NOTES AT ARTICLE: QUEEN SUPPORTIVE OF HARRY AND MEGHAN’S NEW LIFE/WELL DONE, YOUR MAJESTY!
[1]
PRINCE HARRY AND HIS BRIDE MEGHAN MARKLE/CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEXASTRID ESSED23 MAY 2018
https://www.astridessed.nl/prince-harry-and-his-bride-meghan-markle-congratulations-to-the-duke-and-duchess-of-sussex/
A ROYAL BABY FOR THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX/LORD ARCHIE, WELCOME TO THE WORLD!ASTRID ESSED9 MAY 2019
[2]
BBCPRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN TO STEP BACK AS SENIOR ROYALS8 JANUARY 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51040751
TEXT
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced they will step back as “senior” royals and work to become financially independent.
In a statement, Prince Harry and Meghan also said they plan to split their time between the UK and North America.
The BBC understands no other royal – including the Queen or Prince William – was consulted before the statement and Buckingham Palace is “disappointed”.
Senior royals are understood to be “hurt” by the announcement.
Last October, Prince Harry and Meghan publicly revealed their struggles under the media spotlight.
In their unexpected statement on Wednesday, also posted on their Instagram page, the couple said they made the decision “after many months of reflection and internal discussions”.”We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
They said they plan to balance their time between the UK and North America while “continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.”
‘Major rift’
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the fact palace officials said they were “disappointed” is “pretty strong”.
“I think it indicates a real strength of feeling in the palace tonight – maybe not so much about what has been done but about how it has been done – and the lack of consultation I think will sting.”This is clearly a major rift between Harry and Meghan on one part, and the rest of the Royal Family on the other.”
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said discussions with the duke and duchess on their decision to step back were “at an early stage”, adding: “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
Over Christmas, the couple took a six-week break from royal duties to spend some time in Canada with their son, Archie, who was born in May.After returning to the UK on Tuesday, Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, visited Canada’s High Commission in London to thank the country for hosting them and said the warmth and hospitality they received was “unbelievable”.
During the visit, Meghan said it was an “incredible time” to enjoy the “beauty of Canada”.
“To see Archie go ‘ah’ when you walk by, and just see how stunning it is – so it meant a lot to us.”Former actress Meghan lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and she has several Canadian friends.
Close up, it was painfully clear that there were great chunks of the job they simply could not stand.
Both of them appeared to come alive with the crowds. But Harry hated the cameras and was visibly bored by the ceremonial.
And though Meghan was often the consummate professional, at times her impatience with the everyday slog of the role sometimes broke through.
She said she didn’t want to become a voiceless figurehead; but when she raised her voice, she found criticism waiting for her.
They both made their feelings known in the 2019 interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby.
But beyond the detail, what was so shocking was how unhappy they both seemed. The sun-drenched wedding of the year before seemed like a dream; here were two people visibly struggling with their lives and positions.
There are far more questions than answers; what will their new role be? Where will they live, and who will pay for it? What relationship will they have with the rest of the Royal Family?
And there’s the institutional question. What does this mean for the Royal Family?
It comes just a few months after Prince Andrew stepped back from his duties. Some might see this as the slimmed-down monarchy that the 21st century needs.
But Harry and Meghan reached people that other royals didn’t.They were part of the reinvention and refreshing of the institution. This was not the way anyone would have planned its future.
Former Buckingham Palace press officer Dickie Arbiter suggested the decision showed Prince Harry’s “heart ruling his head”.
He told the BBC the “massive press onslaught” when their son Archie was born may have played a part in the decision.
And he compared the move to Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936 in order to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.”That is the only other precedent, but there’s been nothing like this in modern times,” Mr Arbiter said.
Asked how being a “part-time” member of the Royal Family might work, Mr Arbiter said he did not know.
“If they’re going to be based in the UK, it means they are going to be doing a lot of flying [with] a big carbon footprint,” he said, adding that this may “raise eyebrows”.
He also questioned how the couple would become financially independent.
“I mean, Harry is not a poor man, but to settle yourself in two different continents, to raise a family, to continue to do your work – how’s the work going to be funded?
“How is their security going to be funded?
“Because they’re still going to have to have security – who’s going to have to pay for this? Where’s the security coming from? Is the Metropolitan Police going to be providing it and if so whether there’s going to be any contribution in covering the security cost?”Mr Arbiter also suggested questions would be raised over why £2.4m of taxpayer’s money was spent on renovating the couple’s home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, if they will now be living elsewhere for some of the year.
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the couple have “considerable savings”, including Harry’s inheritance from Princess Diana’s estate and the money Meghan earned as an actress.
But, asked about whether they might get jobs, he added: “There is a problem for members of the Royal Family – relatively senior ones, even if they say they’re no longer senior – getting jobs, because they are seen to monetise their brand and you run into a whole host of questions about conflict of interest”.
He added that we are now in “wait and see mode” as to whether this new model of being a royal can work – “or if this is really a staging post for them to leave the Royal Family”.
The Prince of Wales pays for the public duties of Harry, Meghan, William and Kate and some of their private costs, out of his Duchy of Cornwall income, which was £21.6m last year.
Accounts from Clarence House show this funding – in the year Meghan officially joined the Royal Family – stood at just over £5m, up 1.8% on 2017-18.
Royal author Penny Junor said she “can’t quite see how it’s going to work”, adding: “I don’t think it’s been properly thought through.””I think it’s extraordinary but also I think it’s rather sad,” she said. “They may not feel they are particularly loved but actually they are very much loved.”
In an ITV documentary last year, Meghan admitted motherhood was a “struggle” due to intense interest from newspapers.
Prince Harry also responded to reports of a rift between him and his brother William, the Duke of Cambridge, by saying they were on “different paths”.
In October, the duchess began legal action against the Mail on Sunday over a claim that it unlawfully published one of her private letters.And the duke also began legal action against the owners of the Sun, the defunct News of the World, and the Daily Mirror, in relation to alleged phone-hacking.
Prince Harry also released a statement, saying: “I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”
The duke and duchess moved out of Kensington Palace, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live, in 2018 to set up their family home in Windsor.
Then last summer, they split from the charity they shared with Prince William and Kate to set up their own charitable projects.The couple’s announcement on Wednesday comes two months after the Duke of York withdrew from public life after a BBC interview about his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in August.
[3]
A STATEMENT BY THE COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY TO PRINCE HARRY
https://www.royal.uk/statement-communications-secretary-prince-harry
TEXT
Published 8 November 2016
Since he was young, Prince Harry has been very aware of the warmth that has been extended to him by members of the public. He feels lucky to have so many people supporting him and knows what a fortunate and privileged life he leads.
He is also aware that there is significant curiosity about his private life. He has never been comfortable with this, but he has tried to develop a thick skin about the level of media interest that comes with it. He has rarely taken formal action on the very regular publication of fictional stories that are written about him and he has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media, focused on his work and the issues he cares about.
But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public – the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments. Some of it has been hidden from the public – the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life.
Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game’. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game – it is her life and his. He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done. He knows that it is unusual to issue a statement like this, but hopes that fair-minded people will understand why he has felt it necessary to speak publicly.
[4]
WIKIPEDIAWEDDING OF PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Prince_Harry_and_Meghan_Markle
[5]
PRINCE HARRY AND HIS BRIDE MEGHAN MARKLE/CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEXASTRID ESSED23 MAY 2018
https://www.astridessed.nl/prince-harry-and-his-bride-meghan-markle-congratulations-to-the-duke-and-duchess-of-sussex/
[6]
A ROYAL BABY FOR THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX/LORD ARCHIE, WELCOME TO THE WORLD!ASTRID ESSED9 MAY 2019
YOUTUBE.COMPRINCE HARRY AFTER MEGHAN GIVES BIRTH TO BOY:”ABSOLUTELY OVER THE MOON”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQHCXzg7v3QTRANSCRIPTION”I am very excited to announce, that Meghan and myself had a baby boy, early this morning, a very healthy boy.Mother and baby are doing incredibly well.It’s been the most amazing experience I can ever possiblyimagine.How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension,but we are both absolutely thrilled and I am so grateful toall the love and support from everybody out there…it’s absolutely amazing,so this we want to share with everybody…..[INTERVIEWER ASKS ABOUT NAMES FOR THE BABY][PRINCE HARRY]Still thinking about names, yes, the baby is a littleoverdue so we had a little time tothink about it, butyes, that’s the next step, but for us…seeing you guysin probably two days in time as planned….as a family to have toshow it to you guys …..so one can see the baby.[AT QUESTION OF THE INTERVIEWER]”I haven’t been at many births…this is definitely myfirst birth.It’s amazing, absolutely incredible and as I said,I am so incredibly proudof my wife.And as every father and parent will ever say, your baby is absolutelyamazing, but this little thing is absolutely to die for.So I am just over the moon.Thank you very much guys”END OF THE TOUCHING YOUTUBE FILM
[7]
TOWNANDCOUNTRYMAG.COMWHY PRINCESS DIANA’S FIGHT AGAINST LANDMINES WAS SO REMARKABLE
18 AUGUST 2017
BBCDIANA’S SUPPORT WAS ”TURNING POINT” IN LANDMINE BAN EFFORT31 AUGUST 2017
TEXT
The founder of an anti-landmine campaign group says Princess Diana’s support provided a “turning point” in the global effort to ban the devices.
Lou McGrath launched Mines Advisory Group (MAG) with his brother Rae in 1989, from Cockermouth, in Cumbria.
The princess made global headlines in January 1997 when she called for a ban on anti-personnel devices.
She then worked with MAG in the months before her death, on August 31 of that year in a Paris car crash.
Keen to support a global ban, the princess’s representatives had contacted MAG, which led to a meeting at Kensington Palace.
Subsequently, she was in regular contact with the group and acted as a keynote speaker at a London event in June 1997.
Just over three months after her death, 122 governments signed up to the Ottawa Treaty, which aimed to eliminate the production and use of mines.
‘Humanitarian issue’
Speaking on the 20th anniversary of her death, Mr McGrath said: “It was tremendously important [to have her on board]. It was a turning point.
“The voice we had in the campaign brought forward the British government’s resolve in signing up to the treaty and also international governments.
“We’d tried to push forward a ban on the use, production and export [of mines] and it was only when Diana decided to come on board that the British government declared a moratorium.
“We were then able to sign the mine ban treaty, although sadly that was after her death.”
MAG was part of the lobbying coalition International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.
The princess’s call for an international ban had seen her attacked by politicians who claimed she was interfering with government policy.
Mr McGrath, though, defended her actions.
He said: “She’d been heavily criticised by MPs for being political, but actually governments of the world had agreed it was a humanitarian issue.
“Without her we couldn’t have brought forward what was the fastest arms control treaty in the world.”
[8]
”On 31 August 1997, Diana died in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris while the driver was fleeing the paparazzi.[236] The crash also resulted in the deaths of her companion Dodi Fayed and the driver, Henri Paul, who was the acting security manager of the Hôtel Ritz Paris. Diana’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived the crash. The televised funeral, on 6 September, was watched by a British television audience that peaked at 32.10 million, which was one of the United Kingdom’s highest viewing figures ever. Millions more watched the event around the world
WIKIPEDIA
DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES/DEATH
ORIGINAL SOURCE
WIKIPEDIA
DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES
[9]
”Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one. Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself. I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”
THE GUARDIAN
PUT SIMPLY, IT IS BULLYING: ”PRINCE HARRY’S FULL STATEMENT ON THE MEDIA
As a couple, we believe in media freedom and objective, truthful reporting. We regard it as a cornerstone of democracy and in the current state of the world – on every level – we have never needed responsible media more.
Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences – a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son.
There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face – as so many of you can relate to – I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been. Because in today’s digital age, press fabrications are repurposed as truth across the globe. One day’s coverage is no longer tomorrow’s chip-paper.
Up to now, we have been unable to correct the continual misrepresentations – something that these select media outlets have been aware of and have therefore exploited on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.
It is for this reason we are taking legal action, a process that has been many months in the making. The positive coverage of the past week from these same publications exposes the double standards of this specific press pack that has vilified her almost daily for the past nine months; they have been able to create lie after lie at her expense simply because she has not been visible while on maternity leave. She is the same woman she was a year ago on our wedding day, just as she is the same woman you’ve seen on this Africa tour.
For these select media this is a game, and one that we have been unwilling to play from the start. I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in.
This particular legal action hinges on one incident in a long and disturbing pattern of behaviour by British tabloid media. The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question. In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year.
There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behaviour, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people. We all know this isn’t acceptable, at any level. We won’t and can’t believe in a world where there is no accountability for this.
Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one. Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself. I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.
We thank you, the public, for your continued support. It is hugely appreciated. Although it may not seem like it, we really need it.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/02/put-simply-its-bullying-prince-harrys-full-statement-on-the-media
[10]
DAILY MAIL
HOME SECRETARY PRITI PATEL DISSMISSES CLAIMS THAT MEGHAN MARKLE HAS FACED RACIST PRESS COVERAGE AND SAYS PEOPLE OF ANY BACKGROUND CAN ”GET ON IN LIFE” IN BRITAIN
TEXT
Priti Patel has rubbished claims that Meghan Markle has faced racist press coverage and insisted people of any background can ‘get on in life’ in Britain.
The Home Secretary today rejected suggestions that racism has driven negative media reports about the Duchess of Sussex saying she had not seen ’things of that nature.’
Ms Patel’s comments come as senior royals race to thrash out plans for Prince Harry and Meghan’s future following the couple’s bombshell announcement that they plan to ‘step back’ as senior royals.
The Cabinet minister has been drawn into the row as she will need to be involved in the decision on the future of their taxpayer funded security – said to be between £600,000 to £1million a year – if they take part in fewer royal events.
In November 2016, Harry lashed out at the ‘wave of abuse and harassment’ the US actress had faced from the media – citing the ‘racial undertones of comment pieces’ among his concerns.
