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Good news on the womens’ health policies front, and it’s from… Texas? Did I wake up in the right year today? So the Texas that declared the FDA couldn’t authorize the abortion medication mifepristone, the Texas that banned abortion immediately after the Dobbs decision. This Texas has actually enacted a law that benefits women? Well as I live and breathe. Texas has joined the ranks of the majority of states (and the UK) to eliminate the tampon tax, with a law that went into effect in September. Some specifics on the new law and the movement behind it:

Sept. 1 marked the end of the ‘tampon tax’ in Texas: Shoppers in Texas no longer have to pay a sales tax on menstrual products, making the state one of the few in the nation to eliminate the so-called “tampon tax.” A new law that went into effect Friday eliminates the sales tax on feminine hygiene products including items like tampons, menstrual pads and menstrual cups.

Family care items are also now sales tax-free under the new law: In addition to menstrual products, the law, S.B. 379, also eliminates the sales tax on family care items including diapers, baby bottles, baby wipes, maternity clothing and breast milk pump products. The law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in June, makes Texas one of nearly two dozen states that no longer charge a sales tax on diapers, according to the National Diaper Bank Network, a nonprofit organization.

The realities of period poverty are appalling: Period poverty, when people cannot afford even the most basic of period supplies like pads and tampons, is an issue that affects women around the world, including the United States. A 2019 survey of low-income women in St. Louis, Missouri, found nearly two-thirds couldn’t afford menstrual hygiene products in the past year, and more than 1 in 5 said they had the same problem every month. The women said they instead had to use cloth, rags, tissues, toilet paper and sometimes diapers or paper towels, according to the report published in the medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Texas Republican state Sen. Joan Huffman, sponsor of the law, speaks: “Every woman knows that these products are not optional,” Huffman said in a statement last year. “They are essential to our health and well-being and should be tax exempt.”

Let’s not praise Texas too much too soon: Texas’ law eliminating sales tax on menstrual and baby products comes as the state continues to enforce several strict abortion laws, including one prohibiting all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, except in medical emergencies, which the laws do not define. Under these bans, performing or attempting an abortion is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The law also allows private citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion.

[From Yahoo! News]

So my reading of this was “oh, they snuck the tampons in under the cover of diapers and baby bottles.” I’m sorry, but I just have trouble trusting Texas lawmakers these days. State Senator Joan Huffman may have sponsored this law, but take a look at her record: she’s voted in favor of schools displaying the ten commandments and requiring transgender student athletes to play against “those of their biological sex,” while voting down a 1% energy savings goal and – get ready – equal pay for women.

Cynicism aside, I’m pleased that the elimination of the tampon tax is steadily sweeping the nation. But I’m reserving full triumph until all period products are free, like Scotland made law for its citizens in November 2020. The obvious economic inequity affects all women, and in particular those who suffer period poverty and are forced to improvise in demeaning ways, all for essential healthcare needs. It’s misogyny, plain and simple.

Here are links to two sites that are great resources for more info on the movement to end period poverty.

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Gigi Hadid: one of the few women who can pull off this shade of canary-yellow. She attended the big Victoria’s Secret event last night in NYC. [JustJared]
Priyanka Chopra looked great in Giambattista Valli at the VS show. [RCFA]
The thing about this kind of spoof is that the callback should be iconic in the first place, and Justin Bieber’s ad was not. [OMG Blog]
Hot Guy Thursday: Mads Mikkelsen in Venice. [GFY]
Lainey’s doing a substack/newsletter! [LaineyGossip]
Timothee Chalamet stans are having breakdowns. [Pajiba]
Taylor Swift was right about Joe Jonas. [Buzzfeed]
Institutional “Himpathy” at the college level. [Jezebel]
Imagine being famous for chugging beer at the US Open. [Egotastic]

