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Lady Gaga covers the October issue of Vogue to promote Joker: Folie à Deux. The real driving force of the article, though, is about Gaga’s engagement to boyfriend of nearly five years, Michael Polansky. Up until now Gaga hasn’t really discussed Michael publicly. That is not the case here. Gaga clearly decided to make this a sort of debut for them as a couple, fittingly timed to their walking their first red carpet together in Venice last week. The writer takes note of the “Wilma Flintstone-size” diamond that Michael gave her when they got engaged in April “after a day of rock climbing.” Gaga goes into how they were introduced — her mother actually met Michael first, and then told her daughter, “I think I just met your husband.” And significantly, Michael himself is quoted a lot throughout. A few highlights:

Their meet-cute in December 2019 at Sean Parker’s 40th bday bash: “I got invited and I said, ‘I wonder if Michael is going to be there,’ and my mom said yes, and so I went to the party and I kept asking for him and he finally came over to me and we talked for three hours. We had the most amazing conversation.” Polansky tells me that he didn’t make it three steps into the party before someone told him that Lady Gaga was looking for him. “I didn’t know much about her and honestly wasn’t sure what to expect,” he says. “I was struck immediately by her warmth and openness — she was so genuinely curious about what my life was like growing up in Minnesota.”

Michael moved in during the pandemic: They talked on the phone for weeks, “and then we went on our first date,” says Gaga, “and just fell in love. And then COVID hit.” Polansky had been living in San Francisco, but during the pandemic they shacked up together at her Malibu house for well over a year. … “I’d been so focused on my career since I was a teenager. And the gift of that time was that I got to completely focus on my relationship.”

A chance to slow down: “We had this amazing chapter of a weird kind of normalcy,” says Polansky, “that’s essential for any relationship to develop in a real way — taking walks, making coffee, hanging out with the dogs, reading books together…” He adds, “The pandemic was easier on her than you might think. She’s used to being isolated because of her fame and was able to take so much of it in stride. I think she loved the chance to slow down. She’s been operating at an unfathomable level of intensity for years and it’s no secret it had caught up to her.”

She is so in love: “I had never met anyone like Michael. He’s so smart and so kind. And his life and my life are very different. He’s a very private guy and he’s not with me for any other reason than that we are right for each other.” … “I kind of thought I was going to have to do this all by myself — forever. And that was really scary. Because it’s a big life. And I don’t think anyone really knows what it feels like unless you’re in it.” Her voice drops into a softer tone. “And I don’t have to do this alone anymore.”

Making sweet music together: “She’s someone who is happiest when she’s creating. It’s one of the qualities I love most about her,” Polansky says. … “Like anyone would do for the person they love, I encouraged her to lean in to the joy of it. On the Chromatica tour, I saw a fire in her; I wanted to help her keep that alive all the time and just start making music that made her happy.” … “Michael and I did that tour together,” she says. “I did it pain-free! I haven’t smoked pot in years. I’ve, like, changed.” She laughs. “…And now, Michael and I are really excited to organize our lives — and our marriage — around our creative output as a couple.”

[From Vogue]

The Lady is in love! I mean, she’s really in love. It’s all so beautiful and delicate (and yes of course mushy and over-the-top) that the only thing making me cringe is a superstitious worry about it all being so public now. I also hope she isn’t giving Michael too much credit for the work she does. Support is great, but she described it as Michael’s idea for her to record LG7 — which the article says comes out in February with a single dropping next month!! — but, she’s a singer-songwriter, how far-fetched was it that she’d make another album? Ok, I’ll stop quibbling there. I highly recommend reading the piece in full as there’s so much more. The writer has been interviewing Gaga since 2010, and the sense of growth and joy he encountered in this meeting was palpable and, to me, encouraging.

Also, a note to the future Mr. Kismet: a “Wilma Flintstone-size” diamond is exactly the right kind of ring for me as well. And one more note: please, no rock climbing.

