There are two big indicators of Kamala Harris’s success and the fear her success generates. One, Harris’s enemies have already started to “Meghan Markle” her in the press, itemizing the cost of her jewelry (how dare a Black woman have nice things), claiming she’s mean to staff (she makes white women cry!) and overanalyzing her face, body, laugh, smile and body language. The second indicator is that the knives are out for Doug Emhoff. If they can’t get to Kamala, they’ll try to get Doug.

Doug’s first marriage ended years before he even met Kamala. They’ve both spoken about their meet-cute (they were set up by a mutual friend) and how they fell for each other quickly. Little is known about Doug’s first marriage other than Kerstin Emhoff and Doug still get along well, Kerstin a big cheerleader for Kamala, and Kerstin and Doug’s two adult kids love Kamala and they’re a great blended family. While I accept that there’s interest and curiosity in Kamala and Doug’s marriage – she is running for president after all, it comes with the territory – I do not accept that we need to know intimate details about Doug’s first marriage. Whatever happened, it happened two decades ago and let Kerstin and Doug have their privacy. Well, they came after Doug and there’s reporting about an affair. Doug cheated on Kerstin, and now Doug and Kerstin have both released statements:

Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff acknowledged Saturday in a statement to CNN that he had an affair during his first marriage after the alleged details of the relationship were published by a British tabloid.

“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions. I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side,” Emhoff said in a statement provided exclusively to CNN.

The statement comes after the Daily Mail reported that Emhoff had a relationship with one of his then-young daughter’s teachers, which resulted in the end of his first marriage. The relationship and the circumstances around it were known four years ago to Joe Biden’s vetting committee as Harris was herself going through the running mate process before being picked for the ticket, a person familiar with the conversations told CNN. The person also said that Emhoff had told Harris about the affair well before they got married. The relationship ended years before Emhoff began dating Harris.

The Daily Mail reported that the woman became pregnant and that, according to a close friend, she “did not keep the child.” The woman, whom CNN is not naming, did not return a voicemail on Saturday afternoon looking for comment. Brian Fallon, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, declined comment beyond the statement. Asked whether the campaign was disputing the basic facts reported by the Daily Mail, Fallon also declined comment.

Kerstin Emhoff said in a statement Saturday, “Doug and I decided to end our marriage for a variety of reasons, many years ago. He is a great father to our kids, continues to be a great friend to me and I am really proud of the warm and supportive blended family Doug, Kamala, and I have built together.”

Doug Emhoff has long regretted the circumstances and was aware that they could become public, a separate source familiar with the second gentleman said.

[From CNN]

Yeah, that’s enough information for me. I’m fine with Doug’s statement and Kerstin’s. I hate that Kerstin is being dragged into it too, she’s not running for elected office (and neither is Doug). The optimist in me says that if THIS is the worst they’ve got, then Kamala Harris is in really good shape. Oh, no, VP Harris married a guy who cheated on his first wife. It’s not a flattering story for Doug, but also – people make mistakes, he owned it and it’s between Doug and Kerstin. VP Harris is running against a guy who cheated on multiple wives with multiple women. Donald Trump’s sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels led to hush money, bribery, threats, a criminal trial and felony convictions for Trump.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid, Kamala’s IG.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Jane Pauley, on CBS Sunday Morning, aired yesterday. We knew from the preview clip that the interview would be about parents who have lost children to online bullying and online harm. The Sussexes ended up announcing the launch of their new initiative, The Parents Network, through Archewell. It’s part support group and partly about providing parents with resources and tools for helping their children navigate everything online. You can see Archewell’s package on The Parents Network here – they’ve included stories from parents. Here’s the CBS interview:

The part of the interview which has gotten a lot of attention is when Pauley brings this Archewell initiative back to Harry and Meghan’s personal experiences. Pauley played a clip from the 2021 Oprah interview, where Meghan described her own suicidal ideation. In 2019, when Meghan was pregnant with Archie and she was victim to a national hate campaign – by the media and the Windsors – she was suicidal, and she reached out for help within the institution. They did not help her at all but she was able to get through it, and she and Harry escaped the institution less than a year later.

Meghan said she was surprised that Pauley brought the conversation around to her experience but Meghan understands that there’s a throughline between her suicidal ideation and the issues of online harm, bullying, etc. Meghan said: “When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey — certainly part of mine — is being able to be really open about it. I haven’t really scraped the surface on my experience, but I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way and I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans and I would never want someone else to not be believed. If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone or encourage someone in their life to really, genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good so everything is OK, then that’s worth it. I’ll take a hit for that.”