Ms Patel, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said: ‘I’m not in that category at all where I believe there’s racism at all.
‘I think we live in a great country, a great society, full of opportunity, where people of any background can get on in life.’
Asked if the media had been in any way racist, she replied: ‘I don’t think so, no… I certainly haven’t seen that through any debates or commentary or things of that nature.’
Slashing the Royal security arrangements for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be part of the negotiations at today’s crunch ‘Sandringham Summit’,
Sources told the Mail On Sunday that Security Minister Brandon Lewis and Ms Patel have stressed the importance of continued – if reduced – protection for the pair.
Yet the couple may have their security downgraded with protection squad officers armed only with tasers instead of guns.
The ‘range of possibilities’ have been drawn up by royal courtiers and government officials for the Queen, William, Charles and Harry to review, according to The Sunday Times.
One Whitehall insider said: ‘Look at the terror threat, look at the rise of Right-wing extremists and look at who has been jailed already for what threats.
‘There is no way the UK will turn their back on Harry and Meghan, but things will certainly have to be reviewed.’
Ms Patel refused to comment on security arrangements, adding: ‘I’m not going to provide any detailed information on the security arrangements for either them or any members of the royal family or for any protected individuals – that’s thoroughly inappropriate for me to do so.
‘At this moment in time, right now, the royal family themselves need some time and space for them to work through the current issues that they’re dealing with.’
Earlier today Piers Morgan became embroiled in a row on Good Morning Britain over whether the couple’s treatment in the media has been fair.
Former Labour advisor Ayesha Hazarika said she believed Meghan had been the victim of racism, adding: ‘As a very successful white man you will not have experienced what other people will have experienced in their life. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.’
Piers hit back demanding examples of actual racism, insisting that Meghan had in fact been protected from the worst of the press unlike Princess Diana or Camilla.
Ms Hazarika suggested Piers held a grudge against Meghan after the Duchess appeared to cut off any contact with him a day after meeting Prince Harry – something that ‘clouded his judgement’.
Ms Hazarika said: ‘I get rejection is hard but what has Meghan done to you.’
Piers replied: ‘I believe when people show you who they are believe them. She disowned her entire family apart from her mother. Harry’s never met his father-in-law, she’s ditched her old friends who got cut dead.
‘She’s split up those boys, Harry from his brother. Where is the racism? You can’t just say it’s racism.’
At the beginning of the show, Piers launched into an excoriating rant accusing the pair of ‘holding the Queen to ransom” and ‘literally breaking up the Royal family’ ahead of a crisis summit at Sandringham today.
The Good Morning Britain host launched into the ten-minute tirade calling the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ‘spoiled brats’ and who ‘want to be global superstars’ instead of fulfilling their ’taxpayer funded royal duties’.
[11]
”The BBC has sacked Danny Baker, saying he showed a “serious error of judgement” over his tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby.
The tweet, which he later deleted but which has been circulated on social media, showed an image of a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee dressed in clothes with the caption: “Royal Baby leaves hospital”.
BBC
DANNY BAKER FIRED BY BBC OVER ROYAL BABY CHIMP TWEET
9 MAY 2019
TEXT
The BBC has sacked Danny Baker, saying he showed a “serious error of judgement” over his tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby.
The tweet, which he later deleted but which has been circulated on social media, showed an image of a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee dressed in clothes with the caption: “Royal Baby leaves hospital”.
The BBC 5 Live presenter was accused of mocking the duchess’s racial heritage.
Baker claimed it was a “stupid gag”.
The 61-year-old presented a Saturday morning show on the network.
The corporation said Baker’s tweet “goes against the values we as a station aim to embody”.
It added: “Danny’s a brilliant broadcaster but will no longer be presenting a weekly show with us.”
His comment about red sauce references the Sausage Sandwich Game from his 5 Live show, in which listeners choose what type of sauce a celebrity would choose to eat.
After tweeting an apology, in which he called the tweet a “stupid unthinking gag pic”, Baker said the BBC’s decision “was a masterclass of pompous faux-gravity”.
“[It] took a tone that said I actually meant that ridiculous tweet and the BBC must uphold blah blah blah,” he added. “Literally threw me under the bus. Could hear the suits’ knees knocking.”
Harry and Meghan, whose mother Doria Ragland is African American, revealed on Wednesday their new son was named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
After the initial backlash on social media on Wednesday, Baker said: “Sorry my gag pic of the little fella in the posh outfit has whipped some up. Never occurred to me because, well, mind not diseased.
‘Enormous mistake’
“Soon as those good enough to point out its possible connotations got in touch, down it came. And that’s it.”
In a later tweet, he added: “Would have used same stupid pic for any other Royal birth or Boris Johnson kid or even one of my own. It’s a funny image. (Though not of course in that context.) Enormous mistake, for sure. Grotesque.
“Anyway, here’s to ya Archie, Sorry mate.”Speaking to reporters outside his home, he said of the tweet: “Ill advised, ill thought-out and stupid, but racist? No, I’m aware how delicate that imagery is.”
Broadcaster Scarlette Douglas, who works on 5 Live podcast The Sista Collective and The One Show, told the BBC: “I think somebody told him, ‘What you’ve tweeted was incorrect, so you should maybe say something or take it down.’
“Yes, OK, he took it down, but his apology for me wasn’t really an apology. I don’t think it’s right and I think subsequently what’s happened is correct.”
Ayesha Hazarika, a commentator and former adviser to the Labour Party, told 5 Live she was “genuinely gobsmacked” by the tweet.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I thought it was a joke at first. I thought it was a spoof. It was so crass. What was going through his head?
“You can’t just say sorry and then carry on like it’s business as usual. When you have an incredibly important platform like he does, you do have to think about what you do and the signals that it sends out.”
Prompt action
Baker must have been aware of recent incidences of racism at football matches and the resulting outcry, Ms Hazarika added.
Linda Bellos, former chairwoman of the Institute of Equality and Diversity Professionals, echoed those remarks. saying: “A lot of black players are complaining about noises being made to them. He knows this stuff,” she told Radio 4.
His tweet was “foolish”, she said, adding: “Never mind that it’s royalty.”The things that are happening to black children up and down the country are not enhanced by his words and I’m glad that prompt action has been taken, and let’s hope we have come thoughtful dialogue and learning from this.”
Baker’s Saturday Morning show on BBC Radio 5 Live won him a Sony Gold award for Speech Radio Personality of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2014 and a Gold Award for entertainment show of the year in 2013.
His irrepressible style made him one of the most popular radio presenters of his generation and saw him described by one writer as the “ultimate geezer”.
Baker was also a successful magazine journalist, scriptwriter and TV documentary maker.
He wrote a number of TV shows including Pets Win Prizes and Win, Lose or Draw and, in 1990, The Game, a series about an amateur soccer team in east London.
A stint at BBC London station GLR in the late ’80s saw him strike up an enduring friendship with fellow broadcaster Chris Evans, and Baker would later write scripts for the Channel 4 show TFI Friday, which Evans hosted.