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photos credit: Aissaoui Nacer/Backgrid and Vogue via Instagram

When the history books are written about Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s beef, the narrative will begin years before Drake and J. Cole’s “First Person Shooter.” And yet, that song is arguably what changed everything and that’s what crossed the line for Kendrick. In that song, Drake said: “Big as the what? Big as the what? Big as the what? (Ayy)/Big as the Super Bowl.” That was just before he called himself, Cole and Kendrick “the big three.” Kendrick responded with a feature on Metro Boomin and Future’s “Like That” and the rest is history… “Euphoria,” “6:16,” “Meet the Grahams” and the song of the summer, “Not Like Us.”

Kendrick won the rap battle, then further cemented the win by organizing The Pop Out concert on Juneteenth. Then on Independence Day, he dropped the (amazing) music video for “Not Like Us.” Since he’s choosing specifically American holidays to make a point, do you think we’ll get an album on Thanksgiving? He’s got an album coming, right?? Well, in any case, Kendrick has chosen another uniquely American holiday for another “pop out” – he’s just been announced as the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl Half-Time show in New Orleans. That man is going to have millions of people chanting “they not like us” at the biggest televised event of the year.

.@KendrickLamar. Super Bowl LIX. New Orleans. February 2025. #AppleMusicHalftime@AppleMusic @RocNation @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/1XmZWutsWl

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

This is why no one – especially Drake – should ever beef with a Gemini. A Gemini will f–k your sh-t up forever. Kendrick wasn’t lying when he said “headshots for the year, you better walk around like Daft Punk.” Now, that being said… while Kendrick is truly the pettiest king to ever walk this earth, let’s not pretend that his discography isn’t amazing past his Drake-specific disses. Two years ago, Kendrick was part of the Halftime show which featured Snoop, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Eminem. Kendrick did a medley of “m.A.A.d. City” and “Alright.” He has plenty of songs to perform which will bring the house down. But yeah, we’re absolutely getting “Not Like Us.” Probably “Like That” as well.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, screencaps from ‘Not Like Us’.

The Sunday Times had a new exclusive about the Princess of Wales. The piece was written by Roya Nikkhah, one of Prince William’s “favorite” reporters and someone who tends to write authentically from William’s perspective, even when she’s supposedly writing about Prince Harry. It’s just funny to me that three weeks ago, Roya’s big exclusive was “Harry at 40” and it was exclusively sourced from William’s incandescent rage at his brother. So this piece should absolutely be read as “this is what William is saying about his wife.” What’s weird is that… Kate and the Middletons used to go out of their way to get their Middleton-centered narratives out there. There’s been precious little of that this year. Anyway, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. The big exclusive is that Kate probably won’t be seen in public until Remembrance Day in November.

Kate’s restorative summer: Friends say the uncertainty of her good days and bad days “still rings true”. However, after a restful summer spent with the Prince of Wales and their three children at Anmer Hall, their home in Norfolk, the princess is beginning to think about the months ahead.

No on Cape Town, but yes on Remembrance Day: There is no set date for her return to public life, nor any engagements inked into her diary, and Kate will not accompany William to Cape Town in early November for this year’s Earthshot Prize awards. But if she continues to have more “good days”, it is understood she has set her sights on “potentially” joining the King and the royal family at the Cenotaph for the National Service of Remembrance on November 10.

They’re already planning Kate’s Christmas piano recital too: Royal aides are also understood to have started planning for the princess’s annual televised “Together at Christmas” carol service at Westminster Abbey in December. Continuing with some work from home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, Kate has been holding more regular meetings with her private secretary, Tom White, her assistant private secretary, Natalie Burrows, and the Waleses’ communications secretary, Lee Thompson, to plan for the future.

