Is anyone else reading Spare by Prince Harry?

[madaboutharry]

I am now on page 331 and I can unequivocally say that Willy has his head up his ass.

Poor Harry.

In mho, this entire "estrangement" is 50/50 the fault of the British press/Harry's brother.

[Dr. Shepper]

1. I'm listening

About half way through the 15 hr audiobook.

Besides the fact that I disagree with monarchies of any kind, I find the way the family treats each other terribly sad.

[Evergreen Emerald]

2. I completely disagree

I am not sure how anyone can read that book and come away with anything other than Harry is making it up as he goes along, takes no responsibility for his actions, and is willing to destroy his family for money. The way he is treating his brother and the children is disgusting.

[blue cat]

3. Really?

Total opposite feeling…Harry came across believable and honest.

[Cha]

30. Mahalo! I love them for what

they've done and are doing with their lives.

What an amazing love story against all odds.

[Skittles]

4. thank you

Harry and Meghan are coming across as people who will do anything for money - I find them absolutely disgusting

[Raine]

70. Totally agree. nt

[Skittles]

71. they're both insufferable

and I honestly believe Meghan bailed when she realized she would always be second to Kate, the same way Harry is second to William

she couldn't stand that

[pnwmom]

135. The US exists because the colonists revolted against the monarchy.

It's so odd to hear so-called progressives defending it -- and the line of succession!

[markpkessinger]

159. Oh, please . . .

The colonists' real beef was with parliament, not the crown. But the King made for a more convenient propaganda target. Yes, yes, I know what it says in the Declaration of Independence. But that was a polemical document, written primarily to gin up support among the poor, mostly illiterate whites who would be forced to fight the war (my sixth great grandfather, Christian Nestlerode, was one of them.)

[pnwmom]

164. Guess what? The poor, mostly illiterate people you so distain were colonists

Last edited Fri Jan 20, 2023, 05:02 PM - Edit history (1)

who had a "beef" with the monarchy. That's why the Declaration of Independence spoke to and for them.

And, yes, I saw that you claim to be descended from one of them. That didn't stop you from disparaging those who fought against the English King, claiming their support for the revolutionary war had been "ginned up" by propaganda.

[markpkessinger]

173. Where did I say anything remotely about disdaining the poor?

I simply observed a historical fact of the period. And I have many ancestors who would count among them, so I am certainly not intending to speak derogatorily of them in any way!

You should read the late Howard Zinn's take on the Revolutionary War sometime. He certainly understood that many of those who were forced to fight in that war were pretty ambivalent about the whole business. As Zinn observed, the Revolutionary War was "an insurrection by one group of aristocrats against another group of aristocrats."

[BlueLucy]

5. I completely disagree.

He talks about the racism Meghan experienced but also touches on how it's more than racism. He talks about the misogyny and the divide in politics. People who say that he bows down to Meghan or that he does what his wife says.. That's misogyny. Right Wing Brits can't believe Harry is so "woke."

[Cha]

12. Mahalo, Blue Lucy.. I love that

Harry and Meghan are standing up for themselves against the Racism & Hate of the British Tabloid Jackles.

Happy for them that they got away from that and landed in California!

They have an equal Partnership.. and some can't stand that.

[BlueLucy]

17. Exactly.

The Royal family did not accept Meghan from the jump. Also, the Royal family including Kate and William like to have blackamoor art displayed in their homes. Can you imagine Meghan walking into their homes and seeing their living space decorated in blackamoor art? Shameful!

Link to tweet

[Evergreen Emerald]

46. Ummm...no they said there was no racism!

You have not been paying attention.

[BlueLucy]

51. He said it was subconscious

You don't think having blackamoor décor in your home is racist? I do. The "He said they're racist than he said they're not" folks are getting that sound bite from twitter memes. Harry explains it very well. There is a lot of nuance to it.

[Evergreen Emerald]

75. No. He said they --like everyone else in the world has unconscious bias

He specifically stated that he and his wife never said they were racist and that he specifically stated that they were not racist.

He had no nuance. He was silent for two years while the world believed he and Megan were treated with racism. He never stood up for his family and said, no I did not say that. He loved the fact that the world believed what he said. And then...suddenly he does not believe they are racist. He believes we all have unconscious bias...which is not simply about race.

And he accepted an award for exposing racism, while denying he exposed racism.

The contradictions continue. I believe people that are so adamantly supporting them refuse to look at what has actually been happening.

[pnwmom]

120. He said he didn't use the word racism, or racist,

but he acknowledged that an unnamed family member had expressed concern about the possible darkness of a potential child's skin.

And that concern is racist, whether the family member intended to be or not.

[Skittles]

47. I experienced sexism / misogyny in the military decades ago

but I FOUGHT BACK, and changed the minds of the guys I worked with, so they would hopefully in the future treat their female coworkers better...I didn't make it all about ME and whine about it and try to get out of the military

there's nothing admirable about what they are doing AT ALL

[pnwmom]

121. You chose to enter the military. He was born into the Firm.

They are not the same.

[yardwork]

19. You never miss a thread on this!

[Cha]

23. Neither do I But Not

for the same reason.

It's to stand up for Harry & Meghan Against the hate and racism that the British Tabloids started.

[Lucinda]

69. +1 ❤️✿❧🌿❧✿ ❤️

[Cha]

104. Aloha, Lucinda 💖

[Solomon]

83. Yep. It's so obvious but people are blinded by

biases and propaganda. The ones that decry monarchy but complain about what they think Harry and Meghan are doing to the "family" kill me.

