The Duke and Duchess of Sussex interviews, TV and other media events Part 2

[Princess Cassandra]

Omg. Again...another day, another lawsuit, ALLEGEDLY.

I'm sad that there is yet another controversy.   

[wannable]

Some dedicated twitter users are saying (I believe them, they are in twitter and Instagram like 24/7 searching news from everything royal, retweeting, commenting, etc) are saying today that Oprah and Gayle have deleted every single tweet they had about Meghan.

What's up with that?

In re to searching news, social media is so fast that when you get your interests in a follow list, the news comes instantly. i.e. my passion for tennis :) Some men/women have a wealth of data, gossip, etc.

[PrincessOfPeace]

Prince Harry agreed bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview within 24 hours of being stripped of his military titles

[TLLK]

The Duchess of Sussex had an interview with NPR to discuss her children's book The Bench.

'The Bench' That Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex, Gave Prince Harry For Father's Day : NPR

For Prince Harry's first Father's Day, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, got him a bench.

"As most of us do, you go, what am I going to get them as a gift? And I thought I just wanted something sentimental and a place for him to have as a bit of a home base with our son," Meghan says.

And on a little plaque on the back of the bench, she wrote a poem, about the moments she hoped they would share on that bench.
The Bench
Random House Children's Books

"This is your bench," the poem reads, "Where life will begin/For you and our son/Our baby, our kin."

Now, two years later, Meghan and Harry have added a second child to their family ? daughter Lilibet Diana was born in early June ? and that poem is a children's book. The Duchess of Sussex spoke to NPR about the book shortly before the birth of her daughter.

The Bench is a series of vignettes ? fathers and their sons share a bench while they drink apple juice, wait for the bus, look at the stars and put on their shoes. The bench is where they cry, celebrate and mend their scraped knees and broken hearts.

[Izabella]

That?s lovely?in a Forrest Gump-ish sort of way.  :shrug:

[Curryong]

Meghan is definitely in love with her husband Harry and little Archie. Now there?s her daughter as well. I think a bench is a lovely gift and the interview sounded like a very nice one.

[wannable]

Sweet. I wonder if it's similar to Charles bench in Highgrove? It's where the family picture was taken.

[sara8150]

Lifetime releases first trailer for Megxit movie about Harry and Meghan | Daily Mail Online

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Lifetime Movie: Watch the First Trailer | PEOPLE.com

Date haven?t released yet

[Izabella]

Oh! Ok. Lifetime. The channel that brought you ??A recipe for seduction?. This channel is so corny.  :laugh: Stick with Dirty John anthology series.  :lol:

[Curryong]

Apparently Scarlett Lacey, screenwriter for the project, is the daughter of Robert Lacey, historian and author, a consultant on The Crown. I don?t think anyone looks for anything other than light fluff in these movies. I saw the first of this trilogy on Harry and Meghan when it came out but nothing since.

How accurate is it? See below!

How Accurate Is Lifetime's Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Movie? The Crew Dishes On What's Real

[wannable]

Prince Charles DIDN'T axe Prince Harry's cash: Duke of Sussex said he was 'cut off' financially after leaving royal life... but Prince of Wales spent 'substantial sum' on him from ?4.4m set aside for both sons, accounts show 

Accounts reveal Charles funded the Sussexes until summer 2020 despite Harry's claims of being 'cut off'
He told Winfrey that he stopped getting financial support from his family in the 'first quarter' of last year and that his family were living off money left by Diana 
Cash was from ?4.4m Clarence House pot used to support sons and families after Sussexes emigrated to LA
Newly public account contradict Harry's remarks in his Oprah Winfrey interview that caused rift with family
Findings came as both Clarence House and Buckingham Palace opened up their yearly financial accounts

[Curryong]

Something else from the Financial Report.

An unexpected payment from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex saved the palace from having to dip into its savings more than it feared.
Their unplanned decision to pay back ?2.4million of public money spent on the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage was described by senior royals aides as a 'good deal' for taxpayers.
Harry and Meghan announced last year that they had decided to reimburse the cost of turning five staff cottages into their family home at Windsor as part of their 'clean break' with the Royal Family and to prevent further public criticism.
The financial report further suggested that the Sussexes paid five months of rent on the property after stepping down as working royals and have the lease at least until March 2022. As a result, Buckingham Palace needed to 'draw down' on its reserves only to the tune of ?2.3million.
Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the privy purse, said yesterday: 'We will not be going into the detail of the commercial arrangement for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's use of the house but please remember the payment covers all their current obligations.
'We are confident that it represents a good outcome for the sovereign grant. The return on investment in the refurbished property has been determined with reference to independent property specialists and the accounting treatment signed off by Her Majesty's Treasury and the National Audit Office.'

I had to use the Fail for the above little nugget as no other outlet this afternoon seemed to detail it.

As far as the one-off payment goes, Sir Michael Peak remarked that the Sussexes were helped with a one off payment from Charles as he wished to help his son and wife transition into their new life abroad. That ceased in the summer of 2020 (as Harry said ?The first half, first quarter of last year? in the Oprah interview), and IMO the payment went to paying off the renovations for the Cottage the tabloids were forever bit**ing about, not on their new home in Montecito.

And, as the CH spokesman stated the Sussexes have been successful in the transition towards financial independence.

So the tabloids will have nothing to moan about next year as far as the Sussexes are concerned, no living expenses, no travel expenses, no accommodation, coming out of Royal coffers, nothing!  A big fat zero, as a contrast to the rest of the royals. So perhaps the British media will then shut up about the Sussexes finances but I?m not holding my breath!

[wannable]

Sounds good, including the short lease.

I wonder if reconsideration will take place with DOY.