Kate’s long road to recovery: While future plans are under consideration, those close to the princess continue to echo the Kensington Palace mood music that there is “no expectation for her to rush back” to public life. “People know and understand it is a long journey to recovery,” said a friend last week. Any return to official duties for the princess will be “gradual” and will not replicate the King’s busy schedule since he resumed public engagements in April after revealing his cancer diagnosis in February.

William is thankfully more relaxed these days, you guys: Those close to the Waleses point to another hopeful sign of Kate’s progress: William, 42, is noticeably more relaxed of late and has decided to resume a fuller diary of engagements after their summer break. In early March, at the height of frenzied speculation around the princess’s health, a friend spoke of the pressure William felt as he reduced his public duties to support his wife and family. “Privately, he’s dealing with more than he has for a long time in his life and it’s tough to see. He is OK, but it is hard.”

William still hates his brother: Close friends say his mood has now lifted. While tensions with Prince Harry remained at the memorial service for their uncle, Lord Fellowes, in Norfolk last month — where the brothers did not exchange a word — William was all smiles among his allies at the service. “He was in very good form,” said a friend.

William’s beard: After being photographed clean-shaven while driving to church with Kate last month during their stay at Balmoral, some royal watchers have even pointed to the reappearance of William’s facial hair last week, seen during an engagement at the Saatchi Gallery in London, as another sign of his more relaxed demeanour.

Nanny Maria is still around? Since Kate’s diagnosis, the Waleses’ priority has been to protect their children and maintain as normal a home and school life as possible for Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, with the help of their long-standing Norland nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

[From The Times]

There have been some rumors flying around online that Nanny Maria left the family’s employ, as did Lee Thompson, so it’s interesting that they both got name-checked by Roya’s “sources.” Obviously, the point of this story was to lavish sympathy on William, not Kate. Poor William has been going through it, William and his bender scruff will see better days. The fact that we’re sitting here in early September and they’re updating us that Kate won’t be seen until November… well, it’s what I expected. The events of this year proved that a princess can’t go completely missing for months with no explanation, but a princess can go missing for months at a time if you give the public just enough proof of life.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Soon after Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, we heard that Jennifer still planned to attend the Toronto International Film Festival to support Unstoppable, a film which was produced by Ben. Ben skipped TIFF altogether, so J.Lo went solo at the premiere. Matt Damon went to TIFF as well (Damon also produced the film). While J.Lo and Matt didn’t make a big show of support for one another, they did pose together briefly at the premiere, with other people.

Jennifer did the most to serve FACE and BODY and it worked. The body is incredible, and the face is holding up. Her premiere look was Tamara Ralph – a slinky mirrored dress tied at the sides with ribbons. Jennifer was not wearing a bra or knickers. She’s really going through it. I mean, I love this – she didn’t show up to the premiere looking like a sad sack or like the Widow Affleck. She’s like badda-boom, I’m glamorous and I won’t apologize for it.

Speaking of no apologies, the Hollywood Reporter overheard Jennifer telling Bobby Cannavale that she’s a “bad picker” when it comes to guys and then she said, “It is what it is.” It’s true. She is a bad picker or she has a bad picker. But as I’ve said, the more I hear about the way Ben courted her and went after her, the more I understand why she fell for him again. She really did not expect him to just lose interest and ghost her.

Incidentally, it’s always widely rumored that Matt Damon and J.Lo can’t stand each other. I think there’s always been more nuance to it – back in the Original Bennifer days, I think Matt was more of the opinion that Ben was in over his head and about to crash out, big-time (which was true). But I do believe Matt was somewhat supportive for the second go-around, and Ben and J.Lo socialized with Matt and his wife Luciana. Well, People Mag reported exclusively that Jennifer and Matt “hung out and talked for over 20 minutes at the afterparty, which was held at EPOCH Bar & Kitchen Terrace at The Ritz-Carlton.” She joined Matt and Luciana at a table at the party, and then “Jen and Matt began talking and had a long, deep conversation” according to a source. At one point, their conversation seemed serious and they clasped hands as they spoke. I wonder what Matt thinks about everything that’s gone down this summer.

