Prince Harry won’t be “allowed” to wear any of his military dress uniforms for his grandmother’s funeral. He wasn’t allowed to wear military dress for his grandfather’s funeral either, although Queen Elizabeth II’s solution for that dilemma was that no one was allowed to wear military uniforms for Prince Philip’s funeral. I remember that controversy well because I covered it extensively last year. The Windsors went out of their way to try to “punish” Harry for walking away from being a full-time “working royal,” and it immediately came back on them like instant karma. These people are so short-sighted and gleefully punitive that they are incapable of seeing how bad it looks that a combat veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan is the only royal man who won’t be allowed to wear a uniform. While I’m sure Harry is sad about it, keep in mind that he’s never freaked out or issued statements about any of it. He just sits back and watches his family make complete asses out of themselves in their rush to punish him. Harry understands – he sees it now – that their cruelty and pettiness knows no bounds. All of which to say, even Camilla Tominey understands that this sh-t looks bad. Here’s her piece in the Telegraph:

The decision not to allow the Duke of Sussex to wear military uniform for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral is a rare misstep by Buckingham Palace during what has been a reassuringly smooth transition process so far.

Although he no longer holds any military appointments after stepping down from public duties in January 2020, as a former major in the British army, Prince Harry would have been entitled to wear his Blues and Royals uniform with the ultimate permission of his father. Instead he will have to wear mourning dress while the King, his brother the Prince of Wales and other close relatives are all in military uniform adorned with medals.

As a military expert confirmed: “The decision will have gone to the Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Household Cavalry, who would have passed it on to the Colonel of the Blues and Royals, who is the Princess Royal, who would have deferred it to the Colonel in Chief designate, who is the King. This decision will have been taken at the highest level. There is no other way of looking at it but as a firm put down.”

Denying Harry the right to wear military uniform – even though the disgraced Duke of York has been permitted to wear his Royal Navy dress for the final vigil at Westminster Hall, does appear rather petty.

While the palace may just be following the protocol for “non-working” royals (notwithstanding the brief reprieve for Andrew) – the public will view it as an unnecessary snub.

Regardless of what he may have said and done in recent years – the general consensus will be that if any of the Royals should be entitled to wear military uniform – then it is Harry, 37, because he served two tours of Afghanistan. In total, the father-of-two spent more than 30-weeks on deployment in Helmand Province, first as a Forward Air Controller from 2007 to 2008 and then, between 2012 and 2013 as a co-pilot and gunner for an Apache helicopter.

While serving his second deployment as part of the 100-strong 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps, he faced the same risk as any other soldier in combat. By all accounts he proved himself to be an exemplary leader on the battlefield who later qualified as an Apache aircraft commander with the highest marks in his group. It appears odd that Harry and Andrew are largely going to be confined to civvies when they are the only two senior royals to have seen active service.

The decision also looks out of step with what his beloved grandmother would have wanted. As with Prince Andrew’s flying helicopters during the 1982 Falklands War, the late Queen was incredibly proud of the 10 years Harry spent in the Army.

[From The Telegraph]

Again, Harry hasn’t said anything. If Harry was even protesting this decision to the new king’s courtiers, we would have found out about it. Harry is sitting in Frogmore Cottage, minding his business and grieving for a beloved grandmother, all while his father and his brother’s and father’s henchmen are devising tone-deaf and asinine ways to punish him. Apparently, it would never occur to any of them that it looks incredibly stupid for Prince Edward to wear his fancy dress uniform and all of his unearned medals while a two-time combat veteran is in a regular suit. It is what it is.

Update: Harry also believes “it is what it is.” He released a no-drama-here statement about how he’s fine with wearing a suit and not a dress uniform.

NEW: “Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother. His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

— Emily Nash (@emynash) September 13, 2022

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and Instar.

Since Queen Elizabeth II passed, the Royal Rota has been going through some things. The British royal commentators and reporters have always believed they have the franchise on all things royal, that they are the sole royal translators to international audiences. They’ve been hired to do commentary on American and international networks following the death of QEII. And a remarkable thing has happened, at least on American networks: they’ve been getting significant pushback for their bullsh-t. Whenever they try to be shady or negative about the Duchess of Sussex, they’re getting pushback. Whenever they try to be blinders-on royalist about King Charles III, they’re getting pushback. MSNBC has been running lots of segments about the Cambridges’ Flop Tour and how Commonwealth nations will be leaving in droves under the new sovereign. We’re seeing British royal commentators have to edit themselves and change course in real time because suddenly their bullsh-t isn’t flying.