[wannable]

[Curryong]

Sounds good, including the short lease.

I wonder if reconsideration will take place with DOY.

I think Andrew has a 99 year lease on Royal Lodge, unfortunately. And just because it?s mentioned here that the Sussexes have the lease on FC until March 2022 doesn?t mean that it is going to be automatically ended at that time. It may very well continue for as long as Harry needs a British base for when he and his family come back for visits in the future.

[wannable]

Yes, as I commented a few years ago, usually leases worldwide are yearly or biyearly with a clause of adding 1 more year (favours the tenant, which intention should be stated in writing) and another clause of 3 months before deadline to notify vacancy (favours the landlord). 

[Amabel2]

not sure why Harry needs a base here when the odds are he wont be home that often iwth Meghan.....

[PrincessOfPeace]

As more facts come out it really highlights the many inconsistencies and half-truths this interview contained.

[wannable]

👍🏻

Exactly.

Amabel, at this point a 5 even a 6 star hotel a few days a year is cheaper, with the bonus of being waited hand and foot. 

[Amabel2]

If J and Eugenie have taken over the rent, it doesn't cost Harry anything.. unless when he comes to stay he has to hire staff.....

[Curryong]

If J and Eugenie have taken over the rent, it doesn't cost Harry anything.. unless when he comes to stay he has to hire staff.....

We don?t know who is paying the rent on Frogmore Cottage. It could be Harry, it could be the Brooksbanks under an approved sublet, it could be a combination. Both the CH spokesman and the official to do with the Privy Purse, Sir Michael Peat, refused to discuss any private commercial arrangements to do with the Sussexes and FC.

[Amabel2]

Harry has a large mortgage to pay in America, and apparently paid a large sum last year to clear the expenses on Frogmore. Why would he go on paying all or some of a large commercial rent for the property ?  He doesn't need it... and it must be inconvenient for everyone if he's going to come back periodically and expect to stay there.  If he's only coming back for very short visits,  a hotel would probably work out cheaper.

[wannable]

That is what I said in previous comment in re to being waited hand and foot at a Hotel.  London has a plethora of 5 star hotels, close to any/all events by royals, politicians, arts and entertainment industry, etc.

Every time Windsor Castle sends personnel to Frogmore Cottage (2 cottages or 1 cottage and 1 annex), the accountants have to financially log the expense.  We get to see the general annual expenses, but the accounting details by law is upon request.

One has a monthly salary, one has KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) - here one details basically the job description from top to bottom daily/weekly/monthly.  example: IF ones KPI have a once a month event assisting a 3rd party (i.e. Legal Department) from who your actual employer is (logistics department budget that pays me), it is not deleted from your work, but the Financial Dept will divide my salary 21 days per month and charge 1 to the Legal Department. That kind of detail is not seen in a general ledger/annual report, but in the detailed one.

Note: I'm saying this because the latest article indicated that HMQEII Windsor Castle staff are the ones going from time to time to clean, dust, garden service, etc. 

The Sussexes have only 1 person in the UK, he works for Travalyst.

[Princess Cassandra]

Something else from the Financial Report.

An unexpected payment from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex saved the palace from having to dip into its savings more than it feared.
Their unplanned decision to pay back ?2.4million of public money spent on the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage was described by senior royals aides as a 'good deal' for taxpayers.
Harry and Meghan announced last year that they had decided to reimburse the cost of turning five staff cottages into their family home at Windsor as part of their 'clean break' with the Royal Family and to prevent further public criticism.
The financial report further suggested that the Sussexes paid five months of rent on the property after stepping down as working royals and have the lease at least until March 2022. As a result, Buckingham Palace needed to 'draw down' on its reserves only to the tune of ?2.3million.
Sir Michael Stevens, keeper of the privy purse, said yesterday: 'We will not be going into the detail of the commercial arrangement for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's use of the house but please remember the payment covers all their current obligations.
'We are confident that it represents a good outcome for the sovereign grant. The return on investment in the refurbished property has been determined with reference to independent property specialists and the accounting treatment signed off by Her Majesty's Treasury and the National Audit Office.'

I had to use the Fail for the above little nugget as no other outlet this afternoon seemed to detail it.

As far as the one-off payment goes, Sir Michael Peak remarked that the Sussexes were helped with a one off payment from Charles as he wished to help his son and wife transition into their new life abroad. That ceased in the summer of 2020 (as Harry said ?The first half, first quarter of last year? in the Oprah interview), and IMO the payment went to paying off the renovations for the Cottage the tabloids were forever bit**ing about, not on their new home in Montecito.

And, as the CH spokesman stated the Sussexes have been successful in the transition towards financial independence.

So the tabloids will have nothing to moan about next year as far as the Sussexes are concerned, no living expenses, no travel expenses, no accommodation, coming out of Royal coffers, nothing!  A big fat zero, as a contrast to the rest of the royals. So perhaps the British media will then shut up about the Sussexes finances but I?m not holding my breath!

It was the only fair and right thing to do. All that money was spent and they were only there a few months. 

[wannable]

Many of what has happened to Harry and Meghan are lessons to William and Kate directly; housing for their other 2 children, profession, weddings that will not conflict with the taxpayers in any sense, etc. That is the basic of what I'm thinking now, but there must be also a what to do list to avoid these types of problems.  At the end of the day it is money.

Money that Harry mention to Oprah, that today is front page news and whichever way the 'interpretation', conclusion is cut off or not, Harry received the annual amount of GBP 2.200.000 like William from the Duchy of Cornwall. I'd like to hope he is not living above his means, that his contracts with Netflix and Spotify have him truly financially independent now, and that this is the last we here of this and the other 16 points referred in the interview.