More on Spare by Prince Harry
Mar. 10th, 2023 11:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatStill working my way through Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Spare - and I've made it more or less past the Harry and Megan wedding now. Although I rewound twice to figure out what happened with Kate and the bridesmaid's dresses.
Dear god. I can understand why Kate and William were none too pleased with William's brother, Harry, after this book came out. He really blasts them in his book. Kate is made out to look like a petty, self-absorbed entitled snob - obsessed with protocol. And William doesn't come out much better.
Apparently, Kate got upset that her daughter, Charlotte, couldn't fit into the bridesmaid dress - and felt they all had to be remade. Megan told her that her tailor was standing by to fix it - and could Kate send her daughter to the Taylor. But Kate was insisting that Megan and the Taylor come to her - and fit the dress.
Kate was also apparently upset about a pageboy party that needed to be arranged, even though half the pageboys hadn't arrived in England yet.
Kate does bring by flowers the next day, and apologizes.
At the same time, poor Megan is struggling with her father - who is being insanely hounded by the press. A private man who is camera shy, Megan had been protective of him and is very close to her father. But once she got engaged to Harry - the press hounded him relentlessly, and made up stories about him. The poor man. I feel for Harry - because he discusses how prior to meeting Megan, he broke up with various lovers due to the fact that they couldn't handle the British Press and the Royal Family. (I honestly don't think anyone really could.)
Add to all this - the tiara. Queen Elizabeth offers Megan one of her Tiara's to wear at the wedding - to get past the whole divorcee wearing a veil bit (apparently divorcees aren't supposed to wear veils). But if it is attached to a tiara this works? (IDK.) Anyhow, Queen Elizabeth aka Granny (that's what Harry calls her), tells them that they really need to be sure to practice with the tiara first, since it can be tricky. And agrees to let them borrow it.
Sounds simple enough. Doesn't it?
Not so fast. Angela, the individual tasked with keeping all of these things safe and in good repair - refuses to lend the tiara to Megan to try on. And states in order to do so, they'd need an armed guard and a police escourt to take the tiara back and forth to Megan - because tiara is invaluable as a relic of the Monarchy.
So, Megan can't practice.
You can't make this stuff up, can you? Well you could, but no one would believe you. It kind of sounds like the script of the Princess and the Pea.
In a later chapter, Kate is furious with Megan and wants an apology.
Megan: Okay, how did I offend you? I'm willing to apologize, but I can't remember what it was?
Kate: You brought up my hormones!
Megan: Uh when?
Kate: When I couldn't remember something about the wedding invitations. You stated that's okay, it's most likely your hormones!
Megan: Oooh, I remember now. I said, it's not a problem, you have baby brain, seeing you just had a baby, the forgetfulness is probably due to the hormones. It's what I say all the time with my girlfriends.
Kate: You were talking about my hormones! That's personal and private.
William: It was rude.
Megan: I'm sorry
[This is a class and cultural argument and puts Kate in a horrible light.]
If Kate was upset about Megan talking about her hormones to her face, I can only imagine how she reacted to this book.
I don't think Harry likes his family very much. And he reminds me a lot of his mother - Diana did pretty much the same things. She did a documentary, an interview, and a tell all book. King Charles - having lived through all of this with Diana, is a bit more compromising with his son Harry, than William is. I think he's being a little more cautious with Harry than he was with Diana. Also Charles had to deal with his brother, Andrew, and how the press handled Camilla. So he's probably rolling his eyes, and kind of used to this by now.
At any rate, I'm not sure there would be any problem if it weren't for the institution built up around the Royal Family and all of the insane cultural expectations and protocol. While it's tempting to blame the Family itself or the British people for this - I honestly think it's more of a societal cultural issue, and an institutional one. Both of which have enabled an increasing toxic press access to, and unlimited coverage of the Royal Family. The press made the situation toxic. If it weren't for the press hounding Megan, her family, Harry and his - I honestly think a lot of these internal problems wouldn't exist.
That said, I'm not sure that Harry publishing this book or airing his documentary accomplishes his aim? If anything he's just feeding the very beast he condemns. Or aiding fuel to the flames so to speak. And at the same time - alienating those best equipped to aid him in his battle against them. Diana made much the same mistakes - until the press unintentionally killed her, with the unwitting compliance of the British public, who ate up its reports and photos. The cult of personality is toxic. But it's also a co-dependent relationship between the personality and the public, the personality in question serves. And it's by no means limited to the British Royal Family - nor are they the center of it because they are Royals, other countries have Royal families that we seldom if ever see in the news.
I don't know how to resolve it, without doing away with a free press, which we do need. But this begs the question - is the press truly free? Or is it too restrained by the corporate beasts that own it and pull its strings?