All of which to say, suddenly those same commentators are trying different things for their domestic audiences too. A British talk show host named Vanessa Feltz had Angela Levin on her show yesterday and Feltz merely questioned Levin’s anti-Meghan bullsh-t and Levin couldn’t handle it. Levin suddenly turned into a snowflake after spending years smearing Meghan and Harry on a daily basis.

Angela Levine got called out for her anti-Meghan rhetoric, and it was delicious. pic.twitter.com/4dhG8XQeZg

— Christopher Bouzy (@cbouzy) September 12, 2022

It’s glorious. Angela Levin is a ghastly, disgusting person. It’s my dream that this clip effectively ends Levin’s commentary career. The only problem is that Levin has an official biography of Queen Camilla coming out – so Levin will be on the promotional trail for that soon enough, and I hope she experiences the same kind of pushback then. It also calls into question why the f–k Camilla would choose this deranged a–hole as her biographer.

And yes, I know Vanessa Feltz is no hero, long-term. People like Feltz merely see which way the wind is blowing. They’re starting to understand that the international audience can see how they’ve treated Meghan in particular.

Screencap from CTV, additional photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Cate Blanchett wore Louis Vuitton to the Venice Film Festival’s closing ceremony. This was…not the best? [RCFA]
Lea Michele caught Covid & she’ll be out of Funny Girl for ten days. [Dlisted]
Vanessa Kirby wore a bold look in Venice. [LaineyGossip]
Dolly Parton & Kelly Clarkson collaborated on a new version of “9 to 5”. [OMG Blog]
GOP strategist: Abortion is not an issue in the midterms. Lol. [Jezebel]
Billie Lourd is pregnant again! [Go Fug Yourself]
Emily Ratajkowski filed for divorce from that dude. [Gawker]
Oprah Winfrey supports Tyler Perry in Toronto. [Just Jared]
She-Hulk is trolling the audience. [Pajiba]
Fun tweets from parents and kids. [Buzzfeed]
This Sister Wives family is so dysfunctional. [Starcasm]
Who won big in Venice? [Towleroad]
Hailey Bieber soaks up the end of summer. [Egotastic]

Something I learned when Prince Philip passed away is that the Windsors have rules about the timing of personal tributes for family members. When Philip passed away, first his children got to release their own tributes and photos. Then a day later, his grandchildren could release their statements and photos. Since Peggington is the Dauphin of the Salt Throne, I think he gets to go “first” after King Charles III. As such, he released a statement on social media on Saturday. On a scale of “Pissypants, Harry-focused tribute to Prince Philip” to “calling his dead mother paranoid in a social media video,” where does this rate?

Prince William said in an official statement released Saturday, “On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign.”

“I, however, have lost a grandmother,” he continued, reflecting on what the Queen meant to his family. “And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.”

“She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” said William, 40.

He went on to thank the late Queen “for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all.”

William concluded, “My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”

[From People]

“My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support.” True story, Queen Elizabeth II told people that Kate needed to get a job when W&K were dating. QEII thought it looked awful that Kate spent a decade waiting for the ring and doing literally nothing else. But whatever. I went back and re-read William’s tribute to Philip and I was astounded by the simple fact that he cannot stop centering himself in every relative’s death.

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid, Avalon Red, Instar.

One week ago, the British media was still throwing massive tantrums about the Duchess of Sussex’s Archetypes podcast, her profile in The Cut and her presence in the UK, in what was supposed to be a brief visit focused on charity. One week ago, Prince William and then-Prince Charles were also throwing tantrums about how they were “freezing out” the Sussexes and pay attention to us, we’re snubbing YOU! How much has changed. Meghan was supposed to spend the rest of September making high-profile appearances to promote her podcast and to promote her charitable interests. All of that is being put on the back-burner, because now the Windsors have captured Meg and she’s canceling her scheduled (but not previously announced) appearances.

Meghan Markle was booked to go on Jimmy Fallon’s show as part of her latest PR salvo — but will now be preparing for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, sources told Page Six. The Duchess of Sussex was booked on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” for Tuesday, Sept. 20, as she and husband Prince Harry were due to be in New York City for the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 77).

“Meghan was due on Fallon,” a source told Page Six. “I don’t even know what she was going to talk about, but that’s obviously canceled now.”

The next episode of Markle’s “Archetypes” podcast on Spotify, due to stream Tuesday, is also set to be pushed back, we’re told.