“I haven’t really scraped the surface on my experience.” Yeah, I think that’s true. She was in survival mode for several years, and then she was in “let’s just look ahead, not backwards” mode. Something I think about a lot is that… I cannot imagine how f–king traumatic it was for Meghan to be stuck in the UK for over two weeks around QEII’s funeral. I imagine that was a really triggering experience for her, and I wonder if that made her question if she had really dealt with everything those f–kers put her through.

Screencaps courtesy of CBS.

Henrik Christiansen is a Norwegian distance swimmer partaking in his third Olympics this year. He’s completed two out of his three events at the Paris games, finishing sixth in the Men’s 800m Freestyle and fourth in the Men’s 1,500m Freestyle. Though he hasn’t won a medal (yet), it seems Henrik has found a prize greater than gold, or silver or bronze. What could be better than that? The kid has gone bananas for a chocolate muffin made by the caterers for the Olympic Village. He’s filmed so many TikTok videos declaring his love for the treats that he’s been christened the Muffin Man of the Olympics, a badge he wears with pride. And before any of us make a snide comment about the muffins perhaps not helping his speed in the water, he actually placed better in his second event, one week into muffin-eating the games. I’ll have what he’s having, please.

Do you know the muffin man? No, not the one who lives on Drury Lane, but the Norwegian swimmer enamored with the chocolate muffins in the Olympic Village.

The ultra chocolate muffins are grabbing viral attention at the 2024 Paris Olympics thanks to the numerous TikTok videos made by the Norwegian distance swimmer Henrik Christiansen.

He first posted about the “Choccy muffin” in a July 25 TikTok reviewing food in the Olympic Village, which he gave the now-famous muffins an “Insane 11/10.”

He has posted about the muffins over 10 times since, with many of the videos gathering millions of views and amassing over 287,000 followers in the process. Posting a video on TikTok and using an audio from the movie “Shrek,” Christiansen permanently solidified his Olympic identity as the “Muffin Man.”

“The only Olympic village love story that matters,” one commenter posted on one of his many muffin-based videos.

“i am simply rooting for norway now because of the muffin man and i am not upset about it,” said another commenter.

[From USA Today]

But this is just one man’s opinion. The investigative journalists at People Mag went straight to the source — Sodexo Live!, the company providing all the food for the Olympic Village — to get to the warm, decadent center of this particular muffin:

The most popular baked good in the Olympic Village in Paris isn’t a croissant, pain au chocolat or any other classic French pastry — it’s a double chocolate muffin that’s gone viral on TikTok.

To figure out what makes the treats so irresistible, PEOPLE reached out to Sodexo Live!. The company is responsible for feeding the 15,000 athletes living in the Village.

A representative for the company tells PEOPLE that the goodies — made popular by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen — are 130g “Maxi” muffins “presented in a tulip cup.”

“It is filled and topped with dark chocolate, featuring chunks of dark chocolate and milk chocolate. This muffin is served daily at the main athletes’ restaurant and at the six takeaway food areas within the Village,” the rep continued.

And the buzz isn’t just happening online — the chocolate muffins are actually flying off of the shelves in the Village, according to Sodexo Live!.

“This dessert is very popular, as around 2,000 chocolate muffins [are] consumed each day at the Athletes’ Village. In total, Sodexo Live! plans to serve 100,000 muffins throughout the Athletes’ Village during [the] Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says the company, which wouldn’t reveal the recipe.

[From People]

Oh, well if it’s a double chocolate muffin we’re talking about, then that explains the lust. And 2,000 of these babies are being eaten by the athletes — per day?! I have to say, I don’t recall any previous Olympics I’ve lived through that have given us so many good food stories! Between Italy’s star gymnast being sponsored by parmesan cheese, and this Norwegian swimmer being cuckoo for Choco muffs, I’m starting to think that maybe I actually have what it takes to become a serious athlete. (Stop laughing.) Henrik Christiansen has one more event left, the Men’s 10km Open Water that will air at 1:30am ET on August 9. Whether or not the magic muffin propels him to a medal in that event, I wouldn’t be surprised if caterers Sodexo Live! tap him for official sponsorship. He’s more than earned it!