The investors, the shareholders, the editors in chiefs - who determine what is printed and what isn't, what is televised and what isn't televised. And it's a lot harder to get rid of them. Also, to what degree are we, the reading and viewing public accountable? My mother is helping a woman in her 90s clear out and organize her papers - but the woman refuses to get rid of her collection of news articles, magazines, and press releases on the Royal Family. She can't let that go. To what degree is her consumption of these things responsible for this toxcity? Is the person who picks up the Daily Mail or People Magazine in the grocery store aisle for its front page photos of Harry and Megan responsible for this?
Harry appears to be asking similar questions. He thinks by telling his story, his way - he's solving the problem. But is he?
It's never simple, is it?
[ETA: I can't help but wonder if things would be less toxic if the British Press weren't constantly hounding them? Harry relates the story of Meg being shown to be a Witch in the papers, nasty, while Kate is pristine. And this occurs after Meg has a great reception in public and the public applauds her. And she is applauded in the papers. Then the backlash - and she is ripped apart. The press goes so far as to publish a letter that she wrote to her father, edits it, and over-analyzes her handwriting to demean and destroy Meg, and does it after she loses her father. He relates that her penmanship was applauded in the past and she used it to make money - and now they were reporting that her handwriting showed how horrible a person she actually she was. And they took legal action.
Very similar to what happened to Diana. And her toxic relationship with the Press. The parallels are uncanny. Listening to this - I want to draw and quarter the British Press and feed them to the pigs.
Meg falls into a depression similar to Diana's and wants to disappear to get away from the Press.
Harry makes it clear that there is an unhealthy relationship between the Royal Family, the British Press, and the British Public who consumes and often believes whatever the Press relates to them - it is if anything a cautionary tale about photojournalism and journalistic ethics. Reporting on others lives requires a certain level of accountability and ethics, and I can't help but wonder if most journalists realize that? And much of the backlash raged against them is brought on by themselves. And the fact that the Royal Family and Public allow it - allow this bad behavior, says more about our culture than we necessarily want it to, I think. This happens not only because we allow it, but applaud it and spend money on it.]
Dear god. I can understand why Kate and William were none too pleased with William's brother, Harry, after this book came out. He really blasts them in his book. Kate is made out to look like a petty, self-absorbed entitled snob - obsessed with protocol. And William doesn't come out much better.
Apparently, Kate got upset that her daughter, Charlotte, couldn't fit into the bridesmaid dress - and felt they all had to be remade. Megan told her that her tailor was standing by to fix it - and could Kate send her daughter to the Taylor. But Kate was insisting that Megan and the Taylor come to her - and fit the dress.
Kate was also apparently upset about a pageboy party that needed to be arranged, even though half the pageboys hadn't arrived in England yet.
Kate does bring by flowers the next day, and apologizes.
At the same time, poor Megan is struggling with her father - who is being insanely hounded by the press. A private man who is camera shy, Megan had been protective of him and is very close to her father. But once she got engaged to Harry - the press hounded him relentlessly, and made up stories about him. The poor man. I feel for Harry - because he discusses how prior to meeting Megan, he broke up with various lovers due to the fact that they couldn't handle the British Press and the Royal Family. (I honestly don't think anyone really could.)
Add to all this - the tiara. Queen Elizabeth offers Megan one of her Tiara's to wear at the wedding - to get past the whole divorcee wearing a veil bit (apparently divorcees aren't supposed to wear veils). But if it is attached to a tiara this works? (IDK.) Anyhow, Queen Elizabeth aka Granny (that's what Harry calls her), tells them that they really need to be sure to practice with the tiara first, since it can be tricky. And agrees to let them borrow it.
Sounds simple enough. Doesn't it?
Not so fast. Angela, the individual tasked with keeping all of these things safe and in good repair - refuses to lend the tiara to Megan to try on. And states in order to do so, they'd need an armed guard and a police escourt to take the tiara back and forth to Megan - because tiara is invaluable as a relic of the Monarchy.
So, Megan can't practice.
You can't make this stuff up, can you? Well you could, but no one would believe you. It kind of sounds like the script of the Princess and the Pea.
In a later chapter, Kate is furious with Megan and wants an apology.
Megan: Okay, how did I offend you? I'm willing to apologize, but I can't remember what it was?
Kate: You brought up my hormones!
Megan: Uh when?
Kate: When I couldn't remember something about the wedding invitations. You stated that's okay, it's most likely your hormones!
Megan: Oooh, I remember now. I said, it's not a problem, you have baby brain, seeing you just had a baby, the forgetfulness is probably due to the hormones. It's what I say all the time with my girlfriends.
Kate: You were talking about my hormones! That's personal and private.