[Cha]

103. I know right.. It just doesn't

fly.

Mahalo

[obamanut2012]

55. Seriously

[pandr32]

21. I'm with you.

[Sky Jewels]

100. The way Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate treated him and Meghan is what disgusts me. n/t

[pnwmom]

115. Because you haven't read the book. This was your opinion before it ever came out. nt

[DaBronx]

7. I have no horse in this race...

But, can you imagine being Harry? Forget about all the money for a brief moment or two. He was born into a system and one can argue that he had very little genuine family, especially after Diana’s death. He chose to get out of the system to express his free will and to make a life for himself. I say good for him. How he does that is his business. The very concept of being born into a royal family and losing your free will is pretty crazy. The British press and the firm control them. It is awful.

[Cha]

26. Thank you for your Thoughtful post..

I have imagined how it would be to be both of them.. and I applaud them for standing up for themselves against all that hate and racism and landing in California!

[hlthe2b]

8. I have read (and will only read) the excerpts, but I came out thinking that

there are no winners in this. No one of those involved is "all" correct, or "all" wrong. Each has their sins and their psychic injuries. I can find a bit of sympathy, depending on the issue for each of them because, frankly, I don't think the monarchy works that well in modern times. And, the expectations that result are very difficult to live with for all of the players.

[yardwork]

22. That's kind of how I see it.

I'm inclined to believe that the whole institution is so dehumanizing, it makes them all dysfunctional and anti-social. The overwhelming takeaway is sadness.

[treestar]

29. Yep. Everything is under this public spotlight

and at the same time the "Firm" wants everything perfect, in ways ordinary people don't have to be - like no divorces, no arguments with your spouse, no family tensions. The attempt to look perfect makes it interesting when someone steps out and is free to tell the world what really goes on, like Diana and now Harry.

[pnwmom]

117. To your point, treestar.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17574710

[pnwmom]

116. A narcissistic parent demands that his children maintain the family's image at all costs,

projecting the perfect image the narcissist wants the world to see.

Any child that threatens the parent's perfect self-image is ignored by the parent -- or cast out.

The Monarchy is the narcissistic parent of the whole Royal Family. Family members can do their "duty" of projecting the proper royal image, or be cast out.

Harry decided to free himself. All the gilded castles weren't worth the price of his soul. Good for him.

[Cha]

9. I want to read it someday.. and so

Appreciate your review.

I support Harry and Megan against the hate & racism of the British Tabloids.

And, was Disappointed that they're not supported by their Royal family.

[Hekate]

10. It's gotten a couple of thoughtful reviews in the Los Angeles Times from people I respect...

“Thoughtful” being the operative word. I’m not up for glowing and/or gushing, nor am I up for reflexive royal-bashing.

The latest that got my attention was a letter to the editor in today’s paper that said it was very well-written, and called the book a “bildungsroman”— the story of how I became who I am now.

(It’s on the Opinion page, which wouldn’t let me copy any of it for sharing.)

I’m waiting to get a copy from the Library.

[Cha]

13. Mahalo for this, Hekate.. Good

to know!

[Jedi Guy]

11. Nope, and don't plan to read it.

Harry and Meghan lost me when they stepped away from their royal duties with the stated desire of being left alone and then proceeded to do damn near anything and everything to keep attention squarely on themselves. If one wants to be left alone, one does not give explosive interviews to the likes of Oprah, star in a Netflix documentary, and write tell-all books. If they wanted to be left alone, all they needed to do was disappear into a mansion in a gated community somewhere. I suspect the world would have continued to turn had they done so.

As for who's at fault for the whole mess, I suspect there's plenty of fault to go around and no one in that family has entirely clean hands. The business of picking a side, treating their version of events as gospel truth, and vilifying the other side is a bit bizarre to me. This is particularly true since, as a former royal, Harry knows full well that the response to any allegations he cares to make is likely to be silence or, at most, a tepid "Nuh uh" from the royal family. He has de facto control of the narrative and is exploiting it for all it's worth, and its worth is considerable.

[Arazi]

15. They never said they wanted to be left alone. Your tabloid reading is showing

They said they wanted to control their own public and private messaging since the British monarchy is in bed with the tabloids.

Seems fair since Charles and Willian essentially decided to sacrifice H&M to the tabloids to cover other unsavory stories.

When the senior royals told them they weren’t allowed to speak to the press without permission, and the racism and misogyny and death threats became obscene without any pushback, they left

[Lucinda]

24. +1 ❤️✿❧🌿❧✿ ❤️

[Cha]

48. Agree, too.. Mahalo, Lucinda!🤷‍♀️💖

[Jedi Guy]

36. "Your tabloid reading is showing."

Indeed, yes. I am not devoted to the Cult of Harry and Meghan and must be purged, heretic that I am.

Less flippantly, one of their stated goals in separating from the royal family was to escape tabloid scrutiny, which I interpret to mean being left alone. Given their complaints about attacks from the tabloid press, I don't think that's an unreasonable interpretation of their aims.

However, one does not escape tabloid scrutiny by, as I noted, giving bombshell interviews, starring in documentaries, and writing tell-all books attacking one's family members, particularly when one's family members are the British royal family. If their wish is indeed to escape tabloid scrutiny, I suggest to you that they're going about it in a very peculiar way.

[Arazi]

39. Nope, they knew they'd never escape tabloid scrutiny

That’s someone else’s opinion.