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Sophie Turner was 19/20 years old when she first started seeing Joe Jonas in 2016. By 2018, they were engaged and in 2019, they were married. She was 23 years old. Then she was 24 when she welcomed their first daughter, Willa, and 26 when she welcomed their second daughter last year (whose name we still don’t know). And now Sophie is 27 years old and that’s when her husband filed for divorce because she went back to work and hung out with friends. While the Daily Mail has taken up Sophie’s case – part of their ongoing transatlantic feud – the Mail is also a misogynistic rag, so I’m not sure they’re doing Sophie any favors here. Some highlights from the Mail’s exclusive:

Problems for all of 2023: A friend of Sophie’s, who did not want to be named, revealed that the couple started having problems last Christmas and that she separated from him at the start of this summer, spending the ensuing months partying with school friends in the UK or holidaying with them in Europe. The actress looked in high spirits as she partied the night away at arcade bar Dropshot Digbeth in Birmingham – where she had been filming her upcoming ITV series, Joan. It’s believed to have been the wrap party for the series, which has seen Sophie working in Britain since May, and she let her hair down in style as she enjoyed the £6.50 cocktails and showcased her strength by punching a boxing game.

A British visit: In an effort to save the marriage, Joe came to the UK with their two children over the summer and spent time in Warwickshire, where Sophie was brought up. But after failing to work through their differences, he returned to the US with their children who have been living with him since the split.

Sophie felt trapped: The friend revealed: ‘Sophie feels like she’s only just waking up to what her life and reality really is. She became famous at a very young age, then married and had kids at a young age and never really had the teenage years of sleeping around and just having carefree fun with friends. She feels like her life has stalled after Game of Thrones and so has her personal life. Since the kids came along, she’s feeling trapped. She’s the only person in her tight friendship group who is married with two children… Now she feels that she wants to make up for the time she’s lost as a young person. He (Joe) wants a more settled life but she’s not ready for that because she feels that she’s not even had a teen or young adult life.’

Joe wanted another child: ‘Joe would like another kid, he’s a real family man. But while Sophie’s been in the UK, she’s also realised just how much she misses this country; it’s the final nail in the coffin for them.’

Being compared to Nick Jonas & Priyanka Chopra: ‘Nick is younger than Joe but is more settled. He and Priyanka are on the same page about their careers and family life. Joe and his family want him to be in a relationship like this, but Sophie feels that she’s only 27 and hasn’t even really lived because she’s spent all her good, young years working. It wasn’t an issue at first but the age gap between Sophie and Joe has become a real problem. They want very different things.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Here’s what I believe from these quotes: I believe that Sophie felt trapped because Joe trapped her, I believe she’s been homesick for England for a while and I believe that once she took a job in England for months, that was basically the beginning of the end. She got away from Joe and took a good look at her life in comparison to her peers, she likely realized that she wants to keep working and she wants to have some different experiences beyond the tradwife life. The thing is, people were concerned about this from the very beginning of her relationship with Joe – I remember saying “wow, she’s too young for all of this.” Did her family not say that to her? Did her friends? I mean, what’s done is done, but yeah… this was all heavily foreshadowed for years, she just didn’t see it. Oh, and Joe wanted a third kid? Get off of her! Let her work!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

There isn’t a cry-laugh emoji big enough for this desperation. This past weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan were seen out and about at Beyonce concerts and soccer games, hanging out with their A-list friends, flaunting their Beygency protection, hobnobbing with billionaires and shaking their asses without a care in the world. Those photos and videos landed like a ton of bricks on William and Kate, who obsessively watch every single thing Harry and Meghan do and say. Will and Kate haven’t done jacksh-t all summer, and the only time they’ve been seen since Wimbledon, William was chauffeuring his rapist uncle around Balmoral. So of course, William officially came back to “work” today, the day Prince Harry arrives in England to attend the WellChild Awards.