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Last week, former congresswoman Liz Cheney endorsed Kamala Harris. It was not a surprise to me – while Liz Cheney has been a registered Republican all of her life, the Trump administration and the events of January 6th changed her. She was also part of the House’s Jan. 6th committee, and after all of that, she openly despised Donald Trump and his MAGA cult. On Friday, she spoke to the Texas Tribune about her endorsement of VP Harris, and she recommended that Texas voters vote straight Democratic, that they shouldn’t split their tickets. She also announced that her father, Dick Cheney, “will be voting for Kamala Harris…If you think about the moment we’re in, and you think about how serious this moment is, my dad believes — and he said publicly — there has never been an individual in our country who is as grave a threat to our democracy as Donald Trump is.” Soon afterwards, Dick Cheney released a statement endorsing Kamala Harris:

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Friday that he will vote for Democrat Kamala Harris over fellow Republican Donald Trump in the November election, warning that the former president “can never be trusted with power again.”

“In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a statement. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again.”

“As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution. That is why I will be casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” he concluded.

Harris, according to a statement from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, was proud to receive Cheney’s support and “deeply respects his courage to put country over party.”

In her remarks Friday, Liz Cheney unleashed a torrent of criticism against the Republican presidential ticket, calling Trump “a depraved human being” and labeling him and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, “misogynistic pigs.”

“Every Republican, anybody who’s contemplating casting a vote for that ticket, you know, really needs to think about what they are enabling, what they’re embracing and the danger of electing people who will only honor election results if they agree with the outcome, and who are willing to set aside the Constitution,” she said in Austin. “And you know in the case of Donald Trump, promote, provoke, exploit violence in order to seize power.”

Trump, in turn, wrote on his Trump Social platform that “Dick Cheney is an irrelevant RINO, along with his daughter,” referring to the Cheneys as “Republican in name only.”

[From CNN]

LMAO at “irrelevant RINO.” We’re talking about Dick Cheney here, the man who voted against MLK Day as a national holiday. Darth Cheney, the man who funneled billions in Defense contracts to his Halliburton buddies. Dick Cheney, who shot a man in the face and the man who got shot in the face apologized to Cheney. Dick Cheney who, for better or for worse, refused to be taken out of the White House on 9/11 and instead led the command in the Situation Room. Dick Cheney has been a Republican decades longer than Trump. And it does speak volumes that the Cheneys are being so vocal right now. It makes me wonder if the Bush family is soul-searching. Dubya is reportedly no fan of Trump, but Dubya stopped short of endorsing Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden in 2016 and 2020. I wonder if he’ll say anything now.

.@Liz_Cheney on Donald Trump and JD Vance: “This is my diplomatic way of saying it; they’re misogynistic pigs.” #TribFest24 pic.twitter.com/tsRFvH18x9

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 6, 2024

New: @Liz_Cheney has endorsed Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred for Senate. #TribFest24 pic.twitter.com/ZE1zJFIZCx

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 6, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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On Thursday night, Taylor Swift was in Kansas City for the Chiefs’ first game of the season. I thought she looked great in her Versace ensemble, and she and Travis Kelce left Arrowhead Stadium together. They partied in Kansas City that night, and then they flew to New York and partied some more. They were photographed on Friday night, leaving Lucali in Brooklyn. That’s a pizza place. As for their Kansas City party on Thursday, Page Six had this:

Travis Kelce hosted a party at one of his favorite restaurants in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday evening to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 1 win — and we’re told Taylor Swift even got a little lit at the bash. Sources tell Page Six exclusively that the Chiefs tight end, 34, let his teammates know in the locker room at Arrowhead Stadium that he was throwing a party at Prime Social and everyone was invited.

We’re told Kelce — who just signed a podcast deal worth more than $100 million — rented out the entire cocktail bar for the event. Sources confirm that Swift, who was seen happily dashing out of the stadium with her beau beside her in a golf cart Thursday, also made it to the party and appeared to have a lot of fun.