William: It was rude.
Megan: I'm sorry
[This is a class and cultural argument and puts Kate in a horrible light.]
If Kate was upset about Megan talking about her hormones to her face, I can only imagine how she reacted to this book.
I don't think Harry likes his family very much. And he reminds me a lot of his mother - Diana did pretty much the same things. She did a documentary, an interview, and a tell all book. King Charles - having lived through all of this with Diana, is a bit more compromising with his son Harry, than William is. I think he's being a little more cautious with Harry than he was with Diana. Also Charles had to deal with his brother, Andrew, and how the press handled Camilla. So he's probably rolling his eyes, and kind of used to this by now.
At any rate, I'm not sure there would be any problem if it weren't for the institution built up around the Royal Family and all of the insane cultural expectations and protocol. While it's tempting to blame the Family itself or the British people for this - I honestly think it's more of a societal cultural issue, and an institutional one. Both of which have enabled an increasing toxic press access to, and unlimited coverage of the Royal Family. The press made the situation toxic. If it weren't for the press hounding Megan, her family, Harry and his - I honestly think a lot of these internal problems wouldn't exist.
That said, I'm not sure that Harry publishing this book or airing his documentary accomplishes his aim? If anything he's just feeding the very beast he condemns. Or aiding fuel to the flames so to speak. And at the same time - alienating those best equipped to aid him in his battle against them. Diana made much the same mistakes - until the press unintentionally killed her, with the unwitting compliance of the British public, who ate up its reports and photos. The cult of personality is toxic. But it's also a co-dependent relationship between the personality and the public, the personality in question serves. And it's by no means limited to the British Royal Family - nor are they the center of it because they are Royals, other countries have Royal families that we seldom if ever see in the news.
I don't know how to resolve it, without doing away with a free press, which we do need. But this begs the question - is the press truly free? Or is it too restrained by the corporate beasts that own it and pull its strings?
The investors, the shareholders, the editors in chiefs - who determine what is printed and what isn't, what is televised and what isn't televised. And it's a lot harder to get rid of them. Also, to what degree are we, the reading and viewing public accountable? My mother is helping a woman in her 90s clear out and organize her papers - but the woman refuses to get rid of her collection of news articles, magazines, and press releases on the Royal Family. She can't let that go. To what degree is her consumption of these things responsible for this toxcity? Is the person who picks up the Daily Mail or People Magazine in the grocery store aisle for its front page photos of Harry and Megan responsible for this?
Harry appears to be asking similar questions. He thinks by telling his story, his way - he's solving the problem. But is he?
It's never simple, is it?
[ETA: I can't help but wonder if things would be less toxic if the British Press weren't constantly hounding them? Harry relates the story of Meg being shown to be a Witch in the papers, nasty, while Kate is pristine. And this occurs after Meg has a great reception in public and the public applauds her. And she is applauded in the papers. Then the backlash - and she is ripped apart. The press goes so far as to publish a letter that she wrote to her father, edits it, and over-analyzes her handwriting to demean and destroy Meg, and does it after she loses her father. He relates that her penmanship was applauded in the past and she used it to make money - and now they were reporting that her handwriting showed how horrible a person she actually she was. And they took legal action.
Very similar to what happened to Diana. And her toxic relationship with the Press. The parallels are uncanny. Listening to this - I want to draw and quarter the British Press and feed them to the pigs.
Meg falls into a depression similar to Diana's and wants to disappear to get away from the Press.
Harry makes it clear that there is an unhealthy relationship between the Royal Family, the British Press, and the British Public who consumes and often believes whatever the Press relates to them - it is if anything a cautionary tale about photojournalism and journalistic ethics. Reporting on others lives requires a certain level of accountability and ethics, and I can't help but wonder if most journalists realize that? And much of the backlash raged against them is brought on by themselves. And the fact that the Royal Family and Public allow it - allow this bad behavior, says more about our culture than we necessarily want it to, I think. This happens not only because we allow it, but applaud it and spend money on it.]
no subject
Date: 2023-03-13 12:10 pm (UTC)I imagine it's pretty accurate. Also, she kills animals for fun so I automatically send her to the Bad Place.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-13 01:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-03-13 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-03-13 10:39 pm (UTC)Harry doesn't talk about it much in his book - if at all. But it's clear that's what they do up in Scotland from the Crown and to a degree Harry's book.
Diana did that. You'll be hard pressed to find an aristocrat or member of the upper British Caste system who doesn't do that.
Not that it excuses it. Just that they've been doing that for well, forever.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-14 10:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-03-14 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-03-14 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-03-15 01:32 am (UTC)But knowing her background? I'd say the Crown probably is more on target than the British press.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-15 05:41 pm (UTC)