New Prince

Sorry...FROM 6th spot.

Crikey, it seems newcomers to the royal clan cannot win...

Diana was a young very naïve girl and as such she found herself being manipulated regardless of her feelings.
She quickly grew to realise that she had merely been chosen to provide an heir for the dithering Prince Charles, who should have married the lady he loved (Camilla) when he first had the chance. Sadly in time Diana realised her husband did not love her and she had been used merely as a 'rent-a-womb' Such a shame that she wasn't emotionally strong enough to stand up for herself in the early days.
Fergie, was a much more out-spoken 'jolly hockey sticks' young girl and stood up to the family as best she could and although divorce was the same outcome for her as it had been for Diana she wasn't persecuted emotionally in quite the same way.
If Meghan appears as a confident, self-assured young lady then good for her, I hope she is. The days of women, be they royal or not, simply toeing the line and being demure and obedient without question have gone. Marriage for royals should be for the same reason as we commoners get wed... because we love each other and regardless of what others think of our choice our happiness is paramount.

As for picking faults for such trivial matters as she fiddles with her hair?!! Maybe this young lady who may appear as confidence personified is in fact bloody terrified of the media circus standing in front of her.

I wish the soon to be married couple 'All the Best' the same as I would wish any couple getting married. I sincerely hope they both stay strong and can together learn to say 'NO' to the royal establishment when or if they feel they are trying to dictate how they should think just because something is against the documented historical protocol.

Harry is in the same position as Andrew was

gummy I’m sure she will have lots of fitness gurus dancing attendance on her pelvic floor!

This talk of the innocent Diana still goes on and on. Charles Spencer and his mother in law had one of the three sisters lined up for the throne. Why did Diana say about being a virgin 'I knew I had to keep myself tidy '. And she was ignorant of how the Windsors lived, she was part of the inner circle, lived at Sandringham, holidayed at Balmoral, her father was part of the queens household, her grandmother Lady Fermoy was close friend and lady in waiting to the Q,M. Her sister Sarah was first in line for the role, it didn't work so Diana stepped in. She was not the innocent lamb to the slaughter . She said she didn't think Sarah was right for Charles !

I don't like what I see of the Markle woman. Too 'out there', often messy hair and inappropriate clothes, leading weak Harry by the nose and too touchy feely in public.
Her family are best kept behind clsed doors, which is where I would have liked her to stay.
Elvis Presley once said/sang that 'the world's a stage and each of us play a part' but I'm afraid that the spotlight will never be on Meghan Markle, much as she might want to hog it. That circle of light belongs to Catherine and her family.
I thought it wrong to have Harry's wedding date so close to Kate's due date. It doesn't give her much time to settle into a feeding routine with her new son and regain her svelte figure.
Maybe that's what she hopes...who knows.
Personally, I don't think she's an asset nor is she beautiful. She definitely wouldn't look twice at Harry if he was an actor or a company exec. His position drew her and, if the media is correct, that was her goal many years ago.

I'd be very surprised if the new Prince was named Albert, given the connotations behind a Prince Albert piercing.

Too 'out there', often messy hair and inappropriate clothes, leading weak Harry by the nose
Well, that’s Meghan Markle tell’t as we say in Scotland.
How sexist are you being GabriellaG in your comments about her clothes and hair?
“Weak” Harry? Really?
I find it hard to credit how some people are working up such a head of steam about her.
DM readers are presumably at liberty to buy another Sunday paper and frankly, does one, as Rhett Butler said, “Give a damn?”

It was Shakespeare who said, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players..." in As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII. Just saying.....

I believe Meghan's actual first name is Rachel. We will have enough royals if she and Harry have a family so it's time to say no more on the civil list once Andrew, Anne and Edward die. Anne, sensibly, wanted her children to make their own way in the world so Beatrice and Eugenie, Louise and James should do likewise

Just wanted to point out that the Queen is currently on the throne.

Prince Charles is 1st in line to the throne
Prince William is second "
Prince George is third "
Princess Charlotte is fourth "
Prince Newborn is fifth
Prince Harry is sixth "
Prince Andrew is seventh "
etc

Heirs and spares aplenty.

I feel some affinity with the Royals because when we lived in Windsor we regularly exercised our border collie (Rufus, would you believe) in the Great Park.