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Photos credit Getty and via social media/Henrik Christiansen

Today is the Duchess of Sussex’s birthday. She turns 43 years old today. She is a Leo, obviously. Prince Harry is a Virgo. I sometimes wonder if they have little annoyances involved with their astrological signs – I’m a Virgo too, and sometimes Leos are too much for me to handle. It goes the other way too – some Leos don’t want to be around Virgos. You might think this is silly, but I actually believe that there was something fated with Harry and Meghan, and while they might not make perfect sense astrologically, in real life, they seem to suit each other so well. Anyway, People Mag had a really vague story about what Meghan will do for her birthday:

Meghan Markle is marking another trip around the sun. The Duchess of Sussex turns 43 on Aug. 4 and is expected to spend it privately with family, as she has in the past, PEOPLE understands.

This year, Meghan’s birthday falls on the same day that her rare joint interview with Prince Harry, 39, will air on CBS Sunday Morning. In a preview clip released by the network on Aug. 1, the Duchess of Sussex spoke about her desire to protect her children from harmful online content.

[From People]

I’ll cover the CBS interview tomorrow, btw. I imagine Meghan will spend her birthday in Montecito, with Harry and the kids. Maybe go out to dinner? I hope they’re planning on being visible in the late summer and autumn. They’ll go to Colombia at some point, and Meghan will surely launch American Riviera Orchard at some point, please? One thing they’re absolutely not doing is visiting a drafty old castle in Scotland:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were snubbed of another invite to Balmoral Castle in Scotland. For years, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been invited to the royal family’s summer gathering in the Scottish Highlands, sources tell PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story. King Charles is continuing Queen Elizabeth’s tradition of heading to the Balmoral estate during the late summer, but the monarch hasn’t included Harry and his family this year.

While Prince Harry grew up going to Balmoral, it’s believed that Meghan has never visited the royal family’s Scottish castle.

The 50,000-acre estate, where Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022, serves as a yearly retreat for the royal family out of the public eye, where days are filled with outdoor activities like hunting, fishing and horseback riding.

[From People]

I thought Meghan did go to Balmoral once, maybe in 2019? There was some confusion about that, maybe I’m wrong. I guess they didn’t go in 2018 after their wedding? Hm. I’ve always sort of wondered if Harry disliked going to Balmoral because it reminded him of his mother’s death. Anyway, yes, as twenty million royal experts have said repeatedly, King Charles totally snubbed the Sussexes and refused to invite them! What goes unsaid is that the Sussexes wouldn’t have gone even if they were invited. Remember how Charles tried to trap Harry at Balmoral last year before Harry went to Germany for Invictus? Remember how Charles told Harry that Meghan wasn’t welcome in Scotland just hours after QEII died? The Windsors are very weird about Balmoral.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

In 2023, Jennifer Lopez launched her latest brand extension/side-hustle: an alcohol/cocktail line called Delola. There were two big problems from the start. One, J.Lo has always been a non-drinker, since her earliest days, throughout her entire career, people have always known that she doesn’t even touch alcohol. She’s a non-drinker for health reasons and because she’s so clean-living, so it came across as a particularly obvious money-grab. The second problem is that Jennifer launched Delola less than a year after she married a man who is in recovery, a man who has had very well-documented alcohol issues over the years. Granted, Ben Affleck has also had well-documented gambling issues over the years and he’s also paid to promote a sports-betting app. Still, it was a bad look for Jennifer, that she’s hustling liquor she doesn’t drink while married to an alcoholic in recovery. Well, interesting story, I guess. The Mail says Delola is actually at the heart of why J.Lo and Ben are on the outs and headed for divorce.

The promotional videos couldn’t look glossier. A perfect Italian summer’s day, the rugged Amalfi coast in the backdrop, beautiful people smiling and clinking glasses — and, at the centre of the group, an exquisitely made-up Jennifer Lopez. She smiles knowingly to the camera, as she prepares to sip her drink. This, then, was the launch of J-Lo’s own cocktail range, Delola. In common with other Hollywood celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and George Clooney, J-Lo had sought to develop her own alcohol offering in an effort to further monetise her empire.

One wonders if the brand of spirits and fruit juice mixes were really worth it. For, as a friend close to her husband Ben Affleck told Dailymail.com, her alcohol venture was ‘one of the things that broke the camel’s back’.

However, it’s understood that the drinks company was started prior to them getting back together and Ben was aware and supportive of the business. Indeed, they go so far as to say it contributed to Ben, not Jen, being the one to pull the plug on their union amid speculation that their marriage is finally at an end.