Controversial comments
It’s the second time Baker has been axed by 5 Live and is the third time he has left the BBC.
In 1997, he was fired for encouraging football fans to make a referee’s life hell after the official had awarded a controversial penalty in an FA Cup tie.
He later claimed he had never incited fans to attack the referee, only that he would have understood if they had.
In 2012, two weeks before he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, he was was back in the news after an on-air rant in which he resigned and branded his bosses at BBC London “pinheaded weasels“. The outburst came after Baker had been asked to move from a weekday programme to a weekend.In 2016, Baker took part on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here but was the first person to be voted off in the series.
[12]A STATEMENT BY THE COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY TO PRINCE HARRY
https://www.royal.uk/statement-communications-secretary-prince-harry
TEXT
Published 8 November 2016
Since he was young, Prince Harry has been very aware of the warmth that has been extended to him by members of the public. He feels lucky to have so many people supporting him and knows what a fortunate and privileged life he leads.
He is also aware that there is significant curiosity about his private life. He has never been comfortable with this, but he has tried to develop a thick skin about the level of media interest that comes with it. He has rarely taken formal action on the very regular publication of fictional stories that are written about him and he has worked hard to develop a professional relationship with the media, focused on his work and the issues he cares about.
But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public – the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments. Some of it has been hidden from the public – the nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers; her mother having to struggle past photographers in order to get to her front door; the attempts of reporters and photographers to gain illegal entry to her home and the calls to police that followed; the substantial bribes offered by papers to her ex-boyfriend; the bombardment of nearly every friend, co-worker, and loved one in her life.
Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is ‘the price she has to pay’ and that ‘this is all part of the game’. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game – it is her life and his. He has asked for this statement to be issued in the hopes that those in the press who have been driving this story can pause and reflect before any further damage is done. He knows that it is unusual to issue a statement like this, but hopes that fair-minded people will understand why he has felt it necessary to speak publicly.
[13]
”Black comedian Gina Yashere said ‘every black person knew this was coming’ because Meghan had faced ‘constant racist vitriolic abuse disguised as criticism’.
DAILY MAIL
RACISM DROVE MEGHAN MARKLE OUT OF BRTAIN,SAY PROMINENT BLACK BRITONS, INCLUDING LABOUR LEADERSHIP CONTENDER CLIVE LEWIS
10 JANUARY 2020
THE HUFFINGTON POST
WHY BLACK PEOPLE THINK RACISM DROVE MEGHAN AND HARRY TO QUIT THE ROYAL FAMILY
[14]
SEE NOTES 3 AND 12
[15]
”Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has taken the unusual decision to sue the publisher of the Mail on Sunday after the newspaper published a handwritten letter she had sent to her estranged father.”
THE GUARDIANMEGHAN SUES MAIL ON SUNDAY AS PRINCE HARRY LAUNCHES ATTACK ON TABLOID PRESS
[16]
SEE ABOUT PRINCE HARRY’S ”DEEPEST FEAR”, THE TRAGEDY OF HIS MOTHER, NOTE 8
”Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself. I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”
PRINCE HARRY’S FULL STATEMENT ON THE MEDIA
PUT SIMPLY, IT IS BULLYING: ”PRINCE HARRY’S FULL STATEMENT ON THE MEDIA
TEXT
As a couple, we believe in media freedom and objective, truthful reporting. We regard it as a cornerstone of democracy and in the current state of the world – on every level – we have never needed responsible media more.
Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences – a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son.
There is a human cost to this relentless propaganda, specifically when it is knowingly false and malicious, and though we have continued to put on a brave face – as so many of you can relate to – I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been. Because in today’s digital age, press fabrications are repurposed as truth across the globe. One day’s coverage is no longer tomorrow’s chip-paper.
Up to now, we have been unable to correct the continual misrepresentations – something that these select media outlets have been aware of and have therefore exploited on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.
It is for this reason we are taking legal action, a process that has been many months in the making. The positive coverage of the past week from these same publications exposes the double standards of this specific press pack that has vilified her almost daily for the past nine months; they have been able to create lie after lie at her expense simply because she has not been visible while on maternity leave. She is the same woman she was a year ago on our wedding day, just as she is the same woman you’ve seen on this Africa tour.
For these select media this is a game, and one that we have been unwilling to play from the start. I have been a silent witness to her private suffering for too long. To stand back and do nothing would be contrary to everything we believe in.
This particular legal action hinges on one incident in a long and disturbing pattern of behaviour by British tabloid media. The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question. In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year.
There comes a point when the only thing to do is to stand up to this behaviour, because it destroys people and destroys lives. Put simply, it is bullying, which scares and silences people. We all know this isn’t acceptable, at any level. We won’t and can’t believe in a world where there is no accountability for this.
Though this action may not be the safe one, it is the right one. Because my deepest fear is history repeating itself. I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.
We thank you, the public, for your continued support. It is hugely appreciated. Although it may not seem like it, we really need it.
[17]
PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE SUE TABLOID/PRINCE HARRY DEFENDING HIS WIFE/THE ONLY HONOURABLE THING TO DO
ASTRID ESSED
2 OCTOBER 2019
[18]
SEE HERE THE CONTENT OF THE PETITION/PRINTED UNDER THE FOLLOWING LINK
DAILY MAIL.COM
BRIGHTON COUNCILLORS WILL DISCUSS HARRY AND MEGHAN USING SUSSEX TITLE TODAY AFTER THOUSANDS SIGNED PETITION BRANDING THE HONOURS ”MORALLY WRONG AND DISRESPECTFUL”
UNDER THE TEXT THE CONTENT OF THE PETITION
TEXT
Brighton councillors will debate stripping Harry and Meghan of their Sussex titles after thousands signed a petition branding them ‘morally wrong’ and ‘disrespectful’.
The petition claims Sussex residents should not have to refer to the royal couple as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as the titles are ‘entirely non-democratic’ and a ‘symbol of oppression by the wealthy elite’.
Campaigner Charles Ross has accumulated more than 3,800 signatures, which means Brighton and Hove City councillors will have to discuss the motion on Thursday.
But the council cannot strip the couple of their titles, which are given by the Queen, so the petition calls on officials to stop calling them the Sussexes in council documents.
The petition reads: ‘We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to reject the usage of the titles ‘Duke of Sussex’ and ‘Duchess of Sussex’ by the individuals Henry (‘Harry’) Windsor and Rachel Meghan Markle as morally wrong and disrespectful to the county of East Sussex.
As residents of Brighton and Hove we call on Brighton and Hove Council to not refer to these individuals by such titles which we believe to be entirely non democratic and symbolic of the oppression of the general public by the wealthy elite.
‘Neither will Brighton Council invite or entertain these individuals nor afford them any hospitality or courtesies above and beyond that of an ordinary member of the public.’
The couple were well received on a visit to Sussex last October as they were greeted by huge crowds of well-wishers, with Hove MP Peter Kyle praising them at the time for reflecting Brighton’s diversity and calling them ‘a great example’.