We were even allowed to watch them playing polo and I felt then ,being a gentleman, that I could have slipped into that lifestyle quite comfortably.
Alas, 'twas not to be.!
Thank you all for your potted histories of the Royals.
Looks like Prince Andrew may be due for a "bump" when Harry and Meghan ( thanks for that correction) get cracking.
But I'm still waiting to see posts from anyone standing outside the hospital.! How they felt at that defining moment? Don't tell me nobody went.?
I suppose when his names are proclaimed, the media clamor will go up a few notches.
Can't wait.

It's nearly midnight and my bedtime so Goodnight and Good health.

Harry is in the same position as Andrew was

A playboy prince then ?

Oh KatyK his very true, we also buy the mail on Saturday only for the TV mag and both the wife and I have started reading on page ten or so, who cares about her previous life, I had girlfriends and my wife had boyfriends before we met, but didn’t want to know about then, same with this girl. I think she deserves to be given a chance to just do Harry some good, he certainly took his time choosing her so I rather fancy they really are in love and will stick together, I certainly hope so, can’t be easy choosing to stick your life into the goldfish bowl.

so it's time to say no more on the civil list once Andrew, Anne and Edward die.

The Civil List is a thing of the past quizqueen - it ceased in 2012 and only HM, Prince Philip and HM the Queen Mother received an income from it.
There is now a Sovereign Grant and I think that HM can apportion the money as she wishes to who is carrying out duties on her behalf.
The Sovereign Grant is paid out of Crown Estate profits - HM receives about 15% as the Grant.

I expect a President would want the whole lot of the profits for a nice new palace, all his extended family and a new Rolls Royce or ten.

Don't tell me nobody went.?
There was a whole posse of Gransnetters standing in the cold, rain, heatwave etc for weeks just to catch a glimpse, Rufus.
Unfortunately, our phones, cameras etc all ran out of charge so no photos unfortunately.

She definitely wouldn't look twice at Harry if he was an actor or a company exec. His position drew her and, if the media is correct, that was her goal many years ago.
Probably not, Gabriella, I think what drew them together was their great zeal and interest in charity work, epecially her work for under-privileged women the world over.

I hope they make a great team who, without the shackles of becoming Head of State, will be a force for good in the world.

Am I the only one who felt rather nauseated by the silly ardent fans waving union jacks and standing outside waiting for news? I wish the young family well, as I would wish anyone well, but really, some of the public really do need to get a life!

Well, some people will wave flags, placards etc for any old reason, they must get something out of it.

One woman had camped near the hospital for fifteen days

I was joking when I said that in my post to Rufus

Rufus I accept your apology and thankful you are big enough to offer it I don’t like to hear any woman referred to by her surname only it’s just not nice, it may work in boys boarding schools but it’s not nice in day to day life

I can’t understand all the ‘against’ Meghan Merkel posts when no one really knows anyth8ng about her, poor lass she can’t do right for doing wrong She seems to make Harry very happy judging by the photos so good on them He’s not in line for leading the country so hopefully they both just get on with their life

when Harry and Merkel start doing their stuff.
Is this the latest celeb gossip then? Prince Harry and Frau Angela Merkel?

Has anyone told Meghan?

Well I love a new baby so good luck to the new prince. I wonder what he will be called? I have heard Arthur and James are apparently favorite names with the bookmakers. I wonder if he will be called Alfred (Alfie). Any other suggestions anyone?

It’s rather sad there are, once again, some really unpleasant comments being made here about various members or soon to be members of the royal family.
I would like to ask you do you know Prince Harry personally GabriellaG to say “he is weak”. Where do you get that opinion from? Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but I don’t know him so am not in a position to pass such a comment about him.
Equally, the unkind comments being passed about Meghan Markle are being made by people who have never met her. I can’t comment on what she is like because I do not know her. She seems OK, but I don’t know for sure.
Don’t forget, the media do an awful lot of hype around anyone in the public eye, whoever they are, and some of the media will go over the top in their praises, painting quite unrealistic portrayals, and others will go over the top in nasty critisisms which again is painting an unrealistic picture. Somewhere in the middle, there may be some grains of truth. None of us, whatever our walk of life, are always perfect or always horrible. We all have moments when we are grumpy so and so’s and other moments when we are quite charming and friendly. It’s being human.