They wanted control over their own messaging and appearances since they were being used and abused by the senior royal family members.

That was it. When they were denied that basic request, they left. They’ve never said they expected to be left alone. They simply wanted more control over their own publicity.

Can’t say I blame them. They’re not going to lay low and let the misogyny and racism go unchecked, and it says loads about anyone who thinks they aren’t entitled to pushback

[Jedi Guy]

50. Oh, I dunno. The thing about the news is that you have to be newsworthy to be in the news.

I feel like they'd have escaped tabloid scrutiny just fine had they simply gathered up their family, left the UK, and set up shop elsewhere. Harry and Meghan quietly raising their family in British Columbia isn't likely to draw tons of attention and sell tons of papers. Instead, they've continued to do a bunch of newsworthy things and are in the news as a result. Mysterious, isn't it?

As I said above, this business of picking sides, lionizing the one chosen and vilifying the one not, is more than a little peculiar to me and I suspect there's more than enough fault to go around in this particular family dynamic. The smart money is that they're all damaged individuals to one degree or another, but that's not stopping the cults of personality from forming.

[Arazi]

52. Diana thought that if she just withdrew she'd be left alone

It doesn’t work like that with the British royal family and Harry *especially*, painfully knew that.

They knew they’d never be left alone and when they asked to regain some control over their public and private lives they were denied that by Charles and William who shamefully used selective bullshit about them to deflect attention from their own (and others) bad shit.

I’m on the side of exposing racism, misogyny and death threats. I’m on the side of getting your own truth out. I’m on the side of counseling, therapy, dealing with toxic relationships and setting boundaries. Sometimes there’s family fall-out when that happens. C’est la vie

[BlueLucy]

53. I'm with you.

The tabloids in Britain are all right wing. They hate that Harry is a feminist, that Meghan is a strong ambitious biracial woman, that they believe in getting counseling. I mean, Kate "leaked" to some tabloid a few days ago saying, "counseling doesn't help everyone." A clear shot at Harry. They're not innocent.

[pnwmom]

133. The thing about being in the Firm is that anything a member does is automatically newsworthy.

Even things they didn't do.

They were still being pursued in Canada. Making matters worse, the Monarchy had discontinued their security. Then Tyler Perry offered him his empty house in So Cal, complete with security.

Meghan's mother was in So Cal, and this was in the middle of Covid, so they couldn't be traveling back and forth. So they took Perry up on his offer and set up shop in the US from Jan 2020 to March 2021 and did their best to stay away from media -- till that interview with Oprah.

It didn't help. The UK media still found them endlessly interesting.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-britains-prince-harry-arrives-in-canada/

[Solomon]

84. Thank you!

[SYFROYH]

86. Not quite. March 21, 2021 on Oprah

I hadn't seen this language about controlling the production of their message until after their documentary.

[treestar]

32. They wanted out of the royal circus

but that does not mean they have to want to be alone, and the disappearing into a mansion in a gated community, lol, the paparazzi think nothing of the security-laden palaces - they are not going to stop writing about them, and might be worse if they did not give some information out. They sense a nice drama, a family conflict, and they are never going to leave that alone.

So what if they want to manage the information themselves? Apparently, Diana used to tip them off when she was going somewhere, to give them a chance to cover something, so they'd be happy and go away after that.

[Jedi Guy]

38. "They wanted out of the royal circus."

Repeatedly attacking the royal family in interviews, documentaries, and books is a very peculiar way of expressing a desire to be out of the royal circus. It certainly doesn't seem to be working very well for them in that regard.

[treestar]

105. I don't see real attacks

it's the type of thing the royal family gets their panties in a wad about in their desire to look perfect. If they would give that up and look human they might get more sympathy. Diana certainly did. She "attacked" them after the divorce and nobody thought so ill of her.

They should have quit being above it all and spoken decisively in defense of Meghan when she was subjected to criticism for the same behaviors Catherine was given praise for. They'd have looked a lot better.

[pnwmom]

118. They moved to CA and for a year laid low -- from Jan 2020 to March 2021.

But the smears in the UK media never stopped.

Harry says he's reconciled to the knowledge that he's always going to be in the public eye.

[Marcus IM]

14. I always feel sorry for the progeny of dictators.

[Hekate]

28. Calling the 21st century British royals "dictators" is risible.

It’s a constitutional monarchy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom

The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom….

The monarch and their immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. As the monarchy is constitutional, the monarch is limited to functions such as bestowing honours and appointing the prime minister, which are performed in a non-partisan manner. The sovereign is also able to comment on draft laws which directly affect the monarchy. The monarch is also Head of the British Armed Forces. Though the ultimate executive authority over the government is still formally by and through the royal prerogative, these powers may only be used according to laws enacted in Parliament and, in practice, within the constraints of convention and precedent. The Government of the United Kingdom is known as His Majesty's Government.

[BlueLucy]

54. The British Monarch existing romanticizes dictators. nt

[iemanja]

171. To be a dictator one needs power

In fact absolute power. The British monarchy has wealth but no power. They are ceremonial only.

[BlueLucy]

172. Thank you, that's true.

Dictator is not the right word. They have power but not absolute power.. dictator is the wrong word.

[treestar]

35. That's not quite reflective of the history

The monarch was never a "dictator" even when they actually ruled. As early as the Magna Carta, 1215, there were beginnings of restrictions on the King. With each century, they had less and less power until they became merely symbolic.

[pnwmom]

139. Ireland may have a different opinion about the power of the British monarchs,

especially Queen Victoria, also known as the Famine Queen.