William made a “surprise visit” to Pret A Manger in Bournemouth today. He made a big show of taking selfies with people, because he is truly Prince Peggington, Man of the People, The Other Brother Who Never Puts A Foot Wrong. The visit was done to highlight Pret A Manger’s existing program to employ homeless people and to ride on that outfit’s coattails. He also met with local leaders to talk about how they’re tackling homelessness. Then Prince Peggington, Man of the People, will go back to his palace and make some calls to the executives at the Duchy of Cornwall, the largest real estate holding company in the country, which William inherited.

The desperation is just… off the charts. King Charles should want the Sussexes to come back for no other reason than Harry and Meghan’s mere presence lights a competitive fire under Will and Kate’s lazy asses. It’s just… like, who the hell is advising William? “Yes, sir, brilliant plan, you absolutely need to go back to work after a two-month holiday on the day your brother flies in to attend his patronage!”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

I’m patiently waiting for the stalkers at the Daily Mail to publish their exclusive timeline of Prince Harry’s arrival to the UK and a giant map of the path he will take to get to the WellChild Awards. There’s only one sort-of good thing about the attention Harry’s brief visit has gotten: it feels like it would be pretty hard for the Windsors to organize some kind of stunt to harm him. Like, this isn’t a quiet visit, Harry has deliberately told everyone where he’ll be and why he’s coming to London. I hate that I even have to worry, but the last time the people knew where the Sussexes would be, it was a huge catastrophe involving a “paparazzi swarm” and what felt like a paramilitary exercise designed to harm them.

So, fingers crossed that Harry is able to move around and attend the event with little to no drama. It’s actually a good thing that the British papers have no idea when he’s arriving or if he’s already in town. It shows that Harry is perfectly capable of going stealth-mode whenever he wants. It also shows that the Sussex team isn’t leaking. Speaking of, you know how TMZ reported that the Sussexes toured a six-acre lot in Malibu this past weekend? It was only a matter of hours before the British media had photos of the property. Which pretty much tells you that the Sussexes won’t move there. In case we needed it emphasized, Page Six got a denial from the Sussexes’ spokesperson?

The “Princess of Montecito” isn’t going anywhere. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — who currently reside in a $14 million Montecito, Calif., mansion — are not planning to move to Malibu despite reports that they recently toured an $8 million plot of land, a rep for the pair tells Page Six exclusively.

“There is no truth to them moving to Malibu or anywhere,” the spokesperson said Tuesday, adding that the Sussexes were not even in the California beach town over the weekend.

Instead, the duke and duchess spent their weekend attending high-profile events in Los Angeles, which is about 29 miles east of Malibu.

[From Page Six]

Okay. So they’re not moving to Malibu, nor were they looking at Malibu properties. It’s very weird that TMZ got that story. It’s even weirder that the Sussexes were apparently in LA the whole weekend and no one has any idea where they were staying! As I said, stealth mode. I’m so happy that they’re able to travel and do whatever the hell they want.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

From Rosie: My kids are into cooking and have been asking about getting a pizza oven. I’ve made pizza before using a pizza stone but was looking at something like this oven, which reviews mention can be used to make a lot of different meals. “I have been using this to warm up pizza, to make pizza, quesadillas, chicken and rice with crispy bottom, and make omelets, and they all have turned out wonderfully.” “Cooked pizza, biscuits, calzones and all turned out perfectly. Love heating sandwiches in this too.” Here are some of the other things that CB and I are looking at on Amazon this week.

Blank hardcover books for kids to write stories

From Rosie: I bought this 3-pack of blank books for my kids a few months ago to help my older son with his reading and writing, and they both loved creating their own stories. I highly recommend these! They have a 4.7 star rating, almost 300 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. Reviewers also mention how much their kids loved these books. “They are well made and have plenty of pages to include illustrations with the stories. Very fun to customize, we have ordered these many times.” “Perfect for kids to make their own story.” “My son loves to make comics and wanted to make a “real” one. These books were perfect and I love the hardcover.”