The petition has been rubbished by royal commentator Robert Jobson, who told the Express: ‘It’s a bit unfair on them – they were there recently and massive crowds turned out.
How the Queen gifted the Sussex titles to Harry and Meghan on their wedding day
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they married last year.
The royal groom’s dukedom is the highest rank in the British peerage and marked his marriage to the actress.
Meghan became the first ever Duchess of Sussex as her new husband was made the first Duke of the county in 175 years and the second in history.
Harry also received Scottish and Northern Irish titles, becoming the Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel, making Meghan the Countess of Dumbarton and Baroness Kilkeel.
All royal titles are given by the Queen and it was up to the monarch to choose which one to bestow on her grandson and his wife in May 2018.
Harry’s thoughts on the title would have been taken into account by the Queen in a private discussion between the Prince and his grandmother.
Tradition dictates that royal men receive a title on their wedding.
Prince Augustus Frederick was the first Duke of Sussex. He married twice, but both took place without the consent of the monarch, so neither of his wives could become a ‘Duchess of Sussex’.
‘The Cambridges don’t live in Cambridge, Prince Charles doesn’t live in Wales…
‘The titles are just ancient titles that are dished out by the Queen at marriage.’
Thomas Mace-Archer-Mills, founder of the British Monarchists Society, slammed the campaigners’ views, telling the Mirror: ‘We are utterly dismayed that said petition has been signed by so many.
‘This certainly highlights that Brighton and Hove is a hotbed of Republican dissidents and is now proven to be so.
‘Such a petition shows utter disdain and contempt for The Crown, not to mention copious amounts of disrespect to, and for, the Royal family.’
When Mr Ross’s petition campaign launched in September, some residents were not entirely convinced.
Hove resident Liv Seabrook called the petition ‘a waste of council time’ and said it was ‘patently absurd’ to suggest the council could remove royal titles.
Ms Seabrook said: ‘Our city has serious social problems and the council is going to waste time on the sentiment of a disgruntled citizen with nothing better to do than come up with a useless petition.
‘There are financial aspects of the monarchy that can usefully be discussed. I for one can confidently say I have never felt the slightest bit oppressed by the fact that we now have as part of our Royal Family, a Duke and Duchess of Sussex.’
Brighton and Hove City Council said it would not comment until the matter has been discussed by councillors.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wave to the crowds in Brighton on a visit on October 3, 2018
[19]
COUNCIL WILL DEBATE STRIPPING MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY, OF SUSSEX TITLES/SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST MEGHAN MARKLE CONTINUED/LETTER TO BRIGHTON CITY COUNCILASTRID ESSED
MY ORIGINAL MAIL TO THE BRIGHTON COUNCIL
Astrid Essed To:customerfeedback@brighton-hove.gov.ukDec 20 at 4:43 AMTO THE COUNCILLORS OF BRIGHTON CITYSubject: Debate about stripping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from their royal titles
Dear Councillors,
Although I am not a British national, yet I take the liberty to write you about your debating the petition of stripping Prince Harry and his wife Ms Meghan Markle from the royal titles ”Duke and Duchess of Sussex”, which were given to them by Queen Elisabeth at the occasion of their wedding. [1]Shortly said:I think this petition is an outrage, a sign of disrespect against the Queen and especially Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle and I urgently request to you NOT to grant this nonsense petition;
I quote the petition, then give my opinion, why I am fiercely against it:
”We, the undersigned petition to reject the usage of the title ”Duke of Sussex”and ”Duchess of Sussex” by the individuals Henry [”Harry”] Windsor and Rachel Meghan Markle as morally wrong and disrespectful to the county of East Sussex.As residents of Brighton and Hove we call on Brighton and Hove Council to not refer to these individuals by such titles which we believe to be entirely non democratic and symbolic of the oppression of the general public by the wealthy elite.Neither will Brighton Council invite or entertain those individuals nor afford them any hospitality or the courtesies above and beyond that of an ordinary member of the public.
“The petition aims to establish a precedent that Brighton and Hove Council will no longer afford official hospitality to those with Royal or aristocratic titles nor make usage of those titles in official documents as these titles are arbitrarily and unfairly acquired.” [2]
MY OPINION AND REQUEST TO YOU:
When I read this petition thouroughly I see passages that it is ”morally wrong” and ”disrespectful to the County of Sussex”, that Prince Harry and ms Meghan Markle use the titles ”Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Then I see the following sentence
”As residents of Brighton and Hove we call on Brighton and Hove Council to not refer to these individuals by such titles which we believe to be entirely non democratic and symbolic of the oppression of the general public by the wealthy elite.”
Then my last sentence quote:
”“The petition aims to establish a precedent that Brighton and Hove Council will no longer afford official hospitality to those with Royal or aristocratic titles nor make usage of those titles in official documents as these titles are arbitrarily and unfairly acquired.”
Those sentences suggest that those who undersigned the petition and the petition campaigner Charles Ross, are either Republicans or perhaps radical socialists, who want to end unequality in this world and in this case, in England, to begin with the Royal Elite.
That the petitioners are republicans, is confirmed by Thomas Mace-Archer-Mills, founder of the British Monarchists Society, who remarks [I quote the Daily Mail]”’We are utterly dismayed that said petition has been signed by so many.
‘This certainly highlights that Brighton and Hove is a hotbed of Republican dissidents and is now proven to be so.” [3]
AS I SEE IT/MY OPINION
Now it may well be, that those petitioners are republicans, who, of course, have a right to their opinion.
After all, the monarchy is a remnant from old times, especially the Middle Ages, when, in the feudal society, the king, with his liegemen, the nobility, had this function of ruling the country and protecting the country against foreign invaders, which functioned well, in this case in England, untill members of the royal branch started to kill each other [4] and other groups like merchants [also called the third class] demanded their position, which, in France, led to the French Revolution, centuries later. [5]
So for a part the monarchy is no more than Folklore, but in my view, most British people still value it and it has a binding function too.
And as far as the petitioners are radical socialists, I agree with them about social injustice, but why taking this on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?
When you want to fight social injustice, take the big multinationals first, which are the heart and bones of capitalism.
ENOUGH ABOUT HISTORY AND SOCIAL STRUGGLE [hahaha]
MEGHAN MARKLE
Because I have a grisly suspicion, that the petition against Prince Harry and ms Meghan Markle is NOT about the legitimacy of the monarchy or social injustice, but based on racial issues.
And I don’t say this out of the blue!
Firstly:
Why now?
Why this petition is coming now, since the Queen already granted her grandson and his wife their titles on the occasion of their wedding, nearly two years ago? [6]
That is strange.
And secondly:
You are of course aware of the fact, dear Councillors, that from the beginning, from certain sides [especially parts of the press] there has been a smear campaign against Meghan Markle, which, according to me and many others, is closely connected with the fact, that she is black.
There were some remarks in that direction [7] and at a certain point the smear campaign went that high, that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, sued the paper Mail on Sunday and Prince Harry launched an attack on the tabloid press. [8]
As I commented then, I admired Prince Harry’s stance, calling it ”the only honourable thing to do. [9]
And now this nonsense again.