In the midst of the Great Hunger, Queen Victoria donated only $2,000 to help save lives there. Worse than that, she prevented anyone else from donating more than she did. Technically, she might not have been a dictator, but she wielded -- or failed to wield -- real power.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1358083/royal-family-news-queen-victoria-irish-famine-victorian-queen-elizabeth-prince-albert-spt


British viewers were truly shocked to discover the brutality of the Great Hunger. Many of them had not previously known of the death of at least one million and the emigration of a further million of their closest neighbors in what must be regarded as the darkest and most horrifying seven years in Irish history.

SNIP

“In January 1848, she also made her own donation, significantly to a British agency, but she gave £2,000. She is the first person named on their records as having given money but because she gave £2,000, it was the Royal protocol that nobody could give more than the monarch.

"We do have documentation that the Sultan of Turkey, who was himself a very young man at the time, offered to give £10,000 but in Constantinople, the British embassy went to his people to say that it would offend royal protocol so he reduced his donation.”

The offer from the Ottoman Sultan, Khaleefah Abdul-Majid I, would be worth approximately £800,000 ($1.7m) today and could have greatly benefited the Irish people.

[treestar]

150. Victoria was not a dictator

The British did very poorly by the Irish, but their citizens did not live under a dictatorship. Parliament had power - Parliament could have relieved the Irish better, but they were the ones with the power. The citizens elected Parliament.

A government does not have to be a dictatorship to cause harm to people abroad in areas they are colonizing. That's not the meaning of dictatorship. The British citizens at that time did not live under one, as they elected their representatives and Victoria was merely head of state, and had pretty much no power. She did not have to be a dictator to be so ungenerous to the Irish.

[Hortensis]

161. Yes. Thanks for speaking up for accurate language and history. :)

[Marcus IM]

37. Note: I posted "progeny".

I didn't call them - in their current mode of operation - dictators.


https://www.google.com/search?q=progeny+definition

[treestar]

107. None of them were dictators even when they did actually rule

only in fairy tales do they have absolute power.

They always needed support of the nobles and the people generally.

A few of them were taken down for being too bossy. Look up Richard II. John. Edward II. And don't forget Charles I.

[pnwmom]

136. The "too bossy" ones in the past were failed dictators -- but they did try. n/t

[treestar]

151. Dictators had all the power

How did nobles force Edward II's favorite into exile? If he was a dictator, his favorite would simply get what Edward wanted him to have.

How did nobles make John sign the Magna Carta if he was a dictator?

How did Charles I get friggin' beheaded if he was a dictator? He would be doing the killing, not getting killed.

Ever since Magna Carta, British monarchs have been limited in some way. The entire history of England is the loosening of power in the monarchy and increased power to the people/Parliament.

A dictator is someone like Joseph Stalin, Hitler or Saddam Hussein. Any representative body is just a sham.

[pnwmom]

155. What were the nobles in those times? Collectively, a GROUP of self-appointed mini-dictators.

They attained their power by BIRTH, not by the actions of a democratic system.

They still enjoy their status because of birth.

[treestar]

157. they could disagree amongst themselves

a dictator is one person with a cult of personality.

Inheriting power as in the medieval monarchy may be something we disagree with and that most of the world has outgrown - if they remain it is for tradition and ceremony.

But dictatorship are still possible and require that the dictator grab the power, biding their time to get the right moment and building up a force of loyalists willing to kill for them - that's Hitler, Saddam, Idi Amin, Ghaddafi, or Stalin (who did have a totalitarian state already there for him, but he grabbed even more power and started killing people). None of them inherited anything.

[pnwmom]

158. The "nobles" were essentially dictators over their little fiefdoms.

And how do you think the English took over Ireland? By grabbing powerand sending in their "nobles" to retain it.

How was the English monarchy and the peerage system any less monstrous than some of the dictators you named, letting a million Irish starve during the potato shortage while shipping good food OUT of Ireland to profit the "nobles" who had divvied up Ireland for their own profit?

The only real difference between the absolute monarchy of long ago and a dictatorship was that the violent ORIGINS of the monarchy were obscured in history, as the people became accustomed to the line of succession, and power being passed along by birth.

http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/politics/difference-between-dictatorship-and-monarchy/

Dictatorship vs Monarchy

Dictatorship and monarchy are different terms of governance but are almost the same in the sense that both have usurped the power of the people.

A dictatorship is an office that has been gotten through force, and a monarchy or crown is reign that is passed from one generation to another.

But the power in an absolute monarchy was INITIALLY obtained by force. The "King" took over the country by force, with the help of his allies, the "nobles" -- and the whole power system was passed onto their children in perpetuity, they hoped.

[obamanut2012]

57. Lol the British Royals are far from dictators

[Takket]

16. i haven't, but my wife has

she's a huge fan of the couple. I have nothing against Harry, he seems okay. My wife is bipolar and read the book and said she "lost a lot of respect" for harry because he talked about refusing treatment for his mental illnesses but doing pot instead.

In a society where we all take a side on everything, i can honestly i don't i just wish the entire monarchy would blow up and we'd never hear from any of these people again.

[NoSheep]

20. Pot is better than chemicals if it works for you

[RobinA]

94. The Active

ingredients in pot aren't chemicals?

[Tree Lady]

95. I used to date this chemistry teacher

and he used to say to me, be careful about supplements because whether things are natural or made up in a lab they still affect the body.

