The Harry/Meghan saga. I can keep my trap shut no longer! Meghan is of course a she devil, the cavalier (love that word) discarding of her sick father who doted on her, her entire life, is proof of that. So too the dumping of her family and friends who didn't fit in with her new 'Princess' life. She is the epitome of narcissism, she does not have one scintilla of empathy, least of all towards the poor sop who married her.
Post shit hitting the fan, via the early release of Harry's book in Spain and as the dust begins to settle, commentators are asking, in earnest, whether Harry has anyone close left to advise him. Someone who cared about him enough to stop him publishing the cringey, toe-curling details that will ensure he has the pee taken out of him for the rest of his life. No man, especially not a 'vet', calls what they wear around their neck, probably a chain, a necklace. Naturally, pictures of Harry dressed as the Queen in pearls went up immediately. And that was just the beginning.
As someone who has written a memoir, there are crucial things to bear in mind before you begin. The first, honesty and integrity. Words matter and the written word lasts forever. Whilst it is an easy way to get revenge, it is more honourable to take the compassionate ground, to question why, in hindsight, did that person act that way. To step in their shoes for a moment. And, as my beloved father drummed into me from childhood, 'don't hurt someone just because you can'.
Memoirs, of the misery variety, which Harry's is, have an expectation of, well, err, misery, which is where I went wrong on the book sales front. I had found, while digging through the memory banks, that I had a much happier childhood than I realised. There was no way I was going to portray my wonderfully unique, beloved father and mother as ignorant, feckless or, heaven forbid, cruel. I even eased up a little on the actually cruel nun and 'uncle' who ran our children's home like a gulag. They were products of their time, their backgrounds, their own indoctrination. For me, writing a memoir was a huge learning curve, in a good way, I found out that digging up things that make you feel bad is fecking crazy, digging up things that make you feel good, is a much better route to enlightenment and contentment.
Revealing your deepest, darkest, secrets in writing, or even in therapy will haunt you forever more. Save those for drunken sessions with friends who will never use them against you. Friends who will never say, 'yar, publish that for the whole world to see, especially the tale of the necklace, the frostbitten dick and the 25 Taliban you killed'. No-one who liked him would ever say that. Anyone who liked him would have told him that he was handing the media and social media a huge artillery of weapons to use against him. What a shame he didn't have his family, his friends and all those courtiers around to advise him. Having had a book published by Random House, I don't know how these awful indiscretions got past his editors and legal readings. But they are paid by Random House, ditto, his agent and indeed himself. It is the juicy bits that will bump up the sales. It appears the 'you will be a laughing stock' talk never happened.
Sadly, I think Meghan had a big, spiteful, hand in the writing of Harry's book. I know how intense the book writing process is, especially if you have someone else reading and commenting on what you (or your ghostwriter) have written. Meghan, the eternal English O-level student, would have encouraged him to reveal every tiny graphic, detail he could remember from his upbringing. Especially, drawing, as much as possible, on his late, lamented mother, there is still much cashing in to do in her name.
I suspect the hand of Meghan because men don't generally attack other men for their looks with bitchy balding comments, nor do they refer to their neckwear as a necklace. That's more mean girls than two brothers. But I can't blame Meghan entirely. As much fun as Harry was, he always had a chip on his shoulder with regard to the press. And, now we know, with his position in the family as 'spare'. His girlfriends also kept dumping him. From a romantic perspective, the planets were aligned for the meeting of Harry and Meghan, or from a jungle perspective, an alpha lioness spotted a limping gazelle trying to keep up with the herd.
From all I have read and seen, I'm afraid I do see Meghan as a predator. She came to England specifically to find status and a rich husband, and with Harry she struck gold. Money and a title! Harry's negative traits of self entitlement, and self pity that drove away previous girlfriends (I'm guessing, that and throwing crockery at servants) had the opposite effect on Meghan, not only did she have the same character defects, she admired them! Nay, cultured and encouraged them. 'Everything that makes you feel really bad about yourself H, just focus on that'. A bit like his grandaddy going along to Madame Luncheon Voucher for a good thrashing (allegedly). Sorry about that. Such salacious gossip has no place here, added just for the coffee spilling moment.
From a psychological perspective I don't know if there is any link between emotional battering and 10 physical lashes with a cane at public school. The 'Madame Luncheon Voucher' affair, where most of the clientele turned out to be ex public schoolboys would suggest there is. In any event, what Meghan did to Harry is eerily similar to what controlling narcissistic men to their (usually) battered wives. That is they love bomb them and isolate them until they have absolute power and their victim has no-one to turn to but them.