Why was Ben, 51, so infuriated by this high-profile commercial enterprise? Friends say that, as a recovering alcoholic, he felt his wife selling vodka and tequila tipples was insulting to him. He had, after all, spent many years battling his addiction. When the label was first launched last year, he was said to be devastated. His hurt was only heightened by his belief that her motivation for launching her drinks’ brand was purely financial — for cold, hard cash.

First seeking help for his alcoholism in 2001, Ben has since been in rehab multiple times. His drinking led to the breakdown of his marriage to Jennifer Garner. To make matters worse, J-Lo then went on a very public promo campaign where she told the Press how much she loves to drink to ‘relax and let loose’. Even this week, she released an image of herself lounging on a sunbed in a swimming costume to advertise the latest addition to the range.

One friend of the actor told the Mail: ‘Ben had to fight to get his life back after overcoming alcohol. Knowing how he lost everything including the love of his family, knowing that he could possibly relapse, Jen decided to start her own spritzer line for more money, as if she did not have enough. This was one of the things that broke the camel’s back. But Ben saved his sobriety.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Wait, the Mail is saying that Ben knew about Delola before the launch and he was supportive of J.Lo’s side hustle, and then suddenly he was Not Okay and actually very upset? I mean, that actually sounds like Ben. Super-supportive until he isn’t, until he changes his mind. I know people in recovery, people working a program, are told to be ruthless about their sobriety. They’re encouraged to stay away from triggers and bad influences. I could also see how the idea of J.Lo having a liquor label was different than the reality of it, you know? And yes, we all knew it was a bad idea last year. Overall, I bet “the Delola issue” contributed to their bad situation but it was far from the only reason.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images and Delola’s Instagram.

Whenever I have a dark moment or a depressed moment, I think about how my goal should be to outlive Donald Trump. At the very least, my immediate goal is to live to see him humiliated yet again, to see him lose yet another election. For everyone to laugh at the big orange loser and his tiny little hands. Hatred can fuel people to keep going just as much as love. President Jimmy Carter has a beautiful soul, and he is full of love for his family, his country and Democrats in general. I am not saying that Jimmy Carter is fueled with hate. But he is trying to live long enough to vote for Kamala Harris and watch Donald Trump’s tears streak down his ugly orange face.

Jimmy Carter is less than two months out from his 100th birthday on Oct. 1, but loved ones say his sights are set on reaching a different milestone: voting Kamala Harris for president.

Jimmy has been in hospice care for a year and a half, and though his condition has not dramatically changed since February 2023, his grandson Jason Carter told Southern Living in June that the family’s 99-year-old patriarch was “no longer awake every day.” Two months later, however, Jason is sharing a more optimistic health update about the 39th U.S. president.

While promoting an upcoming tribute concert for his grandfather’s birthday, Jason told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Jimmy has been “more alert and interested in politics and the war in Gaza” in recent days.

Jason previously said that his grandfather has good days and bad days, and that it is often hard to predict what state he will be in when family stops in for visits.

When Jimmy’s son Chip Carter asked him this week whether he wants to live to see his 100th birthday, the former president responded, “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,” according to Jason.

Though the 2024 presidential election is still three months away, the former president wouldn’t have to wait until Nov. 5 to cast his ballot. Early voting in Georgia begins on Oct. 15, and absentee ballots are sent out up to 29 days before the election. Georgia does not have any laws barring a ballot from being counted if someone dies between the early voting period and Election Day.

[From People]

That’s sort of nasty work from People Magazine, to suggest that Carter would only have to make it to early or mid-October. Granted, I was curious about Georgia laws too, but there you go. Whenever Carter’s name trends on social media, I brace myself for bad news. But it’s always like “Jimmy Carter can’t wait to vote for Kamala Harris” or “Jimmy Carter is doing great!” Such a blessed soul. I pray he makes it long enough to vote for Kamala Harris too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Justin Timberlake was arrested for a DWI in June, and everything has been a clownshow ever since. Justin doesn’t think he has a problem, so no rehab. He thinks this is all an issue with his image, so he hired a crisis manager and they proceeded to screw up so badly, everyone sided with Justin’s arresting officer. Justin’s lawyer also hasn’t been doing JT any favors. The guy is leaking all of this crazy sh-t to TMZ about how one of Justin’s friends was even more drunk than Justin, therefore Justin must be acquitted. Meanwhile, on Friday, Justin appeared virtually at a court hearing about his DWI case. The judge suspended Timberlake’s driver’s license, and the judge also hilariously admonished Timberlake’s idiot lawyer.