It seems like a nasty pattern to me.
EPILOGUE
Councillors, you have just read the reason, why I am very upset by this petition, trying to strip the royal rights from Prince Harry and ms Meghan Markle and although it seems that it is only republican or social warrior like motivated, yet I have serious doubts and concerns about it.
I can’t prove it, of course, but seen in the light of the inferior smear campaign against Meghan Markle, which has even resulted in repulsive remarks about her and Prince Harry’s son [10], I fear that this petition is, again a token of racism, direct or indirect, against ms Meghan Markle and that is what I can’t and will not accept!
Therefore I implore you to seriously consider NOT to grant the petitioners and remain loyal to the decision of the Queen to grant her grandson and his wife the title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
And if you don’t believe me, or disagree with my point of view:
Please ask yourself this question:
Do you think there would have been a similar petition, when it concerned Prince William and his wife ms Kate Middleton?
Do the right thing and don’t grant the petitioners
Kind greetings
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
[20]
ANSWER OF THE BRIGHTON COUNCIL ON MY LETTEROn Friday, December 20, 2019, 04:05:50 PM GMT+1, CustomerFeedback <customerfeedback@brighton-hove.gov.uk> wrote:
Dear Astrid Essed,
Many thanks for your email. While we are obliged to debate any petition with more than 1,250 signatures at Full Council, the issue raised is a matter for the Crown rather than local authorities. We do not have the power to remove titles and, therefore, the council voted to simply ‘note’ the petition. No further action is being taken.
Best regards,
Richard Watson | Customer Feedback Officer | Performance, Improvements and Programmes | Brighton & Hove City Council
1st Floor, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, BN3 3BQ
T | richard.watson@brighton-hove.gov.uk
We want to improve your customer experience when you contact a council service. Please share your views by completing this survey. It should not take longer than ten minutes to complete.
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SEE ALSO
NO STRIPPING OF SUSSEX TITLES OF PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE/THE HATERS DID NOT WIN!
ASTRID ESSED
21 DECEMBER 2019
[21]
BBC
PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN TO STEP BACK AS SENIOR ROYALS
8 JANUARY 2020
TEXT
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced they will step back as “senior” royals and work to become financially independent.
In a statement, Prince Harry and Meghan also said they plan to split their time between the UK and North America.
The BBC understands no other royal – including the Queen or Prince William – was consulted before the statement and Buckingham Palace is “disappointed”.
Senior royals are understood to be “hurt” by the announcement.
Last October, Prince Harry and Meghan publicly revealed their struggles under the media spotlight.
In their unexpected statement on Wednesday, also posted on their Instagram page, the couple said they made the decision “after many months of reflection and internal discussions”.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
[22]
STATEMENT OF PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE ON INSTAGRAM ABOUT STEP OUTINSTAGRAMSUSSEXROYAL
After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.
“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
“We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.
“We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties.
“Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.””
SEE ALSO
BBC
IN FULL: THE SUSSEXES STATEMENT AND THE BUCKINGHAM PALACE RESPONSE
8 JANUARY 2020
TEXT
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a statement saying they intend to step back as senior members of the Royal Family. Here’s that statement in full:
A personal message from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex:
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.
“It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
“We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to the Queen, the Commonwealth and our patronages.
“This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.
“We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties.
“Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”
Buckingham Palace responded with a statement saying:
“Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage.
“We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
[23]
OFFICIAL REACTION OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE
- The Queen
- The Royal Family
- The Commonwealth
- Residences, Art and History
- Royal Events and Ceremonies
- Working for us
Statement on discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Published 8 January 2020Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.
[24]
” Two hundred years on from the birth of my great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria, Prince Philip and I have been delighted to welcome our eighth great grandchild into our family. ”
YOUTUBE.COMTHE QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS BROADCAST 2019
FULL TEXT OF THE QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2019
“As a child, I never imagined that one day a man would walk on the moon. Yet this year we marked the 50th anniversary of the famous Apollo 11 mission.
“As those historic pictures were beamed back to Earth, millions of us sat transfixed to our television screens, as we watched Neil Armstrong taking a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind – and, indeed, for womankind. It’s a reminder for us all that giant leaps often start with small steps.
“This year we marked another important anniversary: D-Day. On 6th June 1944, some 156,000 British, Canadian and American forces landed in northern France. It was the largest ever seabourne invasion and was delayed due to bad weather.
“I well remember the look of concern on my father’s face. He knew the secret D-Day plans but could of course share that burden with no one.
For the 75th anniversary of that decisive battle, in a true spirit of reconciliation, those who had formally been sworn enemies came together in friendly commemorations either side of the Channel, putting past differences behind them.
“Such reconciliation seldom happens overnight. It takes patience and time to rebuild trust, and progress often comes through small steps.
“Since the end of the Second World War, many charities, groups and organisations have worked to promote peace and unity around the world, bringing together those who have been on opposing sides.
By being willing to put past differences behind us and move forward together, we honour the freedom and democracy once won for us at so great a cost.
“The challenges many people face today may be different to those once faced by my generation, but I have been struck by how new generations have brought a similar sense of purpose to issues such as protecting our environment and our climate.
My family and I are also inspired by the men and women of our emergency services and armed forces; and at Christmas we remember all those on duty at home and abroad, who are helping those in need and keeping us and our families safe and secure.
“Two hundred years on from the birth of my great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria, Prince Philip and I have been delighted to welcome our eighth great grandchild into our family.
“Of course, at the heart of the Christmas story lies the birth of a child: a seemingly small and insignificant step overlooked by many in Bethlehem.
“But in time, through his teaching and by his example, Jesus Christ would show the world how small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding.
“Many of us already try to follow in his footsteps. The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference.
As Christmas dawned, church congregations around the world joined in singing It Came Upon The Midnight Clear. Like many timeless carols, it speaks not just of the coming of Jesus Christ into a divided world, many years ago, but also of the relevance, even today, of the angel’s message of peace and goodwill.
“It’s a timely reminder of what positive things can be achieved when people set aside past differences and come together in the spirit of friendship and reconciliation. And, as we all look forward to the start of a new decade, it’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.
“And so, I wish you all a very happy Christmas.”
SEE ALSO THE LINK
BIRMINGHAM LIVE
THE QUEEN’S 2019 CHRISTMAS SPEECH-FULL TRANSCRIPT AFTER ”BUMPY” YEAR
[25]
THE GUARDIAN
THE OBSERVER VIEW ON PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN’S DECISION TO STEP BACK FROM ROYAL DUTIES
TEXT
The couple’s decision highlights how outdated is the institution they are desperate to escape
‘Is there anyone in the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so…” Prince Harry’s musings in an interview two years ago highlight the bizarre and anachronistic birthright principle that determines the British head of state. As the heir’s spare, Harry does not even have that responsibility to look forward to and now he and his wife, Meghan, have controversially announced that they are taking a step back from their roles as “senior royals”.