A versatile vegetable chopper that catches your chopped food in a container

From Rosie: Tik Tok trend alert! This vegetable chopper is easy to use and catches the veggie you choose to slice, dice, cut, or spiral in a container that’s conveniently attached to the blade. There are three different color options to choose from and depending on what color you pick, there are different options for two, four, or eight different blades. It has more than 72,000 reviewers and a 4.5 star rating on ReviewMeta. Reviewers rave about how much time it saves them and how versatile it is. “I’ve hesitated buying this but I got an alert on my phone about this being a TikTok sensation and it was on sale so I took a chance. It works great – I made chili which had a lot of chopping – 2 red onions, 6 bell peppers. This made chopping a dream – saved me a ton of time.” “So far we’ve used all the attachments. Zucchini spaghetti, French fries, veggies, and fruit…..you can even use the cubed cutting attachment separately to cut cheese. Honestly this has been one of my daily favorite cooking ‘tools.’”

A chalkboard to keep track of your dog’s birthday milestones

From Rosie: Okay, I know this one is a bit random but I came across it while searching for customized first day of school signs. The idea is the same, only it’s for dogs! This sign is 9 inches by 12 inches and you fill in the info yourself. This sign has almost 200 reviews and a 4.6 star rating on ReviewMeta. While the reviews vary on whether or not it’s reusable, people who have bought it talk about how adorable it is. “Ok first of all this board is literally the cutest thing EVER. It was perfect for my fur baby’s 1st birthday.” “This board is super cute, a nice size (slightly bigger than a letter size sheet of paper), and very sturdy. Each section includes enough space for me to write all of the important details about my dog.”

A pencil and office supply organization case that holds so much

From CB: This multi-compartment expandable pencil case from Easthill is priced at under $16, with some colors under $12. It has a mesh compartment that can hold accessories along with two sections for pens. It would be great for the office, back to school or on the go. This listing has almost 47,000 reviews, 4.7 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. People say it really keeps them organized. “This year for school I wanted to be the prepared person who has everything they need. I stuffed this pencil case with pencils, pens, sticky notes, scissors, correction tape, and even double sided tape. It’s holding a lot but still is organized. This is a really great buy and I recommend it.” “Bought this little spacious pouch randomly from one of the daily deals and it’s come in handy a couple times. while traveling, i’ve used it to carry makeup, makeup brushes, charger cables, etc. I don’t use it for anything else except for travel. Does what it needs to do.”

A pet grooming kit with a vacuum to save money and cleanup

From CB: My German Shepherd sheds a lot and although the Furminator brush is great, I wish I had something more effective and easier to clean. This pet grooming kit is also a vacuum with a huge canister to clean pet fur as you go. It has five attachments and five different clippers to adapt to different breeds of dogs. This listing has over 11,200 ratings, 4.6 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. People rave about how well it works and say that their dogs love to get groomed with it. “I have three dogs and I am constantly sweeping and I have went through a lot of vacuums. So I decided to order it and I was not disappointed! I started by letting my dogs sniff the equipment and brushing them before turning it on. I turned it on and started brushing them and they were knocking each other over to get brushed. The motor is extremely quiet!” “This product is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. Ever. I have a German Shepard who HATES to be brushed..but will lay down for as long as I need him to if I have the Neabot out. I also have a black lab that sheds like crazy. Having this has helped it not look like we live in a barn. I have even purchased two for other people because I was so impressed.” “Because it lifts the hair as you cut she has a much more uniform cut and it looks much more professional. But let me say again, there was not hair anywhere!”

A setting spray for long-lasting makeup

From CB: I have NYX matte setting spray and it really works for long-lasting full face makeup through heat, rain and sweat. This comes in matte, dewy and plump versions, with the two ounce bottles all under $10. It has over 100,000 ratings, 4.5 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it holds up in sweaty conditions. “I work my friend’s farm as well as her petting zoo so I needed a setting spray that would help my makeup stay put, even during the hot summer months when the temp gets above 80. At 53, I have mature skin (no commentary) so I needed something that didn’t cake my makeup. No shine, my makeup doesn’t look caked on and it lasts all day, even my eyeliner & eyeshadow. This setting spray doesn’t irritate my skin like others do.”