Page Six is told the couple is expected to remain in the UK until the monarch’s state funeral, widely believed to be scheduled for Monday, Sept. 19. It is not yet known if their children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, will be brought over from California.

[From Page Six]

No, it’s actually incredibly funny that she was supposed to be at the United Nations in New York that week, the same week her brother-in-law was making a big deal about hosting the “Earthshot Summit” in some Manhattan basement somewhere. Was she actually going to the opening of the General Assembly? LOL. As for the Fallon stuff… considering she went on The Ellen Show and Harry was interviewed by Hoda Kotb just, like, five months ago, I think that’s totally on brand for Meghan. There are people crying about “what would she talk about on a nightly talk show” – she’s literally doing promotion for Archetypes! Besides, Jimmy Fallon isn’t some master inquisitor. He was probably going to make her play some dumb lip sync game.

PS…It is now official that Archetypes pods will be paused for what sounds like two weeks?

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

Longtime readers and longtime royal-watchers are well aware of Angela Kelly’s history of problematic and ridiculous behavior. Kelly – nicknamed AK-47 – was Queen Elizabeth II’s dresser and one of her closest friends. Kelly moved into Windsor Castle during the pandemic, and Kelly basically appointed herself gatekeeper to the Queen and her jewelry. In recent years, Kelly was also at the center of the years-long “Tiara-gate” mess, wherein Kelly repeatedly smeared a blood prince and his wife (Harry and Meghan) over the fact that Harry went over Kelly’s head to the Queen to complain about Kelly’s treatment of Meghan. Kelly repeatedly lied about both Harry and Meghan in the media and everyone knows it. Now it looks like she managed to talk QEII into giving her a retirement home on the Royal Windsor estate.

One of the Queen’s most trusted confidantes is set to be allowed to stay on in her grace-and-favour home at Windsor – thanks to the Queen herself. Angela Kelly, a docker’s daughter from Liverpool, began work as an Assistant Dresser at the Royal Household before becoming indispensable to the Monarch. Her reward was a grace-and-favour home a short walk from Windsor Castle.

Staff who work for the Queen typically would have only a month’s notice after the end of her reign before they would either be redeployed to another Royal household or look for alternative employment. But now it seems that the Queen had given her authority for Ms Kelly to stay in her grace-and-favour home after her death.

So favoured was she by the late Monarch that Ms Kelly was also granted extraordinary permission to secure a three-book deal. Two of those memoirs have been published and another is set to be released. An insider said: ‘The Queen was very clear that she was close to Angela and wanted to look after her people.’

Ms Kelly who is said to want to spend some time in America now the Queen has died, was originally hired for her fashion expertise. But she soon developed a close bond with the Monarch. As the Queen’s mobility failed, Palace sources say that Ms Kelly could often be found sitting with the Queen, making her laugh and filling Her Majesty in on the latest plot twists of television soap operas. Latterly, as the Queen’s number of public appearances decreased in line with her ability to move around in comfort, it was Ms Kelly who sat with the Queen at Windsor.

One source says: ‘The Prince of Wales came in one day to see his mother and was surprised that Angela had her own rooms there where she would watch the television rather loudly.’

As time went on, Ms Kelly took on more of a lady-in-waiting role, sources say. She would fetch and carry and even advise.

[From The Daily Mail]

I know it probably won’t happen, but I would love it if King Charles III kicked her ass out of the grace-and-favor home she conned her way into. Charles reportedly was not a fan of Kelly either – no one liked her except QEII – and it feels like it’s in the king’s discretion to go back on his mother’s promise. Especially given that it’s very likely Kelly manipulated an elderly woman. I also wonder if Kelly conned her way into some kind of monetary bequeathment in QEII’s will. None of this is on the top of King Charles’s agenda, but I would really love to see him push out all of his mother’s terrible helpers and courtiers.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

It was genuinely surprising to see the new Prince and Princess of Wales in Windsor on Saturday with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Prince William and Prince Harry saw each other in Balmoral, when Harry arrived after Queen Elizabeth II had passed away. I would assume both King Charles III and William were lording their new status over Harry, as they did before the Queen’s passing when they apparently ordered Harry to leave Meghan in Windsor. So what went into the new conciliatory vibe on Saturday? There were apparently negotiations behind-the-scenes and William is still taking credit for inviting Harry and Meghan on the Windsor walkabout.

Although the brothers put on a show of unity at Windsor, it is understood that the camps required extended negotiations behind the scenes beforehand, delaying their arrival for the walkabout by 45 minutes.

A spokesman for the Prince and Princess of Wales said: “The Prince of Wales invited the Duke and Duchess to join him and the Princess of Wales. The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.”