[madaboutharry]

25. In the book, Harry writes extensively about finding the therapist who finally helped him.

He wrote about how he carried the trauma of his mother's death and the PTSD he suffered upon his return from 2 tours in Afghanistan. He did seek professional help and wrote about what actually happened in his sessions with his therapist.

[NoSheep]

18. I think Harry and Megan are breaking through the bullshit.

I hope they can thrive outside of the madness of the institution and the press

[IbogaProject]

27. The crown and Noble privilege should be abolished

That corporation running the square mile 'City of London' needs to be Nationalized. The Monarchy, Nobel Privlidge and Central Banks being held by private individuals all need to be abolished. It's obvious that whole farce needs to shut down. The creation of money 'at interest' is the root of most modern evils. They don't create the interest that has to be exploited from others. Fossil Fuels, arms dealing, resource extraction, and economic exploitation all come from that evil. We need to nationalize our central banks so the interest if part of money creation is collectively owned. Frankly it would be better to have a little inflation to penalize hoarders who just hold money with out investing it.

[Hekate]

31. Nobel? Do they get prizes for this?

[doc03]

33. I haven't read the book and don't ever plan to. But I like Harry, he is like a

regular guy. I can't blame him for not wanting to be part of the "Royal Family". That family
has been responsible for who knows how many deaths and slavey over the centuries. What is a
King or Queen a dictator.

[madaboutharry]

34. People have really taken sides.

I think a lot of people who are bashing Harry have not read this book.This is not an arrogant book. He admits all of his failures and shortcomings. It is rather self-deprecating. And even though he writes about the things his family did that hurt him, he also writes about the loving things they did for him.

William has been a disappointment to him. That relationship is not much different than the one millions upon millions of siblings have with each other.

The one person he clearly doesn't not have any love for is the one and only Camilla, the other woman who he sees as wreaking his mother's life.

It is very clear how his relationship with William has gone sideways. It boils down to sibling rivalry and over the top jealousy.

Here is a small incident... They had a huge fight over, of all things, whether Harry would have to shave off his beard before his wedding. William insisted upon it, even made scenes about it. Harry then went to The Queen and asked her if he could keep it and she said something to the effect of "Sure honey, if it makes you happy." William's response was basically "She always liked you more!" That pretty much sums up how things are between the brothers.

[Cha]

41. Wow.. TY for this Further Review! nt

[BlueLucy]

56. Harry also speaks very lovingly of Charles

Talked about how Charles would stroke him gently until he fell asleep every night. My daughter sent me the audio to my Amazon audio. I'm almost done.

[GoneOffShore]

68. The ghostwriter did a really good job.

[ripcord]

40. Harry doesn't accept any responsibility for anything in his life

He is even blaming William and Kate for talking him into wearing a Nazi uniform to a costume party. I am glad he isn't the shallow young man he was in the army when he was using racist comments to describe others. I do hope he, Megan and their kids will be happy.

[madaboutharry]

42. I must be reading a different book.

In the book I am reading, Harry writes that Kate and William thought the uniform was hilarious. But after the shit hit the fan, Harry went on an apology tour. He met with Holocaust survivors, took a tour of a Holocaust museum, and met with Rabbis. He spent pages of the book writing about how stupid it was and how ashamed he was. The entire incident shook him and he wrote in the book how absolutely horrible he felt about the whole thing.

Geez.....

[ripcord]

45. You might want to read it again

He said William and Kate told him to wear it and thought it was hilarious. I'm glad Harry has got past his racism but blaming others for your mistakes is wrong, you are much better off if you accept the responsibility for your own mistakes.

[madaboutharry]

49. He mentions they thought it was funny, he doesn't blame them.

He blamed himself for being stupid. I stand by my understanding of the English language.

[BlueLucy]

58. Did you read the book?

Most of it is really loving toward his family.

[tavernier]

43. Good for Harry!

In my mind his greatest enemy is a rotting stinking evil corpse called Rupert Murdoch, and I applaud them both for spitting on his still breathing carcass.

[Grey]

44. Has no one given thought to that cow

Camilla? Why didn't she break it off with Charlie? Has she no morals? Is it just fine because all the Kings did it. Why did Will say she was fine as a mistress but you just don't marry them?

[Peacetrain]

80. I have not yet.. but I plan on it.. from the outakes

my opinion of him and Meghan and their journey has impressed me all the more. He cared more for his little family, wife and children than he did for perceived power. The Tabloids and their hangers on are worse than I ever thought they were. The Tabs are hell bent on taking down the worlds democracies not only individuals..

[questionseverything]

59. Something I have wondered is

Did megan pay taxes here in America for that $30 million plus wedding the royals paid for? Or at least on half of it?

That’s really all I am interested to in, have these millionaires paid their income taxes

[Hekate]

61. Was that income? Was it a gift? How is a wedding, no matter how over the top, a taxable thing?

[questionseverything]

72. Idk

A parent can only gift ten grand a year to their child( it’s $16,000/year now)

If I tip ten bucks at lunchtime, my server is supposed to claim it

What about the gift of free rent in multi million dollar mansions?

[obamanut2012]

78. WTAF none of this works anything like you are saying

[Hekate]

88. Someone is just pulling things out of thin air

[questionseverything]

111. Specifically what claim have I made that you are disputing?

[pnwmom]

125. A wedding isn't income to the bride and the groom. It's a party paid for by whoever

is paying for it.

Do you think recipients of big birthday parties also should be subject to gift taxes?

