Google has an app – Google news – which collates news from various websites across most of the world’s news media and publishes them under its umbrella on all kinds of subjects. They have realised that news about the Sussexes, whether true, lies or abusive is a gold mine, so have no scruples publishing any arrant nonsense and libelous articles from anywhere in the world. Just like the way Facebook, YouTube and others publish and broadcast stories from terrorists and defend themselves that they are only the conduits and not publishers. In other words, they are not responsible for any subsequent abuse.
And so it happened that the Queen’s officials, who are in discussions with officials of the Sussexes, decided yesterday, Tuesday, Feb 18, to leak the progress of their discussions so far, to Rebecca English of the Daily Gutter. She in turn, in a typical banner headline, wrote in that paper last night that the Queen has stopped the Sussexes from using the Royal as in Sussex Royal. She claimed, she has informed the Queen and her senior advisers think using the Royal in business transactions would conflict with the Royal codebook.
It was only at the end of her story did she state that discussions are ongoing and no decisions have been made yet. Knowing how journalists can twist facts into a poisonous diatribe, that story has by this afternoon been on news websites from Canada to Australia. It has been discussed on television news programmes in the UK as if that would end the Sussexes future if it came about that they cannot use Royal in Sussex.
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I do not know whether Google News makes money on this app, but by early this afternoon they had collated about forty international and UK news websites and numerous irrelevant tweets to report twisted versions of Rebecca English’s speculation on the Sussexes future.
The Sussexes are such decent human beings, they have never leaked to smear anyone in their family, as the others do to them regularly every week. Because real news from them is so scarce these days, any snippet of anything is blown out of all proportion. Whether they use the Royal moniker on their website or not, would not diminish their potential.
They are the most famous couple on the planet and the loss of Royal in their business life going forward cannot stop that. Of course, the conservative media and commentators have been clamoring for the Royal bit to be dropped from the Sussex by the Queen since early January. It would come as no surprise to the couple. A BBC royal correspondent and the slimy Chris Ship were this evening, questioning whether the Sussexes would be allowed to use the crown on their logo on Instagram and website. These people really want the Sussexes downgraded and made poor, because they have decided to cut them off after March 31. But that will not happen, as they are not going to rely on the family to survive.
However, if it happens that the Sussexes have to drop the Royal bit, then is the Queen playing fair? I think not. Andrew set up a private company with offices at Buckingham Palace. The purpose was to match investors, including banks and small businesses. When there was a successful financial agreement, his private company was given a cut or a certain percentage on the size of the investment involved. That arrangement went on for several years making him tons of money until last year’s free fall BBC interview. No one questioned, not the Queen, her officials or the news media, even though he is a Senior Royal. It was a third world sort of corrupt arrangement. It was looked on as a charity endeavor. He has withdrawn from everything but keeps his HRH. But the Sussexes, they will retain the HRH, but not use it in the meantime.
Prince Charles as the heir is doing commercial businesses nicely using his royal title – the Duchy – Duke of Cornwall and influence. He supplies organic products to an upscale shop in London and has a shop on his estate. He has branched into menswear. Neither the Queen nor her stuffy starched senior officials have ever complained or leaked against him, instead, she praised him last year for the successful ventures. As far as Prince Charles is concerned, in the Queen’s eye, his businesses do not break any royal code.
Perhaps, the Duke of Sussex thought about his father’s businesses, which do not cause the Queen any headache and felt he and his wife could do the same. He did not think, there are different royal codes for him and for his father. The Queen has applied a different standard to him and his wife.
For someone who has successfully ran two huge charities – Invictus Games and the ever-expanding Sentabale from scratch without government or royal funds, and no scandal whatsoever, couldn’t these old codgers at Buckingham Palace trust the Duke and his wife to be uber scrupulous to go private and not scandalise the Royal family without raising all these phantom obstacles? That raises a sizeable question of fairness, me thinks.
The Duchess once said in an interview about her website The Tig, that some months into its first year, a well-known media company approached her to buy into it with all sorts of ideas. She said no, as that would conflict with the ethos of the mission she had set for her website. If it was just about money, she would have kept the Tig, invite all manner of investments and grow it into a big beast. That says how much respect she has for herself.
My feeling is that what is left of the Royal Family think, by clamping on such side issues like HRH and the Royal, the Sussexes would lose their attraction around the world. They think perhaps that could deter prospective interests from companies and international institutes. That is wrong and wishful thinking, of course.
The HRH matters only to royalists, some UK charities and the Royal Family. Most people could not give a fig about it. In the Sussexes case, the HRH is just a little detail. Their popularity and charisma do not depend on that. Their selling point is themselves. Put them in any hole and they will charm their way out of it.
The Duchess was plainly frustrated out of her senior role. She has only four patronages. Last year she set three of them up nicely to move on. She is in discussions with the National Theatre for some exciting events coming up, according to their Director today. He has had to deny tabloid lies that their Board was angry with the Duchess, because of their move to Canada. He said the Duchess has a star reach, they have to make use of and that it is business as usual.
The Duchess’s full potential was never fully exploited and at the same time left to be abused by ignorant journalists secretly urged on by their own family. She had not much to do after the four patronages. Why, because she is overshadowing someone, who in some years to come, would be the King’s Consort. It is why she spent so much time with the Grenfell Tower women and the cake baking charity group. Those two interests are not patronages, she only sought them out to help. In an understanding way, she did not want to waste away at Frogmore Cottage. There was nothing much to do other than looking after Master Archie and her husband.
I have raised these points, because news websites, in the UK and abroad are spinning stories like mad, which have no basis yet. In any case, the future is the Sussexes, whether with Royal affixed to their business ventures or not.
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