Sadly for Harry, the man he has become is a shell of the man he once was. It's as if all the joy and humanity has been sucked out of him. He doesn't even know the difference between right and wrong anymore, let alone good taste, bad taste. He is living in a large mansion in California, not his dream, he wanted to live incognito in Africa. He also wanted what his brother had, a wife like Kate and a big family to meet up with for summer and Christmas holidays, a large country estate, polo chums, shooting weekends, bowing and deference from all around him. Instead he ended up with his wife's 'Hollywood Wives' dream, of being fabulously wealthy and hanging out with the rich and famous. The nouveau riche rather than the old families of the landed gentry. And in California, he is no longer a big fish in a small pond, now he is competing in a ruthless industry, where being a Prince doesn't top talent and hard work. As yet, he and Meghan have exhibited no discernible talent.
Sadly for Prince Harry, once Meghan had him in her sights, there was no escape for him. She used every trick from 'the nasty girl's guide to ensnaring a dim witted aristocrat'. Portraying herself as intelligent (she watched every episode of Jeopardy), a gourmet (she can name popular foreign foods), she is beautiful (she was a suitcase girl on Deal or No Deal), She is a feminist (she hated it). Her biggest hook for Harry however, was her idolatry of his poor departed mother. A woman with 'powers' brought back the spirit of Diana to assure H&M they were on the right path. And then Harry takes Meghan out to Diana's grave on the tiny private island on the Althorp Estate, where she laid her hand on Diana's headstone to connect with her. Dear Lord yes, the big eejit recounts that, frankly creepy visit by the pair of them to his mother's grave. Clearly nothing is sacred, unless you count Meghan who was blessed by the spirit of Diana. Perhaps they can reignite that spirit with a world tour, once more bringing the spirit of Diana to the masses. Think ticket sales and merchandise.
I haven't yet seen Harry's pre book release interviews, they are airing tonight, but it will truly be a struggle to watch them. Harry is the victim of a narcissist. He has narcissistic traits himself which probably drew him to her, but of the two, she is the dominant control freak. She believes she can, through Harry, be invited back into the Windsor hierarchy on her terms. I'm guessing a castle bigger than his brother's, apartments in London and New York, her pick of the Crown jewels, shedloads of dosch and a fleet of servants. She is delusional of course, the monarchy have fought off (sometimes physically) the challenges of second sons and foreign she wolves for centuries. The pair should be grateful they haven't been dragged off to the Tower and drowned in a vat of wine of their own choosing, the fate of one unfortunate second son.
This won't of course blow over, it will be etched in history forever more, but it will fade away just like the Princess Diana and Paul Burrell books. If Meghan truly was as intelligent as she thinks she is, she would have known that that the rest of the world and the USA especially are no longer in awe of crowns and titles. The Duke of Windsor, formerly Edward VIII, did not become the popular global star his wife Wallace may have imagined. After the initial furore of his abdication, he lived in semi obscurity in Paris. Sarah Ferguson, who revelled in her Duchess of York title was fortunate to enjoy the tail end of the US's love of British Royalty. Diana may have toyed with the idea of moving to the US but I suspect Buckingham Palace moved heaven and earth to ensure she stayed in the UK. For her divorce settlement Diana got £17 million and £400,000 a year while Sarah got £15,000 a year. A vast difference between the two, explained by Sarah being in the pay of Weightwatchers. BP probably threw their hands in the air in horror at the thought of the mother of the future heir being in the pay of corporate America.
Anyway, I will watch the Harry interviews, or at least try to. I find at my age I am very discerning about how I spend my precious time, my guard is set to zero for negativity and whining. And should mention, I found the Harry and Meghan docuseries boring. Listening to people telling you how wonderful they are is an absolute turnoff. And here they break that other golden rule of writing. Do not preach. Readers hate it, they don't want to be told they need to go through the same brainwashing process as the writer in order to be fulfilled. And if you are going for the 'look at me now' finale, you better be living the dream. Harry preluded his book announcement with 'not the prince I was born, but the man I have become' as if his journey and transition were a resounding success, when we can see by his pallid, miserable face, that it clearly wasn't. He doesn't look or act like a man living his dreams. Hollywood people are not his people. They don't go out stalking and shooting deer, they don't hold banquets, they don't have Presidents coming to dinner and only on special occasions are red carpets rolled out for them. All the deference Harry received as a Prince of England. Now he is a non-working Royal, which sounds almost as insulting as undeserving poor.