Palace officials also refused to say whether Harry and Meghan’s children, Archie and Lilibet, would be styled as prince and princess with HRH titles, as protocol would usually allow for the grandchildren of the sovereign.

[From The Times]

Omid Scobie also said that William’s invitation was “made at the 11th hour,” meaning – I think – that William called his brother and expected to order the Sussexes to do whatever he said. I would imagine the Sussexes were like “lol no, you were literally just a huge C-U-Next-Tuesday to both of us 48 hours ago, clean up your own racist mess.” I also wonder if William was even the one doing the calling – considering the brothers have almost exclusively spoken through staff for several years now, why would that change?

Also: I should note that William went to the Mail repeatedly to take credit for this walkabout – this version, in this post, was one his first attempts. Then he ran to Richard Kay for another attempt to get credit.

Meghan and Harry got a very warm reception from the crowd in Windsor. A 14-year-old girl got a big hug from Meghan and she spoke about it to CNN. The idea that a child understands that Meghan has been treated awfully and that someone needed to say that, actually, Meghan is “welcome here” is really sad.

A 14-year-old was able to hug Meghan Markle, and said she did it to show her that “she’s welcome here” pic.twitter.com/2untm4UIYu

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 10, 2022

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

The new Prince and Princess of Wales – William and Kate – joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for a somber walkabout outside of Windsor Castle on Saturday. The videos and images from the walkabout were instantly major international news. News broadcasts have been replaying the videos on an endless loop, and the British media needed to furiously rewrite their crass “sad Harry, alone and forgotten” narratives. The walkabout was also deemed a huge success and a rare moment of good press for the new king. Meaning, everyone is now trying to take credit for it, including King Charles III. Sources insisted that Charles ordered his sons to publicly reconcile and that Charles was the one orchestrating the walkabout. Well, the new Prince of Wales couldn’t have that. So William ran straight to Richard Kay to clarify that he texted Harry and that this was all the William Show, but that William is still hurt and wary. Some highlights from Kay’s piece:

Ouch: Certainly [the walkabout’s] importance to the long-term vitality of the monarchy cannot be underestimated. The pictures of the new Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex succeeded in upstaging the proclamation of King Charles as the new monarch, a reminder, should he need it, of the star quality of his sons and their wives.

William’s initiative: The initiative was Prince William’s but it required Harry to agree. And that in itself is certainly something of a breakthrough. Both are stubborn and both have blamed the other for the estrangement.

The two dinners in Scotland: The upshot was that instead Harry travelled alone on his own privately chartered plane and did not arrive at Balmoral until several hours after his grandmother’s death. But then instead of joining his father and brother who were ensconced at Charles’s home Birkhall, he remained at Balmoral Castle where the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex had joined their sister Princess Anne. ‘Two dinners were being hosted on the royal estate that night and there was a clear divide: One was for the new king and his heir, the other was for the rest of the family,’ said an insider.

The text: Meanwhile, there was anticipation that William and Kate would perform a similar function in Windsor. It is understood that at some stage that day William, who had already raised the idea with his brother that they might view the flowers together, texted Harry with a proposed time – a text which Harry acknowledged. According to a source: ‘It happened very quickly – remarkable really considering they didn’t see each other in Scotland.’

Charles didn’t order it: The gesture was certainly decisive. One thing we have learned is that it was not done on the direction of their father as was being widely reported over the weekend. A royal source said such suggestions were ‘absolutely not the case’. Nor is it true that William acted only after learning Harry was set on his own walkabout among the crowds complete with an attendant TV crew. ‘Complete b******s,’ said a source.

Distrust: In the intervening months things have not improved and looming over the relationship and whether it can be salvaged is Harry’s forthcoming memoir. ‘William loves his brother but there is this matter of trust,’ says one figure. What then are the chances of a reconciliation? Slight, but not impossible, according to one informed figure. ‘The problem is,’ says the source, ‘that they have barely spoken for two years and there is both anger and grief about it all on both sides.’…For William the issue of trust is truly at the heart of the breakdown in relations with his brother. His fear is that a book which discusses any intimate family secrets will be a deal-breaker in reconciling.

They’re trying to manipulate Harry with various promises: And what about their other deals, so important to fund the Sussexes’ California lifestyle and meet their security bill? If there is no breakthrough between the brothers, then Harry and Meghan will return to the US and continue their lives and all that entails….Some now say it is possible that with the headwind and good will of a new reign and the benevolence of his father, the international roles first mooted for Harry and Meghan could be offered again. All the same it is hard to see how Meghan, who has voiced so much criticism of royal life, could agree to any kind of arrangement that would diminish her ability to speak as she chooses. And that, ultimately, may make any peace offering worthless.