“Taylor got a little drunky,” an insider tells us, laughing off how the pop star was able to let her hair down.

We’re told the Chiefs’ soirée was “intimate” as there are seemingly no social media footprints online. However, sources confirm to Page Six that phones were not confiscated, so it appears to have just been a very trusting environment where teammates could let loose with their friends and loved ones.

Aside from Kelce, we’re told that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is close friends with the “New Heights” podcaster, was also present at the party. Wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. also attended.

[From Page Six]

It’s very, very interesting to me that Patrick Mahomes came to the party – no matter what, Patrick and Travis are still tight and they still socialize with each other. There’s no mention of Patrick’s MAGA wife Brittany though. Brittany and Taylor sat in separate VIP suites at the game, but did Brittany skip this party too? She’s pregnant, so that could have been her “excuse.”

Meanwhile, Page Six also reports that Team Swift is very upset that someone leaked her plan to attend Thursday’s game. The Athletic – part of the New York Times – ran an article about Taylor’s planned attendance hours before the game. Taylor thinks there’s a snitch in the Chiefs’ organization, and her high-priced private security is mad too. They have every right to be mad – clearly, there are a lot of terrible people targeting Taylor right now and she wants to be able to move around with much more secrecy.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

Katy Perry & her terrible bangs supported Orlando Bloom at the TIFF premiere of his latest film, The Cut. I’m getting a vibe about their marriage. [JustJared]
The trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Incredible that Ryan Murphy cast Javier Bardem & Chloe Sevigny as the parents. [OMG Blog]
Naomi Campbell & Anna Wintour are beefing in public. [LaineyGossip]
Every five years or so, people suddenly learn that Abraham Lincoln had a male BFF and they slept in the same bed for years. [Jezebel]
Brat Summer has phased into Demure Autumn? [Pajiba]
Florence Pugh discusses shaving her head for a role. [Buzzfeed]
Simone Biles went to the US Open! [Socialite Life]
Billy Ray Cyrus’s divorce wig is struggling. [Seriously OMG]
Dakota Johnson & others at the Bulgari event. [RCFA]

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On the last day of the Paris Olympics, Prince William and Kate posted a video where they congratulated the British Olympians for all they did. William and Kate couldn’t be bothered to actually congratulate specific athletes or do anything but make a last-minute video. The biggest piece of news was William had grown a scraggly, sad-sack vacation beard after one month of summer holidaying. Dutiful royal reporters quickly declared that William’s bender beard turned him into a “hot dad” and William’s most loyal sycophants discussed how William’s beard was all about reopening the “beard war” with Prince Harry, because Harry has a beard and William wants to be Harry and have everything that Harry has.

When we briefly saw William drive to church at Balmoral a few weeks after that, William had shaved the sad beard. But look, the beard is back! If we can even call this pathetic stubble a beard. William stepped out on Thursday in London to visit the Homelessness: Reframed exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery. William’s dumbf–k Homewards campaign is somehow involved in this exhibit, and Kensington Palace has been hyping this peggy appearance for weeks. Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast embarrassed himself with this headline: “Hot Prince William Is Back With His Official New Stubble.” *hork*

William already has too many nicknames around here – Baldy, Peg, Peggington, Huevo, The Other Brother. Should we give him a new name in honor of this terrible attempt at cosplaying Prince Harry? How about Huevo Peludo (Hairy Egg)? Temu Jason Statham came to mind, although I think William would consider that a win. Statham is smart enough to shave off everything up top, while Huevo Peludo clings to those wispy little hairs and tries to comb them over. The one “nice” thing I’ll give him is that the stubble makes his eyes pop. But other than that, there is so much ugliness, inside and out.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

