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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMy two cents on the Royals. That's a warning...
Don't click if you're not interested.
I used to be a Royal Family fan. I was literally a fan of the British Royal Family for some reason. Not sure why. This was during the eighties and very early nineties. I had a subscription to a fan magazine sent monthly from Britain with tons of glossy photos of the Royals and spent good money on all the hardcover bestsellers written about them. I don't honestly know why, but apparently I enjoyed it.
Then Diana divorced Charles and as if a curtain was lifted, all the magazines and journalists I followed turned on her. She became the evil woman overnight. I saw what was happening and why. Di gave a few interviews and made it clear. I canceled my subsription and stopped buying books about these people. I had seen them for what they were. Di was hounded by them until her premature death. After that, I lost all interest in those people. I had seen what they were capable of. I never "follow" them now. I barely know who Meghan and Kate are.
But I do know that the Royals and the press are capable of what she describes.
50 Shades Of Blue
(9,771 posts)senseandsensibility
(16,713 posts)for your sake!
50 Shades Of Blue
(9,771 posts)I still have my copy of a National Enquirer Diana/Fergie special edition wherein Jeane Dixon predicted that Diana and Charles would reconcile and Diana would give birth to a girl.
Mickju
(1,794 posts)How shocking! I read her book a million years ago. I was kind of naive in those days.
50 Shades Of Blue
(9,771 posts)PJMcK
(21,916 posts)The British royal family is a throwback.
Why do Americans find them interesting?! I find it baffling.
bamagal62
(3,218 posts)Is ridiculous.
question everything
(47,264 posts)Especially since before the program started 60 Minutes aired a heart breaking story about millions here in our country suffering from the recession with no hope in the future (you can find it if you scroll down on GD)
Texin
(2,585 posts)pandr32
(11,446 posts)Here in America we ought to know how awful the press can be. Remember Sec. Clinton?
senseandsensibility
(16,713 posts)Many parallels there.
Mr.Bill
(24,103 posts)work very well together. She said the Royals throw parties for the press at Buckingham palace.
pandr32
(11,446 posts)Sometimes they will report something favorably, but only if it sells. It isn't Buckingham Palace that is the source of the trouble with Meghan and Harry.
Oldem
(833 posts)that they're especially wealthy and privileged. Too often, that leads to corruption of one kind or another. I've never seen any reason to revere them just because of the accident of their births.
OAITW r.2.0
(23,813 posts)No problem with me. Harry is supportive, they decided to live in the USA because -hard to believe - we don't have a political institution like GB's Monarchy.
3Hotdogs
(12,207 posts)KT2000
(20,544 posts)I just finished watching it and then the "interview" on Sunday. I now believe the institution is inhumane. It is of course up to the British as to whether or not they want it to continue, but from my perspective - why? It is weird that they submit to a thing and sacrifice their humanity when they deem necessary and that is just for the survival of the thing. They do not even have moral authority so what is the point beyond being museum pieces.
They are really a mess and kudos to Harry for getting his family out of that mess.
Mike Nelson
(9,903 posts)... never was interested in them. I see the clips on the news, but did not see the Oprah show. I wish they would go away.
Useless in FL
(329 posts)You know, I was born in the mid 40's and when Queen Elizabeth was married in the early 50's we had just purchased our first TV. We watched her marriage and then shortly after, her coronation to the throne. I was mesmerized. I loved the Queen and admired her, was envious of her position.
I'm sure many little girls felt the same as I did. I have followed her family and the events around them for years. Though I love the Queen, I think this is an anachronism in our current society. Their family has its foibles just as we do, though with lots of money they can make it disappear. We're here living with out situations, but they are isolated from scrutiny, unlike us.
So, this loving queen who captured my attention for many years, is nothing more than a white racist. So sad. Their station in life is as threatened as mine. However, they deserve it.
Mickju
(1,794 posts)I was in the third grade and a parent brought a TV into our classroom. At that time there were no TVs in classrooms so it was a novelty. I found it kind of exciting at the time, but what did I know.
empedocles
(15,751 posts)totally clam up or anything.
However, there may some 'complex' motives on M&H part; behind very aggressive, inside family allegations/exposures.
Most families can do without aggressive warfare it seems. Not taking sides here. Just . . . ?
silvermiller
(1 post)Meghan was a millionaire before she met Harry. So she must have been an ok actress.
Response to senseandsensibility (Original post)
empedocles This message was self-deleted by its author.
Deuxcents
(15,777 posts)A rag tag group of colonies picked a fight with the most powerful at the time. With the help of the French n others, we finally broke away from this archaic form of governing. Personally, I could care less about the royal families n find it nutz that were all in a uproar about them today. Do t we have our own inequities, racism n just plain problems that we gotta be concerned about this couple? I feel bad..did not watch the interview but Im pretty sure theyre gonna be better off than a whole bunch of our own. So.. carry on with this fascinating bs
FakeNoose
(32,340 posts)... but you know what? The media hounded her ever since Day One. While she was married to Prince Chucky, she got all the favorable coverage in the world. To the point where Chucky was jealous of her. Heck even the Queen was jealous of the great coverage Diana got in the media. But as we all know, the wheels came off rather quickly. The couple separated and then divorced, and Diana suddenly became "the witch."
Her treatment in the media post-divorce was as unfair and ugly as anything I've ever seen. She had never asked to be a media star, it was all thrust upon her when she was too young and unprepared. There was precious little support or understanding from the Windsors, ever.
Here in the US I can only think of one parallel, and that would be Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Jackie Kennedy as a young widow, took back her privacy and demanded that the press leave her alone. For the most part they did leave her be, but the times were different then. I don't believe Diana would have ever been able to finesse that, sadly.