[From The Daily Mail]

Well, at least Kay denied the conspiracy pushed by the deranged Keen fans that Harry and Meghan were planning their own separate walkabout before William intervened. It’s also clear that the new king and new Prince of Wales are united in one thing: doing the most to manipulate Harry into abandoning his wife and children. There are references to that in Kay’s column and in other British media pieces, that all of this could be “sorted out” to the benefit of the Firm if only Harry would just leave his wife in America and “come back” and do whatever William and Charles order him to do.

The reference to “international roles” is curious too – back in 2019, William was briefing the Times and other outlets that he was in discussions with aides about where to send the popular Sussexes so that they would get out of his way. William didn’t want them to go to Australia or Canada because they would get too much media attention there, so William and his advisors had settled on “sending them to Africa.” Now that the Sussexes have a life, a home, a mortgage, businesses and jobs in America, does anyone in Salt Island honestly believe that Harry and Meghan will suddenly want or need to be King Charles’s representative to Kenya or whatever? Jesus.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Introduction and Royals: Minutes 0 to 9:15:
We will have an episode out next week and will be off on September 24th. We just heard about the Queen passing in Balmoral right before our recording. It’s unclear if her family was able to see her before she passed. Chandra explains that King Charles’ coronation will be 8 to 12 months from now. Here’s a link to a story with more on the pomp and circumstance around that. Camilla will be Queen consort and many people don’t like that. We wonder how this will affect the royal biographies coming out this fall. You can listen below!

Harry and Meghan are in Europe for preplanned events. Harry flew to Balmoral while Meghan stayed back in Windsor. Kate similarly stayed behind although her children just started school, as we saw in a photoshoot they did at Lambrook. It’s likely that Kate and William will move into the bigger house at Windsor soon now that the Queen has passed.

The big news last week when we were off was Meghan’s interview with The Cut, in which she said she didn’t have an NDA and hinted that there was a lot she could say. Charles is trying to make peace with the Sussexes while Harry and William’s relationship seems irreparably damaged. Omid Scobie wrote that William wants Harry to apologize for talking about their family life, while Harry wants William to take responsibility for the lines that William crossed.

Olivia Wilde and Don’t Worry Darling: Minutes 9:15 to 18
We’ve heard for some time that Don’t Worry Darling director Olivia Wilde and star Florence Pugh had a quiet beef. Florence wasn’t saying much and she wasn’t liking any of Olivia’s posts about the movie. Olivia did an interview with Variety in which she claimed to have fired Shia LaBeouf to protect Florence. Shia released a video message Olivia left him asking him to return to the production and saying “I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo.”

Florence announced that she wouldn’t do press at Venice for the movie. She was seen out looking unbothered while Olivia refused to answer press questions about the feud. Florence received a lot of support from the cast at the premiere. She and Olivia Wilde avoided each other. Olivia is on the cover of Vanity Fair and had to be reinterviewed in light of the details that came out about how she was lying about firing Shia. We wonder why she hasn’t been advised to stay quiet.

At the screening it looked like Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine when he was going to sit down, which Chris’s rep officially denied but then sources close to Chris told TMZ “it absolutely did happen, and was perceived as a sign of disrespect by Chris.” Florence posted a photo where she’s getting her hair done by a stylist with a “Miss Flo” t-shirt on. Now we’re hearing that Florence and Chris aren’t going to the NYC premiere. Drama seems to follow Olivia Wilde and we wonder if she’s still with Harry Styles. Chandra thinks they’ll announce a breakup after the film comes out.

Comments of the week: Minutes 18 to end
Chandra’s comment of the week is from ThatsNotOkay on the post about Chris Pine and Florence Pugh skipping the New York premiere for DWD. My comment of the week is from Normades on the post about Leonardo DiCaprio breaking up with Camila Marrone because he doesn’t want to get married. We remember when we heard Julianne Hough’s niece dish that he’s bad in bed.

Thanks for listening bitches!