Justin Timberlake appeared virtually at a Friday hearing for his driving while intoxicated case, where the judge announced the pop star’s driver’s license would be suspended and admonished his lawyer over “irresponsible” comments. Timberlake, 43, wore a black collared shirt for his appearance via video conference from Antwerp, Belgium.

Sag Harbor Justice Carl Irace reprimanded the musician’s attorney, Edward Burke Jr., for “irresponsible” comments he made at the last court hearing, adding that it “comes off as an attempt to poison the case before it even begins.”

The judge even threatened to issue a gag order if the attorney continued to make such comments. It’s not clear which comments the judge was referring to.

After considering a motion to dismiss the case against Timberlake, the judge suspended the singer’s license in New York state because he refused to take a breathalyzer test on June 18 when he was pulled over. The license will be suspended for the pendency of the case, according to Burke Jr.

The hearing lasted roughly half an hour, ending with Irace again admonishing Burke, urging him to “raise the bar, not lower it.”

[From NBC News]

People Magazine notes that Burke withdrew his motion to dismiss the case, and part of the judge’s admonishment was that if Burke continued to run his mouth in the press, the judge would order Timberlake to appear in court. Which would totally “ruin the tour.” The next hearing is scheduled for the 9th, with a possible trial date of September 13th. It’s so funny to me that Justin really went out and grabbed the first local ambulance-chaser he could find and the guy is trying to make a name for himself with this one DWI case. Justin is getting what he deserves.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Oh, Reese Witherspoon is dating after her divorce from Jim Toth. Apparently, she’s taking it slow with an “old friend” named Oliver Haarman. [Hollywood Life]
Of course Blake Lively has a Judith Leiber mushroom bag. [RCFA]
This situation with Olympian Imane Khelif is so sad, and I feel so sorry for her. I’m disgusted by the misogynists and transphobes attacking her. JK Rowling is an ugly, hateful person. I hope that Italian cop gets kicked out of the sport. [Pajiba]
More pics of Nicole Kidman & her fam at the Olympics. [Socialite Life]
What’s up with People Magazine’s editorial decision to refer to Angelina Jolie’s kids by their father’s surname alone? Sucking up to Brad Pitt, I guess. [LaineyGossip]
These vintage ‘90s pics are so good though. [Go Fug Yourself]
The B52’s Kate Pierson is still making music! [OMG Blog]
Josh Hartnett promotes Trap in Madrid. [Just Jared]
Mario Lopez’s daughter is 13 years old?? [Seriously OMG]
Teen Mom’s Ashley Jones filed for divorce. [Starcasm]
They’ve done it!! They created a Minion Generator. [Buzzfeed]

The British media is mad at the Duchess of Sussex. They’re always going to be mad. They’re always going to make up reasons why they’re mad at her, usually twisting themselves in knots and telling some really bizarre lies about her. Currently, they’re mad that Meghan was invited to a women’s summit in the Hamptons and she regularly socializes with wealthy, powerful people who want to help her in all of her endeavors. But instead of crying about “why does Meghan have such cool friends,” they’re pretending they’re mad about her pants. Literally, the Mail devoted an article to a stylist talking about Meghan’s pant-length and what wide-leg trousers say about Meghan and then there’s a bizarre turn about whether Meghan gets designer freebies.

Meghan Markle wears clothing from smaller brands that is ‘not possible to alter’ and is ‘too controversial’ for bigger fashion houses, experts have claimed. The Duchess of Sussex, 42, has often opted for floor-length garments over the past six years – most recently wearing a pair of £360 trousers to a business summit in the Hamptons over the weekend. For the occasion, the mother-of-two – who is preparing to launch her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard – paired the beige linen trousers with a matching single-breasted waistcoat, which is also by the Australian brand St Agni.

Speaking to FEMAIL, celebrity stylist Rochelle White claimed Meghan’s trousers were potentially a sample pair from St Agni and therefore not possible to alter to her 5ft 6in frame – either because they have to be returned or because they’ve been given to the stylist rather than directly to Meghan herself to keep.

