Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are in the process of moving house, to somewhere with a lot more privacy, and a royal author has shared their thoughts on the move.
Meghan and Harry seem to have been the pillars of scrutiny against the Royal Family since stepping down from their positions.
Meghan and Harry said they wanted a more private life for their children, and moved to Los Angeles to live a more normal life out of the media eye.
However, many feel like the couple has truly slandered the Royal Family.
And that Harry’s relationships with his brother, father, and grandparents is “hanging by a thread.”
Although, through the rifts, there were reports that the Royal Family was “delighted” by the news of the couple’s second child, Lilibet’s birth.
Despite Harry’s continuous blasting of them across all media platforms.
Harry’s relationship with his family remains strained.
With Charles apparently refusing his calls on the lead up to the announcement in 2020. Harry also said he was financially cut off from his father after they stepped down and at first they were forced to live off Diana’s inheritance.
Asked by Oprah Winfrey during their televised interview about why they left, Harry blamed a “lack of support and lack of understanding.”
He also said he wanted to get away from the ‘genetic pain’ he felt from his family, especially his father, Prince Charles.
“I feel really let down because he’s been through something similar, he knows what pain feels like, (and) Archie’s his grandson.”
“But at the same time – I will always love him – but there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened and I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try and heal that relationship. But they only know what they know, or what they’re told.”
Then, of course, following Lilibet’s birth came the controversy surrounding her name…
With one royal biographer, Angela Levin, deeming it as ‘rude.’
As we know, their baby girl was named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Paying tribute to Harry’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in 1997, when Harry was just twelve.
The name Lilibet is also a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II herself.
A family pet name, the Queen bestowed it on herself as a child as she couldn’t pronounce the name Elizabeth. The name was particularly used by the Queen’s late husband Prince Philip. It was also used by her doting father, King George VI.
But, despite the tribute, people still weren’t happy with some even accusing that, by using the Queen’s private pet name as a first name, Harry had broken royal protocol.
Harry was heavily criticized for taking such a private, intimate pet name and giving it to his child, after what some are calling an ‘onslaught of abuse’ against his grandmother and The Firm.
Royal commentator, Richard Kay, suggested that it may be a step too far for Meghan and Harry to name their daughter Lilibet.
Writing in a column for the Daily Mail, he said: “By giving the baby the name Lilibet, the Queen’s private family nickname – even though they intend to use the diminutive ‘Lili’ for their daughter – there is a risk.”
“Will it be seen as a presumptuous choice for a royal baby who is eighth in line to the throne, but who will grow up on the other side of the world speaking with an American accent?”
“It is tempting to wonder if Harry would have been so emboldened in his choice if his grandfather Prince Philip – the only close family member permitted to call the Queen ‘Lilibet’ – had still been alive.”
“Doubtless, there will be among the more cautious courtiers at the Palace some discomfort and the odd raised eyebrow at this latest convention-destroying Exocet from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
There was a mixed response to the name, with some believing that the couple were pandering to the Queen for forgiveness, whilst others thought that it was a touching tribute.
Following that, Meghan revealed in a short clip that she was asking forty friends to donate forty minutes to help mentor a woman back into work.
In a message on their Archewell website with the clip, Meghan also wrote: “In reflecting on my 40th birthday and the many things I am grateful for, I’m struck that time is among our greatest and most essential gifts.”
“Time with our loved ones, time doing the things we love, time spent learning, laughing, growing, and the sacred time we have on this earth. Amongst the most valuable gifts of time is also time spent in service to others knowing that it can contribute to incredible change.”
“To that last point, and with my 40th lap around the sun in mind, it made me wonder: what would happen if we all committed 40 minutes to helping someone else or to mentoring someone in need? And then what would happen if we asked our friends to do the same?”
“In the past two years, and in large part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of millions of women around the world have left the workforce, including over 2 million women in the US.”
“So many of these women are also shouldering the brunt of the crisis when it comes to unpaid labor, including schooling and caring for family members. And the latest research shows that fewer women than men will regain work as we recover from the pandemic.”