Photos credit: Avalon.red, Cover Images

It really cannot be stressed enough: in the 72-hour ordeal of Queen Elizabeth II’s death and the first hours of King Charles III’s reign, the British media were grotesquely focused on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. You would have thought that QEII only had one grandson, that was the importance and significance given to Harry’s travel arrangements to Balmoral. You would have thought that Meghan had personally slapped QEII on her deathbed, that was how the British media wrote and spoke about her. So, there was a question hanging over that 24 hour period on Thursday: what exactly happened when Harry and Meghan announced that they would travel to Balmoral together, and why did Harry end up going alone? Well, the Sun and the Daily Mail had the answer: the soon-to-be King Charles III called Harry shortly after the Sussexes’ spokesperson said that Harry and Meghan would be traveling together. Charles apparently told Harry to leave Meghan in Windsor.

It is understood Harry was at Frogmore when Charles told him in a phone call from the dying Queen’s bedside not to bring Meghan with him to Balmoral.

A source said: “Charles told Harry that it wasn’t right or appropriate for Meghan to be in Balmoral at such a deeply sad time. It was pointed out to him that Kate was not going and that the numbers really should be limited to the very closest family. Charles made it very, very clear Meghan would not be welcome.”

Out-of-favour Harry was also refused a seat on the RAF plane that took his brother Prince William and his uncles Prince Edward and Prince Andrew up to Scotland.

Harry and Meghan had announced on Thursday lunchtime, without consulting the rest of the family, that they would be “travelling to Scotland” together. But Harry agreed to go alone after the intervention. As a result, he had to find his own plane and the delay meant he did not arrive at Balmoral until 7.52pm — nearly 90 minutes after it was announced to the public that the Queen had died.

[From The Sun]

True story, the Countess of Wessex came to Balmoral with her husband, William and Prince Andrew. Sophie was close to QEII, that’s true. But I’m just pointing out that it wasn’t *only* blood relatives in Balmoral. I’m also quite sure Princess Anne’s husband Tim was there. Imagine telling Harry – who loved and adored his grandmother so much – that he could not bring his wife, the woman he loves, to Scotland during what was probably one of the saddest and most emotional moments of his adult life. Harry was told that it was “inappropriate” and Meghan “isn’t welcome.” It’s absolutely disgusting. As is the hatchet job Kensington Palace organized about the ordeal:

It was a fortunate coincidence of sorts that Harry and Meghan were in the country when the prince’s grandmother passed away, sparing him an emotional and undoubtedly traumatic transatlantic dash as the Queen’s health failed. Despite the rancour of the past few years, no one would begrudge him the chance to mourn his beloved ‘Granny’, with whom he had always enjoyed a warm and fun-loving relationship.

But as the royal households were consumed in concern for the ailing monarch, the Sussexes prompted an unprecedented flurry behind the scenes by announcing that Harry and Meghan would both be travelling to Balmoral.

News of their plans came via the small group of media the Sussexes deem it appropriate to deal with and tweeted out by journalists at 1.53pm. The statement read: ‘From a spokesperson: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be travelling to Scotland.’ This was, of course, news to the Palace and it did not go down well. Many behind royal walls, frankly, were incredulous.

There was half an hour on Thursday following the Sussexes’ initial announcement during which matters quickly came to a head.

It is still unclear how much pressure was brought to bear by the Palace itself – or whether senior royal were involved – but a spokesman for the couple frantically began to ‘clarify’ their position, informing those same journalists that ‘only the duke was travelling at the moment’. Exactly what happened is open to speculation. Some say that Harry and Meghan hadn’t considered that William’s wife wouldn’t be there, with Kate staying in London instead, and when it was pointed out that she wouldn’t be, they realised how bad it looked. Others believe Meghan was effectively banned, using the argument that Kate – now the Princess of Wales – was staying at home.

Either way, their hurried announcement that only Harry would be making the trip north from the capital prompted a sigh of relief among aides.

Putting aside the anguish of the past few years, the initial decision in itself, that both Sussexes would travel, was seen as wholly inappropriate, according to palace insiders, for one very simple reason: this was a private, family moment.

Although most have assumed that Kate stayed behind because it was her children’s first day at school, which is in part true, she instinctively knew this was an occasion for the Queen’s blood family.

[From The Daily Mail]

Kate “instinctively knew this was an occasion for the Queen’s blood family.” Again, Sophie was there. And it’s a much better argument – and more reasonable?? – to say that Kate didn’t want to miss picking up her children from their first day of a new school? Again, there have been so many changes for those kids, it’s weird that Kate and William aren’t leaning into that as opposed to “Kate is better than Meghan because no one had to outright ban Kate from Balmoral!” Like, what is the f–king damage with these pieces of sh-t? The cruelty seems to be the point. The point is that Charles and William were in the position to attack Meghan and snub Meghan and they both took that opportunity.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.