The expert said: ‘I know that wide leg long trousers are in fashion and trend piece right now. They have been dominating instagram and runways, so I think she likes the style. They are great at cinching the waist but adding leg and depth to an outfit. They can also be flattering and comfortable and not so restrictive. But the Duchess could also be working with either a designer, fashion house, or stylist where it might not be possible to have alterations done so that they are more fitting to her leg length. So, as a result they are longer.’

What’s more, fashion expert Giorgina Ramazzotti has also claimed that while Meghan has worn Dior and Givenchy in the past, she could be seen as too ‘controversial’ a figure to get free samples from some major fashion houses. Giorgina said: ‘As a celebrity and actress before joining the royals, Meghan would have been very used to a world in which everything is given on loan for photoshoots, an appearance or borrowed from wardrobe as part of her character in Suits.’

‘Celebrities rarely have to part with cold hard cash in exchange for fashion items. Often items are given as gifts, given on loan for special events, or the star is given a heavy discount to shop the brand, and whilst Meghan wasn’t a well-known actress before meeting Prince Harry, she would still have been given freebies – albeit from smaller brands. When she joined the royals, she quickly found out that loans and gifts from designers were forbidden, and the star was no doubt given an allowance to dress – something I’m sure she was glad to throw out of the window when she left the royal fold. It can be noted that Meghan rarely wears big designer brands such as the French fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Saint Laurent etc. These brands are very careful with their image and getting loans from them for lesser or controversial stars (as Meghan, in some circles, now is) is like getting blood from a stone.’

What’s more, the stylist argued that the Duchess favours floor-length trousers and skirts as she is trying to channel an ‘old money’ aesthetic. Giorgina explained: ‘Meghan tends to favour minimalist, understated luxury; simple separates, neutral colours, and classic tailoring – think Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy meets 21st century style – and her latest look from St. Agni encompasses all this to a tee.’

[From The Daily Mail]

So, fresh off of complaining about the cost of Meghan’s clothes, jewelry and purses, the Mail is now saying that Meghan never wears major designers because those designers won’t get her freebies. Not only that, but small brands give her samples which she can’t alter? All because Meghan wore too-long trousers at an exclusive Hamptons summit… and she constantly wears too-long trousers, as one of her style signatures. She loves a long trouser length, just like she loves gold jewelry, lots of bracelets and a cute purse. I would imagine – I have for some time – that Meghan gets TONS of freebies and designers send her stuff constantly. She makes a point of highlighting a lot of lesser-known brands and female-owned brands. She makes a point of boosting smaller labels on purpose.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Instagram.

The Sussexes have not issued or released any new photos of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in a couple of years. There many never-before-seen photos of the kids in the Harry & Meghan Netflix series, but they were mostly baby pics and few pics of their full faces. While there have been some paparazzi photos of the kids in Montecito, there are laws in the UK and in Europe about publishing pap photos of kids (the kids’ faces have to be blurred out). Basically, I haven’t seen Archie or Lili’s faces in more than two years. I’m fine with it, honestly. I wish Harry and Meghan could show off their beautiful family all the time, but I understand why they don’t. In case anyone needs it underlined, this was included in People Magazine’s cover story this week:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are keeping Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet out of the limelight over concern for their children’s safety. As Harry fights for increased security for their family of four, the echoes of the 1997 death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a high-speed car chase weighs heavily, particularly now that he is a parent.

“Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats,” a friend tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story. “He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm.”

The friend adds, “As a dad and husband, Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.”

Multiple well-placed insiders in Prince Harry’s circle tell PEOPLE that the Duke of Sussex believes his father, King Charles, has the power to reinstate his security Buckingham Palace will not comment on security provisions, but a palace source tells PEOPLE the notion that Harry’s security is in the King’s hands is “wholly incorrect” The issue has shifted their conversation from frustration to “complete silence” from the King, says the friend.

[From People]

What’s a little bit funny to me is that Harry has put himself in a position to keep his kids out of public view for however long he wants, all while his brother is stuck in a dying institution and being forced to use his children as human deflection shields. William and Kate have trotted out their kids constantly in the past three years, to the point where even the Mail called out the “overexposure” of those kids. The Wales kids are treated (by the press) like they’re property of the state. Harry looks at the situation with the Wales kids and you know he’s doing deep sighs of relief that he can protect his kids from all of that. He’s probably thankful every day that he’s not trying to raise his children in the UK, where they would constantly be compared to the Wales kids.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Netflix, Sussex Royal IG and Misan Harriman/The Sussexes.