A hairdryer that will give you professional results at home

From CB: If you need a new hairdryer and want to spend a little more for better results, I highly recommend the BaBylissPRO Professional Nano Titanium. I bought mine in 2018 and it’s still just as good as new! It’s $89, which is pricey for a hair dryer, but it makes my hair so smooth and dries it quicker than other, cheaper hairdryers. This hairdryer has almost 5,000 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Most reviewers like it as much as I do. “I’ve got thinning hair that’s highlighted every 8 wks…hair getting dry & brittle. This beast is light weight, great controls for temp & amount of blow power and accessories for blow-out or diffuser when I scrunch hair. Incredibly quick drying so no over exposing hair to heat … worth every penny.” “I’m extremely happy with this dryer and i also was a hair stylist for many years. Ive had my fair share of many hair dryers.”

Donald Trump has one-sided obsessions with many prominent women, from Hillary Clinton to Megan Rapinoe to the Duchess of Sussex. Sidenote: I’ve always thought it’s notable that he’s never really attacked Michelle Obama, but I strongly suspect that even he knows that a huge part of the population will turn on him if he ever breathed a word about MObama. In any case, his obsession with Meghan has been a years-long catastrophe, the worst of which was when Meghan was being held hostage for several years in the UK during the Trump “presidency.” During that time, Trump would often gleefully take part in the smear campaign against her, calling Meghan “nasty” and saying that Harry would regret marrying her. One of the king’s sons has buyer’s remorse about his wife and it’s not Harry, I’m just saying. Anyway, Trump is still something of a royalist and he’s still talking about Meghan. Apparently, he wants to “debate” Meghan. The man skipped out on the Republican debate last month, but now he wants to debate a private citizen who is minding her business.

In an interview that aired Wednesday, conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if he would debate Meghan and Prince Harry, who “don’t like you much,” for the ratings. Naturally, the ex-president’s first instinct was to scoff at the idea that the pair doesn’t like him—even though they clearly don’t—and then suggest that the late Queen of England was a huge fan of his, which he’s done before.

“I don’t know that they don’t like me,” Trump told Hewitt. “I said that I don’t think they are very appropriate, what they’re saying, what they’re doing, and I didn’t like the way she dealt with the queen. I became very friendly with the queen. She was an incredible woman. At 95, she was so sharp. She was 100%. When you watch Biden, you say, this is a different planet. But they treated her with great disrespect, and I didn’t like it. And I didn’t like the idea that they were getting US security when they came over here. No, I think it’s not a good situation going on with the two of them, but I didn’t know that they don’t like me.”

Reminded of the actual question, i.e. would he debate the couple, Trump responded, “Oh, if you want to set it up, let’s set it up. Let’s go do something. I’ll, I’d love to debate her. I would love it. I disagree so much with what they’re doing.”

[From Vanity Fair]

This reminds me so much of the Republican obsession/desire/hatred of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – she’s an attractive, well-spoken, desirable young woman and instead of just saying “wow, she’s pretty and smart,” Republican men scream and cry about how AOC should “debate” them. Basically, what I’m saying is that Trump sounds like he’s fascinated by and obsessed with Meghan and he’s desperately clout-chasing. “Debate me,” he wept, flop-sweating in between federal and state indictments.

(I’m actually shocked that Hugh Hewitt referred to Meghan by her title at first.)