[questionseverything]

140. Usually a wedding or huge party would be for a dependent

That’s one thing that makes it different

[pnwmom]

143. Not anymore it isn't. Many parents foot the bill for the party

celebrating the marriage of their adult, independent children.

But in this case, the celebration was a STATE event. You don't seem to understand that this isn't like the wedding of Mr. Brown to Ms.Smith, private citizens in the U.S.

This was the wedding of a Prince of the Royal Family of England. The party wasn't a gift to him as an individual. It was a major public event for the whole country, choreographed by The Firm, in which Harry and Meghan were the primary -- but not the only -- actors.

[questionseverything]

146. Adult children are generally way under the 12 million limit

Kind of surprised du thinks multi millionaires should get out of taxes

Like months of free rent and security from perry

[pnwmom]

147. Why is this so hard for you to understand? The fancy wedding wasn't a gift to the couple.

They actually made their vows to each other privately, outdoors with a Bishop, a few days earlier.

https://www.today.com/popculture/meghan-harry-clarify-they-privately-exchanged-personal-vows-official-wedding-t212586

"We called the archbishop and just said, look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us, so the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the archbishop of Canterbury," she said.

"Just the three of us," added Harry, 36.

The spectacle of the official wedding was a public relations event for The Firm, to promote the monarchy's image to the British public. Harry and Meghan were mere players.

With regard to US gift taxes, any US gift taxes due are owed by the GIVER, not the receiver. And there's no evidence that Tyler Perry failed to pay any gift taxes HE would have owed for his generosity to Harry and Meghan.

[madaboutharry]

64. Since when is a wedding considered taxable income?

[questionseverything]

76. Since I am not familiar with multi million dollar gifts,

I looked it up

It’s not on the exempt list

At the time she was supposed to give up her citizenship but that changed of course

[obamanut2012]

79. You do not pay taxes onw eddings -- just stop

WTF does her citizenship have to do with anything?

Ooooh...... I get it now. I understand. You are one of them. Gotcha.

[questionseverything]

82. If she gave up her citizenship ( as was the plan) she wouldn't owe taxes

[treestar]

106. why should she give it up ?

Many have dual citizenship.

[questionseverything]

109. That was the plan when she was going to be a working royal

[Hekate]

112. Source? Link?

[treestar]

152. whose plan?

that would be ironic coming from a country from which people cannot give up their citizenship! Thus the UK has many dual citizens in it!

[BuddhaGirl]

160. LOL

Please post your source for your claim.

Thanks

[questionseverything]

163. It's just what I heard back then

It made sense because the royals wouldn’t want English money going to the irs

[pnwmom]

126. She didn't give up her citizenship, but NO ONE owes gift taxes on their weddings.

They aren't forms of income (which is why they wouldn't show up on any "exempt" list you consulted.)

Now, if Prince Charles had handed Meghan and Harry a check for $30 million and said, "here, take this and have the wedding of your dreams," then there would be tax consequences.

But that's NOT what happened. The Firm spent the Firm's money to throw the party the Firm decided to throw.

[treestar]

153. Which was a benefit and boon to The Firm

every wedding gets it publicity and attention and the change to bolster its relevance and the benefits claimed for the country.

[pnwmom]

154. Right. And I forgot to mention that

in the US, the giver is the one who owes any gift taxes that are due -- not the recipient.

[questionseverything]

168. Ha so the queen owes the gift tax? Even better

[pnwmom]

170. The US gift tax applies to US citizens who make large gifts.

The Queen isn't a US citizen and doesn't owe any US taxes.

But if a US citizen did so -- if, for example, Trump gave $30 million to Ivanka -- then Trump, not Ivanka, would owe a gift tax.

[Hekate]

89. Thin air

[JI7]

66. WTF, Many people have weddings in different countries. Since when are Weddings taxed like that ?

How would that even happen ? How about people that go on some mexican holiday for their birthday ? Do they pay taxes on that to the US ?

[questionseverything]

73. If you won the mexican trip on a game show, you for sure pay taxes on it

[JI7]

74. WTF ? How is this anything like winning a trip to mexico or anywhere else on a game show ?

[pnwmom]

127. That's because the game show would hand you a check. No one gave Harry and Meghan

a check for 30 million.

They were put to work in The Firm's production of A Royal Wedding, which The Firm decided to spend millions on.

[Hekate]

90. Thin, thin air

[betsuni]

67. I couldn't help but wonder, are weddings income tax? At least half of it?

That's really all I am interested to in, are millionaires human?

[Hekate]

92. Air's very thin where he gets these comments

[pnwmom]

128. Weddings are not subject to income tax. When you throw a party -- which is what a wedding is -

do you report it on your IRS forms? Of course not.

If they had handed M and H a check for $30 million, then, yes, income taxes would be owed. But the Firm handed no money over, except to the workers and suppliers involved with the wedding. And the Royal Wedding was for the benefit of The Firm. It was the Disneyland-ish production The Firm wanted to share with the world.

Harry and Meghan, on the other hand, wanted a private ceremony, so they arranged for one -- just them and a minister, a few days before the Firm's production of The Royal Wedding.

[betsuni]

138. Yes I know. I was being sarcastic.

"Sex and the City" reference where the main character always used "I couldn't help but wonder" in her bad articles.

[obamanut2012]

77. Why in the world would she pay taxes on it????

No one pays taxes on the weddings, except for the sales tax on vendor purchases, etc.

What a weird GOTCHA.