“I believe mentorship is one way to help women regain confidence and rebuild their economic strength, and for my birthday, I have asked 40 friends, activists, athletes, artists, and world leaders to help kickoff a global effort by contributing 40 minutes of mentorship to support women re-entering the workforce.”
“With this time, I hope they each help someone advance a professional life on her own terms, and, I hope that they inspire countless others to give 40 minutes of their time as well.
“If you are able, please join us and pledge 40 minutes today in service of others in the way that feels right to you. The time that you donate can contribute to a global wave of service and set in motion meaningful impact in our own communities, and across the world.”
And not long after, the pair sparked opinions from people once again…
When the couple released their 2021 Christmas card which features the first public photo of their daughter, Lilibet.
The then-6-month-old is featured alongside the couple and her big brother, Archie and as you can imagine, many people were swooning over how adorable it is.
However, there are some people that had an issue with it as they “felt sorry” for Archie…
“Poor Archie completely ignored and they wasn’t significant enough to make them a family,” one person said.
“To be honest, that’s a little insulting to poor Archie. Sort of like until Lili came along he didn’t really matter. The photo is also all about Lili, no one is paying him any attention. Hope that’s not reflection of reality!” said another.
People have been left “feeling sorry” for Archie as they claim he looked “sad” and was being left out.
What do you think? We think the picture is adorable!
Now, though, it’s Will and Kate bagging the backlash.
The pair sent a message to Meghan Markle over social media that’s got everyone talking.
Well, Will and Kate wished Meghan a Happy Birthday…
Yes, that’s right… People are furious about it as they claim that Meghan doesn’t deserve a Happy Birthday from the Cambridges.
In other news, Meghan has used the first episode of her brand new podcast to take a swipe at the Royal Family.
During the episode, she claimed that she was forced to continue with her engagements on a tour of South Africa despite being left in tears when her son Archie narrowly escaped a fire in his bedroom.
Meghan started her podcast by talking about the word ambition.
And how it affected her negatively.
“And um, apparently ambition is, uh… a terrible, terrible thing, for a woman that is – according to some.
“So, since I’ve felt the negativity behind it, it’s really hard to un-feel it,” she said, as per the Daily Mail.
“I can’t unsee it, either, in the millions of girls and women who make themselves smaller – so much smaller – on a regular basis,” she added.
Further adding to the topic, Meghan spoke to tennis legend Serena Williams, who is one of her close friends, about the double standards women face when they are labeled “ambitious.”
She complained about the misconception “that if you’re an ambitious woman you have an agenda, you must be calculating or selfish or aggressive, or a climber.”
And she said that “the notion of ambition comes with many judgments and nuances — especially for women.”
“Now, look, I’m not Catholic. I wasn’t raised Catholic.
“But about one year after my letter-writing campaign, I started middle school at Immaculate Heart (in Los Angeles). I stayed there, through high school. I was there for six years. And this feminist ideology trickled down into nearly every aspect of my education,” she said.
“It’s probably safe to say into every aspect of my life. This message to me and my classmates was clear: our futures as young women were limitless. Ambition. Well, that was the whole point.
“So I don’t ever remember personally feeling the negative connotation behind the word ambitious until I started dating my now husband,” Meghan said.
According to Harper’s Bazaar, the podcast will feature a twelve-episode series that will shed light on the tropes that women across generations have overcome…
Even so, it marks the first part of her and Prince Harry’s content partnership with Spotify.
Meghan introduced the podcast in full swing…
“This is Archetypes—my podcast about the labels and tropes that try to hold women back,” she said.
“Over the course of the next dozen episodes, we’re going to live inside and rip apart the boxes women have been placed into for generations—boxes like a diva, crazy, the B-word, slut. Some of these words—these labels—are harsh; they’re abrasive. And I want to get to the bottom of where they come from, why they’ve stuck around for so long, and—importantly—how we can move past them,” the she added.
While the first episode featured Serena Williams…
Mariah Carey has also starred in the podcast.
Meghan also shared a black-and-white photo, which serves as the podcast’s cover art…
Meghan posed against a gray backdrop while wearing a white ribbed tank top.