Donald Trump tells Hugh Hewitt he would “love to debate” Meghan Markle:

“I didn’t like the way she dealt with the queen … I’d love to debate her. I would love it. I disagree so much with what they’re doing.” pic.twitter.com/vc7KpzTaeJ

— The Recount (@therecount) September 6, 2023

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

One of People Magazine’s cover stories this week is “Life Without the Queen,” a one-year death-anniversary update about what the remaining Windsors are up to. Maybe People Magazine will release a stand-alone story about Camilla at some point, but hasn’t it been so notable that Camilla has been largely absent from all of these death-anniversary articles and “Charles’s first year as king” thinkpieces? I’m sure that’s by design – I’ve come around to the idea that Camilla has pulled most of the strings to create the current situation. She’s accrued an enormous amount of power, yet she remains massively unpopular. Oh well! Speaking of unpopular, People Mag’s cover story has a lot about how Prince William and Kate are, as always, preparing to be keen. I still haven’t gotten used to the fact that everyone speaks and writes about a pair of 40-somethings like they’re teenagers who are too dumb to understand the basics of work or diplomacy. Williams wants everyone to know that QEII gave him a gold star for his “work” and now sources describe Peg and Buttons as “ready and willing to do the job.”

In the days after his mother’s death last Sept. 8, King Charles made William and Kate the new Prince and Princess of Wales (the titles formerly held by Charles and his first wife, Princess Diana), recognizing their seniority in the family and signaling their critical roles ahead.

“Charles is leading the way for them already, and [William and Kate] are both involved in decision-making behind the scenes. They are ready and willing to do the job — and Kate is very much a part of that,” a friend of the princess tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story.

Prince William and Princess Kate “are maintaining a good balance between carrying out their duties and raising their children as privately as possible,” royal author Sally Bedell Smith exclusively tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. Getting that right is key and “something they think about every day,” adds a source close to the family. In doing so, they honor the Queen.

“The prince was incredibly close to his grandmother,” the source adds. “She was such a big part of his life and a real supporter of his work, and I’m sure he and the princess miss her presence.”

Some suggest there is a sense of King Charles steadying the ship for William and Kate one day. King Charles and Queen Camilla will “provide the best possible platform for William and Kate to go forward,” says one close insider. But palace sources deny that Charles sees himself as a “caretaker King.”

“He will be keen to make his mark in whatever time he has and champion those brilliant causes he is interested in — like the environment, sustainability, art,” a palace insider says. “You don’t go into a position like that with an idea of how long or short it would be.”

[From People]

For years before QEII’s death, I often noted that William and Kate’s “future king and future king” PR fluff was the wrong message, because they were completely skipping over their Prince/Princess of Wales roles. They’ve left the impression for years that they’re committed to doing jacksh-t until William gets the throne. For all of Charles’s faults, he was a significant, active and important Prince of Wales – he carried out diplomatic missions, he remade the Duchy of Cornwall, he created important charities and foundations. Charles’s biggest legacy will arguably be his decades as PoW. So… it’s actually quite strange to watch as William and Kate stagger around, rudderless and promising to be keen, even now that they’re the second-most powerful people in the royal court. It speaks to how the royal court has always treated William and Kate though – as if they’re too incompetent and lazy to do anything. The bar has always been set in hell for them.

“They are ready and willing to do the job — and Kate is very much a part of that.” Who are “they” and why was Kate added on? William and Rose are ready and willing to do the job and Kate is very much a part of that!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid, cover courtesy of People.

I’m really happy to see that no one is buying Joe Jonas’ week-long smear campaign against his estranged wife Sophie Turner. Sophie and Joe’s names have been trending on the artist formerly known as Twitter, and it’s just wall-to-wall call-outs for what Team Jonas is trying to do. First, Joe wanted sympathy because the poor dude is looking after his children this summer while Sophie works in England. Then he filed for divorce and leaked to TMZ that Sophie “likes to party,” GASP. Even if it was true (there’s no evidence that it is), liking to go out to a nightclub with friends isn’t a divorceable offense. Still, Team Jonas isn’t giving up their quest to turn Sophie into The Unfit Mother Who Likes To Party. Apparently, Joe was monitoring his wife on a ring camera and he saw her do or say something that he didn’t like. My dude, why are you monitoring your wife again? CREEP.

