I was always a fan of Princess Diana because we were almost the exact same age and I followed the reporting on her life with great fascination. I videotaped the coverage of her 1980 wedding to Prince Charles with great delight, because I didn't want to get up at the crack of dawn to watch it live.
When Diana died in 1997 I cried. You may think that's silly but like so many others, I felt great sadness. I felt really sad for her sons, having to finish their childhoods without her. They were already dealing with the relentless publicity they couldn't escape simply because of their family.
Harry's new memoir Spare, however, has me shaking my head in absolute disgust. Surely he must realize it's very unlikely that Charles and William will ever want to restore Harry to his former place in the family, in any capacity? The Oprah interview from a couple of years back was the first step in Harry burning his bridges. I am absolutely certain Harry knew, based on the backlash he got about interview, that publishing the book was not a good idea IF he wants to have any sort of healthy relationship with his dad and brother.
Oprah said later about her interview with Harry and Meghan, "I try to stay out of people's family business." Really? What did you think Harry and Meghan were going to talk about? Oprah chose her questions very carefully. I'm sure nothing was a surprise to her.
Harry said when he and Meghan left England and moved to Canada that he wanted to leave his royal life behind. Fine. Step out of the spotlight. Nobody is going to have a problem with that. Go in peace, to live however you want. Harry's uncle Prince Edward leads a very quiet, private life. It can be done.
However, then Harry left he started a media blitz [the Oprah interview, the 6 part Netflix series, now the autobiography and a lengthy 60 Minutes interview] guaranteed to keep him in the public eye.
Harry said of his brother William in the 60 Minutes interview "I love him deeply."
Really?
Is that the way anyone shows their love -- by saying hurtful things about them IN PUBLIC?!
If I could talk to Harry, I would say How can you claim you never intended to hurt your family and turn around and immediately spill your guts about them, telling stories that you must know will cause them great public embarrassment?
Let's turn it around. Let's say William started giving a lot of interviews telling unflattering stories about Harry to the press. Harry would be furious.
My take on it is this.
William and the rest of the royal family probably didn't treat Meghan exactly as she wanted to be treated, 100% of the time. I don't want to get into that controversy. I think that Meghan realized soon after her engagement that being part of the royal family was not going to be all fun and games. It's a serious business. Harry was part of the family business. Unlike most family businesses, though, there has always been a limit to what was revealed to the public, and for good reason. The royal family has endured a lot of scandals, dating back decades. The British press is relentless in their coverage, as Diana's death proved.
I think Harry and Meghan realized that if they just left, there would be a cessation of money, except for Harry's inheritance from his mother. However, Harry isn't hurting for money, as many sources report. He also inherited money from his great grandmother and he has earned money from when he was in the military. My point it simply that Harry didn't have to do any interviews. He wasn't hurting financially. He and Meghan could live lavishly without doing interviews and a Netflix series and publishing a book. They moved into a Montecito mansion that was recently listed for sale for $33 million dollars. They are looking for a new home because apparently 10,000 square feet just isn't enough space.
Waaaah. Call the wambulance.
Despite Harry's assertions that he wants to be closer to his father and brother, I think Harry and Meghan knew that Harry's revelations about his family would cause a permanent rift. Harry isn't a moron. The brother he is trashing is the future king of England. The father he is trashing is the current king.
The Netflix deal alone is estimated to have a $100 million payoff to Harry and Meghan.
So now Harry and his family can live a REALLY lavish lifestyle and never work another day, and the price was simply that he had to give up any hope of reconciliation with his family. As we know, Meghan is estranged from most of her family. If anyone referred to Meghan as the Yoko Ono of the royal family it wouldn't surprise me..
I think neither Harry nor Meghan realize, however, that a big portion of the public finds their behavior repugnant, and a lot of the public sympathy they gained for walking away from the royal life is gone now. A few minutes of research shows the Brits aren't too happy about Harry's whining.
I think soon a lot of folks will NOT be wild about Harry.
#princeharry, #meghanmarkle, #princessdiana, #spare, #sussex, #harryandwilliam, #harrywhiny,