There was another school shooting this week, which was the first week of school for many American kids. A 14-year-old with an AR-style weapon murdered four people at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Two students and two teachers are dead, the shooter is in custody, and the authorities have also arrested the shooter’s father. First and foremost, we need another ban on assault-weapons. There is no reason for anyone – especially a 14-year-old – to have access to an AR-15. The shooter’s father apparently gave the weapon to his son as a gift, terrifyingly enough (and an explanation for why the father has been arrested). All of this is a tragic backstory for JD Vance’s latest political masterstroke: telling an audience in Arizona that school shootings are a fact of life.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said Thursday that he lamented that school shootings are a “fact of life” and argued the U.S. needs to harden security to prevent more carnage like the shooting this week that left four dead in Georgia.

“If these psychos are going to go after our kids we’ve got to be prepared for it,” Vance said at a rally in Phoenix. “We don’t have to like the reality that we live in, but it is the reality we live in. We’ve got to deal with it.”

The Ohio senator was asked by a journalist what can be done to stop school shootings. He said further restricting access to guns, as many Democrats advocate, won’t end them, noting they happen in states with both lax and strict gun laws. He touted efforts in Congress to give schools more money for security.

“I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said. “But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We’ve got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children they’re not able.”

Vance said he doesn’t like the idea of his own kids going to a school with hardened security, “but that’s increasingly the reality that we live in.”

[From AP]

“These psychos” = a 14-year-old who was on the authorities’ radar for months, who was gifted a weapon of war by his father. Instead of shrugging and saying what amounts to “it is what it is,” perhaps some common-sense gun laws would be more effective? It’s also pathetic because after that Republican shot up Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally in July, both Trump and Vance are doing their stump speeches behind walls of bulletproof plexiglass, like the late, great Hannibal Lector.

JD Vance responds to the deadly shooting in Georgia by saying school shootings are just “a fact of life” and attacking common sense gun safety reform pic.twitter.com/ISNRuXneg6

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 6, 2024

a picture of the guy who says shootings are a “fact of life” https://t.co/sMMf9Ms3tT pic.twitter.com/3nfb68R2Kt

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 6, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

They devote 10,000 word diatribes on Prince Harry, trying to convince themselves that he is unhappy, that he misses the UK, that he has regrets about choosing his wife and children over being the Windsors’ scapegoat. Their obsession with Harry has long been a window into their own dysfunction and increasingly poor mental health. They project all of their rage, regret and racism onto him. How dare he choose his Black wife over US? How dare he land on his feet? How dare he find happiness away from us? How dare he live in a mansion, doesn’t he know he’s the spare? Why didn’t he come crawling back to us, broke and divorced? Those are the spoilers for this latest uncomfortable read in The Telegraph. The piece is “How Prince Harry fills his days away from the spotlight; Ahead of his 40th birthday, we explore the Duke of Sussex’s day-to-day life – and the rumours that he wants to come home.” It was written by Hannah Furness and it is a very sad piece. Sad for the Telegraph, sad for the British media, sad for the Windsors. They are so hopelessly obsessed with Harry and at no point did Furness or anyone else ask themselves “why do we have this all-consuming interest in and fury for a man who left us five years ago?” Some highlights:

Life in Montecito: Gone is the royal duty; the engagements shaking hands with volunteers on a wet Wednesday back in Britain. But gone too are the palaces, the honorary military titles, and many of the old friends who would drag him down the pub or reminisce over their schooldays and Army escapades. Instead, there is Montecito. Walks on the beach, bike rides, school runs and jellyfish kites flown on the lawn. Flanked by security on the rare occasions he is seen in public, Prince Harry is in demand but under the radar. He works out, occasionally goes out for dinner, hosts new friends at his nine-bedroom home (complete with 16 bathrooms and a swimming pool).