Joe Jonas saw/heard something with Sophie Turner that was the last straw in his decision to file for divorce, and it involves a ring camera.

Multiple sources who have direct contact with Joe tell TMZ … Joe had access to a ring cam that he said captured Sophie saying and/or doing something that made him realize the marriage was over.

TMZ broke the story … Joe and Sophie’s marriage had been on the rocks for at least 6 months, and it was all over a significant difference in lifestyles. As one source put it, “She likes to party, he likes to stay at home. They have very different lifestyles.”

As we reported, over the last 3 months, Joe has had the kids almost all the time. Sophie has been in London, but Joe and his bros were touring the U.S. and he had his 2 small kids in tow.

We know Joe had been in touch with at least 2 divorce lawyers last week. Interestingly, both lawyers are in L.A., yet he decided to file divorce docs Tuesday in Florida.

[From TMZ]

My question is about logistics – Sophie has been working in England for months, presumably staying at a hotel or some kind of rental home/apartment. When and where did this ring-cam incident take place? Did Sophie know she was on camera? Did she know Joe was monitoring her every f–king move? And was this just something he watched randomly, or was he poring over all of their ring-cam footage obsessively? I’ve seen a lot of people theorize that Sophie was probably just talking to a friend and bitching about her marriage or complaining about Joe. Anyway, this story makes Joe come across as such a creep.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Instagram.

Something really weird is happening with the Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle column. For more than a year now, the guy (?) behind the column has been fact-checking the Windsors and their sycophants on a regular basis. I’m not ready to call this Hardcastle guy part of the Sussex Squad yet, but the column has broken some interesting news here and there. The columnist spilled the tea about Prince William fighting his father over the Prince of Wales investiture. The columnist recently pointed out that despite Buckingham Palace’s briefing spree over the Royal.uk updates removing the Sussexes’ HRHs, the Sussexes still very much have their HRHs. The columnist also recently broke the news about Mohammed Bin Salman’s upcoming visit to the palace. What I’m saying is that this guy (?) loves to fact check and spill some matter-of-fact tea. Recently, Andrew Morton suggested that the Duchess of Sussex wouldn’t return to the UK because she didn’t want to curtsey to Kate. Well, Hardcastle had something to say about that:

Princess Diana biographer Andrew Morton commits a faux pas, telling Sky News that Meghan may not be keen on visiting her estranged in-laws as she would have to curtsy to Kate, now Princess of Wales.

The old rules of who should bow/curtsy to whom are old hat.

The late Queen abandoned much of the protocol in homage to both changing times and the arrival of a greater number of commoners into the family (among them Kate, Sophie, Tim Laurence, Mike Tindall, Jack Brooksbank and Camilla herself).

The only requirement now is for the King himself to be acknowledged and Meghan might feel herself even exempt from that.

It was noticeable that amid the sea of dips and bows as the King left his coronation, Harry didn’t join in. Perhaps his view was obscured by Aunt Anne’s plume hat.

[From The Daily Mail]

In Spare, Harry recounted his directions to Meghan about who she needed to curtsey to – basically, only QEII and Harry’s father (but notably not Camilla). In the Netflix series, Meghan talked about and around the “formality” which exists within the royal family behind the scenes, and many were left with the impression that William and Kate were probably mega-salty that Meghan treated them like her peers and equals rather than bowing and scraping as soon as she was in the presence of the “future king and future queen.” Basically, this whole story is just another huge projection by the Windsors and their people: they do care about the bowing and scraping and they’re incandescent with royal protocol that Meghan can’t be forced back to the UK and made to curtsey to Princess Karen. As I said in the opening, it’s interesting that there’s one Daily Mail columnist who comes along and gently shreds the royalist talking points.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.