The surprise came in the manner and timing of the announcement, not its content. Harry has made little secret about his mixed feelings about being a royal and in recent months the signals have intensified as the excruciating treatment of Meghan by the tabloid press has grown. In the first official announcement that they were a couple in 2016, Harry took the unprecedented step of calling out the racism and sexism prevalent in the press speculation about their relationship. Since their marriage, the media vilification of Meghan has worsened and she is now suing the Mail on Sunday for publishing a private letter to her father. This was always going to fuel more vicious attacks, but with Harry’s memories of his mother’s vile treatment by the press at the front of his mind, who could blame them?
The announcement has clearly caused a rift with Buckingham Palace, but the irony is that their decision is consistent with Prince Charles’s vision of the monarchy. That the heir to the throne sees a slimmed-down royal family as key to its survival is testament to the fact there is no case for carrying on with the monarchy as is. This episode illustrates the tensions inherent in this ludicrously outdated institution that propels people into an important constitutional role purely by accident of birth. The Queen has been an excellent monarch for almost 70 years, but that is down to luck. Like most families, the royals are made up of the good, the bad and the ugly – look no further than the Queen’s middle son, accused of having sex with a teenager. Prince Charles may be no Prince Andrew, but neither is he the Queen: over the years, he has lobbied government ministers over quack causes such as homeopathy, hardly befitting of a future constitutional monarch. It is preposterous that as part of this charade, the British taxpayer ends up subsidising the lifestyles of “working” minor royals.
The Queen’s stature and popularity mean abolition remains a distant prospect. But Harry and Meghan’s announcement should act as the catalyst for the scaling back of this unwieldy institution. Some of its supporters undoubtedly hoped that a mixed-race woman marrying in was the sign of an institution modernising to survive. That it so clearly has not worked instead serves to show that its long-term survival remains in doubt.
The justified criticism of the couple is that they have not gone far enough. They say they want to take a step back and “work towards” financial independence, but they appear to want to keep their substantial income from the Duchy of Cornwall, their rent-free residence, their HRH titles and the perks that come with being royal patrons. This, despite having significant independent wealth, huge earning potential and wanting – understandably – to spend a significant amount of time in North America. It’s a strange halfway house that cannot work: they cannot and should not trade on their status as official royals to generate an income. They must quickly move to break free of the institution altogether, both for their own welfare and to smooth the transition to a monarchy where minor royals are not subsidised by the taxpayer in exchange for cutting ribbons.
The royal family’s survival is contingent on maintaining distance from its subjects. The more they become like us, the weaker the myth that protects them. The more the barriers between public and private break down, the more royals are treated like any other celebrity, the less the institution can sustain itself. King Charles may feel like an inevitability, King William and King George less so.
[26]
DAILY MAIL
RACISM DROVE MEGHAN MARKLE OUT OF BRTAIN,SAY PROMINENT BLACK BRITONS, INCLUDING LABOUR LEADERSHIP CONTENDER CLIVE LEWIS
10 JANUARY 2020
TEXT
Prominent black Britons and other critics claim the Duchess of Sussex has been driven out of Britain by racism.
Prince Harry has raged about ‘racist’ social media attacks on Meghan, who has a black mother and white father, and said the media published articles with ‘racial undertones’.
Black comedian Gina Yashere said ‘every black person knew this was coming’ because Meghan had faced ‘constant racist vitriolic abuse disguised as criticism’. The New York Times ran a comment piece headlined: ‘Black Britons know why Meghan Markle wants out: It’s the racism.’
Yesterday, Labour leadership contender Clive Lewis – who is mixed race – said: ‘If you look at the racism Meghan Markle has experienced in the British media, then I understand why… it can’t be easy being a royal.’
Speaking on Newsnight, the singer Jamelia said: ‘Every single word used against Meghan Markle is steeped in racism.’
Novelist Sir Philip Pullman described Britain as a ‘foul country’, and tweeted: ‘Of course Meghan Markle is attacked by the British press because she’s black.’
The Huffington Post published an article headlined ‘Why Black People Think Racism Drove Meghan And Harry To Quit The Royal Family’, while in The New York Times, Afua Hirsch, an author on race, said Meghan’s treatment showed that however successful you are in Britain ‘racism will follow you’.
But Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said it was ‘nonsense’ to suggest the couple were leaving ‘because of racism’. England rugby star Courtney Lawes, who is mixed race, said: ‘Just because she’s black doesn’t mean she was targeted for that reason.’
THE HUFFINGTON POST
WHY BLACK PEOPLE THINK RACISM DROVE MEGHAN AND HARRY TO QUIT THE ROYAL FAMILY
TEXT
“I left the UK because I was so tired of the racism. I can relate to Meghan – North America holds promise for the Duchess like it did for me.”
Mutale Nkonde, a fellow of Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, told HuffPost UK she could relate to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision step back from “senior royal” duties in favour of splitting their time between Britain and the US.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed these plans in a bombshell statement on Wednesday night.
The news came after the couple had endured years of relentless scrutiny from parts of the mainstream media – and frequent racist abuse from the public, especially online.
Nkonde, a race and tech expert, continued: “The UK expect members of the establishment to be complicit with British racism and sexism and as a Black woman she faced both.
“Why stay there when Oprah and Gayle are in your circle?”
Anti-racism campaigner Patrick Vernon OBE said he is not surprised that the royal couple decided to step back and also believes the media played a part in that decision.
“I think the media is a key factor,” he said. “You just have to look at the recent treatment of Stomzy – which again raised concerns about racism, despite the fact that he was misquoted.
“The media and other mainstream institutions still have an issue of our visibility and success. When you call racism out you are punished with little support.”
Vernon, who has co-authored a book called 100 Great Black Britons to be published later this year, added: “The impact of racism on our mental wellbeing is still not acknowledged and I guess Meghan and Harry are developing their own solutions: self-care and charitable venture.
“The experience of Meghan clearly reminds us we are millions of lights years from a post-racial Britain.”
In November 2016, Harry took the unprecedented step of issuing a statement about the harassment being experienced by the duchess – his girlfriend at the time – and her relatives.
Calling for privacy, the statement condemned the “wave of abuse and harassment” aimed at Markle, calling out “the racial undertones of comment pieces and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments”.
Since their wedding, the hounding of the couple by some media outlets has intensified. It recently culminated in the couple launching legal action against The Sun and the Daily Mail.
Reacting to news of the couple’s decision on Wednesday, Marcus Ryder, a media executive producer and diversity champion, tweeted: “My Twitter time-line (full of black journalists) talks about the importance of race in this story. The BBC’s main online story currently does not mention race once.”
He added: “I cannot think of any major UK broadcaster or newspaper who has a royal correspondent who is a person of colour or any who report to a person of colour. (I may be wrong & happy to be corrected). This fact alone influences how this story is reported”
Richard Palmer, royal correspondent at the Daily Express, swiftly replied: “Because it’s not about race and never was. You’re wrong about the ethnic background of journalists certainly in the wider royal press pack. The UK’s black population is 3.3 per cent of the total and, although we could always do better, there is a fairly diverse group.”