[questionseverything]

81. Usually the cost would be way more under the 12.06 million dollar limit

That limit is if the lifetime inheritance tax limit is used

[Hekate]

93. I think someone's just trawling for reactions

[Dorian Gray]

108. This is a ridiculous ask of her

to pay taxes on the wedding. lol

[questionseverything]

110. Her half was nearly 20 million.... I am kind of surprised at du

Not thinking millionaires should pay taxes

But fine if no income taxes on the wedding cost what about the 3/4 million a year harry got from his dad after they left england?

As his wife isn’t that half hers ?

For all I know she did pay income taxes on her half

I don’t understand why it’s an outrageous idea that she should pay her taxes

(And I am not saying she didn’t just that I am curious about it)

[Hekate]

114. This wedding obsession borders on lunacy. Google is your good true friend.

[Dorian Gray]

148. If they're receiving income

then they'd of course have to pay taxes on that. As a couple. Living in the USA, of course they'd pay us taxes on that. Not her half or his half. On the total amount, filing as a couple.

Weddings are expenses that families often take on. They've never been subject to income taxes. People can throw parties for exhoribant amounts of money. Parents often pay the contractors directly. There is no income to the bride and groom when it happens that way.

Further, their wedding was in the UK. Royal weddings are state affairs. There would be no reason to subject that to income tax.

And finally, making that argument in no way indicates that I am against them paying tax on their annual gifts from Charles.
If he's sending them money into their bank accounts, absolutely they'd pay income. (Also, if by paying for the wedding, he wrote them a 20 Million dollar check that they processed into their bank account, then they absolutely would have had to pay gift taxes on that.)

[pnwmom]

123. Of course not! That fancy wedding was a production of the Firm, by the Firm, and for the Firm-

and its exalted image of itself. Meghan and Harry had no role in deciding how that wedding would be produced or how much it would be cost. The Firm got the wedding ceremony the Firm wanted, and Harry and Meghan did their duty as actors in the Firm's production.

Meghan and Harry themselves wanted a personal, private ceremony, conducted by a single pastor, a few days before -- and they had one. That was the real marriage ceremony, in their eyes.

[gldstwmn]

130. You want Meghan to pay American

taxes on an official state event of the British Monarchy? Because while it was their wedding it was also the other thing too.
That is the most bizarre put down of them yet.

[questionseverything]

132. Maybe not on wedding but the yearly allowance I think would of been fair

It’s nothing personal against them but I want all millionaires to pay their taxes.

Cool aside, we have American citizens in line to the throne of england… interesting times

[pnwmom]

134. If she wasn't paying proper taxes, I'm sure the media hounding her would have reported that.

Instead, they reported that one of the reasons they moved to CA was because they wanted to spend time with her mother in California, too -- and didn't want to pay taxes to both countries.

P.S. In 2021, Meghan said she and Harry were told Archie would not be given a title when Charles became King -- a first for a child in his position. Of course it has nothing to do with his mixed-race . . .

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56325934

The Duchess of Sussex was clearly aware of the protocol.

She referred in the interview to a "George V or George VI convention" that would mean her son Archie would become a prince "when Harry's dad becomes king".

But she went on to say that she had been told when she was pregnant that "they want to change the convention for Archie" so he would not become a prince.

She did not give any more details about this and Buckingham Palace has not commented on her claims.

[questionseverything]

141. The press wouldn't know about her taxes, they aren't public

[pnwmom]

142. With the way the UK press had been leaking about her, there's no reason to think

they wouldn't have leaked that, too.

There's also no reason to think, given how micromanaged they were in their everyday lives as Royals, that she would have even had an opportunity to cheat on her taxes. Do you think she was filling out the forms herself?

[questionseverything]

144. Their last two deals were $120million so they both will be paying plenty

[pnwmom]

145. Yes, they will. And their accountants will fill out the forms. nt

[gldstwmn]

166. You don't think taxes were paid on her yearly allowance?

What's the going tax rate in Britain? 30%?
Also, what allowance? Did you see the tiny cottage they lived in? It was more like a stipend if it even existed. Anything they had came from Queen Elizabeth or the Prince's Trust. It wouldn't be earned income by any stretch of the imagination.
If you're concerned about her taxes I'm sure you can call the IRS who might return your phone call in about 10 years due to a worker shortage. Their work force is retiring and Congress took away funding to add more staff to go after millionaires, billionaires and others with complex tax returns.

[questionseverything]

167. I don't think royals pay in Britain

I hope they do here

[wnylib]

60. I have not read the book or any of the

summaries and reviews and do not intend to. Guess I am too American to give a damn about the antics of royal families.

One line in the family of one of my grandmothers traces back to British royalty. To say that I was amazed to learn that is a gross understatement. The last ruling monarch in grandma's family tree was Edward III in the 14th century, far too distant in the past to have anything to do with me today. The lines that descended from Edward III gradually drifted down the social scale of the British caste system through younger sons and daughters until they ended up as ordinary untitled people in Britain's American colonies.

The only thing that I gained from discovering that line of descent is an increased knowledge of history from researching those people. The main theme running through their history is family dysfynction. It is the name of the game in the entire history of those royals. They tortured, murdered, imprisoned and overthrew each other. Their wars against each other harmed the people of their lands. Deception and affairs were so frequent that chances are good that there is no biological trace back to them in my family, only an official record that claims who descended from whom. The brutality and cruelty toward each other was remarked on even by their peers in other countries.

It looks like Royal family dysfunction continues to this day although at least they are no longer physically killing each other. I have read enough about their ancestors and have no interest in what they do to each other today.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

62. 331? Yikes how many pages is the whole book?