A future in his own hands: The future, for the first time in his life, is Harry’s alone to decide. No longer under the eye of his hated palace officials, his path is his own to choose. “There is so much good work happening,” a member of their team has said. Prince Harry’s new circle is small but “amazing”, insists an ally, and Harry is “doing great”. Others, quoted in different Sunday newspapers, claim he’s an “angry boy” feeling “more and more isolated in California”. “Does he look like a man who is unhappy?” counters a separate source, citing recent smiling photographs of Harry and Meghan in Colombia. Never has one man been described so differently depending on who you speak to and what you read.

Harry doesn’t take Foreign Office advice! Not entirely unlike his royal tours of old in content, [the Colombia tour] was low on official handshakes and diplomacy but high on hugs, and scrapped the advice of the Foreign Office in favour of being personally hosted by the country’s vice-president. It caused bemusement in some quarters back in Britain, with the recurring theme of “why?”. The Sussexes’ new style of overseas tours is “embarrassing”, says a long-term royal observer. But the sole reporter who covered the Colombia trip for Harper’s Bazaar was won over, saying their “warmth and compassion” showed the “intentionality they bring to the way they use their platform”.

Harry’s day-to-day life: There is meditation (a 30-40-minute session each day, scheduled in to make sure it happens) and exercise (formerly at Barry’s Bootcamp in LA, more recently with personal trainers). He chats with his staff, enjoys the garden, marvels at the local birds, does the school run, and walks the dogs. He and the Duchess have been seen occasionally at local steakhouse Lucky’s and upmarket Italian restaurant Tre Lune. The friends they are seen with are high-powered: millionaires, billionaires, business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, producers. Harry has video calls with his team and some of his old charities, sometimes wearing sheepskin slippers under his desk as he works in a shared office with his wife.

The Sussexes’ neighbors are dying to socialize with them: “It’s paradise living here,” says Richard Mineards, a well-connected society columnist for the Montecito Journal who lives, he jokes, a “tiara’s toss” from them in the exclusive area of Riven Rock. “They live rather splendidly, it couldn’t be a nicer place. It’s a very wealthy community, we have a lot of people giving a lot of money to our cultural organisations as well as charities, but we don’t see them.” The couple are conspicuous, he added, for their security, particularly after first moving there during the pandemic: “We have got a lot of very rich and very famous people here, and none of them have a security retinue like the Sussexes. The community is waiting for them – they’re gnashing at the bit. The cachet of a Duke and Duchess!”

The royal status: There is no question that the Sussexes’ deals have come rolling in as a result of their former titles and status – one glance at their new website displays their full titles and a coat of arms, which looks remarkably regal to the untrained eye. But the site’s biography of Harry describes a “humanitarian, military veteran, mental health advocate, and environmental campaigner” with no mention of his birthright. “The people they work with and in the countries they seem to want to visit largely don’t know or care about the ins and outs of Harry leaving the working Royal family,” one source said. “They will always see him as the grandson of the Queen [Elizabeth II] or son of Diana. The technicalities of whether he’s an HRH… I don’t think it means much to ordinary people.”

The Windsors don’t even think about Harry! With Harry 5,000 miles away, the Royal family back home has been dealing with battles of its own. The illnesses of the King and Princess of Wales have focused minds in the palaces, with all energies – personal and professional – going towards keeping the show on the road and nursing the monarchy’s star players back to health. There is simply less time to ponder other dramas. While Prince William may once have dwelt on his relationship with his younger brother, one friend said, “his wife is the centre of his world. His father is ill. It brings things into focus”.

[From The Telegraph]

“The Sussexes’ new style of overseas tours is “embarrassing”, says a long-term royal observer.” As embarrassing as colonialist cosplay and getting fired live on television in Jamaica? As embarrassing as Camilla’s drunk ass not even getting out of the car in Kenya? What’s embarrassing the Windsors is that they were too jealous, short-sighted and petty to manage their brightest stars. Five years of trying to convince everyone that Harry is miserable, that he’ll come back eventually, that we don’t need Harry anyway. It’s all blown up in their faces.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.