While her long hair was open, with one half behind her shoulders and the other half in front of her…
The cover art includes a dark green gradient border and text that reads, ‘Archetypes with Meghan,’ and fans couldn’t help but notice just how gorgeous she looks.
In light of the Queen’s passing, the Duchess of Sussex paused her podcast following the King’s order of the seventeen-day mourning period.
A message was left for fans on Spotify, reading: “New episodes of Archetypes will be paused during the official mourning period for Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II.”
The ‘Royal Mourning’ will continue until 7 days after the Queen has been buried (Monday 19).
Whereas national mourning will come to an end when the Queen is buried.
The Royal Mourning will be observed by members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff, and representatives of the Royal Household.
Meaning there wasn’t a new episode of Archetype that week.
However, Meghan’s podcast is now back in action after taking a sabbatical during the mourning of the Queen.
Interestingly, she had a lot of good things to say about her childhood.
Episode 4 of Archetypes went live on Spotify on October 4.
As per reports, Meghan spoke about her childhood growing up in multicultural Los Angeles.
She even revealed that she used to frequent a Korean bathhouse with her mother and they both had to bathe nude.
The focus of the episode was Asian American tropes in the entertainment industry and her guest was comedian Margaret Cho.
According to reports, there was a stark contrast to the podcast hosted by Mike Tindall, the husband of the Queen’s granddaughter Zara…
Apparently, he dedicated a special episode of The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby to honoring the late monarch.
Reportedly, Tindall spoke openly for twenty-five minutes about the impact the Queen’s death had taken on his family, his amazement at the worldwide outpouring of grief, and his own touching memories of spending time with the late Queen.
However, it seems Meghan’s podcast, which was recorded before the Queen’s death on September 8, appears to have been heavily edited to remove all references to the Royal Family.
Previously it had been reported Meghan and her producers were looking through the remaining one episodes of the podcast to remove anything that could reflect badly on her and Prince Harry or be seen as disrespectful to the late monarch.
While episode 4 was free of any mention of the Royal Family, or even Prince Harry, the rest of the previous episodes have touched briefly about them and the time she subsequently spent exiting royal duties.
But coming back to the most recent episode Meghan described growing up in LA: “My weekends were spent in Little Tokyo, or having iced teas in Thai Town, or sitting with my friend Christina Wong and her parents at a local Chinese restaurant,” she said.
“I remember this so vividly and them teaching me why chow fun with dry noodles was so much better than chow fun with wet noodles.”
She also recalled going to a Korean spa with her mom.
“I had a real love of getting to know other cultures. And part of that, my mum and I would often go to the Korean spa together.
“Now those of you who haven’t been to one before, it’s a very humbling experience for a girl going through puberty, because you enter a room with women from ages nine to maybe 90 all walking around naked, and waiting to get a body scrub on one of the tables lined up in a row,” Meghan said.
“All I wanted was a bathing suit, but you’re not allowed, by the way.
“And once I was over that adolescent embarrassment, my mum and I, we would go upstairs, having a steaming bowl of the most delicious noodles, and we’d look around at all of these other women,” she continued.
“These beautiful Korean women who had embraced the generational tradition of the jimjilbang and shared it with one another,” Meghan concluded.
But her latest comments aren’t the only thing that’s caught the attention of the public.
Meghan and Harry’s house move has stirred up a rumor that they’re having marital troubles.
The pair are in the process of moving from their home in Montecito to a more private estate in Hope Ranch.
And it appears that some think the move could have something to do with Meghan and Harry growing apart.
Royal author, Tom Bower, told Page Six: “There are many now in London who say that [Markle] is tiring of [Harry]. They speculate that in two years she will say, ‘This is enough’ and should negotiate some sort of deal with [King] Charles to break the marriage.”
And it seems he’s not the only one to think that…
Tina Brown, another royal author predicted “At some point, it might be more than a new house she’s looking for. Elon Musk is still single, that’s all I have to say” according to The Telegraph.
Even royal expert Duncan Larcombe said the same.
He told Fox News that “Harry’s living his life as normal because it’s Meghan’s normal,” and that Meghan is the “driving force” in their relationship. “I can’t see any longevity in that. Something’s gotta give.”
What do you think?