[madaboutharry]

63. 410 pages

[Laura PourMeADrink]

131. Wow, but good read? Is he a good author? Visions of Obama's

books and how utterly astounded I was at how great a writer he is.

[betsuni]

65. K&R

[GoneOffShore]

85. Pretty awful - the writing is 3rd rate romance novel level, with lots of whining.

And at least three pieces reviewing it are not praising it, or him.

[Hekate]

87. So you actually read it

[GoneOffShore]

96. Made it through the first 4 chapters. It's badly written.

[obamanut2012]

91. None of that is true

It is fine if you don't like it, but what you wrote is not factual.

[GoneOffShore]

97. Alrighthy then.

The style is late Barbara Cartland with a dash of Dan Brown.

And he whines.

[BuddhaGirl]

98. Not my experience at all

I'm halfway through and enjoying it. It's obvious writing the book was cathartic. He's very introspective and open about his process.

I never expected an erudite memoir. I think it's silly to to expect anything else, but YMMV.

[obamanut2012]

101. No it isn't

[pnwmom]

137. There should be scores of negative reviews from the UK. I'd be very surprised

if there were only a few, based on how the UK media routinely writes about Harry.

[pinkstarburst]

99. I am not

My problem with what he is doing is not that he is telling his own truth, it's that he is spilling nasty tabloid like dirt on the rest of his family while trying to complain about the culture of the tabloids, leaks, and how it has harmed him and his wife.

IMHO, you can't have it both ways, Harry.

Further, he is quite insincere in saying that he will write 400 pages of tabloid trash about his family and then say he wants there to be reconciliation and healing. He does this knowing that Kate, William and Charles will never release 400 page memoirs detailing all the nasty dirt in horrible specific detail that they have on Harry. Their policy is to say nothing.

He's the schoolyard bully punching at someone he knows won't hit back.

And yes, I understand that the institution he was born into has wronged him greatly. I do not doubt he and his family have all hurt each other. But my opinion of him and Meghan has greatly lowered with the Netflix tabloid series and this trashy book.

And I swear to god, Meghan had better not run for public office, because I will vote for the other person even if it means switching sides. Ugh!

[obamanut2012]

102. lol Charles already released a 400-page memoir trashing Harry's mom

Abuse victims who fight back are often declared abusers by their abusers and their abusers supporters-- there is even a term for it: reactive abuse.

So, congrats on giving a pretty textbook example to other DUers on what reactive abuse is.

[Hekate]

113. Why on Earth would Meghan subject herself to a run for office? And are you a Californian living in...

… what we call South County here? (For those who don’t live on the Central Coast, Santa Barbara County is geographically split by a mountain range, hence the colloquial designations of North County and South County)

I just want to spare you the agony of deciding to vote Republican, which you swear you would do.

Of all the silliness…

[Iggo]

124. Hmm...yeah, I think so.

[pnwmom]

129. You can't be much of a Democrat, if you would switch sides because

Meghan Markle ran for office.

[Luciferous]

119. Well to be fair you're only getting his

side of things.

[gldstwmn]

122. I've ordered it and it must be in

high demand because it won't arrive until Saturday. I usually get my books the day after I order them
I have to say I support him. It took a lot of courage to do what he did.
I honestly believe he and Meghan would have been hounded to death had they stayed. And Charles is such a bastard, first to Diana and now to Harry.

[Deminpenn]

149. Harry and Meghan

strike me as two very needy people who found each other.

Neither seems to want to be part of the British monarchy by birth or marriage. Then don't be. Renounce it. Give up the "cottage" and whatever money that comes from the monarchy, buy a house in a quiet suburb and go on with life as regular Joes and Janes raising two kids.

They won't be the first family estranged from their relatives.

[FakeNoose]

156. Well okay ... but they are celebrities in their own right

And also they are quite wealthy, beyond the reach of most Americans. If Meghan wanted to, she could go back to acting, at least for a while. But I get the feeling that she doesn't want an acting career any more. I'm happy that they've chosen to come here rather than put up with the stuffy nonsense from the royal family.

If they wanted to be just plain average citizens, they could have moved to a tropical island somewhere.

[Deminpenn]

162. Then be celebrities

I don't care. But Harry, at least, seems not to want to break completely from the family. We should recognize that Harry is only a celebrity because of he's a member of the royal family. Harry has complained about the UK no longer picking up the tab for his security, too. He obvioulsy likes that perk.

I don't care if they live here in the US either, although I'm pretty sure we could find 2 more deserving refugees.

[pnwmom]

165. Harry doesn't want to be estranged from all his relatives -- as human beings.

But The Firm is setting them at odds with each other; and for him to renounce his title now could be seen as a slap in the face, and further damage his relationship with his relatives.

His own father, Prince Charles, wrote a muckraking book. Books can be ignored. Renouncing the monarchy cannot.

[hamsterjill]

169. I haven't read the book but I've seen the many interviews.

I have mixed emotions. Mostly, I think William had been indoctrinated pretty much from birth as to what is expected of him and he accepts it as his purpose and responsibility.

Harry was always made to feel that he was “second” and I can’t imagine that NOT having an effect on someone.

I don’t particularly like Meghan Markle. I’m not sure what it is. I don’t find her genuine. She should definitely not have had to face racism, but she also should have known more about what she was getting in to, what would be expected, how she should react and participate, and perhaps she could have handled some aspects of it better.

Sad to see a family torn apart regardless of who they are.