But the wider consensus is that this is about race.
Author Bernardine Evaristo echoed the notion that the couple’s decision was fuelled by racist treatment by parts of the British press, writing: “Dear Meghan, my sister, you go and do your thing with your family and get away from the race hate you’ve been subjected to in my country.”
Evaristo, who last year became the first Black woman to win the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction, added: “Your cover for September’s #VOGUE shows us who you are and what we stand for.”
Many hailed the couple’s wedding as seminal moment for diversity in Britain – a white prince had married a mixed-raced woman.
But that status presented challenges for the duke and duchess.
In July 2019, at the European premiere of The Lion King, US recording artist Pharrell Williams told Harry and Meghan that their union as a high-profile mixed race couple was “significant for many of us” in “today’s climate”.
The duke and duchess reportedly nodded at Williams’ warm comments.
“Thank you so much. That’s so nice of you to say. […] They don’t make it easy,” Markle replied. Harry echoed her words in the September issue of Vogue magazine.
Andrea Bruce was never optimistic about Meghan and Harry’s marriage changing the establishment’s stance on race.
“If you value assimilation then their marriage was an important moment for diversity,” she said. “But I don’t feel that an institution that was built literally on the backs of colonised people should be expected to be truly diverse or to care about being diverse.
“What went wrong was that some people maybe expected her entry in to signal a shift in the UK’s historic racism and that just didn’t happen. Instead, she exposed what was already there – racism and bias.”
The 35-year-old account director feels the couple’s decision had a lot to do with racism and hostility from the press and public.
“I think that the monarchy should pay back everything they stole from commonwealth countries and they should provide reparations,” she said. “We can’t look to them to lead diversity or anti-racism.
“Harry has defended his wife and that’s nice to see but the overall premise of the royal family is built on violence and oppression against non-white people.”
Meghan’s experience of racism is only being discussed because of her status as a duchess, added Bruce. “If she was a random woman living in the country, her experience wouldn’t be discussed – but all experiences are worth discussing.”
Yvonne Witter was full of praise for the couple, describing Harry particularly as progressive.
“He has set his priorities above materialism, pomp and ceremony and is creating a future for his family which will circumvent his mum’s fate,” she told HuffPost UK.
The international business consultant and writer said the UK’s political climate has helped legitimise bigotry to the point where racism is “no longer in the closet”.
“I find that people struggle to articulate to me their reasons for hating Meghan. They regurgitate press reports – and when interrogated further about a personal experience, of course, there is no knowledge of who Meghan actually is.
“Political leadership has made it OK to be openly racist – in addition to rhetoric from Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, the Brexit campaign and press reporting on immigration.
“The public get their information from the press. None of us know [Meghan and Harry] personally but the press has shaped opinions. They have been relentless in their reporting which has had racist undertones throughout. Danny Baker felt emboldened to liken the baby to a monkey.”
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”But the past week has seen a line crossed. His girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment. Some of this has been very public – the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces;”
A STATEMENT BY THE COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY TO PRINCE HARRY
https://www.royal.uk/statement-communications-secretary-prince-harry
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INSIDE EDITIONIS MEGHAN MARKLE THE VICTIM OF A SMEAR CAMPAIGN?3 DECEMBER 2018
https://www.insideedition.com/meghan-markle-victim-smear-campaign-48902
TEXT
A recent surplus of negative stories about Meghan Markle have some wondering whether she is the victim of a smear campaign.
The Duchess of Sussex reportedly feels like members of the British press are targeting her unfairly, according to Vanity Fair.
Among the string of unflattering stories are reports of a feud between Meghan and her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. The Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper, recently reported that Kate was left in tears at a dress fitting for Princess Charlotte before Meghan’s May wedding to Prince Harry. And now, there are claims that Kate reprimanded Meghan after the American actress allegedly snapped at members of Kate’s staff.
It’s also being reported that Meghan attracted the royals’ ire when she asked for air fresheners to be sprayed in the ancient chapel where she tied the knot with Harry.
The rumors are so bad that Buckingham Palace took the rare step of issuing a statement about regarding the reported reprimand from Kate, saying succinctly: “This never happened.”
Royal expert Victoria Arbiter told Inside Edition that the sheer number of negative reports is concerning, particularly given Meghan is pregnant with her first child.
“Given how popular Meghan was, I am surprised that the press have become so negative so quickly,” Arbiter said, casting doubts on the veracity of the reports. “Meghan is not throwing temper tantrums, she’s just an easy target because she’s new and she’s popular.”
She added: “I think it is tricky that this negative press has come at a time when Meghan is probably feeling quite sensitive and vulnerable.”
Former first lady Michelle Obama is offering her own advice to Meghan for dealing with the increased scrutiny.
“Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt that she’d have a life like this, and the pressure you feel — from yourself and from others — can sometimes feel like a lot,” she told the January 2019 issue of Good Housekeeping.”So my biggest piece of advice would be to take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything.”
[29]
”The BBC has sacked Danny Baker, saying he showed a “serious error of judgement” over his tweet about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby.
The tweet, which he later deleted but which has been circulated on social media, showed an image of a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee dressed in clothes with the caption: “Royal Baby leaves hospital”.
BBC
DANNY BAKER FIRED BY BBC OVER ROYAL BABY CHIMP TWEET
9 MAY 2019
[30]
QUEEN CALLS MEETING WITH SENIOR ROYALS TO HASH OUT MEGXIT
https://pagesix.com/2020/01/11/queen-calls-meeting-with-senior-royals-to-hash-out-megxit/
TEXT
An official Megxit plan is set to be hashed out on Monday.
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry will meet in person at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, according to Roya Nikkhah, royal correspondent for The Sunday Times.
Meghan Markle plans to join the family affair via phone from Vancouver, Canada, where she and baby Archie are temporarily living after the bombshell announcement that she and Harry will become part-time royals.
“Royal sources say it is hoped the ‘next steps,’ will be agreed tomorrow and a firmer plan is expected to be announced within days, in keeping with the Queen’s wish to find a resolution ‘at pace,’” Nikkhah wrote on Twitter Saturday afternoon.
The Queen gave the fleeing couple a 72-hour deadline on Friday to iron out the details of their reduced role in the monarchy. The British and Canadian governments have since been in talks to carve out a new role for the royals in both countries before the Tuesday deadline, following a marathon of meetings and calls.
Prince Charles is allegedly fighting for a good deal for his youngest son, despite initial reports he was threatening to cut Harry off from the family money. The Queen also has open arms for her grandson and wants to cut a “generous” agreement with him.
“They, like everyone, are hopeful this can all be worked out, sooner rather than later. It is in everyone’s interest for this to be figured out, and figured out quickly, but not at the expense of the outcome,” a source told The Guardian.
The clock to get a plan sorted out is ticking as Thursday quickly approaches, when Harry is set to make his first public appearance since he and Meghan dropped their
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THE QUEEN’S STATEMENT ON PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE IN FULL:WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THEM TO REMAIN FULL TIME ROYALS
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family.
“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.
“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.
“It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.
“These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”