The fact that Harry and Meghan are so done with the royal family, it's understandable. They want to protect their children and hopefully take back their privacy a little bit. I don't blame them.
Demovictory9
(32,320 posts)Orrex
(63,084 posts)And over the years I've been attacked a number of times here on DU for questioning that bizarre fascination.
The whole notion of "royals" is an offensive anachronism and should be jettisoned.
Yet America loves nothing so much as the latest news about the dynasty.
Why?
senseandsensibility
(16,713 posts)an interest in British history. I enjoyed reading biographies of English royalty because of the background details as much as anything else. It wasn't so much them as the way they and others around them lived. It was interesting to me then. The living Royals were part of that but I think I followed them for escapism as much as anything else. It was a long time ago and I was very young. Otherwise, I have no idea.
maryellen99
(3,781 posts)But love reading about the Tudors, wives of Henry VIII,Queen Victoria, Princess Diana etc.
When QE2 dies Ill watch for the historical aspect of it. Hopefully Charles will never get to be king.
luvtheGWN
(1,336 posts)But......you Americans raise your President up on such a pedestal, while playing "Ruffles and Flourishes" when he (and someday hopefully, she) enters the room which, to me, is the equivalent of bowing and scraping!
What this interview makes abundantly clear is that the Queen's allegiance to the Commonwealth -- of which the great majority of members have populations 95% black -- is in name only. The Royal family should have welcomed Meghan with arms wide open, proving that ALL Commonwealth members are part of the family. Instead, it's really all for show.
The monarchy is totally dependent on the goodwill and affection of the UK, the British Parliament (and the UK economy), the Commonwealth and THE PRESS. Otherwise it would be done away with tomorrow.
Orrex
(63,084 posts)You make a good point, but at least the president isn't automatically born into it. Let's hope that Trump is the last of that festering bloodline to pollute the Oval Office.
MicaelS
(8,747 posts)Care so much what other Americans like?
Orrex
(63,084 posts)Not least because it can easily be extended to "Why do you care why I care what other Americans like?" ad infinitum
It's also very similar to the pathetic response of "well, you must care, because you replied." Let me count the ways that that is nonsensical.
But, to the point: you and other Americans can like whatever they want; I honestly don't give a shit.
But when the Royals saturate the American media, with the same outlets each playing both sides of the game ( "We love the Royals" vs "Those terrible Royals!" ) then it makes me want to vomit, and it hardly seems unreasonable to wonder why my fellow Americans lap up the Royals' droppings as fast as they can.
But if you embrace that sort of nostalgic, feudalist worshipful nonsense, then go on with your bad serf.
The King of Prussia
(735 posts)After all you, very wisely, got rid of them.
They are the epitome of white privilege - not very intelligent, not hard working, entitled and bigoted. I loathe them, and I loathe the idea of them.
I watched about 5 minutes of the bombshell interview - didn't learn anything and found it dull.
Orrex
(63,084 posts)When I've made that exact point in the past, some Royal-worshiper immediately gives me a laundry list of how hard Harry or Diana has worked in this or that cause.
That's marvelous, of course, but it's the goddamn least that they can do. The entire family should be working for social and charity causes full-time, rather than luxuriating as dynastic, entitled beneficiaries of public welfare.
The King of Prussia
(735 posts)[link:https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/harry-and-meghan-the-union-of-two-great-houses-the-windsors-and-the-celebrities-is-complete-1.4504502|
Tanuki
(14,893 posts)kairos12
(12,817 posts)Coventina
(26,846 posts)I'm finding it hard to feel sympathy for Meghan and Harry.
I mean, you marry into a family that is the living embodiment of Anglo-Saxon superiority and find *gasp* they're BIGOTS?!?!?
Really? This is in any way shocking or surprising?
GMAFB
jayschool2013
(2,309 posts)Aussie105
(5,211 posts)And not just the British ones, either.
Then I realized most were empty people, with the only skills they appeared to have was their imagined superiority over the citizens of their country.
Took the shine right off.
Treatment of others 'not like them' who were slow or unwilling to conform, ie Di, Kate, Meghan, etc just confirmed their narrow outlook on life.
I'm wondering who asked the question on the baby's skin color though, and the exact words and intentions behind that.
So no 'shock horror racist' response from me without those details.
As far as I'm concerned, Meghan has a lovely permanent tan. Very becoming. Her babies are free to have the same.
By al means keep Monarchies as they are, link to the past and all that.
But the media? Just . . . .back off, show no interest.
spike jones
(1,654 posts)Joinfortmill
(14,237 posts)Warpy
(110,900 posts)The British gutter press is nothing like our own, it has savaged everybody in power since printing was invented. Before that, it was the bawdy topical song, something which could spread across the whole country in weeks.
I'm sure the rest of the royals wondered what the hell the fuss was about.
Oh, I think they're well out of it, However, a little discretion can go a long way and I suggest the best revenge is a life well lived.
There's a reason fairy tales always ended at the altar.
Goodheart
(5,264 posts)Their government should seize their assets.
FlyingPiggy
(3,373 posts)For safetys sake. I mean, cmon. What family is known as The Firm? Its like some cultured mafia.
stollen
(414 posts)due to color, in this case, 1/4 black. Reminds me of my aunt telling me she's not racist but she would hate to have a dark skinned person be her neighbor. I didn't tell her that her comment was racist. But WTF, a royal family refuses to accept a baby into the family because "how would that look?" It looks racist.
Liberal In Texas
(13,453 posts)Real bad cases of Anglophile-mania. Some kind of weird star worship I guess.
Frankly, I couldn't care less about the royal family and had no interest in watching the Oprah interview.
My wife also shakes her head when she sees Americans gushing over the royal family and has a few choice words to anybody who asks her about them. (She was born and raised in England.)