Could you imagine Harry at a cocktail party or a meet and greet, being approached by a non resident Russian Oligarch with a few billion to launder. 'Sorry, can't do it old chap, I'm non-working'. That's not to say the working side could or should, but that's a whole other nest of hornets. Sadly, Harry, as a man (common) that he has become, is finding out that his days of hobnobbing with world leaders and billionaires are behind him. Not only does he probably not get the invites anymore, but no-one admires a man who can betray his own brother. He ditched his family and his birthright as cruelly as Meghan ditched her father and family. That's why I don't like them. If they can be so disloyal and despicable (behind closed doors) to the families who loved them, their public philanthropy and charity is phoney, in my opinion.
So how did Meghan hook Harry. Meghan follows the philosophy of 'The Secret'*. That is she has unleashed the power (that we all have) to achieve her goals and desires. Successful people will tell you to imagine, picture yourself, in the place you want to be and you will get there. Sounds fanciful, but it works. I will give an example. I once coveted a brand new Rover car displayed in our local High Street. I use the word covet because that was how I felt, I was obsessed with it. The problem was there was no way I could ever own one, but I did. I made it happen. Within a couple of years that mental image I had created of myself merrily driving a brand new shiny Rover became reality.
The 'secret' is not such a great secret. Most people who use it's powers and techniques are not even aware of it, some might call it ambition. Once you decide what it is you want, you become hyper vigilant to ways, means and opportunities to get it. You pick up on them because you have your eye on the goal. As I say, we all have that power if we choose to use it. But if we live and breathe that go-getting philosophy we embark on a nerve-racking roller coaster. How far will we go to achieve our goals? Are we prepared to be ruthless, to hurt others, at what point do we say, it's not worth it.
Happily most people are happy with a shiny new car or a semi-detached in the suburbs, others want world domination like Putin, Trump and Meghan Markle. They keep their eye on the goal but they want to punish others along the way. 'Look at me now', is not enough, their enemies must suffer. See every tyrant and despot throughout history.
I feel bad now for portraying the philosophy of 'The Secret' as a bad thing. It isn't. Most people apply it with morality and reason, they are not aiming for world domination. To be fair, I am not sure Meghan is either. Right now she is going for iconic status as a humanitarian/feminist/activist/celebrity, she has given up on the acting. Dare I say it, she is unfocused. She is torn between battling for that Princess status, the castles, the jewels etc, continuing with her bland, non controversial, non subversive, podcast opinions on subjects no cares about, or, step over that great big red line and criticise US gun laws, stand up for abortion rights (Roe v. Wade), question the motives of the religious far right. She and H live in America now, they are the laws they have to live under.
Meghan describes herself as an activist but she doesn't lend her voice where activism is needed. She visited the tragic scene of the Uvalde mass shooting, but she did not speak out about the crazy gun laws in the US that allowed this to happen. That would have given her all the front pages she wanted. She could have gone on 'The View' and all the late night talk shows. Why didn't she? (1)she doesn't know enough to discuss the subject, (2)she still abides by the Royal rule of no politics. I think (2) would result in the immediate loss of her Duchess title. You can see her conundrum.
Sadly, I do not think the future bodes well for Harry. In this Disney movie, it is the Prince locked in the tower and loving it. 'Harold, lower your hair' shouts Prince Willy from below. 'I can't, I haven't got any' then 'no you fiend, let go of my necklace', a sorry saga indeed. It's like the man in the iron mask, saying 'no, I'm good, leave me here for another 2 decades'. Harry's mask is his beard, his casual California chic, his weird, woke BLM personality spewing out platitudes that brought to my mind that 1970's 'I'd like to buy the world a coke' ad, where all dress like hippies and link arms. Now all those hippies wear suits and work for large (and often gun selling) corporations. Such is life. When Harry cuts his hair and discards his bellbottoms, there won't be much to go back to.
I could go on, but I will spare you dear reader, especially if you have made it this far. My kindest wishes to all.
*https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Rhonda-Byrne/dp/1847370292/ref=asc_df_1847370292/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310805565966&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10138006440210790575&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044987&hvtargid=pla-318206917580&psc=1&th=1&psc=1
