I found pretty interesting. I won't mention the Sussexes outside of this post.

Go for it r574. As another poster mentioned, they really are the news of the moment. Perhaps Fergie will get papped sucking Philip's toes or something to mix things up a bit.

R567 exactly, Meghan is behind the bench, which puts her beyond 90° mark of Camilla’s peripheral vision; probably at 100° with the outer border of peripheral vision being 110°. Add to that the fact that Camilla’s face is framed by her hair further blocking her peripheral vision, and we’re back to what we started with: unless Camilla has eyes in the back, she could’t see Meghan’s swaying.

I wonder if after the ok meeting between Prince Philip and Fergie at Eugenie's wedding whether she will now be invited and included in any of the royal festivities over Christmas at Sandringham or the Royal family lunch at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday?

I've never understood Philip's hatred of Sarah. Over the footsie photo? That's all? There's got to be more to it than that. Then again, that was quite the scandal of the day. I can't remember if Sarah and Andrew were effectively separated by then. Whatever happened to John Bryan, anyway? And who was that other Texan she was supposedly involved with?

Ah, those were the days. And all before the internet. We'd read about it in the tabs, or watch the "Current Affair" type shows every evening.

That vanity fair article is so fucking embarrassing! The pinnacle of her achievements was making some banana bread!! God, what an empty vapid life...

r578 Philip allegedly had a raging affair with a young Susan Ferguson back in the 60s when she was married to Ronald Ferguson, who was his polo manager at the time. That to me - if true - has always contributed to his rancor towards her.

R580, can it be true that perhaps Philip is...(dum, dum dum!) SARAH’S FATHER?

[quote]I've never understood Philip's hatred of Sarah. Over the footsie photo? That's all? There's got to be more to it than that.

She humiliated his son and humiliated the lot of them with her indiscretion. Also, Sarah seems pretty goofy - impulsive, inappropriate.... guessing here but given his nature, I don't think Prince Philip goes in for goofy. He probably always found her a lot to put up with, and by the time she graduated to topless and toe sucking he was probably in full on hate mode.

Hello all,

I have another protocol question. If the Queen Mum entered a room, would THE Princess Margaret have to stand at attention and would Margaret bow? How about Charles and Elizabeth's other children? I don't get the rank of a dowager queen. Is it above a Princess or child of a reigning monarch?

Last question, would Elizabeth expect her mother to stand when she arrives, outside of official events? I watched The Crown but still a bit confused on the Queen Mother.

Seems they've turned to the US press. But oh look they've fucked up again. She doesn't need to play to US or Canadian audiences. It's not like she's on Suits anymore. She needs to play to UK audiences.

R573 What bullshit. It takes an unimaginable amount of delusion to think this narcissistic hollow-woman could alter the BRF, even in the slightest. Diana, a woman popular in a way Meghan could only dream of, had to die to change the BRF and the only thing she really changed was the business with the flags over Buck House.

It all depends on precedence, R583.

As children, both Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret would have curtsied to their parents when King and Queen (and probably when they were Duke and Duchess of York, it was the 30s.) As Queen, Elizabeth II outranked her mother.

I believe technically Princess Margaret would curtsey to her mother upon first greeting her. A dowager queen outranks a princess. In the attached video you see some of the nuance. Zara Phillips curtseys to the Queen (:38) and the Queen Mother (background :24). I don't think they all curtsey to everybody all the time at family events... some of them would get motion sickness they'd be so far down the food chain.

I heart Prince Philip. He's the real deal, missteps and all.

More royal fuck ups..

Thank you r586, that makes sense.

R586 I loved that vid, thanks for posting. The Queen Mum is divine. William is a young golden god with that abundance of hair, however it looks almost fake, tacked on, about to come off- which of course it did.

various Queen

R558 Was that Charles break dancing at the end?

Geez, Earl Spencer sounds as fucked up as Diana. Puts his grandiose eulogy in perspective.

[quote]That vanity fair article is so fucking embarrassing!

Remember when Vanity Fair was good? It’s basically Megan’s mouthpiece now.

Of course Thomas Markle knows the address and phone number of his daughter. But his letters and texts receive no reply. I really hope this ostrich-like disdain of her family blows up in MM's face. People who have nothing left to lose are really dangerous. As JR Ewing always said, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'

'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'

This is excellent advice, but when I follow it I feel like a hypocrite. Being friendly with people I loathe is probably a good idea in the end, but it's difficult.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

My late mum could tell the sex of the baby according to whether the expectant mum was carrying it high or low. Low, boy. High, girl. Megs is gonna have a girl!

R597 Definitely your spelling to critique. Walkabout

Both the dress and coat fit well. The coat especially is lovely - that soft grey is nice. The shoes don't match. The hair, while her tendrils are not dangling for once, looks filthy and uncombed. I give the look a horizontal thumb - not up, not down.

R599 is bringing the most pointlessness to the bitchery. DL award for cunt of the day.